she finds her arm in a flurry of heads
she finds her arm in a flurry of heads: i did this on a napkin i had kept from a summer trip to bern, switzerland. I had a few of these thick, velvety paper napkins, in three colors: red, yellow and green. i've been savoring this last one and now it's not a napkin anymore. which kinda makes me sad
pests
my gorgeous red hanky gone
Isn’t this just bits of paper stuck on a hanky?
ah, ethel. never one to be afraid to call a spade a spade. or a swiss, red napkin a swiss, red napkin. you’re right. it is just bits of paper stuck on a hanky.
A question, and one that I’d also love to see your cohorts who frequent this blog answer: Is everything that an artist creates ‘art’?
no. i don’t like using the word ‘art’ that way. i don’t call it ‘my art’. but it is my ‘work’ or my ‘piece’. and anyways, ms. smartypants, not EVERYONE who calls themselves an artist is an artist, so you must throw that whole word out the window. therefore, if i ‘create’ something, then it is a creation, justified as that a-word or not.
I don’t think anyone has the right to call themselves an artist. I think this is a title that must be bestowed on one by another. I think it is ok to call yourself a painter, or a musician, or a sculptor, but ‘artist’ must come from another. The word ‘artist’ is far too much overused, as is the word ‘love’, but don’t get me started on that one!
you know, when i ‘created’ this ‘picture’ (or, to loosely paraphrase you, a hanky with papers stuck on it), i was wondering where or what i would do with it. what is it good for? it would be pretentious of me to frame and hang it on my wall; the size is so awkward that i can’t place it in any of my draws, and worst of all, i can’t fold it back to its original size because i’d placed a couple of heads on the creases. so now i’m stuck with this highly embellished napkin which is just lying there, useless on my table.
i think the word ‘art’ is so general and lazy. it’s like using the word ‘jazz’ to describe a certain genre of music. what does that mean? what KIND of ‘jazz’? what kind of ‘art’? think a little, for crying out loud!
hi. is this a private conversation or can anyone join in?
nothing’s private in this room…
This is one of my ultimate favorites. I can so relate to it. I love it.
What do you think Reemy? Is everything an artist produces automatically ‘art’?
I think any artist, whether self- or publicly-acclaimed so, has a duty to represent themself and their art fairly on every occasion they share their work. That’s not the same as saying that everything they produce IS art, but I think what they share with us they should be capable of defending AS art. So Cooper, a few bits of paper stuck on a hanky COULD be art.
Well, what is “art”?
To call a piece “a work of art” or to call it “artistic” might imply the existence of a standard or a common universal nature against which works can be measured, which is problematic and exclusive.
Is art supposed to invoke feelings like fear, pleasure, horror… etc? Is it supposed to be useful or beneficial? Is it just a free act of the imagination (I’m thinking Kant here). I don’t really have an answer.
Personally, I go for what creates a sense of shock in me, a sense of wonder.
I think to say that an artist has a duty to represent something whether a nation, themselves, or an idea is very centered on the intentions of the author or painter, which in turn negates the authority of the reader or the viewer.
Ah, I feel that I vomited this comment.
I think you have made a wonderful effort in upcycling a napkin. Now you have made sure it will never find its way to a trash can! I love it.
or anyone blows their noses with it, which i am at times tempted to do.
Pingback: conversation around a napkin | prettygreenbullet