Layers of Meaning

Getting Cute With Art

The Washington Post has an article about the new Pandamaniacs "art" bears that are popping up all over Washington DC. What they have to say is not good, optimistic or cheery. But I think that there are some parallels between their criticism of fun art and what we are willing to accept as fun art in the quilt world.

A quick quote from the article: "A few weekends back, most of the newly decorated pandas sat gathered in an empty office building in Southwest Washington, pending their stampede across our cityscape. There was "Paisley Panda," covered in psychedelic swirls... There was -- no kidding -- a panda reworked to look like a chocolate-dipped "strawbeary." Not one of these beasts or any of their brethren reminded me -- even vaguely, even in passing -- of the kinds of things I've been asked to look at in art galleries and museums across the country, or around the world, made by artists working now or in the far or recent past. They don't link up to the kinds of creative challenges significant artists have to face and overcome. They're not about artistic innovation, or about addressing real issues in the world or in the history of art."

Here's some insights from the art intelligencia in DC:
""Art in public spaces need not be dull and 'official.' It can be delightful, even fun. But I am not convinced that painting tourist-style images of Washington on inflated teddy bears is either challenging or inspirational as art -- more like panda-ing to the public."
-- Julian Raby, director of the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler art galleries

"Here we have world-class museums putting shows together, and they might get a footnote compared to the attention the pandas get. . . . I look at them and think, 'These are for the kids.' What's missing in Washington is public art that can have a serious philosophical dialogue with the community."
-- Robin Rose,leading Washington painter "

I have never lived in a city when one of these public art-animal programs was going on, but they do seem delightful, and they do engage the public and sell books, posters and little china figurines. All of which is good. But this article brings up a point - couldn't we do public art (or art quilts) that do both: make one feel good and challenge the intellect at the same time?

Oddly enough, just before reading this article, I had been reading an old review of a Chicago Funk school exhibit at the Corcoran. Fun? yes! Thought-provoking? yes! What can we learn here? When, as fiber artists, do we begin to have our "serious philosophical dialogue with the community"?