Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Design information
It has been my mostly unsuccessful goal to get better at composition and design. For the past year, I've relied mostly on intuition and hoped for the best. Because of that, I've focused more on classical forms of art such as figure drawing, portrait painting, still life, and so on. And I've hit a wall. Big time.
While I was discussing my frustrations with some friends of mine, who are very successful in terms of good design and composition, the question arose: How is that working for you? Relying on intuition, that is. Not studying good design all of the time, that is. So I realized in my general ignorance I was looking at some design work that was incredibly advanced, beating myself up for not being there, but not doing the research and work required to get to that point. Not having an understanding basic elements of 2D design and relying wholly on intuition. What I really appreciate about my friends and boyfriend is that they're incredibly honest. I'm talking "punch you in the face with the truth" kind of honesty. They are logical enough to see weaknesses, and point out processes to correcting those weaknesses. Sweet.
Change can be painful, right?
Nothing ruins a print quite like bad design. So in addition to thumbnails, and going through my work from the past and having it critiqued by my friends, I have been studying design and layout. How can I make my pieces look complete? What is missing? How do I use negative space effectively? What about typography? These processes are logical (meaning, they have rules), but because they are new to me, I will be experimenting much more than I anticipated this semester.
I thought I would post some links for you guys who might be struggling in the same area.
Design Blog
Friends of Type
Sagmeister
http://blog.iso50.com/
One of the best ways to learn a language is to immerse yourself in the culture. I think the same holds true for visual communication-to immerse yourself in good art and try to understand why it is good, and why you're attracted to it, and what is being successfully communicated is the best way to become better at what you do. These are not my influences, by the way. Just something helpful (well, let's hope so).
While I was discussing my frustrations with some friends of mine, who are very successful in terms of good design and composition, the question arose: How is that working for you? Relying on intuition, that is. Not studying good design all of the time, that is. So I realized in my general ignorance I was looking at some design work that was incredibly advanced, beating myself up for not being there, but not doing the research and work required to get to that point. Not having an understanding basic elements of 2D design and relying wholly on intuition. What I really appreciate about my friends and boyfriend is that they're incredibly honest. I'm talking "punch you in the face with the truth" kind of honesty. They are logical enough to see weaknesses, and point out processes to correcting those weaknesses. Sweet.
Change can be painful, right?
Nothing ruins a print quite like bad design. So in addition to thumbnails, and going through my work from the past and having it critiqued by my friends, I have been studying design and layout. How can I make my pieces look complete? What is missing? How do I use negative space effectively? What about typography? These processes are logical (meaning, they have rules), but because they are new to me, I will be experimenting much more than I anticipated this semester.
I thought I would post some links for you guys who might be struggling in the same area.
Design Blog
Friends of Type
Sagmeister
http://blog.iso50.com/
One of the best ways to learn a language is to immerse yourself in the culture. I think the same holds true for visual communication-to immerse yourself in good art and try to understand why it is good, and why you're attracted to it, and what is being successfully communicated is the best way to become better at what you do. These are not my influences, by the way. Just something helpful (well, let's hope so).
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
LS Hoffman Gallery
Hi! This is one of the rooms. We have two rooms like that for our use if we have enough work. Of course, table and chairs can be moved. Track lights. clean new walls.... nice!I am excited for you guys!
Make some good art!
mm
COMMENTS?
Hi guys! I encourage you to post comments! I am truly reading each of your posts ... but simply sometimes I am not able to respond to all of them. I am glad to have such a creative group. Help each other out please.
Thank you!
Martyna
Thank you!
Martyna
A bit late.
1. I like things that devour and consume. As much as the toll we have taken on our planet sucks, its kind of neat once in awhile to think from a humanist' perspective like wow, we messed this whole thing up real quick, if we put our mind to it, we would consume other planets to. No other animal can succeed such a thing, or else they would have,'cause they're trying, we are all always eating and taking from eachother everything and anything we can. Thats also neat about carnivorous plants. Their gound didn't have enough nutrients for them so they started eating insects. My venus flytraps remind me of the old "mouth of hell" depictions. I like the 16th c prints of them the best.
2.alchemy. I have a really cool book from taschen on alchemy and mysticism. I love the old coded symbols and depictions.Back in the day an old alchemist said "wherever we have spoken openly we have actually said nothing.But where we have written something in code and in pictures we have concealed the truth." i also enjoy how confusing the topic of alchemy is. We have discovered how to make gold from base metals,it costs alot more to do it than the amount you get back in gold,and is very rarely done. Those back in the day claimed to have been able to do that easily, but what they were really in search of was different than physical gold. It is hard for many to understand why you would do something if money isnt involved in the reward.
3. Trenton Doyle Hancock. I think Trenton is awesome. If you dont know his work, look him up hes great. His work often involves a complex and continuing narrative of characters who reflect people or situations from his everyday life. Trenton came and talked to us last year and i think it was one of the best things that happened for us here.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Zahra Nazari:
1.Painter:
http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Manoucher_Yektai
http://yektai.com/
(Manoucher Yektai's life has brought him through three cultures: Iran, France, United States. This trajectory can be seen as a search for Modernism, and for a participation in Modernism, indeed, for a home in it. For a painter, the itinerary seems clear in its meaning: from Iran where, under islamic strictures about imagery, free artistic expression was not available, first (with a brief pause in New York) to the ripe ambience of the school of Paris, then (more permanently) to the fledgling excitement of the emerging New York school.)
I'm inspired by MANOUCHER YEKTAI's life story bcz this connection between different cultures is my new challenge as well. His works are juicy and painterly in their style. I like his palette because of his use of thick off-white paint which creates a light-filled space. His use of both painting knives and vigorous brushwork gives energy to the surfaces of his paintings to a great degree.
1.Painter:
http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Manoucher_Yektai
http://yektai.com/
(Manoucher Yektai's life has brought him through three cultures: Iran, France, United States. This trajectory can be seen as a search for Modernism, and for a participation in Modernism, indeed, for a home in it. For a painter, the itinerary seems clear in its meaning: from Iran where, under islamic strictures about imagery, free artistic expression was not available, first (with a brief pause in New York) to the ripe ambience of the school of Paris, then (more permanently) to the fledgling excitement of the emerging New York school.)
I'm inspired by MANOUCHER YEKTAI's life story bcz this connection between different cultures is my new challenge as well. His works are juicy and painterly in their style. I like his palette because of his use of thick off-white paint which creates a light-filled space. His use of both painting knives and vigorous brushwork gives energy to the surfaces of his paintings to a great degree.
2.Movie:
I feel so connected to the story of this movie.
The leading character is a person who has never had any training in music and was born on board a ship, but he plays piano very professionally.
His passion for music and the respect that he has for the place that he was born is really admirable. He follows only one goal in his life, and this makes me more serious about my paintings. The sound track and plot of this movie gives me a feeling of encouragement about the connection to my painting.
3.Video:
The act of movement as seen through the moving train window passing through different landscapes and kinds of weather connects to the dynamic and expressionist feelings that I wish to create in my paintings.
derp.
So... let's get this shindig started. 1) Something that has been inspiring me lately has been jellyfish. They just have an aesthetic that I cannot get away from. They're fascinating in that they barely even seem like living creatures, but are still so beautiful. Also, the whole fact that they just kind of float around through life, literally, has some odd conceptual ideas that has been oddly intrigueing. Anyways, they'll most likely show up in my work soon. Just a heads up.
Numero Dos) I had an oddly pleasant moment of inspiration from the song "We've Been Had" by the Walkmen. It came on my ipod the other day and the timing of it was perfect with both the weather and my mood. The whole situation was just one of those moments where you feel like everybody and everything is going to be okay, and honestly, we could all use one of those moments from time to time. Also, it has a pretty cool video too, so check it out.
Finale) An artist that inspired me lately was Marco Mazzoni. I found him via Hi-Fructose Magazine's facebook page and I was impressed. He works primarily in colored pencils on paper with a cool color palette that combined with the subject matter gives it an uneasy but still beautiful composition. He uses a lot typically beautiful elements such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and floral elements along with portraits, but the portraits always lack any sort of eyes, which are replaced with just plain white space. I think that generally the whole no eyes thing can be kind of kitschy if the artist isn't careful, but at least I think this is a success. Like i said earlier, his work has this aesthetically beautiful appeal, but it gives you this uneasy feeling at the same time.
That's all folks.
1. Anger, frustration, fear... These feelings among many others trigger me to create artwork. After my grandmother passed away on Tuesday my reaction was to go to the studio and make something/ ANYTHING. I may not have the ability to express myself with words but I can do it through my art work. I also write poetry to channel my feelings (mixed and matched words to create something I call my poetry).
2. Going to an inspiring art show can trigger me to create art. If I walk into a gallery that has work that really inspires me or even just has the work displayed in a great way it can inspire me. I begin to subconsciously or consciously place aspects of what inspired me into my own work. I love getting pumped up about other people's abilities and they inspire me to accomplish what they have.
3. http://veronicavaros.com/
Veronica Varos is the artist I choose this week. Although she is not famous she is very talented. Veronica is a "self-taught" photographer (she never got a degree in photography). We have been friends for many years and her photographs have always pushed me to think outside the box of what a portrait or landscape can be. Her portraits inspired me to begin painting portraits and I have even painted a portrait of her. Her photographs continue to spark inspiration in me.
2. Going to an inspiring art show can trigger me to create art. If I walk into a gallery that has work that really inspires me or even just has the work displayed in a great way it can inspire me. I begin to subconsciously or consciously place aspects of what inspired me into my own work. I love getting pumped up about other people's abilities and they inspire me to accomplish what they have.
3. http://veronicavaros.com/
Veronica Varos is the artist I choose this week. Although she is not famous she is very talented. Veronica is a "self-taught" photographer (she never got a degree in photography). We have been friends for many years and her photographs have always pushed me to think outside the box of what a portrait or landscape can be. Her portraits inspired me to begin painting portraits and I have even painted a portrait of her. Her photographs continue to spark inspiration in me.
