Dear Mona Al Gna’e
I went yesterday to check your exhibition at The Modern Art Museum, and frankly I was impressed by many things there. First of all I was impressed by the number of people who came in and I was impressed by how big the frames were (9 times bigger than the artwork, however, it was balanced. Gotta admit.) Also I was impressed by your ability to talk about your ‘artworks’ with such passion and enthusiasm I considered going back to see them again in case I missed anything, and how you made it sound really interesting while it wasn’t.
I was standing there, waiting for you to finish ‘explaining’ your ‘art’. I really wanted to tell you that your stuff belongs to your sketch book not the walls of the museum of modern arts. (not that it got any prestigious state or anything) Oh wait, … did you think it was ‘modern’ to show your doodles to the public and offer them for sale for no less than 175 KDs.
I’m not saying this because you used black pen on paper, I had the same idea for an exhibition too. There’s nothing wrong with making a whole exhibition in black but there’s a big one with making a whole exhibition of doodles. Don’t get me wrong I liked some of them, I loved how some of them had some cool textures and compositions although you only used black and white. I have nothing against you as a person (actually you’re kinda cute) I just have a problem with your ‘art’. I know you are new in the art scene but you should’ve thought twice before making an exhibition like that.
I’m not saying you won’t sell, actually, you might have already sold some by now but that’s not the standard to judge if you had a ’successful’ exhibition or not, and I’m not sure actually what the standard is, if there’s any to start with. I mean I’m all for the ‘art is subjective’ and ‘there’s no good/bad art’ but there’s common sense and people can differentiate a good craftsmanship from a bad one.
There’s an old quote I have no idea where I heard it but it’s so true and I thought maybe I can share it with you, ‘If you can’t make it good, make it red, and If you can’t make it red, make it big” I’m sorry but you failed to achieve any of these things therefore you are not ‘good’.
UPDATE: Just added the pics at 26/5, 02:54 AM
This one is my favorite, I love the detailed texture of the leaves. I used to have this style of drawing (still do actually) which involved alot of leaves too. I guess that’s why I can relate to this one. ACTUALLY, I was holding my moleskine and opening it to this page where I had some doodles, I wanted to show her how I got some of my ‘doodles’ in my sketch book, where they belong, and how they might inspire me to develop them into a ‘finsished’ artworks.
This one is so ‘out there’ according to a friend of mine whom I totaly agree with. It reminds me of Picasso’s series of bull abstractions, however, I’m not sure what these lines are ‘abstracting’ exactly.
Now this is the kind of stuff you would find in the notebook of a frustrated teenager girl. No mastery on her lines, just plain doodle-y.
That’s something I/you/she would do if I/you/she was having a boring phone call with a pen in her hand and a blank paper starring at me/you/her.
I MIGHT/ MIGHT NOT ADD TO THIS LATER ON
Rock on
Yours Truly,
Tata Botata
May 24th, 2005 03:04
i have 1 crtiria for art
i like , its good for me
i don’t like , its ugly for me
i have seen tastes that i would think they are pathatics ( neon green on a car ?!? ) but hey , its his money on his car , not mine
May 24th, 2005 09:21
as a “creative” yourself, you should know better. art comes in different sizes, shapes, colors and whatever. art is also very personal.
you might not like it, i might not like it, but someone else would. i personally rarely find an artwork that i like, like the other day at al raya i found the most hillarious art crap there. i didn’t like it, but i didnt insult the artist and attack him and tell him he should stop creating art and go become a banker.
you said refering to the artist “I have nothing against you as a person (actually you’re kinda cute) I just have a problem with your ‘art’”.
That is rubbish, the art is the person. It IS a very personal issue. When you attack an artists work and say that his work is bad craftsmanship then thats being personal.
From your previous posts when you were still looking for a job, and the fact that you are a creative, it made people think you were an artist yourself who wasn’t being understood by people. yet when you find a job and suddenly a misunderstood artist comes along, instead of understanding where he is coming from, you turn the table around and he takes your place and you become the attacker.
