They Playing In Yo Face: Aesthete Vs Artist
The realities for all the ways survival competition is created out of a tangle of false impressions, false equivalents and mishandling.
(im not editing this first version. I’m just hitting send.)
Artists create things. Aesthetes curate things. That’s really too simple a statement and probably shouldn’t ever be quoted as bible, but it’s how the ice is breaking, fasho. There is such thing as being both. Doing the most and not the lesser, I want to read deeper into the differences between aesthetics and art. Literally, I want this reading to build a sense for how a false impression of either of those two realities could color survival. It’s important to read the room as we’re coming across one another in the pole industry and being presented with: approaches, guidance, responses or opportunity offers that result, for the most part, in a visual and human encounters that contours how we exist.
My earth sign Venus and Moon (Taurus gang) are reading—as provocation—what the tangible outcomes of aesthetics versus artistry amount to. The conflation of the two as synonymous is dull as fuck, where as seeing the polarity allows for pointed transformation in how one acts. Their difference isn’t rooted in which is better. Not being blind to the paradox though, questions the illusion of competition that tends to produce injury and mistaken choices along with the discourse that retells it. It is, my goal with this reading to see how you call it, if you can. For those that care about the impact of marketing being deceptive or not (regardless the intention), I want you to be able to call out snake oil and act according to conviction not crowding. Let’s get into it:
Aesthetes
Aesthetes put aesthetics—sensory experience of feelings and perceptions—in the front and center of an output. An aesthetic output being a curation/creation of appreciation, taste and value within the human experience. There is a pursuit toward creating an intended perception and judging the ability to refine the appreciation of a sensory experience. Whether this experience is a natural occurrence or human-made object or activity(ies), aesthetics are a pursuit toward a sensory form (whatever that may be). The forms already exist and what aesthetics does is see the patterns in the existing formations and connects them to the core of a set of beliefs. An aesthete realizes a taste level, if you will, of personal or societal value that represents worthiness, goodness or beauty.
Case In Point: The Femme Muse ( An Aesthete)
Talking about what differentiates aesthetes from artists, I brought up an aesthete who I respect from afar ( The Femme Muse). The respect is there not because I agree with The Femme Muse’s direction, curation or guidance, sensibilities (I don’t agree); the respect is there because The Femme Muse stands ten toes down on the convictions around what it means (to them) for curating a life of goodness and beauty and substance. Through all channels there is an aesthetic belief that is rooted in a desire of being presented a specific way and all ones choices should align with that. The outcomes of these aesthetic sensations and choices produce, for what The Femme Muse believes, an authentic self in existence in the world.
Artists
Artists use aesthetics but it is the background rhythm to the foreground of producing an output. An artistic output is the practice and creation of a body of work (singular or collective) brought together to reflect dimensionality and discipline that is the complex human psyche, condition and or imagination. This is not just the act of creativity, it is the ability to rip into dimension making— to create new forms (derivatives or inventions). This is not always perceived or focused on beauty. Artists, should, be identified by the workings of their art. The word ‘working’ read here is not simply commercially valuable labor. It is the process of effort being made tangible in a form via human ability within a medium(s). There are some abilities that we have as humans that are innate or that we are uniquely drawn to craft, not out of need for income necessarily, but it is a gift, often times present since childhood. I’m attempting to be generous in interpretation but clear in distinction so that artforms that are not consider “fine arts” or refined by institution are included. An artist makes real their imagination from non-existent form into form. Art does not consider objects or concepts “as is” there is a process of significant articulation and intercourse with a medium, in my opinion that adds to the distinction. Art can borrow, interpolate and draw on things already in existence but it does not accept it, let alone present it back to the world in the same form that it was discovered. From here I can begin to talk about delineation, crediting, sourcing, researching but I think that’s a pandora’s box that I’ve touched on before and I can also save for its own bitchin. The case for this comes further in the reading.
Literally
How this applies to the current atmosphere of pole, is in the paradox of issues and collective dysfunction I’ve been observing between demographics. Each channel I come across that run by a human being is reflecting what they want us to see with a rightful entitlement to privacy— everyone decides their level of privacy and we should respect that, period.
The arguments that I’ve seen or heard about over the last couple of weeks are what they are. Shit happens some of it I choose not to prioritize inserting myself in. I have my opinions and critiques, that I’m sure will be polarizing. I will include them in a separate post so that yall know where I stand on these issues. But anyway back to the plot…
Literally everyone is trying to survive. The arguments that are taking place really boil down to who/what is marketable and who/what isn’t. Who can make money in certain arenas and who can’t based off their aesthetics and their artistry. Then here comes a conflation of aesthetics and artistry and the tension that resides in the mildew of money-making labor between the two. Then the conflation of words, meanings and concepts to market to make money. Then the policing of actions and behaviors instead of the protest (cause this looks different) of mistreatment and dehumanization. Then the cross thieving, stealing, unethical borrowing and consumption. Then throwing rocks and hiding dirt. It’s a fucking mess. The issues are rooted in unlovedness and unbelonging and it’s really fucked up to witness people take their personal wishes and blow them up into societal issues that we KNOW exist and SOME of us are actively addressing by making new domains and rips in reality. (Now I’m bitchin’)
As a final example of how false impressions lead to how choices, thoughts and behaviors are colored I’m gonna drop my weight into the controversy on the aesthetic vs artistry aspect using one of the people who was at the center of it and also one who rarely gets any call outs.
Using Cami as a representative for people who are aesthetes who have some bit of artistry. It is her aesthetics (the way experiences are curated and presented and sensorially centering beauty, goodness/wellness and worth even if it does include sex-appeal) that make her and her endeavors popular and marketable—thus favorable for opportunities. Not to mention ol girl got a bomb manager/press team. Same, with people like Shelly, a former stripper, who have a corporate brand to uphold that while more sex worker adjacent and queer because of her personal identities, the aesthetics themselves are still brandished in a contemporary feminine affirming (girl boss), club cosplay-ish way. While Shelly is more inclusive of oddity, her style is rarerly/not obscene as with Cami. Now of course there are exceptions to my statements here.
Meanwhile there are artists who explicitly prioritize their domain to being an artist, who may be using aesthetics that are not lucky to have the same opportunities for visibility (by choice or force). And this is where the tension resides, I believe. I’m gonna use myself as an example here, I could use others but I think I want to drive home a point about how our choices and behaviors are colored and how my determination makes me act different. My aesthetics that are the background to my artistic work are not love and light or contemporary feminine or even a promotion of cleanliness, living well, glitz, life styling at all. It is obscene — not merely because it can be pornographic but also because it’s dark, high contrast, hard, low budget and at times dirty. What this has caused is 1. Instagram to not make my posts discoverable 2. A shroud of mystery around who I am and how relatable I am 3. I am offensive to people, because I make clear statements about where I stand on a bevy of issues unrelated to life-styling but to world-viewing. While I bitch about how unfair the marketing conditions are I understand why they exist. My understanding of differences also makes me determine not to create personal beefs out of systemic issues (unless the shots are indeed personal— cause they do be that sometimes). I handle systemic issues systemically by organizing my creations into new domains of being and doing for others participate in. I offer my gifts to those who are doing those same things. This is how respecting the difference colors my survival.
The thing that gets on my damn nerves is the false impression that aesthetics are synonymous with art. We don’t need to debate on what is “art” (cause no.) It’s reductive. We need to consider how we’re marketing and how we’re being marketed to— how we’re handled; and how false impressions/snake oils are twisting at our guts and carving into our irritability. This shit is trying to tell us something, give us some information about the ways we’re choosing to make decisions and what is it that we’re really trusting to believe in. They playing in our faces yall (THEY, yes them). The realities of difference of an aesthete vs artist are just a mirror for all the ways we create competition out of differences instead of respecting it, carving our lane and fighting against the real things that oppress our abilities to do either.