The Theater’s Upstairs
Philadelphia Street – 637. Enter through the side alley, climb the stairs with peeling paint, and avoid the splinters in the old railing – you’ll find yourself in one of the dingy antique halls typical of Indiana. This weekend, the mysteries of the upper floor of the Indiana Theater building were revealed in an Artist Open Studio Tour sponsored by the Indiana Arts Council. Local artists opened their studio spaces to the public and offered works for purchase. Among the artists were:
1) Charles Battaglini. Chuck is a genuinely nice guy, totally sincere, and incredibly helpful. The most important thing that meeting Mr. Battaglini inspired me to do was to meet other artists face-to-face (not just on facebook), especially those who commit a great deal of time to their art with some degree of “success.” It was amazing to be able to connect with someone so quickly – especially someone of an older generation – through discussing inspiration, method, and work. Chuck talked to me a lot about how his travels around the world have influenced his abstract paintings, from the reds he found in Chinese culture to the subtle variations he picked up from macro shots of painted walls in San Francisco. Chuck’s prints were also inspiring because they used many of the monotype techniques that we learned in Beginning Printmaking to create sophisticated abstract compositions. While I would have been totally content to listen to stories about Taiwanese landscapes all day, Mr. Battaglini encouraged me to meet his next-door-studio neighbors…
2) Jolene Joyner and her daughter Jonelle Summerfield. Both women are incredible mood-painters who capture the feelings of a scene in expressionistic strokes and semi-naturalistic outcomes. Also: they live on a farm with cows and chickens.
YOU GUYS I TALKED TO REAL ARTISTS ABOUT THEIR PET CHICKENS AND IT WAS GREAT.
Jolene even had a portrait painting she did of the chooks on display. Cool story about who else was there: a couple in Vancouver was planning their vacation to Bruges and ran a Google search, where Jonelle’s painting “Street in Bruges” came up as a result. They actually drove the whole way from Canada to Indiana to buy the painting yesterday. Inspiring.
3) Vaughn Clay was another artist who welcomed me (and everyone else) into his studio yesterday. He is a really cool guy who likes to use a particular shade of blue spray paint around the edges of his urban-disturbed painting-collages to make them appear as if the images are on a television screen. Mr. Clay is inspired by current events, political influences, and Sirius radio. Two cool things about his studio: 1) he has built a custom pole to which he can attach his radio antenna in order to get better reception by extending it out of the window, and 2) he has a model train that runs around the ceiling. Vaughn is inspiring to me because he manages to somehow stay up with the modern world while creating the incredibly labor-intensive graphite designs that take up his large square works.
Hoot Hoot!!! (9/25/2011)
(I just traveled 144 miles from Erie to my cozy little futon- my boyfriend lives there, and I decided on a whim the other day that I was taking my day off to go see him. Bam. Did it. Best boyfriend ever... He looks like Joe Lovenduski, it's weird... ha, just kidding.)
ANYWAY... I got there, and he had a birthday gift sitting on the counter for me- an adorable owl pillow. For most people that know me, this shouldn't be a surprise... I'm obsessed with owls. It might not be healthy. Oh well... they're beautiful. Hoot! They're definitely an inspiration for me, in a lot of ways. They stay up all night, which is something I'm definitely becoming more familiar with, whether I like it or not... And their facial expressi
ons/personalities keep me laughing and happy when most other things make me want to hide in a hole and never come out. I love incorporating owls into my artwork, but it usually comes off as cliche, so I've been staying away from it... I might bring it back though- after all, it's my artwork, so if I want to add a Hootie McHooterson, I think I will.
Hoot hoot.
Aside from my love of owls that borders on creepy, I've also been paying a lot of attention to coffee lately. Drinking it, smelling the can at home until my mom threatens to commit me, or using it to stain paper... I've done it all. Coffee fascinates me, and if I lived closer to Indiana, I would consider working for a coffee place, rather than the financial aid office (barf) or Michaels (barf, but with coupons! Woot!). The atmosphere at the Commonplace is one that you don't find many other places- so calming and just... Cool. But less about the place, and more about the bean. I want to use coffee in my art more- see if I can stain the paper to my liking, or even make the paper smell delicious (until the coffee starts to rot and my paper smells like moldy death). I'll be playing with it a lot, and might even bring in my mini-pot to brew some in the studio. Bring your cups, friends. I've got espresso blend. (speaking of which, I drank espresso-infused goodness from Sheetz on my way home from Erie to stay awake tonight, and now I can't fall the hell to sleep... So much for that excellent idea.)
Art influence time!!!! I'm gonna go traditional here, and mention an artist that I've been rather fond of for a long time- Salvador Dali. My best friend recently got a melting clock tattooed to her wrist, reminding me of his work. The thing that inspires me for this week, though, isn't anything awesome that he did, but rather something that disappointed me- that is, the size of The Persistence of Memory. I saw it in a museum on a high school Art Club trip.. And all I could think was, "What?? What the fuck is that? Are you kidding me, dude?"
If you haven't seen it in person... This thing is TINY. Like... computer paper tiny. Don't let the posters fool you, they're 200% larger than the real thing.
How does this influence me? Well... it makes me want to work bigger. Artists like big works, they're easier to get involved in- I'd rather be sucked into a 6' painting than a 8.5x11" one, where the tiny one has more detail, but is harder to see.
Come on Salvador, seriously? Stop waxing your mustache and make bigger art. ... Though that's one RAD-ass mustachio.
I'm going to bed now... Well.. Maybe not, still too much espresso. Whee!!! I'll go play with the cat instead.
Changing a toilet paper roll; cake decorating; Bill Burns
A couple weeks ago I was having a bad day and became really annoyed about having to change a toilet paper roll. Changing the toilet paper roll got me thinking about all the little things there are to take care of throughout the day/week: water my plant; feed my fish; take out the trash; do laundry; do dishes; replace eggs, milk, soap, olive oil when they run out; etc. This repetitiveness of mundane chores coincided with the concept of my first mixed media work and inspired my second body of work, which involves digitally cataloguing items each day: milk, eggs, handsoap, toilet paper roll, onions, laundry basket, and trash. I am planning on creating a video with the images that compares/contrasts the rates that these items are used (or in the case of laundry and trash, how quickly they fill up).
I’m a cake decorator at a bakery I’ve worked at for four years, and I’ve been noticing a lot of similarities between the designs that I make with icing and patterns I use in my artwork. I’m not exactly sure if my job is influencing my art, or vice versa, but there is a definite influence either way. This is especially true with ceramics: Throwing is similar to centering a cake on a turntable, and many of the smoothing and mark making tools I have can interchangeably be used in cake decorating or throwing. Also, many of the designs I make while glazing and icing are very similar.
Bill Burns created a body of work entitled Safety Gear for Small Animals (http://www.mocca.ca/exhibition/bill-burns-safety-gear-for-small-animals/ and http://www.rebelart.net/diary/wp-database/uploads/2009/billburns.jpg) . I admire the humorous portrayal of a grave subject to illustrate a message and the attention to detail that this type of work requires.
I’m a cake decorator at a bakery I’ve worked at for four years, and I’ve been noticing a lot of similarities between the designs that I make with icing and patterns I use in my artwork. I’m not exactly sure if my job is influencing my art, or vice versa, but there is a definite influence either way. This is especially true with ceramics: Throwing is similar to centering a cake on a turntable, and many of the smoothing and mark making tools I have can interchangeably be used in cake decorating or throwing. Also, many of the designs I make while glazing and icing are very similar.
Bill Burns created a body of work entitled Safety Gear for Small Animals (http://www.mocca.ca/exhibition/bill-burns-safety-gear-for-small-animals/ and http://www.rebelart.net/diary/wp-database/uploads/2009/billburns.jpg) . I admire the humorous portrayal of a grave subject to illustrate a message and the attention to detail that this type of work requires.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
More influences...hm!
Although it may seem a bit redundant to post three new influences every week, I think it's a good thing. I realize that it's forcing me to rethink where my art and I am.
1. Artist: Allan Kaprow
Kaprow's Happenings from the 60's align with my personal philosophy of art, however I am most excited by his writings. Kaprow was a big writer (as am I) and it's good because without his justification, his work is conceptually hard to grasp if you don't know what you're looking for. Specifically, I love the essay "Art Which Cannot Be Art" from 1985. Kaprow believed in a fusion of art and life, and in this essay he speaks about art that is in the perception of the everyday, not necessarily fabricated moments or objects. I am interested in the everyday, and I am always trying to keep it as close to life as possible.
2. ephemeral |əˈfem(ə)rəl|
adjective
lasting for a very short time : fashions are ephemeral. See note at temporary .
Keeping with the word, I will keep this short:
Everything is temporary, so why make art that is supposed to last forever?
3. Geometric shapes
Martyna may be surprised that I haven't talked about circles yet, but I am also drawn to geometric shapes. Other than the fact that geometry is often evident in Buddhist art, I think I am drawn to geometric shapes for their "matter-of-fact-ness". There is an immediate understanding in these shapes. Definite beginnings and ends. In all the days' chaos, I think my brain is conditioning itself to look for things that make sense!
1. Artist: Allan Kaprow
Kaprow's Happenings from the 60's align with my personal philosophy of art, however I am most excited by his writings. Kaprow was a big writer (as am I) and it's good because without his justification, his work is conceptually hard to grasp if you don't know what you're looking for. Specifically, I love the essay "Art Which Cannot Be Art" from 1985. Kaprow believed in a fusion of art and life, and in this essay he speaks about art that is in the perception of the everyday, not necessarily fabricated moments or objects. I am interested in the everyday, and I am always trying to keep it as close to life as possible.
2. ephemeral |əˈfem(ə)rəl|
adjective
lasting for a very short time : fashions are ephemeral. See note at temporary .
Keeping with the word, I will keep this short:
Everything is temporary, so why make art that is supposed to last forever?
3. Geometric shapes
Martyna may be surprised that I haven't talked about circles yet, but I am also drawn to geometric shapes. Other than the fact that geometry is often evident in Buddhist art, I think I am drawn to geometric shapes for their "matter-of-fact-ness". There is an immediate understanding in these shapes. Definite beginnings and ends. In all the days' chaos, I think my brain is conditioning itself to look for things that make sense!
1950's Vintage Advertisements
Lately, I find myself more and more interested in 1950's advertising. Some ways that the ad-men tried to send messages to housewives and business men were shocking. This advertisement, not only promotes smoking, but it also openly talks about mothers scolding their children. I believe there is a reason these ads are no longer acceptable. And so I find these old ads amusing. I would like to take these present day, socially unacceptable ads and spin them toward modern products. How would viewers today feel about the messages that were in past ads? This question is something I want to investigate.
Another influence would be the painting styles of these older advertisements. The way they are painted seems to leave an obvious impression of the 1950's. I find this interesting. It's almost like a branding style. It kind of works perfectly for me because I am a painting grad student. Therefore, I am able to mimic that style and the layout of old ads to make the viewers have to look a little close to see what the message is within the images and text.
