ANST - Documentation

[Lady Simone]

I've been keeping my mouth shut on this topic for a while until I could see
how the new forms worked. If you liked the new Judging forms liked the ones
used at the A&S in tempio this weekend you probably won't like what I have
to say. This Is solely my opinion.

I understand the reasoning for documentation. Documentation though dose not
reflect on the Quality of an artesian  Some artisans spend so much time
working on and perfecting their art, that they may not have the time, wish
or research skills to do Documentation.  and when a full 1/5 of an artisans
scores based on documentation you set the potential for Those with inferior
work to  elevated over those with Quality work.

Example say that a lady from one barony has done an exceptional Job on an
Elizabethan Gown, spent the time to makes sure it fit well and was done as
true as possible to replicate the gown. She had not the time because of her
mundane life or time ran out to Write the research paper, or did not know
how to write the research paper needed for documentation.  Takes the Piece
to A&S and is automatically docked 10 points for no documentation. she
receives 36 points for the work, which is only 4 points of off the max she
can get without documentation.

Then a woman from another barony spends most of her time doing the research
paper for an Elizabethan gown,  The gown is poorly sewn, the gown defiantly
inferior to the first,  before the documentation she scores a 29 out of 40
but then receives 8 points for her documentation is added in she scores a
37. This woman wins

now the inferior art is what represents the best our kingdom has to offer in
costuming. This same scenario can be used for almost every art.  I do agree
that research and documentation are good things to have, but not when they
can be the difference between top examples of the skills of artisan being
beaten out by average and inferior skill.

For Art forms that the judging is Subjective such as performing, brewing and
cooking. I become worried when so much attention is given to the
documentation, because in lowering the needed skill in these areas because
of their importance of documentation, we may see overtime a lower standard
of Quality in their arts,because those with less skill can be determined
better, because they can write and research better.

I really do not like the new forms as they are, I believe they put more
focus on documentation than they do the art form.

This is my opinion

Lady Simone




>I would like to see two kinds of A&S. I would like to see an artisans
>competition as well as the A&S as it currently is. I do many periodish
>crafts that I have no way to document, much less wish to waste massive
>amounts of time on doing documentation for my less important endevours.
>I do not believe that a winner or an artisans competition should receive
>a title posistion or anything like that, but that it should be
>availible. Fighters do not document their move moves, although the
>classic ones work best. Bards do not document their work, because much
>of it is new-I wrote my story in this style because....
>
>But
>
>Arts and Sciences is just that "AND" When I produce a scroll design, I
>must be able to document it. I must understand some of the whys and
>wherefor of my product. My first time at refair, I almost died from
>"Accent Poisoning" I was speaking with a woman who's accent was part
>souther london, part northern england with an irish tinge, but not quite
>scottish, and she clamed to be french. I realize most people do not
>recognize accent, but I do to some exstent and I found conversation with
>her almost painful. I do not hold anything against her and said nothing
>to her about it, but, If I were to turn in a scroll done the same way,
>this part is 4th century Irish and this part of the same page is 14th
>century french, I know a few laurels who would get almost sick on the
>spot-and rightly so.
>
>I was recently in an A$S and of the 50 points possible, I lost 20% of my
>score do to lack of documentation. The problem was, I did not clearly
>state what I was entering. I enterred a scroll design, so I documetned
>the design. The judges thought I was entering a painted scroll, because
>I provided one as a sample on how that scroll might be painted. So I
>lost points and received comments like, more documentation needed. It
>was my fault. I did not state clearly what I was asking them to judge. I
>do not feel I could have given any more documentation than what I did,
>but, I could have explained clearly what I was submitting. I did get an
>interview after the entire competition was over with the judge. That was
>excellent. She gave me many good comments and ideas to work with. During
>the interview, I explained many of the things I did and why as well as
>pointed out the footnote that had been missed, and feel my score might
>have changed if the interview had happened as part of the competition.
>It was not for a couple of days till I figured out that they had judged
>the wrong thing, and that I did not state it clearly.
>
>I am not discuraged from A$S and will enter them again, but there are
>many arts I enjoy doing that I will never enter into an A&S as long as
>documentation is needed. My chainmail is chainmail, my cardweaving is
>cardweaving, but I am just doing a craft. I do not want to documetn it,
>unless I am doing something real speacial. There are many masters of
>these and many other crafts, and I claim no level of mastery in them. I
>just love to do them, but will not enter them in anything, because there
>is no forum forum for just an artisan.
>
>with respect
>Mahee
>a rapier fighter, a weaver, a calligrapher, an illuminator, a wood
>worker, a dancer, and working on being a brewer and storyteller, as well
>as a few that I can't think of right now.
>
><snip>
>Your raise an issue that has been the subject of (occasionally heated)
>debate: documentation for A&S entries. There seems to be a trend towards
>putting more emphasis on documentation than on the work itself. (I'm not
>picking on you or this particular competition, you just reminded me of
>this ongoing debate, and some of the "fallout" it has brought.)
>
>An artisan recently put it to me something like this: "I'm an artisan. I
>make things. I make them in a period style, using period methods as much
>as possible, and with as much craftsmanship as I can. But, lately, I
>can't even get a positive comment from the judges, let alone win a
>competition. All they want to talk about is my documentation (or lack
>thereof).
>/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
>Just my two cents. What do *you* think?
>
>In service,
>Michael Silverhands
><end snip>
>
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