The creative decisions that an artist makes with each piece can either add to the overall success of the work, or detract from it. Any decision that makes an emotional impact carries risk and needs to be considered carefully. Subtle connections and bold statements, which may seem contradictory in their goals, may be woven together carefully to create a positive impact. Or possibly not.

Using “Cute” as a test subject is somewhat safer than using obscenity or violence or (most difficult) sincerity. It’s fairly easy to identify but heavy gloves are unnecessary. Used poorly, the element of “cute” can be grotesque or just stupid. Considering artists who have made powerful work which also happened to be cute, i.e. Rist, Koons, Wegman, how can the addition of “cute” help a piece along? How can it be used as bait, in order to draw the eye or as a kind of mellowing agent to make unsavory or otherwise unpalatable subject matter move easily digestible? Is being “cute” worthwhile as a goal unto itself?

Artistic decisions are ingredients that make up a piece and that have any impact on the a pieces weight, goals,
and how it is received. Knowing how to control these ingredients and learning how they affect each other is
a crucial part of art making.

Links

Cute Overload
Wikipedia "Cuteness"
Gimme Gimme Octopus
Paul Robertson
The Family Circus
Little Marcy

LED Throwies

Gwedolyn and the Goodtime Gang

Paul Frank

The Evens on Pancake Mountain