Is There Art Anymore
So, I noticed that my readership has plummeted in the past few days, and well I haven't written anything in the past few days, so I guess that makes sense. I don't always have something to say about everything, or at least anything good to say. I often could be very critical about things, but I am trying not to slip back into that cynical self that existed once before.
What am I saying, have you read the blog lately, really, because if you had you would realize that I am just as cynical as I always have been, only less vocal about it. Or in the case of the web log, less prolific about it.
On other things, I still have not yet figured out the Google+ pages, or communities, much less a way to use the hangouts to have a live poetry reading. What I wanted to create was a place on the web where people could come, hang out, drink coffee (coffee would be a requirement, or should be) and talk about literature, poetry (sometimes barely considered worthy of discussion), and well almost anything but the latest celebrity gossip. I despise those entertainment shows, and other types of talk shows where people discuss the movements of people who are of less concern to me than well, almost anyone. Don't get me wrong I like Bruce Willis, and other thespians, but really, I don't really care if they are getting along, or if they are not, or if they got drunk and knocked out a camera toting vulture, I just don't care. I am more interested in what people think of Sartre than Snookie or whatever her pretend name is.
Okay, that's enough of that, now what should I do to make this happen. Some years ago I had a website named Artist for Artist-sake, which went down when I lost the URI. It was a simple little site that had a news feed on the front page (not a auto news feed, I had to do it manually), a link to a forum (which was the important part), and then it also had a showcase of sorts, although at the time processing payments on the web was not easy, so it was check only, and it didn't really do much, but it was the best I could do considering there was no broadband or any thing like Paypal. I do not know if a new web site would work, and the cost to set one up is probably beyond my ability at this point anyway.
The concept was good, I used to look at the work people would submit, or at least the pictures of the work they would submit (some people actually sent me their art, that was cool, but hard to handle), and give it my critical eye, and see where it went. I took a standard 10% commission on the work, and that helped pay for the website cost. We didn't sell a lot, but there were not really a lot of people then on the web, it was mostly dial-up service, and to be honest the only sites that were really making money were the porn sites (that is probably still true).
Now with all the ability of the scripting of the web, and the gateways for payments, and so much more that can be done, it would seem that it should be easy. I have seen some alright sites that try to do this, but it is usually missing some important part. I wanted a place where artist could interact with each other, and with their fans, and maybe sell a few pieces of their work, reviewed by their peers, and of course by me. It seems that it could be easily done, and I know that it could be, but I truly do not think it would be worth the effort. Amazon doesn't sell art, per se, they would maybe, but not the same way. Google doesn't either, not as a gallery. I have seen some gallery sites, but they lack the community that would make it a place where you could see the work of artist, and talk with them, at least to some degree, and get to know them a little.
I used to work as an assistant director for a small community guild, which included a gallery, where we would showcase a couple of artist a month, and had space for them to work in, as well as provide services to the local community like art classes. At the time it was the greatest thing I ever did. It was attached to a local community theater group, so it had it all, static art, performance art, and community space. I remember the art openings, with all the socialites coming out to see the newest artist on display at the gallery, not really to see the artist, but to be seen seeing the artist. There was wine and finger sandwiches and glitter, and glamour, and it was the 1980's so lots of people just coming because someone else was there. It was all that it could be, and the web is a cold place, not capable of that type of atmosphere. I often wonder if it could be done, but know that it could not.
I do not want to bring back the coke filled days of the 80's with all the bullshit that came with it. I do not want to reminisce about the past, and the highs of less than high art. I do not want to bring on the next trend, or make my living in selling out artist. I do not want to do any of that. I just sometimes think, what if we could do that, what if we could make art something that was appreciated, and artist people who were admired, not because they got drunk and crashed their car, or got arrested, but because even if they didn't paint the next great masterpiece, they at least made an attempt at a solid imitation of something with some impact and emotion beyond that of the sex drive.
