The sand drawings of Kseniya Simonova ... it will leave you speechless.

[Keith]

Maybe you've seen this Youtube clip already ... I hadn't and all I can say is ... well actually I'm not sure what to say!

Apparently she was a contestant in 'Ukraines Got Talent' ... she's twenty four!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOhf3OvRXKg&feature=player_embedded#

[Pickett Wilson]

Yes, I have seen this but revisited it often. Incredible work.

[Strangeluv]

Never seen this. Amazing to say the least.
Thanks for posting Keith!

[Jamie123]

It's quite skillful, I'll give her that. But it's crap nonetheless.

[oftheherd]

Quite a talent. I'm not sure how valid considering the transient nature. Anyone know if she makes any effort to preserve any of her sand art?

Still, intrigueing to watch. Hard to stop watching.

[swoop]

I'm seriously impressed. I'd be surprised if she isn't in galleries anytime soon.

[tom.w.bn]

It's quite skillful, I'll give her that. But it's crap nonetheless.

:confused: why that?

[sevo]

:confused: why that?

Skilful, yes - but so are pavement painters. Art? About as far from that as possible - the images themselves are a pastiche of well known 50's illustrations in "socialist realism" style.

[Pickett Wilson]

I guess I'm just one of the proletariat. I'm impressed by pavement painters, too. :)

[Keith]

Seen in it's correct context as entertainment, it is 'Ukraine's Got Talent' after all, she's pretty amazing.

Who said it was meant to be art ... she's more a very skillfull performer I would have thought?

[tom.w.bn]

Seen in it's correct context as entertainment, it is 'Ukraine's Got Talent' after all, she's pretty amazing.

Who said it was meant to be art ... she's more a very skillfull performer I would have thought?

Exactly. It was not "Ukraine's next top artist". Knew this video already but was interesting to watch again. The performace was good and she hit the nerves of the people with the theme (I assume it was a 2nd world war story from a ukraine point of view).

[__hh]

I am very impressed by the performance to say the least.

RFF is a tough place when any references to "art" are made. I won't bother making any arguments. As long as I like it (and I did).

Thanks for the link and the eye-opener Keith.

[Jamie123]

Seen in it's correct context as entertainment, it is 'Ukraine's Got Talent' after all, she's pretty amazing.

Who said it was meant to be art ... she's more a very skillfull performer I would have thought?

So it's not crap because it was shown in the context of "Ukraine's Got Talent"? I don't know about the Ukrainian version but usually these talent shows are pretty crappy to begin with :)

Anyways, I do get your point about it being entertainment and not art and I guess it is entertaining to a certain degree. But the problem is that the novelty factor wears off pretty quickly and after that it's just an old party trick.

I'm not sure that she's pretty amazing but she surely is pretty. (And yes, I'm aware of the misogynistic nature of reducing a woman who wants to be recognized for her skill to her looks.)

[bmattock]

I like it very much, thanks for posting the link!

[Keith]

http://www.painetworks.com/photos/jl/jl6927.JPG


I always thought that was done with coloured grains of rice?

As for you Jamie ... what can I say? :D

[Hacker]

I was totally blown away.....just sand and her imagination.

[robert blu]

I dont'know if it is art or not. But what I know is that I enjoyed very much to see this "performance" . Thanks Keith for let us know this video.
robert

[newspaperguy]

Thanks for sharing Keith. A very skillful young lady.

[tic]

Here is a classic 20th century crap live art performace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo9UDldSDgk

Crap is probably in the eye of the beholder. Or maybe it's trolls that crap...

[ron1945]

i was gobsmacked,thanks for the link keith,my gasp as never been so flabbered.:)

[Vincent.G]

I have seen it before on Youtube. Touching story-telling using sand-art. The background music created the mood. Her performance was very well-crafted.

[martin s]

My mind is blown, this was even better than Bob Ross.

martin

[jack palmer]

Some people create "crap" with sand, some just do it verbally.:D I thought it was pretty good.