The corruption of big businesses also is an influence on my art. Mostly, to expose an unacceptable corrupt nature used to gain profit. Walmart has always be questioned about how they send much of their manufacturing to china to allow for low cost of production, and therefore low prices in stores. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, but there has been so much controversy lately about keeping jobs in America. I plan to look at how other companies use corrupt advertising techniques and just corrupt practices in general.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Bwooomp woomp happy trees
1. Running
If you couldn't tell from my last post, I may have some anger issues. Soooo, instead of punching walls I just run. In high school I ran a ton, but that sort of trailed off as I progressed into college. One day I realized even a pack a day smoker can run a significant distance and the rest is history. Currently I'm training for a half marathon, hacking up pieces of lung the whole way. Really it's not that bad, and the stress release is second to none (except maybe biking). A run is just a nice time to be alone with yourself, your music and some pavement. It's one of the only activities that quiets the yelling in my brain. Earlier this summer I realized Nike and iPod have created something amazing. In short: a chip in your shoe, transmits to your iPod, information is delivered vocally through your iPod during your run. A voice will interrupt your music to inform you of your mileage, and the last 400 meters. Afterward you get tons of stats about the run including average mile time, total length, any notable progress, AND you can upload it all to Nike.com, where you can see charts and graphs and all sorts of geeky stuff.
So yeah. I guess I'm a geek about the whole thing. The Statistics!!!
2. Dubstep
Nothing pumps up your run quite like some dubstep. If you aren't familiar. Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music featuring massive bass, occasional vocals, random beats, mixes, and of course 'the drop'. The drop is a moment in the track where the tension builds and builds and builds and suddenly BOOOOOOM. It hits the fan. Dubstep is not for everyone, and not for every occasion. The energy level is unique and for a good run or those groggy days in the studio it's a good pump up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQmOi3sjDIo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY97gfGUFR0
3. Bob Ross
Yes, Bob Ross is my artist influence of the week. In addition to my BFA, I'm working on an Art Ed degree. It's great being serious about my artwork, but I also have to be serious about teaching. After all, teaching art is where I'm going in life so it's a little important to pay attention to that. Riiiiiight?
I consider Bob Ross to be one of the greatest art educators of all time. His television show "The Joy of Painting" ran for nearly ten years. Through this venue he inspired tons of people to be excited about art. Using wet-on-wet oil techniques, Ross broke down complicated landscapes to simplified shapes, lines, and blobs of color which all combined into a quick yet detailed painting. We may not consider landscapes of mountains and winter scenes to be the pinnacle of art making, but does it really matter how we get people excited about art? The interest alone is notable, especially at a time when budgets matter more than the arts. The sheer volume of Ross's influence is what is most amazing. He is a household name with a cult following. Oh, and the landscapes all the time were a direct reflection of the time Ross spent in Alaska with the Air Force. I've never been, but I'm sure the scenery is indescribably beautiful.
So listen. You can't make fun of Bob Ross. He was a machine. One happy, happy machine.
When asked about his laid-back approach to painting and eternally calm and contented demeanor, he once commented: "I got a letter from somebody here a while back, and they said, 'Bob, everything in your world seems to be happy.' That's for sure. That's why I paint. It's because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news."
If you couldn't tell from my last post, I may have some anger issues. Soooo, instead of punching walls I just run. In high school I ran a ton, but that sort of trailed off as I progressed into college. One day I realized even a pack a day smoker can run a significant distance and the rest is history. Currently I'm training for a half marathon, hacking up pieces of lung the whole way. Really it's not that bad, and the stress release is second to none (except maybe biking). A run is just a nice time to be alone with yourself, your music and some pavement. It's one of the only activities that quiets the yelling in my brain. Earlier this summer I realized Nike and iPod have created something amazing. In short: a chip in your shoe, transmits to your iPod, information is delivered vocally through your iPod during your run. A voice will interrupt your music to inform you of your mileage, and the last 400 meters. Afterward you get tons of stats about the run including average mile time, total length, any notable progress, AND you can upload it all to Nike.com, where you can see charts and graphs and all sorts of geeky stuff.
So yeah. I guess I'm a geek about the whole thing. The Statistics!!!
2. Dubstep
Nothing pumps up your run quite like some dubstep. If you aren't familiar. Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music featuring massive bass, occasional vocals, random beats, mixes, and of course 'the drop'. The drop is a moment in the track where the tension builds and builds and builds and suddenly BOOOOOOM. It hits the fan. Dubstep is not for everyone, and not for every occasion. The energy level is unique and for a good run or those groggy days in the studio it's a good pump up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQmOi3sjDIo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY97gfGUFR0
3. Bob Ross
Yes, Bob Ross is my artist influence of the week. In addition to my BFA, I'm working on an Art Ed degree. It's great being serious about my artwork, but I also have to be serious about teaching. After all, teaching art is where I'm going in life so it's a little important to pay attention to that. Riiiiiight?
I consider Bob Ross to be one of the greatest art educators of all time. His television show "The Joy of Painting" ran for nearly ten years. Through this venue he inspired tons of people to be excited about art. Using wet-on-wet oil techniques, Ross broke down complicated landscapes to simplified shapes, lines, and blobs of color which all combined into a quick yet detailed painting. We may not consider landscapes of mountains and winter scenes to be the pinnacle of art making, but does it really matter how we get people excited about art? The interest alone is notable, especially at a time when budgets matter more than the arts. The sheer volume of Ross's influence is what is most amazing. He is a household name with a cult following. Oh, and the landscapes all the time were a direct reflection of the time Ross spent in Alaska with the Air Force. I've never been, but I'm sure the scenery is indescribably beautiful.
So listen. You can't make fun of Bob Ross. He was a machine. One happy, happy machine.
When asked about his laid-back approach to painting and eternally calm and contented demeanor, he once commented: "I got a letter from somebody here a while back, and they said, 'Bob, everything in your world seems to be happy.' That's for sure. That's why I paint. It's because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news."
Friday, September 23, 2011
My apartment.
My first influence for this week is my apartment. While I don't have any images of it (yet) because I moved in mid-August, I can certainly describe why it's so hard for me to leave home:
1. It's extremely cheap for it's location. I live in Southside, Pittsburgh. I pay less than 500 a month.
2. I have a studio in addition to a moderately sized one bedroom apartment. This means that the computer I'm using to work on this blog is in its own separate space. I approach my studio space as I would approach a job-I come here to work, either on art, school, or other writing. My living room is a "no school work" zone, where I relax and spend time with the boyfriend, or my guinea pigs. No, these are not my pigs, but if you ever want to see pictures of my three guys... ask and you shall receive...
3. I live on the third floor. Any of you that have ever lived in a crowded area of the city may realize that most homes get little to no natural sunlight (add to that the dreariness of Pittsburgh). My studio is the uppermost (4th) floor, where I can see the slopes, and a giant church. I'm usually awake before the sun rises, so each morning I get to see the sunrise behind this church.
4. I live alone. I get to work alone. I enjoy it a little bit too much. I can always tell when I've been alone too long-my social awkwardness (while already apparent) increases and gets out of control. Symptoms include stumbling over words even more, not talking at all, becoming more monotone, forgetting what conversations are appropriate with strangers (ex: lack of filter), increased clumsiness, etc.
Second influence is Antoni Gaudi, particularly the Sagrada Familia. I got to see this firsthand when I traveled to Barcelona last summer, and the architecture completely blew everything I ever saw in the art world out of the water-including Rome (I mean, Rome was beautiful, but I felt like I was walking through a giant graveyard..). I have thought about going back to Barcelona almost every day since, and wish that IUP had a study abroad program there. I hope to take another trip out once I get my bachelor's as a celebration.
Which brings me to my next point. Go to Europe. Go see things that are not Indiana, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; or PA in general. Travel. See other artists and other things. See other cultures. Learn different languages. Please. You will never be the same. Traveling is my third influence, and I have not done enough. Fortunately, I am surrounded by people who are just as excited about it as I am, and when we can afford it, we try.
Want to feel terrible about personal painting and drawing skills? Look here. This will either drive you to do more, or cause you to want to break your hands and give up.
1. It's extremely cheap for it's location. I live in Southside, Pittsburgh. I pay less than 500 a month.
2. I have a studio in addition to a moderately sized one bedroom apartment. This means that the computer I'm using to work on this blog is in its own separate space. I approach my studio space as I would approach a job-I come here to work, either on art, school, or other writing. My living room is a "no school work" zone, where I relax and spend time with the boyfriend, or my guinea pigs. No, these are not my pigs, but if you ever want to see pictures of my three guys... ask and you shall receive...
3. I live on the third floor. Any of you that have ever lived in a crowded area of the city may realize that most homes get little to no natural sunlight (add to that the dreariness of Pittsburgh). My studio is the uppermost (4th) floor, where I can see the slopes, and a giant church. I'm usually awake before the sun rises, so each morning I get to see the sunrise behind this church.
4. I live alone. I get to work alone. I enjoy it a little bit too much. I can always tell when I've been alone too long-my social awkwardness (while already apparent) increases and gets out of control. Symptoms include stumbling over words even more, not talking at all, becoming more monotone, forgetting what conversations are appropriate with strangers (ex: lack of filter), increased clumsiness, etc.
Second influence is Antoni Gaudi, particularly the Sagrada Familia. I got to see this firsthand when I traveled to Barcelona last summer, and the architecture completely blew everything I ever saw in the art world out of the water-including Rome (I mean, Rome was beautiful, but I felt like I was walking through a giant graveyard..). I have thought about going back to Barcelona almost every day since, and wish that IUP had a study abroad program there. I hope to take another trip out once I get my bachelor's as a celebration.
Which brings me to my next point. Go to Europe. Go see things that are not Indiana, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; or PA in general. Travel. See other artists and other things. See other cultures. Learn different languages. Please. You will never be the same. Traveling is my third influence, and I have not done enough. Fortunately, I am surrounded by people who are just as excited about it as I am, and when we can afford it, we try.
Want to feel terrible about personal painting and drawing skills? Look here. This will either drive you to do more, or cause you to want to break your hands and give up.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
So about that article
A little late but better than never right? So anyway I found it quite interesting. Toward the end it focused a lot on the idea of technology supplanting the traditional art of printmaking. Which, in a way, I think holds some truth. Printmaking used to be necessary to mass produce, whereas now it's actually far less useful and cost effective to do so. I can submit my artwork to become prints for sale directly on deviantart. It takes me about two seconds. I feel like print has become an art in a different way though. It is now completely about the process, which the author talked about as well. But with that process comes the human touch. While a good printer reproduces his work correctly and as perfectly as a human hand can, it still has those minor deviations and imperfections that are what make printmaking beautiful and still with purpose. I admit when I first started printing I found it to be a completely daunting task. "Why can't I just paint this? Draw this? Do it once and print it out from a computer?" But once you really get into and start to love those specific print qualities for their own sake, you understand why printing has remained. I don't feel that the art of printmaking will ever become completely extinct. It is dated, but that is where it's charm lies. I love printing editions and screwing it up. Having pieces that are all mostly the same, but maybe not quite. That's why I'll keep doing it anyway.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Responses to the article
Thank you everyone,
It is good to see you have an opinion about the article. It certenly forced you to talk- good! You are all making good points. For most of you the author seemed to be 'dry' and judgmental. For some of you, labeling become an issue after reading the text. For lost of you- you don't really care about labels. It is different attitude towards 'making',and it is a surprise to me. In short, I think the author made some points that were worth mentioning, and you noticed them. Good. Think. Make. Yes I can see that some of you say he got 'bitter''angry' with no 'supporting' information'. At least he had opinions, right? but ...should we leave writing for art critics? :)
It is good to see you have an opinion about the article. It certenly forced you to talk- good! You are all making good points. For most of you the author seemed to be 'dry' and judgmental. For some of you, labeling become an issue after reading the text. For lost of you- you don't really care about labels. It is different attitude towards 'making',and it is a surprise to me. In short, I think the author made some points that were worth mentioning, and you noticed them. Good. Think. Make. Yes I can see that some of you say he got 'bitter''angry' with no 'supporting' information'. At least he had opinions, right? but ...should we leave writing for art critics? :)
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/persepolis
Persepolis is an ancient city in Iran. There is some palaces and huge sculptures. In my paintings I'm inspired by that historical atmosphere, old buildings, shapes and colors.
