Intrinsic artistic ability and knife making?

That's a good point Greg. There is something inherently unique about everyone,... any person. If you can find it, tap into it and develop it, you can become very good at art. It's something you have that no one else has... A unique set of gifts.

However, it’s not something every one is capable of… Some people need more structure and to be told what to do and/or what is correct. Those folks won't make good artists. They just aren't hard wired for it and will never understand it.

There is a chance however that a person can intentionally and purposefully alter their hard wiring. But there again, it seems not everyone is able to. It's extremely difficult to do. It's guru/genius stuff.

... maybe someday though...
 
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Really great artist have the ability to totally remake themselves over and over and over.

... I guess in science it would be roughly the equivalent of making paradigm shifts.

Mathematically, if one changes the framework or paradigm enough times,... eventually finds a perfect match to one's own natural abilities.
 
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Artistic ability has to be important. ...just look at athletes, with equal raining true talent wins out. I don't think it is as important in knifemaking though as it can be learned.

The difference between a good knifemaker and a decent one ultimately is an eye for perfection combined with the drive to perfect their work.

Of course your aesthetics have to be correct but many get that right, it is the drive to make the best which ultimately pushes some people ahead of the pack.

There are some new makers which just have the eye for looks and can somehow execute the ideas, I hope to watch them improve.
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
The difference between a good knifemaker and a decent one ultimately is an eye for perfection combined with the drive to perfect their work.
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Maybe debatable philosophically,...but "perfection" really has very little to do with beauty and/or aesthetics... OR "human" personal expression.
 
... However, the execution of a concept (or craftsmanship) must be good enough to get the idea across and to be taken seriously.
 
Twenty five or thirty yeats ago I decided I wanted to grow bonsai trees. I knew nothing about doing so, and certainly had no innate ability in that area. I still have some of the trees I started then. I've been offered several thousand dollars for a couple, and have earned many professional kudo's. Keeping a small tree alive in a pot for decades is no mean task, you have to be able to identify and treat diseases and thwart all kinds of pests, protect them in winter and learn to feed them properly. It gets to be a very complex field as each species has it's own requirements for soil, feeding, light, and on and on.. I did all this by developing knowledges, skills and abilities. I see no real difference in making an artknive. Learn the basics of bladesmithing, advance your skills, knowledges and abilities by study in various fields such as metalsmithing, embossing, engraving, casting, working with many different materials, talking to others in the field, and seeking advice from people who do make artknives. If you let someone tell you you can't do it because you do not have "it", smile and tell them to just wait and see.
 
Tai Goo said:
Maybe debatable philosophically,...but "perfection" really has very little to do with beauty and/or aesthetics... OR "human" personal expression.
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I agree, perfection may not have been the perfect word! :D

I mean more of a drive to execute the ideas. Perfection is very subjective.
 
I’ve seen too many people waist and ruin their lives chasing foolish dreams and become very bitter about it, to be able to say any one can make it and it's all about desire. However, I don’t want to be the one to tell you that you can’t,… there’s always the chance.

A man has got to have a dream.
 
Making an artknive is not a foolish dream, stipped down to essentials, it's still just a knife. If you can make a good knife, you already have the basics down. But, there's no point in going back and forth. I have a point of view, which I am trying to express in good faith, and you are doing likewise.
 
David, Doing something for a hobby or for fun is one thing, but I'm talking "professionally" now.

As a teacher I just don't have the heart to tell a student they don't have what it takes, so I try to help and encourage them as much as I can... not sure it's always a good thing though because many have dreams of fame and fortune.

It's a very fine line there.

I'd just say do it because you love it and if you are any good at it the rewards will be there. But, don't do it just for the rewards.

"Fame and fortune are to the artist what alcohol is to the drunk driver." James Kelly
 
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…. On second thought, even hobbies can get out of hand and become self destructive, but we each have to be our own judge of that as well.

Anyway,... I've given the pros and cons the way I see them. Hope it helps.
 
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I understand what you been saying, Tai. May you have continued success. I've long admired your work. Maybe someday I'll post my version of an "artknife."
 
tryppyr said:
I personally believe some people get too hung up on how thing ought to be, and fail to allow for how they could be.

I believe in a bit more freedom of expression. What looks and feels good to you might very well not appeal to the masses, who want things to be the way the OUGHT to be. Does that make your way wrong?

A lot of artists make their mark by defying convention. Go to any art museum... go to several. Look at the variety you see. Consider that each artist is revered by some and reviled by others. Does that make them right or wrong? Toss aside the notion of rightness and wrongness. There is no right or wrong, there is only expression.

Keith Haring isn't wrong because his art appears simpler than Lichtenstein's. Dali isn't wrong because his images are less realistic than Rembrandt's. Each expresses something unique.

Find your own "voice". Define your own style. Defy convention and make your own mark.

Or not, if that isn't your thing. :)
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I stumbled upon this quote from Bucky Fuller today that relates to what you are saying. I posted it in a thread I started in the customs forum.

It just seems to answer so many questions for me,

I think we have to undo a lot of what society puts on us

Quote:
The Things to do are: the things that need doing, that you see need to be done, and that no one else seems to see need to be done. Then you will conceive your own way of doing that which needs to be done — that no one else has told you to do or how to do it. This will bring out the real you that often gets buried inside a character that has acquired a superficial array of behaviors induced or imposed by others on the individual.
 
This is just my 2 cents worth.
So take it with a grain of salt.

I think it is a mistake when beginning knife makers get caught up in making artistic or unique knives.
My opinion is that it is better to focus on building your skill level making the more standard knife designs.
When you get real good at your fit and finish, even a simple design can look beautiful.
After the basics are mastered then you can start working on your own style.
 
Burl Source said:
This is just my 2 cents worth.
So take it with a grain of salt.

I think it is a mistake when beginning knife makers get caught up in making artistic or unique knives.
My opinion is that it is better to focus on building your skill level making the more standard knife designs.
When you get real good at your fit and finish, even a simple design can look beautiful.
After the basics are mastered then you can start working on your own style.
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I started out making my dream knives and found that I needed to get the skills in order by making simpler(?) knives, Loveless hunter style, but still need to follow my heart to stay interested. The art knives push my ability also. I'm trying to balance the two, although every knife made increases my skill level.

I just need to make more knives.
 
Thank you all for a very insightful conversation! Last night I got to see my first Pc of Damascus that, even though I did not make it, I got to etch it after many hours of cutting, profiling, filing and sanding, and see the pattern emerge! It was an awakening moment. I helped make something "artistic" at least to my minds eye. It was an emotional experience because when I showed it to my 16 Yr old daughter (who is not impressed w/too many things) she said "Wow, that is beautiful" Made me happy. It's her knife that I am making. Long live art, in whatever form it may come! Thank you everyone! Great group of folks here!
 
Damascus is what drew me into this hobby. People told me I was foolish for wasting expensive damascus on my first few blades. Like you, however, I had a definite emotional reaction when seeing the pattern emerge after spending many hours shaping the blade.

To heck with conventional wisdom. Seek that feeling. It's a heck of a pay off for the work. And if the intended recipient gets the same reaction you do, so much the better.

- Greg
 
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