Yes, I disappeared. This time without excuses and sans apologies. Life was moving at warp speed and I kept moving with it, unfortunately this blog could not keep up. As such, I am now in the process of beginning (and hopefully completing) the great catch-up. First thing will be posting Dallas Art Fair pictures, I know I am a month behind, but better late than never.
In major news, I now have my very own place to furnish. This means that not only have I become addicted to craigslist, etsy, and 20x200- but I am also scrounging the plentiful Spring Art Festivals in and around Dallas for some great (and inexpensive) art pieces. I will be keep my posts updated on all festivals and super artist finds. Speaking of, this weekend is the CityArts Festival in Fair Park. Here's the scoop:
What: CityArts Festival
Where: Fair Park in Downtown Dallas
When: May 27-29
Times: 6 – 10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday; 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday
Cost: Free
As always, Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Monday, May 23, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Exhibition Review: Art in Austin during SXSW
For those who don't know it, this is the last weekend for SXSW in Austin, Texas. I was lucky enough to be in Austin last weekend, and although I couldn't afford tickets to the festival- I was able to enjoy the atmosphere of this great city! I also got to enjoy the awesome art venues. Here is a review of the exhibitions I got to attend at Arthouse at the Jones Center and the University of Texas Blanton Museum of Art.
Arthouse
There were three exhibitions going on at the Arthouse that excelled at piquing the curiosity of its viewers. In the front room the walls showcased the private letters from a doctor to his patients. While in the center of the room a project displayed an intimate short Hitchcockian film displaying the relationship between a man and his only companion, a finch. There was also another projector displaying offset images of contrasting but related photographs. The entire display was organized as Two Birds, Eighty Mountains, and a Portrait of the Artist and displayed Lisa Tan's Les Samouraïs (2010), Letters From Dr.Bamberger (2001), and National Geographic (2009).
In the private room, for access by adults only, four screens flooded the viewers with a sensory overload of imagery pertaining to a sexually charged and provocative drug den. Dorian, a cinematic perfume by Michelle Handelman explores "Dorian’s hallucinatory journey through a deviantly decadent underworld roiling with ambition, seduction, and betrayal."
On the second floor sits Graham Hudson's Rehearsals at Astoria, a wonderful piece that plays with concepts of nostalgia, musical stimulation, and the concept of space. Set in a dangerous, mid-construction platform that echoes the architecture of the London's Astoria Theatre, the viewer is invited to climb along the structure while they experience the creations of the varied musical guests. Of the list of artists, one particular musician who performed in the space was Austin native Suzanna Choffel.
If none of these exhibitions sounds particularly interesting, then you may be tempted by two other features. First, thanks to Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects the architecture of the Arthouse is absolutely amazing- the arts center lives true to its claims of being an interactive space. Second, it is free. Enough said.
The Blanton Museum of Art
It's no secret to anyone who knows me well that I am currently in love with all things related to Buenos Aires. But this is especially connected to the graffiti/street art that emerged in the 1990s, post dictatorship. Boy was I ecstatic when I discovered that the Blanton has a new exhibition called "Recovering Beauty: The 1990s in Buenos Aires." Life does not get sweeter (well, traveling to the city would rock). The imagery was bright and colorful. The styles varied from abstract, geometric, figurative, and sculptural. I especially loved Miguel Harte’s El Jardin Filosofico (The Philosophical Garden), La Intrusa (The Intruder), and Como una pierda que suena (Like a Dreaming Stone). His miniature worlds forced the viewer to get very close to the work in order to see all the intricate details of the half-man, half-fly creations. Other artists in the exhibition include Feliciano Centurión, Sebastián Gordín, Benito Laren, Jorge Gumier Maier, Marcelo Pombo, Cristina Schiavi, Fabio Kacero, Graciela Hasper, and Omar Schiliro. While you are there don't forget to venture upstairs and check out their permanent collection, it is much more expansive and impressive than I imagined.
Another opportunity to partake in is an interactive installation by a very good friend and artist, Tex Jernigan. He will be hanging out around town this weekend. He was one of the first artists I interviewed over a year ago, and he will be in Austin for SXSW with his big red dot to create images that celebrate Japan. He is setting up the Japan flag in the streets, and his crew is doing the Star Dollars at the Lose Control Party. Keep up with him on his twitter. On Saturday night he will be at Vice, a club on San Jacinto & 6th st. This is what they are doing: http://texs.org/lovemoney. Hopefully you can run into him!
Arthouse
There were three exhibitions going on at the Arthouse that excelled at piquing the curiosity of its viewers. In the front room the walls showcased the private letters from a doctor to his patients. While in the center of the room a project displayed an intimate short Hitchcockian film displaying the relationship between a man and his only companion, a finch. There was also another projector displaying offset images of contrasting but related photographs. The entire display was organized as Two Birds, Eighty Mountains, and a Portrait of the Artist and displayed Lisa Tan's Les Samouraïs (2010), Letters From Dr.Bamberger (2001), and National Geographic (2009).
