The Inside Assyria Discussion Forum #5

=> Re: HALAW!!!!!!!

Re: HALAW!!!!!!!
Posted by pancho (Guest) - Saturday, December 9 2006, 3:38:15 (CET)
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Ado wrote:
>I see you've been baned from another online country, buddy. Nice!
>
>But, why are you messing with Joeseph, believe it or not he's a good kid and is seriously trying to make a difference.

...I dunno...he was THERE. It wasn't his fault but he didn't belong at the banquet as a speaker. He brought the place to a halt...he took time away from the auction, which had to be rushed....sorry, we can't do much with "nice guys". Nothing personal....had you given the talk in his place I'd have said the same thing...and if I ever give such a speech...you have my permission to storm the podium.

..and while I have you here let me say that I didn't finish your script because it was a very bad time for the family...but I would have had a hard time anyway...and let me tell you why...I feel unqualified to give an opinion on anyone's art. I've never been able to do it...people have asked me to critique their sculpture and I can't do it. I feel it's a sort of sacrilege...much worse than telling the pope to go fuck himself.

...I can tell you I enjoyed the creativity...and I do want to finish it...but don't ask me what I thought...I'll tell you what I think about YOU...even if you've got Jesus on the brain...I think you're talented...but big deal...LOTS of people have talent...that's the LEAST thing you need to make it out there...you've got to work...you've got to learn to almost ENJOY rejection...and you have to be bold and daring. That you, or Emile or I would even be doing what we do is an amazing thing in itself...we have lots of Assyrian doctors, engineers and the like...but their work isn't Assyrian...indeed many have gone to work for Jews doing Jewish work...they are Assyrians...but their work is not.

I've been fortunate to sell fairly well among Assyrians...that's why I call myself one of the few PROFESSIONAL Assyrians we have...by which I mean I make my living FROM Assyrian 'work". I can work for a Jewish sculptor on his Holocaust Monument...I can say I am an Assyrian and get some attention for the Heritage that way...but that isn't good enough...I want to go all the way and that means the projects which MAKE the money for me to live on have to be Assyrian....not Jewish. The same with the religion, but we won't go there...however it is that they got you taking your medication again, I don't want to spoil it.

But...selling to JUST Assyrians is a huge liabillity...as my own experience has shown...I;m not unique in being attacked because of my success...but I had success AS an Assyrian DOING Assyrian work...and that was really unforgiveable.

The best thing that happened to me was being forced out...being stubborn I probably would have insisted on remaining and working for a basically unappreciative and downright fearful community...because mediocrity is THE god of Christian Assyrians...that's the only way they know they can be "great" Assyrians.

I'm sure, even towing Jesus behind you, you've come across that. The final step...the absolute ultimate step remaining is to take this Assyrian work...done By an Assyrian...out into the WORLD. I did that with two monuments...and now I have to do it in private commissions and in galleries...I have to SELL " Assyrian" to non-Assyrians....and force Assyrians to buy from galleries...we certainly have the people wealthy and cultured enough to do it...but they won't come anywhere near the usual Assyrian garbage we do. If we rise to the challenge...make ouselves worthy of the very best and highest levels...we'll be surprised. And then we won't care what Kuriakus says and what Odishoo says...

The challenge, for me, is that i can't just make reproductions of ancient pieces...that's too limited and won't be appealling enough...it also shows a lack of maturity and progression...I have to do more than copy the ancient masters...i don't care how ell I do it...THEY were the artists and I'm just a copyist. But..i had to learn and understand the forms and details and concepts...now the challenge is to translate those in a contemporary fashion while still leaving their basic Assyrianisness in them.

I'm heading back to Mexico in a few days to start making sculptures of the characters from the Epic of Gilgamesh...for the OUTSIDE art world...we shall see.

If you don't mind my saying it...this is something you need to do. I'm sure you want to....but here's the last thing I wanted to say...I wonder if your traditional views about Jesus and us Assyrians...your buying the argument straight down the line, may not be hindering you...in some subtle, unconscious, developmental way.

I have no doubt of your creativity as a writer and filmaker...especially as I know a little of the kinds of hurdles you have to jump as an indy producer...on TOP of what we face from our community. It isn't your creativity as a filmaker and writer...I want to stress that...I wonder though if there is a lack of creativity in your approach to BEING Assyrian.

Once I began questioning the assumptions I was raised with, I felt scales falling away from my eyes and mind...something like the creative burst that comes when Emile questions the norms regarding sex and gender ....

Not everyone HAS to question...though I think it would be a good thing for all...but for us Assyrians especially and especially if we want to venture out as artists...if we're going to go OUTSIDE and take the Heritage with us and ask people to sit up and take notice, well....I think the standard version we've been given hinders us greatly in attempting such a thing and, more mundanely, the whole business about us being Assyrian BECAUSE we are Christian etc sounds like such utter nonsense IN that outside world.

Frank Capra said that you have to DESERVE the right to ask people to sit in a darkened room for two hours to watch what you put up there (or walk through a gallery looking at your pieces)...and I just wonder if we've done the WORK, as Assyrians, to deserve to put our Heritage up there in front of the world.

For god's sake do NOT turn me in to Homeland Security as the "Enema Of Assyria"!



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