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Topic: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Replies: 349 Pages: 24 Last Post: Mar 1, 2006 7:27 PM by: Ray Rolfe

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jaime longoria

Posts: 1,161
Registered: Oct 7, 2002

Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 10, 2003 4:44 PM

This Post is for the purpose of developing an exhibition proposal to the Minneapolis Art Institute's Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program.

The title is intended to describe Art that is not created to compete with Art at an international level.(New York City) The work is to be specifically reflective of a laidback, unpretentious approach to the pleasurable practice of the crafts( means of production: painting, drawing, sculpting, etc.) of artistic expression( Think "Hotdish" Art; good and filling but not gourmet or exotic)

Artists submitting to this exhibition ideal are those with no aspirations to having a career that takes them ultimately to New York City.

In this Post participation is encouraged in the discussion of what criteria is to be use to admit art into this exhibition.

The MAEP shows are booked a year out in advance and so we have a good thirty days to gather ideas and endure discussion before a committee is formed to draft the actual proposal. Ideally we would like to submit the proposal by April 15, 2003.

Artists who take a shining to the idea of "Minnesota Mediocre" are welcome to bring their quirky humor to this posting.

This approach should give access to a greater amount of actual participation in the creation of an exhibition than has ever occurred before.

I personally am very excited about the potential for a truly "Minnesota" (art made by Minnesotans for Minnesotans in a Minnesota state of mind)exhibition.

Coyote 256
aka
Jaime Longoria

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 1:22 AM

HAHAHA! thats great. I like this description alot better then the thought process that lead up to it. Quite insane. It almost inspires me to go make some macaroni art just to be involved. Heh. You guys are serious arnt chew?

jaime longoria

Posts: 1,161
Registered: Oct 7, 2002

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 2:55 PM

> HAHAHA! thats great. I like this description alot
> better then the thought process that lead up to it.
> Quite insane. It almost inspires me to go make some
> macaroni art just to be involved. Heh. You guys are
> serious arnt chew?

Funny, while I was thinking who would be the best qualified to head up the committee; You came to mind.

coyote 4

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 3:23 PM

You want to be really inflammatory? Go look at a bunch of art during an art crawl. Buy a bunch of "mediocre" pieces, or specially invite the creator to show the piece in an upcoming (yet to be named, haha) exhibition.

Gather your medicrity, title the show, watch the art community shit themselves. (Jeez, I'm like the snow queen.)

Don't ask people to be mediocre - just gather stuff and proclaim it. Let the pieces fall where they may. Unpopular ideas and inflammatory actions lead people to strengthen and defend their views (like the whole rediculous Rep. Arlon Lindner fiasco right now).

jaime longoria

Posts: 1,161
Registered: Oct 7, 2002

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 3:45 PM

> You want to be really inflammatory? Go look at a
> bunch of art during an art crawl. Buy a bunch of
> "mediocre" pieces, or specially invite the creator to
> show the piece in an upcoming (yet to be named, haha)
> exhibition.
>
> Gather your mediocrity, title the show, watch the art
> community shot themselves. (Jeez, I'm like the snow
> queen.)
>
> Don't ask people to be mediocre - just gather stuff
> and proclaim it. Let the pieces fall where they may.
> Unpopular ideas and inflammatory actions lead people
> to strengthen and defend their views (like the whole
> ridiculous Rep. Arlon Lindner fiasco right now).

Lauren; don't you think you should be a little more respectful of people given the recent L. L. fiasco.

I am serious here.

The idea is to give those artists who are perfectly to satisfy themselves and no one else the opportunity to present their art in the same venue as the buffoons who believe they are making Art with a capital A.

It would be the forum for those artists who do not research the history of their craft nor critically evaluate what art craft they do practice.

I am not so rude as to pronounce them mediocre by selecting their ernest work for such identification. We should allow everyone to pronounce themselves as to what they do and what intent they have.

Remember Hotdish, the mid-west claim to culinary art. I think that best describes the Minnesota Mediocre art. Hot dish for the eyes!

Take it seriously!

Coyote 256

dale snyder

Posts: 509
From: Lakewood Township, Duluth
Registered: Oct 21, 2002

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 8:22 PM

Excellent Jaime.

There are, of course, a host of "New York" quality artists who would only aspire to that (elite clientele base) market so they could be free to live in Ely.

Those folks won't be at our quaint little gathering of course, and I am thinking of what method we can employ to get the word out.

Someone mentioned post card, and that reminded me of a thing a friend is involved in called Mail Art. Anyone heard of it?

My son contributed a work and received a box of post cards from kids around the world. Awesome!

Just throwing ideas

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 10:41 PM

Jaime - I see. We just had different intents. I did not mean to say that the actual work would itself be mediocre. Just that the title of the show would be inflammatory enough so that people would start talking/thinking/engaging/discussing/defending Minnesota artwork.

I like your intent, too, but as I stated before, I think there is already a lot of pride in local art, but no intense dialogue. I thought this would be a coyote piece you would enjoy, at first everyone would hate the organizers of the show (you know, just enough to get more publicity *wink), then they'd understand the greater purpose.

Let me be clear - I intend absolutely no disrespect to Minnesota artists. They are many of the most brilliant, talented, hard working, involved, and giving people I have had the pleasure to work with. I think the artists (and the public!) deserve a real and active critical discussion/dialogue.

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 10:58 PM

Yeah, I think I am a little confused by the different definitions that seem to be at work here.