In the private room, for access by adults only, four screens flooded the viewers with a sensory overload of imagery pertaining to a sexually charged and provocative drug den. Dorian, a cinematic perfume by Michelle Handelman explores "Dorian’s hallucinatory journey through a deviantly decadent underworld roiling with ambition, seduction, and betrayal."
On the second floor sits Graham Hudson's Rehearsals at Astoria, a wonderful piece that plays with concepts of nostalgia, musical stimulation, and the concept of space. Set in a dangerous, mid-construction platform that echoes the architecture of the London's Astoria Theatre, the viewer is invited to climb along the structure while they experience the creations of the varied musical guests. Of the list of artists, one particular musician who performed in the space was Austin native Suzanna Choffel.
If none of these exhibitions sounds particularly interesting, then you may be tempted by two other features. First, thanks to Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects the architecture of the Arthouse is absolutely amazing- the arts center lives true to its claims of being an interactive space. Second, it is free. Enough said.
The Blanton Museum of Art
It's no secret to anyone who knows me well that I am currently in love with all things related to Buenos Aires. But this is especially connected to the graffiti/street art that emerged in the 1990s, post dictatorship. Boy was I ecstatic when I discovered that the Blanton has a new exhibition called "Recovering Beauty: The 1990s in Buenos Aires." Life does not get sweeter (well, traveling to the city would rock). The imagery was bright and colorful. The styles varied from abstract, geometric, figurative, and sculptural. I especially loved Miguel Harte’s El Jardin Filosofico (The Philosophical Garden), La Intrusa (The Intruder), and Como una pierda que suena (Like a Dreaming Stone). His miniature worlds forced the viewer to get very close to the work in order to see all the intricate details of the half-man, half-fly creations. Other artists in the exhibition include Feliciano Centurión, Sebastián Gordín, Benito Laren, Jorge Gumier Maier, Marcelo Pombo, Cristina Schiavi, Fabio Kacero, Graciela Hasper, and Omar Schiliro. While you are there don't forget to venture upstairs and check out their permanent collection, it is much more expansive and impressive than I imagined.
Another opportunity to partake in is an interactive installation by a very good friend and artist, Tex Jernigan. He will be hanging out around town this weekend. He was one of the first artists I interviewed over a year ago, and he will be in Austin for SXSW with his big red dot to create images that celebrate Japan. He is setting up the Japan flag in the streets, and his crew is doing the Star Dollars at the Lose Control Party. Keep up with him on his twitter. On Saturday night he will be at Vice, a club on San Jacinto & 6th st. This is what they are doing: http://texs.org/lovemoney. Hopefully you can run into him!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Reverse Artist Interview- Part 2
So here is the second half of the reverse interview. Thanks so much to all of you who sent questions! Enjoy!
I like how you're interested in current artists, when I'm sure so many of your peers probably prefer to talk about dead artists, right?
It's true that a major portion of art historians prefer to research work from what I call pre-modernism (from antiquity, the Renaissance, and Neo-Classicism, etc), but it really great to see that the art history field is expanding to include Modern and Contemporary, Asian, African Diaspora, Islamic and Latin American art.
However, yes, I think you are right in stating that most historians prefer to research 'dead artists', and I think that is linked to two major issues:
(1) the general population prefers this work, they have a hard time understanding/relating to modern art.
How do you see yourself as compared with other art historians?
I don't really compare myself to other art historians. I didn't attend any academic programs where there are 20-30 other art historians (at my level) just sitting around chatting, so I never felt a competition to size myself up. And, when I do attend lectures and conferences I am either there as a student, in which case I am in awe of the other art historians and trying to learn, or as a lecturer, and I am too focused on my presentation to compare myself. I think the most important thing for me is that I succeed at making my path, and that is going to be completely different that another art historian as I don't really define myself in that way.
I like how you're interested in current artists, when I'm sure so many of your peers probably prefer to talk about dead artists, right?
It's true that a major portion of art historians prefer to research work from what I call pre-modernism (from antiquity, the Renaissance, and Neo-Classicism, etc), but it really great to see that the art history field is expanding to include Modern and Contemporary, Asian, African Diaspora, Islamic and Latin American art.
However, yes, I think you are right in stating that most historians prefer to research 'dead artists', and I think that is linked to two major issues:
(1) the general population prefers this work, they have a hard time understanding/relating to modern art.
(2) There is a strange terminology problem when you begin researching contemporary artists- am I an art historian or an art critic? Because of that, I think art historians who are purely interested in the historical side of art history tend to lean towards researching artists that have long been dead. (Its interesting to test this theory when you look at different major university art history programs- I can tell if the department is based on studying the classics by seeing if they call their department Art History or History of Art---obviously this is never 100% true)
How do you see yourself as compared with other art historians?
