Hey ya'll,
Everyone should have their book by now. I'm cruising through it and it's really good(I think). Please post on pages 4-8 ish of the book. I think that our experience of having the thrift store(our gallery and our studio) as well as S-3 as a communal studio become really interesting when plugged into O'doherty's ideas about the studio, artist and gallery.
Losers Weepers is another working title along with Touch Not the Cat. We will send out a press release next class. This should have at least one digital image attached to it. I'll bring my camera. The early sketchbooks look good. Remember these will be the focus of an exhibit later on in the semester. They should be rad not sad(sorry).
Later,
mikewindy
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I read the first paragraph of the book and chuckled. I’m coming back to school this semester after a two-year hiatus, and I haven’t produced anything the entire time I’ve been out of school. Since being back, though, I’ve thrown myself into art-making, and I’ve unconsciously picked up this fascination with my work space.
ReplyDeleteMy go-to form of expression is painting, and I’m quite the messy painter. Upon completing something, I step away from it, examine it, maybe add something here or there, but then…I end up becoming more interested in the mess that’s left behind. I’ve been taking pictures of it for weeks now, and it has had me thinking about just this thing.
And two years ago, I was the snotty philistine when it came to contemporary art. So, this is all new to me…to find such appreciation in the artist and the art-making, the emotionally-wielded process.
I’ve been drawing all my life, and I admittedly have always had a natural ability to render things fairly well. But when I heard people talking about “losing” themselves in their art or using their art as an emotional and creative “outlet,” I just didn’t get it. It was more mechanical for me, I guess.
And now, I feel like pieces of me are shattered onto every single painting, every sketch, every production. I like to see the marks on the tarp I put down in my bedroom after I’ve been working on something, because I can see when I was up really close and working really fast…totally zoned in to something specifically. The marks are short and choppy, from me cleaning and drying the brush in between each and every stroke.
Then, there are the common, every day items. Like last night, I finished a painting (finally – a completed one!) and took pictures of the space. In a corner of one of them, there’s a stack of books next to my nightstand, topped by the iron I used yesterday morning when getting ready for work (my office job). And then there’s my bedside lamp, with the shade removed to improve the lighting in my makeshift “studio” space…right next to the alarm clock.
Also, I’ve been using paper plates as palettes…and collecting them. Sometimes, I think the palette says more about what’s going on in the painting than the actual painting does. Maybe I’ll find an interesting way to display them at some point…?
O'doherty makes interesting points about the workspace and made me wonder as well at how my art is effected by my workspace.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my workspace is always different. I'm a nomadic artist within my own house. Depending on my mood or where my roommates are, where I paint or draw constantly changes-- the living room, kitchen table, bedroom, or porch.
There are many times that I wish I had a permanent place to create art, but I get bored with my place really easily. I do think the book points out interesting aspects of Samaras thought behind displaying his workplace, making it art. I love the idea, but personally wonder how I would interpret or display my ever-changing interest of a workspace.
I related to Acconci's interpretation of workspace more than Samaras. Eliminating the actual act involved in his piece "Seedbed", I was more intrigued by the idea of the artist's body as his "own studio". That for his piece his body became the canvas. My interest is not in an individual piece but using that philosophy of your "body as your own studio" as a general approach to artmaking.
This becomes more in line with my own personal process of artmaking. And overall, Studio and Cube has, so far, positively caught my attention.
Oh...and I think I'm leaning towards "Losers, Weepers" for the show name. Its not as quirky as Touch Not the Cat, but I think its clever with the subject matter of the show.
ReplyDeleteI really like the statement that Studio is “the agent of creation” and that the Cube is “the agent of transformation.” Despite the fact that my “studio” is always changing, I prefer to work in the same type of environment: someplace that is very clean and open where I can spread out my work and think about what I’m creating. Although the physical location changes; my studio/my system of working does not. My studio is where ever I happen to be working- I create that “magical space” just by being there.
ReplyDeleteFYI, this is my first blogging attempt so it may not be all that fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThe last paragraph of page 5 and top of page 6 caught my attention. I thought it was iteresting how Brian (I say Brian because he and I are totally like best friends now)was saying how the gallery is meant to seperate the artist and their artwork.
