Along with the jurors also being the art police, we have seen an increase in promoters using crafters to be the buy-sell police. This leaves the acused crafter to redeem himself on the word of a crafter who's motives might not to be pure. It happened to artisans we know and wonder if anyone else have seen this? It makes us feel like anyone can turn you in on a whim or vendetta. Knowledge is power.
Deb
Replies
As a veteran of over 1,000 shows as well as a recovering promoter, I have to disagree also.
Now we're talking about CRAFTER police, not ART police. CRAFT shows, not ART shows.
The ones I have seen who think they are the ones to say who belongs and who doesnt are the ones who think they know everything about crafts and shows. The know it all. And... are you ready? They usually have been doing this for about... five years. Michelle, you and I had this discussion a few years ago on another forum. It just seems that at that five year mark, some crafters think they know everything about shows. Who should be in them, and how they should be run. I'm still learning at every show I do.
I rarely come across the type of exhibitor you mention. I have come across crafters who think they are the star of the show, and act accordingly, but rarely a bitter crafter.
I encounter the "Crafts Police" exhibitors at a lot of shows lately. They usually travel in twos or threes and point out who is B/S (without proof) and who doesn't belong in "their" show. At the last few shows I made a mental note of who they were and later went over to them and just struck up a conversation. And when I asked how long they were doing shows, the general answer was... between five and six years.
Michelle S:
Whoa. That's a pretty broad & harsh generalization.
I would say I have seen just the opposite. Artists are very reluctant to point fingers. And I've done lotsa shows. And have helped run shows.
You and I disagree.
I can't speak for the crafter view or angle or perspective like some other folks here, but I can assure you that I have seen what your are discussing on the fine arts side of the spectrum both on and off the art shows. Good observation.
I have to reply to this. I think even more of a problem than imported "art or craft" are the manufacturing "artists".
Who knows who made the work? I know of a number of glass artists that have good blowers working for them. Little if any of their work is made by their hands. Do they even design what the workers are making? Who knows. The shear volume of work would suggest that this is what's going on unless they are superpersons. How do you prove this? Show up unannounced at their studio? Yeah right. One "artist" would even do multiple shows on the same date! It was rumored that this person had his representatives legally change their names to his so when checked, the artist at least by name was there.
These manufacturing artists have been pointed out to promoters for years and for the most part nothing is ever done. Point is how do you prove it.
It's one thing to manufacture the work yourself. Or even have parts of the process done by others, say polishing bottoms or hydro cutting parts but the whole thing?
"This temporal series of sculptural glass works speak to my intensely spiritual digression into the quintessence of sympatico."
LOL!!!!
I think that "Artist's Statements" should be in their own category!
If I had any talent at word-smithing, I'd be a writer. Do poets have to submit hand-painted self-portraits in order to be accepted into contests?
In response to Reply by Leslie Christopher Bookout on February 12, 2011 at 4:00pm
Leslie wrote: "I think that "Artist's Statements" should be in their own category"
LOL! So true. I think Creative Writing is one category name. Also. "Best Artist BS" and "Biggest Ego"
When I was in grad school getting my MFA in Jewelry and Metals, the head of our program insisted that all artists should be able to explain their work in writing. He said that when mounting the MFA show, all pieces had to have a one page artist statement explaining both the inspiration behind the work, the technical aspects, and why the techniques/imagery chosen were the best way to express our idea. Since we “had” to have that at the end of our time in the program, we’d better learn to start writing them right away. Nothing produced more grumbling among the incoming students than this requirement. I have always written, so to me it was no big deal. If you can’t explain what is going on in your own mind, who can?
To get students over that initial difficulty, the next head of program set up mandatory group critiques. Being questioned, in a non-judgmental fashion, by other students sitting around a table, even the most inarticulate among us quickly learned to explain and defend their work.
I noticed that over the time I spent in the program (and it took me 7 years! One class at a time….), the grumbling gradually disappeared. Everyone who learned to do it, learned to value it.
I agree that artists statements are very difficult to do in 100 characters and be able to describe your work processes. With the image descriptions on ZAPP, again there isn't much room. So for a jeweler like me do you describe how it's made or what it's made of (metal & stones)? There's only room for one of those. I usually omit the "handmade" because if you are an artist it should be expected or already known that everything is handmade.
Even though I'm an educated artist (BFA) who reads at college levels, I find that the most painful part of the application process is writing the artist's statement and descriptions. I am an artist, but not a writer (and for your own good don't ever ask me to sing)! Writing these condensed, thoughtful, descriptive statements is an art all unto itself. The right answer - I don't know. One part of me wants to get rid of them so I don't have to write anymore, but the other part knows that descriptions can be important and usefull. What makes me cry is when I hear that shows don't even bother to read them! It makes me want to make my next artist statement say "Yeah, I really do make my own jewelry, call me & I'll tell you all the details, blah, blah, blah."
It also makes me disheartened that we pay good money for jury fees, and our art is only shown for 10-15 seconds, and rejection letters from different shows are almost word for word, but none with constructive critisism of why you didn't get in. They could add a checklist - your art is crap, your booth stinks, your art doesn't fit with the show, you almost got in, catagory was already filled with artists we know, we're biased against your sub-medium or technique, we hated your artist statement, your photos stink, we think you are b/s, you didn't fill out the application properly, etc.
I agree that most B/S can be weeded out by a conversation of how the piece was made. I'd be happy any day to tell you step by step what I did. I also bring my sketchbook to shows in case there are slow times, plus it's a good record of my design process. It is the job of the show management, not the other artists, to police the show. If the show contract says B/S will be asked to leave, then do it! Walk the show & talk to suspect artists & have a laptop that you can do research on. Then take action!
Tina
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