Posted by parhad (158.252.219.172) on September 29, 2001 at 11:36:04:
I tell you, I've never known a man more eager and hungry for money than myself. At least that's what I've come to believe about myself after years in this community. I never knew when I began how really clever I was. Who would have thought that selling Assyrian Art to Assyrians and your odd Chaldean could earn you vast riches. I never did, but I'm glad now that I did it.
Still, for a guy that eager to make a buck I can't figure out why I go about upsetting people so. After all Jackie and her husband bought over $70,000 worth of sculpture. Now why wouldn't I just keep my mouth shut, do as she said, and go on with my own pretty cash cow? That's what Jackie can't figure out either. And why would I sue John when I could have at least tried to work with the guy and let him have his way? And why sue the Federation now, when Atour Golani, my good friend, is its president, when he and his wife and the entire crowd in Detroit, who respect Atour so, were willing to raise funds for the Hammurabi? Can it actually be that I've found a better way to make a living and achieve my objectives than by making sculpture? Is there money in suing? If I found that out, then I really am a genius of a bastard.
I'll tell you what I think...I think the ground for planting is rotten, that anything put down into this soil will be spoiled or never even send up a sprig. All we have to our name is our Youth. If they don't come back or stay here, we might as well all pack it in. We do have a younger generation coming along, but they promise to walk in the footsteps of these others...Ramin Odisoo, president of the Civic Club in Turlock was supposed to be just such a "new man". He faces indictment now along with his mentors for crimminal acts he well deserves to go to jail for.
I'm surprised people keep telling me to stick to what I do best...making sculpture. That's the least of what I'm about. Or as Atour suggested, that I start teaching kids how to sculpt. Why? So some jerk from ZOWAA can remove a painting someday? Should I encourage a kid to make sculpture he'll have to turn over to a Ramin, or John, or Jackie to do with as they see "fit"?
If you know what you're about, have your wits about you, you'd understand that seeds planted in crap wont grow. These monuments are struggling because of the crap I'm trying to errect them on. We got away with the Ashurbanipal because people didn't realize where this thing could go. It's obvious now that the standard has been set much higher, and not just for sculpture or painting. If we can meet the standards of measurement in medicine and business and other professions...and if we can do it now in the Arts...then nothing can stop us from going even further out into the world. And THAT is what these leaders and intellectuals and journalists and experts from Hell are so deathly afraid of.
You think Jackie would be a "mover" in the Armenian community?? You think she would in the outside world? You think John got anywhere as a State Senator? Could Ramin or Cyrus Amirfar or Francis Sarguis make it to the top, or even one step from the bottom Out THERE? They could barely attain "undistinguished"....they had to come to us to become merely "competant" let alone "brilliant".
Of all the people I know only Narsai has achieved far more, and OUT THERE than he has in here. Not to mention that the monuments are OUT THERE too...while I get slammed IN HERE.
The reason I'm accused of wanting money, the reason these guys actually SEEM to believe that I, or any other artist or writer with any real potential...should NOT want filthy lucre, is because these guys know that amateurs will NOT risk the low standards they wish to maintain so they can "shine". If you're a pro, it means you can sell and live, so you can ptactice and practice and get better and beter. They LOVE the amateur, coddle and praise him or her, NOT because they love the inferior work put out, but because it protects THEM...keeps us "amateur" in every ETHNIC way, in every intellectual way...and that makes it possible for them to dominate us, especially as they hope all their insults will drive away the real Pro who has better things to do...they wish.
Left to their devices, these leaders from Hell would rather lead us all into a bog of quicksand if they can retain their status right to the end as the leaders of the sorriest bunch of "Assyrians" this world NEVER saw.