May 24th, 2005 10:07
It was difficult for me to understand this post since I didn’t have the chance to see Mona’s work. I prefer seeing works of art before making any judgment, had you posted pics from the exhibition, it would have been easier for me to understand.
Elmohem, you reminded me of a proverb mom keeps saying: “Lo ma te3adidat el-anthaar, baarat el-sela3″.
May 24th, 2005 13:04
forzaq8, I agree.
mark, I suggest you read the post again. However I will assume didn’t skim through the post on safat and came here running to write those very well thought of comments.
first paragraph, I’m not telling her to make them bigger or make them more red. That quote just show how size and color has a ‘wow’ factor on the viewer. and with a relatively small size and a one color pallete she took the risk of satisfying less peopole. I was one of the people who were not satisfied and I think I have the right to say whatever the hell I want to say.
second, I will just quote what I already said, “I’m all for the ‘art is subjective’ and ‘there’s no good/bad art’”
fourth, I said “there’s common sense and people can differentiate a good craftsmanship from a bad one.” I didn’t say “his work is bad craftsmanship” don’t assume shit I didn’t say.
the last paragraph, WTF? I mean WTF? What does this has to do with anything? Since when I’m a ‘misunderstood artist’ and who was attacking me?
last but not least thanks for wasting my time explaining the obvious.
I MIGHT/ MIGHT NOT ADD TO THIS LATER
shosho, I will try to scan some.
May 24th, 2005 13:33
I saw her work; I didn’t think it was anything special.
Very plain, very doodley and certainly not exhibition worthy.
Just my two fils.
N.
May 24th, 2005 18:00
I thought this post was very contradictary to what you are (or atleast what you portray yourself to be on your blog)..
I would like to say before I go any further that I did read this post and didn’t skim through :p
However, I must agree that art is very personal and although I’m not much of an art person I understand that art is subjective (like you said) and its also very therepautic (I’ve heard) so “attacking” the artist (yes that’s the vibe I got) like that was very harsh..
I don’t think there is such a thing like “differentiating good craftsmanship from a bad one” when it comes to art, it’s all in the mind..
Just my opinion..
Oh yeah, and NEVER think twice when pursuing a dream.. Life is too God damn short!
(Yeah, my dream.. and probably every other girl’s dream just imagine the discount I’d be getting!)
That’s why I’m off to work in Topshop
May 25th, 2005 01:20
OK mark, when I wrote that reply I was at work with three jobs waiting to be done and I couldn’t give you the reply you deserve.
“you might not like it, i might not like it, but someone else would. i personally rarely find an artwork that i like, like the other day at al raya i found the most hillarious art crap there.”
Did you just call someone’s art ‘crap’ while you were preaching me on how I should approach art and artists. Isn’t that, like, … um .. HYPOCRITIC?
“… and tell him he should stop creating art and go become a banker.”
Where did I say she should stop making art and become a banker? are you still pissed about the NBK thing?
“From your previous posts when you were still looking for a job, and the fact that you are a creative, it made people think you were an artist yourself who wasn’t being understood by people.”
I never whined about how people didn’t understand me and I didn’t start ‘looking’ for a job until very recently. Yes, I got few offers while I was freelancing but still I wasn’t really ‘looking’ and if it means anything for you, I haven’t got paid yet so I guess I’m the same ol’ me.
NWMH, Would you please tell me what do you think ‘I am’? Is it necessary to like everything I see if I was into art and design?
May 25th, 2005 07:45
I went to that exhibit last night and I have to say that I should have gone during the opening when I was supposed to in order to post something constructive! Unfortunatly I couldn’t make it the first or second day but I read your post and said that I had to go on the 3rd day! My point of view would be that you should not visit any more exhibits due to the lack of consideration towards others! It takes guts to exhibit artwork and people should be considerate! If anyone wants to critique the work then constructive criticism should be given, not out-right and discusting words that put Mon’s artwork to shame for no reason and makes people who have the same type of artwork lock themselves up and not enlighten our society by actually exhibiting thier work!
