have-an-idea-and-make-it-brigade

Quoted text begins.RE: Clive's statement:
"What really bores me these days is the-have-an-idea-and-make-it-
brigade, well worse than that they leave out any chance of an
interaction with the object as it unfolds because more often than not
they get some one else to make it for them. What I feel they are really
missing out on is all the possibilities that come when you have a
dialogue with what you are doing."
End of quote.

Hi Clive,

You rival Noguchi for describing what he called the two types of
artists.

He said there was the type person who figured out what hey wanted to do
and then made it, and there was the type who made it and then figured
out what they had made. He said he (Noguchi) was of the second type,
and what he said always resonated with me because I too am of the second
type.

That is one reason I do not like to do commissions except when I am
allowed pretty much carte blanche (don't have to draw up plans, etc.).
Of course that means I do very little commission work -- though the
clients might initially approach me because they have seen and like my
work, they rarely trust that my as-yet-to be done ideas will be what
they want when made material.

But from experiences with students (and a few good friends who are
artists) I have found that some folks just can't solve design problems
any way other than that first way (the-have-an-idea-and-make-it way). I
agree with you that often this leads to getting someone else to make it
for them . . . and if they miss-out on the dialogue with the material,
then I am not sure most of them even realize it or (if they do realize
it) care about any dialogue. They want to dictate to the material
rather than interact with it.

They are thinkers first, doers second -- though if you say that to them
they usually prefer to say they are 'doers' who do things by thinking
first!

One of that type person is probably responsible for the saying, "Measure
twice, cut once."

Anyway, I wouldn't let those types bore you too much -- I try to look at
it from the point of view that they are simply missing out on the fun
part. Of course, from their point of view, I am the one missing out on
the fun part! ;-)

By the way, your "productive outcome from the interest in non-stone
sculptors because they tend to show you ways to put things into stone
sculpture that may never have been done before" is also well-stated. My
way of saying the same thing is that I am simply a pack-rat-like pirate
at heart (yo ho, ho and a bottle of rum).

Good Carving to You,
Don

http://www.dondougan.homestead.com/indexdd.html