2.Samila AmirEbrahimi:
Born in Tehran, Iran, 1950
BA in Political science, Faculty of Law, Tehran University, 1972
Etching and Printmaking: Advanced school of Designing for Art and Industry Paris, France, 1973
BFA in General Fine Arts: California College of Arts and Crafts. Oakland, USA, 1978
She mostly use collage, acrylic and pastel in her works. Her subject matter is exterior/interior.
Broken brushwork and composition. Also mysterious atmosphere. These points are my challenge, I'm trying to have that kind of space in my paintings.
3.Persian Rugs
In some parts of my paintings I simplify motifs of Iranian rugs. They have a very complex design with different curves and cones.
Persepolis is an ancient city in Iran. There is some palaces and huge sculptures. In my paintings I'm inspired by that historical atmosphere, old buildings, shapes and colors.
2.Samila AmirEbrahimi:
Born in Tehran, Iran, 1950
BA in Political science, Faculty of Law, Tehran University, 1972
Etching and Printmaking: Advanced school of Designing for Art and Industry Paris, France, 1973
BFA in General Fine Arts: California College of Arts and Crafts. Oakland, USA, 1978
She mostly use collage, acrylic and pastel in her works. Her subject matter is exterior/interior.
Broken brushwork and composition. Also mysterious atmosphere. These points are my challenge, I'm trying to have that kind of space in my paintings.
3.Persian Rugs
In some parts of my paintings I simplify motifs of Iranian rugs. They have a very complex design with different curves and cones.
Maybe I'm Missing the Point, But...
I may be very naive for this type of thinking, but sometimes I feel like artists (myself included) take ourselves and what we do too seriously. Everybody is so obsessed with labelling themselves, others and works a certain genre. It seems like everybody is forced to peg themself into a certain area of art, or a certain technique, and I wonder "why?" Why should anybody have to commit themselves to only one medium? Why can't you maintain your craft without stifling your creativity, and vice versa? It seems somewhat contradictory of what we are all doing. Art is all about exploring new ideas, experimenting, and doing what you sincerely want to do. It all seems somewhat childish to me to put one type of art above or below another in prestige. I am not advocating shallow work, but I think sometimes you just need to mentally relax, get back to the root of why you started making art in the first place, and just pursue a medium or subject matter that you sincerely enjoy doing.
That's just my 2 cents.
three
just watched this music video last night on, you guessed it, COOLTV! http://youtu.be/YQ1LI-NTa2s i don't think i need to elaborate... it is amazing just watch it, it's tUnE yArDs-bizness...
ok artist... what artist influenced me this week... hmmm Wangechi Mutu. Gruesome and beautiful. really innovative figures... They sort of remind me of the not so recent steve madden ad girls... but if they were on something
Another thing that influenced me this week was seeing everyone PRODUCTIVE IN THE PRINTMAKING STUDIO! It's always good to be around other creators creating.
ok artist... what artist influenced me this week... hmmm Wangechi Mutu. Gruesome and beautiful. really innovative figures... They sort of remind me of the not so recent steve madden ad girls... but if they were on something
Another thing that influenced me this week was seeing everyone PRODUCTIVE IN THE PRINTMAKING STUDIO! It's always good to be around other creators creating.
article response
With Camnitzer, there were things I sympathized with and others I disagreed. Sometimes I find myself concentrating too hard on technical process than on concept. I'm not sure why. It might depend on where you go to undergrad and initially learn, or because it just seems to take so long to learn all of the processes, and even within the different lists of processes there are more categories, so you are trying to remember every step. I just seem to work backwards now, instead of having something I want to express, I think of how I could work technically different. There are certain prints that are admirable because they are technically difficult to create or incredibly time consuming, however beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What I find interesting as a printmaker, may not seem so to a painter or sculptor, just like I may not understand what they find difficult because I have not been in their footsteps. Camnitzer just seemed to rant too much. How can he make the assumption that learning traditional technique will become obselete when we've been learning about it for hundreds of years? Just make art!
This isn't necessarily an inspiration as much as a thought. I was observing a sunset and instead of just appreciating its beauty, I found myself dissecting it in terms of color. I miss making art to just simply make art. I understand that having an idea behind a piece provokes thought or allows someone to bring their uniqueness into the world of art, but occasionally I just want to experiment with color or improve on drawing. It just seems very consuming or crippling every once in awhile. I also saw an article on yahoo the other day that there is actually a museum created to house the worlds worst art!lol
This isn't necessarily an inspiration as much as a thought. I was observing a sunset and instead of just appreciating its beauty, I found myself dissecting it in terms of color. I miss making art to just simply make art. I understand that having an idea behind a piece provokes thought or allows someone to bring their uniqueness into the world of art, but occasionally I just want to experiment with color or improve on drawing. It just seems very consuming or crippling every once in awhile. I also saw an article on yahoo the other day that there is actually a museum created to house the worlds worst art!lol
Camnitzer - not as tasty as Chicken.
1) Camnitzer’s words seem to have left a bitter taste in many mouths this week – my own included. Let me first preface my reflection with an admission of admiration for his strong writing style, sure-footed presentation, and simple gall in the submission of this work for publication. Let me continue by criticizing the unorganized rant demonizing a completely sense-ridden cycle that has accompanied humankind since we first became artists.
Of course artists are defined somewhat by their technical processes. Though Camnitzer views it as “conceptually wrong” (1) to be too concerned with process, it is just as crippling to be too concerned with concept. The artistic process – as we have defined it for millennia – tends to produce material results. While I agree that sacrificing freedom of expression because media makes it more complicated to achieve a certain aesthetic is “wrong,” I also believe that the challenge this situation puts forth is particularly stimulating. If a certain aesthetic goal can be achieved through several processes – etching, drawing, and Photoshop, for example – the fact that the end product looks the same does not mean that they are the same. The product of the artistic process is only the destination, and as I remember, getting there is half the fun.
If patrons and collectors wanted art simply because it looks pretty, they would Google, click, and print from their home offices without any of the bother or expense of “fine art.” However, art is not simply a stimulus for aesthetic reaction (unless you are a Modernist). It is a dialogue between human beings that have perhaps been separated by space and time. For example, Camnitzer seems upset that the prices of those “pseudoproletarian collector items, signed by Warhol and Lichtenstein” surpass his own (3). This is because the value that the collector sees in the work is not based on aesthetics or even craft, but on the social, political, and cultural interactions that act as influences and channels for the artists’ communication.
Perhaps Camnitzer has got his head out of the acid tank, but he hasn’t yet got it out of the self-righteous studio.
2) Hokusai did not let this shit get him down. He thrived within his printmaking media because he consciously existed within his cultural status as an artist and simply made. And made. And made. Sure, he might have been a little crazy, but he was willing to keep up with the times by interacting with other artists, updating his style, employing a workshop, and even changing his name. Several times.
The illustrative woodblock prints of Hokusai are incredibly inspiring to me because of their unique color palettes, intricate details, and overall pleasing aesthetic. Additionally, the interplay between the prints and the poems that they were meant to accompany are incredibly clever, riddled with riddles, and demonstrate that ever-so-important interaction between artist and environment. Hokusai did not keep his head in Camnitzer’s acid tank, but instead made an effort to reach out to poets, intellectuals, and artists of his time and of times to come.
Example: He interacts with the novelist Rokujuen and his character, Suminawa, by illustrating the realistically carved cockerel that Suminawa has created in a confrontation with a live bird. Pretty sweet.
1) In the United States, U.S. Code Title 18, Chapter 17, Section 331 prohibits "the mutilation, diminution and falsification of United States coinage." However, the statue does not prohibit elongation as long as it is not used fraudulently (counterfeit coinage). Expect manifestations.
Thoughts and influences
What I struggle with the most when I read articles by artists is that they start off great. The argument is convincing, the artist seems to have a good bit of common sense that comes with experience. There is also humility, a shared story of embarrassment (hence the painter who criticized Camnitzer), and eventually a turn for the worst that involves pride, self satisfaction, justification of that persons' specific art form, and so on. I found myself at the beginning of the article going, "Yes! Craft! Important!" and at the end kind of disappointed and tired of reading. So it goes with most articles I read by artists.
The best artists I know currently don't really write articles in this form. I mean, some of them have blogs where they describe how they made what they made. However, they don't really try to justify their work. There's joy in what they do, and that's all the justification they need.They create. They can't stop. And eventually, through the work they do, it pays off. The craft and the concept are there, but the artist needed years of creating to get to that point. That being said, I agree with Camnitzer in the sense of craft being important (and come on, you all have heard me rant on this subject before, or at least read my first post). Other than that, the article sadly seems pretentious and is one of the factors that causes me to despise "art school" (sorry, I'm an opinionated artist. Big surprise, right?). I think we spend too much time judging other art, and not working on our own. I think we also spend too much time writing about why our art is "relevant," and not enough time actually making art. Alas, DaDa, you ruined it for us all.. at least for me.
I feel as artists we would do much better to embrace both, craft and concept, instead of making them enemies.
That's my rant in response to Camnitzer.
*Small edit: for a really positive response to art and creating, I suggest the movie Beautiful Losers.
Here are my influences:
Last week my windshield wiper broke at the base as I was driving home in the rain (I commute from Southside, Pittsburgh. About an hour and twenty minutes each way). Unfortunately, this was on the drivers side, and made the drive even less pleasant. Because of this, I couldn't make it to school the next day due to the rain, and was stranded at home saying, "Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crit coming. What am I going to do?" Oh, and it's still not fixed. I'm waiting for the part.
