Timakia@AOL.COM on mon 25 feb 02
Dear clayarters:
When someone create something in clay, or any other art form, it is a way of
expression. To express oneself is a way of communication. Am I right or
wrong?
If I am right, then one would assume that there will be reaction to that, if
I expressed myself in a way that people understand it, or that they think
they understand that?
Would you say that that brings a responsibility to the artist to express
him/herself as clear as possible and to take the consequences of that
statement with the same attitude or gracefulness that it was expressed with,
or not?
Is it not also true that the representation of your work also give out a
certain message and should be considered just as important as the rest of the
work?
This subject came up in a discussion a few days ago and I would like to know
what the general perception on this is.
Thanks.
Antoinette.
Antoinette Badenhorst
http://hometown.aol.com/timakia
105 Westwood circle
Saltillo, MS
38866
Martin Rice on mon 25 feb 02
The questions you are asking here are, simultaneously, both the easiest to
answer and the most difficult to answer.
> When someone create something in clay, or any other art form, it is a way
of
> expression. To express oneself is a way of communication. Am I right or
> wrong?
You're right and wrong. Yes, expressing yourself is usually understood as a
form of communication. But the world is full of "artists," in all media who
really do not think at all about "what they are saying." Rather, they are
thinking "will this sell." If they're "saying" anything, it's to themselves
and goes something like: "this piece will be appealing to the customers I'm
showing it to, because: [take your choice] earthtones are in; personal
memoirs are in; honey jars are in; 12-tone is in; etc., etc.
> If I am right, then one would assume that there will be reaction to that,
if
> I expressed myself in a way that people understand it, or that they think
> they understand that?
Now let's assume that the artist is not one of those described above, but is
truly trying to communicate something with h/er art. If we assume that the
people looking at it are considering it seriously, yes there will be a
reaction of some sort. But the crux of the matter is in the second part of
your above paragraph: "if I expressed myself in a way that people understand
it, or that they think they understand that?" Never, ever will "people,"
that is, all the people who consider a work of art understand it in the same
way. I say that without any qualification whatsoever. That is the nature of
humanity. So in a sense, an artist will never express h/erself in a way
"that people understand it" in the way the artist understands it.
> Would you say that that brings a responsibility to the artist to express
> him/herself as clear as possible and to take the consequences of that
> statement with the same attitude or gracefulness that it was expressed
with,
> or not?
Anybody, artist or not, has the responsibility to express h/erself as
clearly as possible, if s/he wants to be understood. As far as taking the
consequences, you have no choice but to "take them." How you take them will
always be a reflection of who you are. There's no way to prescribe to humans
how they should take things.
> Is it not also true that the representation of your work also give out a
> certain message and should be considered just as important as the rest of
the
> work?
I'm not quite sure if I understand what you mean by the above, but if you're
talking about form vs. content, then I'm an adherent of the argument that
there is no form without content and no content without form. In English,
you can't express verbally/natively/correctly "Mary had a little lamb,"
without doing it in 3 and 1/2 feet with the first syllable of each foot
stressed. If you're not speaking about form vs. content, excuse the
digression.
But to close, I would indeed say that there has never been significant art
which is not informed by thought. However, once the artist lets h/er
creation go, it takes on it's own life, over which the artist no longer has
any control. Artists should realize this and not agonize about it. Rather
s/he should get back into the studio and create some more thought.
Martin
Lagunas de Barú, Costa Rica
www.rice-family.org
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