Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Most Art Isn't Worth It, But Some Is

For a while I've been wrestling with the idea that a majority of improv comedy isn't worth seeing. I say this not with any particular person, group, or theater in mind, but with my 5 years of experience performing and seeing thousands of scenes. In response an old improv friend, Jeremiah Jones, said that most art, not just improv, is not worth paying for. Bad music, paintings, books, etc. are just as common as bad improvisation. As pessimistic as that sounds, it has actually convinced me to continue my pursuit of live comedy. Maybe one day I can be the Beethoven, Picasso or J.K. Rowling of improv comedy.

5 comments:

  1. 10,000 hours: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert

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  2. Did I really just read J.K. Rowling in the same sentence as Beethoven and Picasso?

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  3. Andrew Park11:15 AM

    Hey Harrison,
    It's interesting that you make the assumption that Improv is an art form. As a composer I see so much awful music. Most bands/composers that I listen to sometimes put in lots of effort and can get lucky with their music, yet they don't really have an understanding of it. I think with true art the artist (to a certain degree) has an exceedingly thorough understanding of their art form and why it is good, why it is bad, and why it is great.

    Guys like Beethoven and Picasso knew what they were doing. They brought to life every detail that they worked on that no amateur musician/artist could do. That's why they were great.
    You can do it too!

    Best,
    Andrew Park (That Asian Guy from DSI)

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  4. Andrew Park11:15 AM

    And yes, Improv is an art form.

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  5. Thanks for the expert link Justin W. I'd never heard that before.

    As for my Rowling reference, I figured I had to put a joke in a post about comedy improv.

    Thanks for the wise words from a true artist Andrew. I'm hoping that by the 10 year mark I'll be there.

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You are the reason why I do not write privately. I would love to hear your thoughts, whether you agree or not.