[Jewelry making - Article 00851] - Re: [Orchid] [Digest Post] Artists statement

[Ton / Ganoksin]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


From: andy cooperman <gemboy AT wolfenet.com>

    Hi Jesse, Thanks for the compliment.  This artist statement thread
    is very interesting to me. 

    I don't know that fully understanding what you make or the processes
    that you go through in making  it has to be the goal of writing a
    statement.  It may be impossible to ever understand or accurately
    describe your relationship with God, but does that mean that trying
    to shed some light on it somehow diminishes the power or preciousness
    behind it? 

    I really don't believe that poking and prodding at the creative
    process by writing about it or otherwise analyzing it can do it any
    fundamental harm. Even if you never fully understand the Why's of
    what you do, thinking about it-- bringing something that may be
    spiritual into the different light of the intellectual arena-- can
    lead you down some interesting and unexpected paths.  It can be fun
    and I believe important to look at what you do from different angles. 

    I think that CAD/CAM is like anything else we use in that it has
    applications for production and possibilities for innovation.  (It's
    like casting or electroforming.)  As a production technique it can be
    invaluable. But it can also lead to some-- as you said-- blocky and
    lifeless results. I've seen some  Celtic knot rings that were
    technically perfect but somehow cold, soulless and, to me,
    unappealing. 

    I also think that CAD/CAM can be a really useful part of the process
    of creation.  I was talking with a metalsmith friend of mine who
    teaches in Ames Iowa (Iowa State?) about this over the weekend and he
    described a student who was having difficulties designing and
    building a raised vessel. By scanning in what he had and viewing a
    graphic display he was able to more fully understand the piece and
    then successfully resolve it. 

    As an end in itself or as means of expression I believe that CAD/CAM
    is still a toddler.  I think that there's a lot to learn and many
    territories to explore with this process.  I don't think that its
    utility as a production tool in anyway interferes with the
    possibilities it offers as a means of expression or artistic
    discourse.  That's what's so great about school:  it frees you up
    from the realities of marketability, etc.  (It can also be the
    problem w/ school...)  If you consider school to be a form of play,
    in that there's no real agenda or expectation of productivity, then
    I consider whatever comes out of it-- innovation wise-- to be really
    important.  Play is invaluable.  It keeps you and your work fresh
    and opens a lot of doors.  Producing work via CAD/CAM -- and your
    work is beautiful-- is fine.  But I think that setting aside some
    time (yeah, I know: what time?) to play with the same process,
    without worrying about marketability, sales, etc., is absolutely
    necessary for personal, creative and product growth (and happiness). 
    No matter what industry and the field does with a process, in this
    case CAD/CAM, we need the people in schools to be pushing the
    envelope.  Even what may seem to be some bizarre, outlandish or even
    laughable grad school implementation of a process may be adapted or
    scaled back and some day presented to the public as design
    innovation. 

    In some ways I see the process a little like PMC.  I have not seen a
    lot of Precious Metal Clay pieces that could not be produced more
    efficiently and perhaps more elegantly by other means, such as
    casting.  The true creative innovations of CAD/CAM technology lie in
    the results  that only it can produce.  (But that doesn't mean that
    it always must be considered an end in itself.  Again like casting or
    electroforming, it may just be step in the process or an element in a
    finished piece.) 

    The University of Washington in Seattle has just begun offering
    CAD/CAM to their students.  I know that Professor Mary Hu is really
    excited by its possibilities and  quite open to what the nonacademic
    side  of the field of jewelry and metalsmithing can offer.  Perhaps
    you could contact her or her tech. guy-- James McMurray-- and speak
    with her about your thoughts. 

    I know from experience that there is no better training-- jewelry
    wise -- than working at the bench.  I also know how difficult that
    training can be when you try to step out and are confronted by
    worries of marketability, mass appeal, wearability, etc. 

    I read your statement and I think that it's good.  As I said, your
    work is beautiful and very well made. 

    Sorry about the rambling,  I'm a little jet lagged. 

    Take care, Andy 


From: Noel Yovovich <noelyovo AT yahoo.com>

    OK, I'm going to jump in on this... In my opinion, this discussion is
    overlooking an important aspect of the "artist's statement". It is,
    in part, an almost sneaky, but potentially very effective marketing
    tool. 