Art:the process of deliberatly arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. Works for me


So it's not crap because it was shown in the context of "Ukraine's Got Talent"? I don't know about the Ukrainian version but usually these talent shows are pretty crappy to begin with :)

Anyways, I do get your point about it being entertainment and not art and I guess it is entertaining to a certain degree. But the problem is that the novelty factor wears off pretty quickly and after that it's just an old party trick.

I'm not sure that she's pretty amazing but she surely is pretty. (And yes, I'm aware of the misogynistic nature of reducing a woman who wants to be recognized for her skill to her looks.)

[ALN]

Thanks for the link Keith. I had seen this a while back and was astonished at her work. This time I`ll bookmark it.


Regards,
"crap lover", Al

[bmattock]

I dont'know if it is art or not. But what I know is that I enjoyed very much to see this "performance" . Thanks Keith for let us know this video.
robert

I think that may be the point. From what I could see, it was the performance, more so than the 'art' of the sand painting itself, that constituted the artfulness of it. And whether or not it would be interpreted as 'art' by critics, I don't care much. I like it, and I'm the only authority I consult when deciding whether I consider it 'art' or not.

[Andy Kibber]

"But is it art????" :)

Bill, I take the opposite approach. I'm happy to let the creator say whether it's art or not. I just get to decide whether I like it or not, whatever it is.

[bmattock]

"But is it art????" :)

Bill, I take the opposite approach. I'm happy to let the creator say whether it's art or not. I just get to decide whether I like it or not, whatever it is.

No objection here. I like what I like, regardless of what others call it. I just happen to consider what I like (in terms of 'arty' stuff) as 'art'. I don't mind if others don't think it is art, that's fine. So I suspect we have the same outlook here.

[Roberto]

I guess I'm just one of the proletariat. I'm impressed by pavement painters, too. :)

Second that! Proletariat rulez :D

[Jamie123]

Some people create "crap" with sand, some just do it verbally.:D I thought it was pretty good.

Art:the process of deliberatly arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. Works for me

Are you saying I'm verbally creating crap because I don't like this woman's work? How nice of you. Listen, I don't mind if other people like it, all I'm saying is that we shouldn't confuse skill with quality. On "Germany's Got Talent" there was a guy who farts melodies (I'll spare you the youtube link). I'm sure this requires a lot of skill but it still stinks.

As for your definition of art, I think it's vastly overinclusive. You'd have to include advertising, cooking, cursing, flattering or offending, etc. etc. Pretty much anything that involves deliberate human interaction.

[jack palmer]

I'm saying to call what she does "crap" is a harsh and immature statement that is not unreasonable coming from a 25 year old with an obvious high regard for his ability define art. I spent six years at one of the finest Art colleges in the U.S. (MICA) and in my humble opinion , it's not "crap"


Are you saying I'm verbally creating crap because I don't like this woman's work? How nice of you. Listen, I don't mind if other people like it, all I'm saying is that we shouldn't confuse skill with quality. On "Germany's Got Talent" there was a guy who farts melodies (I'll spare you the youtube link). I'm sure this requires a lot of skill but it still stinks.

As for your definition of art, I think it's vastly overinclusive. You'd have to include advertising, cooking, cursing, flattering or offending, etc. etc. Pretty much anything that involves deliberate human interaction.

[rbiemer]

Thanks, Keith for sharing that link!
Impressive and while the story didn't carry the emotional content for me that it obviously did for the audience, I could see that it was pretty powerful.
Kitschy, perhaps, but very enjoyable.
Rob

[buzzardkid]

I dont'know if it is art or not. But what I know is that I enjoyed very much to see this "performance" . Thanks Keith for let us know this video.
robert

One of several definitions of art is that something seen or heard evokes an emotion, be it joy, despair, compassion, fear, horror, etc. and that the product was created for that purpose. By that standard it is art.

YMMV, and so may your perception of 'art'.

Thanks for the link Keith, my whole family watched it and even though my Ukranian is non-existent and we do not know the context of the depicted story, we were all moved by it.

[CK Dexter Haven]

Skilful, yes - but so are pavement painters. Art? About as far from that as possible - the images themselves are a pastiche of well known 50's illustrations in "socialist realism" style.


