Today's postings
- [Baren 38703] Re: Not that old chestnut... (aqua4tis # aol.com)
- [Baren 38704] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V47 #4790 (Apr 20, 2009) (Plannedscapes # aol.com)
- [Baren 38705] Artsy,not Fartsy, Artist Gayle (ArtSpotiB # aol.com)
- [Baren 38706] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V47 #4789 (Apr 20, 2009) (Lynn Starun)
- [Baren 38707] Re: Not that old chestnut... (Sharri LaPierre)
- [Baren 38708] Re: Not that old chestnut... ("Terry Peart")
- [Baren 38709] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
Message 1
From: aqua4tis # aol.com
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:29:09 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38703] Re: Not that old chestnut...
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i love this!!!!!!
Art is the thought, but craft is the language, the means of communication.
Art is the thought, but craft is the language, the means of communication.
Message 2
From: Plannedscapes # aol.com
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:46:22 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38704] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V47 #4790 (Apr 20, 2009)
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Art or artsy or craft
I will toss this out: In my limited experience with planning an 'arts and
crafts' fair and trying to attract 'vendors' and jury the things, there is
this:
The artsy people are the ones with an attitude who show up and coo and gush
but never really buy much. They are all snobbery and all show. If they
volunteer for the committee, they flaunt that they are on the committee but
never do much.
The artists are the ones who have imagination and creativity to design
something a lot or just a little different enough to make it special AND who
have the technical expertise to produce it, to CRAFT it with quality. A
creative idea by itself is NOT art. It is design only. Design must be
executed by craft skills to really become art. There must be some craft skill
there to execute it. But there must be some originality of design to elevate if
from pure craft. The thing may be purely aesthetically beautiful, it may
be provocative as in a war protest piece and not so pretty, or it may be
useful as in pottery or an article of clothing if it has some 'flair' that
makes it more than typical.
The crafters are the ones making something that may be just a beautiful or
useful but lack the extra flair or originality. If you designed something
in the 60s and are still making from the same pattern, it was art when you
first made it but now it is long since craft.
Think of the range of jewelry from simply taking a cabochon and framing it
in silver and putting it on a chain to using something with more flair to
frame it to a flowing strip of silver on which the cabochon is only one
design element. The first is pure craft, while the others are art, but must
have craft to make them, to take them from a design on paper to the actual
artistic pendant.
And the reason for the snobbery and wanting to call at least some of what
we do 'art' rather than mere craft is that we as vendors take our beautiful
original things to the 'art fair' and sell a couple things while the person
2 booths down with the victorian dolls or the decorated grape vine wreath
sells out
I will toss this out: In my limited experience with planning an 'arts and
crafts' fair and trying to attract 'vendors' and jury the things, there is
this:
The artsy people are the ones with an attitude who show up and coo and gush
but never really buy much. They are all snobbery and all show. If they
volunteer for the committee, they flaunt that they are on the committee but
never do much.
The artists are the ones who have imagination and creativity to design
something a lot or just a little different enough to make it special AND who
have the technical expertise to produce it, to CRAFT it with quality. A
creative idea by itself is NOT art. It is design only. Design must be
executed by craft skills to really become art. There must be some craft skill
there to execute it. But there must be some originality of design to elevate if
from pure craft. The thing may be purely aesthetically beautiful, it may
be provocative as in a war protest piece and not so pretty, or it may be
useful as in pottery or an article of clothing if it has some 'flair' that
makes it more than typical.
The crafters are the ones making something that may be just a beautiful or
useful but lack the extra flair or originality. If you designed something
in the 60s and are still making from the same pattern, it was art when you
first made it but now it is long since craft.
Think of the range of jewelry from simply taking a cabochon and framing it
in silver and putting it on a chain to using something with more flair to
frame it to a flowing strip of silver on which the cabochon is only one
design element. The first is pure craft, while the others are art, but must
have craft to make them, to take them from a design on paper to the actual
artistic pendant.
And the reason for the snobbery and wanting to call at least some of what
we do 'art' rather than mere craft is that we as vendors take our beautiful
original things to the 'art fair' and sell a couple things while the person
2 booths down with the victorian dolls or the decorated grape vine wreath
sells out
Message 3
From: ArtSpotiB # aol.com
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:38:02 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38705] Artsy,not Fartsy, Artist Gayle
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Hey, yes, where I grew up "Artsy Fartsy" conjured up a nose in the air,
pretentious attempt at impressing others with hot air releases from either end.
It was used with a smile and a twinkle in the eye to neatly elbow the
Emperors without clothes. Humor can teach.
And the plain term, "Artsy" was used by some mighty talented and recognized
artists in Ohio as an affectionate term for a person who loves practicing
Art.... Colorful, adventurous, fun to be around, inventive and often kind....
And that does describe you, Gayle. So never ever change that screen name as
it's perfect! Never mind the ill winds who blow no good.
