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Art & Fear
Nov. 28th, 2006 01:50 pm"Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking"
by David Bayles & Ted Orland
The title sold this one, though Lord Branwyn keeps saying This is my art, and it is dangerous! (a quote from the movie "Bettlejuice"). Anyway, I read this little book in one day, which is unheard of. The authors explore why so many artists make a good start then quit. They point out that being a consumer of art (a patron) in no way prepares you for the role of artist. The patron does not care about the artist's method of work. Conversely,to an artist, the end product should be irrelevant; it is the process of artmaking--exploring new ideas and honing skills--which is important. Every artwork is a practice piece, and the artist should focus on maintaining a high level of production rather than worry about the success of the individual finished pieces. They also stress the importance of finding a supportive community of other artists, since the "art world" of critics, collectors, and gallery owners is very likely to ignore your work. (*Branwyn waves at other fanfic writers and loyal reviewers*) The chapter about academia was amusing. They contend that MFA degree programs exist as a pyramid scheme to justify and staff a miniscule number of teaching jobs (hee!).
I didn't agree with everything these two had to say, but I found the book an interesting and encouraging read.
by David Bayles & Ted Orland
The title sold this one, though Lord Branwyn keeps saying This is my art, and it is dangerous! (a quote from the movie "Bettlejuice"). Anyway, I read this little book in one day, which is unheard of. The authors explore why so many artists make a good start then quit. They point out that being a consumer of art (a patron) in no way prepares you for the role of artist. The patron does not care about the artist's method of work. Conversely,to an artist, the end product should be irrelevant; it is the process of artmaking--exploring new ideas and honing skills--which is important. Every artwork is a practice piece, and the artist should focus on maintaining a high level of production rather than worry about the success of the individual finished pieces. They also stress the importance of finding a supportive community of other artists, since the "art world" of critics, collectors, and gallery owners is very likely to ignore your work. (*Branwyn waves at other fanfic writers and loyal reviewers*) The chapter about academia was amusing. They contend that MFA degree programs exist as a pyramid scheme to justify and staff a miniscule number of teaching jobs (hee!).
I didn't agree with everything these two had to say, but I found the book an interesting and encouraging read.
