Soulless?

["Bob Hackett" <kinfolk@zzzzzzz>]

The reasons not to like this work are many. You could start with the
opinion that it is not being true to the stone. From there move on
into the work,  by way of machine, crossing over from the
craftsmanship of risk into certainty. You could also make a very good
argument that there is little difference between this "artist" and any
other "conceptual artist" who lets others, either human or machine,
bring thier vision to life instead of mastering the skills needed to
do it themselves.

Then again all the above reasons may just be excuses for your own
inability to embrace available technology. This line of thinking
parallels a recent discussion I was involved in about woodturning. A
member of the forum felt that using things such as torque arresting
hollowing systems and lazers to indicate wall thickness in hollow
forms was in his opinion "cheating". He also felt the work done in
this manner was of lesser value than a form done by conventional
methods as it bordered on being "mass produced" and "an attempt to
defaud the public". I put on my infantry hat and after explaining the
mission of the infantry countered that by his definition I had cheated
by using things like artillery, close air support, helicopters, even a
wheeled vehicle was "cheating". In order to live up to his definition
of a true infantryman I had to arrive on the battlefield on foot with
nothing more than an edged weapon and certainly not an automatic rifle
or body armor. Needless to say my life expectancy would be measured in
minutes. His reply was "All's fair in love and war", so much for the
Geneva Convention. There was another artist(my assessment, not his.
His work tells me he's an artist)who put forth the proposition that
the true essence of art resides in the idea. No matter how skillful
the craftsman is who makes a reproduction it still pales in comparison
to the original. Even if the level of craftsmanship exceedes the
original it is still a forgery of another's vision. Separate the
finished piece from the making process for a moment. How do you feel
about the piece itself? Should we place more value on it if it was
done by "conventional" methods involving pneumatics or electricly
powered tools? Still more esteem if the same piece is produced using
nothing but hammer, chisel, and polished by hand? Still more if we use
only stone and bone tools? I'm sure the person who purchases these
works cannot tell how they were made unless told. Can you tell the
difference between a piece polished by an air grinder as opposed to an
electric one?

While I personally cannot see myself doing CNC work and attempting to
pass it off as original art I can more easily get my mind around it
than I can cutting up farm animals and encasing them in plastic or
canning my own feces or splattering feces (regardless of origin)on
things like flags or religious symbols and having the nerve to hang a
price tag on it. I do kind of like that urinal thing though.

Bob