Alisa Clausen on sat 17 apr 04
.. my new motto: "be functional"..
>
>Yours,
>Kelly in Ohio
=20
Dear Kelly,
Please visit South Jutland. =20
It is an embarrassment if you do not have at least potatoes in your =
kitchen garden. Every Sct.Hans we burn huge bonfires.
I have become Danish enough, that I only use the clothing dryer when I =
see the ducks wearing galoshes.
I believe that no one for any reason, has the right be a snob. Anyway, =
we usually experience that the "bigger" the person, the more rooted his =
feet are on the ground.
Yesterday I endured a stunning (as in electric, shocking) example of =
artist snobbery towards craftspeople.
My studio is an open studio where visitors to the farm can come in see =
the process. I am open to it now, I can put up with now, and it helps=20
my sales when people get an understanding of what happens with that clay =
to get it to become something functional. It also does not hurt when I =
establish a relationship with my customers.
The owners of the farm want to have another working studio. Glass, or? =
They invited the local Art School's leader and two of the painting =
teachers over to discuss the idea. These are painters who say that they =
work in all materials, including clay.
These 3 stood about 5 feet from where I was working, discussing their =
"target groups, how to get the public involved and their goals of this =
project." I admit that strained a little to hear better, and they were =
discussing all kinds of things regarding them starting up a studio there =
for easel painting. They left the area without looking into me. I ran =
into them about 15 minutes later in the farm store when I went upstairs =
to buy some bee propolis candy (no red ones to fight over). One of the =
artists is someone I know. He is also an American and I know him from =
our cozy art community around town. I thought it was a lack of common =
respect on his part to just come in say hello. He was visiting my turf. =
The last show he exhibited a video tape of a pig being slaughtered, =
and there were pieces of white bread all lined up in front of the =
monitor. This was actually a rerun of an exhibition in Esberg, about 10 =
years ago, that was condemned and dismantled by the town health =
authorities. That exhibition was not a video of slaughtered pigs, but =
was a slaughtered pig.
Anyway, I said, "Hi, it is you! Well, Hi! Why didn't you come in say =
hello? I was right there. Silly, common craftsperson I am.
He said, "well, um, I didn't want to interrupt you. You were working". =
(I have an open studio.) "Oh," I said, "yes, I was working".=20
It was not like I was pouring molten iron.
Later I was told that the group decided that the farm was not for them. =
Their reason was that it worked for me because I am a craftsperson and =
that I could work with distractions and noise. Although I should not be =
disturbed to say hello to. They reasoned that artists need quiet and =
peace to find their inner souls to make their art work. =20
I thought he needed quiet because the pig would run away. Oh, I forgot, =
it was dead. =20
I was annoyed because I thought he was just really rude and obviously =
could not use any information a craftsperson has gathered over the past =
3 years working in a studio at the farm where he was considering making =
a studio.
You know what, Kelly, functional is lovely. Not playing that "lets =
pretend" snob game, enjoying your work, honesty and plain everyday =
courtesy is always fashionable.
regards from Alisa in Denmark
my new rubber boots are quite the statement.
They are pink with flowers all over them.
Function and fashion. I will guess that the rubber boots will keep
the water out long after the flowers peel off.
Iris Artist on sun 18 apr 04
EEK! I hate those people, Alisa. But then I can't stand "shock" artists anyway. It's seems like cheating, the easy way out, here let me paint a bloody tampon and suddenly I'm on the cover of Art News... ugh...
That's awful that they didn't have enough sense to see if you might be interested in their project or have any helpful advice. Just for gags you should visit his studio with an friend you can count on to be obnoxious and comment on the work:P (kidding)
I never understood why potters are considered craftspeople or artisans, I think of you as artists, you mold, sculpt and paint with glazes, you sell your work just as a painter would, what's the difference, you work with your hands just like everyone else.
~Stäcy, where I am finally taking a break from my painting to read the 80-some odd clay posts in my inbox.
Alisa Clausen wrote:
.. my new motto: "be functional"..
>
>Yours,
>Kelly in Ohio
Dear Kelly,
Please visit South Jutland.
It is an embarrassment if you do not have at least potatoes in your kitchen garden. Every Sct.Hans we burn huge bonfires.
I have become Danish enough, that I only use the clothing dryer when I see the ducks wearing galoshes.
I believe that no one for any reason, has the right be a snob. Anyway, we usually experience that the "bigger" the person, the more rooted his feet are on the ground.
Yesterday I endured a stunning (as in electric, shocking) example of artist snobbery towards craftspeople.
My studio is an open studio where visitors to the farm can come in see the process. I am open to it now, I can put up with now, and it helps
my sales when people get an understanding of what happens with that clay to get it to become something functional. It also does not hurt when I establish a relationship with my customers.
The owners of the farm want to have another working studio. Glass, or? They invited the local Art School's leader and two of the painting teachers over to discuss the idea. These are painters who say that they work in all materials, including clay.
These 3 stood about 5 feet from where I was working, discussing their "target groups, how to get the public involved and their goals of this project." I admit that strained a little to hear better, and they were discussing all kinds of things regarding them starting up a studio there for easel painting. They left the area without looking into me. I ran into them about 15 minutes later in the farm store when I went upstairs to buy some bee propolis candy (no red ones to fight over). One of the artists is someone I know. He is also an American and I know him from our cozy art community around town. I thought it was a lack of common respect on his part to just come in say hello. He was visiting my turf. The last show he exhibited a video tape of a pig being slaughtered, and there were pieces of white bread all lined up in front of the monitor. This was actually a rerun of an exhibition in Esberg, about 10 years ago, that was condemned and dismantled by the town health authorities. That
exhibition was not a video of slaughtered pigs, but was a slaughtered pig.
Anyway, I said, "Hi, it is you! Well, Hi! Why didn't you come in say hello? I was right there. Silly, common craftsperson I am.
He said, "well, um, I didn't want to interrupt you. You were working". (I have an open studio.) "Oh," I said, "yes, I was working".
It was not like I was pouring molten iron.
Later I was told that the group decided that the farm was not for them. Their reason was that it worked for me because I am a craftsperson and that I could work with distractions and noise. Although I should not be disturbed to say hello to. They reasoned that artists need quiet and peace to find their inner souls to make their art work.
I thought he needed quiet because the pig would run away. Oh, I forgot, it was dead.
I was annoyed because I thought he was just really rude and obviously could not use any information a craftsperson has gathered over the past 3 years working in a studio at the farm where he was considering making a studio.
You know what, Kelly, functional is lovely. Not playing that "lets pretend" snob game, enjoying your work, honesty and plain everyday courtesy is always fashionable.
regards from Alisa in Denmark
my new rubber boots are quite the statement.
They are pink with flowers all over them.
Function and fashion. I will guess that the rubber boots will keep
the water out long after the flowers peel off.
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