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Topic: Feedback on Articles
Replies: 1,148 Pages: 77 Last Post: Dec 6, 2005 8:40 PM by: jaime longoria

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Replies: 1,148 Pages: 77 [ Previous \| 1 ... 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 \| Next ]

Ann Klefstad

Posts: 48
From: Duluth
Registered: Feb 25, 2003

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: May 31, 2003 5:26 PM

Does the feature deriving from this discussion meet w/ your approval? How about Oberg's diatribe? Any thoughts on the Intermedia show?

Come on. The first person to post to this forum gets a tour of the Anchor Bar in Superior. I'll even buy the beer.

AK

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: May 31, 2003 7:17 PM

I'm first! I'm first!!!

Now I just have to go read them....

As for installation as an artform, not my cup-o-tea. That is why I generally refrain from commenting on it. If you can't say anything nice, you know... But if others want to do it, more power to 'em. Just so long as the object is not pushed completely out of the exhibition spaces.

Dinner time, I will be back.

Sam

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: May 31, 2003 8:11 PM

The excerpt of this discussion turned out quite nicely I thought. Are we really that coherent? Rereading it made me aware of ideas I may have missed the first time. I liked this feature and would encourage you to excerpt other good/meaty sections of these forums. It may introduce more people to these discussions and reinforce more substantive conversations (which I know some have complained we need more of). Or you could highlight a more humorous part as well to show we do indeed have some fun in here!

Sam

Ann Klefstad

Posts: 48
From: Duluth
Registered: Feb 25, 2003

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jun 1, 2003 10:27 AM

All right Sam! Now when can you get up to Duluth? And on to Souptown?

I am primarily a maker of object-sculpture myself, though I've done installation as well, messing around with the intersection of object and its surround as a kind of theater. You know, the minimalist thing of the object being simply the catalyst that charges its surroundings with formal relationality was a kind of idea of installation. Also, in frustration with visual illiteracy--people's inability to see form, to make distinctions, particularly 3D form, I was trying to work with stories, narratives, and use them as a way to bring people in closer so they could actually begin to see or sense the sensory qualities of the sculpture.

One of these days I'll actually digitize all the hundred slides and put them on the website. OK, I'll do it this month. Though I'd rather build a kayak. I suppose it'll cost about the same. Sigh.

Thanks for the kind words about the forum excerpt, though of course it is what it is because those writing to the forum really are thoughtful and articulate types. Thanks to all. And yes, it's a good idea to continue. If you have favorite bits you'd like to see up please let me know (editor@mnartists.org) and I'll hunt them down. And put them up. Up. Down. And what is the difference between hunting things down and hunting them up? These are the questions that sculptors can answer!

AK

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jun 1, 2003 11:33 PM

Wow! We're all famous! (or whatever)

It would be neat to see people respond to the excerpt - however we've sorta moved on to other topics in here, and then let the room die down (or up?) a bit.

Ann - I trust your end of term stuff went well, or is at least done so you can enjoy a bit of summer?

Lauren

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jun 2, 2003 11:33 PM

"Now when can you get up to Duluth? And on to Souptown?"

What is Souptown? (I feel I am probably missing something obvious, but don't mind exposing my ignorance... too much anyway.) I have no idea when I can make it up to Duluth, and I don't even drink so a beer wouldn't do me much good. I'll take a 7up though...

Finally read the Ripsaw article and rather enjoyed it. My kind-of article. I like things that are slightly irresponsible, perhaps with a touch of Gonzo. Living in St. Cloud where it is one constant assault of chain store/restraunt after another, I do think we are missing the full flavor of life in all its stages if all we see are the clean, proccessed and fully pasturized images of focus-group tested, sqeaky-clean national chains. Where is the decay, the rust, the springtime budding of the minor improvements of a small-business on the rise? Perhaps it is thin-skinned/unreasonable to have an otherwise enjoyable evening nullified by a single sign? But it isn't the sign itself, the sign is a symbol of a much grander transformation.

Anyway, here's to more irresponsible/idiosyncratic articles.

Sam

Ann Klefstad

Posts: 48
From: Duluth
Registered: Feb 25, 2003

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jun 3, 2003 10:17 AM

"Souptown" is what some folks call Superior, Wisconsin, home of the Anchor Bar, the complete antithesis of scrubbed-clean chain-store culture. The bait, as it were, for resumption of the discussion.

Sam, it's great you like Duluth-style gonzo journalism. There have been, and will continue to be, idiosyncratic writings on the site. The focus on grants vs sales will continue to open out, and move into a look at how different environments and means of support inflect what art is done and shown. I'm working on a review now on an artist who has 3 different bodies of work at 3 different (very different) venues, and how the work and venues are related.

Also, I'm finally (I hope) finding some music and media writers and hope to provide broader coverage of arts genres.

Excelsior.

AK

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jun 9, 2003 11:20 PM

The Andrew Knighton article on the Altoids Collection was excellent. It did justice to the work in the show while keeping the capitalist motivation in perspective, and tactfully avoided turning the article into a diatribe on the "evils of corporations" or smugly peppering the article with snide jabs at our evil capitalistic society. Keep up the well-tempered and informative work.

Lauren

Ann Klefstad

Posts: 48
From: Duluth
Registered: Feb 25, 2003

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jun 12, 2003 11:22 AM

Thanks, Lauren! I'm sure Andrew will be glad to read your high praise. I liked the piece a lot too.

Upcoming: more reviews, features on site artists, some stuff on the big Romantic shew, trying also to get some performing-arts reviewing going as well as the book reviews.

AK

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jul 14, 2003 1:57 AM

Okay, so things have been quiet in here for a while but I wanted to note that obviously Ann has been working very hard. There have been a ton of new articles posted the last couple weeks. I will try to do my part and wade through them all, but perhaps someone else found one that struck their fancy?

