[Ansteorra] How to Trap a Laurel

[Jeffrey Clark]

Performance arts are really hard to compete with in terms of scoring. There
are so many more "subjective" points on the performance sheet than the
static sheet. You also end up having a harder time fighting your audiences
preconceptions in that field. If I get up and do a period-authentic
performance of "Pastime with Good Company" and my judge's only experience
with that work is through someone like Blackmoor's Night, then it will be
reflected in how they perceive my performance. Of course, it is also hard to
beat someone who could sit down in their garage and work on something for as
long as they wanted to get it *right* and then present it wearing anything
they want and with any mannerisms they want and get a perfect score, when
you get *one* shot to get it right and everything from your manner to you
costume can cost you points no matter how good the actual meat of the
performance.

I'd also like to do the resurrection dance and bring up what Dieterich said:

"I have two areas of expertise: Early Modern Theater and Marketing.  Both
have taught me that context is crucial.  If you don't take the time to put
something in context- which is really what a good display should be about-
you're just doing your art for yourself.  Self.  As in the word 'selfish'.
Yes, art is personal, but if you're out *seeking judgment* and begging the
valuable time of others in the form of feedback- that's 'consulting' in the
real world and usually comes with a $100/hr+ price tag- you need to
recognize that if you don't put your work in context it may be difficult to
digest, particularly in those Blue Water art forms where you are the lone
pioneer."

This is not the case. When we go to a competition (something like Steppes
Artisan, less LPT) I don't think that many of us are asking for a
"consultation" from the judges. You might get a few beginners who are
looking for feedback, but I think that many entries are either showing off
their work or are making competitive attempts to win. I mean, it is a
competition after all (unless you are going just to display). This is not to
say that context is not crucial, just that if someone has volunteered to
judge a competition, then they have an obligation to judge each work based
on its own merits and solely the merits of that work. One of the most
annoying things is to lose points for not doing something that is beyond the
purview of your art. Going back to Whitric, it would be like penalizing one
of his translations because he didn't make a period tablet/scroll/book to
put the translation on in the proper form; when the piece being entered was
the translation itself.

Then again, it is hard to compete outside of the arts-and-crafts field. Most
people are more drawn to things that they can see and hold rather than more
abstract arts. Of course, we have gotten so involved with the arts and
crafts that people can't shake it. I've done a few competitions where I've
presented pieces of music that I've written and when I put the relevant
instrument on my table as eye-candy I *always* get complaints from people
who try to find the part of my documentation about where I made the
instrument and can't find it. The music doesn't matter, just the instrument.


Working in an underrepresented art is difficult, but worth it. Working in
any of the arts is difficult, but rewarding.

--Alessandro