Art Space Talk: Roy Nachum

At first glance the paintings by Roy Nachum can easily be confused with digital art. However, his works are actually oil paintings on canvas that are painted in a way that spurs the viewer to investigate further. Nachum creates his images by utilizing the idea of pixels. Each ‘pixel’ is painted one-by-one. The end result is a painting that comes together in a unique manner. Nachum describes this as creating micro worlds that come together in order to form the pattern of a single reality or of a dream. Nachum studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts in Jerusalem, Israel. He also studied at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. Roy Nachum has exhibited frequently in Israel and the United States.

Brian Sherwin: Roy, you studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts in Jerusalem and at the Cooper Union School of Art in NYC. Can you discuss your academic years? For example, did you have any influential instructors?

Roy Nachum: Studying at Bezalel (the Arts Academy in Jerusalem) provided me with an extraordinary, intensive, and very powerful experience. The need to create and the desire to work has always tempted me, from the time I was a young child, and has led me to achieve only the best – mediocre was unacceptable for me.

There were a number of teachers at Bezalel who changed my life by showing me new perspectives. The teacher for drawing, David Nefo, definitely made me stop and think. He taught me that every color stain on the canvas should be made only after taking a deep long look at the object – exactly like a lion plans its attack on its prey. It was there that I explored the concept in which you can create a whole world by connecting one spot of color to another – it's amazing how different colors work together to create a perfect harmony.

When I arrived at Bezalel, there was a student exchange program – something which greatly interested me. I wanted to go to the Arts Academy Cooper Union in New York, considered to be one of the most prestigious academies in the world. Every year only one excelling student is selected out of thousands of students from Bezalel. Because of my excellence in studies-- I had a very high grade average for several years-- I was sent to study at Cooper Union.

When I arrived at Cooper Union I thought that I already knew everything. After a few classes I realized that this was only the beginning. My perception as an artist sharpened incredibly. It was like knowing how to do something but now actually having to do it. My studies at Cooper provided me with a deeper and stronger experience that strengthened my perception as an artist.

BS: How did the transition from living in Israel to living in the United States influence your work? Have your travels played a role in your development as an artist?

RN: Though it was difficult, the move from Israel to the United States felt natural, because my goals and aspirations were greater than ever. My daily coping and the cultural differences opened new horizons for me and provided me with new interests around which to create and reach new subjects.

BS: Your oil paintings often appear as if they are digital images composed of thousands of pixels. My understanding is that you utilize a palette knife in order to create this ‘pixel’ appearance within the context of your paintings. Each ‘pixel’ is created one by one. Can you discuss this process further?

RN: I’ve transported on my canvases a mix of my imaginary world and my real life. The works represent part of my memories and my dreams as well as binary reading of real and unreal elements. Each pixel is created hand made, one by one, by a palette knife and so creates something that gives a unique meaning to each pixel. It is like one micro world existing in each of them, but when you look at the paintings from afar each pixel looks alike and so they give the feeling of thousands of micro worlds together creating a large pattern of a single reality or of a dream.

This different technique also creates the desire of a physical approach to the piece, inviting people to feel and touch every pixel and also to bring them into a kind of dualistic experience that finds the virtual and physical coming together in one unique moment.

BS: Can you discuss some of your direct influences? Perhaps you can give us a glimpse of your thought process concerning those influences?

RN: I am influenced by everything that surrounds me. I tend to examine daily behaviors of different people, what makes them do the things they do and why-- what they take for granted and why they do that. Thought, making and results – this is the origin of my inspiration.
I'll give you an example: a cup of water, what seems simple and obvious - the cup is resting there and will always be there. But what is the cup of water, what is it doing there, where did it come from and where is it going? If you have ever tried to look at a cup of water differently and deeper then you can see how many colors, stains, and variations there are in one cup of water. This is the origin of understanding and thinking and connecting to the real thing.

BS: Your work was exhibited by Moti Hasson Gallery at Scope Hamptons, correct? Can you discuss that experience? Also, what do you think about art fairs in general? Do you enjoy them?

