Sorry, Chris - the models that both William and Armando are referring to are conceptual. They are both concerned with preconceptions you bring to what you will be doing - be it working from imagination or observation - Chair, Visual Arts and Technologies The Cleveland Institute of Art
> From: Chris Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: <[email protected]> > Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:16:05 GMT > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: Models and soul > > Mando wrote: > > "I think that working from one's soul will attain better Aesthetic results > than always making copies of models and expecting life to emerge. That's like > playing 'mary had a little lamb' over and over and expect the classics to > emerge." > > while William wrote: > > "Every artist works with a model in mind, however vague > or eclectic. The artist is always working for and > against some model of what art can be" > > > To put Mando's remark in context - it came shortly after he was looking at > internet pictures of my own sculptures, most of which (but not all) were begun > while studying a model --- the kind that takes her clothes off and stands > still in the middle of a drafty studio. So ... I think that is the kind of > model to which he was referring. > > Possibly Mando was just deploring the aesthetic results of my own humble > efforts -- but I think he was also suggesting that working from models (the > kind mentioned above) is only appropriate as an exercise for students since > "one needs a good foundation before, in any creative endeavor" -- which then > led him to his grim conclusion that > "I get the feeling that you really don't know as much about art as i > thought." > > And here I would protest -- not that I know a lot about art (especially since > I try to avoid that terrible word) -- but that the best aesthetic results can > only be achieved without the use of models (the kind that hold still and get > studied -- like people on a platform, or flowers on a table, or trees and > hills out in the countryside) > > And I would assert that the use of this kind of model is a practice that is > unique to the Western European cultural tradition -- is especially appropriate > to the amateur (but not necessarily inferior) practitioner -- and will > continue to be practiced, mastered, and loved long after the quirky trends of > the 20th C. have become historical footnotes. > > It's practice is rather problematic (hare brained?)in sculpture -- because it > is so difficult, technical, time consuming, and especially space devouring. > > And yet with the work of Rodin and Count Trubetsky to encourage us -- we can > charge forward! > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Make your vacation more memorable with a luxurious vacation rental. Click > now! > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/fc/Ioyw6ijmguiRhATOeyHEPLaiy9w7pA > wodNime5FDhVfMe8a99oVRju/ > > > -- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean.
