why anti-art? (slightly ot ranrish)

[alsih2o]

it seems to e that several threads have sprung up now about art of various kinds for sale and several people are always quick to chime in not with the spoortitive praise that i have come to expect from this forum or with rational questioning but with rude suggestions that an artists time and energy is not worth what the artist thinks it is.

i know there is a lot of overpriced art in the world. i also know that not everyone can afford quality, original art. however, just because a person cannot afford a piece does not make it appropriate or polite to ciriticize their price structure. especially when it seems that most posters of this sort have absolutely no idea of the materials time and training it takes to make these pieces.

i find it shocking that a community that contains memebers who will frequently pay $2-8 for a machine cast piece of lead or plastic that has been mass manufactured will repeatedly push for visual artists to either give their work away (while insisting how great an opportunity it will be for the artist) or blatantly and ignorantly pointing out that they are too expensive. i would particularly point out some fo the rude things said in doc midnights thread. if these were said in any other context i am relatively sure they would be considered personal attcks.

is it a complete lack of experience with art? with money? is there another reason that my passion for the subject is keeping me from seeing? what is it that makes so many people see r.p.g. art as nearly valueless?

 

[Dr Midnight]

Love ya, Alsih.

members who ... repeatedly push for visual artists to either give their work away (while insisting how great an opportunity it will be for the artist)

See, I hate this. It happens all the damn time. "I can't afford to pay you, but I'd be more than willing to give you credit. You'd get a lot of exposure from this." It's insulting, but the people asking don't really KNOW it's insulting, so you can't kick them through a stack of drywall. It's a curse of the trade, especially in the RPG field...

Take the above with a grain of been-dealing-with-cheap-bastards-for-years.

 

[Aaron2]

I just love a thread without context.


Aaron

 

[Dr Midnight]

I just love a thread without context.

I know. Where's the damned context, Alsih? If that IS your real name...

 

[arwink]

Hey look, a double post

 

[arwink]

is it a complete lack of experience with art?

Bingo, IMO. Like game designers, writers, actors, musicians etc, why should artists make any money? After all, they're doing what they love/it's not real work/anyone could do it/it's not a real job/etc etc etc. Fantasy artists especially so. When you consider the amount of gamers who have "a friend who draws," it's a completely undervalued skill.

Context? I don't need no stinking context

 

[alsih2o]

con·text ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kntkst)
n.
The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.
The circumstances in which an event occurs; a setting.

 

[reveal]

I think my experience might give a little insight. My wife and I went to our local Community Playhouse to take in a show (Picasso at the Lapin Agile). In the lobby was art for sale by local artists. As I walked around, I marvelled at how expensive everything was (at least it was to me as I am a cheap bastard )

$100 for a small oil painting?! Are they nutz?! I couldn't understand it.

Fast forward a few months and I take an Introduction to Water Color class at my university for an elective credit. Tuition itself was high (as it always is) but I learned the price of art supplies is ridiculously high! I mean, how come it costs so much for a tube of paint?

Anyway, since then I have never criticized any artist for their prices because I know, first hand, exactly how expensive their supplies can be.

So before you criticize their prices, I suggest anyone go to an art supply store first and then you'll understand.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Also, if I understand this correctly, paintings, particularly oil paintings, can take a great deal of time to make and even longer to dry. Other forms of art also are time consuming. So if someone were to spend say... one week making some item, the item should cost one week's salary.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

Clay,

I'm totaly with you. The fact is that a good drawing takes several hours and the artist also has to make money back on supplies and equipment that has gone into the production. People often use "common sense" to determine for themselves what this comes out to and they are typically wrong. The stuff is expensive. If people don't want to commision expensive stuff, well, there's always Elfwood.