Art and FEAR.

Oh man! An article for me? I really liked reading this one.

“Quitting means not starting again — and art is all about starting again.”

That’s my first favorite quote. This is something I really enjoy about art and, especially, about following artist’s careers (like I learn about in art history classes; I am thinking of my Dada and Surrealism class I took with Maria Buszek). As far as I can tell, art helps you to learn about yourself. More than it informs others, and more than it shows your talents and skills, art teaches you what is important to your soul. If you fake it, it won’t work. And if you change, your art changes, too.

“When ‘The Critique’ is the only validated destination for work made during the first half-decade of an artist’s productive life, small wonder that attrition rates spiral when that path stops.”

I do believe that art school is a killer of a large portion of artists, and I’m afraid that I’m one of them. Not because, as is stated here, that my art loses its “meaning” when it’s not being critiqued by professors and peers, but because, I think, that I am impressed that this is the only venue that my art will see. Is all I am working towards critique after critique after critique? That is BORING. I can’t take it! I just want to create! I want to just … make things and not worry about whether it’s going to satisfy my professor or impress my peer. I don’t care. Art school has really, really, burned me out in that regard. No offense. Everyone told me it would happen.

“… your desire to make art — beautiful or meaningful or emotive art — is integral to your sense of who you are.”

You make what you feel in your heart. If you are troubled and complicated, you are going to make art that conveys that. If you are happy and at peace, that will be seen in your art. If you are fun and silly, everyone will know because they will see it in the things you create. NO DOUBT. It is probably possible to change your mood as well, by the things you choose to create. “Happiness is but a state of mind.”

“But if making art gives substance to your sense of self, the corresponding fear is that you’re not up to the task — that you can’t do it, or can’t do it well, or can’t do it again; or that you’re not a real artist, or not a good artist, or have no talent, or have nothing to say.”

I’m sure this is a well-known fear for all artists, but this is also one of those fears that, when I feel it, I’m SURE that there’s NO ONE in the WORLD that understands just what I’m trying to express.

“… in making art, you bring your highest skills to bear upon the materials and ideas you most care about.”

And if you are NOT currently doing this, you should probably switch something up. You must care about it to do it justice. This is just my personal experience.

“Lesson for the day: vision is always ahead of execution — and it should be.”

You’ve got to have a goal. Might as well be a big one. And if you don’t make it, you will learn something along the way, and the next time you try, you will do better.

“But as the piece grows, technique and craft take over, and imagination becomes a less useful tool.”

… I guess imagination is like… AN EXPLOSION. And the execution is more like the resulting slow burn. … That’s how I’m gonna think of it, anyway. And I’m gonna think of that David Bowie song when I do it.

“Finally, at some point or another, the piece could not be other than it is, and it is done.”

Yes! I love this! This is how ALL my pieces (and probably all everyone else’s pieces) are decided to be done. I’m just… sitting there… workin’ workin’ workin’… and I glance up and I’m all, “Holy crap! I’m done!? When did that happen? Ah, yes. Just now.” And it was meant to be, and it’s perfect.

“It’s altogether too seductive to approach your proposed work believing your materials to be more malleable that they really are, your ideas more compelling, your execution more refined.”

This may be a problem for some people. This is not a problem for me. ‘Cause I gots the HUMILITY. I’ve got so much god-damned humility! I’m WAY more humble than YOU! SO HA! … No, not really. That was sarcasm. But seriously. That’s why “I’m kinda rough around the edges, like a poorly taxidermied lizard.”

Abraham Lincoln “[knew] he was doing the best he could to present the ideas he needed to share.”

And that’s all anybody needs to do. Their best. Plus, Abraham Lincoln is the BOMB.

“Art is like beginning a sentence before you know its ending. The risks are obvious: you may never get to the end of the sentence at all — or, having gotten there, you may not have said anything.”

Shit! I say nothing CONSTANTLY. But I love my sentences. Yes I do.

“People who need certainty in their lives are less likely to make art that is risky, subversive, complicated, iffy, suggestive, or spontaneous.”

Who says art needs to be risky, subversive, complicated, iffy, suggestive or spontaneous? I DON’T. MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE I’M BORING AND NEED CERTAINTY IN MY LIFE, HMMMMM? Hmmm. Maybe. But you know what? I’ve come to terms with that. I’m okay with my driving passion for lack of drama and uncertainty. Maybe THAT’s what I need to be saying with my art, eh?