    If your statement gives people a glimpse into your mind, history, or
    personality (such as "being a vagabond and loving it"), you are
    transformed into a flesh-and-blood human being in the customer's
    mind. To think of you that way is to identify with you to some
    degree, and gives people a sense of investment in you, however
    slight. They are no longer buying a mere inanimate object, they are
    also buying a small share of ownership in the artist. This is
    exceedingly desirable! 

    As an example-- after you go to a concert, aren't you much more
    likely to buy a CD by the same artist, talk about them to friends,
    feel some connection? I know I do. 

    Talking to people at art fairs does the same thing, even if it is
    only explaining technique-- as long as you show energy and
    enthusiasm. If you can tell them a little about yourself at the same
    time, so much the better. 

    In my statement, I explain that I worked my way through college
    partly by drawing hundreds of drawings for psych grad students to
    use in their studies, often TAT-type situations of ambiguous dynamic
    tension that provoke the viewer to provide the story.  I really,
    clearly do that in some of my jewelry work. (You can see the work
    and the statement at http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/noel.htm)
    Incidentally, I love sitting at art fairs and hearing people say to
    their friend, "Oh, look what's happening in this little picture",
    then tell a story that I never would have thought of. 

    I hope this isn't too long or rambling, but I thought that if some
    of you who hate statements could think of them more this way, it
    might help.             

    --Noel 


From: andy cooperman <gemboy AT wolfenet.com>

    I think that Suzanne Wade was right on the money. Her ideas about
    conducting an interview  would be a great way of approaching what
    some might find to be a difficult task. 

    It seems, however, that some people have overlooked what I was
    saying. When I read responses to the "Artist's Statement" thread that
    contain phrases like "What a crock" or "What drivel",I know that this
    topic really hits some nerves.  I also don't see how writing a
    statement would be in any way a stifling or confining experience. 
    Does the act of setting something down on paper (or hard drive)
    somehow cement your process or magically  freeze your vision towards
    one direction?  Furthermore, isn't it  rather self deprecating --and
    self aggrandizing -- to say that what you do is something that really
    can't be put into words?  (Doesn't that make the builder of a piece 
    rather shallow or the inspirations and drives behind it somehow so
    divinely mysterious that they  really aren't understandable to the
    rest of us-- the  unenlightened masses?) 

    I'd just like to restate what I consider to be the most important
    aspect of writing an artist's statement: personal growth and
    awareness.  Writing and rewriting your statement can help you clarify
    your thoughts and chrystalize your vision-- often after the fact. 
    Looking at your body of work-- pieces that you have already made--
    and tracing the common lines and thematic threads can help you
    immensely. By understanding where you've been you can more keenly
    focus on where you need or want to go. 

    It's  been my personal experience that the times when I feel
    threatened, angry or frustrated  with something (such as writing a
    statement) are often the threshholds to phases of growth. 

    Certainly you need to have a well written statement if you intend to
    share it publicly:  To this end you can ask for help from friends or
    colleagues who write well.  But as a matter of personal growth, an
    artist's statement might be considered a form of journal writing. 

    It seems to me that any tool that might make your work better or
    deepen your understanding of the your creative process  is a tool
    worth using. 

    Andy Cooperman 


From: "John A. Henkel" <jahenkel AT gwi.net>

    Hi Suzanne, I was INSPIRED by the way you wrote your statement on
    statements. It is very good, clear and studied advice. I talk to
    many jewelry artists about their work from a production point of
    view. Sometimes our discussions wander about. As I get to know these
    folks we talk about why they love what they do. I find the work
    itself is a form of conversation expressing things that are said
    better without words. I am fascinated by all the ways people market
    their work. One of our customers moved to LA and is making jewelry
    for the movies. Her latest work can be seen on Jennifer Garner in
    "Daredevil". It is not easy to tell by the style or level of
    proficiency in their work what will sell. It seems to have more to
    do with the passion they have for what they do. I have done some work
    that is very playful and primitive that sells quite well and work
    that shows a high level of skill that can languish on the shelves. Of
    course I've seen very keen work that sells well also. The connecting
    element of all the work that sells well seems to be the involvement
    and passion of the artist. I am going to keep your letter to show
    people that need help defining their work and message. Thank you.
    John, J. A. Henkel Co., Inc. Moldmaking Casting 
    Finishing, Producing Solution For Jewelry Artists




____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________