Thread: Yeah.....lets do it!!

Originally Posted by gus3049

Should an artist compromise his 'art' in order to pay the bills, or should he be prepared to do whatever it takes to eat???

This is it as far as I understand it;

an Amateur Artist is one who works (otherwise) to support his art, but...

a Professional Artist is one who's wife works to support his art!

... me, I work (otherwise)!

Aha! so its begun.... bring it on!


Well for me what ever a 'artiste' want to do is fine by me, maybe not in my backyard tho'


It seems many profess to follow or like or be part of the 'community' etc Thinks the artist owes them something or they own a slice of the artist and that he or she must behave in a certain manner according to them.

Well to this I say B****s****, get a life

I turn for fun. I work to support both my family and my turning.

I have been call an artist/artiste etc, but I still reckon I'm a mug playing in the shed.

If you want to see a real artist, look up Ken Wraight's work.

Originally Posted by Pat

If you want to see a real artist, look up Ken Wraight's work.

I've seen his work without knowing who he as - a real inspiration.

Originally Posted by hughie

Well to this I say B****s****, get a life

There is a lot of it about

When the word art comes along then people tend to let logic wait outside.
If you want to sell turned things then make what the market wants. Perhaps that is more craftsman than artist but who cares. I am beginning to see where the image of the starving artist comes from. Jees what is stopping a person doing some for the market and the odd bit of art just the way they think it should be. I am sure there is room for all.
Regards
John

I like turning runs of things for money. Its relaxing. You don't have to think beyond the first one cos you worked out how to do it already. You then just concentrate of efficiency of movement. Like dancing. Getting the chisel to sing. When its going right it feels great. You prolly only get to be in the "zone" a few times, when it all goes right. And its also where you get to improve your skills. You can't tell me that just turning ART is going to make you a good enough turner to turn the art pieces easily. So you can just go directly to what you want instead of angsting about it all the way.

Another thing turning a lot of things for money gives you is you get better at visualizing what things will look like from a drawing to the three dimensional object. A drawing of the profile is all very well, but an object rarely gets seen in that exact view. What it looks like from "normal" view is often quite different. Drawing things so they will look right in 3D is a skill in itself.

Making something for someone else for money has always taught me something. Very often its not what I would think of myself. Its enjoyable solving the problem of how to make it. And satisfying having a job well done when they go away happy.

Anyway, I don't think turning stuff for money has taken anything away from my ability to make art. More like helped hone the skills I need to make art that is (hopefully) the best it can be.

Originally Posted by tea lady

I like turning runs of things for money. Its relaxing. You don't have to think beyond the first one cos you worked out how to do it already. You then just concentrate of efficiency of movement. Like dancing. Getting the chisel to sing. When its going right it feels great. You prolly only get to be in the "zone" a few times, when it all goes right. And its also where you get to improve your skills. You can't tell me that just turning ART is going to make you a good enough turner to turn the art pieces easily. So you can just go directly to what you want instead of angsting about it all the way.

Another thing turning a lot of things for money gives you is you get better at visualizing what things will look like from a drawing to the three dimensional object. A drawing of the profile is all very well, but an object rarely gets seen in that exact view. What it looks like from "normal" view is often quite different. Drawing things so they will look right in 3D is a skill in itself.

Making something for someone else for money has always taught me something. Very often its not what I would think of myself. Its enjoyable solving the problem of how to make it. And satisfying having a job well done when they go away happy.

Anyway, I don't think turning stuff for money has taken anything away from my ability to make art. More like helped hone the skills I need to make art that is (hopefully) the best it can be.

Well. I'll be................ You do listen.

Originally Posted by tea lady

Anyway, I don't think turning stuff for money has taken anything away from my ability to make art. More like helped hone the skills I need to make art that is (hopefully) the best it can be.

TL is pretty spot on, refining skills in production mode is a great benefit.

We will always face the craft / art debate, as it has been debated for eons. Few turners actually produce wood turned art pieces in my opinion either visual or decorative art. Art is in the eye of the beholder & hence defines who is an artist, to a particular individual or a collective. There are many very gifted turners producing very high class work some of which is visual art conveying very powerful messages. Does a piece need to convey a message to be considered “art”? If it doesn’t is it then decorative art? At the present time many successful recognized wood artists are resorting to what ever will pay the bills. Just look at who is writing the articles for the magazines at the moment and the scale of the pieces available. There will always be idealists & diehards who refuse to compromise, or realists & pragmatists who realise every bit helps.

If he's only following his vision to create 'art' he must be leaving a hell of a lot of firewood along the way.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by tea lady

I like turning runs of things for money. Its relaxing. You don't have to think beyond the first one cos you worked out how to do it already. You then just concentrate of efficiency of movement. Like dancing. Getting the chisel to sing. When its going right it feels great. You prolly only get to be in the "zone" a few times, when it all goes right. And its also where you get to improve your skills. You can't tell me that just turning ART is going to make you a good enough turner to turn the art pieces easily. So you can just go directly to what you want instead of angsting about it all the way.

Another thing turning a lot of things for money gives you is you get better at visualizing what things will look like from a drawing to the three dimensional object. A drawing of the profile is all very well, but an object rarely gets seen in that exact view. What it looks like from "normal" view is often quite different. Drawing things so they will look right in 3D is a skill in itself.

Making something for someone else for money has always taught me something. Very often its not what I would think of myself. Its enjoyable solving the problem of how to make it. And satisfying having a job well done when they go away happy.

Anyway, I don't think turning stuff for money has taken anything away from my ability to make art. More like helped hone the skills I need to make art that is (hopefully) the best it can be.

Spot on T.L. I turn to suit me, if it wins, sells or sits on a shelf, I am happy. There is also an element of egotism that a few people need to come to grips with.

Jim

I was told by a "ART" gallery director in this area that anything made or created with timber was craft and craft only however anything else made from anything else unless mass produced was art. Any material however poorly or coloured with paint or other medium was "ART" and that was it.

Cheers Tony

Definitely a bs artist or how else would he have got the job.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by gus3049

Should an artist compromise his 'art' in order to pay the bills, or should he be prepared to do whatever it takes to eat??? The guy that raised the point said that he would rather go out and do other menial tasks to make enough money but his turning had to stay pure to his vision and he would never just turn something out for the money!!!!

What do you reckon??

Arguably the greatest painting in the world "The Nachtwacht" by Rembrandt was painted by him, as was most of his works, as a commission in order to pay hiss bills.

So this guy is elevating him above Rembrand and other great artists of that era and as such IMHO is an upstart crackpot who ought to be put back in his box. A padded one at that.


Peter.