I don't really compare myself to other art historians. I didn't attend any academic programs where there are 20-30 other art historians (at my level) just sitting around chatting, so I never felt a competition to size myself up. And, when I do attend lectures and conferences I am either there as a student, in which case I am in awe of the other art historians and trying to learn, or as a lecturer, and I am too focused on my presentation to compare myself. I think the most important thing for me is that I succeed at making my path, and that is going to be completely different that another art historian as I don't really define myself in that way.
With the lines that divide fine art, design, and craft now blurring, it's becoming evident that visual art is assuming a special and progressive role in the 21st century. But what role do you see contemporary artists (working in 2010) having?
I think contemporary artists have a pretty daunting task, because interest in supporting the arts through government institutions is waning and that is not good, especially in the United States. As funds go out the window, artists are pressured (both internally and externally) to create work that is both economical but also reignites public interest in supporting the arts. It's also the task of people like me to make the general population realize that lack of support in the arts will draw us back into a cultural 'Dark Age' and thats just not an option in 2010 or at anytime.
What impact artists they make this century and how will that differ from past centuries?
Well, based on following trends and personal research I have done, I think artists are reverting to older habits. For decades the major relationship has been between the isolated artist and the gallery. I think due to economic and social events artists are returning to a time when the artists collective and community worked as a united force. And the likelihood of success is pretty high because of the low or no-cost dissimilation of ideas via technology.
As an art historian, you've come in contact with so many art movements, eras, phases, trends--- what have you. Some of these may be enormously vital, some not. Which "movement" do you think we could have done without?
Ugh, I really don't like this question. Its hard because I can't just ignore the efforts of a group of people from a different time, since I have no first-hand knowledge of how this work affected the community. And as a historian its my job to view all the facts as they are presented, working from that.
Having said that, if I had to answer the question, I would probably say that I would wipe the term Degenerate Art or entartete Kunst out of the history books. The fact that Hitler and the Nazis were able to discount (and rename) the achievements of basically every Modern artist for their own gain, and that this term still exists is awful.
What is your favorite cartoon from 1980-1990?
Cartoon is a pretty comprehensive term. I will say that the cartoons I remember wanting to watch the most as a little Sicilian stuck in Dallas, Texas were some of the old Italian VHS tapes my parents brought over when we moved in the early 1990s. I especially liked watching a series called Esplorando Il Corpo Umano (Exploring the Human Body). I think these videos were my parents fun way of educating us on the functions of the human body, but also retaining some Italian language influences. Also, they succeeded in making us comfortable talking about and seeing images of human anatomy. I still remember the episode on cavities and their way of describing DNA, muscles, and the nervous system.
What's your dream job....and where?
Right now, I want to be a cog in an art collective/art space that unites artists from the Americas...in Dallas.
I think contemporary artists have a pretty daunting task, because interest in supporting the arts through government institutions is waning and that is not good, especially in the United States. As funds go out the window, artists are pressured (both internally and externally) to create work that is both economical but also reignites public interest in supporting the arts. It's also the task of people like me to make the general population realize that lack of support in the arts will draw us back into a cultural 'Dark Age' and thats just not an option in 2010 or at anytime.
What impact artists they make this century and how will that differ from past centuries?
Well, based on following trends and personal research I have done, I think artists are reverting to older habits. For decades the major relationship has been between the isolated artist and the gallery. I think due to economic and social events artists are returning to a time when the artists collective and community worked as a united force. And the likelihood of success is pretty high because of the low or no-cost dissimilation of ideas via technology.
As an art historian, you've come in contact with so many art movements, eras, phases, trends--- what have you. Some of these may be enormously vital, some not. Which "movement" do you think we could have done without?
Ugh, I really don't like this question. Its hard because I can't just ignore the efforts of a group of people from a different time, since I have no first-hand knowledge of how this work affected the community. And as a historian its my job to view all the facts as they are presented, working from that.
Having said that, if I had to answer the question, I would probably say that I would wipe the term Degenerate Art or entartete Kunst out of the history books. The fact that Hitler and the Nazis were able to discount (and rename) the achievements of basically every Modern artist for their own gain, and that this term still exists is awful.
What is your favorite cartoon from 1980-1990?
Cartoon is a pretty comprehensive term. I will say that the cartoons I remember wanting to watch the most as a little Sicilian stuck in Dallas, Texas were some of the old Italian VHS tapes my parents brought over when we moved in the early 1990s. I especially liked watching a series called Esplorando Il Corpo Umano (Exploring the Human Body). I think these videos were my parents fun way of educating us on the functions of the human body, but also retaining some Italian language influences. Also, they succeeded in making us comfortable talking about and seeing images of human anatomy. I still remember the episode on cavities and their way of describing DNA, muscles, and the nervous system.
What's your dream job....and where?
Right now, I want to be a cog in an art collective/art space that unites artists from the Americas...in Dallas.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Reverse Artist Interview- Part 1
I've been holding one to this one for a while, but I figured that during the August lull, it would be good to post this. I recently turned the tables on myself and answered my own interview questions. After a few artist interviews, I only thought it fair to have to 'go through' the scrutiny I forced them to endure.
