Why Great Art Doesn't Explain Itself
Ever noticed when an artist tries to live up to moral ideals in society,
Their ethically concerned neighbors, the social media personalities, the bloggers, and the “moral citizens,” are far more punitive and punishing toward any perceived failure than the fans of some openly selfish, wildly provocative, and amoral nihilistic artist... would ever be?
There is a double standard... for artists in society, it has existed for decades.
The nihilistic artist who owns his selfish misanthropy can continue to get away with almost anything, he can even ”survive cancellation” because at least such people are honest about what they are. For example, Ye raps like a live nerve, expresses all feelings, and in Mr. West's interviews he is an open book. His self expression is as clear... as vodka in a shot glass.
Puritan culture is intimately linked with Western ideology, this includes lots of slut-shaming faced by women in the public eye, who present themselves as morally aware or woke, but are still derided for expressing sensuality on red carpets, in fashion magazines and films. On the flip side, the sex symbols who embrace a ”bad bitch” femme fetale persona... are quickly written off by the same audience who hungrily consumes their erotic art with extra fascination.
Consider how other artists and entertainers trying, however imperfectly... to be kind, pretty decent, morally-upstanding examples in society quickly become intensely private after being subjected to endless purity tests, endless scrutiny and a tsunami of moral guilt by association.
Here's an unpopular opinion, but it raises an important question... on this subject of morals.
If the public figures and celebrity artists holding themselves to high standards... are usually the ones who get disproportionately punished for any slight perception of wickedness, don't you see the lack of incentive to choose... a virtuous path? Double standards present people with exceptions while expecting them to follow the same rules but all the exceptions don't bother.
The irony of cancel culture is how it tries to impose objectivity... in an industry that lives in subjectivity. Responses to art are fluid, they're supposed to vary, because not everyone has the same tastes and that's a good thing. If several people consider an artistic choice as a mistake, there are other fans who feel especially connected to the rawness of that expression.
What's more is even the public antics of artists that are deemed ”problematic” aren't treated as an opportunity for learning or spiritual growth, instead online haters are almost giddy with the thrill of insulting, pulling down, dunking on, and ”cancelling” a successful artist. If people made no mistakes, there wouldn't be anything called growth, and still... nobody is perfect.
When artists sit down for interviews about their craft... even the most generous performers are aware there are certain things they are obligated by contract, not to share with their audience.
Besides the fact that the mystery of filmmaking is an essential part of it's economic power.
There are things known as spoilers, confidential information, and non-disclosure agreements that are enforced by producers, directors and studio heads to ensure a smoother production.
In today's attention-economy, as late-stage capitalism has established attention as a form of currency, when artists are invited to explain their creations, or to defend the themes explored in their self-expression... what often happens next in 2026, is the human right of free speech is ambushed by questions, assumptions, and sometimes... accusations which have little basis in the reality of the artist's process, but because preparation is invisible, audiences try to fill in the blanks with their imagination. In today's digital landscape, meaning negotiates the value of art. The message embedded in art is what makes it fundamentally different from content.
The journey to discover what art means... is a sacred one and it's open to interpretation.
In the previous journal post, we discussed the messages present in erotic art, and how unresolved societal questions from the 90s were absorbed and reflected in today's culture.
Using Euphoria as an example. Here's an excerpt from the finale.
Defending art that explores taboos isn't the same thing as defending taboos. Erotic art has a social benefit... it provides an authentic representation of social problems that are dramatized in ways that function as warnings. People see where certain roads might lead. Some Euphoria characters felt like social commentary on elements of the heroin chic aesthetic, while others revealed a modernized version of indie sleaze and their immersive collaborations with Labyrinth created a distinct sonic identity for the show with original music that revealed deeper subtext. Euphoria is a great example of what happens when music and fashion speak the same language inside a prime-time TV show.
And if this excerpt sparked your curiosity, you know where to read more.
Sometimes the artist knows what their art means. Visionary artists follow a vision after all.
