Replies to Brian's Grison reply ...

philipwilleyv said...

It seems to me you stuck your neck out by writing your original article. I assume you knew people would disagree with all or part of it so I suppose you were prepared to become a target. That’s all I meant by that. Kudos anyway. You took a position. I found that refreshing. Which is why I responded. My use of the word ‘escapism’ seems straightforward to me. I think for a lot of people moving to Victoria is a kind of withdrawal from the ‘real’ world. It’s an illusion of course. We do indeed live in an era of hype and hoopla. There is no escape. Just the scale and the intensity are different. Victoria is slower, smaller and quieter than New York. The air is better too. That’s all I was saying.

John Luna said...

Dear Brian, I am interested in your apparent decision not to respond to my comments on your article. Perhaps a response is on its way. If you recall, I pointed out some worthwhile instances of art writing going on in Victoria, and suggested that if you did not evince more attention to the activities of others working in the community, a reactionary position might be inferred by your readers. I’d like to now add that you dismissal of the work of art students in this city strikes me as pointedly boorish. As an art educator and trained historian you should know better: in any given milieu only a very small portion of the art produced by students has ever proven exceptional. From this perspective, your comments read as a disingenuous attempt to turn students and teachers into straw-men: “ I also do not suggest that all art instructors in Victoria are provincial and mediocre, but if the art coming out of the local art schools is any indication, than I have to assume that most of the instructors are not very good or not doing a good job or are overwhelmed by untalented and un-ambitious students.” These comments expose your position as itself rather amateurish. If you are not going to apply your degrees and qualifications with integrity, there is no point in taking pains to list them.

philipwilleyv said...

Ooops….I wish we could edit these comments. I see now I was hasty with my blanket dismissal of escapism. Of course there are lots of ways to escape. Art works for me but some people prefer reading, yoga, boating, walking, sport, drugs, booze or watching American Idol. As John Lennon said…whatever gets you through the night.

wwelch said...

Sorry to have sent you to the dictionary Brian... My comments referred to having a writer start off an article by touting his credentials, then dismissing the credentials of others, then claiming he is the only one qualified to do the job of writer in this town and then give no examples.

christine clark said...

Hi Brian. I didn't realize until this moment that your intended theme is to discuss the mainstream/published/paid art writers currently working in Victoria. I actually thought you were planning on just ripping up everyone and everything, including galleries, artists, writers and instructors. It was that impression of a general, all-out assault on all things to do with art in Victoria that suggested to me the term "slightly irrational". Also, I found that your accusations against art schools and instructors, galleries, amateur artists and students, were not proven with concrete facts and examples. In other words, your arguments were not convincing. They were completely arbitrary and subjective. When you wrote about art instructors you could quite literally have been referring to anyone; depending on your reader's range of experience, he or she might have thought you were discussing either Daniel Laskarin or else that nice lady who teaches coil pottery down at the Fernwood Community Centre. In other words, it is not in your best interest to assume that any of us know who or what you are talking about! This is what bothered me the most about your article. I understand the urge to be honest in your writing, and I know it's difficult, but it's worse, much, much worse to be vague and indistinct. When you are trying to write an article in order to create change or to initiate an intelligent discussion, it is not good enough to be emotionally present, you've got to lay it all out, your ideas and the reasons for your ideas. Convince us! Anyway, just a few thoughts. from Christine

christine clark said...

the other thing i wanted to mention is that it kind of irks me that when people who are actually writing about art publish articles on this blog there is little to no response from exhibit-v readers. but here's brian grison with a pocketful of bias and suddenly there's a discussion. it's no wonder there isn't enough "good" art writing in this town, as several of you have suggested. there's no freaking support!

wwelch said...

Yes, Christine I agree, the conversation should be about art and not Brian's idiosyncrasies. And yes, I am guilty of not commenting on the art writing seen here. That said, I'd like to say that your piece on Daniel Laskarin's exhibit was one of the best examples of art writing in Victoria that I read this year. It was provocative, imaginative and interesting. And I should probably post this comment on your own review, however since this post was originally supposed to be about art writing... its probably fine her. Keep up the good work. Our city is better for your contribution.