Between Fine Art and Pop Culture: A Visual Arts Educator's Rants and Ravings

Call me a curmudgeon, criticize this post if you will, but I'm driven to speak my mind. And by doing so, I'm wide open to attacks, I know. Yet, art is extremely subjective and everyone has an opinion, to which they are entitled.

As an art teacher, I know that some (or many) people may dislike my creations. I'm aware that much art is made to stir controversy and discussion. That's not what this post is about.  

I am sick and tired of "whimsy" and cute little fairy wings, dunce hats, and big eyes on poorly drawn faces. I'm also disgusted with so-called "art" that relies on words and sentences to fill the page.

The latter is fine with me if you call it journaling or call it a poster...it's writing, not art! It's either personal or commercial, but fine art? No.

My plea is that so-called art magazines (for grownups)  stop publishing artworks with faces and figures so lacking in proportion that they seem malformed. (And yes, I'm aware of primitive art and all the other art movements that promote such malformation. Again, that's not what this is.) If an artist is just learning, more power to him or her, and I wish them luck in their pursuits. But there are standards that should be met, dammit!

To continue to promote clichés is equally offensive to me.

I believe most of us would agree that honing our skills, and then moving on, trying new things, experimenting, exploring, attempting to better ourselves is the right thing to do.

Thanks for hearing me out. I feel better now.

 

New Top 10 List, Don't You Hate It When...

Not blogging about mixed art media this time, folks. But I hope you'll read it anyway!

1. The checkout person at the register not only doesn't count your change back to you, but also puts the coins on top of the bills? Or is that just me?
2. You keep waiting for the pepper to come out of the shaker when you've been vigorously salting your food all along?
3. When a grown man calls broccoli "that green stuff"? And cauliflower "that white stuff."
4. School teachers earn less than nearly any other professional?
5. You hear "Cold enough for you?" for the umpteenth time in a single day.
6. Companies send you bills without return envelopes?
7. Misspelled words in expensive magazines? Where are the copy editors?
8. When someone says to you, "Cheer up," and you're already perfectly happy.
9. When you're talking with someone who keeps rubbing his nose until you finally HAVE to ask if you have a booger yourself?
10. Someone leaves the grocery store with ten plastic bagsful in their cart. Don't they KNOW about reuseable tote bags?