I can choose to, like any good host, keep the conversation civil. By all means, tell me you don’t like my work. But in order to have merit and contribute to the conversation, you must qualify your feelings. Otherwise, it’s just being douchey. It’s never enough to say you don’t like something, particularly in a group setting. That applies to real life as well as the internet.

If somebody is uncomfortable with this most basic of social contracts/constructs, there are issues present that have nothing to do with me or my work; intellectual, honest or otherwise.

I know that nobody likes hearing things contrary to what he/she believes but; you can’t choose who gives you feedback and what it will be (especially in forums like this) and if you do you become dishonest to yourself and your art.

(er…rod?)

(damn, now I’m making myself blush!)

Good call on the comment moderation, as well as the Tumble Bus Experiment.

It’s not the fanciest-schmansiest, artsy-fartsiest photo in the world.

But last year my father died. And mom passed less than 9 months later. I miss them every day, but especially now, as the summer days bring warm memories of shared times as a family. We loved camping on the Oregon coast, and my Dad, especially, loved to fish.

This simple photo made me think of my Dad. And it made me cry. In a good way.

When a simple image or a simple word can provoke a raw emotion like that — to me, that’s art.

Thank you, Jon, for sharing your gift with us.

Ethan

Recent review that is evocative of your work: (no conflict of interest here)

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-galleries20-2008jun20,0,4261169.story