"Pavement painters" ARE artists. Illustrators ARE artists. I don't think you get more points for being famous and having done it on a piece of canvas.

A pastiche of styles? Which 'great' artist DIDN'T borrow or steal? "Good artists borrow, great artists steal." You can call anything "derivative" and not be wholly wrong. I'm not sure what the point is in diminishing this. We're participants in a forum that revolves around pushing a button.

Whatever. I'm impressed. Especially by just the gift and ability to see and create so immediately and intuitively with negative and positive space. With sand. And, the transitions.

[Jamie123]

I'm saying to call what she does "crap" is a harsh and immature statement that is not unreasonable coming from a 25 year old with an obvious high regard for his ability define art. I spent six years at one of the finest Art colleges in the U.S. (MICA) and in my humble opinion , it's not "crap"

In no way I claimed that I could define art. I'm a philosophy major with a strong interest in philosophical aesthetics and the philosophy of art. The problem with defining art is that most definitions are either overinclusive or, when you try to narrow it down, they are exclusive of things that are commonly regarded as art. Personally, I would lean towards a form of the institutional theory of art but the problem is that it's somewhat circular.

In regards to the woman's work, I didn't say that what she does was or wasn't art. All I said was if I apply my personal standard of what is good and what is bad in regards to art, I think it's crap. If, however, I look at it as entertainment I may concede that it's decent entertainment. Equally, a pornographic movie might be crap from a cinematographic point of view but decent from the point of view of someone who is seeking sexual arousal.

And as for my comment being harsh. It's not. It would be harsh if I said it to her face. All I did was give my opinion on a youtube video of a franchise tv show which I think is not exactly the apex of culural entertainment. But again, that's just my opinion. Does that make me immature? I don't think so.


F**k you!


Now that was immature.

[leica M2 fan]

Keith, thanks for the link. Her work is amazing and beautiful. Thanks again.

[jack palmer]

Who was it that said; It's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt?:D




QUOTE=Jamie123;1241345]In no way I claimed that I could define art. I'm a philosophy major with a strong interest in philosophical aesthetics and the philosophy of art. The problem with defining art is that most definitions are either overinclusive or, when you try to narrow it down, they are exclusive of things that are commonly regarded as art. Personally, I would lean towards a form of the institutional theory of art but the problem is that it's somewhat circular.

In regards to the woman's work, I didn't say that what she does was or wasn't art. All I said was if I apply my personal standard of what is good and what is bad in regards to art, I think it's crap. If, however, I look at it as entertainment I may concede that it's decent entertainment. Equally, a pornographic movie might be crap from a cinematographic point of view but decent from the point of view of someone who is seeking sexual arousal.

And as for my comment being harsh. It's not. It would be harsh if I said it to her face. All I did was give my opinion on a youtube video of a franchise tv show which I think is not exactly the apex of culural entertainment. But again, that's just my opinion. Does that make me immature? I don't think so.


F**k you!


Now that was immature.[/QUOTE]

[Ducky]

One of several definitions of art is that something seen or heard evokes an emotion, be it joy, despair, compassion, fear, horror, etc. and that the product was created for that purpose. By that standard it is art.

By this definition, Jamie's comment was 'art' cuz it caused some emotional responses.:bang:

I liked the you tube clip.

[Sparrow]

Quite a talent. I'm not sure how valid considering the transient nature. Anyone know if she makes any effort to preserve any of her sand art?

Still, intrigueing to watch. Hard to stop watching.

do you put other transient stuff in that category? dance, music, theatre and the like, not art?

I think it is :)

[tcline]

Quite a talent. I'm not sure how valid considering the transient nature. Anyone know if she makes any effort to preserve any of her sand art?

Still, intrigueing to watch. Hard to stop watching.

The trasience of the pieces are what makes them. Why because something is impermeant does it become any less? Check out "Rivers and Tides" on Andy Goldsworthy.

The preservation is in the documentation, the performance, the action itself, the piece need not exist at any point and time, not even during. If she preserved them I feel they would simply become very watered down,baseless, and border on kitsch.

