Digital Stone Project

["George Graham" <georgergraham@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

Bill,
I accept that all opinions are personal, and logical conclusions are always
easily refuted by someone with another point of view. My artistic
sensibilities are very personal and not based on the subtleties of a higher
education. Without a spellchecker my education would be even more obvious!
So don't worry, I'm not drifting aimlessly with nothing to believe in. Gut
instincts form the base of my prejudice, and a substantial foundation it is,
but at the same time I try to understand my reactions, and understand what
other artists are doing, even if I don't like their work.
My animosity toward  high-tech , machine stone carving starts with my
understanding the role of pointing machines which smothered creativity in
sculpture. Stone sculpture had sunk to endless repetition with the help of
duplication tools. A major part of the modern art movement was the freeing
of sculptural expression, and its acceptance by the public.
I wandered into the monument industry in 1981. That was the early stage of
high tech stone duplication which monument dealers took full advantage of.
They are only interested in making a profit, and offering a perfect
duplicate carving of a standard religious statue, for cheap, makes perfect
business sense. Machine like precision and cheap mass production of cemetery
stones has wiped out almost all creativity in that field, and the public
come to expect that over creativity.
I worry that we are seeing the beginnings of the same thing in the art
world. Are we seeing the undoing of what was fought so hard for by the
pioneers of direct stone carving? There will always be the best of creative
people who will use this technology to create outstanding works of art, but
I worry about the inevitable expectations of the deal seeking public who
will come to expect perfect duplication with the click of a button, for
third world prices.
I don't know what the future is , but I can imagine a cemetery of the future
that has endless rows of cnc milled copies of the heads of those buried, and
the same kind of perfection moving through the stone carving arena. What
happens to the abstract, expressionism and the intensely personal  art that
direct stone carving brings out?
I can't condemn this new way of stone carving, but it disturbs me ,
profoundly.
Well, I'm going off to  carve like a cave man on a  ridiculously detailed
Va. Black soapstone commission that brings new meaning to hand carving!
Good carving to you,
George Graham
http://www.grahamsculpturestudio.com