Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Altered Art, Altered Future - VOTE!!

OK - Today is election day. I have to start this out by telling everyone who is eligible to vote to get out to their polling stations and cast their vote. Especially any women who are reading this. Frankly, after the sacrifices that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers went through to allow females to vote in this country and in Europe, every single woman should be at the polling doors when they unlock this morning. I expect that I'll be in line 1-2 hours, even though I'll be at my polling place more than an hour before the polls open. I won't regret it at all. I not only cast my vote for my convictions, I honor my ancestors through the action. Make sure that you also honor yours by exercising your hard-fought right to be considered a person rather than a piece of property or a rubber stamp of the opinions of your husband, father, or brother.


How that my tirade is through for the morning (LOL), I also wanted to quickly touch on altered art. Altered art is artwork made from a conglomeration of items - rather like collage, but in many different types of art, not just wall art. I've seen a lot of altered art through the years, and I suppose I should amend that to state that I've seen a lot of really ugly altered art through the years. There is something really nice and really green about reusing "trash", but if trash is creating more trash, is it really an improvement? Although there is some good and innovative altered art out there, the vast majority is very ho-hum, in other words...boring. I challenge those who are making this type of art to step back from what they are creating and take a second look at their work. Does it have an underlying theme? Are there certain techniques that are defining your work? What makes your work better than the original that you cut up to create your new item? Think about it, make revisions if needed, and make your work unique - not just one more offering in an overcrowded pallette.

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