RN: For years I worked and pushed to always achieve more and more in art. The relationship people have with my paintings and their own dilemmas drove me to more and more exhibitions. During those years I received unbelievable non-stop support from my parents. My mother and father are strong people with a good grasp on life, the desire to be real – something that I grew up with my whole childhood. The exhibit that I put together with Motti Hasson in the New York Hamptons was in a kind of coming-out. I personally am not drawn at all to group exhibitions. I prefer to exhibit alone.
BS: Finally, what are you working on at this time? Also, will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

RN: For the last 3 years I have been working on an incredible exhibit which will soon be released. It is a new process in my development and was created as an evolution of my past. This is a new thing that combines a daily look at man with new thought. This is definitely going to be new and different than anything that is exhibited today. The combination of something very abstract and something so realistic on the same canvas.

You can learn more about Roy Nachum and is art by visiting his website-- www.roynachum.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com

Damien Hirst Lowers Prices and Slams a Price Tag on Pants

From "Show me the Money!" to "Let's make a deal!"

Damien Hirst has been shaking the foundation of the mainstream artworld more than usual as of late. First he bypassed his dealers in order to sell at auction-- breaking auction records along the way. Then he returned to one of his first dealers while keeping other dealers on the fence, so to speak. Now, with an artworld recession lurking in the background, he is openly stating that the market for his work and the art market in general is over-priced.

There is a bit of irony to his statements considering that critics of Hirst have long stated the same about the artist who has fetched millions for his work with relative ease. The artist, businessman, and entrepreneur is now looking forward to selling his work for affordable rates within the context of recent global economic woes-- reducing the price of some works by half. Hirst has also said that he is looking at more realistic prices in general, "If I want to sell new work, I'll price it lower. If people have got less money, you can either just shut your door and say, 'Screw everybody', or I can wait until everyone can afford my work or price it cheaper."

The Damien Hirst X Levi’s® collection

Do you need an example of how committed Damien Hirst is to his recent statements? Look to his association with Levi’s Jeans for the answer. The artist is working with Levi’s Jeans in order to produce a limited edition collection of clothing featuring themes that are common in his art. According to Art News Blog the prices will start at £55 for tees and £150 for jeans. When asked about the difference between expressing himself in art versus fashion Hirst replied, “I don’t see a difference really, anything done well is art, but this way a lot of people get to own my stuff and in a not too precious way.” It will be interesting to observe how Hirst utilizes the internet for his new ventures. He has a history of exploring eCommerce.

Links of Interest:

Damien Hirst Sees the Writing on the Gallery Wall

End of Days Watch: Damien Hirst Admits His Art is Overpriced

Damien Hirst Levi's Jeans and T-shirts

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com

www.myartspace.com/blog

www.myartspace.com/interviews

Giving something of value: The art of building relationship

I don’t want to pick your pocket here. Many smart people have already written and spoken about the significance of the Internet in the art industry. Brian Sherwin wrote about the importance of a solid portfolio and ecommerce for galleries... I don’t think I can improve on his message. I also believe that the audience here at MyArtSpace is not only art savvy but Internet savvy as well, and as such, I’d rather stick a fork in my eye than write another article about why a website is important for the arts. I think we’ve established “the why.”

Museums, galleries and artists of note have websites. They might also have ecommerce to sell their wares to a global audience. Museums and galleries tend to sell trinkets online, while artists want to sell art. (This is an interesting difference and a topic I’d like to write about at a later date.)

When the Internet was born, back in the day, its primary mission was communication. The Internet of today still retains this underlying goal. It makes no matter if you are creating your website, blogging or sending out an email campaign. The primary purpose of all these things is communication with the intent to build relationship.

Building relationship is not only fun but it establishes authority as well. While marketing and advertising exec’s may feel the bottom line is to sell you stuff you don’t need and make you think you do need it… the mission of building relationship is more genuine and customer service oriented.

