Robbin:

   As you suggest, conceptual art work may be about the artist at
   work, but it sure is presented as a final product in museums. But, I
   don't want to get cornered into saying that conceptual artwork is
   dubious.  I don't have that impression, and it wasn't the intent of my
   post.  And I think that your distinction is very illuminating (artist
   at work vs. product of the artist's work.)

   There is an old BBS forum piece of wisdom, which is that as soon as
   anything is compared to the Nazis in a thread, it's time to bail out
   of that thread.  I would amend that to say the same about Leonardo da
   Vinci.  I'm not sure what problems Leonardo had; it may be as you say.
   But I am pretty convinced that anything that one can say about
   Leonardo is not readily used as an example for anyone else.  He is, in
   my eyes, exceptionalism personified.

   Hope all goes well with you.

   Eric Siegel
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