Portishead - Incredible artistry...but who is it supposed to reach

About a year ago, a good friend of mine turned me on to Portishead. I had heard about them but never heard the music. I was instantly impressed. Their music skill, technical acumen and creative innovation were undeniable.

In April, the group released it's long awaited third album (aptly named "Third") which you can hear in its entirety on imeem.

I've been listening the album repeatedly. Now, normally, I like music that has commercial appeal. I'm not really into niche music created for special people who "get it". And this is not a "commercial appeal group" by any stretch. But, surprisingly, I really like it.

After some thought and numerous listens I came to the conclusion that I like them because I can appreciate them as a musician and producer. Even though they don't make standard radio playable songs, you can tell that they clearly could if they wanted to. They understand dance, hip hop and all the popular genres. However they choose to use this knowledge to create something totally different, something original, something artistic.

So the question is... who will Portishead reach? By spurning the traditions of commercial music, there are literally millions of people who will never hear of them. I can appreciate them because, as a producer, I happen to be in the class of those who "get it". But so many won't care about the intricate details of their musical production. Nor will they appreciate the way they seamlessly transition from one genre to another mid-song. No, most won't even stick around long enough past the 2 minute intro before the really cool groove kicks in (Check out The Rip below).

Still, is this just art for arts sake? Or can their art still inspire and affect people even if it's a smaller audience. If musicians are the only ones who get it, maybe one of those musicians will be inspired to create something that changes the world? What do you think?

My formula for creating Powerful, Compelling Art

So I've given this a lot of thought and I've come up with my own formula for creating a work of art that effectively affects people. (I really like using those two words together :)

Anyway, I think truly powerful art contains an equal portion of both Skillful Technique and Connecting Message. Yeah, that may be a simple formula but I think it's complete nonetheless.

If an artist creates a work that evokes a strong emotion or conveys a message that speaks directly to us; and if they do that while demonstrating a mastery of their craft, we are more likely to be moved deeply.

Many times you can create art that is more concerned with one of the components than the other. For example, an artist can paint a incredibly realistic basket of fruit. While doing so they can demonstrate mastery of lighting and depth and texture and attention to detail. But, regardless of the realism, the overall impact of the painting itself will be limited (although the technique alone will probably be inspiration for other artists).

On the flip side, an author can create a novel that contains a powerful vision for the future of our country. But, if the writing is poor or lacking in style, who will read it?

So my theory is that most art contains some uneven amount of both factors. But, the truly great ones that impact their times and settings, are the ones that contain the right balance of both message and technique.

I think this applies to all art forms: music composition, paintings, sculpture, film making, etc.

What do you think? Do you agree?

Over the next few posts, I going to try and find examples in various art forms that prove this. If you have some suggestions (or if you disagree) let me know.