Speak to your audience: Think a bit on who your target audience is and where are they geographically located. Is your website online to simply display your work to one and all? Or are you looking for a commission? A gallery contract? Is your audience other artists? Buyers? Gallerists? Draw your mission to suit your target audience and then keep those people in mind.

What do THEY need?: It’s not enough to write about and structure your communications based on your needs. Your online communications must provide information that your audience is looking for. A well designed and professional looking website will get you more attention and more credibility than a site that was designed by your cousin’s friend in the basement who will do it for free. Information that is relevant and updated is extremely important. Buyers and Gallerists will want to see detail photography of work. Provide different formats…audio, video, slideshows and text. When purchasing online your audience will also want to know about you. Give your audience multiple ways to contact you… your email, phone, blog address, Facebook, Flicker, LinkedIn, and your ICQ, Skype or AIM accounts.

Give them a surprise: You might want to provide something besides your vitals. Give your audience something of value and fun… something they don’t necessarily know they want. At my business site, Dragonfly Blu Design, I provide a Client’s Bill of Rights and a Designer’s Bill Rights. I can’t tell you how often those two PDFs are downloaded. Do those two documents make me any real sales? I don’t think so, but they are there for a higher purpose… They exist on my site to establish authority, provide customer service to my clients, other designers and maybe to people whom I’ll never meet. If they are helpful in some way that makes me happy. If they result in greater networking, better still.

Let’s just forget about selling art on the web: I know a lot of artists and galleries who have sold art on the web. Some buyers have purchased the work sight unseen (so to speak) and some sellers provide a way for the buyer to view before buying. I also know a lot of buyers who will not purchase art on the Internet. They need to see the piece in the raking light, examine the brushstrokes etc. It’s all valid but let’s just forget for a moment about the sales portion of the web. Many types of people will be viewing your site, gallery, portfolio and email campaigns. Whether they are online buyers or not, the thing you can provide is something of value. What makes you or your work different and why should they purchase for their home or office? If you are a gallery why not help educate your audience in the ways of the art market?

Several big name museums here on the East Coast send me their newsletter. I generally trash them. Why? Because instead of sending me something of value (information on upcoming lectures, new exhibitions, art restoration) they are sending me newsletters focused on their latest Van Gogh scarf inventory and earring sale.

People come to the internet to do an initial search, research or just to dream. The moment of truth comes when they care about something enough to click “contact me.” Will your online presence cause them to click the “contact me” option or click away?

Think “customer service and networking” and then send it off into the world with blogs and press releases, and see what comes back to you.

Thanks for reading,

Lisa

Art Does More Than You Realize

Art Does More Than You Realize

A blog reader recently asked a few open questions about the role of art and artists within the context of society. Her comments were spurred by a topic that dealt with how the recent economic struggles have caused a sense of panic within the artworld. She stated, “I don't even know if it is important if artist are around. Thats the feeling I get. What good does art really do? Can you tell me that?”. I don’t have all the answers, but I do have an opinion on the matter. Art is good for society as a whole. With that said, I feel that I should project some of my thoughts about the importance of visual art as well as the importance of art related skills, such as drawing, within the context of the world as we know it. Our lives would be very different if art-- be it fine, concept, or other-- did not exist.

In my opinion, art is the lifeblood of civilization. Thus, I view art as social and cultural vitality. If we think back on past civilizations we can observe the importance of art and the skills related with artistic creation. Throughout history art has facilitated the advancement of science and commerce as well as the different aspects of our day-to-day lives. Without art we would not see any progression-- there would be no advancements-- society would decline, wither in confusion, and eventually die. In this scenario-- if the creation of art were to cease completely-- the world would be thrown into chaos. Civilization would be stripped of its intellectual and economic endurance-- civilization, encumbered by the ignorance that would stem from this scenario, would be gone. Humanity as we know it could cease to exist.

