My Critique

We finally got to me in my critique group, it only took two weeks, but it was good.

I showed the three photos I had up in the BFA/BA Art Show. And like Hannaline, Viktor liked my piece featuring Dan Fig. I presented my idea for my thesis, and got the feedback I was hoping for.

I'm usually bad with words when it comes to presenting my own work, and my ideas, so I tried to keep it simple. I told the group that I just want to do an aesthetically pleasing piece that all people can avoid.

The group disagreed and suggested that I should make the piece meaningful. The instructor of the critique brought up some good points on how I could still make an aesthetic piece and still reference certain aspects of art that influences me. In looking at the piece of Dan Fig, he said how the pants he was wearing in the photo reminded him of Dutch trousers from a specific time.

Finally I broke down and said that I am heavily influenced by the mentality of Yves Klein and how he wanted to show the mysticism of the artist. Rather than just having the photos look like a fashion photo inside of W Magazine, Vouge, Vanity Fair or GQ, I want them to have some level of art history. Like attempting to wear a blue bow tie similar to the blue Yves Klein mixed and used for a few series.

I'm going to continue down the road of recreating movie stills, but with the style of dress try to reference time periods of art history, as well as edit the lighting to be reminiscent of certain painting movements see how I have concentrated in painting.

But all in all, the critique was just what I needed. Now once I get a few more pieces of equipment production will start ASAP.

Seven Days- The Fair

Ok, I'm caught up.

Before this chapter was assigned, and well before I am giving my thoughts on it, I had a discussion about art fairs, and the art market with a family friend. I always knew he was into art, but I did not know to what extent, so when he started talking to me about how he collects and how he goes to these fairs I was a bit skeptical, but when I took a glimpse at his Rolex casually wrapped around his wrist, I knew he was serious.

The art market is a confusing one. I always thought it was simple exchange of money and art. But when you jump from something like painting, that is one of a kind, to lets say photos or prints, where there is a series, the numbers start changing and different rules apply.

"The art world has no rules". A simple quote from the chapter, but on the contrary, it does. I saw this chapter more as the dealing of art, more then how weird the art fair is. There are a lot of rules in the art world. There is proper etiquette for it. The fact that we have to write a bunch of artist statements, and resumes is already proof that there are rules. One cannot simply set a booth up for himself in a fair and try to push his work. This isn't a flea market, although it would be really sick if it was.

I also attribute this chapter to the trade shows clothing lines go to and how my oldest brother attends this things. Clothing lines are I guess a different form of art. It's putting the new stuff out there for potential buyers to see, and duh, buy. There are forms for these things. Like how an artist is represented by galleries, these clothing lines are represented by their financial backers. Or maybe the other way around. The artist is representing the gallery. I don't know.

"I am an atheist, but I believe in art. I go to galleries like my mother went to church. It helps me understand the way I live." Art can help understand life, but like religion, it is a system of kneeling, sitting and standing. The art market seems to me like a machine. Whatever though, people make money and their living this way.

The thing that floored me the most with the conversation I had with the family friend was that how picky collectors are. It's like wall street. Artists are projected on how big they might be in the future and collectors buy according to that. This is what my family friend says though. So like what was said in class, the fair is a little discouraging. Who knows if you'll ever get big, EVEN if you show in Basel.

Seven Days- The Crit

I know this is late. This is my first of my second late blogs but thanks for the extension.

The Crit. After listening to the dialogue my peers offered on this chapter, and then taking a look at the chapter, I can only really relate my views to some of the quotes given in this chapter. Whoa. So, here I am at the critique, the pivotal points in every budding artists work. It's almost more important then the piece itself, but then again you would need to create the piece before you can even receive feedback. BUT then again you can receive feedback on a concept alone.

Like the narrator of the book, during critiques, I try to remain on the outside and listen to what everyone else has to say before I give my input. My input is what separates myself from the narrator though, as he does not get involved, but simply continues on with his social experiment. I don't know why the narrator didn't get involved though. In a critique that long I would have started babbling, but that would only extend the length of the crit, so fuck it. I don't blame him.

I personally enjoyed how the crits were broken down into subdivisions of where the instructor talks, the instructor doesn't talk and the artist doesn't talk. I suppose much of the faculty here implements these types of ways in their own teaching, but each are beneficial to the crit. I can say that I have partaken in all three, BUT things like that end up with everyone talking. Especially the one where the artist doesn't talk. Sometimes we feel a need to try to defend ourselves especially when we our time and work is getting bashed. I've heard stories of people crying or being down in the slumps because of crits.

One quote I liked specifically was this one:

"Creative is definitely a dirty word...it's almost as embarrassing as beautiful or sublime or masterpiece."

