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15 12 2008

Ode to those who survive (art)

Posted by: admin in Art is the first thing that goes out the window, Art and Happiness, Appreciating Art Despite It All, Surviving the Art Wars, Making art for the sake of it, Americans pretty much hate artists, Artistic delusion, Art market decline, Artists are their own worst enemies, Artistic failure in America

To follow up on my previous post, about what we are (despite it all) thankful about in art, I’ve posted an homage to Grizzled Art Warriors on the Thousandth Word blog.

Here’s a bit of the crux:

…make no bones, the range of committed and long-suffering arts denizens in this hardscrabble metro area of ours—without whom there’d be scant art worth celebrating today—while not terribly broad, is very deep. Just sit down and make a list, and you will see. My own list of local artistic heroes, whose grizzled tales I have often found myself drawn to, is split in two. It starts with dozens of artists who, while I don’t always love every work they make, are to be admired for surviving through thick and thin and continuing the battle. Then it moves on to those few purveyors and supporters of art—gallerians mostly—who’ve survived the wars from their front-line positions, under constant assault (mostly from needy artists) and with terribly unreliable supply lines to sustain them.

Once again, I invite anyone with thoughts or memories to share–about parts of the art world that you are thankful for, or grizzled arts figures that you appreciate and love–to do so. You can comment here on this blog, email me at admin@artisticfailure.com, or comment on the Thousandth Word blog.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 15th, 2008 at 10:47 am and is filed under Art is the first thing that goes out the window, Art and Happiness, Appreciating Art Despite It All, Surviving the Art Wars, Making art for the sake of it, Americans pretty much hate artists, Artistic delusion, Art market decline, Artists are their own worst enemies, Artistic failure in America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Ode to those who survive (art)”

  1. joyfull says:
    November 9th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

    Wonderful site……I don’t think many artists are finding this insightful blog or there would be a dearth of comments! Or maybe, just maybe, most artists are scared to admit how darned hard it is to survive in the arts! OR……

    One suspects also that many come into the arts with the eyes wide open glistening with hope, their ears pinned back not wanting to hear from older and wiser (wizened now with the battle) artists, and then they leave just like they came, with eyes and ears tuned into a different chant…..lusting after the ‘new’…..wanting the ‘fame’ but not the ‘dread’…….

    To choose a life in the arts is a decision fraught with problems and difficulties but to have ‘art’ choose ‘you’ is an entirely different matter.

    For those who choose art, the decision to pursue something else is an obvious decision and one that is often taken sooner than later but…..

    to have ‘art’ choose ‘you’ is a road that find many of us tired, disgruntled, disillusioned and despairing but still we get up and paint, sculpt, pot, write or whatever it is that drives us. The yearn to create drives us forward sometimes in a frenzy and outpouring of work and at times, leaves us bereft of any energy, wondering why it has dried up only to once again, release itself on our psyche and soul and drive us into a creative frnzy once more.

    If you are chosen by the muses to yearn for their siren call, to wake at early morn and not be able to sleep for want of creating their insistent persuasions, then you are cursed indeed….for while at times, you may create wondrous effigies to the arts, the total lack of a supportive and understanding environment in which to create will constantly elude you.

    You will find partners who say they understand then leave because you are ‘famous’, you’ll find studios that seem terrific only to be constantly harassed by callers and onlookers and voyeurs, you’ll find a great gallery and then not get paid or worse, find your works have been auctioned off in their ‘end of year’ sale and still not be paid.

    Ah but for all of that, when you do achieve the impossible, when you do paint or create that piece that hits the mark, you will be rewarded….not by money or awards, but by a soul that sings and is happy for a time. It will make you yearn for me and foolishly the next day will see you calling the ‘muses’ home once more.

    I do love being an artist but it also the bane of my existence……..

    Good luck with your blog……it is necvessary!

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