wait a second, I think that horse moved....give me my whip...

I must be doing something right- so far this year I've been called pompous...

pompous- 1. characterized by an ostentatious display of dignity or importance. 2. ostentatiously lofty or high flown. 3. characterized by pomp, stately splendor or magnificence

...and a pedant

pedant-a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning. 2. a person who over-emphasizes rules or minor details. 3. a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regards to common sense


...for what it's worth, I had to look up the definitions of both words to get precise definitions (as if it mattered, which, by doing so, I guess sort of does make me a pedant...OOPS!) And pompous, well, I guess that's a matter of opinion. I don't feel ostentatious, but I do play by DA's rules & I expect others to as well.

I've had a great go-round with another member who called me pompous, and for being pompous offered a harsh criticism of my art. I think I'd rather be pompous than mean spirited- To say, essentially, that some one's art sucks because you don't like them or the impression a comment they've made...uh...made...really, says more about the person doing the criticism than the art or artist.

Ironically, what sparked the go-round was a photo of an erection & when the person who posted the photo asked- why can you post photos that elicit erections, but not erections, I offered an opinion (god forbid). And got slammed by a third party. I offered what I looked for in art- it seemed to be taken that I was laying down the law for others- I wasn't. The even greater irony is in the photo poster's journal she (?) has as much said no artistic intent was meant. She wanted a confrontation with "so called artists". And like trout, we rose to the bait.

Of course, posting work that you know has no artistic intent on an art site just to get a rise, in the end, is a pretty juvenile endeavor. To me, it's the equivalent of going into somebody else's house & crapping on the floor because you've decided you should have the right to. To me it couldn't be simpler, DA has rules. You agreed by joining to honor them. What's the problem? Even simpler- you posted a photo of something prohibited, DA & the folks who respect DA said no. Your post was removed. What part of "no" confuses you? And why do you expect to be treated with respect, when you come to DA & your first act is to disrespect the place & its members ("so-called artists"- thank you very much)? The reality is coming to the site & posting material you know is against policy is a simple act of hostility. I think hostile reactions are to be expected.

Is respecting DA's rules & expecting others to do the same being pompous? Then I'm glad to be. Does knowing what DA's rules are & respecting them make me a pedant? Happy to be that, too. Do I impose my personal taste on pieces of art that adhere to DA's rules? No. Never have. Never will. I've said it plenty of times...within the rules, knock yourselves out. There's plenty of room to do it.

"The mind can proceed only so far upon what it knows and can prove. There comes a point where the mind takes a higher plane of knowledge, but can never prove how it got there." A. Einstein