[TheForge] new anvils ring

Fri Aug 30 13:27:01 2002

All creative activity qualifies as art.  It is the level of creativity and
craftsmanship that defines the Quality of the art.  That is why I don't
understand when people seem to make a distinction between blacksmithing and
art metal.   Blacksmithing as a creative activity is an art.  It is the
blacksmith's creativity and craftsmanship that form the basis for judgements
about the quality of his/her Art.  In this recent Anvil's Ring, I found both
Obermeier's and Komine's work to be very high quality Artwork.

There are many artists (in all media) that don't consider craftsmanship to
be relevant to the idea of Art.  I don't agree with that position, but I can
respect it.

In my opinion, standards of craftsmanship can be applied to any metalwork,
regardless of the equipment used or how new or old the technique is.
-Kirsten

----- Original Message -----
From: "George Dixon" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 8:27 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] new anvils ring

> T'was said......
>
> "To me it means that its "art" because it is stimulating people to talk
about
> it."
>
> Ah, the political definition of "art".
>
>
>
> If it has an explanation with it then it did not work, so it must be
art......
> It has been interesting to watch how art has devolved from the capable
creation of an idea, to the current art de jour in which the 'idea' matters
more than the execution.  Too bad that mastering a discipline or a medium
matters less than what the work "says" or is said about it.
> If the only eye reacted to poorly done art the way the ear reacted to
poorly played music......there would be far less of the former.
>
> The analogy between the two, art and music, indicates that mastering the
medium before trying improvisational work  is a more solid approach than the
current self-esteem movement in art.  The terms 'art' and 'artist' have such
profound appeal to so many, but actually walking the walk requires more
effort and focus than most will exert.  The contemporary solution has been
to define art down in terms of mastery of a medium, while removing any
semblance of
> objective criticism from it.  'Competency' has been supplanted by 'message
and meaning'.
>
> Having never played a trumpet, by today's 'art' standards, I will be a
improvisational jazz artist as soon as I pick one up and start tooting away.
>
> George Dixon
> "is it art yet?"
>
>
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