[Ansteorra] What makes a favorite event?
Mystique
Mystique at phulesgold.com
Mon Jan 21 11:21:29 PST 2008
I am in agreement about the A&S being mundane.. I am in full agreement with
Cariadoc of the Bow's coments and opinions on this. There should NOT be a
reqirement for DOCUMENTATION.. for your artwork.
To quote:: One problem with arts contests is that they are, as a rule, among
the most unmedieval events we hold. Most, in my experience, feel more like a
modern debate tournament than like anything from the Middle Ages. While this may
not be inevitable, it is at least difficult to avoid. At an arts contest we are
judging not only the quality of the works submitted but also their authenticity.
It is hard to do so without judges and entrants discussing what was or was not
done in period. But any such discussion forces us to look at the Middle Ages
from the outside, not the inside-as twentieth century students of the period,
not as medieval people. No medieval judge evaluated art works, and no medieval
craftsman defended them, according to whether or not they were authentically
medieval.
A related problem is the tendency in arts contests to judge works on
documentation, instead of, or in addition to, judging them on authenticity.
Obviously, if the artist has reason to expect the judges to make a mistake-if he
knows something about the authenticity of his work which they probably do not
know-it is up to him to pass on the information. But the requirement for
documentation in arts contests often goes much further than that. Artists are
expected to provide evidence to the judges of things that the judges ought to
know if they are competent to judge the work, such as what verse forms were used
in period. Documentation is treated as an objective in itself, rather than as
evidence for the authenticity of the work. In some cases-exotic dancing, for
example-entrants get credit for documentation even if all the documentation
shows is that neither the entrant nor anyone else knows enough to tell what was
or was not being done in period. In effect, the artist is being judged partly as
an artist and partly as an amateur scholar. I can think of few better ways of
discouraging the arts than to require that every work be accompanied by a term
paper.
This is from his website::
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/concerning_contests.html
I'm not writing a damn report to PROVE my work is period.. if a person who is
judging the items doesn't know.. he/she shouldn't be a judge.. if they know some
things, then get with the artist prior and discuss it. If anything is needed on
paper.. then maybe a book the artist may have available that shows the process
or a VERY MINOR, simple paper listing what/where the "proof" can be found. If an
artist had to make something and couldn't use 100% authentic materials.. then
they could put a small document stating that with the item.. Basically, only
documents I see that should be with an item is perhaps a description of perhaps
tools used in the process, materials used and maybe give a "viewer" info like
how long it takes to create such and such item.
This is the main reason no one in my family will ever enter our A&S into
competition. We did enjoy the A&S "competetion" that was at BAM.. where peeps
simply displayed their works.. and you were handed a token to drop into a
container next to the work you liked the most. People decided for themselves
what they felt was good, period and well done.
One thing I haven't really seen at the few events we have attended so far here
in Ansteorra, are people sitting at their campsites actually making things..
other than a few merchants who do stuff at their booths or an occassional lady
seamstress doing something while watching fighting and such. Both in Atlantia
and Drachenwald at every event people were all over doing their actual crafts..
leather, wood, bone, sewing, cooking (for others to taste), caligraphy.. It was
at an event in Drachenwald where my husband learned bone work from a man sitting
at a table near his campsite.. not far from the lists.. working on bone. Another
event had a class for bone work he took to get more info.
Maire O'Halowrane
<snipit>
----- Original Message -----
From: <willowdewisp at juno.com>
To: <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 12:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] What makes a favorite event?
I want it know that while I stated that I didn't personally like some things
like A&S contest that are very mundane. I liked the faire more flakiest contest
we used to have at event. I can't tell you what are the difference but the
contest at Lions I found fun. There is something cold about the way we do things
now. I liked interacting with the people more.
Willow de Wisp
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