tether
doug fox responded to the post/link «scholarly and artistic»:[…] choreographers/dancers who do use blogs do not share both their creative work and ideas, and the theory that guides them. In addition, there is usually no discussion of what and who has influenced artists. The end result is that much of published content is lacking context and anchor. It just floats in a disconnected cloud without meaning or access points. §
whilst i agree with doug’s sentiment, i think he is asking too much. the ‘floating clouds’ are a step in the right direction. they give translucence to an otherwise opaque process.
creativity/artistry isn’t easy, and requires a different set of skills from scholarship (theory) and education. but all these skills required to fill the ‘gap’ doug sees. but skills are not the only cause of this problem.
artists like to be enigmatic and elusive, it’s also what audiences like about art; there is something to reach for. even the (mass) media is catching onto this, i regularly see tv programs that promise to ‘challenge assumptions’. but letting the audience ‘find their own meaning’ can be a used to repair ‘broken’ work.
also, audiences want to ‘understand’, so they can better appreciate the work. however, this can take more effort than they are prepared to expend. there is no obligation to ‘get’ any work, if you don’t understand, let it go.
‘arts’ knowledge is accumulated overtime and through numerous examples. artists should leave enough breadcrumbs to sustain the casual follower. they do not need to give a clear/accessible picture, and may not be able to.
examining your ongoing process can be disruptive. few graduates are able to do it simply/effectively. so, if we fail to ‘teach’ these skills where will artists develop them?
opening up you ideas, applied theory and inspiration also opens you up to ‘peer’ criticism. troika ranch showed how disruptive this can be if you are not prepared/able to deal with it. the ‘loop diver’ blog seriously damaged their artistsic/theoretical credibility.
taking with an accessible, but articulate and concrete (anchored) voice is hard. it takes, dedication and practice. that’ not to say artists shouldn’t try; but i’d rather they concentrated on making ‘great’ art. people around the artist/s should provide digestible contexts.
the greatest failing of the «loop diver» blog [1] was the (relative) absence of the dramaturge. in addition to supporting the artists, he should assisted the audiences ‘reading’ of the blog/process. free from the obligation to ‘create’, a dramaturge can ‘locate’ and describe.
the artists commentary seems most useful post-process. this is why ‘directors commentaries’ on dvd’s can be so interesting. once you have taken a ‘journey’ it is easier to describe (and locate) the route you took.
audiences and artists need to extend their ‘reach’. but we need more dramaturges/critics/artists-scholars to bridge the gaps.
[1] the troika ranch myspace page/blog is now set to private. you have to be added as a ‘friend’ to read what’s going on. dawn and mark have made a serious error of judgement here, one that makes troika look even more inept.
blog comments powered by Disqus