Thursday, May 29, 2008

On a bad day, try engrish



Filled up the tank at $4.15 a gallon.
Drove to downtown art gallery to pick up artwork- 50 miles round trip.
Parking for 1/2 hour: $8.00.
Sold no artwork-- not one piece-- not even one DVD. Show was up two months.
Felt badly for the nice gallery owner. I would have bought one of her chili dogs but I've had some bad lucky getting chili dogs to my mouth in the past and didn't want to risk it.

Came home and read this charming post about "Quasi at the Quackadero":

Honestly, this is too much like Yellow Submarine to be of any major significance. Considering that it came out almost a decade later, it doesn't really stand out. Creative, but not especially important; I don't know why it was selected on that "50 greatest cartoons" list.


Mostly youtube posters are incredibly enthusiastic, but not grnchild. Anyway, pulled myself out of loser syndrome by going to engrish.com and enjoying its nuttiness, like cole slaw above.

15 comments:

Mars Tokyo said...

I feel for you. I've had a solo show of my work in a good gallery in New Orleans for the past TWO months also, and haven't sold one thing. Considering it cost me about $1000. to mat and ship the work, I'm filing this one under things learned, and never again. UGH.
BTW-- Quasi at the Quackadero is TOO significant. Sheesh. The guy is probably a 9 year old weinie.

A Wanderer said...

Very sorry to hear that. Bad day indeed. But easy come easy go, and keep on truckin'.
I come very much from a Kierkegaardian (I sound pretentious) school of thought, including in regards to art, or to put it more simply "I may not know art but I know what I like."
I despise it when works of art are judged solely on a social, political or cultural basis (maybe some exceptions for things intentionally meant to be viewed in those contexts). What influence did that have on that, etc. Maybe it's interesting but it doesn't really make it good. I don't like "Blowin' In the Wind" or "The Times They Are A'Changin'" because they inspired a generation or whatever, I like them because I think they're good songs.
To be honest, I don't know what influence Quasi has had, though I would expect it's had some or it wouldn't have been included in the book which introduced me to your work in the first place. But to be frank, I don't really care all that much, because the bottom line is: I love it. I wish you success, and I wish people would knock off all the "socio-political/cultural/industry significance" judge mentality, but come what may, speaking for myself and I'm sure who knows how many others, thank you for sharing your talent.
(And as a quick afterthought: you'll actually have a DVD order from me in early July, once some expenses in the coming month are out of the way. I've been crazy wanting to see "Quasi's Cabaret.")

Anonymous said...

Quasi is the best--and so is your artwork. (That person who posted is just not a happy person.) My thinking about my upcoming exhibit is this: if people can't afford gas and food, they surely won't buy my art. But it's no reflection on us or our art: it's the economy.
xoxo

Sally said...

oh ouch mars, that hurts! And all I had was a parking fee, gasoline and a hot dog not eaten.

Usually stuff like this doesn't bother me, but in my childish mind I'd already earned (and spent) the money as soon as I set the prices.

Lately I just don't seem to be able to earn money doing anything! except selling dvds. One year I was a power seller on ebay.

I shouldn't have been such a whiner about the guy on youtube, but it just hit at that ping moment.

And a wanderer, I completely agree about those Dylan songs.

Sally g, I still think your subject matter will transcend the economy and I know I'll want to put a red dot or two in advance!

Anonymous said...

Sally, you could eat Peter Max for breakfast.
The criticism you quoted was obviously made by someone who didn't have a clue.
And always remember rule number one: don't let the petty bastards bring you down.

Anonymous said...

Chin up! Your work was chosen to represent the best of your genre. The commentor was probably never chosen for anything.

A good friend came over the other day to look at my work and she pointed at a painting I had done of a little dog and said "that's weird. I don't like it." It happens to be one of my favorite paintings that I've done.

Next time you're at a seafood restaurant, get a lobster bib and keep it handy for those random chili dog moments.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

Nobody bought anything? What's wrong with people? Geez. Buncha saps.
That's the irony of anything creative (art, music, writing etc..)- it can be the most wonderful stuff in the world and go unnoticed. Crazy making!

As for the you-tuber, anyone who can't tell the difference between Quasi at the Quackadero and Yellow Submarine has head up his @$$. Now, really!

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

To clarify, "buncha saps" refers to the people who didn't appreciate your artwork.
Your stuff the the best. So original and fun!

Linda Davick said...

I checked your blog really late last night and found goonchild's comment hilarious. I thought: "I can't say that. I better wait til tomorrow and re-read it." But it's the next day and goonchild's comment is still making me giggle uncontrollably, so I'll just have to admit it. Coleslaw isn't bad either.

Anonymous said...

Don't you love it when nasty comments begin with Honestly. Speaking dishonestly, his critical reputation is at stake here. Evuhboddy's a critic on the net, evuhboddy's in the know.

Sally said...

Yeah, there are lots of tip off lines like
"Honestly, I.."
"To be perfectly honest, I.."
"To tell the truth, I"
"I myself personally..."

and then there's
"I take full responsibility..."

A Wanderer said...

The subjectivity of art has kind of been on my mind recently. It's a funny thing. All you ever hear about Bob Dylan is the 60s, and if anybody mentions the 80s its usually in regard to how terrible his music supposedly was at the time. But my favorite Dylan album is "Infidels" from 1983, synthesizers, reggae, Dire Straits' guitar player and all.
I'm also a big Tom Waits fan, and if ever there was an example of you-love-it-or-you-hate it...I can't envision what it's like to NOT like his music or his voice. Yet most people I meet seem to be the opposite...

As for what mean jean said, as for stuff I've created...if I like it everyone thinks it's awful, if I hate it everybody else thinks its the best thing I've ever made. I made a little short the other day almost entirely to practice editing, and I thought the actual short was pretty lame and unfunny, one of my worst. My friend talks to me on the phone and says he thinks its one of the funniest things I've ever shot. Go figure.

alyssa said...

Dear Sally,

I love you films and art! I wish I knew about your show.

I get 'Y.S' comments, too...

We should commiserate while drinking from giant Yellow Submarines.

Anonymous said...

Loved Yellow Submarine especially 3 dimensional Liverpool shot as dawn comes to the city and the camera pans down from the heights. Quasi takes the edge in terms of it's homage to early anthropomorphic black and white cartoons. Also the dialogue is more mature. Great works of art do not have to compete. They can be enjoyed for their own merits. I just hope you can find the time and funding to do more off-the-wall animation of a longer duration. Too bad only half the Beatles are still with us, having them behind a project especially at that time was a guarranteed winner. Keep your chin up and enjoy your life and family. Seems to me you have it pretty good to let small setbacks ruin your day. You have this group of friends rooting for you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Sally!