What makes art good or bad?

‘What makes art good or bad?’ transcript. Video 2.30 mins

AUDIO: Classical music plays

VISUAL: “RMIT Presents” appears on a blue screen. It fades and a still of Professor Paul Gough appears on screen next to the text “What makes art good or bad? Professor Paul Gough, Pro Vice-Chancellor Design and Social Context and Vice-President.”

VISUAL: The RMIT pixel logo transitions away the title screen and Paul Gough appears on the right of frame with animated art work and gallery patrons to his left and a real gallery as the backdrop.  

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS:  So the question is, what makes a piece of art good or bad? That's kind of an interesting question most people usually ask the question; that's not art is it? And I think once you ask that question you tend to close things down you say not art or is art.

VISUAL: The animated gallery patrons have speech bubbles that say “not art” “it is art”.

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: But, actually start to think differently. Start to think - What do I think is good art?

VISUAL: The camera cuts from Paul Gough and zooms in on the artwork in the background. Text appears as the camera cuts across a piece of art. Text appears and reads “What do I think is good art” “What do I think is bad art”

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: What do I think is bad art? Because the minute you do that, you start to think to yourself what are my value judgements?

VISUAL: A full screen animation of a man at a gallery appears. He looks at various pieces of artwork. Speech bubbles appear asking the questions posed by the narrator, Paul Gough.

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: So, when you see a piece of art, whether it's a painting, a print, or a sculpture. Start saying - How does this talk to me? Does it engage me? Does it interest me? Do I want to know more?

Because the minute you start asking a painting, or a print, or a sculpture about itself you're in a dialogue. It starts talking back to you and the minute that happens, suddenly, the world opens up for you.

VISUAL: The sculpture in the animation says “Hello, I’m art” with a speech bubble and the world opens up for the animated man in the gallery, by multicoloured circles coming out of his head. The camera then cuts back to live action Paul Gough speaking to camera to the right of frame with animated artwork on the left.

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: You start asking why did the artist do it this way? Why should they have done it a different way? What is it telling me about the worldview of the artist? And what more do I need to know about the artist in order to be able to expand my knowledge of that piece of art?

VISUAL: The camera cuts from Paul Gough and zooms in on the artwork in the background. Text appears as the camera cuts across a piece of art. Text appears and reads “Like” and “Don’t Like.”

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: So the minute you ask more than just like, don't like, it just opens up a whole world of possibilities and you are now part of the conversation with art work it's a great place to be.

VISUAL: Bubbles pop up along the artwork reading “Form” “Texture” “Shadows” and text to the left of frame readings “It’s a great place to be.” The camera cuts back to Paul to the right of frame and an animated version of him appears to the left of frame. His animated figure looks at and assesses pieces of art.

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: So, when I go into an art gallery, I don't look at everything. I choose four or five pieces of work and then I kind of give it two rules. Two rules to me, one is, does it say something? Is it about something?

VISUAL: The camera cuts to a full screen animation coloured entirely orange. An actual orange sits in the centre. The orange background shrinks and a landscape appears to the left of frame, clouds appear to the right.

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: It may be about the colour orange. It may be about the view and the landscape. It may be about the cloud structure in a painting. It may be about the materials in a sculpture. Is it primarily about something that I find engaging?

VISUAL: The camera cuts back to the real artwork in the background of the gallery in which Paul Gough sits.

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: And, the second one I suppose, does it do it convincingly? Does the artist really convince me they know their craft, they know their subject, they know what they're trying to say?

VISUAL: Animated clouds appear alongside text emphasising key points from the narration.

VISUAL: Camera cuts to full screen animation of a man in a gallery. Pieces of art work appear saying “ask questions” “find out more” and “dig deep”.  

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: Apply those rules and I think you're on steady ground. But, above all ask questions, find out more, dig deep, and you'll gain hugely from the experience.

VISUAL: Camera cuts back to Paul Gough speaking to camera with animated artwork on his left.

PAUL GOUGH SPEAKS: So, finally when you look at a piece of art, remember to keep your mind open, keep an imagination really fertile, because if you've got a closed mind, you might as well have closed eyes.

VISUAL: RMIT Logo appears on blue screen.

AUDIO: Music fades out

[End of Transcript]