“I think perfection is ugly. Somewhere in the things humans make, I want to see scars, failure, disorder, distortion. If I can feel those things in works by others, then I like them.”
—Yohji Yamamoto
“匠人精神/Craftsman Spirit” Photo from Internet
When I was in Los Angeles, I interviewed a young dreamer who claimed herself as an artist.
“I quit my job and life in Florida to chase my dream in Los Angeles. I am a musician.”
“Then, what do you play?”
“Guitar”
“How long have you practiced guitar?”
“three months.”
Suddenly, I felt we might have some different understandings of the term “Artist”.
Comparative literature
In both Chinese and Japanese, there is a term “匠人精神/Craftsman Spirit”. We can see many great craftsmen, working in a field for a whole life, but they do not claim themselves as “artist” but “craftsman”. They contribute time, patience, extreme high aesthetic standard to their creation, and spend their whole life in creating in their filed. We call them crafts masters. The reason why people do not call them artists is that they do not involve a variety of fields and thoughts in their works. In other words, their creation is too perfect. I think art need coincidence, spirit, and deep thoughts but not as beautiful as a decoration.
The term “artist” in Chinese is formed by two words “艺术/art” and “家/master”. From my perspective, an artist should be well trained in skill, then, after a long-term training, he/she can involve thoughts/concepts in his/her creations, then, they are artists. The thoughts and concepts need an incredible strong knowledge base, such as philosophy, aesthetic understanding, literature, history, and value.
For those who are well trained but haven’t contribute much of their thoughts in their works, we called them painter/entertainer but not yet “artist”.
Let’s take a step back. Some audiences will argue that those so-called artists such as Kazimir Malevich, his paintings are suprematism, everyone can paint like that. But, suprematism revolution is the production after Malevich’s thousands of failed trials in abstract painting. Audience can distinguish the abstract masters’ paintings with others from the rhythm, color, and construction.
Black Suprematistic Square, 1915 by Kazimir Malevich.
production draft
After we are in the same page of those terms “craftsmen”, “entertainer”, and “artist”. We decide to use a website as a platform to provide our service.
Step 1. members need to unload their profile in the website, also their expected payments in their creation. Step 2. the website will categorize their skills through their profile and self evaluation. Step 3. this website is providing working opportunities based on their expectation and skills.
We will not only provide one time opportunity, but also connections. However, there is conflict of interests in providing connections to our clients. We are still working on how to keep our clients’ loyalty and also help them to build long-term development.
Feedback
Visual Artist Y: I would like to pay for the membership fees.I want to see what my peers are doing. But when it comes to me, I may not need the service that you provide, cause I already have selling channels in commercial gallery. I paid more attention to the long-term investment. Such as, what gallery I collaborate with and who collects my arts. Also, if it’s in a restaurant or a Cafe, I need the commitment that they will pay for my work, but not just exhibit there.
Choreographer S (I think she can be categorized into dancer and young artist group): I will pay for this website annual membership since I need more opportunities to stronger my earlier career. I am not that critical in where to perform. I need audiences and support in my career.
Keep Going
Dong
ASU Arts Entrepreneurship Graduate Seminar 