Sta.sh
Whatever way you intend to welcome in 2013, I hope you're surrounded by love and that you do it safely!
Basically, as CVs, when we are giving a DD, we are doing so because we think the image is interesting and well-done and deserves your attention. It may be technically exquisite. It may be technically quite good but exceptionally thought-provoking. It may be exceedingly creative. It may be all of these things! Above all else, it should stand out in some way from others in that medium or gallery.
Holiday Card Project 2012 Wrap Up
Complaints about quality declines in DDs
Let's take a quick look at what a Daily Deviation is first. You might remember this article from our last PE week A Daily Deviation is NOT an award, but a feature. If you haven't already, you might want to take a look at it! It's a great read and you can get a good foundation as to what a Daily Deviation stands for.
So, I'll be touching on the subject of "Complaints about quality declines in Daily Deviations". Why is this so important to touch on? That's a great question and I will be more than happy to answer it below as I describe some key factors that are often overlooked in the way of art vs quality.
Addressing Quality of Deviations
"A picture is worth a thousand words."
There is a lot of this going around "Daily Deviations are losing quality. They're not as beautimous as they used to be.". How about we step out of the shoes of "what is and isn't art" for just a second and take a step back. Art is growing in both genre, medium, and style. The Community Volunteer team is ever growing. Because of this growth, the diversity of deviations you see featured on DeviantART are being expanded and touching more corners of DeviantART that otherwise might be surpassed. More galleries ( and sub galleries) are being featured! This is where people start to question quality.
"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." - Aristotle
With more galleries comes diversity and that diversity is what people tend to not appreciate. Even more so when you dig deeper into the gallery itself and feature from the sub-categories. There's such a wide variety available to the community that it allows artists to provide our galleries with unique art from around the globe and touching every technique and style that is both unique to DeviantART and the world of art.
Art is defined as
art /ärt/ Noun
The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture,...: "the art of the Renaissance"
Dictionary.com
Art is created by skill and imagination. There is no limitation. Art is an expression, a feeling, an emotion, a song, a poem, or a stroke on a canvas. It is the expression of an individual.
It's the "Technique" that people tend to fuss over rather than the quality of imagination. If you're going to argue over technique then think of it this way, if you are spatting at an art piece just because it doesn't meet your standards of quality because of the artists technique then think of all the other famous artists that you're throwing in the trash as well. Such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, Jean-Michel Basquiat and all the other famous artists whose styles were not based on commonly accepted techniques but rather based on an internal vision on what they thought was beautiful. It may not be beautiful to you, but that doesn't mean it isn't Art. Art truly is in the eye of the beholder.
"To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind of food that it is very good but that most people can't eat it." - Leo Tolstoy
Quality vs Opinion
Looking at a piece of art work and expressing your opinion is a result of your emotional interpretation of that art piece. It's the result of your perspective or particular feelings. An opinion is a belief or judgment that falls short of absolute certainty. There is nothing wrong with sharing your opinion with the rest of the world about a piece of art that you may or may not like, but being negative about it and not inputting constructive criticism does little to progress your experiences with art in a meaningful way. Not for the artist and not for yourself.
So try to be open to all variety's of art that are expressed throughout DeviantART and featured on a daily basis! If you come across a piece of art, or art that is featured on DeviantART as a Daily Deviation and their technique isn't to your liking, please be respectful to the artist and their art.
F.A.Q's
FAQ #873: What do I do when I disapprove of a Daily Deviation feature?
FAQ #18: Who selects Daily Deviations and how are they chosen?
FAQ #61: What is a Daily Deviation?
FAQ #313: How can I find out if someone already has a Daily Deviation?
I love browsing the DDs everyday. They've expanded my exposure to art, and allowed me to see and appreciate different styles that I wouldn't normally experience. I don't always "get" a certain piece, but I fully understand that everyone's tastes are different, and there are many different galleries of dA (not of all match my tastes). But I've come to appreciate and enjoy several new styles which I never noticed before my daily perusing of the DDs. Thank you to all the CVs for that!
I also do understand what art is and how many different approaches one can have to see the beauty of something that at first glance could be called ugly.
It doesn't change the fact that, indeed, some DDs are simply horrible. Sometimes there is just that one work among the 30+ others that makes me cringe. I cringe even more because I always take a closer to look to try and understand what happened. Maybe the DD was given because of the circumstance in which the work was created? Maybe it's a part of some big project? Maybe there are some details I can't find? Or maybe there's simply a good story behind it.
But let's face it, sometimes it's just all nope, nope, nope, nooope.
DD is a feature, yes. There are no prizes, there is no cash, no awards. The value of a DD did decrease through the years though. I remember when just a few years back people were really trying their best to get a DD. A feature. A confirmation that their skills are worth showing to millions of people. It was a milestone that everyone struggled to reach in a very competitive but also fun and creative atmosphere.
Nowadays the approach to DDs seems to slowly shift into the "everyone's special" approach which rewards everyone and no-one at the same time. We're highlighting mediocrity which we see on a regular basis and don't really need a special place to see more of it.
I browse DDs every day and suggest them once or twice a week. I really do enjoy it and that's why I'm expressing my concerns about something I grew to like so much. The features didn't get drastically worse and they are still very enjoyable, but unfortunately the slight but constant decline is still visible. I really hope it's just temporary change due to the change of rules and hope to see more great art in the DD section!