There have been a number of articles linked in other rooms the past month or so as well. Since it doesn't seem discussing one of those found off-site will be stealing room from those appearing on-site, perhaps we could discuss them here as well? I just made it through the Michael Fallon article about the slow economy potentially contributing to the rash of temporary murals/installations going up. It can be found here: http://www.rakemag.com/coals/detail.asp?catID=58&itemID=4647

My favorite part was at the end where he observed that taken to the extreme, the convenience of temporary works could lead to the artist not having to actually make work at all. I think we're dangerously close to crossing that line already. It reminds me of a children's confrontation where you draw a line in the sand and say, "this is what it means to make an artwork." And then some other kid just steps right over and laughs in your face. In which case, you step back, draw a new line, and repeat. Slowly, and many transgressions later, we've nearly run out of sand and that one kid has brought friends. Just a thought.

Sam

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jul 22, 2003 3:20 PM

Just finshed the "Crossing the Chanel" exhibition walk thru artical. Great! Great Concept! And it was personaly interesting cuz I Just meet Celeste the other week. It's educational to learn how other artists views are informed.
http://mnartists.org/article.do;jsessionid=B718A0B3F80F9E32143BB0581A95FCA6?rid=22207

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Jul 25, 2003 12:37 PM

Ahh, this is the one I was waiting for. The Soap Factory review. http://mnartists.org/article.do;jsessionid=98D61A882CD9F31F84FB3530A66D8F4C?rid=22193

Another hit piece of work Michael man. Thanks for the education on Beuys. I'm way turned on. Maybe it's because I was involved in this one. Or perhaps it's just so culturally relevant.
I like that you got it. The shaman artists working miracles of influence toward sustainable creativity. I think this is a sign of the time. (And remember, We're the time!) IN fact I know it is, the next theme up for the Soap is an exhibition on SHAMEN AND DREAMERS!! It should be a powerfully cool show.
Anyway, nice of you to cover this one! I got a kick out of the CNN language cut up as well. If you would have kept listening, it gos on to insult you and then apologize, I watched the whole 20 minutes or so. It's supposed to be like a love letter from CNN I think. But whatever the atempted message was, I think the artist succeeded at creating a new pop art! I can see that as soon as a critical mass of people with PVR capable tvcards in their computers are around, it will be a common and fun thing to isolate words and compile vocabularies to make "TV entities" say what ever you would have them say.
Good times,
~Ray

Colin Rusch

Posts: 1,435
Registered: Oct 16, 2002

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Aug 4, 2003 2:36 AM

OK, this is not a mnartists.org article, but it's interesting. http://www.artsjournal.com/artsissues/redir/20030728-27115.html

What do you think? I am particularly interested in the Tri-city system, Curiosity, Generosity, and Felicity.

Colin

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Aug 4, 2003 9:00 PM

That was a great artical Colin! Thanks for pointing it out. Heres some passages I really liked for thoses without time to read the whole thing.

"...it is imperative that a diverse and imaginative cultural expression, one that asserts the primacy of the human and the humane in the face of the dehumanizing forces of the modern world, is fostered as a fundamental component of the dreams and ideals of the society in which we live."

"Education is not the only area that benefits from a stronger engagement with cultural activity. Canada's aboriginal communities and inner city workers know how well it helps fight alcoholism, teen suicide and crime. Vancouver's Judith Marcuse and David Diamond do valuable work in using creative activity to deal with social problems. We are learning how creative experience helps healing.

In economic terms alone, the importance of artistic activity is widely recognized. The arts and culture sector is the fastest-growing employer in the Canadian economy, worth $22.4 billion in jobs. The impact is felt not only in performance and presentation, but in service fields such as tourism. The arts are a remarkably sound investment.

But to measure the social impact we have to go beyond mere money numbers. As we move toward a society in which imagination supplants physical production as the basis of work, a city's economic health will increasingly depend on its ability to attract the creative class -- scientists and engineers, poets and architects, doctors and computer programmers, editorial writers and choreographers (sometimes hard to differentiate in their fancy footwork).

These people make certain demands on the places they call home: not just the traditional elements of "livability," but an openness to eccentricity or difference, a broad range of cultural diversity and acceptance, and an active, multi-dimensional lifestyle. The greater the diversity and visibility of cultural involvement, the more a community is likely to thrive."

YES! He is so right on! Minneapolis can be like this. WILL be like this. It's working right now.
R

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: Feedback on Articles
Posted: Aug 8, 2003 1:02 AM

Finally got a chance to read the new column by Mr. Fallon. The casual, personal tone works well for here I think. It would be nice to have other critics stop by the forum and let us know how they began and what the trials of daily critic-life are like. I find biography very instructive, often more so than words.

The thing that struck me the most (and don't take this the wrong way, Michael) is that there was absolutely no special training/education/skills required to submit a critique. I happen to like that, not being a fan of necessary pedigrees myself. But it does beg the question, "by what standing are you qualified to judge?" Of course, quality of writing is the only valid response, which perhaps is why so many critics are absent here (choosing to let their words stand alone). And the questions could equally be turned to the artist, "by what standing are you qualified to make art?" Their work, in turn, should be their response.

Ideally, both sides act as a check/motivator to the other. At its peak, questions of entitlement would be beside the point. The rigorous drive for greatness would not suffer fools. But if the two are out of balance, things could devolve to infighting, pure politics, and slack work all around. I'm grasping for something here but I think it is elluding me...

On a side note, it would have been nice to dig up a link to the Julie Caniglia article referenced. I admit to being too lazy to run more than a google search on it myself.

Sam

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