These thoughts-- as radical or farfetched as they may seem-- are core to my philosophy concerning the importance of art and artists within the context of society. To put it bluntly, advancements in visual language and tradition tend to push society forward. Fine art and commercial art often walk in hand-in-hand as far as individual inspiration is concerned-- so both play a role in advancing society. Thus, if these aspects of artistic creation were to stop we would witness cultural and societal stagnation-- more so than what some of us already feel has occurred-- the world as we know it would take a step back, followed by another step back, and would eventually fall. With that in mind, art does good because it serves as a pillar of intellectual and economic growth.

I don’t think people realize how important art is to the intellectual growth of society. Imagine what the world would be like without the different aspects of visual art and the impact it would have on our intellect and ability to educate ourselves. In the above mentioned scenario our collective imagination-- the ideas that are common within us-- would become dull, our individual imagination would be in peril, the continuation of scientific studies and advancements would be hindered, production lines of new items would stop, we would have to once again rely on oral traditions instead of visual language and visual traditions. Sadly, I don’t think the generations alive today would thrive in that scenario. Academically speaking-- visual art has long nurtured other studies. Some will go as far as to say that without a focus on visual art humankind would have never pursued the sciences. Again, art is vitality!

The creation of art and the skills that are primarily utilized within the context of artistic creation have proven to be of importance with economic growth as well. Every manmade item we see or touch has at one point involved some aspect of art and said skills-- the products we buy and the labels upon them all start out as sketches and concept work at an earlier time, the movies we view involve some level of visual art, the video games we play rely heavily on art, the buildings we visit and dwell involve aspects of these skills, the clothing we wear may have started out as a coffee stained preliminary drawing, and the monitor before you as you read these words was nothing more than a concept design in the past. Thus, commerce would be shattered if artists, architects, and designers ceased the utilization of visual art skills. Art is good because it is the basis of economic growth.

Various aspects of visual art, specifically the skill of drawing, have long served the advancement of civilization. This is not to suggest that every artist or person who utilizes visual art is above anyone else. In other words, we can’t all be treated as the pillars of civilization. However, I do think that on some level each and every artist plays a certain role in advancing and maintaining this infrastructure-- the bones holding together society and culture-- at least in thought and within their generation. It is the continuation of a visual tradition that builds from one generation to the next. Perhaps that is why it seems that artists often feel that they have an inborn need to put ideas to paper, canvas, or upon some other surface-- a survival trait that dictates that so many individuals within a population will feel driven to pursue these skills-- to pursue art.

In closing, I suppose the key point to remember is that without visual language-- without the ongoing tradition of visual art and other aspects of art in general-- society would have never reached the point it is at today. Society would surely decline if artistic creation and the use of various skills involved with the art making process were to cease. People tend to not appreciate something until it is gone. In that sense visual art and the skills used by artists are often taken for granted by the population as a whole.

The trick is not to expect respect or outright reverence-- hardly any of us will obtain that no matter what we accomplish. That goes for fine artists as well as anyone who utilizes aspects of visual art within their profession. For example, I doubt the average person could name the architect behind some of the common building designs that we have come to expect… or the mastermind behind character designs for a major motion picture. Think of it this way, you have won half the battle if the art you create-- or at least the process of artistic creation-- is important to you. You have done good with art if someone discovers your work and enjoys it-- even if that person does not know your name.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Art Space Talk: Mel Davis

Mel Davis holds an MFA from The San Francisco Art Institute (2005). She is the recipient of two grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, (2007,2006), the Irene Pijoan Memorial Award for Painting and a Visual Artist grant from the Conseil des Art et Lettres du Quebec (2001). Her work is part of international public and private collections; Wellington Management, Boston, Capitol Group, Los Angeles, Hyatt Hotels, Santa Clara and Concordia University, Canada. Mel Davis has been featured in publications such as New American Paintings,(2004), Magenta Carte Blanche: Vol2 Painting (2008) and Studio Visit Magazine (2008).

Untilted 10, oil on found wood, 11"x12", 2008

Brian Sherwin: Mel, you studied at Concordia University in Montreal, The Slade School of Art in London, and the San Francisco Art Institute. Can you discuss your academic years? Did you have any influential art instructors?