This time off forced me to start going through reference photos to see what I could come up with. I have linoleum blocks and some other printmaking tools at home which I use when I can't get into a class (thanks for phasing out your program, IUP) to stave off my desire to be in a studio. I also have hundreds of photographs my boyfriend and I took of Carrie Furnace last summer, many of which I wanted to use as references to paintings or drawings. So I have a side project happening, just in case I can't finish my current, and will probably keep this up for the remainder of the semester. If you look through images, you can probably see why it's inspiring. I'm pretty sure we met Swoon on our way there. Or her twin image. She and some friends helped us find our way in.
Why is this an influence? Because it was at one time lucrative. The place is enormous. Something that seemed indestructible at the time (technology, anyone?) collapsed, and is now being taken over by nature. It's completely covered in rust in large areas, plants are growing everywhere. For me, it's interesting how invincible we feel when we create. I imagine that the guys running this place when it was working thought that it would never come to an end. But everything does, eventually. Now, it's a giant playground for adults (or nature!), and I love it. We spent most of the day taking photographs and climbing to the highest points we could.
I've mentioned that I love collage, right? Well my artist's influence for the week is Alexander Korzer-Robinson. I ran across this guy when I first started doing collage. This caused me to have a small temper tantrum and say "Why didn't I think of that?????" I love his work because it looks complete, it is collage moving into a three dimensional format, and he makes them inside of books. Have I told you guys how much I love literature? Sometimes I don't get any work done because I'm reading. Which brings me to my final influence this week:
C.S. Lewis. But not your typical Mere Christianity or The Problem of Pain. I'm talking about a series of three books I've read at least ten times each, called The Space Trilogies. The strange thing about Lewis is some of his books are incredibly difficult to read. They're just weighty and wordy and long. They are the words of a man who spent a great deal of time thinking philosophically, and questioning every single one of his thoughts. His fiction, however, is incredibly easy to read. What I love about this particular trilogy is he uses a mixture of Greek mythology, science fiction, Biblical narrative, AND language (!) to create a story about traveling to other planets. Sweet. If you are just reading without much of a history of literature and mythology, it's still pretty entertaining/inspiring. If you are reading with the knowledge (especially language), it's quite exciting. I've read them so many times that I will sneak reading them to avoid being made fun of by friends and my boyfriend. They don't know what they're missing.
I will end with one of my favorite quotes from the second book, Perelandra, and head to the dealership to hope that my car will be fixed. The quote is referring to embracing what you're given, instead of unfulfilled expectations. It's gotten me through some rough/disappointing moments in life.
The best artists I know currently don't really write articles in this form. I mean, some of them have blogs where they describe how they made what they made. However, they don't really try to justify their work. There's joy in what they do, and that's all the justification they need.They create. They can't stop. And eventually, through the work they do, it pays off. The craft and the concept are there, but the artist needed years of creating to get to that point. That being said, I agree with Camnitzer in the sense of craft being important (and come on, you all have heard me rant on this subject before, or at least read my first post). Other than that, the article sadly seems pretentious and is one of the factors that causes me to despise "art school" (sorry, I'm an opinionated artist. Big surprise, right?). I think we spend too much time judging other art, and not working on our own. I think we also spend too much time writing about why our art is "relevant," and not enough time actually making art. Alas, DaDa, you ruined it for us all.. at least for me.
I feel as artists we would do much better to embrace both, craft and concept, instead of making them enemies.
That's my rant in response to Camnitzer.
*Small edit: for a really positive response to art and creating, I suggest the movie Beautiful Losers.
Here are my influences:
Last week my windshield wiper broke at the base as I was driving home in the rain (I commute from Southside, Pittsburgh. About an hour and twenty minutes each way). Unfortunately, this was on the drivers side, and made the drive even less pleasant. Because of this, I couldn't make it to school the next day due to the rain, and was stranded at home saying, "Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crit coming. What am I going to do?" Oh, and it's still not fixed. I'm waiting for the part.
This time off forced me to start going through reference photos to see what I could come up with. I have linoleum blocks and some other printmaking tools at home which I use when I can't get into a class (thanks for phasing out your program, IUP) to stave off my desire to be in a studio. I also have hundreds of photographs my boyfriend and I took of Carrie Furnace last summer, many of which I wanted to use as references to paintings or drawings. So I have a side project happening, just in case I can't finish my current, and will probably keep this up for the remainder of the semester. If you look through images, you can probably see why it's inspiring. I'm pretty sure we met Swoon on our way there. Or her twin image. She and some friends helped us find our way in.
Why is this an influence? Because it was at one time lucrative. The place is enormous. Something that seemed indestructible at the time (technology, anyone?) collapsed, and is now being taken over by nature. It's completely covered in rust in large areas, plants are growing everywhere. For me, it's interesting how invincible we feel when we create. I imagine that the guys running this place when it was working thought that it would never come to an end. But everything does, eventually. Now, it's a giant playground for adults (or nature!), and I love it. We spent most of the day taking photographs and climbing to the highest points we could.
I've mentioned that I love collage, right? Well my artist's influence for the week is Alexander Korzer-Robinson. I ran across this guy when I first started doing collage. This caused me to have a small temper tantrum and say "Why didn't I think of that?????" I love his work because it looks complete, it is collage moving into a three dimensional format, and he makes them inside of books. Have I told you guys how much I love literature? Sometimes I don't get any work done because I'm reading. Which brings me to my final influence this week:
C.S. Lewis. But not your typical Mere Christianity or The Problem of Pain. I'm talking about a series of three books I've read at least ten times each, called The Space Trilogies. The strange thing about Lewis is some of his books are incredibly difficult to read. They're just weighty and wordy and long. They are the words of a man who spent a great deal of time thinking philosophically, and questioning every single one of his thoughts. His fiction, however, is incredibly easy to read. What I love about this particular trilogy is he uses a mixture of Greek mythology, science fiction, Biblical narrative, AND language (!) to create a story about traveling to other planets. Sweet. If you are just reading without much of a history of literature and mythology, it's still pretty entertaining/inspiring. If you are reading with the knowledge (especially language), it's quite exciting. I've read them so many times that I will sneak reading them to avoid being made fun of by friends and my boyfriend. They don't know what they're missing.
I will end with one of my favorite quotes from the second book, Perelandra, and head to the dealership to hope that my car will be fixed. The quote is referring to embracing what you're given, instead of unfulfilled expectations. It's gotten me through some rough/disappointing moments in life.
"'What you have made me see,' answered the Lady, 'is as plain as the sky, but I never saw it before. Yet it has happened every day. One goes into the forest to pick food and already the thought of one fruit rather than another has grown up in one's mind. Then, it may be, one finds a different fruit and not the fruit one thought of. One joy was expected and another is given. But this I had never noticed before-that the very moment of the finding there is in the mind a kind of thrusting back, or setting aside. The picture of the fruit you have not found is still, for a moment, before you. And if you wished-if it were possible to wish-you could keep it there. You could send your soul after the good you had expected, instead of turning it to the good you had got. You could refuse the real good; you could make the real fruit taste insipid by thinking of the other...
...You and the King differ more than two kinds of fruit. The joy of finding him again and the joy of all the new knowledge I have had from you are more unlike than two tastes; and when the difference is as great as that, and each of the two things so great, then the first picture does stay in the mind quite a long time-many beats of the heart-after the other good has come. And this...is the glory and wonder you have made me see; that it is I, I myself, who turn from the good expected to the given good. Out of my own heart I do it. One can conceive a heart which did not: which clung to the good it had first thought of and turned the good which was given it into no good.'"
Sunday, September 18, 2011
3) fixed gears and the scene that goes along with it. it was all about the glam so its able to be mobile art. the newest ones that are showing up are literally canvas material, things like bamboo and carbon fiber being manipulated to show all the curve and literal sex appeal of a bike. it seams the more glamorous the better and im ok with that!!
Article Response and Influences
ARTICLE RESPONSE
Luis Camnitzer's article had little effect on me. I felt as if I were reading the preaching of an erroneous end of days enthusiast making claims with little or exaggerated support. I found the majority of the article to be incessant rants regarding tensions between art disciplines, criticism of progress or lack thereof amongst artists (overwhelmingly printmakers), and an obsession with the concept of craft. It was not until the final two paragraphs that any claims were made explaining why he felt the need to rant about these topics: the art world as we know it is coming to an end.
"Painting, sculpture and printmaking, if at all, will be taught in courses like Home-making II. Art departments will be abolished and the new Photoshop majors will graduate after four upgrades. In other words, what I am saying is that our history of art will become obsolete and inappropriate" (4).
I highly disagree with this opinion. It may be true that some aspects of the way art is made and taught are changing (which I feel is natural considering very little about the world we live in is stagnant), but to state that “our history of art will become obsolete and inappropriate” is absurd.
INFLUENCES
Moving things around; my roommates; Greer Lankton
Moving things around is something that I can’t get away from. At the beginning of the semester, I move all of my things from my home in Pittsburgh to my apartment at IUP. I have had three different housing arrangements while at IUP, which means I need to figure out where I want to put my belongings each time I move in to a new apartment. I feel this task is always ongoing. If I need to sit and concentrate on something such as writing a paper, I cannot begin until I have made sure to take care of small tasks that are on my mind; the carrying out of a small task usually ends with me rearranging my room or at the very least making sure everything on my desk is in an acceptable spot. This may just be procrastinating, but at the same time I feel as if putting my things were I feel they should be that day influences the task that I am procrastinating doing.
My roommates are people that I can’t help but be influenced by. If you live with someone, you are bound to be affected by them in some ways. For example, I now make my oatmeal in a mug rather than a bowl, which is something I never would have done had I not lived with the people I live with. Of my two roommates, one is an art major and the other is not. I feel that this is a particularly beneficial situation for me. If I am working on something, I always get two very different opinions on my work and both influence what I am doing.
I recently visited the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, and while there had an unusual reaction to Greer Lankton’s It’s All About ME, Not You (http://www.mattress.org/index.cfm?event=ShowArtist&eid=45&id=462&c=Permanent). The artist recreated her bedroom, which is viewed through the window of a vinyl sided house. While viewing the interior through the window, I felt as if I were looking at a self portrait of someone. However, while I was standing there, an employee at the museum gave me the opportunity to enter the room (which is usually locked). Being inside the work caused it to take on a completely different meaning for me. No longer was I looking at a self portrait of Greer Lankton; while inside the room, I felt as if I were her. It was disturbing and exciting at the same time. This overwhelming emotion that I felt is something that I would like to try to make tangible in my work.
Luis Camnitzer's article had little effect on me. I felt as if I were reading the preaching of an erroneous end of days enthusiast making claims with little or exaggerated support. I found the majority of the article to be incessant rants regarding tensions between art disciplines, criticism of progress or lack thereof amongst artists (overwhelmingly printmakers), and an obsession with the concept of craft. It was not until the final two paragraphs that any claims were made explaining why he felt the need to rant about these topics: the art world as we know it is coming to an end.
"Painting, sculpture and printmaking, if at all, will be taught in courses like Home-making II. Art departments will be abolished and the new Photoshop majors will graduate after four upgrades. In other words, what I am saying is that our history of art will become obsolete and inappropriate" (4).
I highly disagree with this opinion. It may be true that some aspects of the way art is made and taught are changing (which I feel is natural considering very little about the world we live in is stagnant), but to state that “our history of art will become obsolete and inappropriate” is absurd.
INFLUENCES
Moving things around; my roommates; Greer Lankton
Moving things around is something that I can’t get away from. At the beginning of the semester, I move all of my things from my home in Pittsburgh to my apartment at IUP. I have had three different housing arrangements while at IUP, which means I need to figure out where I want to put my belongings each time I move in to a new apartment. I feel this task is always ongoing. If I need to sit and concentrate on something such as writing a paper, I cannot begin until I have made sure to take care of small tasks that are on my mind; the carrying out of a small task usually ends with me rearranging my room or at the very least making sure everything on my desk is in an acceptable spot. This may just be procrastinating, but at the same time I feel as if putting my things were I feel they should be that day influences the task that I am procrastinating doing.
My roommates are people that I can’t help but be influenced by. If you live with someone, you are bound to be affected by them in some ways. For example, I now make my oatmeal in a mug rather than a bowl, which is something I never would have done had I not lived with the people I live with. Of my two roommates, one is an art major and the other is not. I feel that this is a particularly beneficial situation for me. If I am working on something, I always get two very different opinions on my work and both influence what I am doing.
I recently visited the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, and while there had an unusual reaction to Greer Lankton’s It’s All About ME, Not You (http://www.mattress.org/index.cfm?event=ShowArtist&eid=45&id=462&c=Permanent). The artist recreated her bedroom, which is viewed through the window of a vinyl sided house. While viewing the interior through the window, I felt as if I were looking at a self portrait of someone. However, while I was standing there, an employee at the museum gave me the opportunity to enter the room (which is usually locked). Being inside the work caused it to take on a completely different meaning for me. No longer was I looking at a self portrait of Greer Lankton; while inside the room, I felt as if I were her. It was disturbing and exciting at the same time. This overwhelming emotion that I felt is something that I would like to try to make tangible in my work.
Things and Stuff
Im not sure whether I know how to use this blog or not. I cannot seem to sign in or comment anymore, Whenever i am i not signed in, am signed in or trying to comment.
My suggestion for show title is.
-"Adnando The Bear And Tales From The Kitchen"-
My influences this week are the following.
1. A Story I heard about my previous boss who found a berry he did not recognize so he felt that he must eat it. He had a very purgatative and vomit involved experience for two or three days. Later that year he found another plant with berries he did not recognize so he felt he had to eat.He was warned and reminded of his last experience but went through with it anyway. His experience was similar if not the same as the last one.
2.Odd Nerdrum, people like his work for different reasons, everyone knows what it looks like. I once touched one of his paintings.
3. Koala bears. They spend almost all their lives eating eucalyptus trees.
First: My thoughts on this crazy person you made us read... He needs to pick an opinion and stick with it. Sure printmaking can be technical and seem like your not putting your own touch into it but you are, so get over it. I believe that something is whatever you make it in your own mind. So if he thinks painting is so different from printmaking then it is. I feel like they are two different mediums in art but you can MIX MEDIA and the lines get blurred so easily.
Next: Inspirations, Triggers and Influences.
1. Artist: Nayda Collazo-Llorens. Nayda works in many different mediums but the two that really inspire me are her drawings and paintings. Her drawings from 2001 really get to me. They look like records of time passed. There are notes, sketches, stickers, and lots of things placed onto paper. The reason her work gets to me is because it reminds of maps. They seem like messages that need to be decoded. Which goes into my ad how I am interested in networking....
http://www.naydacollazollorens.com/PAPER14X102.html
2. Networking. I am triggered by the interaction of people and how those interactions shape and build us through our lives. My paintings are currently showing this. I use my cities and the interactions between them to play with and understand them better. But for me this is incredibly important in my life and I think being able to play with this idea in my work really helps me to map things out.
3. Fall. The season. This weather, the feelings that are triggered inside of me make me want to create. The colors of the changing leaves, the brisk mornings, the cuddles, the calm. So many feelings! It is exciting. Hibernation. Creating in a warm studio with coffee and all the smells in the air is the best place to be!
Camnitzer's Colony
Camnitzer, "There are so few good printmakers' prints. By good, I don't mean technically stunning or visually stimulating. By good I mean prints that seriously affect the way we see things or the way we think about them."
I open with this because i feel that is a bold statement for the author to make. He doesn't describe any printmakers having "good" prints. I don't understand how he can say a "good" print must have these requirements when, apparently, none have. He didn't even describe any examples of painters or other artists who, "create art that seriously affect the way we see things or the way we think about them." Therefore, how are we supposed to by into his ideas if they are not backed up. Many of his assumptions and personal statements seem to fall short because he is only assuming and not backing them up with actual facts. This makes it hard for me to believe him.
Although, I did agree that, "it actually is much cheaper to produce a painting than a print. I had just had this discussion the previous week. The resources the produce prints (print presses) are so incredibly expensive that it couldn't even compare to the most expensive oil paints, canvases, or tools used to paint. In this way, it may be harder to have print makers make the authors definition of "good" prints because there are many less people about to attain the resources to print. If you don't have a printing press, how will you make prints? There is only a limited number of printing processes that don't require a large press.
He then goes on to make assupmtions of what a "good" painter is withough backing up his thoughts. "Primarily, a good painter is celebrated for the ability to appropriate an old medium to the point that it "seems" to have been inescapably invented for 'that' particular image". Why is his definition for "good" painter different from a "good" print. If this case is true, that the two mediums have different definitions of what is "good", then I do not think the two can even be compared.
I open with this because i feel that is a bold statement for the author to make. He doesn't describe any printmakers having "good" prints. I don't understand how he can say a "good" print must have these requirements when, apparently, none have. He didn't even describe any examples of painters or other artists who, "create art that seriously affect the way we see things or the way we think about them." Therefore, how are we supposed to by into his ideas if they are not backed up. Many of his assumptions and personal statements seem to fall short because he is only assuming and not backing them up with actual facts. This makes it hard for me to believe him.
Although, I did agree that, "it actually is much cheaper to produce a painting than a print. I had just had this discussion the previous week. The resources the produce prints (print presses) are so incredibly expensive that it couldn't even compare to the most expensive oil paints, canvases, or tools used to paint. In this way, it may be harder to have print makers make the authors definition of "good" prints because there are many less people about to attain the resources to print. If you don't have a printing press, how will you make prints? There is only a limited number of printing processes that don't require a large press.
He then goes on to make assupmtions of what a "good" painter is withough backing up his thoughts. "Primarily, a good painter is celebrated for the ability to appropriate an old medium to the point that it "seems" to have been inescapably invented for 'that' particular image". Why is his definition for "good" painter different from a "good" print. If this case is true, that the two mediums have different definitions of what is "good", then I do not think the two can even be compared.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Response to Camnitzer and Influences
Like many artists, Camnitzer is probably not alone in his identity crisis between "art and craft." I will say it was refreshing to have someone acknowledge that art is meant to "make us think" and that, although printers have exceptional skill, there aren't, in his opinion, many "good printmakers' prints." In my opinion, art becomes art when concept gets introduced. Not consistent design aesthetics, but concept. Thank you, Duchamp.
He also commented on how artists classify themselves by medium. Even printmakers get so specific in terms of etching or lithography. I just believe this is hugely outdated. If we want to be artists now, we should be making work that somehow responds to a contemporary context. I think we make it much harder on ourselves if we limit ourselves to one medium.
In terms of my influences for the week, my artist is Jelena Berenc. Berenc's drawings, which always contain repetition, are the result of, essentially, prompts that she gives herself which test patience and focus. The process of making the drawings correlate with her desire to better understand her own physical presence in the world. Again, definite Buddhist influences at work. For my 10,000 dots piece, I've been keeping her process in mind. Here is an example:
I also realized that I am always interested in road signs with text however, I couldn't figure out why until this week. Looking at a box of stuffing (long story), I was amused by a line on the box:
"Refrigerate in container when done eating."
Thanks for reminding me, box. But then it hit me. Like those road signs, it feels like your having an exchange with a person, although it's an inanimate object. It's like a mysterious person that's pointing you in the correct direction, but that you'll never fully know.
The road signs are also quick, simple ways to make drivers/people aware of important things when you're likely trying to pay attention to a lot at once. This idea of making people aware is definitely important to my work.
Finally, I also realized why I am so inclined to work with materials that already exist in the world. I tend to get easily overwhelmed with all the chaos of the world around me. As a result, I tend to look for ways to understand my life and the things around me. When possible, I prefer to work as much as possible with what already exists because I feel like it helps me understand what's already here better, rather than adding to the chaos.
He also commented on how artists classify themselves by medium. Even printmakers get so specific in terms of etching or lithography. I just believe this is hugely outdated. If we want to be artists now, we should be making work that somehow responds to a contemporary context. I think we make it much harder on ourselves if we limit ourselves to one medium.
In terms of my influences for the week, my artist is Jelena Berenc. Berenc's drawings, which always contain repetition, are the result of, essentially, prompts that she gives herself which test patience and focus. The process of making the drawings correlate with her desire to better understand her own physical presence in the world. Again, definite Buddhist influences at work. For my 10,000 dots piece, I've been keeping her process in mind. Here is an example:
I also realized that I am always interested in road signs with text however, I couldn't figure out why until this week. Looking at a box of stuffing (long story), I was amused by a line on the box:
"Refrigerate in container when done eating."
Thanks for reminding me, box. But then it hit me. Like those road signs, it feels like your having an exchange with a person, although it's an inanimate object. It's like a mysterious person that's pointing you in the correct direction, but that you'll never fully know.
The road signs are also quick, simple ways to make drivers/people aware of important things when you're likely trying to pay attention to a lot at once. This idea of making people aware is definitely important to my work.
Finally, I also realized why I am so inclined to work with materials that already exist in the world. I tend to get easily overwhelmed with all the chaos of the world around me. As a result, I tend to look for ways to understand my life and the things around me. When possible, I prefer to work as much as possible with what already exists because I feel like it helps me understand what's already here better, rather than adding to the chaos.
I love printmaking so much I hate myself.
