I am a artist that learns from other artists and respects all types of work, that's just how I roll! Yesterday, I had a great talk with one of my artist friends and we happen on a subject of hierarchy when it comes to what materials one uses to do their work and how that work is sometimes viewed.
I shared my experience in Grad school when some "other" grad in my final year commented that I could push out as many collages as I wanted to in a single afternoon because... and ... he stop short and made a face. What?? He followed it by saying "He struggled with his paintings" Wait what?? and I don't! I get it. I use to spent hours on my figurative oil paintings and when my work was displayed with primitive art and artists my nose was up in the air. I soon realized that they were doing what they loved just like me. Creating visual art is hard work, irregardless of the medium, media or form you work in.
I've had people come up and tell me that performance art wasn't "real" art. Wow! really?.. is my normal response! My point is anyone out there who's taking chances, pushing boundaries and going against traditional practices-- we have to, no we must applaud them! I don't know everything about the art world and I don't want to know, but what I do know is that we must support other artists' practices. Criticism is good, marginalization is not! This maybe a pollyanna approach, but it works for me.
So, when you hear someone bashing video, sound, performance, digital, craft, collage, etc... Speak up! Because, it takes a great amount of skill, intelligence and hard work to make something seem so flawless and simple.
Check out this site for more insights: http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-contemporary-art-real-art
Up next week: Why am I not being paid to do this?
I shared my experience in Grad school when some "other" grad in my final year commented that I could push out as many collages as I wanted to in a single afternoon because... and ... he stop short and made a face. What?? He followed it by saying "He struggled with his paintings" Wait what?? and I don't! I get it. I use to spent hours on my figurative oil paintings and when my work was displayed with primitive art and artists my nose was up in the air. I soon realized that they were doing what they loved just like me. Creating visual art is hard work, irregardless of the medium, media or form you work in.
I've had people come up and tell me that performance art wasn't "real" art. Wow! really?.. is my normal response! My point is anyone out there who's taking chances, pushing boundaries and going against traditional practices-- we have to, no we must applaud them! I don't know everything about the art world and I don't want to know, but what I do know is that we must support other artists' practices. Criticism is good, marginalization is not! This maybe a pollyanna approach, but it works for me.
So, when you hear someone bashing video, sound, performance, digital, craft, collage, etc... Speak up! Because, it takes a great amount of skill, intelligence and hard work to make something seem so flawless and simple.
Check out this site for more insights: http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-contemporary-art-real-art
Up next week: Why am I not being paid to do this?
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