Americentrism
I can’t help but think back to the fight of craft versus art, and trying to figure out the barrier between. It seems like a question of validity and acceptance. I understand that this isn’t exactly what the reading was about, but I couldn’t stop thinking of SOFA. I have attended SOFA for the past couple of years, well at least every other year, and have to say that what I have seen from Europe and other countries seems depressing. I guess that is my Americentrism coming out, my need to feel superior and better than the rest. I looked at the galleries from Ireland in hopes of finding something interesting and for some odd reason felt let down. I was not born in Ireland nor were my parents, but I feel like I have a tie to that country. I supposedly have more Irish blood in me than any other; I guess I should look into how much, based on last weeks reading from Adrian Piper. I shouldn’t have any pride for a country I guess aside from America based on the fact that I was born here and will most likely never move to a different country. If my work was based on any perception in any one country, I would have to say that it was based on the United States, for the soul purpose that I look at how we perceive nature. This idea or question seems to have a large origin in America based on the paintings from the Hudson River School. Painters like Thomas Cole came over from Europe and turned their Eurocentrism into Americentrism painting landscape portraits to show the grandeur of the new world, an idea that was supposed to make the Europeans jealous. Okay I am kind of trailing off here, sorry.
So, going back to the SOFA issue, to say the least I was unpleased this year yet again. For one, call the art fair glass (based on the fact that everything there is made of glass), and second show something new for once, I saw that the last two times I was here. My biggest concern is the ad that SOFA had this year, what the hell is going on, not only does this make Galleri Udengaard look bad, it make ceramics look lame as hell. If the ceramic artists in Denmark are making work like this I will cancel my trip, and as for ceramics, what is Lars Calmar trying to accomplish, what is he trying to communicate? Your figurative work is great, so continue working in bronze, and stay out of ceramics for the people in this world who work with clay. 
As for the idea of Americentrism, it would not be so if it weren’t for the idea of Eurocentrism. No matter what country you come from their will always be a backing of that country and its heritage. The ideas from one culture will always influence another in one way or another, just look at Santa clause in his all red get up, this was not always so(thank you coca cola).