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aesthetics, thank you

updated thu 17 jun 99

 

Elca Branman on wed 16 jun 99

Who shall we nominate for the aesthetics police ?

When I was young, I thought certain paintings marvellous(too embarrassed
to mention whose).As my own taste developed, it changed.Taste is the
result of personal inclination and personal education and exposure
opportunities.
If it gives me joy, I never fight it.
If I hate it, and enough people tell me to look again, I will.
It took me a long time to "see" Cezanne;does that reflect on me, or
Cezanne, or our society?I still have problems(oh, heresy) with
teabowls,but I look, and look again.
When customers choose a particular pot to buy, they are very pleased if
they get validation from the "expert"(me, in MY studio.)

And the real bottom line truth; if I salivate, a purely visceral
uncerebral reaction,I know I'm there. YUMMMM,Bonnard,Manzu,some Japanese
calligraphy,Rembrandt drawings,Gorky, Diebenkorn,giant unnamed woman's
pots from Africa,I could go on and on,but why bother?
Each of us has this glimmer of artistic "rightness" that we call beauty
and my glimmer and your glimmer may be very different. And you may be
capable of verbalizing your conception(you think).,and I might be capable
of understanding and learning(huh) but sometimes its like an eskimo
describing the delicious taste of raw seal blubber; I believe the
enthusiasm but lack the personal experience of it.

Elca.. at home in Sarasota,Florida,USA

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