LOL, I’m quite sure that you are the real McCoy, Roy. Your writing style and wit are very unique and very recognizable. "That's the bow and it allows access for the pet ferrets." I'm still chuckling on that one.
I know a few, very successful artists. They charge tremendous amounts of money for their art and they get paid all the live-long day. They’re all very big in Japan. I am fortunate enough to know one artistic genius (he’s the prime reason why I gave up art as a means of supporting myself). A visionary, an equal of Rodin. His works, most of which are masterpieces (even Rodin had some off days), are bought as soon as he finishes one. They take years to make, but comparatively, he’s paid very poorly for them. I don’t believe that he has ever sold a piece for more than 35$K. That may sound like a lot, but when one considers that the piece is 9.5’ long, weighs close to 800lbs and took more than 3 years to complete, that’s not very good money. The reason, he’s a total introvert who borders on autisitc, that lacks even the most basic modicum of business sense or self-promotion. The people who buy his art believe in its future value and are carefully biding their time until he dies and it’s collectible.
One thing that I’ve learned over the years, the very wealthy don’t need to explain their eccentricities. Case in point:
The Poop Sculpture
Some years ago at a dinner party, someone who would know told me that the “Donors” were actually none other than Jonas Salk. Salk decided to play a joke on his friend and had the sculpture commissioned and placed. That’s a great deal of trouble and expense to go to for a practical joke.
Roy is an interesting character. He makes very beautiful surfboards. They don’t ride like the boards that we are accustomed to, that is undeniable; but he’s not making them for us, is he? He seems to enjoy riding them. I can think of no other person on the internet so vilified for riding what they want to than GMac on a wavejet. However, universally we all express respect for Garrett Mcnamara, despite what he chooses to ride. I guess when you hold the record for riding the biggest wave in the world, you can ride whatever you want and get little criticism. Below is a pic, from Roy’s site (thank you Roy), of GMAC riding one of Roy’s boards.
Of course, the difference between Roy’s boards and a wavejet is that you have to paddle Roy’s boards and anyone who’s ever paddled out on a 9’6” balsa board knows what kind of work just carrying one of those is, paddling it is easy in comparison.
I would prefer to ride one of Roy’s boards over a wavejet any day. One of them undoubtedly has soul.
Saying that a cabinet maker could make Roy’s boards is akin to saying that a 5 year old can paint a Kandinsky. There’s some truth in it, but neither the kid nor the cabinet maker had the vision to do either. I’m not a fan of Roy’s adherence to the belief that his boards are the best, but I doubt Roy cares what I think. Also, I don’t know any great artists, except for the genius I mentioned above (he usually wants to commit suicide or take an axe to his creations upon completion), who aren’t convinced that each work that they make redefines art. Roy has visions. He sees something that the rest of us don’t.
How many of us can say that we have taken our visions and hewn them into creation?
Originally Posted by brewengineer
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