Nativity Story

[Nebraska]

I have a cute nativity story I like to tell. My wife and I stoped in for a beer at Illegal Pete’s on The Hill in Boulder Colorado late one cloudy fall afternoon. The place was quiet only three other customers. Thirty minutes latter the place is packed with college students (Happy Hour). The kid next to me starts up a conversation and I mentioned being a wood carver. Then he tells me the story of the nativity his grandfather carved. He was ill when he started the project but thought it would be something the family would have at Christmas time to remind them of him. He completed Mary, Joseph, The baby Jesus and one of the wisemen. The second wiseman is half done and the third is just a block of wood. So now every year they put out the unfinished nativity and remember grandpa.

photo of my childhood nativity

[DiLeon]

One story I like along these lines....was last year in Rome. Every year, the Vatican unveils a different Nativity scene by various artists, usually donated by an Italian town, to be displayed next to the ancient obelisk in the center of St. Peter’s Square. Last year it went totally modern ceramic, which displays the horrors of a year in a pandemic....which got tons of critics remarks.. including it looked like demons..LOL In all ...it said we had a lousy year 2020. Wonder what it is going to look like this year? GettyImages-1291348415.jpg

[Chuck Boger]

What a special story. No better thing to have for a memory than a gift that was done with an effort of love. Thanks for sharing a reminding us how special handmade memories are for everyone.

Chuck

[PHolder]

photo of my childhood nativity

Oh WOW! We had an almost identical nativity when I was a kid.

[Arthur C.]

[QUOTE=DiLeon;n1210846]One story I like along these lines....was last year in Rome. Every year, the Vatican unveils a different Nativity scene by various artists, usually donated by an Italian town, to be displayed next to the ancient obelisk in the center of St. Peter’s Square. Last year it went totally modern ceramic, which displays the horrors of a year in a pandemic....which got tons of critics remarks.. including it looked like demons..LOL In all ...it said we had a lousy year 2020. Wonder what it is going to look like this year?

I saw pictures of this...don't recall it representing the horrors of the year. If I remember correctly, it was made by high school students. Regardless, I found it to be ugly and without any redeeming qualities, religious or artistic. Avant garde that didn't make the cut.

[Arthur C.]

I have a cute nativity story I like to tell. My wife and I stoped in for a beer at Illegal Pete’s on The Hill in Boulder Colorado late one cloudy fall afternoon. The place was quiet only three other customers. Thirty minutes latter the place is packed with college students (Happy Hour). The kid next to me starts up a conversation and I mentioned being a wood carver. Then he tells me the story of the nativity his grandfather carved. He was ill when he started the project but thought it would be something the family would have at Christmas time to remind them of him. He completed Mary, Joseph, The baby Jesus and one of the wisemen. The second wiseman is half done and the third is just a block of wood. So now every year they put out the unfinished nativity and remember grandpa.

photo of my childhood nativity

Ed, we still have that same nativity, one of several we display. Lamb now balances on three legs, though, lol!

[PHolder]

Ed, we still have that same nativity, one of several we display. Lamb now balances on three legs, though, lol!

That's how recognized it as the one we had.

[DiLeon]

I saw pictures of this...don't recall it representing the horrors of the year. If I remember correctly, it was made by high school students. Regardless, I found it to be ugly and without any redeeming qualities, religious or artistic. Avant garde that didn't make the cut

.[/QUOTE]


Actually, this whole scene was created during what I call the change of the world....52-piece collection took over ten years for the students and teachers of the F.A. Grue art institute of the town to build (52-piece collection took over ten years for the students and teachers of the F.A. Grue art institute to make this work (from 1965 to 1975). . Only a small number of statues from this collection were included in the scene 50 some years later.

I was also an art institute trained in the late seventies, our art school closed, and was transferred to the university. It was told to us art students that the world as we knew it was ending, and a new one was being built....and here we have the creation of the new modern art the world of "chaos." Art institutions around the world started the modern art of life. Quoting "Art is the history of our times ...so make it that way."...which included at that time war, destruction by tech, space travel, the killing of babies, poisoning of the earth....so we painted canvasses and of one color with hidden meaning and even words. Statues of steel, and etc.. One painting I did of those times was of the nuclear war...it was a very realistic painting of children on fire running down the street during a nuclear blast. It was called Suffer the Children...that painting majored horrified people. Another painting of the times that I painted was a homeless man sitting with the rats and eating trash. People did not understand the art, it was told to us artist was ugly, and we did not say anything. We created art like this, people often said it was because we could not draw anymore and were upset but did not know why.

These art students' work is very fitting for what is going on today. Fifty-some years later what shows clearly what is happening in our world today is projected in this work. All of it is deeply symbolic of our time especially today in the pandemic. People did not want to see it as we seem to try to find moments of peace, safety, sanity and beauty...the last few years. I think perhaps for me,... it was wrong timing to say??? ....that the artist of the world said ..We told you so.