Occasionally I despise when artists write.... or should I say when printmakers, painters, sculptors, drawers, metal workers, fiber workers, mixed media workers, three legged animals and butterflies..... write. We are all guilty, yet somehow we, the clique ridden network of makers cannot seem to leave our pretensions at the blinking cursor. As a matter of fact, you're about to read the rantings of an artist who can't take their own aforementioned advice.
Art is dead. Technology killed it. Slowly picking off the disciplines. Photography was first. A grand opening to the age of tech everything. The slaughter of photography, reduced to pixels and CS 3,4,5, etc. Oh what I wouldn't give to sick my hands in a black bag and blindly dissect a role of film and put it into a canister. Alas, sadly it seems that sooner or later the task of putting a 4B pencil in my hand will be obsolete and crass. Instead of Home Economics teaching students how to be good homemakers, they will learn of the mythical lost arts. A history lesson from the days when people actually used their hands to make things. *gasp!*
Okay listen, (and pardon me) why the fuck do we, the creators feel the need to pigeon hole ourselves into the medium we prefer? Oh yes Alex, I'll take 'things that are completely pointless' for 1500. Umm.... who are... artists who rigidly define their medium as their sole identity and all others to be considered inferior. Come on! What is wrong with just being an artist? Who cares if the painter you shared a studio with is an elitist and always made fun of you? Screw him. How old are you? Are we so insecure in our creativity that we must feel badly about ourselves whenever another artist criticizes us or the medium we are using? What happened to art making? Have we become so jaded?
And another thing! What is up with painter envy? Just because art history is riddled with painters doesn't mean every other artist should stick their head in the sand when a painter walks in the room. There is no need for insecurity. We are artists. We do not need to be defined by our mediums. This is as preposterous as a dog being defined by the raw hide he chews. Woof, I only chew Milkbone raw hides. I'm a Milkbone-ist. Come on!
To reiterate: COME ON!!!!! This is another fine example of how society's need to put a neat little label on every goddamn thing has tricked down into the art world. And now it's seeping all over the floor. What a mess.
We do not need a revolution.
We need to make art and
Never mind the label.
Art is dead. Technology killed it. Slowly picking off the disciplines. Photography was first. A grand opening to the age of tech everything. The slaughter of photography, reduced to pixels and CS 3,4,5, etc. Oh what I wouldn't give to sick my hands in a black bag and blindly dissect a role of film and put it into a canister. Alas, sadly it seems that sooner or later the task of putting a 4B pencil in my hand will be obsolete and crass. Instead of Home Economics teaching students how to be good homemakers, they will learn of the mythical lost arts. A history lesson from the days when people actually used their hands to make things. *gasp!*
Okay listen, (and pardon me) why the fuck do we, the creators feel the need to pigeon hole ourselves into the medium we prefer? Oh yes Alex, I'll take 'things that are completely pointless' for 1500. Umm.... who are... artists who rigidly define their medium as their sole identity and all others to be considered inferior. Come on! What is wrong with just being an artist? Who cares if the painter you shared a studio with is an elitist and always made fun of you? Screw him. How old are you? Are we so insecure in our creativity that we must feel badly about ourselves whenever another artist criticizes us or the medium we are using? What happened to art making? Have we become so jaded?
And another thing! What is up with painter envy? Just because art history is riddled with painters doesn't mean every other artist should stick their head in the sand when a painter walks in the room. There is no need for insecurity. We are artists. We do not need to be defined by our mediums. This is as preposterous as a dog being defined by the raw hide he chews. Woof, I only chew Milkbone raw hides. I'm a Milkbone-ist. Come on!
To reiterate: COME ON!!!!! This is another fine example of how society's need to put a neat little label on every goddamn thing has tricked down into the art world. And now it's seeping all over the floor. What a mess.
We do not need a revolution.
We need to make art and
Never mind the label.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Thoughts on Luis Camnitzer
Left.
My final influence for the week/weekend is an artist I've been paying attention to since my sophmore year in college (2008- woo!)- Kiki Smith. I love this woman. Her quirky personality comes out in her work, and her stylized portrayal of the human form displays an otherworldly type of beauty that generally can't be drawn from realism. She also uses a lot of nature in her pieces, almost reminiscent of book illustrations. Beautiful work by a beautiful soul.
Right.
Bahh, I hate craft!!!
Craftsmanship is everything. Good craftsmanship = beautiful prints. <3
These mini arguments above were some of the thoughts I had while reading Camnitzer's article, Printmaking: A Colony of the Arts. Though he even mentions his love-hate relationship with craft, I have to say that I honestly agree with him. As artists, whether we be painters, printmakers, or wood carvers, we always strugge with the battle between whether or not we've created fine art or "craft," a technique and category that artists such as Kiki Smith reside in.
As I was saying, I agree with Camnitzer. I think that craft and craftsmanship, whether or not you consider those two things as one or not, are detrimental to the art-making process, but I also feel that craft should not be what's focused on to make the piece successful. I love how he merges the two sides of the argument together to state that without this internal battle, one's art may not be successful. Focus on the process, but process with good concept to hide said process. Hide mistakes. Make it look perfect; hide craft.
I also have to say that yes, I think we do keep our heads too deep in the acid tank. Things are happening even in our own department that are mentioned in this article- art departments are shrinking or being abolished before our very eyes. I'm sure that printmaking and other types of art will fully become "craft" to the eyes of administrators, and like the author of the article says, our children will be taking their art classes in Home Economics, Independant Living, and other home-based classes designed to teach youngsters how to be domestic house-mammas or pappas.
I also have to say that yes, I think we do keep our heads too deep in the acid tank. Things are happening even in our own department that are mentioned in this article- art departments are shrinking or being abolished before our very eyes. I'm sure that printmaking and other types of art will fully become "craft" to the eyes of administrators, and like the author of the article says, our children will be taking their art classes in Home Economics, Independant Living, and other home-based classes designed to teach youngsters how to be domestic house-mammas or pappas.
In general, I thought the article was wonderful. It made me think twice about how I go about making prints, paintings, drawings- any form of art. It reminded me that, though "craft" seems to be a dredded swear word in the art world, that it's detrimental to the success of your pieces.
Here are some quick inspirations for this weekend, to keep the flow of creativity coming!
As much as you all probably hate it, I absolutely love the cold weather we're starting to have. I love the act of scraping my car in the morning, and having to jump outside to see which coat and shoes I should put on before I leave my house. The crispness of the air just releases something inside me that inspires me to create. There's also no humidity, which tends to make me feel less motivated.
Have any of you listened to the White Wives? They're a relatively new band out of Pittsburgh- a hybrid of Anti-Flag, the Code, and American Armada, these guys have a sound that's less on the Punk side, and slightly closer to something like Mumford & Sons or the Gaslight Anthem. They're great to listen to while you're working- they keep the energy flow high, with a more gentle beat. Go check them out!!
My final influence for the week/weekend is an artist I've been paying attention to since my sophmore year in college (2008- woo!)- Kiki Smith. I love this woman. Her quirky personality comes out in her work, and her stylized portrayal of the human form displays an otherworldly type of beauty that generally can't be drawn from realism. She also uses a lot of nature in her pieces, almost reminiscent of book illustrations. Beautiful work by a beautiful soul.
** Also, for anyone who was wondering, I'm starting to feel better about my friend that passed away- he's laid to rest now, and doesn't feel any pain anymore... After yesterday's funeral, I'm coming to terms with that. There's still some pain to deal with that will come out over time, but I'm in the process of transferring that pain into creative energy. I'll be okay. :)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
TITLE for YOUR EXHIBITION- ideas
Ok, please post your ideas for a title below this post (comments ). We will vote in class within few weeks. Excited! get going guys!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dan Hillier, D and D, More Than Life
Alright well let's do this. Dan Hillier is an artist i just recently discovered. He makes some really bizarre and interesting stuff that i thoroughly enjoy. I'm not exactly sure what he does to create them but his "altered engravings" pieces are quite inspiring. He states that he uses imagery that he finds, collages, and creates from his own imaginings. Whatever he does though is definitely worth looking at.
Sooo D and D. Also known as Dungeons and Dragons for you nerds not in the know. Probably the nerdiest possible activity for any person to partake in. And I do it. Not as much as I used to, but it's still a part of me. Now it reminds me of nights in the past spent with my friends having a fantastic and nerdy time. Now, though you won't see any dragons or anything in my work (I promise), this idea of adventuring has been buzzing around my brain as of late. Considering all aspects of our own lives as some sort of adventure. Some easy, some difficult. And with this statement I push the glasses back onto the bridge of my nose and take my nerdyness elsewhere. Also, though purely illustrative, some of the artists are pretty impressive. I got to meet this guy.
And finally, as it will probably happen almost every post, a band. More Than Life. Some sappy emotional hardcore and I love it. When I listen to the song Daisy Hill I can feel the emotion. I love it. It gets me pumped up and feeling. I can't really describe it. I won't try. But I listen to this song a lot.
Monday, September 12, 2011
So... Although there isn't any noticeable influence in my work yet, an artist who I've taken an interest in lately is England's own Banksy. Both his style and his whole persona is inexplicably fascinating. His ability to make a statement in a humorous way without producing something in the cliche category is admirable, in my opinion. It is almost incomprehendible how he has risen to such fame while still keeping his true identity secret (at least for the most part.) That fact kind of gives him this odd mystique where he's almost more of an entity than a person, and it's just fascinating me.
Another source of inspiration for me that has been somewhat persistent is oddly enough, light. Whether it be bright, coloful neons or just a simple streetlight, it is just beautiful to me. It just carries this odd aesthetic quality that seems to provide almost infinite sources of inspiration.
Third, I've been finding interest in just people watching for inspiration. Watching how people interact with each other and carry themselves is just intrigueing. To me, people watching just provides one of the few means of finding an authentic sample of how people act.
Early Influences
I'm pretty obsessed with monsters, and have been for a while. I love drawing them. I love researching them. I like just about anything that has anything to do with weird creatures and monsters.
The artist that probably is the reason I got so into drawing the way I draw would have to be Alex Pardee.
His paintings are colorful, grotesque, and he has such good control of his inking and coloring. When I stumbled upon his work back in my freshman year of high school I started to try and replicate his style in my own paintings and drawings. For the most part I just kind of copied a lot of the themes from his work at first, but it did help me progress into the characters and monsters that I like to draw today.
Through Alex Pardee I also became a big fan of Greg "Craola" Simkins.
Like Alex Pardee, Craola's work really appealed to me because it still had that kind of grotesque quality to it that I was absolutely in love with. While I ended up leaning more towards the looser quality of Alex Pardee's. I still love Craola's work and have always tried to replicate his same attention to detail and ability to combine so many elements into a cohesive pieve, something I've been really trying to push myself about in my newer drawings.
