Whining Artist denied $42,000 tax payer's money to display 'art'

WMTW ^

[Andrew Wiggin]

There are a couple of crucial distinctions between Lorenzo di Medici and the NEA: The NEA's ONLY purpose is to spend money, and they can only spend it on 'art'. They also, by and large, don't have to look at it. The Medicis and other similar patrons, in contrast, had many other things that they could use their money for. They also were the ones stuck with looking at the art they commissioned. Do you honestly believe that the people of the NEA would spend their OWN mony to pay for some woman drooling in a corner of their living room? While the idiocy of the 'intelligencia' can often times astound, I doubt it.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

YAY!!!

[Die Zaubertuba]

Exactly how much do you know about Mappelthorpe?

I think he was talking about that one specific work...

I was talking specifically about the controversy regarding NEA funding of his SM exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery (sorry the date escapes me). Thanks for clarifying.

[Die Zaubertuba]

but does anyone really believe that the NEA has the slightest idea which artists to support? It would be better to give the money to the Mafia and let the Godfather choose.

That's what I was alluding to when I mentioned the peer review system not always working. In reality, artists' peers are their own worst critics. I served on a State Grant Panel, and we actually visited grant applicants to determine two things: 1.) The effectiveness of the organization (i.e. budget controls, effective staffing and board, marketing effectiveness, etc..) and 2.) Artistic Quality--and we did get into involved discussions regarding what constituted a work of high enough quality to merit state funding.

The system, as I see it, has two weak links:
1.) It relies heavily on the quality of the panelists selected.
2.) The depth to which an organization can be evaluated is inversely proportional to the number of applications that need to be processed.

[TopQuark]

I cannot believe what I just read. That's astounding. That's incredible. My mind boggles at the stupidity. Yes, but not the "artists'" stupidity --- that of us, Americans.

We work with these people, they are our neighbors. They donate money to the musea and other non-for-profits that promote this "art." They do not discuss such matters with their children at the dinner table; the family hour is hommage to television.

For about three decades now, my friends, co-workers, and neighbors all think that this voice must be heard. Do not so hastily look down at these "artists." I do not know whose stupidity we should lament.

[Die Zaubertuba]

DEMAND higher quality.

AMEN BROTHER

Education is the key, my friend. Unfortunately, the general public (sometimes myself included) seems in many cases to be too lazy to research and/or learn about what constitutes a good product--whether it be art or software.

Now excuse me while I go waste $8 on "Lord of the Rings".

Given the recent reviews, my hope is that FOTR is one of these true works of film art that will happen to have a popular following as well. I think more work that transcends the "pop-art/cultured-art" boundary is a good thing.

[Happygal]

he plays a character he describes as "part shaman, part clown.

Yup the part clown bit definitely sounds like an ally of the Boston Prowler! *L*

[Die Zaubertuba]

Regarding my previous post--there is a correlation between those two comments. As presenters, many times we can and do try to strike a balance between what is seen as "popular" and what has high intrinsic artistic value. Works that have elements of both, since they reach a broader audience, can be used as a tool to show the public that there is indeed higher quality "products" out there.

[silmaril]

Granted that this is the product of an overarching societal stupidity or pathology; but the artists are surely the refined essence of that stupidity.

I've never seen "musea" as the plural of "museum" before.

[maxwell]

In his new piece at the SculptureCenter, Eating/Breathing, Hendricks works with yoga teacher Christina Read for several hours, stretching, breathing, doing headstands. They pause near the end to eat brown rice with their hands. Hendricks then paints his calves and feet blue, ties grass to his thighs, and stands on his head. Even upside down, nature is right side up.
Hendricks says he realized during the performance that "all parts of the body are thinking. It seemed suddenly like the flip side of what Yvonne Rainer was saying when she spoke of the mind as a muscle. The body is a mind."

Is this all tax funded? This is what folks are s'posed to do on their own time, in the back yard on weekends. Now if y'all will excuse me I have an art exhibit to stage. It's called "Max Sits Around The House In A Lazy-Boy And Boxer Shorts Eating Nachos And Smoking Like A Friggin' Train And Watching Dallas Get Its A$$ Kicked." It's a partially-nude neo-postmodern commentary on the significance of phallic imagery in the realization of inner resonance. Contributions welcome. Particularly beer.

[silmaril]

You know, if you were watching Dallas winning, then it would be art....

[thefactor]

Well then, count me in for a 12-pack of Pabst.

[NeoCaveman]

Sorry maxwell, I can't contribute it seems I am already putting on the exact same display, except for the fact that I will be watching the Cleveland Browns get their arses kicked.

[maxwell]

Well I caught the tail end of the Seattle game the other night and that was just dog-waste... That was the same night the Skins were bending over for Philly wasn't it... The two teams I was half-a$$ed rooting for, and they both get it where the sun don't shine. Hmmmph. I'm going back to watching Stone Phillips. (NOT.)

[maxwell]

Haha! We ROCK, dude!

So you're headed for CPAC, huh... Well I might show up, I don't know. Not if everybody's gonna sit around in suits and corsets though. I'll be in a bar-hopping mood. You in?

[janus]

The part about watching Dallas just saved you from a lawsuit. If it wasn't for that you would have plagiarized one of my Masterpieces.

[NeoCaveman]

I'll be at CPAC, I registered and everything.

[NeoCaveman]

Given the crazies that are going, OPH, hobbes, Danfrom MI, bar hopping will be inevitable....

[dennisw]

This man has past experience in scamming funds from the taxpayer.

 

 

http://artsnet.heinz.cmu.edu/current/cur112095.html
From 1995
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Two Maine artists, William Pope, a performance artist from Lewiston, and Mark Wethli, a painter from Brunswick, recipients of $20,000 NEA fellowships were recently honored at the Portland Museum of Art, along with 21 artists who received awards from the Maine Arts Commission. Mary J. Herman, wife of Governor Angus King, presented eight $3,000 fellowships and 13 apprenticeship awards. The Maine Arts Commission fellowships are designed to provide financial support for artists to advance their careers, acknowledge excellence and promote public awareness of Maine artists. Eight $3,000 fellowships were awarded in the categories of Visual Arts, Design Arts, Film and Traditional Craft. Due to a generous challenge grant given by the Evenor Armington Family Fund, the Commission was able to award two additional fellowships this year.

[maxwell]

Well does YOUR piece have phallic imagery in it? Huh? And Cheez Whiz? I thought not.