Comments on Conceptual Metalsmithing: Originality in the 21st Century: The Plural Genius...

This is by far not a new concept. In fact the very...

2010-10-09T09:20:40.214-04:00

This is by far not a new concept. In fact the very term conceptual art itself means exactly what you described here. Sol Lewitt who pretty much defined conceptual art has been making art for years where the artist just writes down the directions and the viewer executes them, thus making the art. The point was that the idea is cheif to making it.

here's an excerpt from wikipedia. its the first paragraph under the search term "conceptual art".

Conceptual art is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. Many of the works, sometimes called installations, of the artist Sol LeWitt may be constructed by anyone simply by following a set of written instructions.[1] This method was fundamental to LeWitt's definition of Conceptual art, one of the first to appear in print:
“ In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art. ”

—Sol LeWitt[2]

Joanna,

While I agree that napster, a file ...

2009-01-29T00:07:00.000-05:00

Joanna,

While I agree that napster, a file sharing program, is indeed much different from a truly collaborative space, such as a wiki, I think they both describe a pervasive willingness to participate in an open community. While napster users did not create anything per se, I hope it is clear that napster was 1) a catalyst for change in our cultural perception of intellectual property in the arts, and 2) an example of how the internet is a platform for information sharing. In turn it is our access to information and our willingness to share it that will change intellectual property.

I hope that clears things up,
Best,
-G

I think you are conflating communal modes of autho...

2009-01-26T15:22:00.000-05:00

I think you are conflating communal modes of authorship (for instance, wikis) with simply sharing things (for instance, using Napster).

My first instinct is to say that the maker of the...

2009-01-26T00:19:00.000-05:00

My first instinct is to say that the maker of the components (the original idea) is creating a situation in which the consumer is engaged with the pieces. The experience is the work, created by the artist. There is value in this. In the ability to pull someones mind away from the outer world, albeit with a material object.

Then, what is the artistic worth of the design? What is unique and original about it that could bring special meaning to the time it takes away form the noise of the world, or is it just adding to it?

I love your blog.

A provocative post. Sometimes the 'prosumer' messa...

2009-01-19T01:34:00.000-05:00