Enjoy! Oh, and if you have any questions to add, please feel free to comment, there is still Part II to come!
Name: Ester Ippolito
Current City: Oggebbio, Piedmont, Italy
Hometown: Palermo, Sicily/ Dallas, Texas
Preferred Medium: speech, text, ink, photography, printmaking
Education: BA-University of Dallas; MPhil (expected) University of Kent
Website Link: duh.
Gallery Link: not yet, but one day I will.
Tell me about you work in one sentence:
I am interested in learning about art: what it is, the people, the history, the motivations…everything. I am aware that there is a wealth of information pertaining to art history and I want to share it with the ‘silent majority.’ In my own art, I am still searching.
Would you prefer to work at a gallery or a museum, why?
Both. I haven’t decided if I want to go into the public sector or the private sector. I am sure like every other choice in my life, I will have to experience both and see which suits me best. I do know that whatever I do, it should be non-profit. Money complicates things and turns art into too much of a commodity.
What is your favorite forum/method of sharing information about art?
Word of mouth, I like talking (especially about art.) In this blog I talk about many different places- but I try to take a local approach. I think that if people step outside their door and find the hidden jems in their own neighborhood, then they are much more likely to do the same thing when they visit another city. Eventually, when I move somewhere a little more permanent I will try to focus on that place, but for now- the world is my playground.
Your work is selected to show in a gallery or museum in the world, where would you choose?
If I could curate a show anywhere in the world, I would probably choose something close to home, like the Rachofsky House, and make it a party with friends, music, food, and drinks. I like the idea of taking the art out of the museum and putting it in a home. I think the general public doesn’t relate well to the white walls and empty hallways of museums and galleries. Plus, food and music make art so much more enjoyable! Note: When I say close to home, I mean Dallas. I love Palermo, but I would want to be in an environment where I am surrounded by friends, family, and my history. Stories from my adolescence that creep out of the walls. Not to say that I don't have this in Palermo, I just have much more of it in Dallas.
In what period of your career did you feel most aware of the needs of your audience, if ever?
In several instances. In 2005 while touring the Sistine Chapel (Rome) with my sister and her friend, they asked me some questions and all of a sudden, I became their docent. It was fun and I was good at it. In the senior year of my BA I realized that I had to make a choice to between focusing on art history or studio art. Obviously, I chose art history, but it was due to the fact that I had become a sort of art guru for some of my friends and I loved talking about art, especially when it was due to a particular question they asked. After university, I had idealistic goals to work in a London gallery or move to New York and ‘make it.’ For my MA I moved to the UK to achieve these goals, but I realized when I returned to Dallas in the summer that if I couldn’t change the pre-conceived notions about art that my friends and family shared, then what was the point? Art should be shared! So I guess that’s was when I decided to take a grassroots approach. I never gave up on the dream of curating or working in a major art center, I just gave myself a bit more wiggle room.
The art world right now is experiencing a newfound medium of exchanging information virtually. Do you think that this has affected the relevance of galleries, studios, and museums?
I think if anything, these places have become more relevant. Blogs like mine have helped to make receiving information about obscure topics so much easier. You can literally find information about anything on the web. This sharing of information makes it easier for someone to know about art events in their own neighborhood as well as abroad.
Would you rather have your work well known in the art community or well understood in the general population?
I never got into art to become a household name. I don’t care if I am a faceless entity behind a great project. I would rather be a part of a program that is well received and attended by hoards of people from every aspect of life.
Who are your artistic influences?
This is a tough question. When I think of artists from the entire history of art, I am most intrigued by those who went against the grain and did their own thing, whether by snubbing the Academy, art critics, or the general population. Right now I am really into the American Graffiti and Punk artists from the 1980s. Actually anything from the 1980s is of huge interest to me during this phase of my research. But I think the beauty of graffiti art is that it is made knowing it is not permanent, its free to the public, it typically deals with a social issue, and most of the time the artist is only known by their ‘tag’. I guess name wise, (those that I actually ‘know’ are) Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Blek le Rat, Fab 5 Freddy, Lee Quinones, ABOVE, and Banksy. I am also exploring the nature of the art collective and how it fits into our contemporary culture.
What is it about your work that makes it different from current art historians and relevant in today’s society?
My take on art is based on two factors: technology and money.
1) We are a generation that experienced the technological revolution at its prime, after most of the major advances had been discovered, but before they had been ‘tested’ on a majority of the population. As such, we got to experiment with this medium and shape it into something that best suits our needs and desires. Art blogs, virtual art catalogs, gallery websites, art-themed social networking sites (ARThood & ArtReview), all appeared because ‘we’ had an interest in them.
