Comments for Art Jerk

Comment on The Hunter | DAN MAY by Joel Smith

Joel Smith — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:10:23 +0000

I love the juxtaposition of the soft, vibrant colors with the menacing subject matter. It does remind me of an illustration for a children’s book, but with much more depth. The texture here is great and I appreciate the fine, sinewy lines which make up the majority of the beast and the foliage.

Good find, Caleb!

Comment on ‘art’ VS. ‘Art’ by Joel Smith

Joel Smith — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:05:17 +0000

Great post, Shawn. This is a topic that has been pondered and argued at great lengths.
I am constantly reminded of the differences between “art” and “craft”. For me art is only Art when some deal of experimentation is going on throughout the process. Once the techniques and subject matter become comfortable for the creator, the art then turns to craft.
Using this definition, all artists would ideally be turning out a piece or two of pure art, then would follow that to pure craft, where the technique and material is handled with ease and grace. Then the artist would pull back and explore something new. This type of cyclic growth and exploration is the only way I know to continually turn out Art.
That being said, sometimes I find a piece of Art that seems to have dropped from the womb of the Mother of Invention herself and fallen at my feet. That grocery list I made last week was beautiful. That one girl, that one time, waved with such grace as the cars passed between us and no one could have framed it better.(Dada-esque isn’t it?)
In the end, I am only certain of two things: Thomas Kinkade constantly churns out Shit which is passed off as Art: and All Is As It Should Be.

Comment on ‘art’ VS. ‘Art’ by shawnpatterson

shawnpatterson — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:11:54 +0000

thanks caleb. you are super smart. that helps to bring more sense to what you were talking about. thanks for helping me to learn more about art. And Art. for decorating, i’ll keep watching hgtv.

Comment on ‘art’ VS. ‘Art’ by Caleb J Ross

Caleb J Ross — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:53:49 +0000

what if art was made for the general public?” but is it not? surely, we have all seen the same manufactured framed prints sold at department stores: cafe style canvases, novelty signs, the B/W photo of a small girl in which her hat remains pink……. the list goes on.

Denis Dutton in THE ART INSTINCT would say that actually, no, those manufactured framed prints, even though they are exact copies of a piece of art, are primarily decoration. Think about it, people pay millions for original paintings while spending only a few dollars on exact replica prints. Why? Because their is a deeper, even if intangible, connection to the original that cannot be duplicated with the print. There is an "energy" for lack of a smarter word, that comes from the connection between the viewer and the artist, not just the viewer and the art. With ever work of art there are two entities (at least) involved: the artist and the viewer. Prints take the artist out of the equation, leaving the viewer alone.

Comment on From Symbol to Image by Joel Smith

Joel Smith — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:43:42 +0000

Great post!
I must admit that it takes a great deal of style and grace to captivate someone with a poem on the page as well as at the podium. Poetry for me, is a bit more instant in its gratification. When done well poetry can be more honest and open than other styles of writing due to its tendency to be less filtered.
-Of course then you compare the work of Jonathan Safran Foer to the work Emily Dickinson and you can see that their is much more openness to be pulled from a well-edited novel than a few rhyming stanzas written to tune of “The Yellow Rose Of Texas”.

Comment on From Symbol to Image by Caleb J Ross

Caleb J Ross — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:25:01 +0000

I’m sad to have missed it. Though I’ve never hidden my dis-ease with poetry, I can still appreciate a good reading, and an affecting reading. Writers strive for that with live readings. Those moments at the podium are the only celebrity treatment we get.

Comment on The artist’s vice | Ramrod cigar by Rebecca Roberts

Rebecca Roberts — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:26:39 +0000

After experiencing the great “Charactered Pieces” smokeout of 2009, smoking any cigar now evokes a psychosomatic response that only allows me to recall the taste of Acid Cigars. Lucky me huh? But I must say, if it doesn’t put hair on your chest, what’s the point?

Comment on The artist’s vice | Ramrod cigar by Joel Smith

Joel Smith — Mon, 03 May 2010 06:00:11 +0000

I once purchased a few Ramrods to channel Burt Reynolds, as the package would suggest, and I was surprised at the lack of intensity, machismo and chest-hair flavor. Overall a decent smoke, but I prefer the flowery buds of an indica-sativa strain. Purely organic, and supporting terrorism. (And by terrorism, I mean a single father with a penchant for baking and disc-golf.)

Comment on Self Portrait As An Old Man/Josh Keyes by Caleb J Ross

Caleb J Ross — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:01:06 +0000

Great find. The technique is so precise that at first glace the piece appears to be a sculpture. I’m definitely interested in seeing more of this guy’s work.

Comment on Lady Bathory | JOSHUA HOFFINE by Kristin Fouquet

Kristin Fouquet — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:02:31 +0000

Absolutely wonderful! I instantly adored the attention to detail in the blood soaked grout.