Art Space Talk: Aidan Hughes

Aidan Hughes, also known by the pseudonym “Brute”, is a commercial artist from the United Kingdom. Aidan usually works in a very high contrast style, often black and white, but more often black and white accented with one other color. The artist has noted that his influences include the woodcuts of Frans Masereel and Lynd Ward, the comic art of Jack Kirby, the propaganda posters of the Russian Constructivists and Italy's Dynamo Futurista and the paintings of John Martin.

His work has been exhibited in group shows alongside Damien Hirst, Shepard Fairey, Yoko Ono, and Gavin Turk-- among others. He is an artist known for crossing mediums as well as boundaries. One could say that his work is a visual fixture of the counterculture scene considering the influence his imagery has had on a new generation of artists.

Aidan has maintained his freelance design business, BRUTE! Propaganda, for nearly two decades. BRUTE! Propaganda is probably best known in the United States for its work with the German industrial rock/metal band KMFDM. Aidan has created record sleeves for the band since 1985. In 1993, he produced and directed the KMFDM music video "A Drug Against War," based on several of his covers for the band-- followed by “Son of a Gun" in 1996.

Brute! Propaganda is a full service freelance design business with nearly two decades' experience in illustration, design, animated and live video, computer games and multimedia. Past clients have included Warner Bros. Records, TVT Records, Pepsi, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Coors, Bulmers, Blitz, MTV and the BBC.

Brian Sherwin: Aidan, your work is noted for having a very high contrast style. You often utilize black and white accented with one other color-- which reminds one of Russian propaganda posters. Can you briefly discuss that influence and perhaps go into detail about other artists and events that have influenced your work directly?

Aidan Hughes: The Russian influence grew from discovering a magazine called the Leader in 1983 which was a British propaganda weekly that was distributed in the UK during the Second World War. It had a very distinctive populist style, all bold colours and shouting caricatures of Mussolini and Hitler, and it was this that spurred me to investigate the Vorticists and via them the Russian Constructivists and Italian Dynamo Futurista.

I think it was more the cartoons of Vladimir Mayakovsky that drew me more than the prouns and abstracts of Rodchenko and El Lissitsky because, as opposed to portraying some impenetrable artistic philosophy, Mayakovsky was trying to reach the people in a very direct way, using archetypes and bold text. Ditto Fortunato Depero with his design work.

In the early 80's, a few of us were working towards a common goal of more direct graphic design (Neville Brody was well influenced by the Soviets, as was Ian Denning who created the Miner's Strike posters of the early 80's) and the work of the Russian avant-garde was very much to the forefront at that time.

My work combines many different influences and it would be unfair to single out the Russians as the biggest of them. I was also majorly influenced by the wood-cut artists Lynd Ward and Frans Masereel years before I discovered Constructivism and American Golden Age comics and pulps decades before that. I think its an amalgamation of those sources that have led to what I do today. Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko are uppermost in my mind when drawing active figures, for example.

BS: You are very open with the fact that the Russian Constructivists and Italian Futurists serve as an inspiration for your work. You have named names of specific artists from those movements and so on. In that sense, you don't disrespect the message that they fought for-- you don't, from what I've read, forget what they were about, so to speak. Unfortunately, there are several artists today drawing from those same creative pools who bastardize the historic value of those artists and add further insult by not acknowledging their influence openly. Does that concern you as an artist? The fact that in many ways artists are tapping into history-- specifically the visual aspects of social movements of the past-- only to create new art with little to no acknowledgment for the origin of their inspiration? Or would you say that everything is fair game?

AH: Because the Soviet artists were perma-linked to Bolshevik propaganda, much of what they did seems quite repetitive today so a newer interpretation was called for. As we no longer have totalitarian regimes to design posters for, it seems natural that contemporary artists would take the style and convert it to other uses. I personally feel though that the style has been done to death in recent years, rather like the Superman-style figures they use to sell everything from printers to car spares and its become boring.

