The second two point post

The above video from YouTube is the first of a two topic post. A written article from NPR describing this sculpture in detail can be found here. There is much about this work that I find appealing. Not the least of which is how Chris Burden (the artist) describes this as a means of getting away from the work he normally does. Burden typically works in conceptual/performance art. Taking time to get away from how one typically works and "playing" was the theme of last weeks post, and it is good to see others out there with a similar philosophy to my own.

Playing is an integral element of this sculpture, and for me, a sense of fun is derived from simply observing the video. I also like how something as simple as gravity and free-rolling cars can recreate the visual chaos of everyday humanity. The noise, the movement, and the cyclical nature of the cars endlessly looping are very descriptive of life in the city.

Courtesy Andrea Fuhrman


The second topic of this post relates to graffiti art. There is much written about graffiti art, with some artists even gaining recognition for their works. Bansky is but one example. The article, linked here, examines graffiti differently. Here images painted on railroad cars are examined, and then micro images are created from them. Andrea Fuhrman, the artist who produced this work, described how she got interested in working this way. Her insights are unique, and I found her story of how she became an artist interesting. The paths we take as artists, and what has lead us to them is always different, and I think it is partially what shapes each individual artistic vision.

Personalized Project

I think it is important for artists to experiment and explore different ways of working without feeling pressured to produce a finished, museum quality work. I would add that artworks produced through "play" are just as valid as those works produced for exhibition. I recently adopted this approach in a self-imposed project that lasted from Dec 6 through January 6.

My goal was to complete a self-portrait everyday for 30 days. I allowed myself the opportunity to use any medium in any size. It had also been a while since I worked directly with dry media, so most of my images were drawings. Portraiture has always been a weakness of mine, so I felt that this project would afford me the opportunity to sharpen my skills in this area.

On the surface, the resulting images are terrible. Two examples can be seen below.

However, the value of these images is found not in the finished product, but rather in the process that created them. If you are looking for a new way of working, or just want to try something you have not done in a while, I recommend developing a project of your own.

When does an artwork fail?

Happy New Year!
I had planned on posting this before the holidays, but I was travelling and things got away from me. On a recent visit to an academic institution I observed the following:

This got me thinking about the success of visual works of art, and when and how they fail. I think a work fails when it becomes acceptable to place a giant planter full of plants, and all kinds of information boards in front of the work.

I commented on this to a friend who was with me at the time, and she stated that in the many years she had visited this institution, she had never noticed that sculpture before. How long has it been there? How long has it been completely ignored by all who chance to see it?

I tried to find out more about the sculpture, by the attempted examination of the placard on the wall adjacent to the object. This was difficult because of all the items blocking the path. I managed to snap a quick photograph of the placard however. The quality is not that great due to limited space restrictions caused by other objects. It can be viewed below.

This post is not meant merely as a criticism of those that own the art. They have their reasons for posting information in that area. It could also be argued that this is a rationale for the periodic exchange of new works in any given space. A fresh update of several works a year would revitalize the area and provide a different feel each time the work was switched out. Rather, this post is meant as reflection on when a work of art has become tired, and has failed to capture the interest of the viewer.

As artists it is our job to communicate with the observer. Part of this conversation takes place in the context of how the art work is presented, which may or may not be in our control. However, the value of what is expressed in the work is under our control, and it is this issue that artists must focus on.

Upcoming Calls to Artists

January 31, 2012 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION $3000 in
cash awards; valuable prizes provided by Datacolor, global leader in
color management solutions and color communication technology; a group
show in Manhattan's .NO gallery; an online exhibition and a feature
article in IMPRINTS Magazine Spring/Summer 2012 issue. All mediums,
styles and schools of thought to participate. Experimental and mixed
techniques are welcome. Only 2-D work is eligible. Entry
fee. Click here for more info.

January 30, 2012 CALL FOR SKETCHBOOK PROJECT ENTRIES Art House Co-op
is proud to announce our brand new project: The Limited Edition
Vol. 1! The Limited Edition is a collaborative series of art books
created by 5,000 artists from across the globe. Anyone from
anywhere in the world can participate in the project. Sign up to
receive a blank sketchbook in the mail, then fill it up and send it
back. Your work will be cataloged in the Brooklyn Art Library in NYC
and published in the Limited Edition art book series. Entry
fee. Click here for more info.

