***  Haus der Kulturen der Welt: Forum1 Archive  ***
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   [Date]: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 03:09:41 -0400
   [From]: Mar’a Magdalena Ziegler  <cuartico@telcel.net.ve>
     [To]: "Cultural Exchange via Internet" <forum1@hkw.kbx.de>
[Subject]: RE: [forum1] Re: Berlin

Dear Susan,

I respect your statments. No comments, as british use to say.
But here is something... Artists are not gods, are not deities or idols.
TheyĞre human beings just like us, they go to the bathroom just like us,
they eat and drink just like us, they watch the same tv shows like us...
That they must have a lot more sensibility towards the world... Hmmmm... IĞm
not pretty sure of that. But let history make its job. Let the time pass,
and weĞll see...
Rembrandt was everything but recognized as the greatest artist of his
time...Now we think different... but there are hundreds of years between his
life and ours.
This is not a matter of philosophy, posmodernism... it is a matter of
reflexion inside the public soul, mind and spirit. I do not think those
artists represents my willings, dreams, thoughts or beliefs. If they
represents yours, well... Congratulation!

Mar’a Magdalena Ziegler

----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Marquez <smarq@pacbell.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 06, 1999 3:38 AM
Subject: [forum1] Re: Berlin

Dear Maria,

That such a vast array of materials and that a great deal of latitude exists
for artists to expres themselves today does present the potential for
shallow, unimaginative, trivial statements to make their way into the
artistic mainstream. Of course, every artist must stand the test of
time---whether we are talking specifically about their work or the artist's
own level of engagement in the art community during their career and from
project to project.

It is possible to approach today's highly pluralistic art community with a
sense of what one appreciates and what one finds trivial or ill-executed.
Every artist ultimately appreciates honest responses and reactions to their
work. Whether or not the artist incorporates those responses into their next
art project is up to them, however. It is only right. That is their freedom.
Yet, I have to look at the artist's work and determine whether or not it
successfully conveys their claims. If I can understand what the artist is
attempting to say in their work, then I will want to see more work, and go
on supporting their work, as a result. Ultimately it is about the artist as
a person. Building a relationship with the artist personally would be most
rewarding, of course.

This freedom to communicate ideas must be the right of the artist, but also
our right as human individuals. So, if that is how you felt about the
exhibition, I have no concerns. I just wanted to hear more details and
understand the reasoning behind your statements. Thank you for elaborating.



Thank you, MB.

Susan