2) I am part of generation that is experiencing the harshness of the market more than our predecessors. There are no jobs without experience and no experience without jobs. Due to this catch-22, I, like many other 20-somethings, have had to become more creative about fulfilling my desires. Although somewhat disappointing in the face of social norms, this situation is great. When money is tight you have to be more inventive whether you are talking about art, making art, or experiencing art. Also, due to a need to travel and ‘be part’ of whatever location I go to, I have a very small town approach to the art world. I like to use colloquial terms, I like to explain things so everyone understands and no one feels excluded, and I like it when people who had previously shied away from art begin talking about art. And perhaps the romantic side of me loves to see peoples eyes light up when they experience a work of art.
Its 2012 and as the Mayans predicted, the world ends. Every cultural link is destroyed, but luckily there are few survivors. You are among them and are selected to document our cultural past. What artifact/artwork would you choose to record first?
I know that I would choose Picasso’s Weeping Woman (1937). But how could you talk about a work knowing that no one would ever again get to experience it first hand?
But, after studying Postmodernism, I would really love to say none- we should just start over and see how society chooses to shape art history. But the historian in me would be disappointed, so much wonderful work, with so many links to ‘our’ past. Also art history helps artists look at the past for inspiration, but also to see what has been done and avoid imitation/repetition, so I think it would a necessity to have some records of styles, major works, etc. It would be tricky though, how do you teach art history without influencing artists.
Both. I haven’t decided if I want to go into the public sector or the private sector. I am sure like every other choice in my life, I will have to experience both and see which suits me best. I do know that whatever I do, it should be non-profit. Money complicates things and turns art into too much of a commodity.
What is your favorite forum/method of sharing information about art?
Word of mouth, I like talking (especially about art.) In this blog I talk about many different places- but I try to take a local approach. I think that if people step outside their door and find the hidden jems in their own neighborhood, then they are much more likely to do the same thing when they visit another city. Eventually, when I move somewhere a little more permanent I will try to focus on that place, but for now- the world is my playground.
Your work is selected to show in a gallery or museum in the world, where would you choose?
If I could curate a show anywhere in the world, I would probably choose something close to home, like the Rachofsky House, and make it a party with friends, music, food, and drinks. I like the idea of taking the art out of the museum and putting it in a home. I think the general public doesn’t relate well to the white walls and empty hallways of museums and galleries. Plus, food and music make art so much more enjoyable! Note: When I say close to home, I mean Dallas. I love Palermo, but I would want to be in an environment where I am surrounded by friends, family, and my history. Stories from my adolescence that creep out of the walls. Not to say that I don't have this in Palermo, I just have much more of it in Dallas.
In what period of your career did you feel most aware of the needs of your audience, if ever?
In several instances. In 2005 while touring the Sistine Chapel (Rome) with my sister and her friend, they asked me some questions and all of a sudden, I became their docent. It was fun and I was good at it. In the senior year of my BA I realized that I had to make a choice to between focusing on art history or studio art. Obviously, I chose art history, but it was due to the fact that I had become a sort of art guru for some of my friends and I loved talking about art, especially when it was due to a particular question they asked. After university, I had idealistic goals to work in a London gallery or move to New York and ‘make it.’ For my MA I moved to the UK to achieve these goals, but I realized when I returned to Dallas in the summer that if I couldn’t change the pre-conceived notions about art that my friends and family shared, then what was the point? Art should be shared! So I guess that’s was when I decided to take a grassroots approach. I never gave up on the dream of curating or working in a major art center, I just gave myself a bit more wiggle room.
The art world right now is experiencing a newfound medium of exchanging information virtually. Do you think that this has affected the relevance of galleries, studios, and museums?
I think if anything, these places have become more relevant. Blogs like mine have helped to make receiving information about obscure topics so much easier. You can literally find information about anything on the web. This sharing of information makes it easier for someone to know about art events in their own neighborhood as well as abroad.
Would you rather have your work well known in the art community or well understood in the general population?
I never got into art to become a household name. I don’t care if I am a faceless entity behind a great project. I would rather be a part of a program that is well received and attended by hoards of people from every aspect of life.
Who are your artistic influences?
This is a tough question. When I think of artists from the entire history of art, I am most intrigued by those who went against the grain and did their own thing, whether by snubbing the Academy, art critics, or the general population. Right now I am really into the American Graffiti and Punk artists from the 1980s. Actually anything from the 1980s is of huge interest to me during this phase of my research. But I think the beauty of graffiti art is that it is made knowing it is not permanent, its free to the public, it typically deals with a social issue, and most of the time the artist is only known by their ‘tag’. I guess name wise, (those that I actually ‘know’ are) Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Blek le Rat, Fab 5 Freddy, Lee Quinones, ABOVE, and Banksy. I am also exploring the nature of the art collective and how it fits into our contemporary culture.
What is it about your work that makes it different from current art historians and relevant in today’s society?
My take on art is based on two factors: technology and money.
1) We are a generation that experienced the technological revolution at its prime, after most of the major advances had been discovered, but before they had been ‘tested’ on a majority of the population. As such, we got to experiment with this medium and shape it into something that best suits our needs and desires. Art blogs, virtual art catalogs, gallery websites, art-themed social networking sites (ARThood & ArtReview), all appeared because ‘we’ had an interest in them.
