<<When I finish a sculpture and show it to whoever I can... I want them to spend more time with it, ask me questions, go back to it etc.>> HIHO Arthur (and all), Glad to see this sort of question! Over time I have found that most people don't know quite what to do with sculpture. Their initial like or dislike and a comment or two is gratifying. But to see beyond that is itself an art. In fact, there is an interesting small book called "How to Look at Sculpture" (with some fabulous images of Canova's work!). When I am in the Loveland Sculpture Shows, where you get to interact with 15,000 viewers in 3 days, I have noticed that many people can't even look at some of my pieces, especially the nudes, while others who can't stop looking, can't see them as art. Knowing what we like and don't in art (or even partners or cuisine) requires a development of the mind and possibly the soul. A very small cadre have either the concepts or the language to go deeper. This is one reason to hang out with fellow sculptors wherever you can. And to have peers critique and discuss pieces. I once noticed a woman following me around the North American Sculpture Exhibition in Golden CO as I discussed with a non-sculptor friend the types of stones, and forms, and visual jokes, and the effect a piece had on the viewers body or mood, etc etc. I later found many of my comments in a newspaper article! Apparently, even that critic didn't know what to do with the richness and complexity before her. One solution I have found is to educate my audience while we talk. Since part of what I like about sculpting is that everything I want to say is right there in the forms, I let viewers look, touch, and talk first. But then I discuss how I made a certain decision and let them respond. Then I may mention how I chose to go for, say, 85% realism and show how the fingers look life like but are intentionally not "literal" and then may point out that human elbows are not really shaped like this either, yet they "seem" quite normal... etc and let them respond. And so on. A little verbal or analytic tour guide of the various themes in each piece first teaches the concept and then invites a response. Most people learn very quickly and are happy to offer me much more informed and gratiying feedback. And: This turns out to be the single most important thing I have learned about selling sculpture. Since many buyers often know just as little about the work as others, they can become increasingly intrigued, informed, and engaged in a piece during the conceptual tour. A longish comment, but I've been waiting.... do others have thoughts on this theme??? Ron Masa "The purpose of Learning is not Learning. The purpose of Learning is Living." ........................................... FAQ info and help on using this list is on http://www.learningstone.net/lslstfaq.html To unsubscribe, send a blank email to leave-stone[AT]lists.spunge.org
[stone] Getting Into Stone ...
Dr. Ron Masa-The University of Yourself Sat, 14 Oct 2000 04:05:56 -0700
- [stone] Feelings AWeinfeld
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- Re: [stone] Feelings Dr. Ron Masa-The University of Yourself
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