These two are probably the first two artists that I got really obsesses with, and definitely drove me into the work I like to do today.
The artist that probably is the reason I got so into drawing the way I draw would have to be Alex Pardee.
His paintings are colorful, grotesque, and he has such good control of his inking and coloring. When I stumbled upon his work back in my freshman year of high school I started to try and replicate his style in my own paintings and drawings. For the most part I just kind of copied a lot of the themes from his work at first, but it did help me progress into the characters and monsters that I like to draw today.
Through Alex Pardee I also became a big fan of Greg "Craola" Simkins.
Like Alex Pardee, Craola's work really appealed to me because it still had that kind of grotesque quality to it that I was absolutely in love with. While I ended up leaning more towards the looser quality of Alex Pardee's. I still love Craola's work and have always tried to replicate his same attention to detail and ability to combine so many elements into a cohesive pieve, something I've been really trying to push myself about in my newer drawings.
These two are probably the first two artists that I got really obsesses with, and definitely drove me into the work I like to do today.
Although their effect on my art isn't very profound anymore, two of my favorite artists during my freshman year were Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. It wasn't the sexuality they portrayed, or the "art for art's sake" ideology, but their composition and use of the figure. Nothing deep, really, but the focus on exaggerated shape and the draping of flesh over bones definitely influenced my own portrayal of the figure.
Bill Viola was one of my first exposures to video art, and it has certainly made a huge impact. The semi-mystical, minimal, ritualistic videos I've seen from him have focused an aesthetic for a lot of the concepts I already had. His videos give me goosebumps.
And lastly, house music. Good house music makes me work hard. Not really sure why, but high energy, repetetive, noisy beats cut my distractions and move me to speed up my process. That and it's fun to dance/make.
Bill Viola was one of my first exposures to video art, and it has certainly made a huge impact. The semi-mystical, minimal, ritualistic videos I've seen from him have focused an aesthetic for a lot of the concepts I already had. His videos give me goosebumps.
And lastly, house music. Good house music makes me work hard. Not really sure why, but high energy, repetetive, noisy beats cut my distractions and move me to speed up my process. That and it's fun to dance/make.
Monday, 12 September, 2011
Today's influences come from more somber, sad place.
Unfortunately, a good friend of mine took his own life yesterday. From this, I've been looking at the world a bit differently.
The first influence I've been thinking about is nature- every rock, every tree and stream- all of these things and many more are living beings, and for me, not just in the molecular sense. Science proves that all cells are living, but for me, I've always felt as though all things in nature, whether it be a fish or rock, have a spirit (something of Native American origins, here). If you do something to disrupt nature, you're sort of taking its life. So really, my influence from all of this is conservation, and saving the environment. I'd like to use recycled paper of some sort this semester, to promote this feelings and thoughts.
Another influence, though rather commonplace and a bit cliche, is the Beatles. I've been listening to them a lot lately, and have been pulling some interesting ideas from their music. Of course I have to tone them down a bit; the psychedelic imagery one conjures up when thinking of 1960's musicians generally comes in a lot of bright colors and forms. What I am taking from this inspiration is the willingness to free yourself when listening to music- allowing your body to move freely, in form and expression.
The final influence for this week is my absolute favorite artist, Alyssa Monks. Her paintings are the perfect example of photorealism- you can't tell they're even paintings until you're right up against them, seeing every brush stroke. This takes me back to my friend that I lost- from a distance, he was perfectly fine, always laughing... This image was taken for granted, and no one looked close enough to see what was really going on. From this I'm going to take a closer look at my artwork- pick it apart until everything is fine, both inside, and out.
more inspirations!
I have to say some of my other inspirations are things from my childhood. The mask I made based on the opera was inspired by a stop motion animation of it. I watched it when I was around 7-8 at my grandmothers house. It was really bizarre and I had forgot about it until last year. You can actually find it on youtube, under Rigoletto, stop motion, it wouldn't let me post it. It's probably something a 7 year old shouldn't be watching lol.
I am also fascinated with antiques, junk and goodwill. This is mostly because of my grandma chaney who passed away last year. Its the same grandma who let me watch the weird show. When I was little she'd let me go through her jewelry and take me to yard sales. Even in her last year we went to goodwill whenever I'd come home. She always encouraged my art, even hanging a painting of a naked man I did in her house. I just like seeing interesting items and trying to think of a new use for them or the history they have previously had.
I am also fascinated with antiques, junk and goodwill. This is mostly because of my grandma chaney who passed away last year. Its the same grandma who let me watch the weird show. When I was little she'd let me go through her jewelry and take me to yard sales. Even in her last year we went to goodwill whenever I'd come home. She always encouraged my art, even hanging a painting of a naked man I did in her house. I just like seeing interesting items and trying to think of a new use for them or the history they have previously had.
Ahhh Netflix and It's Artist Documentaries
Yes, indeed, Netflix is great, especially bc I don't have cable! I watched two documentaries this week that were coincidentally INFLUENTIAL
1. Vic Muniz in Wasteland
He's a contemporary Brazilian artist whose work usually looks like reinterpretations or known paintings, but he uses odd materials like... chocolate sauce or something weird like that. In the documentary he goes to the 'largest landfill in the wooorrrllld' in Rio de Janiero. He interviews the 'pickers' who essentially dig through the trash for recyclable materials (due to Rio's lack of a recycling system) to earn a living. He then creates these HUGE portraits of the 'pickers' out of trash from the landfill. The 'pickers' were hired in his studio for this project to assist in creating these portraits. It was interesting to see a bridge between art and community.
2. Basquiat
So the community art Muniz was doing is great and all, BUT C'MON IT'S BASQUIAT! Such a brilliant and interesting artist that boy was. The documentary was amazing. Inspiring to say the least. He created over 1,000 paintings in the few years he was actually a painter! I think he was an active painter for about 7 or 8 years! Can someone say work ethic, or maybe just insanity! Anyways, as I was watching I wanted to get off the couch and get to work. Really.
3. 'Can I put hats on all of the B's'
Direct quote from my 5 year old nephew doing his homework yesterday. He had to write the letter B a bunch of times for homework on that super wide ruled paper you learn to write your letters. So as he was writing, he finished one and drew a hat on top of the 'B'. My mom hurried up and erased it. He wasn't too happy. He said, "I like the hat! Can I put hats on all of the B's?" Of course it was not part of his homework, so he shouldn't be doing it, but I thought it was brilliant. Why not put HATS ON THEM! How cool?! Kids figuring things out or making up reasons for how things work or exist always entertains me, but it's also really interesting. I wish there were more people out there putting hats on their B's.
1. Vic Muniz in Wasteland
He's a contemporary Brazilian artist whose work usually looks like reinterpretations or known paintings, but he uses odd materials like... chocolate sauce or something weird like that. In the documentary he goes to the 'largest landfill in the wooorrrllld' in Rio de Janiero. He interviews the 'pickers' who essentially dig through the trash for recyclable materials (due to Rio's lack of a recycling system) to earn a living. He then creates these HUGE portraits of the 'pickers' out of trash from the landfill. The 'pickers' were hired in his studio for this project to assist in creating these portraits. It was interesting to see a bridge between art and community.
2. Basquiat
So the community art Muniz was doing is great and all, BUT C'MON IT'S BASQUIAT! Such a brilliant and interesting artist that boy was. The documentary was amazing. Inspiring to say the least. He created over 1,000 paintings in the few years he was actually a painter! I think he was an active painter for about 7 or 8 years! Can someone say work ethic, or maybe just insanity! Anyways, as I was watching I wanted to get off the couch and get to work. Really.
3. 'Can I put hats on all of the B's'
Direct quote from my 5 year old nephew doing his homework yesterday. He had to write the letter B a bunch of times for homework on that super wide ruled paper you learn to write your letters. So as he was writing, he finished one and drew a hat on top of the 'B'. My mom hurried up and erased it. He wasn't too happy. He said, "I like the hat! Can I put hats on all of the B's?" Of course it was not part of his homework, so he shouldn't be doing it, but I thought it was brilliant. Why not put HATS ON THEM! How cool?! Kids figuring things out or making up reasons for how things work or exist always entertains me, but it's also really interesting. I wish there were more people out there putting hats on their B's.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
One of my greatest influences as an artist comes from the tattooing world. Like some of my fav. Paintings on canvas seeing it on skin is literally the place where I enjoy it the most it is an ultimate way to broadcast an artists talent, everyone can see it. My artist is Guy Atchison who is one of the top ten best American artists. His work brings three dimension illusion onto a two dimensional surface. Sometimes he even uses implants to make the illusion even more real.
Second inspiration would have to be bikes I’m attaching a video showing exactly the art of bikes. it shows both the beauty and the artistic side of that sport. also it shows basically how free a person can be just by getting on a bike. things like bike rides prove inspiring to me, they free up my mind and let me think about alot of things that when i'm dealing with my life i dont always think through thoroughly.
lastly listening to music determines how im going to feel during my day, i listento alot of kinds of music and i love thrashing art out to my fav. beats. i love all music equally and am completely open to anything that plays, i never know where i am going to find my next appealing lyrics that tell me how to make the next line. i listen mostly to metal and metalcore music. the powerful screams remind me of wolves howling mixed with an interesting guitar and mixed beats currently my fav. song deals with religion, its called one last breath by the band abandon all ships.....
Again With the Chickens
1) The Red Junglefowl is a supercolorful member of the Pheasant family and is related to the domestic CHICKEN. Okay, so I mentioned chickens last week. Here's why this inspiration is different: label perception. Were your interests piqued by that exotic label used to spice up poultry exchanges and seduce county fairgoers? In the spirit of research, I conducted an experiment at the local Cambria County Fair wherein I swapped the placards of the regular chooks with the exotic birds. When people noticed the switch (which was not that often), the common birds received much more attention. I am now considering a career in Bird Breeder Businesscards.
In fact, I've been thinking a lot about how my artistic career is related to the business world. And if there is one thing that I learned from the upper echelon of CEO's, it is that networking is everything.
2) Networking is an amazing phenomenon that is both empowering and humbling at the same time. One finds herself with the incredible power to relate to virtually everything through some pathway, but she is kept in check with the overwhelming complexity of the thing as a whole. I am constantly plotting the points of networks I find in daily life by recording them in 2-D map form. This is inspiring to me because of a network's dichotomous ability to help me understand connections in life, yet point out more complex pathways.
3) Jeffery Vallance understands what I'm saying about Networks, even if you don't. In his quirky work, the relationship between objects is essential to the viewer's experience. The seemingly unrelated, broken, or banal suddenly become drenched in meaning as the invisible network is exposed. Both his printmaking and object making work is inspiring to me because of the incredibly strange and humorous dialogue created through the connections of mundane parts. And you guys, HE LOVES CHICKENS!!!
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