[Milton-L] Kirmss Sculpture

[James Rovira]

I think some responses to the art on this list seems to have either
rejected it all outright, or suggested that since these are works of
love they should be appreciated.  Can I suggest another option --
taking them seriously as art and treating them critically?  The Kirmss
sculpture appears to me to be, first, inadequately conceived.  There
should be some sense of irony or strangeness acknowledged in the union
of Milton with votive candles and a Tibetan symbol of humility.  There
should be some sense of irony in associating Milton with humility in
any tradition, for that matter -- that's not the first quality that
comes to mind with him.  Furthermore, I don't think the extended
tongue means in Tibetan traditions what the artist says it means.
I've always seen that in far eastern cultures associated with
fear-inspiring figures, like gods of death or war.

The execution of the sculpture is perhaps two steps above amateurish.
Kirmss himself seems widely creative, working in painting, music, and
I think theater, and I believe he holds an MFA.  It's -ok- if
sculpture isn't his strong suit, or if this one sculpture didn't quite
work.  I admit seeing the writing on the tongue makes that gesture a
lot more sensible, but overall it looks like a decapitated head on a
platter with no self-awareness that it looks that way.  The facial
expression lacks nuance -- it's more like a sculpture of a cartoon.
We're talking about adults here, and professional artists, not six
year olds who we encourage no matter what they produce just because
they're trying -- legitimate criticism is fair game.

This is not, however, a judgment on the entire exhibition, and with
John Rumrich I very much enjoy Terrance Lindall's illustrations. I'm
very glad that link was posted. These illustrations do exhibit a
certain professionalism and self-awareness that he's working within a
specific style.  Whether or not one likes the style is a matter of
taste (I do like it), but it's certainly present and well executed.

Jim R