This thread is becoming more fun and reminding me of the Somerville
Gates. If you don’t know about them already, here is a link to a
proud Somervillian article, which is very much on topic:
Lisa Orlando
Aphrodite’s Ornaments
Fort Bragg, CA
PS: I just Googled them and the photos are now for sale on
eBay–unfortunately, they don’t look as eerie in that format. At
least one of the Gates will be auctioned in a benefit for the Mass
College of Art, so I guess that answers the question posed by this thread!
I call myself an Artist Craftsman, as well as a Master Goldsmith, it
depends who I am talking to. I always understood that an artist
craftsman is one who thinks of a piece of art, designs and draws the
item. them makes the item themselves. How many so called pieces of
art are not made by the artist who takes the credit. Take bronze
sculptures for instance, the artist carves or models the master
pattern, and takes the whole credit for the piece, forgetting about
the skills of the craftsmen who cast their models and the craftmen
who clean up the castings and finish them for display. All of the
work that I produced in the first twenty years of my experience in
the trade has been sold with the credit going to the designer or
shop who sold it. I think true art is that which is designed and
produced from scratch by the one artist, I do not consider anything
that is constructed out of pre made articles as true art. Also I
notice that artists seem to latch on a theme and stick to it, myself
included as you can see with my pieces on the orchid gallery, all of
my own designs are nature based, I long for the day when art critics
do not rave over a pile of squashed beer cans as art, as a closure I
suppose that I consider art as the joining together of original idea
and skill.
What a HOOT! The phrase generator site is definitely going to become
part of my MFA /art routine. (Me Fine Artist) I can’t truly claim an
MFA as I only have a BA degree. Some think I should have a BS degree.
Such is life. Maybe someday I will go back to school and learn why I
can’t or shouldn’t do the things I do.
Thank you. What you said was where my thoughts have been going.
Considering that the space next to me sells arrow shaped stones and
sharks teeth wrapped in gold filled wire as well as fake carved jade
strung on ???. I sometimes feel resentful. But then my work will be
heirlooms, theirs… Besides my work still sells consistently
anyway. There are still those who are looking for that piece that
speaks to them.
What saddens me is that the average person has no clue or interest.
They only want the flash. It is the leveling of thought and
experience in our society that frightens me. Our society is fast
becoming just like a the herd of cows in their stanchions being fed
and milked.
I am enjoying this art or craft discussion. Now I have go learn
about Duchamp!
When people ask if I am an artist I tell them I am into SCAMS.
(Sculptor, Craftsman, Artist, Metalsmith, Silversmith) and let them
decide what they want to call me.
To me, they are a work of art, and I told the president so.
No, he said, we produce very good craft. I thought about this for
a minute, and finally came to the conclusion that he is correct.
The perfect example of “in the eye of the beholder.” Over the years,
I’ve seen (and maybe purchased a few) guitars that, to me, are works
of art. And even though some are adorned with very artistic inlay,
the makers of these fine instruments would likely argue that they
are craft.
Umm... the aura of the sexy fish endangers the devious
simplicity of the eloquence of these pieces.
I agree/disagree with some of the things that have just been said,
but the iconicity of the purity of line spatially undermines a
participation in the critical dialogue of the 90s.
That phrase generator is handy. It’ll serve me well with my tattooed
halter top crowd friends. I guess since they buy my pieces, I can’t
be considered an artist. Bummer.
Michaelangello (sp) once said that “every large cube of marble has a
statue in it, I just chip away those particles that don’t belong
there”…:>) very profound statement !
Its like us artisans/craftsperson’s we see a raw item of gold and
then we polish and file till its finally exposed !!! Gerry!
This thread is becoming more fun and reminding me of the
Somerville Gates. If you don't know about them already, here is a
link to a proud Somervillian article, which is very much on topic
Lisa, thank you for the URL on the Summerville Gates. I did not know
about them, so now my education is complete. How fun.
A few years ago Studio Arena Theater here in Buffalo produced a play
entitled “Art”, which considers this question in a very entertaining
way. A brief description (lifted from a website) is:
Art is a comedic play by Yasmina Reza. The plot concerns three men,
Yvan, Marc and Serge. The play begins when Serge buys a modernist
painting for two hundred thousand francs. The painting consists of
some white lines on a white background. Marc resents the fact that
Serge spent so much painting on what he refers to as “white shit”,
while Yvan flip-flops between Marc and Serge’s opinions (his
non-committal attitude costs him dearly later in the play when he has
to offer his convoluted, compromised view to the other two).