Mel Davis: Concordia University was an incredibly nurturing place to make art. It's soft critiques and encouraging atmosphere made this place very special to me. Enthusiasm for painting was contagious. It was 10 years ago that I attended this institution for a BFA and the friends I made then remain my closest to this day. We all still paint as well which is astonishing and admirable.

A brief stint at the Slade in London reinforced a respect to the long tradition of painting. Faculty there are experimental but within the confines of traditional parameters. For example they were really big on setting up the painting palette in a customary fashion, something that I had never done before. It is a useful technique to learn, but my rebellion did not sit well with them.

The San Francisco Art Institute was a difficult place to make paintings. A lot of students came into the painting program, but then abandoned the discipline for the New Genres department or installation/performance/video arts. As a result painting became unpopular and something one had to defend doing. Grad school was pretty cliquey and I felt isolated most of the time but in an adverse way I left feeling prepared and really sure of who I am and what I wanted to do as an artist. Speaking with other artists this experience seems pretty typical of grad school. The affliction of a tough love philosophy appears to be the way serious institutions build their artists.

The great thing about grad school was the level of sophistication the conversations held. Memorable conversations with faculty members such as Christopher Brown, Pegan Brooke and John Zurier have shaped the way I think about painting.

Untitled 4, oil on found wood, 13"x11", 2008

BS: How have your travels-- studying art in three different countries-- helped you to mature as an artist? Do your travels influence you?

MD: I think travel is essential for growth in any discipline. Three weeks in Tuscany and Umbria remain the most important and educational time for me. Seeing the Piero della Francesa tour I was able to experience a level of history in painting that made me realize in a really profound way how resilient painting as an art forum is. I was filled with hope and a new found seriousness and urgency to be part of this incredible community. Looking at paintings that transcend time and place will instill a respect for the forum and a humility that is essential to any artists practice.

BS: Give our readers some insight into your art. What do you strive to achieve with your work?

MD: A respect to the tradition of painting, to be in close proximity to nature, specifically light, a sense of both mystery and revelation, accuracy and spontaneity,

Untitled 5, oil on found wood, 12"x5", 2008

BS: Can you discuss some of your methods?

MD: I manipulate these wood objects before, during and after the painting process by hammering, ripping, wrestling and sanding. It forces a characteristic in my paintings that can be interpreted as violence, however beyond this they also function as artifact. The process of artifact is a violent one. It speaks of civilizations lost, broken territories and abandoned communities. I am purposefully aging the paintings. I see them as fractured paintings clipped from a larger endeavor.

BS: What about specific influences? Do you adhere to any specific art tradition, so to speak? Are you inspired directly by any specific artist from the past?

MD: For these works I was directly influenced by the Fayum mummy portraits from Roman Egypt. These portraits are in varying stages of decay; displaying centuries of elapsed time yet contain an uncommon tenderness that is found in master portraiture. They speak of the great tradition of painting whilst showing how natural and instinctive making a painting can be.

Untitled-- windy sail, oil on found wood, 7"x9", 2008

BS: What are you working on at this time? Can you give our readers some insight into your most current work?

MD: I am continuing with the found wood paintings. Lately they have been speaking of the particular light in Scotland. I recent trip here has been an influence. I am also thinking about a new body of work that pays tribute to the fan paintings made by Hiroshige from the Edo period. These exquisite paintings display everyday moments and settings executed in the richest of pallets. They are playful and decorative. I think it would be a cool challenge to interpret these works today.

BS: I noticed that you have been very active with the NavtaSchulz Gallery. You have also been featured at the Bridge Art Fair. Can you give us some highlights of your exhibition history?

MD: Sadly the NavtaSchulz Gallery folded earlier this year. But Ryan Schulz worked hard for his artists, trying to place the work in important collections. This gallery was kind enough to take a chance on me when I was still in grad school, which meant a lot to me. I've been pretty lucky, participating in group and one person shows around this country and Canada, it's been a little tough showing consistently here in the Bay Area; there are too many artists and not enough spaces.

