What Art Does

Cover of *What Art Does*, on my kitchen counter, all *cleaned*.

Some months ago I was able to see Brian Eno’s musical documentary by Objectified filmmaker Gary Hustwit in Seattle. The ‘randomized’, almost ‘language-based’ formula of the always-different documentary was a real first.

I only recently discovered someone talking about Brian Eno’s book so I was happy that it arrived today. It’s much more ‘diminutive’ that I’d guessed it would be. If you own On Tyranny or 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School then you know about what size neighborhood it lives in.

Already I realize that this kind of thought-provoking book is one for the sidetable or coffee table for occasional browsing as its wisdom is arranged in a few chapters; all at once, or as time allows.

Unfortunately, the guts are a bit destroyed, since it was clearly next to another package in shipping that exposed it to an explosion of lemony solvent that means most of the pages are “clean”, if you will. So, I think I’ll trudge through it and then donate it to a local mini library or book charity and see if someone else would like it.

https://eno.metalabel.com/what-art-does

Fantastic illustrations throughout by Dutch illustrator and author Bette A.
From the metalabel site:

"In 2019 Bette co-founded TRQSE - a network of artists and scientists who work together on social projects."
https://www.trqse.com

The last chapter is Mr. Eno’s wish for humanity via those reading the book. I’ll just leave you to it, then. ♥️

Edit: I had to come back and add this here:

"Just as we need science to tell us how the world is changing, we need art to help find out how we feel about it.
"We need those feelings to guide our decisions and values.
”Science discovers, art digests.”

— P. 111, Brian Eno

Eno / Gary Hustwit. 2024, documentary film.
https://www.hustwit.com/eno

Objectified / By Gary Hustwit. 2009, documentary film.
https://www.hustwit.com/objectified

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School / By Matthew Frederick. 2007, ISBN 978-0-262-06266-4.
https://archive.org/details/101-things-i-learned-in-architecture-school/mode/2up

On Tyranny / By Timothy Snyder. 2017, ISBN13 978-0804190114.
https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny

Shared:
https://typo.social/@Luke/114237119864570120

WhilePlaying:
General Public by General Public
https://music.apple.com/us/album/general-public/1671574636?i=1671574678