February 2010 FArt Battle - VOTE!!

Sorry I can't help commenting on this as well:

1. Clutch
2. Lousy Day
3. Toxic Shia

I did see the book CR. While I probably wouldn't have totally gotten that without your description of the piece to be honest,i t's a great piece none-the-less and your humor is always a treat.

Thanks PS.
It's what I could manage with the time I had... I hope to do better next month if I can manage to shake this darn flu.

One --> Artz Giveaway <-- To Rule Them ALL!

I will settle this. ORANGE FTW! - Ex Libris

With the exception of Clutch those pieces that are getting the most attention seem to be the newer entries. That's it...I'm not submitting until the last day next month assuming I'm not DQ'd for letting my Fiance` use my/her account to vote.

Beauty..... Eye.... Beholder.......

More votes less drama please.

Although maybe the votes thread is not the place to note your critiques or opinions so as not to sway others. Kinda like voting places must keep political affiliation signs so many feet away from the actual polling place and you can't wearclothing that supports one candidate over another into the polling places....

But this is Wassy's contest....

No joke. Let's keep the drama to a minimum fart people.

1. Pyro
2. Frost
3. Happy Dan

Some statistics so far, through Larissa's votes (just keeping score at home, and I like statistics. These are not official, I won't be revealing any early results, and I only counted Scooter's first set of votes)

Total points so far: 222
Point difference between first and second: 35 points
Point difference between second and third: 3 points
Total points from the lower half of the participants: 11 points, or 5% of the total votes.
If we only had one vote? Every place from 2nd through 9th place would be different

FYI, I'll let Scooter and Mrs. Scooter each have their votes this month. Like Caemgen's fan fic, the issue didn't come up beforehand, so there wasn't an actual rule. Going forward, please do household votes. Beyond that, I can't really police that much because I'm obviously not going to know everyone's multiple account names (if they're not obvious).

BTW, is there any way we can get the February entries on the front page of #CityofHeroes instead of the January ones?

I appreciate Caemgen sharing his thoughts on all the participants. But I can see why no one else does.

Wow, drama on the Internet... Go figure*

Anyway, this will be my final comments on this bruhaha as I want to take one last stab at clearing a couple things up but have no desire to have a lengthy debate on what boils down to personal opinions and tastes...*

Art is always subjective. What one person likes may not work for the next person. Each may be able to clearly point out why they do or do not like a particular piece of art and even when they disagree on a specific point it doesn't neccessarily make one person right or wrong. Art is art. It is not math where there is a right and wrong answer. It is not science with provable facts. If art was NOT subjective then there would be no point to have voting in a contest.

Part of the subjective nature of art also means that some likes and dislikes of an individual may not be based in cleary explainable thoughts or points but may be more emotional or gut reactive... Just as you cannot convince a person to fall in love with another (they either feel it or they don't, facts won't change it) so too is art often liked or not on a more indefinable basis.

I have no problem with people feeling I am wrong for going hardcore on the theme to decide who got my votes. It was a theme, not a strict assignment, so there was some leeway for the artists to explore as they saw fit. My choice to kind of limit myself to the most strict definition was arbitrary and thus I see no problem with people disagreeing with me on that...

I would like to point out again, however, that I only came to this arbitrary, self imposed limitation after the month became a non elimination month and immunity was all but in the bag. Basically after I felt my vote had little or no relevance. That being the case I decided to make things easy on myself and hold myself strictly to the most strident interpretation of the theme... If portions of what was being voted for were still in doubt I would have judged on a different basis...

"For this month's theme, I'm looking for some classic pin-ups." - Wassy

Sure, she went on to allow artists to stretch the theme and as Fan Art Mistress that is totally her right. However, I also believe it is my right to make my judgements on the basis of what I like and dislike, what I felt best fit the theme and what I ft strayed too far and which arts I liked best based on my own feelings, opinions and likes. Sorry that so many of you disagree.

I suppose I could have just kept my mouth shut and voted for myself and the people I liked best... Or shut up and voted for people I thought would be easy to beat down the line... Or whatever. That just isn't me though. I will vote for those I think did the best job. Period. That includes a combination of best fitting the theme and best art.

