Why is there more bad art today than there used to be?
Because the definition of art has been thrown so wide open, nothing gets left outside.
You can call the best stuff in the drawing room art, but you can’t deny the contents of the toolshed, compost heap and the outhouse being called art too, not if they demand to be.
So fine, it’s all art. The good, the bad and the ugly.
And now of course, even the smelly, too.
Lots more stuff calling itself art equals lots more bad art.
By the same token, there should be lots more good art, too, presumably.
Like me, I imagine your idea of what counts as good art you'd enjoy reflects your tastes and values that you either grew up with or have chosen to adopt.
In my case (for better or worse), it would be something excellent that stands above the crowd of mediocrity.
Probably came from a craft which demonstrates a high level of skill, shares my impeccably good taste (of course!) and has an emotional impact on enough viewers that it wasn’t an accident, whether the viewers are fellow craftspeople or not.
Good design, pleasing composition, interesting visual ideas.
The combined results of study, practice and talent.
These things would count for me.
They are present in all the artists I admire, and are at least what I try to put into my own work.
Which is not to say everything else isn’t art, of course.
It just wouldn’t likely be popping my cork.
Fortunately there’s plenty of what I’d call good art around that I can enjoy.
But also of course an awful lot of art I wouldn’t call art at all.
There would have been plenty more bad art back in the day too,
if only they’d been 'smart' enough to call it art!
End of rant!
I’ve made a couple more mid sized (4” long-ish) turtles, but since there’s no chance of them getting cast before the holidays, I’ll just leave them to one side for a while, and work on some more tree frogs which are coming along nicely so far (fingers crossed).
The real one I have as my muse got an apartment upgrade recently.
I rubber cemented a long oval plastic flower pot to the floor of the tank, so when I put water in the tank it doesn’t get inside the pot.
Inside the glued-in empty pot is a same sized pot with a bromeliad and some compost in it, which I can lift out if I need to.
I put a heater in the water, so now the water is nice and toasty warm, which heats the air above and creates a dripping wet humid environment that my frog loves.
To slightly mis-quote Edmund Blackadder, ‘It’s as damp in there as a pair of armored trousers after the hundred years war’.
My frog now emerges from the cosy spot in the bromeliad every evening without fail, to crawl about on the vines and leaves in search of crickets.
I dream of making our shower into a walk-in tree frog home, with branches, waterfalls, plants, sculpted backgrounds, a pebble filled pool, ahhh..., I wonder when Meridee has any extended painting trips planned…
Oh, I'm going to run another contest to give away another mouse, but I'm only announcing it to people who have signed up for email updates. So if you fancy your chances, sign up in the side-bar where it says 'get email updates' (it's secure) and I'll announce the new contest in the next few days (besides that email updates are monthly).
Max Love from Kerrville, TX won last time, and had this to say...
'I received the mouse yesterday afternoon. :)
It is a truly remarkable little sculpture. He will have a good home.
Much thanks on your craftsmanship,
Max.'
SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
My Etsy store, CritterVille.
2 comments:
What a cute little guy. But I don't know that Meridee would want to share a shower with him!
The water Meridee likes would certainly be too hot for the frog.
But the frog and Meridee are both girls, so maybe they could go in there and sing to each other.
Oh no, that wouldn't work, only boy frogs sing (in the shower or anywhere else)!
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