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What a great discussion!
Recently I received an invitation to a "Showing" of four artists from various parts of the south. It was at a regional art center and was funded by state art grant money. I found myself going from work to work and wondering how this work merited art grants when so many southern artists and Louisiana artists are being under served.
There was a prom dress from 1969 along with the picture taken prom night and an essay on the love and loss of the artist. Another featured work was a piece of 2x4 wood with holes drilled into it and five Barbie dolls and one Ken doll, mutilated in some form or the other, stuck into the holes. I could go on and on but I think you get the point. My husband walked around with me and after the second gallery representative approached us to see if we needed help "explaining" a piece he was ready to leave. When we were at the Biltmore in North Carolina a couple of weeks ago, we were once again looking at artwork and he looked at me and said, "See, I know this is good art and no one had to explain it to me!" I thought to myself that is so very true. The general public is just tired of funding art that has to be explained.
I spent seven years as an art major at the university level. I know what type of art is emphasized. Realism, portrait or otherwise, was ridiculed and graded poorly. That is just the way it was and as far as I can tell, still is.
There I go rambling again!
Rebecca
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