Medusa with the head of Perseus- Luciano Garbati. 2008.

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

8. Perhaps I was being too cryptic . . .

I find the piece devoid of artistic merit for the same reason I would find a proficiently executed piece of Soviet-era "socialist realism" sculpture devoid of artistic merit. But that's just me.

I don't dispute that the visual arts have "always been a vehicle to express sociological, political and ideological beliefs." It's just that I find that, very often, if not perhaps not inevitably, art that seeks to communicate beliefs that fall into those categories is usually pretty ugly stuff.

I'm no art critic, so I'll ask, in a non-rhetorical fashion, is there some sociological, political, or ideological belief being communicated by, say, Monet's Water Lilies series? In my aforementioned professed ignorance, I would venture to say no. Which is why, to my mind, such works are beautiful, while this sculpture is not so much "art" as it is a shrill statement, harsh on the eye rather than being harsh to the ear. As such statements go, I'd rather read them.

But whatever floats one's boat, I guess.