Of course, there are a number of artists who work in the media who have co-opted the Russian style now and again but so what? Its commerce, not an art lesson. If people are turned on by the imagery, they should hunt down the originals for themselves, like I did.

BS: Back to your work-- what are the specific social implications that you assign to your work? For example, themes of dominance and repression are common in your work-- yet one can sometimes sense the hope of a better situation, or perhaps world, just under the surface. Are those themes fueled by any specific concerns that you have for society as a whole?

AH: I'm a commercial artist so the demands of the marketplace are paramount when I come to make an image. Believe me, when I storyboard a TV ad or design a logo, themes of repression or whatever don't come into it unless the client demands it. KMFDM have cornered the market in industrial post-modern angst and so my work reflects that. My own personal philosophies are less political and are more concerned with interaction between characters, not beliefs or agendas. I am a futurist and therefore see whatever comes as a way to the inevitable next step in evolution.

I'm also a bit hesitant to endorse people who advocate non-violence and yet use powerful images of fascist rallies and troops to make their audience sit up. That's pure advertising. I remember seeing Test Department years ago and laughing at the hypocrisy of an art form that uses what it hates to protest against it. If they put images of their own slack, hippy philosophies up on the screen, no-one would watch so they put up a sexy, scary Nazi show instead.

My own message is non-political: Don't Spit on the Floor, Feed a Child's Mind, Kick out the Jams etc. Luckily, I am in the position where people want me to concentrate on my own style so I am able to keep an artistic continuity and broaden my skills while making money. I don't get many clients asking for air-brushed puppies or manga fairies.

BS: Aidan, you have illustrated record sleeves for the industrial band KMFDM since 1985. You also produced and directed the animated KMFDM music video "A Drug Against War,"-- which was based on several of your covers. Can you discuss the connection that your art shares with the music of KMFDM? Does music, in general, inspire your work?

AH: I just don't have the time to listen to music (I won't wear headphones in case a ninja sneaks up on me) and no, music doesn't inspire me unless I'm on the dance floor. I find modern music to be the least cultivated and exciting of all art forms with its lazy attitude to construction, melody and pace. Young people are incredibly interested in this most bland of theatres and little realise how lacking in imagination the videos and tunes they consume are or how boring it makes them as individuals.

You only have to go on Youtube, Facebook or MySpaz to see how these kids DEFINE themselves by these depressing groups and their weak lyrics. From the Jonas Bros. to rap to the latest in so-called 'experimental' music, its one pale, recycled dirge from beginning to end. Apart from blasting out 70's funk to rattle my emo neighbours, I rarely listen to any of it and certainly never when I'm working. One way to get me really red in the face is to say 'I couldn't live without music' within my earshot.

BS: Can you briefly discuss your process? Do ideas for images pop into your mind, so to speak? Or do you view reference material until the spark of creativity is unleashed? Tell us about that process…

AH: Every night before I fall asleep, I try to construct the script for the most perfect spy thriller ever made. Its really hard to do when you're tired: to come up with original ideas and not revert into cliche night after night. In fact, without outside input, true inspiration comes to an artist very rarely in his or her career. Most of the great works were inspired by events, other artworks, conversations between colleagues etc. and I can only think of a couple of occasions where an original thought has just appeared in my head like that.

I teach art occasionally and one thing that holds the kids back is this burgeoning state of integrity they feel they must maintain in order to create and that holds them back from doing so much. Being true to your art to that extent entails rejecting all outside information and creating an inner world which can only serve to alienate the audience. Although I can see how it might not work for some artists, my involvement in the media has given me a valuable insight in how to create bold, dynamic and direct visuals very quickly.

When you work in advertising, you have to put all that art school, starving-in-a-garret ideology behind you quick. You have to come up with 200 ideas by lunchtime and to do that you have to scrape every barrel to the bottom before the guy next to you gets the lead. Unhealthy? No way. Working like this is excellent exercise for the creative mind.

Of course the client might be an idiot, the product boring and the result commonplace but the actual regime of stretching your brain like this is something all 'artists' should do. Getting your work in front of the public and getting paid for it is the big kick, not having a oil painting stuck away in some rich bloke's drawing room, although you shouldn't turn your nose up at that either.

