The Performer as "Artist"

[violet@slip.net]

Richard wrote:
>I think I'd rather say that KaTe is a musician, but not a performer. She
>produces beautiful objects, wether those objects are recordings or
>images, but She decided She wasn't getting anything from producing them
>anew each night.

This is precisely the point -- the point in Kate's case, anyway, and the
case of some other musical artists.  Regardless of what we wish or think
Kate should do, she is the one creating her "art."  She's said before, in a
variety of ways, that once she's done something, she's done it and doesn't
feel the desire to keep doing that particular thing.  Could you imagine
making the same thing over and over and over?  Some people can, yes.  Some
musicians can, yes.  Some people like to play their songs a million times
and can have just as much fun as the first. But Kate doesn't enjoy this,
and that's her choice.  It reminds me of something that Joni Mitchell likes
to say, that musical artists are expected to keep playing their work night
after night, but artists in other mediums are not expected to do anything
of the kind.  She says, "Can you imagine people going to see Van Gogh and
saying 'Hey, paint "A Starry Night" again, man!'?"  This is a brilliant,
funny way of putting it into perspective.  Some musicians stand on the
"minstrel" side of the room, and they want to travel from town to town and
perform the same things each night.  Some musicians like to be more like
artists working in the medium of sound, and when their "painting" is on
tape, they hang it on the wall and move on.  This is what Kate likes to do.
Maybe WE wish she'd do it differently, but we don't really have a vote.

And in the way that some artists like to do pastel drawings on the sidewalk
and people can walk by and watch, a lot of musicians like the feeling of an
audience and are happiest when hearing applause.  Other artists like to
hole up in little attic studios and paint away for years before their work
sees the light of day.  This is Kate.  And Kate's way isn't unprecedented.
Many of the classical composers did this same thing, even while some of
their contemporaries were "touring" the countryside and playing for the
masses.  Just because there are music charts and stadium arenas and MTV now
doesn't mean that a musician has to play this game.

If Kate were physically a painter instead of a musician, would we be as
hard on her about the way she goes about creating and the time she takes?
Of course not.  And to me, she is a painter of songs (although I will admit
to liking some of her paintings more than others). :>

Violet
xoxox

        + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
        +                                                   +
        +   "Disco isn't dead.  It just smells that way."   +
        +                                                   +
        + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +