Shooting a child...
"Finishing a piece of art is like shooting a child"
I heard this yesterday while in a conversation with a few friends and at the first glance I was mildly offend at the statement. But after thinking about it, the more I feel like it is the only way to explain the meaning behind it. Casually talking with a few friends about my feelings on my own work :
Person A: "I wasn't too happy with this piece, and I really don't want to make anything that I can't put into my portfolio."
Me: "Well you are one step ahead of me, I am rarely happy with anything that I make... Sure you have due dates and places where you have to stop and just accept the fact that it is what it is"
Person A: "They do in fact say that to the artist piece is never really done... Its a good thing"
Think about it... You create something, you give it a life of its own. You work the piece to its (possible) best potential. Then if you ever DECIDE that the specific piece of work is done then it just sorta ends the vibrancy and energy that you put into it. At that point it just becomes something else to hang on your wall, or put into a portfolio. They just loose their luster. I think I'm ok with things being a little unfinished.
Person A: "I wasn't too happy with this piece, and I really don't want to make anything that I can't put into my portfolio."
Me: "Well you are one step ahead of me, I am rarely happy with anything that I make... Sure you have due dates and places where you have to stop and just accept the fact that it is what it is"
Person A: "They do in fact say that to the artist piece is never really done... Its a good thing"
Think about it... You create something, you give it a life of its own. You work the piece to its (possible) best potential. Then if you ever DECIDE that the specific piece of work is done then it just sorta ends the vibrancy and energy that you put into it. At that point it just becomes something else to hang on your wall, or put into a portfolio. They just loose their luster. I think I'm ok with things being a little unfinished.
posted by pinkpanther at 10/18/2005 09:17:00 AM
4 Comments:
I would make a great artist. I never finish anything ...
I still don't think I get the "shooting a child" reference though. I think I prefer your explanation.
well "shooting a child" in reference to the fact that you are stopping something you created because you have nothing left for it to become. When a piece is finished it has already reached the climax of its life and the road has ended, the journey is over.... ending its life is unavoidable. The metaphor I think helps everyone get the idea and concept, very discriptive and visual.
besides I don't really want to walk around being called a baby killer.
Well, I think Sinead O'Connor said it best...
Each of these,
my three babies,
I will carry with me.
For myself,
I ask no one else,
will be mother to these three.
And of course
I'm like a wild horse
but there's no other way I could be.
Water and feed
are not tools that I need
for the thing that I've chosen to be.
Or maybe you just had to be there?
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