Some rant about art

[ReCoN]

So last saturday I ventured down to Rhode Island School of Design to see where ill be spending a lot of my summer to hear some professors there talk about the programs. They had a lot of interesting things to say and really got me thinking about why it is that you draw/paint/sculpt/whatever. I saw a lot of "wierdos" with tattoos and piercings everywhere and one quote i particularly liked was:

"Being an artist isnt about the outward expression. Its about critical thinking and trying new things. Being an artist isnt the tattoos and the weird clothes and the piercings. Of course I only say this to justify myself as an artist." (he was clearly very conservative).

Anyways the point is it really got me thinking. I'm not really into the whole "DO NOT CONFORM FIGHT THE MACHINE" attitude or whatever it is, i just pretty much love making art and having fun. But I guess...why do i love art. Thats what kind of "worried" me (is that the word to use?). Something I spend time doing and enjoying. I mean, I could always say "Im expressing myself" (which would probably be my philosophical answer), or something like that. I kind of like finishing something and seeing how other people interpret it. It all came back to that quote that art is about critical thinking. He had some other stuff about how critical thinking allows you to find yourself etc etc i cant remember.

But i guess my question is....why. Do you feel like when you make art...your taking a journey inside. that sounds kind of cheesey but i really think i do. i feel like i find something new about myself with every piece i finish. its like going on my own rollercoaster and sometimes i take other people along for the ride to see what they think of it. i feel like i do it to like..experience other people in a way that you normally cant. actually experience myself in a way i normally cant. again i feel like i find out something new.

i just wanted to know how other people feel about both their own and others artwork. why do you do it.

to end the rant with some of my favorite quotes:

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. – Aristotle
Are you really sure that a floor can't also be a ceiling? – Escher
Art for art's sake is a philosophy of the well-fed. – Franklin Lloyd Wright

[q]

I make art because I have more free time than I know what to do with.

[senor-turkey-lurkey]

What you need to learn about the douchebags that feel they need to dress like an artist first to become an artist: most of these people have little talent and make up for it by looking the part.

Ok so granted I don't go to an elite art school like RISD but back in the WI alot of the most talented artists I know are also the most normal looking (out of the art students anyway).

I just needed to rant about them and prefer not to comment on the rest of your post ! :)

[ReCoN]

haha thats true nor. those people piss me off big time :/

[polarity]

What you need to learn about the douchebags that feel they need to dress like an artist first to become an artist: most of these people have little talent and make up for it by looking the part.

Ok so granted I don't go to an elite art school like RISD but back in the WI alot of the most talented artists I know are also the most normal looking (out of the art students anyway).

I just needed to rant about them and prefer not to comment on the rest of your post ! :)

Yeah. One of the most talented people I've met so far looked like an A&F model.

[VP-]

I look like Tom Cline. Woooo hoooo. The n0r looks like the n0r. For sure.

People who try to fit into the part usually don't, although I tend to wear earthtones and enjoy fancy glasses I don't think I attempt to dress the part, ohh and wearing some kind of cross mobster/berett(sp?) type hat.... Hmmmms lol.

Fucking n0r, I have photos to show you soon.

DAKROOM CLASS KICKS MY FUCKING ASS. I LOVE IT. I SAT AND SNIFFED MY HANDS ALL DAY THE OTHER DAY SMELLING THE CHEMISTRY. OHHH MY.

[Stinkfist]

when im drawing, im never thinking about how this is a part of me, aside from it being my own little style, but instead I draw to create things and make myself happy. And if someone else finds it appealing, thats just an added bonus.

-stink

[-Dirby-]

I look like Tom Cline. Woooo hoooo. The n0r looks like the n0r. For sure.

People who try to fit into the part usually don't, although I tend to wear earthtones and enjoy fancy glasses I don't think I attempt to dress the part, ohh and wearing some kind of cross mobster/berett(sp?) type hat.... Hmmmms lol.

Fucking n0r, I have photos to show you soon.

DAKROOM CLASS KICKS MY FUCKING ASS. I LOVE IT. I SAT AND SNIFFED MY HANDS ALL DAY THE OTHER DAY SMELLING THE CHEMISTRY. OHHH MY.

lol, everyone I know hates fixer smell. I am so used to it I actually like it :eek:

[macgyver]

it's the only thing i've ever been good at. so that's why i do it

[VP-]

lol, everyone I know hates fixer smell. I am so used to it I actually like it :eek:

If you sniff it right it smells like dried pussy sometimes if you get a good mix going on. If I had ftp I would post some photos from a roll I procc. last week, prints this week should be fucking amazing, which reminds me I need to bulk order some film and paper.