February 1, 2012 INTERNATIONAL REALIST PAINTING COMPETITION In
addition to scholarships and hosting the largest online museum
dedicated to traditional painting, we hold one of the most prestigious
competitions for living artists who paint in the realist
tradition. This year we are offering $50,000 in cash awards including
$10,000 for Best in Show. Participants can compete in 6 categories:
Figurative, Landscape, Animals, Still life, Sculpture, and
Drawing. This year we are also introducing five new awards designed to
encourage creativity and ambition in the arts: Most Creative, Best
Social Commentary, Best Portrait, Most Ambitious Work, and Best Trompe
L'oeil. More info here.

March 31 2012 The St. Tammany Art Association announces the 47th National Juried Exhibit July 7-August 11, 2012. Juried by Miranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the New Orleans Museum of Art. $2,500 in awards. E-mail info@sttammanyartassociation.org, call (985)892-8650, or send SASE to St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington, LA 70433. More info here.

Two point post

Image courtesy Hibernia Times

One of the things I'd like to draw your attention to in this post, was the recent revelation that Vincent Van Gogh may not have committed suicide. The BBC reported this story here. The author of the BBC article outlined how two boys from the nearby town of Auvers-sur-Oise, France were possibly playing in the same field where Van Gogh was painting. The boys were described as carrying a malfunctioning gun as part of a cowboy costume, and the author reported that after these youths accidentally shot the now-famous artist, Van Gogh protected them from recrimination by taking the blame.

This is interesting, and casts a new light on the artist.

The second item I'd like to draw your attention to involves the work of Dave DeVries. Mr. DeVries draws his inspiration from the work of children. Nothing new in that, in fact it is widely known that Picasso was also very much inspired by the work of children. What is unique, is how DeVries uses this inspiration. He takes the illustration of a child and executes it in a realistic manner, capturing both the essence and the imagination of the original image. I think his images are amazing. A link to more about DeVries work can be found here. A sample is also pictured below. What do you think?

Image courtesy of Elezea

Bizarre art

Iamge credit: http://chicagotrip.net/crown-fountain





The topic for this week is bizarre art. A recent news item relating to bizarre art was released, and this got me thinking about the way people react to art, in particular art that uses non-traditional media to communicate.

An article/vlog was put out by Yahoo! News. This video/article describes what the author has determined to be the top 5 most bizarre public art displays in the United States. Number one on the list was Crown Fountain in Chicago, Illinois. I am very familiar with this sculpture, and have seen it in person many times. Perhaps this familiarity has shaded my perceptions a bit, but I was very surprised to see this on the list.

If you have never seen this sculpture/fountain, it is a series of changing LED faces, eyes, and lips, enlarged and displayed on two large scale columns. Water cascades down the edges of these monoliths, and occasionally spray will emit from one of the faces lips. This sculpture is always a hit with tourists. The levels of interactivity draw people in and it is a particular favorite in the summer, when viewers can play in the water.

The other items on the list also offer some level of interactivity beyond the visual, and it seems to me that the criteria used to evaluate 'bizarre art' used by this author centered on these aspects. Art is meant to be an experience that surprises the senses. Most often that jolt takes the form of the visual, but I do not believe it has to be visually exclusive. Any form of communication that gives the user pause to think about what he/she is experiencing can be a delightful and eye-opening event. Experiences such as these are not easily forgotten, and I think they help foster knowledge about what can and cannot be done.

I enjoyed reading the list of bizarre art, but I think there are other works of art that could be considered that were not listed in this article. What bizarre art have you seen and/or experienced?

New Web Site

I have not posted here in about two weeks. That is because I have been hard at work updating, revising, and moving the host of my Web Site. The new site (screenshot above) can be accessed by clicking here.

I am still going to need to do a few refinements and fine tuning, but I think the new site is great. It's cleaner, easier to navigate, and updated. I am very happy with it. After looking it over, if you would, leave your comments. I always try to get people to critique my Web Site but nobody ever wants to do it.

While working on this project I thought about digital media and the idea of new media. This is art that is made with technology. It usually involves the use of computers, but not always. More info here.

