[TheForge] new anvils ring

Fri Aug 30 20:18:00 2002

kirsten,

i don't have any problem with forged work being called art. quite the opposite. 

it was mainly obermeirs "story" that got to me. 

as far as this issue of the anvils ring goes i think that cover photo made for a very poor cover. not the work itself but the way it fit the page left an awful lot of space. it seems like there is a lot of unused space in this issue. a lot of it is filled with color for no apparent reason. 

but then i don't think the anvils ring has ever been as good as when dimitri gerikaris and then robert owings were editors.

bob s.
_____________

>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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>> ___________
>>
>>
>>
>
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