Monday, May 12, 2008

What's it all about?

Ok. Sean and I were talking yesterday and I got to thinking. I am a part of the Art Dorks Collective which has kind of pittered out. The site began as an open forum and portfolio site for anyone who liked the drawing. The collective formed and later decided that the galleries were not going to take us seriously due to some of the commenters on the forum so it became a closed thing. Then it all just died a bit.
So here we are at the apex of a new blog. do we want this to be a little inbred thing where we all stroke each others egos or do we want real discourse about art, comics and images. Art is not just pretty pics. It has meaning, even if we don't know what they mean. It has context and relevance to the culture and time we are living. I really want there to be some tough discussions about what we do. This might mean we talk about things some might not know anything about or that we criticize our work for its content, execution or relevance. This is what makes it tough. Egos get bruised, intellects get stretched out of shape. But isn't that just great?
So here it is, the big question for all of you.

What do you want this to be?

Are you willing to let it grow into something challenging or do you want to play it safe? Whaddaya say kids? Ready to play with the big kids toys?

12 comments:

Luke P. said...

I think if any of us have the urge or desire to offer criticisms- something that used to happen around pretty often- we should do so. I don't think that we need to formalize it in any way. It's up to us as individuals to just do it and deal with the rewards or consequences as they come.
If it makes everybody feel more comfortable about it, sure, we can all agree that we'll feel free to critique.
I'm up for it, personally.
The problem for me comes when I get criticisms that, to put it bluntly, I think are stupid, or are just so far from my frame of reference that even responding to them at all becomes a chore.Getting dragged into fruitless debates can sometimes only serve to keep us from drawing.
-Also, I think each one of us could come up with our own ideas of what "serious" means; Some might say it's in taking cues from professional illustration, some might be on some other track, etc.
Depending on how we're using the word, some of the work posted on this blog is serious, some isn't.
But, yeah, I'm always up for debates.
We just need to keep it civil.

Mostyn said...

civil, of course. I just mean talking about the art and what it means. Figuring out how it figures in the big picture of things. Critiques are my least concerns. I just miss having people to talk with about new artists and new ideas.

Unknown said...

I generally agree with Luke, I think it is a tricky proposition. I think certain artist's gravitate toward eachother and develop a honest dialogue, while others are just not on the same page. There's always that element of personal bias. And let's be honest, some people just like to hear themselves talk. So, I'm for the idea but let's not turn this into Art School Confidential.

SEAN said...

Chris, i'd love to discuss ideas more in terms of art & what this stuff means. Or discuss feelings we get from the pieces. I'd've never known that Luke had a mullet with lines if i hadn't done that autobiographical piece. See!?! Anyhow, if i could express this concept in a more clear, concise way, i'd say people should start talking about their work more & talking about the other Duck Consumpteds work as well. It's a little all over the board, which makes it hard, but it also makes it more interesting.

Luke P. said...

I'm all for talking about ideas, but if we do, we have to realize that it's invariably going to get personal.
I'm okay with that, but some among us might not feel comfortable talking about what their art means to them, or what they're getting at with it.Some of us might not have a clear idea going in or coming out.
I want this to be a cool place for those people too, is all I'm saying. I might be among them sometimes; I know there are certain times where I'm really into dialog, sometimes not.
I think the way to really do it is to start by either writing some text that you present with images in your own posts, or pose questions along with your images, or ask questions in the comments section under posts you're interested in learning more about or otherwise discussing.
I'm really glad people are into making this blog a more exciting place tho. Thanks Chris.

Luke P. said...

Seans' got it.
I for one plan on posting more and more often on EBD. I just realized it's been like a year and half since we started this beast (!) and how it could be this really great thing- we were almost there for a bit- if we all just made it happen.

SEAN said...

I felt that Eaten By Ducks sort of came out of the ashes of the open-ness of Art Dorks & TCJ boards... i'd be interested in a written discussion about the issues that came up on that site in terms of stylistic differences, attitudes, & stuff like that.

Mostyn said...

let me say that first, I always hated the what does your art mean questions in school. Mostly because I didnt know. I do however love hearing about the kinds of things artists are reading, listening to or thinking about while they are making. Difference being that the latter dels with the influences on the work rather than the meaning. I also love the idea of talking about these things when we each post the work. And YES. I DO like to hear myself talk. I have a very lovely voice.
I'm looking forward to what happens. Pax

Luke P. said...

Awesome banner!!

Aeron said...

Good idea, the more discussion of the art at hand the better. I've suffered through my fair share of art school critiques but I know we're all close enough in our inspirations and visions that our interpretations and suggestions will work for each other on here.

And Sean, holy fuck is that banner rad!

Human Mollusk said...

Yeah, I'm all for honest but civil discussion.

Paleo said...

I was really into disscusing our work in a more thoughtful, articulate manner, but now all i can think about its Luke's mullet.

What it means?, even if we don't know what Luke's mullet means, it has context and relevance to the culture and time we are living! Yeah! i can't stop thinking about it... so you all keep the blog going while i go try to clear my head, i'll be back in a couple of months, three max.

It had lines! amazing.