May 25th, 2005 23:22
what a closed minded person you turned out to be!
or are you hating on Mona. Hater
Who are you to define art or to insinuate good craftsmanship, what is your training in art, may I ask? let me guess, mr. TA mastered the art of defining art through his learning in Italy !
but I will agree with you on one thing: “art is subjective,and there’s no ‘good’ or bad art”.
which btw, contradicts your entire post
Enjoy making your highly artistic t-shirts
And enjoy your freedom of speech to bash others that are out there trying to express themselves! Better yet, write their names on the internet and tell them that they should think twice about having an exhibition.
and then go off and make philosophical statements on art to explain your hypocracy!
May 26th, 2005 00:25
It’s not necessary to like everything you see nor is it necessary to act so “unjudgemental” and all for the “expression of oneself” yet here you are judging and discouraging someone who’s just trying to express herself..
May 26th, 2005 03:43
The Stallion
“My point of view would be that you should not visit any more exhibits due to the lack of consideration towards others!”
No more exhibitions for me? Nooo, Oh please … C’mon I promise next time I will kiss ass and say the ‘artworks’ rocked my world.
“… constructive criticism should be given, not out-right and discusting words …”
What ‘discusting’ words? I’m not the one who said ‘hilarious crap’ there, am I?
Dinah
“or are you hating on Mona.”
I’ve never met her before, and I think she might be a very nice person, why would I hate her? She made an exhibition, she should be prepared for the negative responses/feedback before the positive. I hate to be the one with bad response/feedback but it’s a dirty job and somebody gotta do it.
“what is your training in art, may I ask?”
I DIDN’T study ‘art’ in any academic way, I just ‘read’ a lot and ’saw’ a lot. I don’t think I need a degree to understand/ appreciate art neither should you. I been working in Advertising/Graphic Design for around 4 years, it takes a ‘good eye’ to make it in this business.
“Better yet, write their names on the internet”
What so wrong about writing her name on the Internet, she’s already in the papers ya know.
NWMH
I’m not judging her why do you guys think I’m talking about the person here. I’m only stating my opinion about her artworks and no the art is not the artist.
May 26th, 2005 05:21
Also, since a lot of you mentioned how ‘closed-minded’ person I am, I will just try to remember this kick ass quote I read somewhere a while ago.
“Don’t be VERY open-minded, Somebody will throw some garbage/trash in eventually”
I don’t go to exhibitions to see artworks I don’t like, blame my self for not understanding them, nod my head and go away.
Mona, If you are reading this, I will say it one more time this is not about you, it’s about your ‘artworks’.
Also, There are a lot of people who agree with me but they are just afraid to comment because they know you personally and they are afraid you will be reading this.
peace
May 26th, 2005 08:38
A brief lesson in slang for you
-’hating on’ is an expression meaning that you are jealous, not necessarily that you ‘hate’ a person. ‘hater’ is the corresponding noun.
I suggest you go to look at some more art books to understand the meaning of abstract art. Its not the same as ‘doodling’. Nor is Mona’s work, which was a sucess by the way HATER!!
you have every right to have an opinion and dislike different artworks, but you have no right to define art and tell someone not to pursue her dream.
Rock on T
May 26th, 2005 12:50
Dear slang-talking Dinah,
Why would I be jealous? Becasue she did an exhibition and I didn’t? Well, I got offers to do my own solo exhibition an I turned them down at that time, I didn’t feel I was ready and I wasn’t sure I have anything to offer. Plus, My stuff was part of a group show at NYC. I can safely tell you I’m not jealous, not with an exhibition like that.
I had no doubts on how ’successful’ her exhibition will be but I’m kinda curious to know how do you define a successful exhibition.
I didn’t tell her to stop making art alltogether, I told her these ‘artworks’ belong to her sketchbook … I’m sure she can do better next time.
May 26th, 2005 13:00
just to make things clear, when I said ‘… , not with an exhibition like that’ I was refering to her exhibition.
May 27th, 2005 02:22
Dear Tata Botata (what a perfect name for a person that has no unedrstanding of a modern art)!
As an art historian and owner of a New York City’s prominent art gallery and a person who did attempted same exhibition as you did I cacn tell you that you are wher you belong and not on a walls of a Museum of Modern Art.
May 27th, 2005 06:16
Anonymous, what a beautiful name for a person whos CHICKEN.
May 27th, 2005 12:35
I know Modern Art, I’ve seen it, I’ve admired it.
And it is my opinion that the samples Tata has posted are a poor quality of modern art.
Yes, I am judgemental! But that is because I have my own standards of what is “strong” and what is “weak” when it comes to art. To put it bluntly, if you are not judgemental about anything then basically you are a person with no standards.
Now, I would never tell an artist to stop creating, but if I thought something was poor I would say so! Because I would think an artist would want to improve his/her skill by having their weaknesses pointed out and not just have their asses kissed. If they stop creating art just because someone said “I think you could have done this better” and hangs up their brush/pen/pencil/mouse/whatever then they weren’t truly artists to begin with, and good riddance to them. Being an artist means having passion undaunted by criticism. You make art because you can’t NOT make art, rather than make art just as long as your ass is kissed.
Having said that, the fact that the artist in question has accomplished the daunting task of putting up an exhibition shows that she has passion and so I don’t fear expressing the following criticism:
In the first one, I find the composition to be weak and uninspiring! The fact that part of the leaf-looking-thing runs off the edge of the paper (assuming that it was not tata who cropped off the edge when he photgraphed it) looks to me like the composition was not well thought out before-hand… rather than like it was a deliberate effect that the artist meant to have there.
As for the second one, I think Tata was being too nice when he compared it to something done by picasso! I don’t know this artist or what her traditional draftmanship skills are like but in general whenever I have gone to exhibits in Kuwait I’ve noticed MANY of the local talent opt to create “Modern Art” to disguise the fact that they simply can’t draw and have the talent of a 5 year old in that respect, which is sugared over by a lot of artsy-fartsy mumbo-jumbo
Making themselves out to be the new Picasso or Dali… when in fact both Picasso as well as Dali were superb draftsmen who spent years of their life perfecting their skills in traditional art before attempting to explore new ways of expressing themselves, and I truly believe that it was their mastery of traditional forms of painting etc that enabled them to create such breathtaking and ground-breaking pieces later in their lives.
Now comes the third one. I find there to be no sense of “design”… the lines… the shapes… all extremely poorly executed. Over all extremely unappealing. Definitely un-exhibition worthy as SheWrites put it. I whole-heartedly agree with Tata that such a sketch should be kept in the sketchbook but perhaps has potential if better developed and a more masterful handling of the Pen and a better eye for creating shapes is achieved.
The fourth one: In my opinion this one has the most potential. The key word here is “POTENTIAL”. Again, as is, the lines and detailing are poorly executed. I feel the artist was in too much of a hurry to make an exhibition rather than perfecting her technique.
And to the anonymous so-called art historian and NYC art gallery owner… I must say I would have thought that a person with such an academic background and living in your part of the world would have had a better grasp of the english language. If you are indeed what you claim, and not a posing Kuwaiti, I would greatly like to know the names of your books/essays/lectures on Art History.. as well as the name and website of your gallery.
Gigi, challengingly
P.S. To everyone else… Good God stop treating art like it’s Sacred
If you had a problem with tata’s sarcastic way of expressing his censure then say so, rather than getting all uppity because you think no-one should dare to criticise someone else’s art, period!
By the way, tata, next time modulate your tone so you don’t come off as being sarcastic. Not very nice. A slap on the wrist for you
But… I totally agree with you on the general overall quality of the artwork.