In general I am uncertain how I feel about new media. Perhaps this is because I have not seen any really fantastic new media pieces. However, I once asked the curator of contemporary art at a national museum what he thought about new media. His actual response was: "It's mostly crap." So it would seem that my perceptions are not far off the professional viewpoint. But it makes me wonder: Is there any fantastic New Media Out there? Have you seen any? Is it possible to create a new media work of art that really communicates to people? What do you think?

Ways to be an artist

As the librarian in charge of the fine arts collection, I have created an online guide meant to help art students, faculty, and those wishing to browse in this area of the library. Some sample screen shots are included.

In this guide I have included information on how to find books and materials, appropriate databases related to art research, and sample images of titles in the collection. Links to Web Sites that might be useful are also included. In addition, there is information on how to contact the library, librarians, and request items to add to the collection.

A link to the guide can be found here.

I posted this guide to illustrate just one example of the numerous ways artists can practice their art making and not go the route of the "starving artist." Several years ago, after completing my BFA, I thought the only other route to viably producing art was to teach. I believed that in order to teach a subject one would have to maintain a steady practice of that discipline, and thought that teaching art would allow me the opportunity to continue this process.

While teaching art courses, at any level, certainly offers artists a steady income and the ability to learn vicariously through the students, it is not the only way. Throughout my undergrad and graduate studies I worked in different libraries, first as a student worker, and then in other roles. During this time I became aware of the Art Library Society if America (ARLIS/NA) and of art librarianship. I enjoyed the library environment, and the ability to combine art and libraries was very appealing. I enrolled in library school, and have now joined the ranks of librarians and information professionals devoted to the arts.

But there are still other ways. Part of my studies in library school included an internship at the Hanson Library in the Birmingham Museum of Art (mentioned previously in this blog). This experience exposed me not only to the professional world of a special library, but I also had the opportunity to interact with other departments and people within the museum. These people are also very active in the visual arts and have the same opportunities to learn, grow, and practice art making as those who teach.

There are those who may argue that taking one of these routes removes the artist from the studio. However, I have stated before that much of what makes the work of an artist valuable is the experiences that he/she has put in to the work of art. Creating art is a process that includes observation and experience as much or more as it does time in the studio making art. Art is not created in a vacuum and exposure to the resources in libraries and museums helps build a framework, a background, and a context from which to speak.

One other thing that I would like to start including in these postings is a list of calls to artists. I am on several listservs for such calls, and it would impossible to participate in every one. But by posting some of those opportunities here, perhaps you could find one of interest and participate yourself. Here are three such opportunities:


1. DEADLINE: Fri, October 28, 2011
3rd Ward Open Call for Art
Location: NY
Artists, This could be the next step in launching your career. You’re invited to join the 3rd Ward Fall 2011 Open Call, an international search for exciting, innovating and compelling artwork awarding over $25,000 in prizes, including a one month live/work residency in NYC, a $5,000 grant and your very own New York City solo exhibition. http://www.3rdwardopencall.com/?f=pam1 Plus, all participants will be considered for the $1,000 People's Choice Award Awarded to the artist whose portfolio garners the highest number of public votes.

www.3rdwardopencall.com/?f=pam1

2. DEADLINE: Tue, November 01, 2011
8th Biennial National Art Juried Exhibition
Location: FL
Punta Gorda, FL. Open to all traditional two-dimensional drawing and painting media. Juror: Dean Mitchell, A.W.S., N.W.S. Digital entry deadline Nov. 1, 2011. Show dates Feb. 4-Mar. 11, 2012. Prize total $6500. Prospectus: www.visualartcenter.org. Questions: vac@daystar.net. Located on Charlotte Harbor off Gulf Coast.

www.visualartcenter.org

3. DEADLINE: Thu, December 01, 2011
Flora and Fauna: Narrative through Icongraphy
Location: NY
Flora and Fauna: Narrative through Iconography A juried exhibit at Lockhart Gallery, SUNY Geneseo For generations, artists have used signs and symbols from nature to impart meaning in their artwork. Audiences of previous eras were well-versed in this seemingly covert language. Each icon usually has several different meanings; for instance a rabbit may mean fertility, longevity, femininity or rebirth. . . For more information go to: geneseo.edu/galleries/flora-and-fauna

www.geneseo.edu/galleries