Some disagree with how strictly I enforced fitting the theme and that is fine. Personally I have more problem with those who base their votes on things that have nothing to do with talent of fitting the theme but since the board citizenry isn't up in arms over those people I guess I am the only one...

Ah well, that's my general thoughts on the topic, now to get to specifics..*

Battlewraith/Frozendeath*
On the cropping issue:
As I said before, to me Eddy Swan's cropping appears to have been an artistic decision while Dan's seemed to come off more unfinished than choice. This is my interpretation of how it looks and I could easily be wrong... However, I can only go by what I see and how I see it, how it works for me. Unless we're going to hold interview sessions with each artist to delve into their thoughts and intents I'm not sure what else I should do.

And sure, both cropped... Both used the same technique in essence. Are you going to tell me that two different artists using the same technique inevitably pull it off equally as well?because the difference between the two, in my opinion, is how well they pulled it off.

Spiral PTterns and Quick Reads
First off, I apologize for not being sophisticated enough to properly hold opinions and thoughts on art. However I do not believe sophistication was a requirement for voting in the contest. I thought Wassy's rule was pretty much just that you had to have a message board account...

Snarkiness aside, I wish to express again how much I really liked your art. I thought all of the elements were done exceptionally well and I loved the added touches. Hell, I've admired your arts since I came to these boards and have been eagerly waiting for you to open up for commissions...

But your explanation of the spiral pattern just kind of proves to me why I didn't feel your piece was one which best fit this months theme. To me, a pin up should focus on the subject - generally the girl. As was your intent, my focus moved around the picture instead, drawing focus from the girl. It is a great work of art just not, in my opinion, one of the best pin ups.

I respect your right to disagree with me going with the strictest adherance to the pin up theme... However, even with the looser theme I probably would have kept in mind if the elimination for the month wasn't eliminated and immunity all but decided, I'm still not sure I would have thought your piece fit the theme...

The theme was pin ups and was open to loose interpretations of pin ups and related materials but to me your piece is in action scene. An action scene with a hot chick as the main subject and with some comedic elements thrown in but not, to me, a pin up.*

Well, I suppose it is a pin up in the comic book sense of a pin up being a page or pages basically designed to be taken out and put up on a wall but Wassy expressed that she meant classic pin ups -"For this month's theme, I'm looking for some classic pin-ups. I'm thinking along the lines of Alberto Vargas (or Olivia DeBerardinis for a recent example). Think fantasy, cheesecake, frivolity, playfulness." and I personally feel you strayed too far from that field...

I hope you understand that there is nothing personal in my voting or decision making process. I have absolutely no problem with you and am always glad to see your arts, your comments and even your libestreams when I can make them. I find you very interesting and knowledgable. I respect your right to hold different views, opinions, feelings and beliefs than I do... *And I most definitely grant you are more knowledgeable about art than I am. That being the case I still bieve my thoughts, opinions and feelings are valid. They may not be right but then again I believe there is very little absolute right or wrong when it comes to individuals likes or dislikes of art... Though I could be wrong about that...

Aggelakis
First off, I do not believe that is an actual quote of mine. There are ways to quote someone and yet indicate that's parts of the actual quote were changed for the sake of brevity, comedy or whatever. *I would appreciate that courtesy in the future. I can get enough heat for my own words, I don't need extra for being misquoted.

Secondly, this was indeed pin up month.

As far as I'm concerned, it's not the opinions that are at fault here. It's the non-adherence to your own self imposed rules. Would have been much better if you just said "I like this piece because..." and not stated any method for choice at all.

I can't argue what you like or don't like. I can *certainly* argue based on an agreed upon rule set. Therein is the problem. Something to think about in the future.

Most people's opinions and judgements are not codified. Sure, they have some guidelines, but in general, people are able to switch them up depending on circumstance. People vote how they do - it's their call.

Questioning why is fine. But we have to be sure we're not scaring away expression.

I'm putting you all in time-out and taking away your puddin' snacks.