Untitled-- Scotland #1, oil on found wood, 12"x16", 2008

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

MD: I am currently having a one person exhibition at Larry Becker Contemporary Art in Philadelphia.

BS: Speaking of exhibiting… what do enjoy about displaying your art in public view? Do you see it as part of the process, so to speak?

MD: Before this show in Philadelphia, I didn't really see it as part of my process. Larry and Heidi Becker have a gift when it comes to hanging a show. They taught me something about my work, about it's relationships and nuances that I didn't realize existed before. Previously I was never really excited about the way my work hung in a gallery or exhibition space.

Untitled-- Scotland #2, oil on found wood, 11"x14", 2008

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the goals that you have?

MD: I like this quote from Tom Marioni-
"The artist's role in society is to observe real life and report on it poetically. If the movement of his materials is sure and honest, the work becomes a beautiful gesture.”

You can learn more about Mel Davis by visiting her website-- www.meldavis.peachpitpie.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com

Art Scholarship Competition for Undergraduate and Graduate Art Students

Myartspace, the social networking site for visual artists, has launched a free to enter student art scholarship competition for undergraduate and graduate art students. The competition is free to enter and is open to art students (seeking a BA, BS, BFA, MFA or other high degree in art) worldwide.

The scholarship program is intended for art students who exhibit exceptional artistic excellence in their chosen medium. All mediums are accepted. Including photography and video. Both contemporary and traditional art will be considered. Myartspace is providing 3 scholarship prizes for undergraduate students and separately 3 scholarship prizes for graduate students. $16,000 in cash prizes are up for grabs!

Early Registrants (Students who register before November 21, 2008) will automatically be granted a free 3-month subscription to premium services on myartspace, a paid service normally selling at $75 per year. Premium Subscribers have more capabilities including a personal URL on myartspace and improved networking tools. Early Registrants will also be eligible for a chance drawing involving two iPhones. The final deadline for registration and online submission of work is December 16, 2008.

In order to enter and submit a portfolio/gallery students must be a member of the myartspace community. Membership is free. JPEGS/videos must be placed into a myartspace online gallery. Up to 20 images can be submitted for consideration. Scholarship winners will be announced on December 19th, 2008. Creating a portfolio and gallery is quick and easy using the Gallery Wizard on the site. Students interested in signing up for the myartspace art scholarship competition can find out more details by visiting-- www.myartspace.com/scholarships

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com

www.myartspace.com/interviews

www.myartspace.com/blog

Nov 15th is the last day to register and submit work for the myartspace / Bridge Art Fair competition!

November 15th is the final day to register for the myartspace / Bridge Art Fair competition. The 15th will also be the final day to submit galleries. Thus, if you want to take advantage of this opportunity you must do so very soon. The competition involves jurors from the Whitney Museum of Art, SFMOMA, San Jose Museum of Art and the Bridge Art Fair.

www.myartspace.com/miamibasel/

Myartspace Interviews: Bo Bartlett, Alex Golden, Aleksandra Mir

A look at past interviews that have been featured on www.myartspace.com.


Interview with Bo Bartlett:
“I don’t think there is a collective spirit of America. America to me seems fractured. Many people seem marginalized. I think the "America’s heart" concept is really just talking about a larger idea; a mythological spirit or soul of America which has to do with the concept of freedom, individual rights, and the adventurousness we associate with the frontier spirit. People are all longing. We’re all looking for something. On some level, my paintings tend to address this sense of desire. I paint people because I am a person. I paint America because I am American. I’d like to think that I’m a citizen of the world, but at the same time, I can’t deny my nationality. I am not necessarily proud of it.” -- Bo Bartlett
READ MORE

