http://griid.org/2009/10/05/an-evolving-internal-monologue-now-published-brett%e2%80%99s-addition-to-the-artprize-%e2%80%9cconversation%e2%80%9d/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:40:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://griid.org/2009/10/05/an-evolving-internal-monologue-now-published-brett%e2%80%99s-addition-to-the-artprize-%e2%80%9cconversation%e2%80%9d/#comment-359 Sara Alsum-Wassenaar Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:47:57 +0000 http://griid.org/?p=1034#comment-359 Elliot Eisner says that art teaches students that there is multiple correct answers to a problem, perhaps people assume that because there is not one "right" answer in art, there is no "incorrect" answers. As an art educator I find there are pleanty of answers to artistic problems that do in fact need re-direction. Sure there is validity to the experiance of fun--life would be quite boring with out it, but my hope is that people ultimately seek something deeper and more meaningful out of cultural experience. It is likely that the viewers and voters of Artprize are just going out to be entertained, therefor my question for them is: what part of your life do you think about and contemplate and seek for your ideas to be challenged in? If visual art is just a source of amusement, and all you do is watch reality TV and read People magazine, then we certainly have a problem. If on the other hand you seek knowledge and have meaningful conversations about another form of art or science or literature or whatever and Artprize was something that you just wanted to make you smile, then I am OK with that. So much of our culture is geared towards acquisition of money and mass marketing. It is sad to see the field of visual art reduced down to this mentality. One of the reasons that places like the UICA are great venues to view and exhibit art is because it exhibits the kind of art with something more to it; a meaning a message a peculiar unmarketable thing that can leave you asking more questions than you came with and can captivate your sense of inquiry. I never expected the winner of Artprize to be the kind of art I enjoy viewing, but I do hope it is not simply reenforcing a view that art is akin to seeing the latest action movie. I hope it leaves people wanting more and seeking deeper artistic experiences. Elliot Eisner says that art teaches students that there is multiple correct answers to a problem, perhaps people assume that because there is not one “right” answer in art, there is no “incorrect” answers. As an art educator I find there are pleanty of answers to artistic problems that do in fact need re-direction. Sure there is validity to the experiance of fun–life would be quite boring with out it, but my hope is that people ultimately seek something deeper and more meaningful out of cultural experience. It is likely that the viewers and voters of Artprize are just going out to be entertained, therefor my question for them is: what part of your life do you think about and contemplate and seek for your ideas to be challenged in? If visual art is just a source of amusement, and all you do is watch reality TV and read People magazine, then we certainly have a problem. If on the other hand you seek knowledge and have meaningful conversations about another form of art or science or literature or whatever and Artprize was something that you just wanted to make you smile, then I am OK with that. So much of our culture is geared towards acquisition of money and mass marketing. It is sad to see the field of visual art reduced down to this mentality. One of the reasons that places like the UICA are great venues to view and exhibit art is because it exhibits the kind of art with something more to it; a meaning a message a peculiar unmarketable thing that can leave you asking more questions than you came with and can captivate your sense of inquiry. I never expected the winner of Artprize to be the kind of art I enjoy viewing, but I do hope it is not simply reenforcing a view that art is akin to seeing the latest action movie. I hope it leaves people wanting more and seeking deeper artistic experiences.

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