[senor-turkey-lurkey]

you do that!

[-Dirby-]

If you sniff it right it smells like dried pussy sometimes if you get a good mix going on. If I had ftp I would post some photos from a roll I procc. last week, prints this week should be fucking amazing, which reminds me I need to bulk order some film and paper.
you printing on fiber? I've changed my printing style over the years in the sense that I don't do contact sheets anymore. I do "proof" prints on 4x5 Ilford RC Pearl "Postcard" (which they don't produce anymore :( ) paper and then do my prints on Ilford Galerie FB 2. Oriental is also a great company for fiber paper. Oh yes, and ordering bricks of film is the only way to go. Are you doing B&W in the darkroom or all color?

[VP-]

you printing on fiber? I've changed my printing style over the years in the sense that I don't do contact sheets anymore. I do "proof" prints on 4x5 Ilford RC Pearl "Postcard" (which they don't produce anymore :( ) paper and then do my prints on Ilford Galerie FB 2. Oriental is also a great company for fiber paper. Oh yes, and ordering bricks of film is the only way to go. Are you doing B&W in the darkroom or all color?

Just started man, not getting all fancy, calm down. Hhehe, I am going to order some nice paper when I order some film, currently just printing on Kodak B/W paper that the owner of the studio supplied with or class fee. Only doing b/w. I am switching to digital for all of my color work with the purcahse of a 20D, maybe or maybe not selling the EOS 3, and shooting all of my B/W with my Pentax ME Super, Yashica Electro 35 GSN, Canonet QL17, and my two Holgas.

I don't see a purpose for a $500-$600 dollar film camera I will only be shooting b/w street/fine art photography with.


How long you been using darkrooms? Sounds like you know your shit, I'm going to live in it next month because I'm doing my intership for the guy that owns the studio, so between Photoshop work, studio work, and maybe some weddings, I think I'll be in the darkroom. And with my $25 fee I will be able to walk in and use the darkroom at will whenever I want, since I will have finished his class and he deems me worthy of ruining his equipment ;) lol.

From what I can tell, I have no need to waste the time on a contact sheet ATM, much rather check it out on the light and loupe it, decide what is going to look nice, set up a test strip, print it, dodge burn, etc etc. Recording everything and BLAMMO.

Maybe I will find a use for contact prints, but ATM, I don't see the need to waste paper.

Can't wait to print some from the Holga, have yet to do that yet.

[-Dirby-]

Just started man, not getting all fancy, calm down. Hhehe, I am going to order some nice paper when I order some film, currently just printing on Kodak B/W paper that the owner of the studio supplied with or class fee. Only doing b/w. I am switching to digital for all of my color work with the purcahse of a 20D, maybe or maybe not selling the EOS 3, and shooting all of my B/W with my Pentax ME Super, Yashica Electro 35 GSN, Canonet QL17, and my two Holgas.

I don't see a purpose for a $500-$600 dollar film camera I will only be shooting b/w street/fine art photography with.


How long you been using darkrooms? Sounds like you know your shit, I'm going to live in it next month because I'm doing my intership for the guy that owns the studio, so between Photoshop work, studio work, and maybe some weddings, I think I'll be in the darkroom. And with my $25 fee I will be able to walk in and use the darkroom at will whenever I want, since I will have finished his class and he deems me worthy of ruining his equipment ;) lol.

From what I can tell, I have no need to waste the time on a contact sheet ATM, much rather check it out on the light and loupe it, decide what is going to look nice, set up a test strip, print it, dodge burn, etc etc. Recording everything and BLAMMO.

Maybe I will find a use for contact prints, but ATM, I don't see the need to waste paper.

Can't wait to print some from the Holga, have yet to do that yet.

I started in the darkroom my freshman year of High School (6 years ago) and have been doing it ever since. I keep it to B&W with a little digi experince here and there.
What kind of kodak paper? RC? Fiber?
My advice is once you get RC printing down, switch to fiber and you will be hooked, it's more expensive, but the print quality and all the manipulation you can do with under/over development of film, toning, bleaching etc...makes it incredibly fun.

[Ricky`]

lol, everyone I know hates fixer smell. I am so used to it I actually like it :eek:
Smells like piss to me D: It has burned my skin before while I was making some.