Lili Krakowski on thu 5 may 11
Snail is correct. My original message was too broad. And thank you, =3D
Snail, for teaching me Sturgeon's Law, which I had not known, and =3D
certainly find true.
To me--and I think I have made this clear in many a previous message on =
=3D
ClayArt as well as other writing--precision of language is extremely =3D
important. There are reasons for this. I consider clear demarcations =
=3D
between the thises and thats important....as it is in Jewish religious =3D
thought. (No, not trying to sell it to anyone else. )
I feel this as a writer, I feel this in observing the world around me. =
=3D
I find the present deliberate muddling and fudging of language --which I =
=3D
attribute to crass commercialism on the one hand, and the PC cult on the =
=3D
other--a horror, a threat, and a danger.
Snail writes: "... not all installation art is created equal. Some is =3D
an=3D20
arrangement of found objects aiming at unmediated=3D20
randomness, but some is high craftsmanship on a grand=3D20
scale.
"Some of my installation work takes a month or more to=3D20
execute, starting with the engineering issues that large=3D20
work may entail, followed by tests of various possible=3D20
materials, fabrication methods, and surface treatments. "
I have abreviated Snail's message, which goes on to detail all the
extraordinary work , thought and dedication that goes into
one of her installations. =3D20
Snail really makes my point --which I should have expressed more =3D
clearly. (Apologies). If one of Snail's installation works is called an =
=3D
Installation, how can the word be applied to thrown together stuff such =3D
as found in any dump?
The question is not so much one of brilliance, talent, knowledge, =3D
skill. It moves more in the area of communication, truth, of honesty =3D
and thoughtfullness towards the viewer. It is not that easy to define.
I have seen lovely "installations" as simple shrines diversely in South =
=3D
America and photos of such elsewhere. Sincere, devout people =3D
reverentially gathering objects as tribute to a saint... Crutches, and =3D
wax replicas of "healed" limbs are good examples.=3D20
Andy Warhol's famous "Fifteen minutes of fame" have become a banner =3D
under which too many go out to conquer, and too many allow themselves to =
=3D
be vanquished. As more people live to ripe old age our concept of time =3D
should have expanded. Instead it has shrunk. Meaningless instant =3D
messages clutter cyberspace. People communicate such vapidnesses as =3D
that they made blueberry muffins, and others "write on their wall" =3D
gushy compliments: "Oh, yummy! My favorites!" and warnings " Don't eat =3D
too many!"=3D20
All of total unimportance and lacking all thought.
It will lead to a total dulling of of our perceptions and senses. Just =3D
as the year round availability of fruits and vegetables has wiped out =3D
the notion of a "special treat" (remember R L Stevenson's orange?), so =3D
all this instant communication has taken the special thrill out of =3D
receiving mail!=3D20
If everything suddenly is art--because the maker says it is, and =3D
someone else accepts the self-agrandizing description-- where will Art =3D
go? Should I join a museum, go to a gallery, subscribe to a magazine =3D
just because two highly inaccurate people want to "sell" me something?
As craftspeople, as artists if we be such, we should have the =3D
self-respect to say sorry "Sorry, Buster, this is not what you say it =3D
is" as we would say it to a fabric merchant trying to foist some cheap =3D
nylon on us as "pure silk". =3D20
Why are we so spineless (my term, do me something!) as to allow =3D
charlatans to pull the wool over our critical eyes? What are we so =3D
afraid of? =3D20
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
| |
|