Interview with Alex Golden:
“I never fully cast aside my questions and doubts about the systems of society, but I try to. I think my work is, at heart, ironic and critical, but I try to get in there and join in what I sometimes perceive to be the absurdity of various belief systems. It is an effort to understand the human propensity to find meaning and then to believe in it, often wholeheartedly and without doubt. Why do we subscribe to the norms that cultures generate for us, even when they seem outdated? Why are we seduced by celebrity and branding? How is it possible for ideological warfare to be waged in the 21st century?” -- Alex Golden
READ MORE

Interview with Aleksandra Mir:
"The closest I get to religion is in that I try to seriously engage with and maintain certain originally religious traditions and rituals that I like. A lot of my work also has a celebratory aspect to it that perhaps can be seen as verging on ceremonial worship. I also need to have a lot of faith in good weather when dealing with big public and ephemeral events. But that's pretty much it." -- Aleksandra Mir
READ MORE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com

Hi Everyone

My name is Lisa Mikulski and Brian Sherwin has invited me to contribute to this blog every so often about the importance of web design and Internet marketing for the arts. I am happy to do so because I feel this topic is becoming more and more relevant especially in light of the present economic situation. I also consider Brian’s writing and the content here at the MyArtSpace blog to be first rate.

While the economy is certainly a factor effecting the increasing importance of using the Internet as an arts resource, it’s really about more than trying to avert an economic crisis situation. Simply put, the Internet is a tool and it should be taken advantage of in good times and bad. It is my hope that my writing and thoughts might inspire or in some small way help you take better command of how a quality website can empower your business.

I’d like to tell you a little about myself. I am a graphic designer, web designer and marketing consultant. I have worked exclusively with artists, sculptors, photographers, galleries and art organizations for the last 10 years. I have the privilege also of writing art features and editorials for the monthly print magazine, INK Publications. I keep my own blog on art and design at ArtLOOK.

Thank you Brian for inviting me and I look forward to the dialog.

/Lisa/

Art Blog Buzz: Recent buzz from the art side of the blogosphere

Buzz from the art side of the blogosphere



Interior photograph of Rothko Chapel, Houston, Texas. Completed 1971



Hungry Hyaena
www.hungryhyaena.blogspot.com
Christopher Reiger at Hungry Hyaena explores Mark Rothko’s darkness and the wonderful artifacts of Matthew Day Jackson.

Art Fag City
www.artfagcity.com
Art Fag City takes a jab at the validity of shock-rocker Marilyn Manson’s paintings while the Estate of Helmut Newton takes a jab at Art Fag City with a cease and desist letter. All in a weeks worth for a steadfast art blogger.

Religion and art...

Art News Blog
www.artnewsblog.com
On the Art News Blog there has been discussion about religion & art, Shepard Fairey & wine, with a dash of Jackson Pollock controversy for good measure.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin / Senior Editor / www.myartspace.com

myartspace / Bridge Art Fair Deadline Nov 15th!

MYARTSPACE has teamed up with the Bridge Art Fair Miami to sponsor a juried competition. Jurors from The Whitney, SFMOMA, the San Jose Museum of Art and Bridge Art Fair will select the winners. Winners will be represented at the upcoming Bridge Art Fair Miami event in early December 2008. The normal registration fee of $50 is now implemented. However, JPG is offering a discount code that will allow registrants to enter for just $25.

JPG Magazine is one of the most innovative online communities for photography. JPG Magazine has become an anchor sponsor for the myartspace Bridge Art Fair Miami competition. For those of you still looking to enter the Juried myartspace Bridge Art Fair competition, they have made available a $25 discount for registration.

Bridge Art Fair currently presents a combined total of nearly 300 galleries and over 2,000 artists at four expositions throughout the year. Since the premier of Bridge Miami Beach in 2006, total sales of nearly $30 million and more than 100,000 visitors have confirmed Bridge as a leading voice in a newly globalized art marketplace.

Link to discount code:
www.myartspace.com/miamibasel/JPG_Magazine.html

Link to competition info:
www.myartspace.com/miamibasel/

For more information about the Bridge Art Fair:
www.bridgeartfair.com/miamiindex.html