The Waters Manifesto

From the moment John Waters bought his first art print at the Baltimore Museum of Art at the age of eight, he began forming his manifesto. The print was a mass-produced Mir copy which he took home and hung proudly on his wall. Instead of being impressed, his friends taunted him for purchasing such an ugly painting. From this devastating experience John Waters learned that art does not exist simply to induce a pleasant feeling. Instead, according to him, art should both  provoke and inspire.

Waters tone is both enlightening and entertaining. His story regarding the Mir is meant to be found amusing, but the lesson that he took from that experience is very real. Despite the teasing from his friends, Waters did not give up his pursuit to define what art is, and what good art should do. Instead, he translated what he had learned into the films he created. Rather than creating films based on beautiful people, he chose to focus his work on the bottom-feeders of society.

John Waters manifesto in regards to both art and film seems to be that as long as a piece of art inspires some sort of reaction, it can be considered good art. John Waters states in the clip that  art is not about pleasing people, but about making connections. To him, art is all about feeling. Whether the emotions evoked are disgust, disdain, intrigue, or peace, its the evocative nature of art that he finds to be important.