Is Modeling "Art"?
11 OCTOBER 2012
This topic has been raised on TrainBoard after I'd decommissioned the Geordie & Daphne. Yes, the G&D is gone. And curiously, some people are very upset, almost as if I had destroyed their property. I also explained why I did it; seems that wasn't good enough for some folks. Honestly, I'm beginning to regret mentioning it; I should have simply kept it to myself, and no one would be the wiser.
But alas there's no un-seeing what's been seen. Consequently, a number of suggestions were offered as alternatives to simply throwing it away (as if that made any difference, since the deed was done). Donate it to a museum. Really? Which one is willing to put a little Z scale layout on display? How will it be maintained? Very few people know what's required to keep a layout in good shape, and far fewer would be able to keep it running, so even if it did wind up in public view, I fear it would be left to deteriorate.
Why not sell it? Many reasons. For one, it wasn't fully functional; all of the switches had failed, and I'm not about to sell defective merchandise. For another, how many would be willing to pay a fair price? What is a fair price? And what would be the fate of the layout once sold? Would the new owner take it around and display it, or squirrel it away in a private room, never to be seen in public again? If the latter, it would be no different than tossing it.
I'm sorry if I upset people with my decision, but honestly, I looked at the situation from many angles, and there were no other satisfactory solutions. Anyway, I'm all about building, not owning, and so the G&D had served its purpose; it was otherwise simply occupying precious workspace. Having been carefully documented, it will live on as a learning tool for others for as long as Google maintains its Blogger software.
Anyway, to answer the titular question, I assert that model railroading is indeed art. Far stranger things are done in the name of art, and I believe it satisfies any number of prerequisites to be considered such. That it may not necessarily be appreciated universally is certainly not a valid counterargument, as this is true of many, if not most, other forms, even the most traditional.
I'm flattered that my layouts are held in such high regard as to be considered art by some, but that was neither my desire nor my intention; the only value my work holds for me may be measured by the enjoyment of the learning experience in making it. Once done, the personal value drops to zero. I'm sorry, but this is the way of the temperamental artist. Deal.