Comments on: Art & Politics: An Unavoidable Relationship? http://artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html a multi-disciplinary dialog Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:04:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Karl Zipser http://artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4828 Karl Zipser Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:08:32 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4828 I see it David. This is perhaps the least offensive spam item we have ever received. It got through that automatic spam filter. I would delete it, but your comment brings it into the discussion. The filter catches dozens of spams daily (1,332 since November), most of these long link lists to pornographic websites. I'm off the delete the latest catch . . . I see it David. This is perhaps the least offensive spam item we have ever received. It got through that automatic spam filter. I would delete it, but your comment brings it into the discussion. The filter catches dozens of spams daily (1,332 since November), most of these long link lists to pornographic websites. I’m off the delete the latest catch . . .

]]> By: David http://artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4820 David Wed, 31 Jan 2007 02:11:25 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4820 Spam! Spam!

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]]> By: David http://artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4687 David Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:57:07 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4687 If pandering to the market is dishonest, it's also dishonest to pretend one is somehow separate from it. Any artist who was not born rich has to deal with the issue of making a living. They may support themselves by selling their work (within the market), by working at some job (also part of the market), or some combination of the two. It's good to look at the world and try to change the things we think are wrong with it, but we're kidding ourselves if we think we are separate from it. Whether we like it or not, we all contribute in many small ways to the forces that we oppose. If pandering to the market is dishonest, it’s also dishonest to pretend one is somehow separate from it. Any artist who was not born rich has to deal with the issue of making a living. They may support themselves by selling their work (within the market), by working at some job (also part of the market), or some combination of the two. It’s good to look at the world and try to change the things we think are wrong with it, but we’re kidding ourselves if we think we are separate from it. Whether we like it or not, we all contribute in many small ways to the forces that we oppose.

]]> By: D. http://artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4682 D. Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:09:33 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4682 My concern is that the honest/dishonest model uncomplicates what is complicated; it offers easy dismissal. And why do that? Richard: do you dismiss Koons (Are you familiar with the airbrushed image of Koons sitting on a teacher's desk before an enrapt class of elementary students?)? or Pollock, especially when he started to squirm under the Expectations? My concern is that the honest/dishonest model uncomplicates what is complicated; it offers easy dismissal. And why do that?

Richard: do you dismiss Koons (Are you familiar with the airbrushed image of Koons sitting on a teacher’s desk before an enrapt class of elementary students?)? or Pollock, especially when he started to squirm under the Expectations?

]]> By: Leslie Holt http://artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4680 Leslie Holt Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:37:02 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4680 D., Koons makes me sick and makes me laugh in the same moment (so I am laughing while feeling nauseous). Probably exactly the reaction he would relish! Richard, That does further clarify the whole honesty thing. But sometimes you don't know how an artist responds to those questions, right? I myself worry about responding to the "market" in my own work. One series of my work gets a lot more attention adn accolade than another. THe other is more compelling and has deeper meaning to me. Which do I choose to wokrk on? THe answer is both, but I am tempted tocrank out the popular ones to make sales and generate more public interest... And there are more subtel versions of adopting your work to the current trends and interests, right? From what I know of Pollock (not much admittedly and you can counter me here), he acted oblivious to responses to his work, but how could he be really? D.,
Koons makes me sick and makes me laugh in the same moment (so I am laughing while feeling nauseous). Probably exactly the reaction he would relish!

Richard,
That does further clarify the whole honesty thing. But sometimes you don’t know how an artist responds to those questions, right? I myself worry about responding to the “market” in my own work. One series of my work gets a lot more attention adn accolade than another. THe other is more compelling and has deeper meaning to me. Which do I choose to wokrk on? THe answer is both, but I am tempted tocrank out the popular ones to make sales and generate more public interest…
And there are more subtel versions of adopting your work to the current trends and interests, right? From what I know of Pollock (not much admittedly and you can counter me here), he acted oblivious to responses to his work, but how could he be really?

]]> By: Richard http://artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4678 Richard Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:17:52 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/01/art-politics-an-unavoidable-relationship.html#comment-4678 My view of honest vs. dishonest is, I think, relatively simple. It's the difference between being true to your own vision vs pandering to popular tastes and financial considerations. I number many artists among my friends here New York and some faithfully and courageously (or foolishly) stay true to their vision. Others want to be shown and to sell their work (I say with some sarcasm.) I suppose the difference between honest and dishonest can somewhat be defined by how an artist responds to such statements as: "I love your work, but it won't sell. Come back to me with something more commercial." "Blue is what it's all about in the market right now. Can you redo these with more blues?" "Sorry, gay is hot right now. I'm only looking for gay artists." It's not unlike any other business: skilled networkers are more successful than people with talent and imagination. Perhaps I don't even mean "dishonest" in a negative way. There's nothing wrong with earning a living. I earn a living as a writer among other things...and there's much that I write for myself, enjoying a very small audience...but I also know how to write for a larger audience and turn a profit. And in order to do that I can't be true to myself or be completely honest as a writer. My view of honest vs. dishonest is, I think, relatively simple. It’s the difference between being true to your own vision vs pandering to popular tastes and financial considerations. I number many artists among my friends here New York and some faithfully and courageously (or foolishly) stay true to their vision. Others want to be shown and to sell their work (I say with some sarcasm.)

I suppose the difference between honest and dishonest can somewhat be defined by how an artist responds to such statements as:

“I love your work, but it won’t sell. Come back to me with something more commercial.”

“Blue is what it’s all about in the market right now. Can you redo these with more blues?”

“Sorry, gay is hot right now. I’m only looking for gay artists.”

It’s not unlike any other business: skilled networkers are more successful than people with talent and imagination.

Perhaps I don’t even mean “dishonest” in a negative way. There’s nothing wrong with earning a living.

I earn a living as a writer among other things…and there’s much that I write for myself, enjoying a very small audience…but I also know how to write for a larger audience and turn a profit. And in order to do that I can’t be true to myself or be completely honest as a writer.

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