Here's a heads-up to check out the link to Rudy Christian's blog entry from December 14, 2010, titled, "What Have We Lost?". Erosion of cultural knowledge is a recurring theme on Fort Walker Prospect, and Mr Christian's entries promote not only a respect for our heritage of artisanry but clearly what we've termed here as the durable transmission of this deep knowledge from one generation to another. (Note: I decided to link the word "artisanry" to its definition on one dictionary site because several other sites, spell-checkers, & other sources denied that this is a valid word — does this mean we're even losing the definition of it?)
I recently visited the Dalí Late Works show at the High Museum of Art. One may like or dislike the artist and his works or criticize certain phases of his career, but seeing his work in person granted a perspective not available through the numerous books and online resources that reproduce them: he was a formidable craftsman of the canvas, paper, brush, and pen or pencil. Only with increasing rarity have late-20th Century artists cared so much about the state of their final product.
This is a call to those who would enter the realm of the visual fine arts to attempt to hone the most exemplary artisanal skills in their works, and yet for artists this is seldom enough. Tolstoy suggested that the true artist will use a given medium to impart emotion experienced by the artist so intently that any viewer will quickly perceive and experience that emotion, as well. An examination of the work in many a gallery, as well as those assembled more carefully by museum curators, reveals a laziness on the part of many visual artists in the imparting of ideas and emotions. Their lack of motivation is itself a durable transmission, but of the wrong kind — one that erodes its own art form and in turn erodes society.
Mr Christian's writing and the works of Dalí encourage the best of artisanry and artistry.