2) I am part of generation that is experiencing the harshness of the market more than our predecessors. There are no jobs without experience and no experience without jobs. Due to this catch-22, I, like many other 20-somethings, have had to become more creative about fulfilling my desires. Although somewhat disappointing in the face of social norms, this situation is great. When money is tight you have to be more inventive whether you are talking about art, making art, or experiencing art. Also, due to a need to travel and ‘be part’ of whatever location I go to, I have a very small town approach to the art world. I like to use colloquial terms, I like to explain things so everyone understands and no one feels excluded, and I like it when people who had previously shied away from art begin talking about art. And perhaps the romantic side of me loves to see peoples eyes light up when they experience a work of art.
Its 2012 and as the Mayans predicted, the world ends. Every cultural link is destroyed, but luckily there are few survivors. You are among them and are selected to document our cultural past. What artifact/artwork would you choose to record first?
I know that I would choose Picasso’s Weeping Woman (1937). But how could you talk about a work knowing that no one would ever again get to experience it first hand?
But, after studying Postmodernism, I would really love to say none- we should just start over and see how society chooses to shape art history. But the historian in me would be disappointed, so much wonderful work, with so many links to ‘our’ past. Also art history helps artists look at the past for inspiration, but also to see what has been done and avoid imitation/repetition, so I think it would a necessity to have some records of styles, major works, etc. It would be tricky though, how do you teach art history without influencing artists.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Event and Art Fairs: Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Okay, I have to admit something, because of how events have fallen into place the next two weeks are switched a bit. Instead of enjoying a Gallery or Exhibition Review this week, you will get an awesome listing on Events and Art Fairs in Dallas, Texas. Yes, the art:SAGE letters will then be out of order, but the art world will continue to spin.
For those of you who missed out on the CityArts Fest that took place from the 7th-9th of May, no worries, you still have plenty of art festival fun coming your way. The Wildflower Festival will be held at the Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas this weekend. The event is still going strong after 18 years of success. Although mainly a music festival, you can enjoy great events for families with plenty of festival food and some art exhibitions. It's sure to be a good time for all. There are so many activities packed into these three days that I suggest checking the website for the full lineup of events!
If you don't get enough art during the Wildflower Festival, be sure to head to McKinney for the Art Walk on Saturday, May 22nd from 10 am to 6 pm. Unlike the Wildflower festival, this is event is FREE! Yes, my favorite word! So enjoy the 75+ artists that have gathered in McKinney's Historic Downtown.
Like art and movies (or artsy movies), well then try something different this summer. The Modern in Fort Worth just started a film series called Magnolia at the Modern. The selection of films presented by the Magnolia Theater at the Museum includes The Secret in Their Eyes, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and City of Your Final Destination. It began last weekend and will happen every weekend until July 25th. Although tickets are $8.50 a pop, its a great way to opportunity to get out to Fort Worth! My suggestion, give your car are break and take the train from Reunion Station to Fort Worth. Then spend the day in the Cultural District (yes, on foot)!
Alright, tune back next week for my gallery review. (And don't worry, it will all go back to normal after that!)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Artist Interview: Autumn Kinsey
Chamber of Commerce, 2009, mixed media
"It's a series of 21 matchbooks that feature some memorable Kilgore establishments.
some are still in business, some are not."*
Photographs from Recollections, MFA Exhibition, 2008, mixed media
"The idea is for the viewer to feel invited into a warm space - one that is the opposite from the typical white and cold cube gallery. The viewer can sit on the couch, relax and watch tv. I have chosen to show episodes of Roseanne on the tv in order to illustrate the typical blue collar, middle class family."
This was something that drove me nuts growing up.”
There is one made from Colin Avant's notes, too."
"I decided to make a set of matchbooks that feature 20 different boys
that I had crushes on from 6th grade through 12th. Old flames..."
Name: Autumn Kinsey
Current City: Arlington, TX
Hometown: Kilgore, TX
Preferred Medium: screenprint and anything crafty (I walk the aisles of Michael’s Arts and Crafts for inspiration)
Education: BFA in Printmaking from the University of North Texas. MA and MFA from the University of Dallas.
Website Link: uh…not yet. Friend me on Facebook – I have lots of photos there.
Gallery Link: check back in 5 years…
Tell me about you work in one sentence: My work is a humorous and honest recollection of the memories I have of growing up in a small, East Texas town.
Would you prefer to deal through gallery representation or directly with clients, why? definitely with clients. I feel that a large part of my work is storytelling. When I have the opportunity to talk directly with the people who are viewing my work, they get the full experience. And maybe it’s selfish on my part, but I love to hear how my memories and stories tie into the experiences of others.
