Comments on: Help Desk: Not Enough/Too Much?

By: Julie Henson

Julie Henson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:17:20 +0000

Dear Help Desk followers —

Thanks for your questions! If you would like your answer to be submitted for consideration in the column, please submit your questions to helpdesk@dailyserving.com. This will ensure that you remain anonymous and that our lovely Bean Gilsdorf has time to thoughtfully consider your questions.

Please use the comments to raise questions on the subjects within this week’s Help Desk column.

Thanks to all,
The DailyServing Team

By: Joanne Nguyen

Joanne Nguyen — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:05:27 +0000

Hi, lately I’ve been seeing works of contemporary art that aren’t really aesthetically pleasing, most of them are just really simple and plain. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful art pieces that are unrecognized and have a lot of meaning behind them. Why do galleries/art blogs publicize the contemporary art that are so simple but not the ones that obviously take more time and provoke deep meanings/thoughts?
Thanks

By: Sarah Green

Sarah Green — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:07:58 +0000

Dear Help Desk,

Do you think that tattooing/tattoo derived imagery (drawings, flash, etc) is a valid form of contemporary art? would you view it as a fine art, an occupation, or a mixture of both? do you think a hierarchy of importance should be in place when talking about contemporary art and its applications?

By: Jackie Pennoyer

Jackie Pennoyer — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:05:33 +0000

Right now I am taking a course that introduces students to the images and works that artists in the “contemporary art” sphere are producing. I realize I may be alone in this opinion, but I can’t help but feel discouraged watching piece after piece flash onto the overhead-screen. When I produce a painting, drawing, photograph, or even a poem, it is often a painful process and the final product is always emotionally-charged. Placing something so personal and painstakingly meaningful in a gallery of chocolate Jesus sculptures, diamond skulls, dot paintings, Piss Christs, and dead animal tanks just doesn’t seem appropriate. This class makes me regret the decision to major in studio art (a seemingly meaning and ridiculous discipline) and has ruined all positive connotations the title “artist” used to carry. So my question is: Am I the only person who thinks pieces of the contemporary art world are demeaning and deprive art of any credibility? Where’s the challenge and talent in art if all you have to do is make use of repulsive, explicit, and/or offense media?

By: Hannah Shepard

Hannah Shepard — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:54:25 +0000

I am an artist and I also plan to go into the art world of galleries and museums. Firstly, I do like abstract art, but I have found that I am turned off by artwork that I feel would be easily reproduced and which probably did not take much time (EX: Newman’s “Voice of Fire”). I understand that art is about the emotion it gives people, but is it not also about the process and creating something not easily reproduced? If I plan to enter the art world, can I keep this bias as my personal preference or should I work to be more open-minded to artwork like this?

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:22:43 +0000

I meant arbitrary

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:21:05 +0000

Do you think that learning the technique of mediums before using them instead of just doing something artibrary with the medium is stifling to creativity?

By: Georgia

Georgia — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:44:57 +0000

How important is it to consider the intent of an artist when viewing his or her work?