Dana H Flemming on fri 18 apr 03
My initial interest in art revolved around painting. It did not take
long for me to become involved in clay; it was no contest. Although I
admire painters and enjoy painting I found far too many elitist attitudes
within the painting community and the clay community was generally looked
down upon. There was very little interaction. A very sad situation.
I think the point I am making is that the division amongst artists, much
less clay artists/potters/or whatever, tends to place clay artists (and
all artists) in an even more precarious position in terms of the value
and credibility of their work. On this listserv, the right to agree to
disagree is a healthy outlet for opinions, but it appears that this has
degenerated into, no pun intended, a bit of mudslinging.
The endless struggle to defend the validity and value of art is a
monumental task in itself, whether addressing funding or public displays
of art. Good, bad or otherwise, expressions of art are records of a given
society and as has been stated on this venue previously, not always
popular at the time the work is executed.
Idealism aside, I think it is essential for artists to support other
artists, because if they don't, then who the hell will? We don't have to
endorse or agree with another artist's product or whether they have
successfully expressed their intentions. I think that the big picture
involves keeping the arts alive and well, firmly entrenching the fact
that as the highest expression of a society, art/craft must be respected
as such. Why be bothered with the occasional one-hit wonder as what is
meaningful and longlasting will survive.
That is an unlikely prospect if artists continue to censor other artists.
Dana Henson-Flemming
Artful - Sculptural and Functional Clay Works
Albuquerque, New Mexico
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