Besides being an artist, how else do you support yourself? Since I finished my MA in 2006, I have been an instructor at several colleges in the DFW area. I absolutely love teaching. I've always been somewhat of a school nerd, so this just gives me another chance to stay where I feel I belong...I'm just on the other side now. In addition to teaching, I do a little bit of freelance design work, too. Tshirt designs are my main focus. I worked at a marketing company in Denton, TX before going to grad school, and that experience has helped me to maintain a few clients who call me up every few months for a new design. One of my dreams is to start a screenprinting shop where I can design and print original tshirt designs. And then I could utilize that same space to work on my fine art pieces as well.
Would you consider teaching to be an important part of your role as an artist?
Besides being an artist, how else do you support yourself? Since I finished my MA in 2006, I have been an instructor at several colleges in the DFW area. I absolutely love teaching. I've always been somewhat of a school nerd, so this just gives me another chance to stay where I feel I belong...I'm just on the other side now. In addition to teaching, I do a little bit of freelance design work, too. Tshirt designs are my main focus. I worked at a marketing company in Denton, TX before going to grad school, and that experience has helped me to maintain a few clients who call me up every few months for a new design. One of my dreams is to start a screenprinting shop where I can design and print original tshirt designs. And then I could utilize that same space to work on my fine art pieces as well.
Would you consider teaching to be an important part of your role as an artist?
Yes, absolutely! Teaching is a huge part of my life as an artist. I can't tell you how vital my professors and mentors were to my development as an artist. There are so many things that I learned from them that I try to pass on to my students. It is such a honor (and sometimes a chore, of course) to work towards becoming that same kind of mentor to someone else.
What is your favorite forum/method of sharing information about art? Word of mouth. Don’t get me wrong, I read blogs and magazines, I go to museums and galleries, but there is nothing like sitting around with good, artsy friends and shooting the shit about art, artists and the awesome/ridiculous things that have happened as of late. I wouldn’t trade those times for anything.
Your work is selected to show in a gallery or museum in the world, where would you choose? I’m sure that for my career, choosing New York or LA would be wise, but I have always wanted to have a show in my hometown. In a town of eleven-thousand, there is definitely not a gallery, but I would love to go home and show all the people that I grew up that the experiences we shared together have served as the foundation for some really interesting art. And more than anyone, I think they would understand what I’ve set out to do.
In what period of your career did you feel most aware of the needs of your audience, if ever? Like a lot of people, I think that grad school really opened my mind to the endless possibilities of art. In my first solo show, all my pieces were on pedestals covered with acrylic vitrines. It was at my reception, as I watched people view my pieces that I realized I couldn’t continue to show such intimate artwork in such a cold, white-cube setting. So I began to work on a way to display my art that would allow viewers to be enveloped by an environment. In this space they could pick up and really examine the pieces that I created.
The art world right now is experiencing a newfound medium of exchanging information virtually. Do you think that this has affected the relevance of galleries, studios, and museums?
I still think that the formal settings are important, but online resources have just created a completely new level to the way that the world sees art. These resources allow more and more opinions to become public knowledge. The cliché image of a starving artist walking from gallery to gallery with a giant portfolio only to be rejected again and again is no longer the norm. There are so many alternative spaces and venues in which to show and talk about art.
Would you rather have your work well known in the art community or well understood in the general population? I don’t know that either is really important to me. I enjoy showing my work and talking with viewers about my pieces, but making the artwork is what’s most important to me. Even if I make a piece, give it to my parents and no one else sees it but my family, I’ve created something and made my idea into an object. That’s my goal.
Do you think this is the case because you are able to receive a stipend in other ways?
Who are your artistic influences? Speaking in terms of fine art, I am really inspired by Tom Friedman, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Joseph Beuys, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Janine Antoni, Shepard Fairey and Dave Kinsey. But my influences definitely reach beyond art – movies, music, television and literature are super-important to me, too. One of my biggest influences is the show Roseanne. It reminds me so much of my own family. The dialog and the middle-class aesthetic all play a huge role in how I set up my spaces. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is another favorite of mine that influenced my love of memory. I think often of the little objects that Boo would leave in the tree for Scout and Jem. That idea of collection is hugely influential.
What is it about your work that makes it different from these people and relevant in today’s society? My work is different because it is about my unique experience. We’ve all had embarrassing moments and pesky siblings, but I’m the only one who lived it in my shoes. I pass on these stories in my own voice and in my own visual way. I incorporate craft with design by using processes like sewing and quilting with digital mediums, too.
Its 2012 and as the Mayans predicted, the world ends. Every cultural link is destroyed, but luckily there are few survivors. You are among them and are selected to document our cultural past. What artifact/artwork would you choose to record first? For some reason all I can picture is that scene in The Fifth Element when Leeloo is watching the sped-up video of the history of the world. Anyway, I suppose I would begin by cataloging photographs – personal photos of families and events. Even though these photos might not be relevant to the whole of human history, the tangibility of those single objects would be of great comfort to me in a time of chaos and destruction.
* These are captions taken directly from Autumn's Facebook Album.
