Wilde_I would rather sing

IF IT IS ALL THE SAME TO YOU …

I WOULD RATHER SING

Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. (Oscar Wilde)

THE PREFACE The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim. The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things. [1]

The highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only beauty. [2]

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all. [3]

The nineteenth century dislike of realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass. The nineteenth century dislike of romanticism is the rage of Caliban not seeing his own face in a glass. [4]

The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium. No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true can be proved. No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style. No artist is ever morbid. The artist can express everything. Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art. Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art. From the point of view of form, the type of all the arts is the art of the musician. From the point of view of feeling, the actor's craft is the type. [5]

All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital. When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself. [6]We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. [7]

All art is quite useless.

Aestheticism – The Cult Of Beauty And Pleasure

“Art for Art's sake" is proposed in the Preface In the Trope of the “Faustian” – deal with the devil – (It is

Dorian who chooses the evil ways of his Hedonistic lifestyle)

Specifics of art's aim is to "reveal the art and conceal the artist” – creativity has no bounds and no defined significance if not that of “BEING” object of ART itself –

Wilde defines the artist as free of ethical sympathies– neither good nor wrong.

Books are seen as only "well written" or "badly written" have no moral or amoral quality – we either agree or we don’t (we like it or we don’t)– but that is us to impose our ethics on a piece of Art – so it may shape itself to our idea – “imagined perfection”.


Cynicism prevents us from seeing true beauty or other “pre-conceptions” – pertaining to a dogmatic view of the world –THIS keeps us from seeing beauty beneath the uncommon and what is otherwise considered ugly. Wilde reacts against the notion of art as having a “specific” teaching objective – whether the result is marvelous or not --ART – should exist beyond moral, religious, or practical purposesCaliban - capable of reasoning and language but also physically ugly and criminal (evil). Yet he is at the mercy of his nature—we fear him in his rage his plotting to overthrow the hero and rape his daughter

BUT we pity him in his deformity and his impotence – we are

emotionally invested (Romantic sensibility) BUT Caliban is also what we do not like about ourselves when we examine our SELVES – the Nietzschean Abyss -


We do not like what the mirror shows us The nineteenth century dislike of realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass.19th century readers did not like realism because they saw uncomfortable truths (both as individuals and as a society)A deliberate contrast with the previous statement – 19th century dislike of Romanticism is the rage of Caliban not seeing his own face in a glass.Individuals cannot stand reality, so too we cannot handle what we would like to see but is not being reflected in the mirror.

THE QUESTION IS : How and to what extent should art reflect life ? Wilde is criticizing both aspects – the artist who reflects life will be re-creating the artist who deliberately aims to not reflect life will be de-constructing – thus making an ethical statement anyway.


"the highest … lowest form of criticism is … autobiography".

Wilde claims all criticism reveals more about the author than it does about the work of art

Those who see beauty in all things are intellectually sophisticated. “For these there is hope.” Because beautiful things mean only beautybeauty.

The prevalence of Utilitarian Victorian attitudes and values in educational institutions intensified social conflict We call ourselves a utilitarian age, and we do not know the uses of any single thing. Oscar Wilde, De Profundis

Throughout we see a subversion of conventional models of subjectivity and a strong criticism of the conservative values that endorse them.

Wilde considers public opinion as an especially pernicious vehicle for social conformity both, corrosive and a threat to individual freedom (and thought)


Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is

the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. All symbols carry energy (a profound significance)

People who try to rationalize don't really see ART from its “ulterior” point of view to try at all costs to find something to understand the what and the why of a painting

Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital. When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself.

Statements – a manifesto about the purpose of art, the role of the artist, and the value of beauty


We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it.

Metaphorical reference to those aspects of life that cannot and must not be neatly categorized or understood using reason alone.

Unapologetic and antiauthoritarian attitude still resonates – Wilde objectifies beauty – THERE

. . =^.^=The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one

admires it intensely

Damian Hirst

Completely Useless – Completely Awesome

Devices & Hardware

Wilde_I would rather sing