But to each his own I suppose.

[Tuolumne]

Pure kitsch. I could barely stand it for half the time.

/T

[Jamie123]

Well you wanted immature so I gave you immature :)

But no offence meant, really. It's all in good humour.

Who was it that said; It's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt?:D

QUOTE=Jamie123;1241345]In no way I claimed that I could define art. I'm a philosophy major with a strong interest in philosophical aesthetics and the philosophy of art. The problem with defining art is that most definitions are either overinclusive or, when you try to narrow it down, they are exclusive of things that are commonly regarded as art. Personally, I would lean towards a form of the institutional theory of art but the problem is that it's somewhat circular.

In regards to the woman's work, I didn't say that what she does was or wasn't art. All I said was if I apply my personal standard of what is good and what is bad in regards to art, I think it's crap. If, however, I look at it as entertainment I may concede that it's decent entertainment. Equally, a pornographic movie might be crap from a cinematographic point of view but decent from the point of view of someone who is seeking sexual arousal.

And as for my comment being harsh. It's not. It would be harsh if I said it to her face. All I did was give my opinion on a youtube video of a franchise tv show which I think is not exactly the apex of culural entertainment. But again, that's just my opinion. Does that make me immature? I don't think so.


F**k you!


Now that was immature.[/QUOTE]

[photogdave]

Watching that clip was very moving experience. I have never seen anything like it before. I'm a pretty harsh critic when it comes to art and entertainment but either way, it works for me. My kitsch detector did not go off at all - I thought it was quite genuine.
I think any one who calls it crap is probably jealous.

[Nikon Bob]

I don't give a rat's butt if it is art or not but I did enjoy watching it. Thanks for the link.

Bob

[Keith]

Well ... it beats arguing about the frame spacing of Kievs I guess! :p

I receieved the link to the clip in an email from a friend ... it came with this text:

This video shows the winner of " Ukraine’s Got Talent", Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. Her talent, which admittedly is a strange one, is mesmeric to watch.

The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears and she won the top prize of about £75,000.

She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated.

It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears.

She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.

This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house.

In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.

The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine , resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.




She obviously touched on some very sensitive emotional areas for the average Ukrainian and if that's kitsch ... so be it. Bring it on! :)

[t.s.k.]

Yea, thanks for the link Keith.

Artful and entertaining.

[VinceC]

Captivating on many levels. I live in Germany and just took visiting family to see Dachau (their teenager wanted to see a concentration camp). Thanks for sharing.

[Pablito]

I spent six years at one of the finest Art colleges in the U.S. (MICA) and in my humble opinion , it's not "crap"

Well, there you go!

[bmasonoh]

Does anybody else find it ironic that we're picking apart this woman work as not being art at the same time that so many people don't even consider photography an art form? Perhaps we need to be a little more introspective.

I consider certain forms of entertainment "art", i.e. dance, ballet, etc. and would suggest that this is no less an artistic expression. It works for me.

[Jamie123]

Does anybody else find it ironic that we're picking apart this woman work as not being art at the same time that so many people don't even consider photography an art form? Perhaps we need to be a little more introspective.

I consider certain forms of entertainment "art", i.e. dance, ballet, etc. and would suggest that this is no less an artistic expression. It works for me.

I don't even know why the issue of "is this art?" even came up. Some people said they think it's amazing and some people (me included) said they think it's bad. Then Keith made the (valid) point that it may not be great art but it's good entertainment. That's not to say that entertainment cannot be art but something can be bad as a piece art but good when judged under different criteria. For example, some might consider Jeff Koons' "Made in Heaven" good art but bad pornography. Some might think it's the other way around.

[skibeerr]

What was really funny was the string arrangement of metallica's Nothing else matters.

Loved watching , entertaining it was.

[photogdave]

What was really funny was the string arrangement of metallica's Nothing else matters.

Loved watching , entertaining it was.
I watched it with the sound off. I wonder how that affected my perception? Maybe the music is why some people thought it kitschy?

[Keith]

What was really funny was the string arrangement of metallica's Nothing else matters.

Loved watching , entertaining it was.


What's so funny about that?

Obviously you haven't had a lot to do with FSU cameras! :D

[wgerrard]

Thanks, Keith.

I assume it's well practiced, but the speed at which she creates the images is stunning, at least to me.

And, clearly very evocative for her audience, as it must be for anyone familiar with Ukraine's experience in WW2.

[shadowfox]

That is a wonderful performance.
That young lady has talent to touch her audience by translating the running movie in her head into the sand with her hands.

If that's not art, what good art is for, then?

[skibeerr]

What's so funny about that?

Obviously you haven't had a lot to do with FSU cameras! :D


Yes once you'v got a Zorki nothing else matters :p

And you know Metallica is kind of art to :D

[Keith]

No performance art is better than a half hour with Bob! :D

I miss Bob!!!


Having never heard of the man I did a google search ... my life is enriched! :D

[Keith]

Seriously I know a number of "serious artists" who loved Bob. He would begin a half hour show, with a blank canvas and then imagine a place, which he soothingly created in the next half hour. His "happy bushes," the slap of his brush when he cleaned it, made the actual images irrelevant. It was a form of meditation, relaxing and at the same time, made you want to do something yourself, cook, make a shelf, or paint.

No joke about Bob.


I wasn't joking ... from what I saw he's brilliant and brought art into people's living rooms in the same way Julius Sumner Miller gave them physics! :)

[skibeerr]

Seriously I know a number of "serious artists" who loved Bob. He would begin a half hour show, with a blank canvas and then imagine a place, which he soothingly created in the next half hour. His "happy bushes," the slap of his brush when he cleaned it, made the actual images irrelevant. It was a form of meditation, relaxing and at the same time, made you want to do something yourself, cook, make a shelf, or paint.

No joke about Bob.

It is 2am in Belgium, first insomnia and now BOB, where will it end :bang:

[Sparrow]

I always thought Rolf (can’ya tell what it is yet) Harris was underrated …

[pakeha]

metallica's Nothing else matters.
now that is crap! worse band in the world:D

always thought Rolf (can’ya tell what it is yet) Harris was underrated …

Rolf is/was[ can`ya tell what it is yet] AUSTRALIAN:eek:

Thanx Keith, for posting this, i have seen not this one but another some years ago, but gee, the replies here are just as entertaining as the clip - no wait it was art?

[Sparrow]

metallica's Nothing else matters.
now that is crap! worse band in the world:D

always thought Rolf (can’ya tell what it is yet) Harris was underrated …

Rolf is/was[ can`ya tell what it is yet] AUSTRALIAN:eek:

Thanx Keith, for posting this, i have seen not this one but another some years ago, but gee, the replies here are just as entertaining as the clip - no wait it was art?

Sir Les Patterson, the Australian cultural attaché here in the UK always spoke very highly of him however ..

[FS Vontz]

It got boring. There should have been more shots of her face. Ahhh..

[-doomed-]

No performance art is better than a half hour with Bob! :D

I miss Bob!!!
I loved his show , I used to watch it all the time. I thinks its great that he could inspire people to at least give it a shot. Art or not he motivated quite a few people to attempt painting.

Onward to this Art or Crap bit.

One would argue that one mans art is another persons crap. Music,photography,paint, insert genre here, all get some sort of art classification and also grab just as many cheers as they do jeers. Point?
Somehow it all falls under the art umbrella.

Is the video Keith posted the link to art? In the simple breakdown of things , sure. From the high art snob point of view , no.
The art of Kenneth Howard aka Von Dutch gets labeled as low brow art , mostly born of pinstriping custom cars in the late 50's and 60's and such. This isn't considered art amongst the high art snobs , yet it takes a certain degree of skill and vision to get right. His painting and other hand crafted knives and guns are great as well.

Perhaps this begs the question of what the hell is good art exactly? It all seems very subjective.

I'll never understand abstract art or that Jackson Pollack chucking of paint at canvas stuff , how the hell does anyone explain that ? I know call it art , and infer things no one else sees while telling the average person they'll never get it because they don't understand art.

So again what constitutes art? Who decides?