"Red Tide" painted by my bro-in-law Santos Díaz. Unfortunately I didn't get a closeup of the trompe l'oeil water droplets, which he described the painting technique he came up with to me at Christmas. exactly what you WOULDN'T want on your car at a show! ha -- amazing idea!
Creativity is a form of expertise.
— Syracuse University popular culture historian Robert J. Thompson in “No sympathy for the creative class” by Scott Timberg on Salon.com
“Serious art makes people uncomfortable – and during these times, we don’t need more discomfort.”
–Peter Plagens [see previous comments re: Jerry Saltz on Thomas Kinkade on my tumblr]
As the wealthy and middle/working class go through their bitter divorce, back to their time-dishonored places, we shall see artists who make any sort of wages from their practice, in general, go back to supporting and serving as the articulator and validator of traditional power structures for whomever has money and power, whether it’s the 1% or 99%. We shall see the return of ateliers and schools, and perhaps the term “artist” shall garner “respect” once again, as people who are workers, rather than dreamers. Cases in which one or two guys and a producer/business partner do all the “dreaming.” But that’s OK because their dreams are not weird or anything, and they have a sect of artisan workers willing to execute everything for them.
The artist as dis-interpreter, beginning and ending there, is only a century-old concept, and died in the 1960’s. If you think you think you are going to revive this, well, godspeed, little doodle. The artist as scientist is contemporary [sorry, I know there are way better examples, he just came to mind instantly as I was an avid reader of Vogue in the 90s]. The artist as food-producer is especially cutting edge. And yet we feel, after centuries [in the West], that we have come into our own. Should Leonardo have been a farmer? Would he have made great strides in food production had he exercised his creativity there? It ultimately all goes back to artist as designer, designer as artist.
I think what makes people, rich or working, really uncomfortable with artists is the fact that that we can do their jobs — any job, whether butcher, baker, or candlestick-maker — just as well, with passion, humanity, and innovation. It flows both ways; yet I don’t feel threatened by Joe the Plumber learning how to use InDesign or throw pottery. Digital publishing and pottery are useful crafts that allow for personal expressive fulfullment. So why the hell are these people so upset that artists can become experts at landscaping, accounting, running retail businesses, investment banking, making delicious food, computer science, chemistry, house cleaning, car mechanics, etc…i.e. the original entrepreneur? What makes them so uncomfortable?
- article supplied via
- check out more photos from the Traditionals Car Club 3rd Annual Pachanga at Weslaco City Park on my Flickr. this was my 1st lowrider event and it was awesome!