The interests meme

[firecat]

via computerchix and just about everyone else:

Go browse through my list of interests and ask me about one that 1) you know nothing about but sounds intriguing or 2) you know something about but can't fathom why I would be interested in it.

Or ask me about an LJ community I read.

Comments

[elynne.livejournal.com]

... how about firecat? Yeesh, I'm ill. :P

[firecat]

Why do you dislike Chihuly?

[elynne.livejournal.com]

I don't like his "art." The reason he's a household name is because he has a master's degree in marketing. In fact, the larger installations of his I've seen bug the crap out of me; they strike me as tremendous wastes of time and effort. But that's all stylistic, and I know that other people have other views.

What really bugs me is that he's apparantly an egotistical asswipe in person, that he's tremendously exploitative of the people that do the actual glasswork for him, that he's repeatedly had huge tantrums over public works art projects that haven't gone exactly the way he wanted them (including repeated threats to withdraw his investment unless he gets top billing).

I suppose, if I loved his work, I could forgive him being a jerk; but him being a jerk and his work being IMO crap... I think he's one of the most overrated art hacks alive, definitely the biggest such in the relatively small world of glass art.

Interestingly enough, when I rant about Chilhuly to my parent people (who actually do art glass for a living), they usually defend him. My mom's opinion is that he has done a lot to bring glassworking to the public eye, and that has opened a lot of doors for glassworkers that simply weren't there ten or twenty years ago. Which is true... I still don't like him. :P ;]

[firecat]

I aree with your mom that he's done a lot to put glass art in general in the public eye. I did get an impression of assholeness from Chihuly Over Venice. I know any artist who is as well known as he is must be doing heavy marketing.

I love his glass art. I hate his paintings.

[elynne.livejournal.com]

I can understand loving his glass art... I admit, when I stop being cranky about him as a person, I can see a lot of depth and interesting detail in his work - I just wish he'd explore it a bit more, take more risks, take more responsibility for what he makes... I dunno.

His "paintings" - we had one in the lobby when I worked for Amazon.com. It was one of the ones where he put a canvas on the floor, hung a bucket with holes on a couple of strings, poured paint in the bucket, and then spun/shook it around. Yeehah. Instant Office Art! Have a Big Name Expensive Painting without running the risk of offending anybody in any way whatsoever! Cover a large portion of otherwise bare wall with something that nobody will ever pay any attention to after the initial "Oh, that paint splatter is supposed to be art" reaction!

Not that I'm Opinionated or anything. ;]

[firecat]

I just wish he'd explore it a bit more, take more risks, take more responsibility for what he makes.

I'm satisfied with the amount of exploration and risk in his glass art, especially after seeing the Chihuly Over Venice DVD and what it took for his crew/students to organize making glass in so many countries and working with local artists, not to mention packing up and shipping all the stuff and hanging it all over Venice.

Besides, I'm too chicken to even go near a glory hole, I don't have a basis on which to judge him for that. (Yes, I know he doesn't go near them very often now, because he's lost the sight in one eye.)

The squirting or pouring paint on a canvas and calling it art, though, doesn't appeal to me. I don't see any effort or technique - something that is evident in the glass art, and something that's required for me to consider a thing art.

Oddly enough, I do think that Jackson Pollock's work shows effort and technique.