*warning: this message may contain grammatical errors, not from laziness, but of ignorance. Do not discredit the message based off of coincidentally irony. The author was intended on being taken very seriously. Oh and any similarities in recent artistic pieces hanging in Lee hall is absolutely not coincidence. I am calling you out.*
I literally stormed off to the one corner I knew nobody would find me in the Library. I need to vent and hear the taps of my MacBook keyboard as I released my furry.
JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE AN "ARTIST" DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN AVOID THE RULE SOF CRAFT.
This is just logic. This is simply the difference between a acrylic and oil. This is the distinguishing factor between good and evil. If you avoid craft in your work; you discredit yourself as a Fine Artist.
I respectfully, mind you, walked into the gallery opened to all students on campus to not only procrastinate alittle longer but enjoy the products of those before me. The photographs, film I am assuming, were great. I was able to understand the idea of balance from an image of a log anchored down my a rock tied to string. The ceramics were good. The contrast yet unit were clear in the reversed rolls of some of the designs and textures. Then. THEN. I reached the Indian Ink scribbles and got a closer look at the sicken increase of artistic laziness and apathy.
Let me defend myself. I too would claim myself as an artist. I can draw accurate people and I can define the difference between pretty much every medium of art. I am currently in a 2D design class in which we are extensively defining every basic design principle and then meticulously portraying them in different mediums. I know what I am talking about. Now I do not have a masters, bachelors, associates, or PhD in Fine Arts. But I do have eyes. I have eyes of discernment and that is what I can boast of. I value my discretion in terms of good art and bad art considering I am pretty open minded and willing to accept the history and purpose of a certain piece. But today, at precisely 10:19 am, I had had enough.
Just because you claim you are an artist, does not mean you can disregard the simple responsibility of making your art LOOK GOOD. Yes you may be an abstract artist, which indicates nothing of yours would anatomically or realistically correct, but for all you other ceramics, photographers, drawers, sculptures, realists, printers, graphic designers, and architects (especially you) please, I beg of you, stop ignoring the PRINCIPLES OF CRAFT!
These Principles being:
-cut straight lines
-erase your sketch lines
-hide all glue marks
-clean up spills on a piece
-create accurate matching colors
-start over if you tore something
And the most important
-TAKE YOUR TIME
The one that infuriated me the most was an abstract mountain that was priced at $1,000! A thousands Washingtons...and all I could do but to rip the actually piece from the wall was to walk away. The worse of this was it probably took them a totally of 50 minutes to draw this pencil rendering of probably another acid trip, but it definatly did not take $1,000 amount of someone's time. I could distinguish the primary sketching lines and outlines that had not been erased. I could tell which part of the pottery had been added and failed to be glued on properly, hence the gaps between the two like a pair of teeth exposed to all. I could see the blue glue that had dried on the outside of the additions. I could see the small tears between the corners that made the piece look like it was made from construction paper from a kindergarden class.
I could see these, not mistakes, but careless "whatevers" and it enforced my suspicion of their laziness.
I can hear them now, "Oh well, I am the artist of this piece, and well, like, I actually think it works with the abstract, ancient slash modern Chinese rendering of my mother's elbow 10 years ago that I was inspired by while at the bus stop. That tear of paper really adds to it." BS.
B.S.BS.B!S!
Seriously, I, a freshman, am infuriated to think that you carelessly threw this opportunity to display your art in a gallery and just disregarded the principles of craft. Please, next time, do not disregard them. Correct them. Perfect them. Care for them. They do not make your piece; they break it.
ps: we all know you are a hipster and don't care, but isn't the definition of a hipster someone who does not do the normal mainstream thing. So if the mainstream thing is to leave out neatness and craft in your art, shouldn't you be doing everything you can to avoid being associated with bad craft?
Just sayin'.
