[TheForge] Art, doncha know....

[Andrew Vida]

George Dixon wrote:
> The occasional exception does little to disprove a reality.
> Being a competent draftsman, but a lame painter does not in any manner 
> bolster one's painting resume.
> 
> Kinda like "he might have lost the race, but you should see his skill at 
> tiddely-winks"..........
> 
> Everyone 'knows' someone who does not fit the overall 
> picture..........but the picture remains the same.
> Many have an investment in the shallow status-quo...not unlike the 
> tailor weaving moon beams for some naked emperor.
> 

	Not sure what your real point is here, George.  The majority of 
everything has sucked ass pretty well throughout recorded history.  Rob 
pointed this out well enough - 90% of everything is crud.  I don't think 
you can get away from that - and to be honest, I'm not sure I would want 
to.  The fact that there is a sea of crud out there makes the good stuff 
all the more valuable to me, and it makes the world a more interesting 
place.  How dull would it be if everything were Michelangelo-quality 
works?  We'd be so bored, people would start painting Elvis on black 
velvet just to have something different.  The contrast is a great thing IMO.

	I fully understand the point you make about quality - if you haven't 
read it, "Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance" is still a 
worthwhile book, though it is a bit lop-sided in that it demands too 
much from too many.  Not all people are built to the same tolerances. 
Difference is what makes the world interesting - we're people, not yeast 
cells.

	Look at the way the USA came into existence.  Not quite 5% of the 
population got up to fight the limeys off.  95%+ were content to let the 
king continue doing his thing.  It's that mere 5% who went out and built 
something worth building.  I think it has been this way forever - the 
"masses" are well satisfied to be lead about by their collective nose. 
Complaining against this is like complaining about fish because they 
swim.  It's what they do - it is what they are.

	Ries put it well - that there is an ocean of crap with diamonds 
scattered about.  Collect those and leave the rest alone.  Everyone 
needs "love"... you may not like a given work, but someone else will. 
There is great talent and skill in the world today - look at yourself: 
would you call your skills "less than"?  Ries is a top drawer smith as 
are several of the people here.  Even I have my abilities and some of 
those are above the mean.  How about Tom Latane?  Peter Ross?  Peter 
Renzetti?  Do you think they are anything less than those who came 
before?  I sure don't.  They may even be better for all I know.

	Anyhow, I'm not 100% clear on what your message is.

	-Andy