She is gone now, bless her prickly soul. but None-the-less...
Weather you were part of her family, commune or business you knew that she divided all the good things in life between Rights and Privileges.
So here is my grand epiphany:
To make art is a right, not a privilege.
...And the world would be a better place if everyone made art like they make pasta!
Perhaps the privilege (or sacrifice) is to be called an artist - by others.
I believe that people can call themselves anything they want, as long as it is attached to one or more crafts : Painter, illustrator, storyboarder, sign painter, weaver, dancer, writer, bon-vivant, gad-about, traveller, provoucture,
But I have come to run from the word, the beautiful word and honest profession of
- artist -
It has become artiste' - Artiste' de pu' pu' in our society.
I feel so blessed, so lucky, happy to have the life I have.
And even though I am working for a fine art establishment, and my job is to manifest collaborative works of art,
they encourage me to do the common magic.
Wizard in Residence is a title I can hopefully accept and prove, because it is a craft.
It holds me to this world, this community, and demands my waking moments for the results.
Then my job can be about making a(n) (inner) child giggle.
...or gaze in open-mouthed wonder, as our Q did when she first saw one of your installments.
ReplyDeleteThis post speaks to me. You may have heard me say this before, but I shudder at the word "artist" in relation to myself. Not only because I don't feel I deserve the title, but more stringently because I would far rather be a craftsman. I worship craft. I mourn the death of craft. I would always rather be a draftsman, a fine carpenter, an illuminator, even a cobbler, any of those noble craftsmen of yore, who trained hard and worked hard and strove for perfection in a simple object. For that reason, I call myself an "illustrator" by choice. It sounds right to me - crisp, unequivocal, serious.
I love your chosen moniker - it sounds right for you. And it does your soul justice.
Well declared.
ReplyDeleteI bet there is room for even the darkest Bouboulina in Heaven. I hope so.
I see you more like the Mad Hatter. ;) Seriously, it is not only our right but our joy to express ourselves artistically. We just get shamed into it from very young. "You can doodle or you can take acting classes all you want as a child but please don't get a useless degree in the arts. Get something serious, that will make money." You have no idea how many parents point this out to kids. Art is seen as the priviledge of a few but certainly not the right of everyone. This kind of mentality kills the artistic soul before it has time to flourish. Art takes time to hone; years, some times a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, art should be made like people make pasta. I know that artitst will always fight to make art. No matter how much you embarrass them or discourage them. Please I am not talking about the people who think they can sing at American Idol auditions. However, how many great artist have we lost to self doubt and discouragement? Honestly, I think many.
Ok, I am ready for my tea, though I am more the Cheschire cat than Alice. Here is a link of a guy who did a photography project on Alice and Wonderland. Russian artist and site, you will have to let it load before clicking the bottom images for the project box. Enjoy:
http://www.clavijo.ru/
Grazie Mille Lonnie! Thank you for your words Lonnie,
ReplyDeleteand starting this dialogue.
I too, have been called many things in my lifetime (some of them were not always that nice either)
among them though, are: artist, craftsman , propbuilder,
model maker,
special effects technician,
looney, dancer, goldsmith, potter, sculptor, poet,innovator, expediator, facilitator, creative director, inspirational coach, artistic coach,
supply teacher,substitute, charwoman, strawberry picker, glassblower, lithographer, designer, bird lady,cheerleader, student, lover, cellist,
principle cellist, first desk, femme fatale, fairy princess, freak, bartender, waitress, cook, stained glass artist, ceramacist, mold maker, soft props builder, spraypainter,puppetmaker,laugher,
improvisationist,gesturist,
on-set props,buyer,bugwrangler,
dead dog builder, wound sculptor,
fabricator, welder,
pyrotechnics assistant, clown,gardener, wingmaker,
costume designer,stitcher, roadie, stage hand, union brother, lifegaurd, swimming instructor, check-out girl, stripper,
exotic dancer,
tobacco picker,busboy,
cleaning lady,
jeune fille au pair,
English teacher, Italian teacher, tour guide,chaperone,
canoe instructor, laundry lady, baker, child minder, dog walker,
soap salesman,
ambassadore di smacchiatore
care giver,
daughter, lover of life....