[TheForge] Pointless complaining

Mon Nov 4 11:01:32 2002

A lot of art is not about what is pleasing to the eye but instead is
about expression of ones feelings and opinions. And people really seem
to like this. You can take some junk, pile it up and glue it together,
then right a 10 page report on how and why and sell it for a lot of
money. I had to write a report for one of my art classes in college a
while back and the artist I wrote it on made very simple paintings that
didn't sell well at all. Then he started writing essays and papers to go
with his painting explaining why painted them in this way and that.
Sometimes he would have up to 30 pages on one painting which most just
consisted of rambling and really had nothing to do with the painting
itself. When he started doing this his painting started selling very
well and is now a very popular and respected big named artist. I
unfortunately cannot recall his name as I suck with names and it has
been over 2 years since I did the report. But this is just an example of
how you can make a lot of money in the art industry with just a little
bit of bs behind you.

Chad

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bruce Freeman
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 8:27 AM
To: [email protected]
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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