When picturing in my mind Sameras's studio, I imagined how empty it would look with the absence of the artist. On the flip side, when I pictured Samaras in the studio in the gallery, it made me think,"hey look at this cockey bastard putting on a show for us." Its kind of like when walking down St. George and you the the artist in the street constantly painting the same lighthouse painting that hashas been painting for the last week. Or that gallery filled with beach and boat scenes with the little fake studio up stairs were the guy comes back and adds tiny details to one painting for all of eternity.
It is true when he says, "In the gallery, the artist, when present, is an embarrassing piece of mobile furniture haunting hisor her own product."
It is like that guy at the party who just starts playing his guitar for no reason. Hey couldbe the best guitarist in Florida, but every looks at him and knows he is putting on a show (probably to get laid, but that is besides the point).
When the audience is aware that the artist is aware of the audience (I hope that made sense)the audience feels the artist is just putting on a show and the artwork itself gets ignored.
Now obviously this does not apply to performce art, but you get the idea...I hope.
This has been a Capt'n Gabbie Rant. You will now be returned to your regularly scheduled lives.
keeping it simple, I think the first few pages of the book were interesting and revolutionary ideas for gallery art shows. So far this is the most enjoyable class that i have taken at Flagler. I have learned alot about the art world already, and how to save money. I am proud of my sculptures thus far.
ReplyDeleteI am truly captivated by the thoughts of my peers! You guys have insightful and thoughtful things to say. After reading pages 4-8 (thanks steve-o) I had strong feelings about this idea of the artist in the gallery and how this is perceived. I liked Captain Gabby's thoughts on this. I will cut and paste what I found interesting in her blog and then give my response below it...................
ReplyDeleteGABBY SAID>>>>>>>>
"In the gallery, the artist, when present, is an embarrassing piece of mobile furniture haunting hisor her own product."
It is like that guy at the party who just starts playing his guitar for no reason. Hey couldbe the best guitarist in Florida, but every looks at him and knows he is putting on a show (probably to get laid, but that is besides the point).
When the audience is aware that the artist is aware of the audience (I hope that made sense)the audience feels the artist is just putting on a show and the artwork itself gets ignored.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My Response:
In my experience, it seems that most artists who are awkward and embarrassing in a gallery setting are this way because they are trained to communicate visually. These are a group of people who are using images/sculptures/works of art to communicate their ideas. As such, it makes sense that it would be easy for this person to "haunt their own product".
I understand your analogy Gabby, of the pompous guitar player putting on a show. But, I do not fully agree. First, he is not in a gallery setting. Or, for the sake of analogy, a concert hall or open mic show. But I see where you are going with this...
I think it is difficult to speak of your own art in a way that does not make you seem pretentious or self-involved. I know as artists, we have to strike a balance between the reclusive awkward haunting artist in a gallery space and the asshole guitarist. But with that being said, we are there to put on a show.
I like to try to be as engaging as possible when speaking about my work. I tend to stay on the topic of what I was thinking when I came up with the concept and how I made it happen in my process. I avoid telling people that it is a ground breaking piece that will alter the views of the world (the guitarist) and I also avoid slinking into a corner as the angsty artist (the embarrassing piece of mobile furniture.)
Apologies if none of this makes sense...just a free flow of thought prompted by reading your comments. Cheers!
Mandy
I definitely think I am the awkward artist. I have a hard time communicating verbally,sometimes taking myself and the art world seriously.I like the book so far, but there are somethings I didn't quite understand, When he said "artificial aware of being aware- consciousness quoting itself." How can you be artificial and simultaneously be aware? And when it said Renoir saying he painted with his cock?? I thought that was interesting when he said "one of the primary tasks of the gallery is to separate the artist from the work and mobilize it for commerce." That makes sense, but doesn't the sale of the work a lot of times depend on who the artist and the name they have made for themselves, so how would separating the artwork from the artist be a profitable move? I liked Captain Gabbie's comment on the guitarist trying to get laid I definitely know a few of those. This is the first time I have blogged. I think I've gotten over my fear of blogging finally. -Christine
ReplyDeleteGreat comments. Sometimes I have to remind myself that every hour that my work resides in a space is not a red carpet hour. It is not a premier or an opening with melba toast and goat cheese and gregarious mouths stained red with cheep merlot. There are still moments with no hours after hours the work does not know the difference.
ReplyDelete