What is art? Are we art? Is art art?

Given that I work in an art gallery, we often hear debates on whether or not a piece of work is considered "art" or not. Each piece that comes through our place is obviously subject to scrutiny by, well everyone, but some works have people honestly questioning its place in an exhibition.

One such debate began last week and resumed this week. We have an affordable art show coming up next month, and we are accepting work to be hung (and sold!) in the show. This show is going to be marketed with an event where people are supposed to show up with their checkbooks ready (its only a week long show and it's going to be relatively inexpensive art, which is a deal not to be passed up as art usually costs a pretty penny). One thing about this show is that the work in it is unjuried (if you are unfamiliar with art jargon, that means that we accept all work submitted, without review by a committee to be accepted). That said, we have LOADS of really accomplished and well-known artists submitting stuff for the show, whose work normally sells for triple or quadruple what they will be charging for this show.

One co-worker and I joked that we could ourselves create a piece of work and submit it to the show. We are by no means "artists" in that we do not regularly create art nor do we consider ourselves particularly artistically talented. But then we got to talking, and we said we could at least try to make something, and if we thought it was decent, submit it to the show. I mean, why not right? One of our other co-workers, however, said she wouldn't do that because she was not an artist and thought it would be wrong to submit something she had done as legitimate art. She said she would feel terrible if someone paid money for her work. However, the first co-worker argued that it didn't matter who did it, that if someone liked the work enough to buy it, then there was nothing wrong with that. After some back and forth banter, they could not come to a consensus.

SO, I thought I would take a poll. Do you think it would be wrong to submit a piece of work to this show, if you do not consider yourself an "artist"? Knowing that there is a good chance that someone would buy it, take it home, and hang it in their house. If you were a person coming to a show to buy some affordable art, would you be mad/upset/disappointed if what you purchased was done by someone who had never done a serious painting before in their life?

Please, please, please be honest. I don't know exactly what my opinion is yet, thus my posing the question to you all. I would really appreciate and value any thoughts you have on this.

Discuss!

dolla dolla billz ya'll

So today, my bank, Wachovia, was bought out buy Citigroup due to this crap-filled, swirling toilet bowl we call an economy. All this has got me thinking about money...and how really stupid it actually is. At the moment it's causing more stress for folks than uncontrollable gas on a first date. And I hate it.

Nothing stinks more than having to worry about money, and when I started thinking about it today, it really makes no sense to me. I mean, especially with us turning into a cashless society, everything we depend on to live is some number in a computer. That's it. Most of the money that I own is in my bank account, which is in reality, just a number in some database somewhere. One typo, one zero could make or break my life. That's a scary scary thought. And it makes me feel really stupid for caring so much about it. But we're forced to because everyone else does. And that ain't gonna change.

I'm not sure if any of this made much sense - all I know is that I'm just tired of money bringing me down. Boycott!

(ok, can't really boycott money. but it's the thought that counts)

1001 ways to...

...have a threesome all by yourself. Say WHAT?

While in Target tonight, Brooke and I had an interesting (and quite hilarious) conversation that I thought I would share. Passing by the magazine stand on the way to the checkout, I decide I want some reading material. Soo....I ask Brooke's advice...Cosmo or Glamour? She immediately picks Glamour, pointing out that Cosmo always has some ridiculous article explaining things like the 143 different ways you can -ahem- "please yourself" and other things of that nature. This made me laugh out loud.

If you have ever read a Cosmo, you know just what we are talking about. Whether you like the articles or not - you have to admit - many of them are comically outlandish. Like the cover you see to the left - "Dirty Sexy Sex." .....the title says plenty. It probably explains, in detail, ways you can max out a booty session, like putting peanut butter on your eyelashes or lubing yourself with grape juice. In all seriousness, I read one article about "solo sex" and one reader, anonymous of course, admitted to masterbating using the arm of her living room rocking chair. I don't even know how that is logistically possible. Moreover, I just wonder who actually has a crazy sex life like the one portrayed in these articles. Does anyone ACTUALLY freeze their condoms or mount mirrors in 360 degrees around their bed? I'm not entirely sure I wanna know...

-tootles

to blog, or not to blog...

So, all this blogging by my friends has got me thinkin....(dangerous, I know)...maybe I should join in the fun! So (drum roll)......here's my blog! Get excited.

I've tried this a couple of times in the past, successfully posted maybe 10 threads, then sadly the blog was lost and forgotten forever, never to be updated again. I'm not entirely sure why I have commitment issues when it comes to blogs/diaries, but it has been a problem I've never overcome. Well, I intend to change that, once and for all. Wish me luck!

Stay tuned...this could get interesting.