I remember a crit I had, and the instructor asked the artist why he painted the certain subjects he painted and he simply responded with "I wanted to paint something beautiful". In my four years of art school, hell even in college, I have never heard someone say something so bold about their work. As individuals, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. No matter how hard we try to put meaning in the work we do, I believe it comes down to how much we like it. During a crit, whether or not people like your work, it all comes down to how you see it.

Creative, beautiful or masterpiece does not stop the growth process of an artist though. I think these words are valid in a critique.

MotherFuckingArtist SHOW

Upon entrance you see the eyesore of the extended walls, I for one am not a fan, and the show would have been better off with out it. It limits the space on being able to see the pieces hung on the left and right sides of the main room. It also seems to take away from the photos on the right wall when you first enter the room. (The photos of the cigarette lady and ones attached to that series. More to come on that).

I personally liked the work in the project space. Considering that everyone in the BFA Thesis class wants to work big, I can only imagine that the scale in the project space are what my peers are thinking when they say "big". The pieces in there are well done. I don't associate any of it with my own personal work, but the size of them and what is on them keeps my eyes interested.

Back to the extended walls, though. I don't really want to shit on anyones' work (I will though), but the three small oil paintings on the front of the wall, I feel, did not utilize the extra space given at all. If I'm going to make an argument for it, the pieces on the outside next to the elevator, should have taken that space, and the pieces on the extended walls should have been on the outside. Just saying.

The piece I associated with the most were the photos of the cigarette queen, and the rest of that set. That style is what I strive for with my photography. I think the photos are all well done, with the exception that one of them has a crease in the corner. Other than that, the composition, color, and sharpness are all things I strive for in my own work. My favorite of the entire series though was the pie mouth. Loved, loved loved.

The room in the top left hand corner did not make any sense to me. I could not tell whose work was whose amongst the entire thing, or if that all belonged to one artist. I didn't read the titles on the side because the room itself seemed to claustrophobic in my taste and I could only stand on the outside looking in. I honestly think that was a poor utilization of that space. Shame on that.

I'm not saying this for brownie points, but Megan's work against that wall was another one of my favorites. I feel though she was slapped in the face by the garbage that she shared a room with. Let me take that back, it's not garbage, it's clutter. Megan if you're reading this, I'm a fan of your work. Not so much the subject matter, but I like how it all lead to the video. Bravo.

Other than the top left room, another eye sore were the paintings/sculpture that hung from the ceilings, walls and laid on the floor. THAT in my opinion was an insult to the entire show. I don't want to get on anyone for their craft, I mean, to each his own, but it was SO poorly placed. I'm not saying it was too much. . . OK it was too much, but if something is done like that again, at least give it its own room so it can be avoided. I am being 100% serious.

As a whole, I only connected with some of the pieces in the show. I thought a lot of the laying out was not executed right, and I can only be scared of what to expect from my BFA show. God help us. The main room needs to dump those walls though, it really bugs me. Unless we go back into that show as a class, I don't think I'll be going in there again, unless the artist who took the cigarette photos finally puts up the labels.

Grad Schools

Sometimes I wish I was a trust-fund baby that could just do childish artwork (See Dash Snow), and didn't need the proper education to fuel my work. But alas my grandfather isn't Robert Thurman, my aunt isn't Uma Thurman and I'm not born into the Menil Collection.

I mean I am not mad that I went to college, I'm just saying things would be easier another way. BUT because I am in college, and I am getting my degree in fine arts, I would eventually, MAYBE need to get my master's in it. So here is my list.

Yale University

Only so I can say I did.

RISD

Seems semi-reasonable.

SVA

New York is my metropolis and I live 5 minutes outside of it.

Columbia University

See Yale

New Jersey City University

I can live with my parents and roll out of bed and walk up the block.

I think that's pretty reasonable.

Ronal Ventura "Metaphysics of Skin"

Take Chuck Close, KAWS, Murakami and maybe a little bit of Jeff Koons, put that in a pot, and you get Ronald Ventura, the filipino artist.

The fact that he was a filipino artist is what had me drawn to this show. It's hard to find them around, but I was pleased with this one. After wetting myself over the fact that I found someone from the mother land, I swooned over this work.

It was like a testimony to skill, and allowing yourself to get fun with it. How often do we see a photorealistic painting and thing of adding Disney drawings to it? Or random graphic grafitti type elements? I mean unless we are Dada-ists, I don't think many of us do. So to see the combination of photorealism and cartoon was fun.

His work is what I sort of want to do. Mix the skill with the playfulness. If I had the degree of technical ability that Mr. Ventura has, I might as well be a clone. I honestly just want to rip off his style, because his style is what I want.

This was one of the more inspiring shows I have seen. Not only does the artist do the type of work that I can only hope to wish to do, but he is also of the same nationality. There is some pride in that.

(Images from the Tyler Rollins Fine Art)

Tired Eyes