OFF CANVAS: BUT.....is it ART?

This is "BIRDIE".

The 'Art Doll' I made while bemoaning/whinging to myself about Sooke and etc etc bla bla yadda.

(I think those branches-as-hair is just a touch of creative genius)

Yes, well.....we may be down but we're not out.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Gallery Guy from the town where I've had my month long show at calls to ask for more dolls please as all the ones I put in the show and made to bring in as the show was on, have SOLD.

ALL of them, folks.

And therein lies the dilemma of today's post.

Anyone who has a smidgeon of cognizant awareness can put this together and realize that the ART DOLLS are what people are buying and so, ergo: make more.

(this is what you'd call :the pregnant pause)

BUT IS IT ART?

Oh, sigh bloody sigh.

In every Artist's life there comes a time when you are smack dab up against the evil of creating something 'kitschy' as a what-the-hell-why-not moment that becomes 'vogue-ish'. Large eyed kids and velvet Elvises aside, you know what I mean.

I originally made the art dolls as a break/recharge from my regularly scheduled serious painting sessions. They were fun. They were cool to invent. They used up a lot of fabric/beads/junk I had lying around.

And people liked them.

Consequently, they have grown into their own thing and garnered a whole section of studio space, but moving on with the sad tale oh wah.

Anystillplayingwithdolliesway, the Gallery Guy in the next town, wants to do a whole show based around Art Dolls exclusively. He's thinking @ 70. Or so.

And I am really (really) happy to have had this success but somewhere in the way away place of my head/soul/whatever, is the little voice sneering about the whole "not really Art, is it" thing.

I have a good friend that lives very far away - NY to be exact - whom I met cyberly. Actually he was the ONLY guy that was decent from my rather 'here be monsters' excursion into the hell of cyber dating services. I don't know what it is about me - maybe it's the 'artist' label - but for me the whole dating site thing was a colossal failure. While everyone else got the-mate-of-their-dreams, I got the guy who sent pics of his goodies with a sock over it and the other jewel who talked 2 hours non stop about himself and another prince that wanted to stay with me right away, forget coffee. (can we say "desperation" ) And so forth.

The problem with J. is that he is beyond phobic to the nth degree about flying; he says a boatload of Valium won't help; and I'm poor - so we have never ever met in the physical plane of existence. Perhaps this is why the relationship works. Who knows.

The thing is J grew up in a life of the silver-spoon-in-mouth kind...never mind silver, it was Titanium. I am often just gobsmacked by his tales. And meeting the rich and famous? De rigeur for that boy.

Ok all that aside, J and I often talk about fame and what makes it work. He says; and I quote:

"hell, if it is good enough for Barbie it is good enough for you.

you need to invent a pet rock, hoola hoop, whoopee cushion. what the hell?

you public needs you, Girl!!! you must feed your public!"

So the whole question of Art versus crap just becomes moot. And I am not ashamed of these dolls I make; far from it. They are unique and trippy and full of creative genius and if they weren't, people wouldn't buy them.

And what is Art anyway.

"BIRDIE" is made from fabric from my own pattern. Her clothes are from Designer Fabric swatches and from my own patterns I make up. The little Birdhouse Hat I made from Paperclay. She stands about 14" high.

Oh, as a last thought, the following comment from Banksy: