In contrast, I think there's a lot of anxiety in some corners of fandom about what vidding is, how it should be defined and limited, that mostly has to do with people not wanting to lose the things they like. And it feels a lot more personal. It's going to be personal for the people involved. There are artists that will go on and on about how there are gatekeepers to the art world that declare things to be important pieces of art and say other artists and artworks as fleeting garbage and not art.
Personally, I'd love to see us adopt more of the fine arts perspective on (not) defining or limiting the work, and on how criticism works, without losing what makes us special. But in order to do that, do we have to get more fans to view vidding as art? I guess I don't see vidding as art changing anything for me because I've always thought of it that way. Not everyone is going to think vidding is art and I'm not going to convince them it is. I wanted to put it out there that I think it is. I don't understand why people want to limit what a vid is. Who wants to be the one telling someone else what they should and shouldn't see as a vid or as art?
In addition to the obstacles to that that you've identified, I think there's a lot of resistance to viewing fannish "hobbies" as making art because of the way women have always been sidelined (the old "art" vs. "craft" argument -- like painting vs. quilting) but also the way we sideline ourselves: as women, as fans. We're somehow less important than Artists. The true Artists are the people who are paid to make TV shows, and we're lower in the hierarchy. Our work couldn't possibly be art, it's just little doodles in the margins. I hate that attitude but I can't think of an effective way to challenge it. I don't see art as being gendered. While a lot of vidders in this vidding community are women, I don't see vidders are only female either. I don't care very much about how other people see it in the end. Originally, I wrote this to respond to people saying that vidding can't be art beause I wanted to throw my own view of there in opposition. I'd read posts and comments in opposition to vidding as art, but none that supported it. I don't want to change someone else's mind per se, but to offer my own view for those willing to read it.
Re: Okay, finally a real response! p2
In contrast, I think there's a lot of anxiety in some corners of fandom about what vidding is, how it should be defined and limited, that mostly has to do with people not wanting to lose the things they like. And it feels a lot more personal.
It's going to be personal for the people involved. There are artists that will go on and on about how there are gatekeepers to the art world that declare things to be important pieces of art and say other artists and artworks as fleeting garbage and not art.
Personally, I'd love to see us adopt more of the fine arts perspective on (not) defining or limiting the work, and on how criticism works, without losing what makes us special. But in order to do that, do we have to get more fans to view vidding as art?
I guess I don't see vidding as art changing anything for me because I've always thought of it that way. Not everyone is going to think vidding is art and I'm not going to convince them it is. I wanted to put it out there that I think it is. I don't understand why people want to limit what a vid is. Who wants to be the one telling someone else what they should and shouldn't see as a vid or as art?
In addition to the obstacles to that that you've identified, I think there's a lot of resistance to viewing fannish "hobbies" as making art because of the way women have always been sidelined (the old "art" vs. "craft" argument -- like painting vs. quilting) but also the way we sideline ourselves: as women, as fans. We're somehow less important than Artists. The true Artists are the people who are paid to make TV shows, and we're lower in the hierarchy. Our work couldn't possibly be art, it's just little doodles in the margins. I hate that attitude but I can't think of an effective way to challenge it.
I don't see art as being gendered. While a lot of vidders in this vidding community are women, I don't see vidders are only female either. I don't care very much about how other people see it in the end. Originally, I wrote this to respond to people saying that vidding can't be art beause I wanted to throw my own view of there in opposition. I'd read posts and comments in opposition to vidding as art, but none that supported it. I don't want to change someone else's mind per se, but to offer my own view for those willing to read it.