Saturday, May 23, 2009

What's fine about fine art?

There's a gallery in town with bronze dogs by two different artists.
The gallery director (not the owner) told me one wouldn't rate as 'fine art' with her since they're just dogs being dogs, whereas the other she would describe as 'fine art' because it's not just being a dog, it's more arty and it has an idea.
I said for my money the dogs being dogs had character, personality and were more finely sculpted with a great deal of style. While the arty one seemed quirky more than fine. Maybe the fineness of the idea eluded me.I said, since I thought they were very finely made, I'd call the regular dogs 'fine art', and the other one 'quirky art'.She mentioned that the quirky/arty one she had been championing had been her choice to bring in to the gallery, so that may have explained her harder sell!

On a different note, my hoodrat is now finished and installed, and as soon as I get a nice sunny day to get some pics of him showing off around town I'll post a few!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I am in total agreement with you. That great dane is stunning and it takes far more skill to make its structure and musculature look authentic.

The "quirky" one will be dated, while the classic one will be enjoyed theoretically ages equally.

(Your work is most assuradely fine art btw)

becky nielsen said...

I think they're both wonderful! The Great Dane is gorgeous, you want to hug him - and me with allergies! And the dog doing tricks says so much - the idea is fabulous and the fact that its dogness is less finely crafted doesn't make the "art" less fine to me. You're right, it's quirky in a way, but does fine art mean serious realistic art? I have no idea - haven't had years of art education so that's my humble question. But I really like this blog, your art, and the question you raise.

Anonymous said...

Great points of view! Proving once again that art is in the eye of the beholder. I love the Great Dane because that type of sculpture is hard to make "look right" and I love the dog doing tricks for the way it describes both the very idea of dogs loving to show off and the need to learn "tricks" to succeed.
Two different approaches, two different ideas, much as Rodin and Calder were both sculptors and both artists. Fine artists.