On the Merit of "No Info Alien"
The meaning we ascribe to the term "art" is generally left up to the interpretation of each individual; each person is left to form their own notions of the nature of art itself. Indeed, art as a concept is as abstract as the works that are typically assigned to it. As one might be led to conclude from the vastness of interpretations of art there has been a certain amount of contention over the use of "art" to describe some items within our culture. The use of abstract art in particular comes up often within the ongoing dispute over art, as it is often seen, by viewers, to not require the same technical expertise as a more classical form of art. And indeed that is, in many cases, true; the skill required to produce a piece in the aptly named category of "splatter paint" is generally considered to be less than that of a baroque masterpiece, but using those examples to encompass all of art is vastly oversimplifying the issue. Not all that is abstract is simple; not all that is more concrete is skillful, and to base art off of the skill required to produce it eliminates much of what is generally agreed to go into art, and this is where "No Info Alien" falls. As a page yes, it embodies those characteristics of simplicity, but as art it is subject to a greater destiny.
Aside from skill, art is dependent on (and inseparable from) the direction of inspiration; inspiration, in other words, is that alternate aspect of art that is generally agreed upon to be important in its creation. Inspiration, which is only an arbitrary word and could just as easily be replaced by any number of similar words, stands for the reason behind art, the purpose. As much of art is subject to interpretation, inspiration creates the message, the art itself in fact, for which technical skill only acts as a conveyor. Technical skill connects the inspiration of the artist with the audience, the quality of the skill with which the piece is produced can only act to clarify that inspiration to the audience. Looking at "No Info Alien," the skill of the creator is not brutally advertised, but there is also no need for it to be. The message being communicated to the audience of the piece is made clear without any unnecessary addendum. Between the title of the page and its contents there is no confusion. The "No Info" clearly corresponds with the blankness of the page itself, a telling message of incompleteness and its predictability. Perhaps even the word "Alien" can be analyzed for its inherent unfamiliarity, its foreign quality that sears it in the minds of the audience.
It must be admitted there is the possibility that this interpretation is an incorrect assumption of the creator's inspiration, at which point the points made before must be qualified, but they are still not entirely ruined. Even if the connection between artist and audience is severed, it is still possible for the art to hold merit for those viewing it -- with or without a god the earth can still be appreciated for its beauty -- so it is unfair to disqualify the piece's artistic merit purely on a disconnect of the intent. By deleting this art the Dungeons and Dragons Wikia admits to the offense of destroying art. If that is permissible within the moral boundaries of this wikia then by all means remove it, and, it must be said, I misjudged the character of this website, but, if on the other hand, the merits of this art are appreciated by its patrons then it may be the Dungeons and Dragons Wikia leading the charge into a new wave of appreciation for art. The decision is yours.
162.211.90.18 17:09, April 25, 2017 (UTC)