I belong to several art-related mail lists. Occasionally a topic will come up that makes my head spin. Today has been a head-spinning day, I guess. In one group, while discussing the various technical details of setting up an art challenge, it was suggested that judging be done via eBay. The idea being that the challenge winner would be decided by the piece with the highest bid. That’s problematic for all kinds of reasons, the first of which being that there is no accounting for some of the crap folks will–of their own free will!–bid on, and for the ludicrous amounts of money they’ll fork over for the pleasure. So, that was, I think, 86’d.
Then, someone piped up that she couldn’t sell her work anyway, because it all belonged to her husband. Because, you know, he’s the one with the job and he’s the one who paid for her art supplies, so he gets to control her actions and what she does with the fruits of his earnings. I managed to keep from vomiting, but only just. I’m sorry, but is he her life partner or her father? Hard to believe, I know, but they aren’t the same thing. The problem is that there is no equality when one person has that sort of control over the other, regardless of whether that control is gained by force or is willingly conferred by the controlee. I found the whole thing disturbing and creepy. Sad, too, in that she seemed perfectly brainwashed by happy about the arrangement. O ick.
And now, a chaser: I call this one Tableau with Bird Feeder, Forsythia, and Apple Tree, with a Side of Dandelions.
red paper boat 