On Pluralism by Darby Bannard

Darby Bannard gave a talk at Western Michigan University that was later published in Arts Magazine with the title "On Pluralism". It was a first class diatribe - very negative. So negative that one of the questioners asked for some positives. Yet the negativity was subtle and dignified, which yields an aesthetic experience of its own. The perfection of his unexpected combination of outrage and sophistication gives intuition something to dwell upon that is as much related to language as it is to truth.

February 25, 1986 Talk at WMU: On Pluralism (28:03)

Question Set One (17:27)

Questions include:

• How does the art system select certain artists for fame, if it thinks goodness is always equal?
• After all these references to bad artists, who is good?
• What about Botero and Alice Neal?
• What about corporate sponsorship of art?
• Are there any good young artists?

Question Set Two (13:19)

Questions include:

• What is Formalism?
• What about Art Education?
• What about today's studio students?
• Are there criteria that guarantee good art?
• What do you say to those who insist that art perform a social function?

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