In the end the play says (at least to me) that what is and isn’t
art, and what it is worth, depends on the individual. It also says
that at a certain point in life one is entitled to do whatever s/he
wants to with her/his money, including spending it on “art”.
Ms. Reza is an accomplished European playwright and actress Bloomberg - Are you a robot? and
“Art” has been produced in more than 30 countries. If it is staged
near you, it is worth seeing.
After reading the Smithsonian article on Christo, I really had to
rethink my attitude about him and his work
Now, after reading about the Somerville Gates, I am reminded that
all too much art forgets about having fun and deriving pleasure from
what we chose to do. I am not sure that it matters much in the end if
it was sarcastic, irreverent, erotic, experimental, or what ever. For
my part, I look to sense the feeling that the artist/creator was
experiencing when the work happened( right word ?). I feel that all
too often we try to read far too much into a piece especially when
the artist/creator/craftsman was just doing something to please him
or herself.
I am glad Edie likes the gates. My dog would have turned them into a
chewy!
I always enjoy your posts. Are you near Miami, city, not the beach?
My son Sean Gould, ‘Birdman Gould’, is an analog music producer, and
also collects guitars and really early amps, bulbs, microphones etc.
I think I told you before, if I ever get down there to see him, I’d
have to visit you as well. If you had any workshops, I’d be taking
them. You always seem to be able to explain solutions to problems so
well.
Haven’t really followed this thread that closely so don’t know if
the following is a repeat or germane to the issue.
I am always amazed that a famous painting can sell for $10,000,000
but when they find out it wasn’t painted by the stated painter, it
is only worth $10,000. The painting hasn’t changed! Perhaps art is
all about buying signatures. grin
That phrase generator is handy. It'll serve me well with my tattooed
halter top crowd friends. I guess since they buy my pieces, I can't
be considered an artist.
Hi James;
Actually, there’s no reason why you couldn’t. You just need some
Manhattan swell of a gallery owner to put it under the noses of the
right patrons by framing it in the context of “outsider art”. But
your present audience is going to cause you to depend on selling much
larger quantities at relatively lower margins. Get busy with that
Phrase Generator, maybe you can break into the big money.
This is my opinion. Craft is the physical process of manufacturing
pieces, combining pieces, and making an object. I do not care if
you are a carpenter, painter, electrician, lapidary, or jeweler. To
be good at your chosen craft you must learn and apply techniques and
operational procedures that allow you to complete tasks. More
practice, experimentation, schooling; all make for a better crafts
person.
Art is the final result of expanded horizons of crafts people. Poor
crafts skills equals poor art.
Just my opinion.
Gerry Galarneau, in spring, desert Arizona. Where the birds are
singing, the bees are buzzing, the flowers are blooming, and
everything is OK.
I read with interest James Miller’s definition of an artist
craftsman. I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed as I,
too, have witnessed many cases of superb craftsmanship not being
attributed to the people who executed the work.
I’ve only just subscribed to Ganoskin, and have been browsing the
galleries with interest. When I looked at James’ I was immediately
struck by the 18K gold and enamel Tutankhamun mask, as I vividly
recall this piece, or at least a piece that very, very closely
resembled it, from many years ago. I worked for some years at Kempson
and Mauger in London as an enamller, and from his bio I’m guessing
that James worked at McCabe McCarty(who owned Kempson and Mauger). I
could be wrong about this, and apologies if I am.
I left Kempson’s in 1986, and I recall the piece (or one that was
remarkably similar) coming through the workshop during my time there.
It was enamelled by Clive Penny.
My point here is that if the piece in James’ gallery is the same one
I saw enamelled, then shouldn’t Clive Penny, or at least Kempson &
Mauger, receive attribution?
Again, if I am mistaken about the piece and it was all James’ work
then my sincere apologies.
I always enjoy your posts. Are you near Miami, city, not the
beach? My son Sean Gould, 'Birdman Gould', is an analog music
producer, and also collects guitars and really early amps, bulbs,
microphones etc. I think I told you before, if I ever get down
there to see him, I'd have to visit you as well. If you had any
workshops, I'd be taking them. You always seem to be able to
explain solutions to problems so well.
