art's got the beat down on me...

tired...just plain ol' tired.
trying like hell to make some headway on a couple of studio projects so I can get to the art pieces for next weekend's show...

had a good day today on a building address marker and accent light for a client downtown...couple more hours tomorrow and I can put that one to rest...
also tomorrow I need to put in a major effort on the 23 Street Courts plaza project so the electrician and landscaper can finish the front planters and accent lighting for the trees...

donated a piece to the CHEH neighborhood party to basically get an invitation to the gig so I could schmooze, booze and eat free...it worked, and I scored two new clients in the process! a building sign for a new salon going in off Western and a balcony project in Crown Heights...oh yeah, the schmoozing was fun, the beer cold and the food was to die for...

listened to, and read, more on the "what is art" discussion and 3:40AM says:

"While it may be appropriate to ask in a broad sense, 'What is art?' I think it's dangerous to look at a particular piece and ask, as we did hypothetically that evening, 'Is this art?' When we look at something and ask, 'Is this art?' we begin to distance ourselves from it. It is another example of having an experience and, rather than letting the experience speak to us directly, forcing it to compete with a bunch of stuff we drag out of our footlocker of memories, opinions and preferences - all the stuff we use as benchmarks for classifying, measuring and pigeonholing. Better to simply experience the thing - nothing else.
The danger in this approach is that crap becomes accepted as art because although everyone sees the emperor has no clothes, no one will say so, and the next thing you know the crap's being sold in mass quantities on cable shopping channels. But that doesn't seem to me to be as much of a danger as letting our experiences be limited by our preconceptions and judgments.
(There are exceptions to this rule. Somewhere in my brain is stored the notion that being hit by a semi on the highway hurts. I'll live with that prejudice - I won't stand in the middle of I-35 to experience it directly.)"

Well, OK...I guess.

I for one see no sense in experiencing something and nothing else... Part of the need for me to produce my art is to have people experience it and share what they think of it... The point of saying "what is art" is to encourage those experiencing it to express themselves and hopefully enjoy a richer experience because of the dialogue. The hands-off approach is just what the problem is in so many areas of our lives and in our community. Without discourse artists, designers, architects just simply keep doing what they've been doing forever and we don't reap the benefits of could be achieved with a little more interaction with each other. What irritates me is when I hear someone offering their opinion about something without directly engaging the person or subject they're talking about. I think this is a chicken shit approach to living. If someone was to walk up to me at my show and say "I hate this work. It is not art to me.", I would take that as an honest assessment of how they feel. It might hurt to hear that, but again, if you put your work out there you should be ready to hear any and all reactions to it. I would hope that they would offer an explanation of why they feel the way they do, but hey, that would force them into having a conversation and we are only wanting to take baby steps right now...

I'm not sure what the being hit by a truck analogy really means, but I do know that there are a lot more people out there smarter than me about such things...

I think I'm going to sleep now...

re: "i love art"...

had a great (to some...) conversation on Saturday night re: "what is art?"...

one definition:
"the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects..."

I used the term 'sincerity'...in my definition of what is art, meaning that one (an artist) must have it (sincerity) in their intent...in order for something to qualify as art to me.

some of the others involved had various definitions or explanations that generally followed the same lines except that one participant was adamant in the declaration that art (as a generalization) needed to blessed as such by someone possessing a formal education (or long experience) in order for it to qualify as legitimate art.

(PS: after talking the subect with my friend JM this evening over a beer, he called total BS on that theory...)

there was a statement that nothing was art until someone, other than whoever made it , saw it, thus completing the process of (sub)-creation and sharing.

I spoke of the uneducated "artist", such as myself, who possess no formal education in any type of art...which led me to disagree (strongly) with the whole sanctifying process mentioned above... I find it impossible to articulate a criticism based on education (having none myself), and difficult to articulate a criticism based on experience (being limited in many areas), so I base what I believe to be art on how I feel about it on an intuitive level. My response to composition, forms, proportion, color and material usage, etc either feels right to me or it doesn't. That intuition combined with my judgement of intent (including sincerity) forms the basis of my opinion of whether something is art or not (leaving out the final judgement of good art/bad art argument of course).

