Art for art's sake

I am an artist. It's all I ever wanted to be, except for some prepubescent nonsense about wanting to be a monk, but even that is a hold-over from some past life ("You believe in that crap?"), bent over some desk, illustrating books, Bibles, lyrics... but, again - I am an artist; fine art, kiddo - and I love love love paper - work on paper. Collect same. Photos and then some.
May 5 has "Art School Confidential" opening here in L.A. - the reviews I read in www.imdb.com are somewhat okay, but I will see for myself.
And my point is? Well, I never got the luxury of formal art education, but somehow managed to get myself into some amazing situations nonetheless, such as walking into a major school or two and assuming a position teaching. Art History, anyone? I put together a rather good program miles away from the very usual and typical Jansen Art book used by schools throughout the land. Boring. Sort of okay for real grunt level basics, I suppose, but there is such a history of humanity told by doing this correctly, as I see artists as conduits for things due to civilization shortly after these interpretations through an artist's eye. It helps explain a lot of stuff that appears inane and distant from a sense of everyday life.
My one true hero in this life was Salvador Dali. Much like so many things that arrive on your plate just in time for your palette to manage, his whole take on life confused me and made me think way beyond what and where I was at the in a 7th grade level when I got a first taste that meant anything. An art teacher, Yvonne Bauduin, who was a singularity in my education, gave me this intro with his autobiography. What do I recall from that distant read? His going on as to his bowel movement every day. Hot poop.
Years later, someone I know would travel to his home in Spain to make a film of him, but Dali was too ill and that didn't happen. I have postcards on my wall of such sent to me by various and sundry persons from all over the globe (yes, a huge collection mounted on one wall) and Sam Christiansen's card from Spain. Sam is of the TV show MASH (casting director) and equally or more infamous as Sam Gage of gay porn fame - think Gage Bros. Sam was in Port Llegat to make this unmade film back in 1981 some time. I was running the infamous Nob Hill Cinema at the time.
Art. What IS art? What ain't art? Hi, I'm Art!
Lovely - I couldn't have done it this far without you, dear.