What is real?

are in the truth but artists have the tendency to

A lecture on “Imagination and Reality” by Jeanette add ideas such as no sexual harassment, no
Winterson rapists, no corruption in government, no
racism, no sexism
Talking Points
● Real vs notional Otherness - Fragments
○ Governments, educational system, ● ‘To accept God is to accept Otherness, and
and other institution enforce the while this did not make the life of the artist any
notional life easier (the life of the artist is never easy
○ People who tend to choose the real anyway), a general agreement that there is
life are usually viewed as weird, more around us than the mundane allows the
outcast or leading to monastic life artist a greater license and ar geater authority
● Artist as the Visionary than he or she can expect in a society that
● Multiple realities - fragmented identity recognized nothing but itself.’ (Winterson, 136)
(otherness) ● The idea that everyone has a self that exist in
● Artistic Movements (how things were during other people
the time of Jeannete Winterson and how it ● The society recognizes nothing but the one
affects us and our current context) that is there, whats status quo that is why
● Money culture change is very difficult in our society because
● The Currency of the Art most of the time when we present steps so we
can progress to better practice, habits, there is
The Visionary a resistance because society states that we’ve
● ‘The original role of the artist as visionary is been doing this forever why change it, its too
the correct one’ (Winterson, 133) convenient why would we change it we are
○ She said that in the first few already used to it without the idea of the next
paragraphs because she believes people or those who are abused in the
here and is trying to present to us that process of being convenient, it is not
most of us have the idea that artists considered and looked at society because
are reflections or mirrors; they they are too comfortable with their status that
basically reflect what kind of society they had the tendency to change this because
they live in however Winterson is of course they have the greater authority
saying here that it is not true because because they see something that is wrong and
that is not the role of artists in society; he/she has the capacity to express it through
what the artist must do is to become their art, that this is what is supposed to
the visionary (someone who is having happen
an ideal, envision what should be and ● The idea of a fragmented reality - e.g. you are
what can be done in the future or what watching this video as the professor is talking
could be better in our current social indirectly and the professor is just a face in the
reality) screen but he exists in somebody else’s world
● Artist have the idea of providing honest value through their mind, he is the son of their mom
on objects (it is what it is; you cannot expect and also a friend to his friends etc.
the artist to actually put things into perspective
that this object is a rock and then they will say Artistic Movements - A Stupor
its not a rock; expect an artist to say that it is a ● We are stuck in the money culture
rock and he/she will make an art piece out of a ○ We have this idea that in order for us
rock) to have money
● Artists are usually the odd ones out but the ○ In the Philippines, in order for us to be
ones speaking the truth (most of the time are artists, we must have a fall back or
the weird kids, no friends but they are the ones safety net. Why? Because if one
that are the noisiest or famous in terms of person will pursue their passion
being seen on tv, galleries, etc) regarding art or passion with art and
● They are visionary because she said that there making a career out of it, without a
is perception and mirroring and the idea of a safety net, he/she will be hungry
courtside reporter (are the ones who jot down because people in our country do not
notes on what is happening during court love the idea of paying artists (hate
proceedings paying photographers, designers,
● Based on Winterson, the artist does not reflect wedding singers, events coordinator)
on what it is; Winterson is saying here that we because they see it as something
 easy to do and they see artists as painting, whatever emotion is placed
someone disposable and is not their in his/her intention that is the
important in our society when in fact probable thing that you will be able to
we consume art in a daily basis (there see when you look at the art piece
are different functions of art: practical, ● Money can buy you painting, books, or opera
educational, political, psychological) seats but it will not expose you to the energies
and that is why the art production got you will find in art
slower because artists are ○ Money cannot buy you the experience
discouraged because no profit; if they or feeling when you go to a concert
do their art, yes they will be happy that is why most of the time one in a
because they are doing their passion lifetime chance to attend a concert
but they are not getting any resources grab it if you have the means because
for them to continue so they will that memory will stay with you forever
abandon that art or career and move as long as you live and alive and that
on to another career and be someone feeling or emotion will still be with you,
productive and perhaps forget the idea something that money cannot buy; you
of being an artist can explain it to other people but they
● We view art as a minor of the society rather cannot phantom or understand the
than a prediction of it emotion; they can say “oh i know that”,
● Our current state of art production and no, they don't because only you will be
perspective is stuck, rooting from the money able to feel the emotion; they may be
culture we inherited from our colonizers able to empathize and sympathize
○ Because for us to identify someone as with what you’re feeling but not
successful, they must have a high entirely know what you are feeling
profit, high salary, high position in work ● ‘Love is reciprocity and so is art’
etc; we never see success when
someone is happy, when he/she has Real - Royal
enough profit or he/she is contended ● The word royal is variant of the word real
in his/her life because we are always ○ Notional - symbolic and we experience
taught that for us to be successful they things on a symbolic manner
must be rich, have money, have a ○ Real - authentic
house and car and have all materials ● Kings are more accessible to their people
things that you see ● Royalty serves as bridge between the
terrestrial and supernatural
Money Culture - The Enemy ● Royalties expected to behave like God
● ‘Money culture recognizes no currency but its ● “God is glorious, terrifying, inscrutable, often
own.’ (Winterson, 138) capricious to human eyes, extravagant,
○ The currency of money culture is time victorious, legislative but not law-abiding, the
because time is transformed into supreme imagination.”
money and resources and in money ● “In the beginning was the Word”
culture you are paid in resources for
every time you spend working Money - Dependence on Symbols
● Artists creates art at their own pace ● Money culture depends on symbols reality
● Money culture doesn’t like that; it needs to ● The symbolic man surrounds himself of
know what it is getting, when will it be finished, objects much like how tyrants surrounds
and how much will be the cost themselves with subject
● In the money culture, the artist should be able
to sell their works regularly, or he or she will Art is Reality
starve, or he or she must think of doing ● Art is for us a reality beyond now. An
something else imaginative reality that we need. The reality of
art that is the reality of the imagination.
Imagination - the Honest Currency of Art
● The artist does not turn time into money Art is Nature
● Art’s exchange is in kind; energy for energy, ● Nature, from the Latin word Natura. It is the
intensity for intensity, vision for vision totality of oneself. But not just one’s self but
○ What the artist will give for his art, the self of the world, the one that exist in other
that's the same thing that you will get people’s minds and so on and no mirror can
when you look at the art (e.g. in a reflect these singularities
Guide Questions
1. What does Winterson say about The Role of the
Artist in the society?
Like others, she presents art as an alternative way out.
Art, says Winterson, is “the essential equipment for the
task of being human. It provides a basic kit for life.
Don’t leave home without it.” Art remains the best way
Winterson knows “of passing on the complexity and
value of human experience, generation to generation,
across time.” According to Winterson the human race
is facing a future where each generation will have to
re-invent its own wheel. “This may suit short-term
consumerism and the cynics who love to promote the
new new thing, so that they can keep making money,
but the throw-away mentality of late capitalism is
hitting every aspect of human interaction; people don’t
value their friends or their partners – you can get a
new wife, list your hundreds of new friends on
FaceBook.”

2. What is the concept behind Notional vs Real?

3. What is Money Culture and why is it dangerous?