Other times the meaning isn't as clear, visions can come from dreams, or fantasies that exist below the realm of consciousness, there are genres that explore surrealistic, dream-like art. Sometimes the artist doesn't know what it means. Performance artists follow the direction given by visionaries in screenplays, photoshoots, fashion shows, live concerts and more.
Not all directors will sit an actor down to go over the meaning of a screenplay, that individual introspective journey, deep script analysis, character-building, and research is part of the job.
However, the fans and the haters, will experience the art and come up with their own ideas on what they think the art means. This is part of the on-going conversation between art and the audience... the response to great art is often polarizing, because personal tastes are supposed to vary and art lives in subjectivity. It's not math or science, where the observable results are more important than feelings or opinions... art holds up a mirror to human nature.
Asking an artist what their art means... is like asking the mirror if it thinks you're pretty.
It's fishing for moral compliments, the hope that an explanation of the artist's message, some behind the scenes imagery of their process, or a defense of risqué, erotic, and provocative self-expression that aligns with the audience's opinions... as if art needs any sort of justification.
Art needs no justification.
Art transcends morals and time.
Art was here before any of us was born.
Art will still be here when all of us are gone.
Audiences hoping to discover more about art are on a journey to satisfy their curiosity, on the flip side a team of artists working together on set... are letting their curiosity lead them deeper into the process of creation. Since audiences weren't a part of that production or process, the writer believes they should be grateful they get to witness the art... the writer does not agree with the mainstream doctrine that art must be explained by the artist. That's fandom behavior.
Great artists have a duty to keep making great art.
There isn't enough time in the world to explain, or defend every artistic choice to your fans.
But if you're a visionary, performer, artist... on the path of greatness, it's important for you to surround yourself with inspiring messages from artists who are further along on this path.
So that one day you can level up too.
Over here at House of Mirrors we don't believe in slut-shaming, and we don't hire those kinds of people since what we do in erotic art... is we encourage sensual expression and revel in the power of erotic art when it comes to telling compelling stories and reflecting human nature.
It's worth mentioning that pδrn and erotic art... are not the same thing.
The essence of pδrn is collapsing anticipation.
The essence of erotic art is extending anticipation.
Erotic art leaves more to imagination, while revealing human nature, giving the audience hints that reveal the characters motivations, fears and desires that inspire them to have erotic sex.
Not all sex is erotic, after all pδrn is just two people fucking on camera, and when you think about this difference it actually makes sense why people... rarely ever finish watching pδrn.
Collapsing anticipation is the process of interrupting your brain-chemistry and train of thought in uncomfortable ways to draw intense focus on what's right in front of you... kind of like how un-skippable ads interrupt TV shows and films to convince you that you need a certain product. Content wants something from you, your money, your arousal, your data, it even wants your orgasm.
Porn is just another type of content.
It comes in various genres and flavours.
We even see branded content that are like porn, foodporn, traumaporn, travelporn, etc.
But sex scenes in cinema, capture the attention of an audience for longer periods because it's the interesting narrative... that takes precedence in erotic art. Pδrn plots are so thoroughly lacking in terms of storytelling, writing, or acting ability that people fast forward to the mindless sex. Commercials may have better actors on set, but the writing exists to sell a product instead of telling a story with a deeper message... ads have no credits for a reason.
Lots of people hope to get discovered from ads, and while that was a possibility in the 90s, and early 2000s, that rarely happens these days because people are so inundated with ads that they're getting tired of being constantly interrupted. Add to the fact that TV commercials don't credit content creators the same way art house films or fashion magazines credit artists, and you can start to see how some talented performers get stuck just making ads for years.
Erotic art gets remembered for decades or centuries if it's that good... since sexuality can be an art form that inspires respect from artists whose tastes align with your erotic expression. It takes a certain level of sexual confidence, and genuine comfort in your own sensuality to create the kind of erotic art that gets remembered, but since art transcends time and morals, it's an admirable goal to work towards, create the erotic art that makes you memorable.
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