And I don't fully understand how voting on the works will lead to a truly "mediocre" show. Everyone voting must have a clear conception of what "mediocre" is or else they will just vote for what they like, which brings us right back to the question of how to evaluate art. Voting may not be a bad idea, sort of an American Idol of art (sorry, my wife watches it...). But it does not seem to get to the core of what Jaime is talking about.

Actually, setting up a Star Search format might lead to the direct community involvement and relevance that many have expressed a desire for. Or it could just reinforce the mediocre...

Also, there seem to be two choices: a person is considered to make "mediocre" work if they are contented, provincial, and are not open to critical reaction. They enter the realm of the ambitious, New York-aspiring "Artist" when they call what they do "Art" thus opening themselves up to brutal examination in the context of art history. I don't see a lot of people jumping towards either of those options. It's possible there is a third way that is more desirable, making challenging work grounded in your landscape and investigation that is open to critical examination.

Just some thoughts. I personally think the alliteration of the title is the main draw for the show; it is just so catchy and provocative it begs to be done.

Sam

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 11:11 PM

Here's an idea:

Set up an artornot.com website like the hotornot.com site where you rate people's looks. But at artornot.com, people post pictures of artworks which people can rate on a scale of 1 to 10 (or whatever criteria you want to set up, such as yes or no). I still don't really know where any of this will get us though.

Sam

Colin Rusch

Posts: 1,435
Registered: Oct 16, 2002

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 11, 2003 11:21 PM

> Here's an idea:
>
> Set up an artornot.com website like the hotornot.com
> site where you rate people's looks. But at
> artornot.com, people post pictures of artworks which
> people can rate on a scale of 1 to 10 (or whatever
> criteria you want to set up, such as yes or no). I
> still don't really know where any of this will get us
> though.
>
> Sam

Hey Sam,

This made me smile. Go to http://www.artornot.com. It is the website for some friends of mine in England. I went over last spring at the invitation of another friend, Jos. He and I made a dance in their elaborate garden. They are lovely people.

Your suggestion for the website is great.

Colin

jaime longoria

Posts: 1,161
Registered: Oct 7, 2002

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 12, 2003 11:47 AM

I am however referring to the "postcard" feature here on mnartists.org. Each of us can go through the thousands of artists on mnartists.org and pick images we nominate for the show. The artists would have to be contacted respectfully inviting them to submit to the show.

A real proposal drafted after the "postcards"a(web based images) and Artists bios assembled on line, by the "coyoties" would be submitted to the MAEP, which will put the discussion of Quality on the institutional map!

The MAEP board will have a political hot potato on it's hands and the discussion will travel across many of the sub groups of artists in Minnesota. We, who are engaged in this must be ready to address with love respect each new voice that comes into the discussion.

Note that the Proposal will in effect be "on line".
It's evaluation by the MAEP board could also be on "on line", image that !!!!

coyote 256

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 12, 2003 2:12 PM

>JAMIE:"Funny, while I was thinking who would be the best qualified to head up the committee; You came to mind.
coyote 4"

RAY: Yeah, I saw that. Captain Homeless eh? I'm curious, what do you see of "qualities" which qualify me?

You know, other then the fact that I have a "Minnesota Mediocre" Mnartists.org account ready to receive postcards (with the artists permission! of course) at my MinnesotaMediocre@yahoo.com account.

But hey, if I chair a review and selection committee, conflict of interest befalls me too as far as being in the exhibition should any of my little paintings be nominated.. Oh well, I'm a "genious" anyway. That disqualifies me.

You all are great.
Please excuse me, I have this Subzero thing to tend to, but you all keep up the good work.
~Ray

Colin Rusch

Posts: 1,435
Registered: Oct 16, 2002

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 12, 2003 6:10 PM

Hey Everyone,

I wrote a bunch of stuff for you on the MM project in the Dialogue forums. Go check it out.

Colin

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 13, 2003 2:28 AM

Colin - thank you so much for the focused, direct, and respectful thoughts you posted in "Dialogues". Many of those things were on my mind.

MM Coyotes - I will work on designing a "visual identity" for MM (print and digital) over the coming week. Put in your suggestions now so I can work 'em in.

Holy Cow, Ray - I just checked out your homepage. You're neato.

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: Minnesota Mediocre: An exhibition of self satisfied Art and Craft
Posted: Mar 13, 2003 11:00 AM

> The idea is to give those artists who are perfectly
> to satisfy themselves and no one else the opportunity
> to present their art in the same venue as the
> buffoons who believe they are making Art with a
> capital A.

SooVAC just did a show with a similar theme called "Comfort Food" (I think it's still up, actually) -are we stepping on their toes?

> > Don't ask people to be mediocre - just gather
> stuff
> > and proclaim it. Let the pieces fall where they
> may.
> > Unpopular ideas and inflammatory actions lead
> people
> > to strengthen and defend their views

I am sorry that this really wasn't as clear asI wanted it to be. I wanted a range of work good, bad, art, craft, self-therapy art, art with a capital A, pretentious artfuck art, and "art that takes the top of your head off". Let the people decide.

I have heard Minnesota art called mediocre fairly often, and I want to challenge that. What is mediocre? What is great art? These definitions are as varied as there are people and the days they live. But I want people to think about what they are consuming, what they support, what they hate. I want to challenge people to challenge themselves - that's the show I'm after.

I think you and I are after two different shows; and I don't mind that. There's room for both, there's room for compromise and jeez - who am I to complain when we are faced with a pile of wonderful ideas to choose from?

Lauren

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