Vince Pitelka on sun 29 dec 02
Dear Clayart friends:
I've been pretty vocal (in writing) tonight, and lest anyone get the wrong
idea, I am not angry or irritated. I very rarely experience such feelings.
I greatly appreciate this spirited discussion. I am certainly very
concerned about some of the views expressed in this dialogue, and thus have
responded in an appropriately emotional tone. I am grateful for ALL the
opinions expressed, and I hope that everyone is reading ALL of them very
carefully.
I think this dialogue is extremely important. It is not necessary that we
agree, only that all points of view are heard, and that each of us
reads/listens with an open mind and comes to our own conclusions
responsibly. There is so much to gain, and so much to loose. Some of the
most important issues in world culture today have everything to do with
fear - individual, group, and government overreactions to fear, and the
possibility of impulsive and unreasonable military action resulting from (or
rationalized by) fear.
I am so thankful that the Clayart discussion list is so flexible and humane,
and in times of trouble offers us the venue for important discussion such as
this. Tomorrow is New Years Eve. I wish for health and happiness to all of
you for the new year, but most of all, I wish that as the only remaining
military superpower America can teach peace by example, avoiding
unproductive and unnecessary military action against weaker nations.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
J. B. Clauson on sun 29 dec 02
I have been reading these posts with great interest. We run the gamut from
"of course he should be allowed to display his "art" with impunity," to
"hang him high!" This is wonderful, such diversity.
However, I cannot repeat often enough that an artist, particularly a
performance artist, must be aware of his audience in order to be able to
convey his message. I don't mean aware in the sense of knowing they are
there (that's obvious), but aware of their needs, the current cultural
climate, and the recent history of the area he/she is working in. The
audience is not just there for us to manipulate, pawns in some adolescent
chess game. They are living, breathing, thinking people. They have a right
to be respected for what they are and not used as players in someone's idea
of "art" without their permission. When we go to the theater, we give the
performers permission to do what they will by purchasing a ticket and taking
a seat. People who are traveling give no such permission either expressed
or implied and they should not be terrified without cause. Anyone who has
ever been truly terrified can attest to that.
Our artist did get a reaction to his piece, albeit not the one he was after.
He should be content. As for the legalities and/or punishment for his
thoughtlessness, the courts can decide that issue. That's what we have them
for.
Jan C.
Earl Brunner on sun 29 dec 02
I sometimes play "devils advocate" and disagree with and argue with
Vince more than not, but I respect him and his views a lot. I couldn't
agree with him more than I do on this. Well said Vince.
Vince Pitelka wrote:
> Dear Clayart friends:
> I've been pretty vocal (in writing) tonight, and lest anyone get the wrong
> idea, I am not angry or irritated. I very rarely experience such feelings.
> I greatly appreciate this spirited discussion. I am certainly very
> concerned about some of the views expressed in this dialogue, and thus have
> responded in an appropriately emotional tone. I am grateful for ALL the
> opinions expressed, and I hope that everyone is reading ALL of them very
> carefully.
>
> I think this dialogue is extremely important. It is not necessary that we
> agree, only that all points of view are heard, and that each of us
> reads/listens with an open mind and comes to our own conclusions
> responsibly. There is so much to gain, and so much to loose. Some of the
> most important issues in world culture today have everything to do with
> fear - individual, group, and government overreactions to fear, and the
> possibility of impulsive and unreasonable military action resulting from (or
> rationalized by) fear.
>
> I am so thankful that the Clayart discussion list is so flexible and humane,
> and in times of trouble offers us the venue for important discussion such as
> this. Tomorrow is New Years Eve. I wish for health and happiness to all of
> you for the new year, but most of all, I wish that as the only remaining
> military superpower America can teach peace by example, avoiding
> unproductive and unnecessary military action against weaker nations.
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Crafts
> Tennessee Technological University
> 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
> Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
> 615/597-5376
> Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
> 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
> http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
Catherine White on sun 29 dec 02
There are many critiques of the artist's rights and his wrongs, but how do
various ClayArters
personally interpret what the artist was saying? This is a serious question
to me. I had already described what I "saw" in an earlier message. What do
others "see?"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here's my earlier comment........
My interpretation of the black cardboard boxes labeled "FEAR" is that
they
represent an empty unreasoning fear that so many have adopted as a way of
life......... That the empty black boxes symbolize that fear. That the fear
is so amorphous that it has to be labeled so that it can be recognized. The
news channels deliver the fear endlessly but it has no face. The artist gave
it a face: Empty black-painted cardboard boxes neatly labeled.
Was it our long ago President Roosevelt who said that the only thing we have
to fear is fear itself?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Catherine in Yuma, AZ
===================================================
> an artist, particularly a
> performance artist, must be aware of his audience in order to be able to
> convey his message.
> Our artist did get a reaction to his piece, albeit not the one he was
after.
Craig Clark on sun 29 dec 02
Catherine, how right you are!! Let me sing your praises to the heavens.
Hal.....A......Luuuu....Yaaaa
The piece is simple enough to figure out. The complexity comes in the
final analysis of the reactions to the piece.
If we don't take heed and become increasingly paranoid about an
amorphous, shadowy spector that we are unable to see then the end will not
be far behind. FEAR will have won.
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 st
Houston, Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
----- Original Message -----
From: Catherine White
To:
Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2002 4:58 PM
Subject: Re: Black Boxes, Fear, Anarchy, Civil Disobedience
> There are many critiques of the artist's rights and his wrongs, but how do
> various ClayArters
> personally interpret what the artist was saying? This is a serious
question
> to me. I had already described what I "saw" in an earlier message. What do
> others "see?"
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Here's my earlier comment........
> My interpretation of the black cardboard boxes labeled "FEAR" is that
> they
> represent an empty unreasoning fear that so many have adopted as a way of
> life......... That the empty black boxes symbolize that fear. That the
fear
> is so amorphous that it has to be labeled so that it can be recognized.
The
> news channels deliver the fear endlessly but it has no face. The artist
gave
> it a face: Empty black-painted cardboard boxes neatly labeled.
>
> Was it our long ago President Roosevelt who said that the only thing we
have
> to fear is fear itself?
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Catherine in Yuma, AZ
>
> ===================================================
> > an artist, particularly a
> > performance artist, must be aware of his audience in order to be able to
> > convey his message.
>
> > Our artist did get a reaction to his piece, albeit not the one he was
> after.
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
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