Well that's just my opinion, and I know no one really cares about such things anymore. It is all about me, and what I do, how fucking stupid I can be, and maybe if I am fucking dumb enough, I too can get a viral video on the tube, please spare me.
Thank you,
JD
What am I saying, have you read the blog lately, really, because if you had you would realize that I am just as cynical as I always have been, only less vocal about it. Or in the case of the web log, less prolific about it.
On other things, I still have not yet figured out the Google+ pages, or communities, much less a way to use the hangouts to have a live poetry reading. What I wanted to create was a place on the web where people could come, hang out, drink coffee (coffee would be a requirement, or should be) and talk about literature, poetry (sometimes barely considered worthy of discussion), and well almost anything but the latest celebrity gossip. I despise those entertainment shows, and other types of talk shows where people discuss the movements of people who are of less concern to me than well, almost anyone. Don't get me wrong I like Bruce Willis, and other thespians, but really, I don't really care if they are getting along, or if they are not, or if they got drunk and knocked out a camera toting vulture, I just don't care. I am more interested in what people think of Sartre than Snookie or whatever her pretend name is.
Okay, that's enough of that, now what should I do to make this happen. Some years ago I had a website named Artist for Artist-sake, which went down when I lost the URI. It was a simple little site that had a news feed on the front page (not a auto news feed, I had to do it manually), a link to a forum (which was the important part), and then it also had a showcase of sorts, although at the time processing payments on the web was not easy, so it was check only, and it didn't really do much, but it was the best I could do considering there was no broadband or any thing like Paypal. I do not know if a new web site would work, and the cost to set one up is probably beyond my ability at this point anyway.
The concept was good, I used to look at the work people would submit, or at least the pictures of the work they would submit (some people actually sent me their art, that was cool, but hard to handle), and give it my critical eye, and see where it went. I took a standard 10% commission on the work, and that helped pay for the website cost. We didn't sell a lot, but there were not really a lot of people then on the web, it was mostly dial-up service, and to be honest the only sites that were really making money were the porn sites (that is probably still true).
Now with all the ability of the scripting of the web, and the gateways for payments, and so much more that can be done, it would seem that it should be easy. I have seen some alright sites that try to do this, but it is usually missing some important part. I wanted a place where artist could interact with each other, and with their fans, and maybe sell a few pieces of their work, reviewed by their peers, and of course by me. It seems that it could be easily done, and I know that it could be, but I truly do not think it would be worth the effort. Amazon doesn't sell art, per se, they would maybe, but not the same way. Google doesn't either, not as a gallery. I have seen some gallery sites, but they lack the community that would make it a place where you could see the work of artist, and talk with them, at least to some degree, and get to know them a little.
I used to work as an assistant director for a small community guild, which included a gallery, where we would showcase a couple of artist a month, and had space for them to work in, as well as provide services to the local community like art classes. At the time it was the greatest thing I ever did. It was attached to a local community theater group, so it had it all, static art, performance art, and community space. I remember the art openings, with all the socialites coming out to see the newest artist on display at the gallery, not really to see the artist, but to be seen seeing the artist. There was wine and finger sandwiches and glitter, and glamour, and it was the 1980's so lots of people just coming because someone else was there. It was all that it could be, and the web is a cold place, not capable of that type of atmosphere. I often wonder if it could be done, but know that it could not.
I do not want to bring back the coke filled days of the 80's with all the bullshit that came with it. I do not want to reminisce about the past, and the highs of less than high art. I do not want to bring on the next trend, or make my living in selling out artist. I do not want to do any of that. I just sometimes think, what if we could do that, what if we could make art something that was appreciated, and artist people who were admired, not because they got drunk and crashed their car, or got arrested, but because even if they didn't paint the next great masterpiece, they at least made an attempt at a solid imitation of something with some impact and emotion beyond that of the sex drive.
Well that's just my opinion, and I know no one really cares about such things anymore. It is all about me, and what I do, how fucking stupid I can be, and maybe if I am fucking dumb enough, I too can get a viral video on the tube, please spare me.
Thank you,
JD
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