People who don't draw or paint seem to think it's good to have a client who says: 'Do what you like'. I've had a couple and it was a nightmare. Its much better to use whatever ideas from whatever sources and involving the client makes them feel as though they are contributing to the finished thing while you use their seed ideas as your creative springboard. Of course, once they have agreed to an image, the field is yours but I always send the clients roughs and then regular updates so they can never say, 'I didn't authorise this busty, gun-toting 12-foot lesbian'.


BS: How does your thought process change when creating personal work compared to work for a client? Or is the process similar?

AH: When I'm not doing work for clients, I rarely draw for myself. I'm either working on film projects with my partner or writing articles for my satirical newspaper, the Wirral Groan.

BS: What are your thoughts concerning the internet and how artists can utilize the world wide web in order to promote themselves and sell their work? It is obvious that change has come to the art world in the sense that many emerging artists will have a better chance of representing themselves instead of trying to carve their way into the traditional system of gallery representation. How do you see this change progressing in the future due to the internet?

AH: Well, as someone who has been selling their art online since 1996, I'd be one of the first to extol the benefits of working and selling on the web. Anything that removes the gallery owner from the equation is fine by me. Also, as a multi-media artist, it's great to be able to have all your skills up there instead of just exhibiting in the narrow-focused forums and formats of the real world. There, I'm just an artist but on the web, I'm an animator, a director, a writer, an illustrator and a humorist without having to claim any one as my main 'career'.

I can also sell the sorts of populist merchandising looked down upon by traditional galleries, such as skateboards and cheap posters. Finally, the input I receive from fans on Facebook, plus the way I can coordinate events and post items through my blog, makes art so much more exciting than it was twenty years ago.

Then, there's the work process. Back in the day, I'd have to cart these huge boxes of reference books around with me whenever I moved to a new city. But now, I can access most of the images online which minimalises my work area considerably.

BS: Aside from your website, where can our readers view your work in person? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

AH: I don't do exhibitions anymore as it becomes a non cost-effective way to sell art, in the long run. First off, you have to over-price your work to give those greedy fucks their 50-65%. But instead of asking anyone influential, they invite their broke, freeloading art chums who inhale the free wine and schnibblies before pissing off to the next gallery. I've said 'no' to shows before but the last one I did was such a fiasco, I have been put off exhibiting for life. I can make more sitting on my boney ass at my desk than I can in those places.

BS: What is your stance on artists rights? For example, do you support current copyright protections? Have you ever had problems with people profiting off of 'bootleg' images of your work or referencing your work without permission--- copyright infringement and so on? Such issues are discussed at length online within the context of the art community and there is a lot of confusion-- even with established artists-- about what is legal and what is not. The defense of parody or social commentary has been used by some to exploit the works of others when in truth the artist using said defense has little understanding of copyright in regards to those issues. What is your stance on copyright and the rights of artists?

AH: One day, one of my sons pointed out that he'd seen an image of mine used in an advertising campaign for a well-known sportswear manufacturer. When I tracked down the company responsible, I found that they had not only used one of my designs for their own campaign but had franchised it to hundreds and thousands of shops all over the world who carried their brand. I had no idea how I could find out just how many T-shirts and caps had been printed as the image was sold as part of an advertising package thus I had no idea exactly how much I could sue them for.

This is the problem and it cannot be overcome. Big companies only get that way by ripping off artists and getting them to work for nothing. T-shirt companies have been making money from ripped-off designs for years. Although there's literally nothing to be gained except a temporary publicity surge, its always worth seeing how far litigation can get you. I mean, did Kirby and Simon ever sue Roy Lichtenstein for his blatant re-renderings of their work? Will the graphic designer who created the Campbell's soup can ever get his kick-back from Andy Warhol's estate? I don't think so, especially now with images floating around for free on the internet, from where mine was taken. Even if laws were changed, would any of these artists really have the cash to take them to court? I did, but it cost me all of it and a lot of mental stress to win the case.

