art??? gimme a break

Well said Toni. I am also in the camp of liking the guys work.

Most of all i admire his courage to be unique and stand out from the crowd.

Far too often we sell ourselves short to be able to "fit in". It starts when our parents groom us. It results in shutting down our brain in certain parts to conform. It ends up in we dont hang out with people because they dont conform, all in the name of "society".

The single thing that drives our world right now is creativity.

Even in a subject like finance which appears to the uninformed to be little grey accountants, creativity is needed.

I bring it back to all those who wish to do woodworking as a living.

What is it that you are offering that is creative and unique that would provide a signature like this guy and make people with money want what you selling. People can buy production stuff at bargain basement prices at the numerous stores offering it. You can never hope to compete with them unless you have a unique element to your offering and it strikes a chord with the recipient.

To have that edge, you need to be creative and then as this guy has be true to it.

I think that table is cool. I would not have wanted to make it. I dont see it as practical for me, I like the bed, what a natural way to hang things up. Why does it have to be on hooks all chrome or brass plated, just because thats what mom or grandma had in her home?

I envy these people. They have intellectual capacity that makes me humble and they have found the way to set it free. Kudos to him. He aint no fool.

How often do we take the time to try and put an element of difference or uniqueness into our work. Most of us are focused on how long it will add to the job, or what the risk of of error or damaging it or what others would think.

Nothing new or creative will come from that thought process or reasoning.

I say thank goodness for guys like this or our world would be pretty boring if it were left to guys like me to design our environments or artifacts.


Good post Frank, certainly a great debate to have.

T hanks guys for understanding. And, we really are not off-topic. Much (all?) of what we do with wood can be called artistic.
I'm just bumfuzzled by much of it.
Of course 'art' is a good excuse for most of my (our?) misteaks.

Can I say "bumfuzzled" here?

BTW, I realized many years ago, Ansel Adams I ain't.
As for being, what some would call 'artistically challenged', I do try to understand. Wife and I make a yearly pilgrimage to the Arkansas Art Museum. And, I always come away trying to understand how they decide what is art and not the result of some kindergartner having spilled the paint pots onto the floor. Really. How do you tell the difference?

Frank, I am in your corner. I just don't get it. I guess I am old fashioned in my art thinking.

And, the creator probably used a CNC laser or waterjet to "drill" all those holes, randomly.

JMHO

Now that would make a great vacuum table for me to use when working on old painting. LOL

Frank Fusco said:

Several comments, starting with Toni, are, I agree, on the money regarding artistic ability. Some folks can create interesting objects or pictures while others cannot. Some see art in objects that others just see as 'things'.

Broken toilets or urinals in art galleries with fake 'stuff' in them selling for tens of thousands of dollars strikes me a just plain nutso, not art. I have photographed (on assignment, not choice) large canvases painted one solid color that won big awards in art competitions. I don't understand.
The furniture in question leaves me cold and, to me, is simply a hoax on those who would rather drop big bucks to show they can afford it rather than admit it is nonsense. I think the real art here is the hustle and promotion, not the table. Most folks wouldn't have it in their house much less spend big money for it.
OK, so now I have insulted half the population you may call me boring if you wish.

Click to expand...

As far as broken toilets and urinals or dead sharks in formaldehide tanks I completely agree with you Frank, as well as I agree that the real "art" is being able to sell them, but that belongs to a different debate.

Your comments remind me the tale of the King's suit, but trying to define what is art and what is not is like debating about the sex of the angels.

If art ( in its broader meaning) is that thing provoques an emotion to the viewer such as a painting, or an opera, or a ballet, and so many other things, those objects are considered "art" because they provoque an emotion on people, many feel rejection as yourself, others amusement, others feel disgusted etc. I'm not justifying them but rather explaining why it is considered art. Wich I don't BTW.

This sort of "art" started with the Dadaism where provocation was the objective, and because it provoques a reaction on the viewer, now it has become an easy resource for those art gallerys and assurance companies (I'm referring to the shark in formaldehide) that just use those objects & artists to make money by artificially blowing up the prices.

To me as perception of things is completely subjective, I always say that if you consider a thing is "art" it will (for you) if not it won't. There is no objective art catalogation that can help us to know and decide whether a thing is art or not.

We can start another debate if you want about the difference between a piece of art and an artistic piece, which are not the same IMHO.

BTW these debates never end

Thanks, Toni. Normally, I prefer debates that never end.
But, with this one, I agree, it is in the eye of the beholder.

I like some of his stuff but some of it I find contrived. I do like the table. I suspect he has studied marketing. Some of his descriptions of his work I personally think ridiculous. I suppose that about sums up the world of "art".

Price is always subjective in that some people can be convinced to pay a lot for what they like.

I have met a guy who gets high dollar for his woodworking. He had an original Bazis rocking chair that he used as inspiration for his own versions.
The original was great in concept but had issues in the execution. (I saw them side by side.) I find his work inspiring and real art. www.birdseye-connection.com

enjoy...............

Paul Downes said:

I like some of his stuff but some of it I find contrived. I do like the table. I suspect he has studied marketing. Some of his descriptions of his work I personally think ridiculous. I suppose that about sums up the world of "art".

Price is always subjective in that some people can be convinced to pay a lot for what they like.

I have met a guy who gets high dollar for his woodworking. He had an original Bazis rocking chair that he used as inspiration for his own versions.
The original was great in concept but had issues in the execution. (I saw them side by side.) I find his work inspiring and real art. www.birdseye-connection.com

enjoy...............

Click to expand...

Those chairs are different, no doubt. Artistic? I dunno. That's an individual call. I know I wouldn't want one in my living room.

Paul Downes said:

I have met a guy who gets high dollar for his woodworking. He had an original Bazis rocking chair that he used as inspiration for his own versions.
The original was great in concept but had issues in the execution. (I saw them side by side.) I find his work inspiring and real art. www.birdseye-connection.com
enjoy...............

Click to expand...

Without entering to evaluate or qualify them I would say that looking at his other projects it seems as if those chairs have been done by a different person.

Toni Ciuraneta said:

Without entering to evaluate or qualify them I would say that looking at his other projects it seems as if those chairs have been done by a different person.

Click to expand...

There's something wrong with this picture. Here's an example of a chair by Thomas Bazis:



The website listed above is titled "Baxis Rocking Chairs." http://www.birdseye-connection.com/the.store?cart_id=61978.7686&page=rockers.html

Not sure how I'd feel about this if I were Thomas Bazis...

Thanks,

Bill

That chair has so Character I like it.

Bill Lantry said:

There's something wrong with this picture. Here's an example of a chair by Thomas Bazis:

The website listed above is titled "Baxis Rocking Chairs." http://www.birdseye-connection.com/the.store?cart_id=61978.7686&page=rockers.html

Not sure how I'd feel about this if I were Thomas Bazis...

Thanks,

Bill

Click to expand...

Now I'm lost, on that web site on the right hand side it reads "Bazis chairs"
but all the works shown are from the same guy or it is just a web shop and we see different pieces from different guys?

I don't know anything about Tom Bazis but I've found on the web that he makes carved chairs similar to those, or should I say that those are similar to his?

Sam Maloof's rocker has many imitators (if that is the case) but only the original one has that "true" flavour or so I think.

Toni, I believe Bazis is the original artist, and this guy is making Bazis-inspired rockers.

I think it's interesting (as Bill pointed out) that the copy artist has misspelled the original artist's name in the page title (visible at the top of your browser window).

While I admire the skill and patience it would take to build and carve one of these rockers, aesthetically they don't really do much for me.

table is fine but the rocker doesnt do it for me,, but i am just one amongst many.