[Nebraska]

It seems to me that art when poorly done is declared symbolic so the artist lacking talent can claim importance. But what do I know I can’t even appreciate jazz.

[DiLeon]

It seem to me that art when poorly done is declared symbolic so the artist lacking talent can claim importance. But what do I know I can’t even appreciate jazz.

Just something to think about. This is because you are not seeing art as a means for making statements. How would your work look if you talked about what is happening today?...would you design it as pretty candy coated beauty...or would you have deep meaning and feeling in it? If I told you to make a piece of work that shows the Campfires and the people who died? Making statements in symbols perhaps? Life is not this fantasy world of beauty, it is all things. I can draw like the master and so can anyone who has major art training. Does mean not anything when I am dead. I can make symbolic art that comes from the depth of my soul. It does not have to be pretty and well done to make such a statement. The average person sees only what his mind can project...today's art is not made for one's entertainment of what one believes is right and wrong. As a human we will all return to dust...something to think about,... what if your work talked to people about our history what stories can you tell people a hundred years now from your work? something just to ponder. Like music, there is sad music, music to remember, music that is loud makes you want to jump up to dance, music that makes you cry....music that talks of history. How can you say lacking talent when you do not experience all of it?

As for myself today ...I am making santas, cats, and pretty art because I can not stand to look outside my door at all that is happening...its called escape from reality.

[Nebraska]

Just something to think about. This is because you are not seeing art as a means for making statements. How would your work look if you talked about what is happening today?. I see art as a poor tool for communication because the artist intent and the observer interpretation are not likely to agree. There for I think it likely the message sent and the one received are not the same. ..would you design it as pretty candy coated beauty...or would you have deep meaning and feeling in it? If I told you to make a piece of work that shows the Campfires and the people who died? Making statements in symbols perhaps?. Life is not this fantasy world of beauty, it is all things. I can draw like the master and so can anyone who has major art training. Does mean not anything when I am dead. I can make symbolic art that comes from the depth of my soul. It does not have to be pretty and well done to make such a statement. The average person sees only what his mind can project...today's art is not made for one's entertainment of what one believes is right and wrong. As a human we will all return to dust...something to think about,... what if your work talked to people about our history what stories can you tell people a hundred years now from your work? something just to ponder. Again you look at the nativity and interpret it’s mean as a statement on the state of the universe I look at a see an artist who either lakes talent or commitment. I doubt if you showed it to a hundred people that two would find the same great symbolism as two others. Like music, there is sad music, music to remember, music that is loud makes you want to jump up to dance, music that makes you cry....music that talks of history. I recall listening to an interview with the Grateful Dead, the interviewer was talking about the deep symbolic meaning the lyrics of a song and the mastery of conveying it to world. The band member explained they need a three syllable word and they thought it sounded cool, but it did mean anything. How can you say lacking talent when you do not experience all of it? How can assume the hidden meaning when what you see is based on your biased perceptions of the world not necessarily the artist intent. Maybe it is simply the work of a less capable artist with no hidden agenda or maybe the artist just thought it looked cool?


As for myself today ...I am making santas, cats, and pretty art because I can not stand to look outside my door at all that is happening...its called escape from reality.

Good discussion.

[DiLeon]

I recall listening to an interview with the Grateful Dead, the interviewer was talking about the deep symbolic meaning the lyrics of a song and the mastery of conveying it to world. The band member explained they need a three syllable word and they thought it sounded cool, but it did mean anything

Ed if you remember the band was on LSD-25 a good part of the time....we can not use drug up and dead head as the inspiration of wisdom. I knew this one guy that took that stuff, he had serious brain damage. LOL anyway yes...Good conversation I enjoy it.

[Arthur C.]

The point could be made that not all statements are profound. They may have some meaning for the creator, which is sufficient, but be meaningless to others. It depends on what it the goal of "the statement."

[DiLeon]

The point could be made that not all statements are profound. They may have some meaning for the creator, which is sufficient, but be meaningless to others. It depends on what it the goal of "the statement."

This is so very true. At the end day, the person who made anything art, craft, or otherwise should not ever give a hoot to what others think. The reason for anything created is, I made it, and if you do not like it too bad. People often create for enjoyment, others are sending messages, some people just do it because of inspiration for something new. Whatever inspires you, do it. I feel for myself I do not care what your opinions are ...because they have zero do with my process of creation. If I want to create work that makes your jaws drop to the ground in horror and make you think ....then I will do it and have done it. I learned a long time ago...what people think I should be doing, is their problem and not mine....there is always one idiot in the crowd that thinks it is their god-given right to put down people. All works count in my book of opinions even the ones that go into the trash can. If I want to do meaningless art that has no talent ...I will do it....and it never reflects on what I am capable of doing. Because at the end of the day, you made something that did not exist until today, which has zero to do with what people believe it should look like.