[YAK] Art or not Art

Dear Lisa:

So pleased to see your reply to my ranting. I was beginning to
think I was truly howling in the wind! I did’t mean to imply,
however that I was an “artist.” I gringe at the implication
whenever introduced as such. I mainly intended to point out that
many of us cave into the pressure of earning a living and begin
to treat the profession as a mere money machine, discounting the
astetic value of what we do.

Thanks again and being from Michigan, I’m afraid I can’t
sympathize with your weather conditions.

Best wishes;

Steve

    ... I did't mean to imply, however that I was an "artist." 
I gringe at the implication whenever introduced as such. I
mainly intended to point out that many of us cave into the
pressure of earning a living and begin to treat the profession
as a mere money machine 

Yes I guess that’s the temptation for them. But then if that’s
what’s important to them … let them eat cake.

I am an artist and have a style of living that is very enjoyable
and restful and yadda yadda, but find it is not always the best
way to earn money. ‘Content’ can be powerful but gold and silver
and coloured stones sells. My skills with jewellery materials
are more valued so I find being able to occasionally make stuff
that is bought is a great bonus to being a jewellery artist.

Brian, from a wet spring.
B r i a n =A0 A d a m J e w e l l e r y E y e w e a r =A0
@Brian_Adam1 ph/fx +64 9 817 6816 NEW ZEALAND

Dear Steve, Nah, you’re not ranting, or rather, you ARE, but it’s
not incoherent. I’ve gone regularly thru the same rant for 16
years now because I WAS trained as an artiste and immediately
caved to getting a job in the industry because how else was I to
pay the rent? But still I insist (to the annoyance of my
employer) that nothing goes out of the shop with workmanship that
can’t pass my anal scrutiny (reference: see Jane Armstrong and
ask her what a pain I am!) except for those jobs that customers
INSIST be bad. Sounds incredible? Get this one, my favorite still
after all these years: I was given a rope chain to repair the
break, was told that the customer was a big one, a regular Rolex
buyer, and that she was extremely particular, so this simple
repair had to be perfect. Easy. In about five minutes i handed
back an invisible repair, no lumps, no crooked links, polised to
a new gloss. The customer demands to see me to tell me she
doesn’t believe it was repaired because she can’t see where it
was put back together. The upshot was I had to take it back and
put a lump of solder on it so she could see it. Nice,eh? I LOVE
customers…

Unbelievable!! And your boss actually wanted you to damage the
customer’s chain just so she would believe you had done
something? What did she think, that you had switched her chain
for a new one? They never cease to amaze me. My congradulations
for treating even repair work as an art form. Our trade could
use more like you!!!

Keep up the good work;

Steve Klepinger