[TheForge] Pointless complaining

Fri Nov 1 09:06:00 2002

Bruce;

   You have analyzed it pretty well, just add one other aspect... If
they don't all stand there clucking their tongues and supporting the
notion that the garbage you have spoken of is "art", the value of the
things they have overpaid for will drop through the floor and they
will be setting the crap out for the garbage man.   Must maintain the
illusion.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Freeman" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 8:27 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Pointless complaining

> Well, with all due respect to the great number of true artists (in
any medium) out there, I have to submit that it's my impression that
the "art world" is so full of BS-ers that they couldn't dig their way
out with a coal-fields "steam" shovel.
>
> A few years back, my mother sent me a subscription to an artsy metal
arts (jewerly and related crafts) magazine, that shall remain nameless
here.  A lot of the artwork portrayed in it was really excellent.  A
lot was of excellent craftsmanship, but of questionable (by me)
decorative value.  (Which means I thought it sucked, but maybe
somebody out there liked it.)  Then there was the rest.
>
> The extreme example of the rest was a few geometrical-shaped objects
made of pre-painted sheet metal, and pop-riveted together.  A
cylinder, a cube, that sort of thing.  The craftmanship was poor.
There was no attempt to blend in or disguise the pop rivets.  These
things looked like rejects from appretice tinsmithing lesson.
However, there was a half-page of text which clarified why they were
included in an otherwise halfway decent magazine.  The female "artist"
went on and on about how these objects were parodies (or some such
interpretation) of the masculine arts, blahdy, blahdy, blahdy....
Really sucked.  Women should have pilloried this "artist".
>
> Anyway, it seems to me that if you want to make it with the artsy
fartsy types, you'll have to learn the true art of artsy fartsy
bullshitting!
>
> Bruce
> NJ
>
> >>> [email protected] 10/31/02 06:34PM >>>
> Why is it that, when calling fine art galleries to make appointments
to
> show my work, if I say I am a blacksmith that does sculpture, I
can't
> even get an appointment most of the time.  If, however, I say I am a
> sculptor who works in steel, I'm welcomed with open arms and told
how
> hard it is to find sculptors who work in metal these days.  I don't
> really expect an answer, it just fries me that "blacksmithing" is
still
> considered a craft rather than an artform, yet if I change what I
call
> myself, then it's well recieved.  Just isn't right.
>
> Bob Evarts
> Forging a good life from the raw material of time
>
>
>
>
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