* These are captions taken directly from Autumn's Facebook Album.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Events and Art Festivals: Austin Art Week
What: Austin Art Week & Austin Art City
Where: Austin, Texas
When: From Sunday the 18th of April to Sunday the 25th of April
So as typical of an event this great, there must be a catch. Unfortunately, it's not free. But it is pretty cheap. 15 bucks will get you a two-day pass to the Art City Austin event, free entrance to selected museums, plus a 10% museum store discount. 8 dollars gets you in on either the 24th or 25th. Not a bad deal for those on an art budget.**
If you are not able to make it for the events from the 21st-23rd, just head down on the 24th for the weekends culminating Art City Austin events. Here is a link to the entire schedule of times and locations. Check it out and tell me how it went!
Notes:
* In Texas, food is considered to be a particularly important social activity.
** Packages for the entire Art Week Events are $175 for the collector badge.
The Art After Dark event did not occur this year. Sorry for any inconvenience that may have caused!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Artist Interview: Tex Jernigan
Messed up Flower, 2006
Hand wrought steel, 18"x6"x6"
Scottsdale Diamond, 2007
Scottsdale, Arizona
Flag of Louisiana, 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Flag of Iran, 2009
Smithville Lake, Missouri
Name: Tex Jernigan
Current City: Kansas City
Hometown: Dallas
Preferred Medium: Sculpture/Photography
Education: Kansas City Art Institute
Website Link: texjernigan.com
Tell me about you work in one sentence:
I design and construct illusions using simple materials as well as the physical world itself, and I then hold events where I invite people within the work and offer to take their picture for free, posting it.
I remember that your early sculptural illusions were made from a lot of steel poles. The image would morph depending on the perspective. How did this interest in optical illusion sculptures grow from this type of object to an interest in flags, an icon that represents not only a people but its government?
I think I started making flags as a way of distancing myself from the illusions I was making with perspective. I realized that a magic trick isn't really about illusions and magic, it's about the people being tricked. Without people, without an audience, a magician's trick doesn't exist, it's a vacuum where the magician is the only one involved and he knows how it works, so the trick is nullified. I guess what I'm saying is that for me, the people became a central focus in my work. And yes, I want to get Barack Obama inside of the Illinois flag, or better yet, the Chicago flag, it's a doozy.
I don't have a business plan yet.
What is your favorite forum/method of sharing information about art?
The internet, of course, what other kind of forum is there?
Your work is selected to show in a gallery or museum in the world, where would you choose?
Pernambuco, Brazil. It has the most beautiful flag, and it's state capital, Recife, is the Venice of Brazil.
I wondered if you always choose the places you make sculptures for using this selection process, or if cultural/social/political issues ever play a role?
I have a friend who married a girl from Iran, and I created the Iranian flag for their wedding. The traditional flag was chosen instead of the current flag, which most Iranians don't like, since the traditional flag was their flag for thousands of years, and the new one is less than a decade old. But when the family showed up, some of them felt that to pose in front of the traditional flag could be an act of treason. They ended up getting their picture taken, but they asked me not to post it online, so the only picture I posted was Brent (attached).
As a kid, I drew a lot, so it wasn't long before people began to praise my drawings. I gradually stopped doing it for myself and started doing it for other people, and my artwork became a way for me to connect with people socially, and has continued to, so I'm most aware, now.
The art world right now is experiencing a newfound medium of exchanging information virtually. Do you think that this has affected the relevance of galleries, studios, and museums?
Yes. Let's add the word, "how" in front of "do."
The internet allows anybody to have a voice, so perhaps Galleries and Museums are more relevant, serving as a marker for an artist's success. There's a pretty good documentary by Ben Lewis which counters this argument, http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Would you rather have your work well known in the art community or well understood in the general population?
I think that the general population is in the process of joining the art community, and I take pleasure in assisting that merge by putting individuals in the spotlight.
Who are your artistic influences?
James Turrell, Andy Goldsworthy, and Christo
What is it about your work that makes it different from these people and relevant in today’s society?
I added "People" to the mix.
Its 2012 and as the Mayans predicted, the world ends. Every cultural link is destroyed, but luckily there are few survivors. You are among them and are selected to document our cultural past. What artifact/artwork would you choose to record first?
I would continue making my art - it requires nothing but my hands, my eyes, and the world around us.
In that same train of thought, are you persuaded by people you encounter at all? For instance, if I said that Sicily has a particularly interesting flag, would that spur your interest?
Are you Sicilian? I would make that flag for you, especially if we did it in Italy. I'm often inspired by the people I encounter - I have a working visual knowledge of most flags in the world now, so it's a pretty good conversation starter. Every person in the world has a flag or two that is part of their identity, and it's fun to celebrate it.
In what period of your career did you feel most aware of the needs of your audience, if ever?
In what period of your career did you feel most aware of the needs of your audience, if ever?
Would you prefer to deal through gallery representation or directly with clients, why?
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