The Art of Lying, Or Give Me Death.

---this is a paper that i wrote for my english class in two hours. sara liked it, so i figured i'd throw it up. enjoy.---


Sweat drips from the artist’s brow as he makes the final strokes, making the picture complete. He stands back, giving it one last look-over as the paint dries, locking it into place. It must be flawless before its unveiling. Every fiber and strand has been woven together perfectly, forming an opaque web of false beauty. He is proud of what he has made; it is good. Those who look upon it become lost in it, their minds winding around and around every twist and turn that the artist’s brush has left. Without a second thought the naïve observer has bought into the spinner’s lie.
Most everywhere one goes they will encounter a statute on lying. And in probably every case, it is looked down upon quite harshly. Consequences could be expulsion from an institution, or a parent threatening a child with time-out or a spanking. One must swear in a court of law to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” The disapproval of lying is even high enough to make it into the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. And in chapter five of the book of Acts, God kills Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Apostle Peter.
While lying is intensely discouraged, everyone would say that they have lied at least once in their lifetime (even that would be a lie).
And why are some people so good at it while others fumble with words and begin to sweat as soon they try their hand at it? It is as if they have attended classes on how to make anything sound believable, cover their tracks, and do all of this while remaining completely confident in their deception.
All throughout middle and high school I have encountered people who could talk their way out of anything. These students could convince a teacher that aliens came and asked for that day’s assignment so that they could fuel their spaceship and return home. And watching them was like watching a magician performing an illusion that could not be figured out, and caused complete enigmatic responses. “Is that possible?” one would say to themselves upon watching again, more closely for the slight of hand that had to be there.
An art form is defined as: “any activity regarded as a medium of imaginative or creative self-expression.” Looking back, these people were artists, real-life Ferris Buellers! They lived by Ferris’ own words, “You can never go too far.” Nothing was out of reach for them.
Lying typically is not seen as beautiful; it is not a masterpiece n canvas or a composer’s magnum opus. It holds no greater importance than a long-awaited writing from the foremost novelist. And yet, while it is none of these, it is very similar to them all.
A liar’s lie is his masterpiece. Like a symphony, every part is important. Even the smallest percussive instrument, the finest detail, is crucial. Without it, the composition may appear weak or empty; the fabrication may unravel. If that happens, the ramifications could be devastating and ruining. One bad lie, a string of unwanted paintings or a song failing to reach the number one spot could lead to one’s demise or the viewing by the public as being washed out; a one hit wonder.
Like all art forms, talent is required and only the bold and innovative will survive in its cutthroat industry.
Not all art forms were widely accepted in their beginnings. Rock n’ roll was considered immoral and the devil’s music in the 1950’s, while Impressionist painters were scorned for painting differently from the norm back in the 1860’s. Perhaps in time, lying will be accepted and we will learn about con men and liars in years to come. After all, we study politicians in history class today.


---new Aqueduct album, AMAZING. listen here: http://barsukmusic.blaireau.net/aqueduct/---