Saturday 7 February 2009

Sunday Scribblings "Art"




G'Day,
The Sunday Scribblings prompt this weekend is art. It didn't take me long to start writing what I think on this subject.
I could write lots.
My first though was that word is a bit abused. I can not really understand a lot of modern art and i do not try to analyze such works, I either like or don't like it. That is where I feel the abuse comes in, by people trying to sell a sub standard product by talking B***S**T.
I also do not enjoy the art that is around now days created to shock our conscience, but that type of art I can often see the point behind. I do sometimes get a laugh out of it.
I do believe how ever that Art, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Art is so many things to so many different people. Art is in nature (number 1 on my list), 3 dimensional, flat on a canvas, in architecture, on a face, in our senses, music, where ever and what ever we see in our minds eye, heart, feel, hear, smell, if and when we choose to do so.
Art can make you immortal. It is often sad to think that artists have to die to become famous, but that is what often what happens.
If you are a reader of my blog journey you know that I am a hobby potter and have been since my eldest son was a baby. He is 26 yrs old now. I went to my first pottery lesson when he was 10 months old because I needed an outlet and was probably suffering from post natal depression and not coping very well at the time. I never went to a Dr, I was scared to. I had previously made one pot at high school and the feel of the clay was always in my mind from that day on. Some one actually stole my first pot, but that is another story, I never got it back. I thought it was pretty good, some one else must have thought the same.
Anyway, going off on a tangent there. When I was in my early years of potting I heard a few stories that stay with me today.
The first of these being that when archaeologists find ancient pottery it still holds within it the finger prints of the maker, thousands of years later. Amazing ..... I loved that .... each person ever born has their own set of finger prints. Maybe some one will be digging in the garbage tip a few thousand years from now and find a piece of pottery that I made, and scratching their head wonder what , why and who made it, my finger prints will still be here, like my genes through my children in future generations, (for better or worse), likewise as my genes come from my ancestors.
The second story was set during the industrial revolution when potters were trying to find ways of duplicating the beauty of the fine porcelains and bone china pots that were coming out of china. The story goes that a potter became so frustrated with his attempts that he threw himself into his clay pit and died . Therefore becoming a part of his own pots. And guess what... that was what the clay needed, bone. he he. I do not know if that is true or not ...but I like the idea.
The picture above is the last thing I made. As you can see it has not been fired yet. I sat out at the back table outside and made it after my blogging friend "Sorrow" told me I needed to have my hands back in the clay as I had told her I was missing it after looking at what she had been making. She is on my side bar if you want to have a look. She was right. It felt so good to have clay back in my hands again after not touching any for a few months. I have made a few chooks from clay. It seems to be my latest craze of things to make. I go through that until I am sick of making that thing and change to something else. The craze before that was tiles, and before that, thing for candles to go in. I wonder what will be next.
Art is what you see, and what you want it to be.
There comes the art versus craft debate... I should stop there :).
That's all folks.
Love Linda.

15 comments:

Sorrow said...

Linda! I love your chook!
Gawd we get stuck on somethings don't we?
I am still making crazy people crawling out of my cups( and now bowls)
I had an art prof once tell me that "good art creates emotion". Going on that premise Andy warhol always made me angry, so I guess it was good art? Laughing...
I think that good art whispers something to your soul, something that gives it a nudge, maybe inspires, maybe moves you.
So happy to read you are in the mud again! Mud therapy is the best kind!

myrtle beached whale said...

I did not know you were a Hairy Potter. OK, that was bad. I would be embarrassed as to what the archeologists will find when they dig up my remains.

Rinkly Rimes said...

I enjoyed your anecdotes about potting. Through blogging I'm learning lots. Sitting at the computer is a good way of keeping cool anyway.

Miss Robyn said...

how on earth you ever wrote this in the heat, I will never know. I am amazed! My brain is just about fried. Hope you are safe from fires and keeping cool. It can't last forever xoxo

Miss Robyn said...

oh & by the way.. I believe that anyone who creates is an artist :)

anthonynorth said...

Loved what you made there. Like you, I don't like much of modern art, especially the conceptual stuff. There's no permanence to it. But is it art?
I wish I could say no, but if we take art as a reflection of society, then it sadly is - we are becoming a society in concept only, speaking thru symbol, and everything is getting an air of non-permanence.
Even the shock factor in art is a reflection of the madness behind many elements in society. We should look at this art and ask: what are we doing to ourselves?

GreenishLady said...

That chook is wonderful! How great that you found an outlet that feeds you in that way when you needed it. For me it was writing kept me sane in my post-natal days (and many others).

gautami tripathy said...

Craft IS art too!


rough drafting of art

Granny Smith said...

I think your chook is a beauty. The art versus craft thing has always bothered me. I've spent a lot more of my life on what are considered crafts than I have on the so-called Fine Arts.

I think the best idea is to do what one enjoys and that is an expression of oneself. Have fun with your pottery and let the rest of us see exaples of it from time to time!

Kilauea Poetry said...

My youngest (second)son is 26 too.
"finger prints of the maker" that grabbed me and "throwing himself into the clay pit" so much can be said about the potter. Very nice outlet you have..nice post-

Miss Robyn said...

you know, the word craft has lost its true meaning. I will try and explain it later..

I see you are up this Sunday morning same as me... just came inside from filling my birdbath and watering my beans.. it is hot already.. at 7am it was 32 degrees!! yes, the fires are dreadful in Victoria. One started across the gully from us yesterday but it has been put out thank heavens. If it gets into the Grose Valley it will burn like hell.
stay cool today and try the mint water, it is very refreshing xoxo

Jess said...

Well, you know much more about art than I do, and I've really enjoyed what I've learnt from your post today! Yes, being artistic can take many forms and I'm glad you've found yours. I would love to see your pottery, you must take pics and share them! The chooks are gorgeous!!

Mine's up too. Happy SS!
Bella

Everydaythings said...

Linda - I love your chicken!!!!!!! what talent you have!!! with that heat over there you prob dont need a kiln to fire your stuff just leave it in the sun...lol!!

Not laughing really as I spent a long time in the night listening to the radio I am so worried about my DD who lives in Victoria and she said she's never expereinced such heat even here when it never been just that hot before!!! We are waiting for some hot weather this week but sure it wont top yours over there. Keep cool!

Tumblewords: said...

Potting has always appealed to me but I've never attempted it. I'm impressed with your work and enjoyed your post!

Patois42 said...

Wonderful. I especially believe that, as you can, "art can make you immortal." Thank goodness for all you artists!