One of the reasons I have decided to remove them from etsy is also because I feel that etsy is more geared towards commercial items - even the art that does well there is usually of a more decorative nature (i.e. stuff you'd put in your home). Etsy is also a difficult venue to explain the impetus behind the work you make which can lead to a lot of false assumptions about the artist and the art. A fellow etsy friend recently asked if I had considered having someone submit my pooties to regretsy in an attempt to get more views and sales. Thinking that it was an option, despite the site's reputation for being mean-spirited, I said I didn't mind if she submitted my work. Nothing seemed to have come from it, but after googling my work a few weeks later, I did find that someone had posted my cookie monster pussy on regretsy's facebook fan page.
Cookie Monster Pussy
After reading the comments posted, I was surprised at my own reaction to seeing people talk about my work. I consider myself to have a pretty thick skin about most things - my work especially, but I was pretty disturbed by what I read. It struck me for the first time how important context was for this work and that I was doing very little for it by posting them for sale on a site like etsy. Because there is already this built-in understanding that etsy is a site for handmade items, many of which are gorgeous, technically well-made and clever, there is this other understanding that comes with the craft world; that some of it is not very well-made and that this site often attracts crafters who are pretty amateur in nature. They may be able to give gifts to their families and friends who are appreciative, but their sense of craft, skill, and design is not as sophisticated as the thousands of other crafters/artists already on the site selling their wares. It is this knowledge that has led to a very successful site like regretsy which points out some of the crazy things that make it to etsy simply because someone has time and internet access.
In any case, I make this point because what I was surprised about when reading the comments about my work was that no one had much to say with regard to how the item was made. They were perplexed at the fact that it looked more like muppet anatomy rather than human anatomy (something I strive for when I make these items) and they were much more concerned with the type of person who made them rather than the object itself. There was also a general lack of respect for the artist in general which I don't feel a huge need to subject myself to. I expect my work to be critiqued when it is online, I expect many viewers to be perplexed or even not like my work, but in general, when viewers walk into an art venue, I expect a certain level of respect for the maker as someone who has taken time to communicate something - be it difficult to understand, not well done, or something the viewer simply doesn't agree with or care to bother with, but something they will dislike in a relatively quiet way out of respect for the artist. Hopefully, on the flip side - there will be people who do appreciate and find value in the work I make.
So, to make a long story short, it seemed best that I try and control the context in which these little muppet pooties are being observed as much as I can so I am serving the work's best interests. The impetus for making them was the result of a few years of research into human sexuality, taboo, and trauma that I explored while in graduate school. And while I am delighted at engaging the viewer's tactile senses as well as their sense of humor and discomfort - I am eager to have these objects understood within a context of art. Laughter is a very powerful emotion that when released among viewers and peers has a cathartic, empowering effect. When directed at someone or something, it can be utterly devastating. In short, I'd rather laugh with my viewers than have them laugh at me. While I can't really control which they'll choose to do, I can influence the viewer by controlling the context in which they view my work.
