06/24/2006: "Art School Confidential"

Tonight a friend and I went to Art School Confidential. I have been waiting to see this for a long time so maybe my expectations were too high...I'm surprised I didn't love it more. It had some funny parts and may hit a little too close to home for those of us who've been to art school...god, I'm glad I'll never have to sit through another critique again for the rest of my life!

It satirized how arbitrary success in the art world can be, and asked questions about whether an artist’s personal life should affect the value of their work. I liked it but overall I'd say wait for the DVD.

Whenever I see people drawing or painting, it makes me want to draw and paint. I came home tonight and continued working on my dad’s painting. So far it’s just a base coat, but I think it will be close to what he’s hoping for.

Oh, one more thing about the film, they showed how desperate artists get to make it big, and it was nice to realize that although I still feel driven to create art (and I have a healthy desire to sell and exhibit) I don’t feel that same hysterical sense of panic I used to have that I wasn’t going to “make it” as an artist. Maybe my perception of “making it” has changed, but I realized that for me I'm exactly where I want to be! I'm curious, do others of you feel comfortable in where you're at with your careers (and not just artists, but anyone who's dreamed of hitting the big time)? Am I just deluding myself? Is there really a difference between contentment and just lowered expectations?

Replies: 7 Comments

on Sunday, June 25th, berry bowman connell said

Sometimes, I wonder if
I'm just plain stupid.
No, really. Talent or no,
why in the name of all
that is good on earth am
I trying to be an artist?

My friend, Steve, near
supports me. Oh, I give
him money when I make
it, but, I have nothing
close to what would be called an income.

So, what the dickens
am I doing? I dunno.

But, I think that every
since Happy Gilmore,
the only way I watch
comedy IS on dvd.
And, so I shall.

on Sunday, June 25th, berry bowman connell said

Oh yeah. I remember!
How to exist without
going completely stark
raving mad....

Have good friends who send
good jokes to help ya
laugh at the world...

Bill Clinton is placed against the wall and just before the order
to shoot him is given, he yells, "Earthquake!".

The firing squad falls into a panic and Bill jumps over the wall
and escapes in the confusion.

John Kerry is the second one placed against the wall. The squad
is reassembled and John ponders what his old pal Bill has done.
Before the order to shoot is given, John yells, "Tornado!".

Again the squad falls apart and Kerry slips over the wall thus making
his escape.

The last person, George W. Bush, is placed against the wall. He is
thinking, "I see the pattern here, just scream out a disaster and hop over
the wall."

As the firing squad is reassembled and the rifles raised in his direction,
he smirks his famous smirk and yells, "Fire!"

on Monday, June 26th, robroys@robroys.com">Rob Roys said

I loved ASC. I found that when I was howling with laughter half the audience was not, and the other half was just chuckling.

on Monday, June 26th, Elise said

Hey Berry, just be thankful that you have such a great friend and that you have the time to create that so many of us would do anything for (aside from quitting our jobs!)
:cry:
And your last show sold really well so you should be feeling a lot of good reinforcement too.

And Rob, which showing did you go to? When I think about it, I did laugh through most of it but I guess I felt a little self-concious because as in your case, the rest of the crowd was mostly chuckling. I think seeing a movie at a theatre can be a lot of fun if the crowd is all really into it...

btw, I thought of you this weekend, Bravo was doing a marathon of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments and they showed the "head" scene from Re-animator! I only got to see 25-50 and 75-100...want to guess what the scariest movie ever was according to this show (oh, and they had horror writers and directors like George Romero, Stephen King, and Rob Zombie talking in between cuts about why the film was so scary...it was a lot of fun, I realized there were a few I hadn't seen, like a Japanese film "audition"...and then I remembered you'd loaned me "The Ressurected" which I'm going to try and watch tonight.
:confused:

on Monday, June 26th, Judy Vas said

When I made a decision to make a living with my art I quit my job January 1st 2005 and focused on an art career. I began marketing, selling, getting recognition, having shows spending all my energies figuring out what will sell.

I know it was just my attitude and desperation to sell and prove my success by the bottom line, but it took some of the joy out of just creating and being proud to show people my work. Today, I need to work at other things to help support our lifestyle. But my love and passion remains with art. I'd love to "have it all" someday but art and success in art is so completely arbitrary, that I’ve learned I can not take myself or other peoples opinion of me so seriously. It is really hard for me to let go of my obsessive ways and my “all or nothing” thinking but I’ve decided….

I’ll just keep creating because that is my joy and passion. God gave me a talent so I must use it. If other folks love it to and I’ve managed to spread some happiness and joy then it’s a bonus and I’ve done something good.

on Monday, June 26th, Elise said

Well Judy, that's how I've imagined it would be...good in one sense but with some down sides (like having to stress out so much because of sales) I stress out enough about them and I'm not counting on them to put food on the table.

Anyway, glad to hear you're going to keep creating for all the right reasons, just remind yourself that the next time the negative forces start creeping back in (and they will!)
;)

on Monday, June 26th, Elise said

Oh yah, and one part I related too a bit too much in ASC was Jerome's confusion over why some of the artists got such praise during critique when they showed no skill and his (highly skilled) work was ignored, so then he asks professor what he's doing wrong and is told that he needs to experiment, try lots of different styles etc. So Jerome does that and then on his final critique that same professor writes to him that he needs to "find his own voice" and that his work seems to be "all over the place" with no direction etc.

I just remember in my final BFA exhibit critique getting hammered (anonymously) from several different faculty who said things like "your use of color is too bright without any apparent reason" and another would say "your use of color is too muddy without any apparent reason" etc. and it was all so contradictory I think that's when I realized how full of shit all of it was. It was devastating none the less!