Sunday, August 17, 2008

Art Olympics

What makes art centers think art is a competitive sport...that we should be interested in winning and taking home ribbons. Art is about being creative not about being competitive. Competition has its focus on "I'm better than you" and that sort of thinking destroys the art spirit and puts a business suit on the act of creativity.

2 comments:

Dianne Mize said...

THANK YOU ROGER!!!! I just discovered your blog though I've been enjoying your newsletters for quite a while and I have also watched and enjoyed several of your videos. Anyway, all my career (I'm 67) I've been a lone voice saying the same thing you've said about the negative impact competition has on artists. I will not enter competitions nor will I judge them. You cannot imagine the glee I felt when I read your August 17 entry. BRAVO.

John Walker said...

Thanks Roger...

Serendipity led me to your website to I find an artist who thinks like me, especially where competition is concerned. I just hate art competitions and I'd no more enter one than sit in an alligator infested creek to paint! ~wink~

We don't have to worry about the alligators here in UK, but then we rarely get weather that is warm enough to allow us to sit in the middle of a stream. We just do what we can is the approach I think.

I added your URL to my own blog. I can't promise many visitors for you, because they come to my blog only infrequently. But at least it is there.

Thanks again for the inspiration you have rekindled in me, for acrylics. I shall be a regular visitor to your sit e and your blog. Oh... and I really must use the tubes of acrylic I have before they dry out!

Happy Painting Roger.
Regards John