Two types of art

The first of this weeks posts addresses the idea of New Media in art. An art professor has implanted a camera in the back of his head, and the video recorded from this camera will be offered as part of an opening of performance art. Read more here. To me this serves as an example of New Media. Although New Media has been growing since the mid to late 20th Century, it has sprung up recently in the last decade or so in a more prominent way. As an artist, I do not have an issue with New Media, I am all for experimentation and exploration. However, I do think art is something that is meant to be understood across a variety of eras and spectrums. How will this stand up to time? After the apocalypse of the modern era, how will archeologists and art historians of the future be able to interpret this type of work? And, is it important that they do? Perhaps my understanding is biased in an unproductive way. What do you think?

The second post for this week addresses human creativity. A graphic was recently released detailing the NFL wins and losses for the season. This image was so popular it went viral. Read about that here. I think that a graphic design created spontaneously and recognized by a wide audience as useful qualifies as art. Again, as an artist I can only wish that an image I have created and posted on the internet would go viral. That would be amazing! Too often I think people perceive art as an abstract high culture activity that only the upper class understand. I believe this to be incorrect. Art is the spirit of creativity, and this graphic represents one example.

Graduate Studies in Library Science

This year marks the first full year that I have been enrolled in the LIS graduate program at the University of Southern Mississippi. This program is ALA accredited, and the specifics can be read here.

As part of my studies I am enrolled in LIS 558 Internet Resources and Applications. This course examines on-line tools, and social networks in the library. What I have learned thus far, both in this class and in the others I have taken, has been amazing. Librarianship is a fascinating subject.

Since the majority of postings on this blog are about art, and art related issues, I will close by adding that I hope to one day use my degree in an Art Library. More information about art librarianship can be found at the Art Library Society Web site. A link is here.

Temporary installation art/Public art

The above image is an example of public art. From the looks of things I would guess that it is also probably impromptu public art. This is art created freely and spontaneously.

Another example of this type of art was posted in the New York Observer . This story was about an abandoned area of Long Island. Artists took over and made it their own. The full story can be read here.

Spontaneous creation is good for artists and non-artists alike. I think it opens the mind and frees space from random thoughts. The creativity also offers an opportunity to grow in terms of expression. Your thoughts?

Artists and documentation

Recently an artist decided to visually depict how a Mc Donald’s hamburger and fries does not decompose. The full story can be found here. I think it is interesting that it was an artist that decided to illustrate this point, and I also think she did a nice job.

The idea was to keep a McDonald’s burger and fries, and photograph it each day. It has been six months and there has been no change in the way the food looks; no mold, no breakdown, nothing.

This was a very effective way of making the point that this food is not in any way healthy. Artists have historically documented ideas and experiments, but it has been centuries since this role has had a significant impact. The reaction from the public, as well as from the corporate offices of McDonald’s has been swift. I’m not saying artists should look for ways to anger or frustrate people, but I do think they have a responsibility to get people thinking and talking, and this project did exactly that.

Painting unearthed

A painting by Giovanni Boldini was recently discovered in a Paris apartment. The apartment had been locked up and unoccupied for the last 70 years. The news item can be read in full here. Information about the artist can be accessed here.

This discovery has made the value of Boldini art increase. In addition, on-line searches for this artist have also risen. I think it is interesting that one painting discovered in a Paris apartment could cause such a stir. I also think it is interesting that more people have become curious about the work of Boldini. I like that an artist can create a sense of buzz about their work, years after death without much more occurring than the unlocking of a closed door.

A sample of his work can viewed below.

Doodles

This posting is about doodles. I have been thinking about doodles, and why people make them for some time. I find it interesting that someone who claims he/she cannot draw will instinctively start doodling on the page in a distracted moment. I think this furthers the thought that drawing is automatic, and part of the human experience.

This thought on doodles has lead me to incorporate a series of doodles into my most recent work. I have been collecting doodles from people for about a year. I have assembled them together in a collage, and this will be applied on top of another image. This collaborative effort reflects my thoughts as well as the thoughts of the people who created the doodles. If you doodle, what do you include?

Trouble in Venice

This weeks post is about a controversy brewing surrounding an Irish artist that is to be represented at the Venice Biennale next year. The full story can be read here.

Essentially, the artist and the Representative selected to curate the Irish contribution to this international exhibition come from the same gallery in New York. The article explained how decisions were made, and elaborates on why this is such an issue.

The major issue is the accepted practice for the juror to be unbiased when selecting artworks for inclusion in a exhibition. This is not the first example contradicting this practice that I have come across. It has been my experience that if the artist knows the juror, and especially if the juror is very familiar with the artwork, then chances are very good that that artist will be admitted.

Major exhibitions should be based on double blind admissions. However, the contemporary art world is pretty small and I'm not sure how one could guarantee anonymity. Perhaps if a show relied on average art enthusiasts instead of established art historians, art critics, and gallery owners as jurors, a true blind submission process could be established.