Bunny on sat 27 jun 09
Bunny & kitties:
Yoshi & Taz
>^..^<
Hope you found Fluffy at the Rainbow Bridge, Lucky!
We miss you both......
-----Original Message-----
It is a continual source of amazement how narrow in their interests and
appreciations many of the people who post on this forum are................=
.
And above all remember " It is better to remain silent and be thought a
fool then to speak and remove all doubt"
Paul
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
You couldn't have said this better Paul....
This China Paint debate reminded me of something similar we had a few years
back about molded pieces not being allowed into shows because it was not
'handmade'.
It really doesn't matter what the canvas is, it is the finished product tha=
t
matters.
I have seen both China painting and painters who painted on molded ware tha=
t
were absolutely beautiful, but because they did not made the tile/molded
piece, they were not allowed into a show....... then you get a hand thrown
piece which was just dipped in paint, or splattered on - really no design a=
t
all - but yet that is called "ART".
Sometimes I just shake my head & walk away........art really is in the eye
of the beholder.
Bunny
Vince Pitelka on sat 27 jun 09
Paul Gerhold wrote:
"Get out to museums more. Read more art criticism. Try harder to view
things from other people perspectives. What you like or dislike doesn't
matter in the overall scheme of what is or is not art. When you look at
other peoples work try to put yourself in their position and understand wha=
t
they are trying to say-and if you disagree at least respect their right to
say it."
Thanks for this message, Paul. There is a small-minded attitude that rears
its ugly head periodically on Clayart. It is a good idea for every
individual to stop and consider their own sphere of comfort and experience.
How confining is it? How ready am I to admit new opportunity and
experience, or to break out of my own sphere of comfort and experience?
Regarding art, for some people, their sphere of comfort and experience
really is confined to what they like. The things they like and would enjoy
living with (hang it over the couch) fit into their limited world, and the
things that they do not like or enjoy are foreign, the "other," and somehow
suspect.
I taught art appreciation for three years at NDSU in Fargo, and I loved tha=
t
class. I learned so much by teaching art appreciation and art history for
three years, and am so grateful for that opportunity. One of the first
things I stressed is that appreciating art has very little to do with
whether you like it. It has to do with, to paraphrase your words, putting
yourself into the time and place of the artist and trying to understand and
appreciate what they were attempting to say or accomplish. That's a big
challenge but the level of satisfaction and learning is in proportion to th=
e
challenge (as is so often the case). Every artwork can be evaluated from
the standpoint of design and aesthetics, but if those are the only things
people look at they miss out on much of the content and substance of the
work.
Among the very first things I said to the students in art appreciation was
"This class is about opening your mind and your eyes to art." The
close-minded attitudes we periodically encounter on this list and almost
everywhere else in life have to do with closing out certain kinds of
external stimulus and information, staying within that sphere of familiarit=
y
bred by fear, ignorance, or some sort of ideological indoctrination. There
is never a time or place when it is wrong to open one's mind and eyes to ne=
w
information and new possibility. Of course I am not talking about trying
things that are foolhardy or dangerous - I am just talking about being
open-minded. That is always a good thing, and in this case, it makes good
sense to approach art that is unfamiliar and unusual with an attitude of
curiosity and adventure, opening one's mind and eyes to the experience. It
still allows for the determination that the work is a sham, but without
making generalizations about certain types of work (or people).
You wrote:
"And above all remember 'It is better to remain silent and be thought a
fool then to speak and remove all doubt'"
I don't remember who this quote is from - it's always nice when people
include the attribution for any quotation in an email message. But I don't
like the implications, in terms of personal conduct and especially in terms
of education. The fear of sounding like a fool prevents lots of people fro=
m
speaking (or posting), often in any situation outside their own
tightly-defined comfort zone. That's a real problem in the world today.
This post is longer and perhaps a little more philosophical than many of
mine. I've been out in the deserts of the Eastern Sierra for the last four
days, so perhaps that has something to do with it. Wandering in the desert
tends to make you think in different ways about the grand scheme of things,
and somehow the little day-to-day trivialities matter much less.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net; wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka
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