My intent, when doing my "art" is to express myself, either conceptually or emotionally, in forms that I find to be appealing and representational of what I feel (through intuition) are my base aesthetic values; being materials usage, proportion, color, texture, etc... Being what I term as a modernist, these values usually fall into the "truth and simplicity" categories, which is either a direct result of an uneducated mind finding comfort in the simplicity, or just pure dumb luck in finding (or trusting) those inherent qualities early in life. While I tend to believe that simple is harder (mainly as experienced through architecture) and it is good to explore that core structure of base values thoroughly, it is also one of my beliefs that only through pushing oneself into other areas less comfortable that we truly face our fears of experimentation in our craft(s).

"i love art..."

I have had this conversation many times with many people...and I always wonder about the statement "I love art"...
Whether it is said in conversation, written in an e-mail or posted on someones profile page...there are so many people that say it. But how many people really do? What does it mean to "love art"? Is it a once a year excursion to a festival? Going to a museum a couple of times a year? Occasionally attending an art opening at a local gallery? Is it hanging on their walls? Sitting on the mantle? Do they draw? Paint? Sculpt?
"I love art"...
For myself, I do love art. I love art in all ways possible. I make art. I go see art. I host shows in my studio. I curate exhibits. I help out hanging art shows, sitting on committees, attending opening and fundraisers, sending out e-vites to every show I know of. I enjoy the people. I enjoy the spectacle. The dance...
Every time I send out an invitation I like to see how many people show up to see the show. My e-mail is large and diverse. From family and friends to acquaintances. Business associates and clients. People I know well to people I hardly know at all. But they all get the invite. Come see this show. Come love this art. Come see these people. See old friends or meet someone new.

Embrace the statement that you make, "I love art".

My next show is May 19th at the Line Gallery at Joe and Angela Slack's. It's my next opportunity to love art. It's my next opportunity to make art. It's my next opportunity to stand under the bright lights and say "This is who I am". It is my stage. It is my dance.

I have know idea if anything I make is good or not. That's not really the point. The purpose is to challenge myself to explore the possibilities of why I'm on this rock and what can I do to participate in this Grand Dance of life and living. Exploring the feelings in my heart and using the knowledge of my mind and the skills of my hand to express these emotions, thoughts, hopes and dreams that are....me.

If you are on my list, read this blog or are acutely in tune with art in this town, you will get another invitation to come love art.

It is my hope that you do.

thoughts on the show coming up...

a heart held between two...
(desire)

a cradled child...
(emotional resolution)

a lighted path...
(comfort)

a soaring spirit...
(freedom)

happiness shines through...
(hope)

god...(or is that God?)...
(spiritual resolution)

with me without you...with you without me...with me with you
(understanding)

Upcoming shows, etc.

Art Exhibit
Joe Slack, William Struby, Skip Hill, me
May 19th, Slack Gallery
NW 46th & Portland Avenue
6:00PM

Guest Artist
Studio Six in the Paseo
May 26, 27 & 28
Paseo Festival

voices, good times and a PARTY!

please be still the voices in my head...especially the one that always says 'yes' to another project, commission or an empty chair on some well-meaning, but often ill-aimed arts or community committee...overload, overloaded, stressed and distressed..."[I] gotta get out of this place...".

but on the otherside of life...things are good...they're always good...can't let stress and distress get in the way of a good time!

which brings us up to: 31 Deuce Studio 3rd Anniversary Party!!!

Please join me in celebrating three years in the studio! No exhibit...well maybe a few things...just a good time amongst good friends! Food and drink will be provided...come see what's up at The Studio...

What:
31 Deuce Studio 3rd Anniversary Party
When:
March 37th, 8:00pm
Where:
e-mail me for directions: popmodern@gmail.com
Why:
'cause I'm still paying rent!

trust your head not your eyes...

being enamored of something is not always a good thing...hell, maybe it's never a good thing.
I finished the entertainment stand for a client that I posted an "in process" pic in an earlier post, only to have the glass shelf with the heaviest piece of stereo equipment fail during installation...while we (the client and I) were installing the wiring. luckily I was there to catch everything and avoid a complete disaster...
when I finished the base, the tower and installed the shelves in the shop it was beautiful...perfect...just like I thought the design would come out... I took pictures in the shop, called the client to express my satisfaction and to schedule delivery... I completely forgot the fact that I had designed brackets for the heavier pieces of equipment...
oh well, good thing I was standing there...
re-think, re-design, re-work...damnit!

it was beautiful though...