ArtSpot Out
Benny in California
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
There are two ways of being happy: We may either diminish our wants or
augment our means - either will do - the result in the same; and it is for each
man to decide for himself, and do that which happens to be the easiest. If
you are idle or sick or poor, however hard it may be to diminish your wants,
it will be harder to augment your means. If you are active and prosperous or
young and in good health, it may be easier for you to augment your means
than to diminish your wants. But if you are wise, you will do both at the same
time, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well; and if you are very wise
you will do both in such a way as to augment the general happiness of society.
-Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (1706-1790)
pretentious attempt at impressing others with hot air releases from either end.
It was used with a smile and a twinkle in the eye to neatly elbow the
Emperors without clothes. Humor can teach.
And the plain term, "Artsy" was used by some mighty talented and recognized
artists in Ohio as an affectionate term for a person who loves practicing
Art.... Colorful, adventurous, fun to be around, inventive and often kind....
And that does describe you, Gayle. So never ever change that screen name as
it's perfect! Never mind the ill winds who blow no good.
ArtSpot Out
Benny in California
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
There are two ways of being happy: We may either diminish our wants or
augment our means - either will do - the result in the same; and it is for each
man to decide for himself, and do that which happens to be the easiest. If
you are idle or sick or poor, however hard it may be to diminish your wants,
it will be harder to augment your means. If you are active and prosperous or
young and in good health, it may be easier for you to augment your means
than to diminish your wants. But if you are wise, you will do both at the same
time, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well; and if you are very wise
you will do both in such a way as to augment the general happiness of society.
-Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (1706-1790)
Message 4
From: Lynn Starun
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:00:40 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38706] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V47 #4789 (Apr 20, 2009)
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Robert's blog post with a photo of part of his studio and new DIY drying racks reminded me of how I'm fascinated by how other artists organize their space and solve all the problems relating to that. Could we have some sort of show and tell where we post pictures of our studios? Realistic pictures--not the magazine version!! I find that periodic restructuring of my space kind of frees me up for a burst of creativity. And there's NEVER enough flat surface space...Lynn
Message 5
From: Sharri LaPierre
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:17:38 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38707] Re: Not that old chestnut...
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Art vs. Craft, or vice versa - I think we have a sticky wicket.
I have to disagree with Ellen, art that makes you think is not just
another form of advertising. Art from the beginning was to make us
think: the cave paintings were probably to make us think of the
spiritual or the next days hunt. The art of the middle ages was meant
to make us think of the Bible and the hereafter. Art of the
Renaissance was to make us consider ourselves in the realm of the
spiritual, among other things. Modern or contemporary art begs us to
look at old things in new ways, I rest that case...
As printmakers we are probably more conscious of the craft involved in
our techniques and processes, much more than a painter, for instance.
I have seen powerful prints which lacked a lot of skill, but they were
still very much works of art, so skill/craft is not a necessary
prerequisite. However, skill never ceases to capture my attention:
"How did they do that?? "
It seems to me that the two are so intertwined as to be inseparable.
Cheers ~
Sharri
I have to disagree with Ellen, art that makes you think is not just
another form of advertising. Art from the beginning was to make us
think: the cave paintings were probably to make us think of the
spiritual or the next days hunt. The art of the middle ages was meant
to make us think of the Bible and the hereafter. Art of the
Renaissance was to make us consider ourselves in the realm of the
spiritual, among other things. Modern or contemporary art begs us to
look at old things in new ways, I rest that case...
As printmakers we are probably more conscious of the craft involved in
our techniques and processes, much more than a painter, for instance.
I have seen powerful prints which lacked a lot of skill, but they were
still very much works of art, so skill/craft is not a necessary
prerequisite. However, skill never ceases to capture my attention:
"How did they do that?? "
It seems to me that the two are so intertwined as to be inseparable.
Cheers ~
Sharri
Message 6
From: "Terry Peart"
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:47:07 GMT
Subject: [Baren 38708] Re: Not that old chestnut...
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Art without craft is an inarticulate loud noise. Art with craft is a conversation. Craft without art is an empty vessel, craft with art is beauty with a purpose.
Mark.
I really like that! Thank you. May I quote you in the future?
Terry P
West Seattle
Mark.
I really like that! Thank you. May I quote you in the future?
Terry P
West Seattle
Digest Appendix
Postings made on [Baren] members' blogs
over the past 24 hours ...
Subject: A Poem for Dorothy
Posted by: Annie B
 How the carving looks through my magnifying glasses  See the little repair on the ascender of the word at the bottom right? Superglue! I mentioned a few posts ago that I've been auditing a Smith College course this semester called "Material Culture of New England." The class takes place in Historic Deerfield, a museum and historic village, and most of the objects we study are from the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts and Vermont. In one of our readings we encountered a poem written by Lucy Terry Prince who was the first known African American poet. What struck me about the poem, and I think this is true of all early American poetry, is that it has such a strong meter and rhyme. Nothing wrong with meter and rhyme, but the poem is about a horrible battle in Deerfield, so the sing-song rhythm and rhyme seem totally out of synch with the gravity of the topic. One night as I was falling asleep during the planning stages of the Dorothy May print a little poem popped into my head and I've decided to include it in the piece. The poem, in a style similar to Lucy Prince's poem, is this: On a bright sunny day |
This item is taken from the blog Woodblock Dreams.
'Reply' to Baren about this item.