On judging the work/artist. Comparing to others and Love.

In my own work, it doesn't matter. The reason is that at any given time I can only do what *I* do. It doesn't matter what everyone else is doing, I am locked into my own consciousness, abilities, etc on any given day. I am what and who I am, and this is the source of my meager, rarely shown output. To me, being "best" "average" or "worst" is meaningless. It adds nothing to the experience. We are not fatted calves to be worshipped, and art is not a game, with rules and points that define who wins and loses. It is far more than that.

In my writing about art, this philosophy abides. It is an exploration of art and artists, and it is all about my unbridled love for both. Remember the story about Basquiat, Mark? I loved that story, and because I know you and remembered your love for him, as I heard it from you-know-who I was desperately making notes in my head so I could remember it well when I told you because I knew you would love it, love being the operant word.

There are my personal favorites, sometimes people, sometimes work that on any given day connect with my own personal chemistry, make me feel the wind of creativity and genius and will blow me away, but I understand all too well that my prejudices are not universal yardsticks for anything, only the taste from my own pipe. I know enough about humanity and art history to know that whatever is touted today may not be what gets praise tomorrow. I see and speak with a large number of artists, off the record and personally. Yes, there are competitive ones, very social ones, lone wolves and community minded ones, to name a few. In my own experience, t is insecurity that breeds contempt. Make peace with who you are and what you do. One of the recent targets in the ongoing St. Pete saga/moment late one night after too many drinks, stretched out over the bar at the Sake Bomb next to me said, "in the end we are family". This is our Tribe. We do what we do not because it is easy or hard, but because we can't help loving it. This is not the way to get the beautiful house, beautiful wife and beautiful car, although some will. No one comes closest to understanding who you are or what you are doing than other artists.

--- Luis