May 28th, 2005 10:31
Look I went to art school I seated over drawing and painting clasically before attempting anything abstract, and even then if I gave somthing like that to my professors considering I was one of thier best students they would have kicked my ass back to first grade! why? because this kind of work is close to printing and etching if you want the right effect otherwise , they are really scetches. Abstract art is really tricky and it has to have a base from a classic drawing the broken down to barely intellegable lines but not un intellegable to a point where you do not have an idea where its origin is from, or looking like a child drew it(even that kind of art has fundemental steps) Te point in art is to come out with something new too not only to express yourself or whatever that entails. the reason this artists work is weak because there is rally nothing new. for example Mondelian came up with that empty square paitnitng and the black square calling it beginng of life or end of life I can’t remeber , now I cannot come up with a red square and call it raging mad or mad as a hatter, you got the idea? Newnew new we need new. Moro already did that line slash line slash line thing. ma khalaaaaas.
Anothe thing I read she explained her art, I have heard that explaing your art sucks the life out of it and it;s mistery. That a piece should not be explained because in abstract art specially it should mean something to the on looker not to the artist because in the end art belongs to the poeple. So if one feels the need to explain it means the damnt hing is not reaching anybody.
As for making the choice to make an exebision weeelll it is a risk one must take and well good for her, because now she will know from the input what to the next time she dcides to exibit her work. And well kissing her ass will do no good for her. whats good is good whats seems weak should eb pointed out.
cheers
May 28th, 2005 13:48
I think this entire discussion is a waste of time. Some like her work and some don’t. We have a lot of paintings at home, some i adore, some i like, and some I hate. We all have different tastes at home.
As for her drawings starting at KD175/- … I must say that is really cheap compared to most of what is being sold in Kuwait.
I am a regular goer to galleries. There’s a lot of stuff I don’t like but I simply say it’s not my style and I wouldn’t buy any of it.
I think it’s crazy how everyone starts of their comment with “I have studied art” or “I am an art fanatic” or whatever. Art was created to be enjoyed by all eyes. The art lovers only know which art to appreciate more.
Tata… it is true that you have every right to say what you like but I guess you just came out and said it in an offending way instead of a constructive way. It’s always better to be constructive then destructive.
That’s my 2 cents on the topic.
May 29th, 2005 14:03
The art shown here is crap and you all know it. But if anyone should be attacked here it is not poor Mona but the so-called “museum” that deemed it worthy of mounting an exhibition!
As for Tata’s words, it seems most of you have never read any real art criticism. Grab some of the British papers and see what brutal criticism really looks like.. Tata was very mild in comparison. Too mild if you ask me
May 29th, 2005 14:04
And Gigi… YOU ROCK!
May 29th, 2005 22:37
Anonymous, You are the funniest joke I heard this year so far.
Q8feminist, I agree but you gotta admit that was hilariously funny, wasn’t it?
Gigi, I’m speachless.
Beatnik, yeah I was ‘like why the hell is she explaining her stuff?’
Rampy, I pretty much agree but you also said ‘I am a regular goer to galleries.’
Zaydoun, It smells like a big fat wastah, and please tell them about the brits. As for what you said to gigi, well, I FUCKIN’ SECOND THAT. Geeg that was a ‘Big, Fat Opinion’ :D.
June 1st, 2005 09:55
i agree with SheWrites: doodley and nothing special…
but very nice way of critisizing the art… u sound professional hehehe
November 29th, 2005 19:11
[...] OMG Guess who I ran into after the concert was done, our old friend Mona AL-Gena’e. I actually saw her before the concert but I didn’t want to risk losing the seats I was saving for my friends. I had a really interesting chat with her and I think my number of friends has incresed by one. She really really wanted to hit me, I can tell. Oh don’t you deny it mona, I saw the way you were pointing your finger almost poking me with it while saying “… a person like you … “. I’m not gonna go in details, I know you guys are just dying to know more but sorry I will disappoint you this time. [...]
November 30th, 2005 11:31
Er, I think those sketches are very normal. There is too much Tata-hate going around.
And in all honesty; the artist is not going to be getting any better if people keep telling her that her sketches are amazing (When, IMO, they really arent).
November 30th, 2005 13:42
Oh wait .. this post is like 7 months old.