“AN ENJOYABLE READ. ENLIGHTENING!” — Sara J. Ream, Kansas Shitty Fart Institoot

I’m being serious. I really liked it.

~Sara.

Pretty much the best thing ever made.

This was Travis Pratt’s card of constructive critique comments that he gave to Zeke after one of their senior critiques. It also contains my soul.

~srara

Mission/KANEKO. OMG.

So I went to this kiln opening thing! I really liked the place and looking at the art. It was kind of crowded, though. And a little formal. I took some PITCHERS.

Hooray!

~Sara.

CRAFT IN A CHANGING WORLLLLLLDDD.

OK.

So. Ceramic artists gotta know about craft vs. fine art. That’s just… inherent with the medium. There is a craft world and a fine art world and a world that combines them both to some degree.

The Introduction I read in The Persistence of Craft… was totally written by a guy who usually writes about fine art. Or theater. Or classical music. Or something else equally stuffy or snobby. He used a lot of big words in an unnecessary way and, maybe because of my own personal inferiority complex, it seemed like he was talking down at the reader. Not that I didn’t understand everything he wrote, BECAUSE I DID. I’M A GOOD READER.

…

But besides that! I think it was a very well-written article discussing the modern-day presence of craft as it exists in the world/world of fine art. I enjoyed the author’s addressing the fact that more people create art/crafts/poetry than consume it. To me, this shows that the process of creating, of making something meaningful, meaningful to YOU and no one else, is the importance that most people are familiar with. I never really thought of it like that, but that is exactly how I feel about creating art. I really don’t want to look at anybody else’s art, and I don’t care if anyone else looks at mine. Maybe I am a craftsman. That’s right. CraftsMAN. I ain’t no craftsPERSON. FREAKS.

A paragraph in the Introduction says:

“For some thinkers, craft could be interpreted as no more than creative work, or the elevation of the necessary activities of life to the level of creative practice.”

Meaning, people are gonna do it anyway, so they might as well do it really well and make it fancy or something… I guess there’s nothing I really wanted to say about that, I just really enjoyed the thought.

And in the part of the Introduction when he talked about the “museology” of craft/art/whatever he says of craft: “The scale, symbolism and practical function of these things was often intended for private consumption in informal places.” The crafted items/artefacts were not made to be put in a gallery on a white wall and dissected by a bunch of snooty, over-educated old fogies. You’re just supposed to… look at it… or not, I guess. I think that a really good way to judge a piece of art or craft is to say, “Hey! I like that!” That’s all it needs.

Like he said about the Braque collages: “On this wall, in 1982, only two contexts remained: the tired formalism of self-referential art historical discourse, and the educational acumen of the visitor. In the absence of either, all meaning was lost.” Sometimes, a museum or gallery is NOT the place to look at art.

“… when an object enters into a museum, its context automatically changes.”

I also enjoyed what he had to say about the ideal of quality:

“Quality is not to do with immutable models of value. It simply implies that any fabricated phenomenon, any thought, object, physical action, speech or any other thing that is made, has the potential to be in a better or worse condition.”

I mean… it’s a little bit “out-there” as far as being a quasi-philosophical statement about every thing ever created having its “quality” judged… Because I guess then I ask: By whom? It’s kind of… impossible to say, when you don’t know the standards. Maybe your standard of awesome buildings to walk around in is one that is in ruins and is overgrown with vines and stuff. A brand new shiny building full of people and gold coins would totally suck! … I guess it just kind of depends. Quality-schmaulity. Says WHO?

… I guess that’s all. I don’t regret reading it, but I’m not gonna go out and buy the book or anything.

~Sara~

Artist’s Resumé

For all those interested/concerned, I have posted my artist’s resumé for all to see and peruse. It is a nice resumé. I worked real hard on it and I think I did a good job. Check it out on the tabs up top, or see the Pages column just to the right, here! —>

That is all for now!

-Sarara

Dudes! My blogging experience has become frustrating!

I am trying to post all of these sweet pictures and headers and artist’s resumés and WordPress will just NOT HAVE IT.

Seriously! My City Pets Blog is going FINE. I know how to blog!

…

My dog is dreaming. :) I can see his feet twitching.

-Srarararararararaaaaaaaaara

I glazed my ‘gator plobble obble green!

You heard what I said!

I made that ‘gator and baby ‘gator in my last semester at SFCC. I sold the mama ‘gator in the art show for $200-something to some folks who own a car dealership in Sedalia. The baby ‘gator is still on Mr. Luper’s desk.

plobble obble!

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