I’ve heard this a lot lately as justification for NSCAD’s recent troubles: why do people keep saying all artists are pretentious? They are people. Individual people. I’ve met prententious assholes from all walks of life. Why artists in particular? I don’t get it. I’m not an artist, but I know lots of them, and most of them are just people, with no pretentions. And it seems they’re actually at the other end of the spectrum, harbouring low self-confidence because the work that they produce and the community they relate to is called, for instance, pretentious, when it’s instead essential to their identity, understanding of the world, what they love more than anything else in life, and create for others. Most artists I know are extremely grateful and surprised when someone takes an interest in their work, and generally have no “pretenses” of recognition. If artists give off the air of pretention, it’s probably compensation for feeling so shitty about how little art is respected in this city. I know I’d be pretty bummed to be an artist in this town these days, since so many seem to think we’d be better off without an art school (what the fuck, btw). I’d probably try to give off an attitude of importance if that to which I dedicated my whole life was called worthless, not only by my community but by my government.
If you’re calling an artist pretentious, chances are you’re more pretentious than they are. People are people, and art is a hard BUT BRAVE business, so open your mind a bit. Art is for you. And me. And that guy. Be receptive and welcoming to it. Support it. Get to know an artist, and expose your own pretenses. It takes courage to share art with the world, much more courage than it takes to be small-minded and judgemental. Live a little. —Young-Gunz
This article appears in Nov 10-16, 2011.
over use of the word PRETENTIOUS – you pretentious wanker, which can be described as performance art.
For me, it isn’t about artist pretension or the value our society puts on art. It is just about good business. Educational institutions provide a service for a fee and this makes them a business like any other. If you are in business and you are not profitable week after week and quarter after quarter, then changes need to be made. I’m not saying that NSCAD should close their doors but that is one of the options. It is nothing personal against artists. It is just business. You may not like it but that is life.
Its a sad day in NS, when they talk of closing the Arts college. I used to like going to the showings & the little shops at the Granville street & even attended a coupe of shows & once an auction.
Hopefully, if it can’t afford to stay there, it can be set up at one of the other Universities we have in Halifax/N.S.
Next thing we’ll be hearing ther* closing down the Art Gallery or N.S., because it isn’t profitable enough !
*for those who get pissed about the wrong spelling & or use of the words They’re There & Their…I’m just going to do my best to never get it right.Please bitch about that …yer in da rite spot.
I really don’t think they will close it. I’m thinking they will more than likely combine with Dal if they do have to close. I really can’t see them closing all together. And art museums or any museums for that matter are non-profit and therefore profitability is measured differently than it would be for a for-profit company.
Dal won’t take on NSCAD; too much debt. They already handed over the Dawson Print Shop. King’s + NSCAD would be an administrative disaster since King’s has a hard enough time keeping its shit together. The Community College sector has the most cash, but that would reduce a degree-granting institution to a certifcate/trade institution (which isn’t a bad thing but it would no longer be a university). It’s just all-around too bad.
This bitch is sort of pretentious
Look. Artists have one of two things. Talent or pretension. the truly talented ones are too busy being awesome to be pretentious. And the pretentious ones are hiding the fact that they have no talent by going on about how “no one understands them” when the truth is, people have no problem understanding that brilliance is brilliance when they see it.
I’d say do the math but.. you know.. you’re an artist.
just a friendly word o.p., who fucking cares.
OB, then tell your artist friends to bail that financial ruin of an institution out, otherwise let it close up tight like a virgin’s clam and be liquidated. Any financial investor wouldn’t touch it due to the insanely poor rate of return on investment.
If ya need to pay for a degree to sew, stitch, or sniff glue…….ya wasted yer fucking money.
tl;dr
Lemme guess… the art’s primary defense is as follows:
http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljddtbhR…
For once I actually agree with More-on.
Fuck, now I have to go slit my wrists.
Remember PettyK to cut “up the street”,
Not from “one side to the other”.