Richard Mahaffey on fri 13 sep 02
Janet
I think a guy named Picasso did this already. Lots of painters etc
think that they can be ceramic artists. Of course they count on skilled
craftspeople to take care of the technical side.
Wouldn't it be interesting if the craftspeople let those other artists
go it alone?
Rick Mahaffey, who calls himself a potter..........
Tacoma, Washington, USA
Wes Rolley on sat 14 sep 02
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At 02:58 AM 9/14/02 +0100, you wrote:
>I find the whole concept somewhat baffling... Any ideas and thoughts would
>be much appreciated!
These are good questions, Janet, that require more than simple=20
answers. There is probably something that can be learned from examining=20
the relationship between the painter Joan Miro and the "technicians" Josep=
=20
Llorens Artigas or Artigas's son. A short comment is online at=20
http://criticalceramics.org/reviews/shows/miro.htm
To the extent that the work is only a way to give the "artist" another=20
canvas, then the concept is possibly flawed. If, at some point, the work=20
becomes a collaboration, then there is obvious value for all. The field of=
=20
art is full of collaborations that work and from which only one name is=20
known to the public. Many of the works produced by San Francisco's Crown=20
Point Press came about because they convinced artists who normally worked=20
in other media to come and work with their master printers to produce=20
something new. For example, the composers, John Cage and Steve Reich or=20
abstract expressionist painter Helen Frankenthaler. The public will never=
=20
know the name of the printer technician, though within the industry there=20
are a few names that are spoken with respect. Craftsmen of great skill and=
=20
artistic sensitivity. Masters of what they do.
We all know that Kurt Wild can, if he chooses, do everything that a potter=
=20
should do. At this point in his career, he chooses NOT to throw pots but=20
rather has others do that for him and concentrates on the decorative=20
processes and glaze firing of those works. Are they any less his? We=20
accept what Kurt does, so why not accept that the Biennale will produce=20
works of merit.
Some of the rest of the prospectus that you quote sounds like the art speak=
=20
written to justify a foundation grant. At least in my home state of=20
California, it would be much easier to get a grant if one could demonstrate=
=20
that the work, project, etc., is "multi-cultural."
Art Councils, Divisions of Cultural Affairs, Art Commissions and Benevolent=
=20
Foundations do a great service in improving art education and providing=20
financial support to numerous art projects including the purchase, from=20
artists, of works of art for public display. In my own community,=20
a private, non-profit organization is funding art training for all=20
kindergarten and elementary school teachers as well as partially=20
underwriting the cost for the school district to continue elementary school=
=20
music education. In general, the members of these organizations are not=20
artists. Faced with the need to describe, explain, justify, what they do,=
=20
they write what we deride as "art speak."
We need to get used to this, because these organizations of the Medici's of=
=20
the 21st century.
"I find I have a great lot to learn =96 or unlearn. I seem to know far too=
=20
much and this knowledge obscures the really significant facts, but I am=20
getting on." -- Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
wrolley@charter.net
(408)778-3024
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Pat Southwood on sat 14 sep 02
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wes Rolley"
To:
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2002 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: Biennale of Ceramics in Contemporary Art, Italy
At 02:58 AM 9/14/02 +0100, you wrote:
>I find the whole concept somewhat baffling... Any ideas and thoughts would
>be much appreciated!
Sounds like patronising art balls to me.
These are good questions, Janet, that require more than simple
answers. There is probably something that can be learned from examining
the relationship between the painter Joan Miro and the "technicians" Josep
Llorens Artigas or Artigas's son. A short comment is online at
http://criticalceramics.org/reviews/shows/miro.htm
To the extent that the work is only a way to give the "artist" another
canvas, then the concept is possibly flawed. If, at some point, the work
becomes a collaboration, then there is obvious value for all. The field of
art is full of collaborations that work and from which only one name is
known to the public. Many of the works produced by San Francisco's Crown
Point Press came about because they convinced artists who normally worked
in other media to come and work with their master printers to produce
something new. For example, the composers, John Cage and Steve Reich or
abstract expressionist painter Helen Frankenthaler. The public will never
know the name of the printer technician, though within the industry there
are a few names that are spoken with respect. Craftsmen of great skill and
artistic sensitivity. Masters of what they do.
We all know that Kurt Wild can, if he chooses, do everything that a potter
should do. At this point in his career, he chooses NOT to throw pots but
rather has others do that for him and concentrates on the decorative
processes and glaze firing of those works. Are they any less his? We
accept what Kurt does, so why not accept that the Biennale will produce
works of merit.
Some of the rest of the prospectus that you quote sounds like the art speak
written to justify a foundation grant. At least in my home state of
California, it would be much easier to get a grant if one could demonstrate
that the work, project, etc., is "multi-cultural."
Art Councils, Divisions of Cultural Affairs, Art Commissions and Benevolent
Foundations do a great service in improving art education and providing
financial support to numerous art projects including the purchase, from
artists, of works of art for public display. In my own community,
a private, non-profit organization is funding art training for all
kindergarten and elementary school teachers as well as partially
underwriting the cost for the school district to continue elementary school
music education. In general, the members of these organizations are not
artists. Faced with the need to describe, explain, justify, what they do,
they write what we deride as "art speak."
We need to get used to this, because these organizations of the Medici's of
the 21st century.
"I find I have a great lot to learn - or unlearn. I seem to know far too
much and this knowledge obscures the really significant facts, but I am
getting on." -- Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
wrolley@charter.net
(408)778-3024
Janet Kaiser on sat 14 sep 02
Those of you who received the invitation will have read down to the bottom
lines... What did you think of it? For those who did not, here are the
pertinent paragraphs followed by my questions:
"Invited by the artistic directors and a team of international curators,
the
artists involved will be asked to abandon their customary media, be it
painting or the latest technology, in order to design and develop works in
ceramics in collaboration with local firms."
JFK Question: What validity does the abandonment of a customary media for
clay bring to a ceramic collaboration?
"Between April 2002 and March 2003 the invited artists will follow one
another in the ceramics factories, working with local craftsmen to produce
the works that will be presented in the Biennial of Ceramics in
Contemporary Art due to be held in the summer of 2003 at Savona, Vado
Ligure, Albisola Superiore and Albissola Marina"
JFK Question: How would you feel about this if you were one of the local
craftsmen?
"The Biennial of Ceramics in Contemporary Art invites the protagonists of
the new global and multicultural arts scene to filter their identities
through
the magical and archaic medium of ceramics."
AND
"In experimenting with multicultural encounters and exchanges, the Biennial
of Ceramics in Contemporary Art is taking a positive stance against the
prevailing trend towards cultural uniformity on a global scale and
reinterprets the territorial context as a "glocal" (sic) space of flux and
connection within a process of reciprocal metamorphosis."
JFK Question: Why bring internationalist representatives to a forum which
is taking a stance AGAINST cultural uniformity?
I find the whole concept somewhat baffling... Any ideas and thoughts would
be much appreciated!
Sincerely
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art =95 Capel Celfyddyd
8 Marine Crescent, Criccieth LL52 0EA, Wales, UK
Tel: 01766-523570 URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
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