Thank you Dinah. If I can assist anyone’s understanding, I’m always
happy. I’m right between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, not far from
Hollywood Beach. I don’t conduct workshops, mainly because there are
so many others more qualified than I am, at least ability-wise. Don
teaches some incredible classes on fabrication, casting, lapidary
and who-knows-what-all up at the Boca Museum of Art. www.bocamuseum.org The man really knows his business and is very
good at explaining things from different directions and
perspectives. His real strength, IMHO is helping the student find
their own method or “groove” that works best for them. That’s how
art is best created, and craft is best learned, I think. It’s also a
rare characteristic in an instructor. Most simply insist on the one
method that works for them. Don encourages students to experiment
and find their own gig.
While I do have a newer Johnson company “modeling” amp, my favorite
is an old Fender Bassman. Cascading the two inputs gives me a tone
that sounds heavenly for the blues, my favorite music to write and
play.
David’s story about his anthropological art experience brought to
mind the “Philosophy of Art” class that all art majors were forced -
er, required - to take before graduation. It was dreadful, and on
so many levels. Perhaps the most irritating thing about it was
that neither the professor nor any of the philosophers were actually
artists, and yet we had to read all this
mistranslated-from-the-German BS and try to figure out what these
dead white guys thought about art and its role in the human
experience…or something.
The absolute nadir of this dreadful course was having to read
Heidegger’s interpretation of Van Gogh’s painting of a pair of
shoes, about which he said: “the equipmental quality of the
equipment opens up a world that allows the earth to exist…” and
that “from out of this protected belonging the equipment itself
rises to its resting-within-itself” or something very similar (can’t
quote it; I sold that book back toot sweet when the course was
over).
Anybody who has ever been an artist of any kind knows that this is
garbage; Van Gogh painted those boots because 1) he found the play
of light, color, and shadow interesting, 2) the boots were
representative of the working-class poor, whom he championed, and 3)
the boots provided a cheap and patient model. Duh.
Art is like porn. You know it when you see it.
Cheers,
Jessee Smith (who wonders why they couldn’t at least have given Zaphod
Beeblebrox a proper second head) www.silverspotstudio.com
Cincinnati, Ohio
I fail to see why there should be so much meandering about skirting
the issue of art vs. craft !
An object can be well crafted, but devoid of imagination An object
can be highly imaginative, but lacking in craftsmanship. However, if
an object is highly imaginative and very well crafted it can be a
masterpiece.
Case in point…I once knew a jeweler who was a master craftsman.
Every detail of his work was perfection. BUT, nothing he "created"
had any soul or imagination. It was as if he were making flawless
nuts and bolts.Needless to say, his “stuff” did not sell.
Thank you for your observation and of stating that I omitted to give
credit to fellow craftsmen who helped me create my items shown on
the orchid gallery, but I only send a limited amount of detail with
the photos, if needed I could give detailed of all
craftsmen who assist me in production. In my pesonal statement I say
that I am a “goldsmith” this is what is states on my official
indentures and freedom certificates from the Goldsmith’s Company in
London. I am also a fellow of the Institute of Professional
Goldsmiths. No where in my personal statements do I say that I
personally enamel my pieces, I am only the metal worker.Also I do
not name other craftsmen without their previous knowledge for
security reasons. I do not cut my own diamonds, but I use them, I do
not do my own lapidary, but I use lapidaries, I do not do my own
enamelling, I use the skills of many enamellers, I also use the
skills of other craftsmen that include, gilders, setters, engine
turners,polishers on large items, spinners and casemakers to provide
leather covered case for the finished articles on presentation. You
were correct in saying that the enamelling on the Tutankhamun mask
was done by Clive Penney, but neither Clive nor I received any
credit for the job, as far as the customer was concerned the mask was
made in the workshops of Garrard the Crown Jewellers. Although both
Clive and myself received awards for the mask when we both won first
prizes in the annual Goldsmiths Craft council competion, Clive won
for the enamelling and I won for the making. Also one final detail,
McCabe McCarty did not own Kempson Mauger, the late Peter McCabe
owned the company and was a partner in McCabe McCarty, David McCarty
being a goldsmith and Peter McCabe being an enameller.They joined
forces in the early 70s to form the company McCabe McCarty which
alas ceased trading last year.