I just read the Washington Post article about Joshua Bell playing incognito in L’ENFANT PLAZA STATION back in 2007. The article talks about how he performed six classical pieces for about 45 minutes and during that time more than a thousand people walked by – for the most part without recognizing or appreciating. At the same time just three earlier he had played in front of a sold out crowd at the Boston Symphony Hall and then again in a couple of weeks at standing audience at the Music Center at Strathmore.
I suppose the article was focusing on the passerby not appreciating the art that was being presented without the proper / usual packaging, but what about the people who were appreciating at the shows before and after the stunt at the metro station? Were they appreciating the “art” or the packing that it was being presented in?
Is art only as good as it is recognized to be?
– manzoor