Then, there's the other side of the argument. Like it or not, that company who ripped off my designs were inadvertently spreading my image over the planet without me having to pay a penny in promotion. Today, kids from all walks of life are running round in my T-shirts and that has got to be better than the paltry amount the company would have given me had they bought the design outright.

BS: Finally, when everything is said an done what do you hope viewers gain from your work?

AH: A hard on.

You can learn more about Aidan Hughes by visiting his website-- www.bruteprop.com -- or blog-- www.bruteprop.blogspot.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

www.nyaxe.com

Myartspace Artist Quotes: Some quotes from the 2008 series of artist interviews

Where did 2008 go? It amazes me that in just a few days 2009 will be here. The years go by so quick when you think back on them. Since 2006 I have interviewed hundreds of artists as the Senior Editor for myartspace. The myartspace collection contains interviews with art world legends, such as Sylvia Sleigh, Julian Stanczak, and Norman Carlberg-- along with interviews with emerging artists such as Peter Gerakaris, Sarah Maple, and Andrea Chung.

It honors me that so many artists-- both emerging and established-- have offered their time to give our readers insight into the thoughts behind their art. Before 2009 is here I would like to take some time to reflect back on the 2008 series of Myartspace Blog interviews. Below you will find quotes from 2008 interviews along with a link to each respected interview so that you can read them in full and view images.

Again, we at myartspace take great pride in the fact that artists from all walks of life have found common ground on the Myartspace Blog. Thank you all.

“I dislike labels, but they are a necessary evil to comprehend artwork for some people. If I had to classify myself, I would call it urban-contemporary.” -- Blaine Fontana

myartspace interview with Blaine Fontana

“I felt it important to make the Abu Ghraib works for many reasons. Above all, this event of the United States engaging in torture, represented a terrible turning point in World opinion towards the United States. As a consequence, we had lost our position as a moral force and as a model of democracy that we prominently held for so long.” -- Susan Crile

myartspace interview with Susan Crile

“The camera often feels too comfortable in my hands – which is why I prefer the dark cloth and tripod of large format photography, forcing me to slow down, and hopefully the viewer too.” -- Richard Mosse

myartspace interview with Richard Mosse

“Rodin makes me cry, Picasso makes me smile, the Chapman brothers make me laugh out loud, Egon Schiele makes me shake my head with admiration, Bacon makes me jump and so on and so forth. But really- my most enlightened artistic experiences are with my children when I see their works on paper.” -- Anthony Lister

myartspace interview with Anthony Lister

“I am against purism in all forms. I find it morally and politically questionable. It is a trope of fascism and racism. Philosopher David Carrier sees comics as an inherently impure entity; I would amplify this, claiming that comics offer a positively anti-purist emancipation from narrow formalist reductivism. This is a trait to applaud and emulate in the fine arts.” -- Mark Staff Brandl

myartspace interview with Mark Staff Brandl

“I never make sketches. Everything is developed in an intuitive manner. The approach I developed growing up is derived from a mush of ideas from expressionism and the Beats. In painting, one act creates the idea of the next - it is a conversation of sorts which slowly turns into a frustrating puzzle with my own limited nature.” -- Christian Schumann

myartspace interview with Christian Schumann

“Everybody uses labels: they give you a handle on things – an over-simplified handle, sure, but without labels, without ads, without words, the world would be an indistinguishable mass, a blur. You can hope, maybe, that people ascribe so many labels to you that none wins out…” -- Vito Acconci

myartspace interview with Vito Acconci

“I no longer go by Patrick Brill. I changed my name to Bob Smith ten years ago. Journalists still refer to me as by my old name. Wikipedia does not help. The discussion about my name is not interesting to me. What does it matter?” -- Bob Smith
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myartspace interview with Bob Smith

“When art devalues the self and the authenticity of the inner worlds we get art of the absent self, the hollow and shattered self, a hopeless self, in short, the art of today.” -- Alex Grey

myartspace interview with Alex Grey

“I really enjoy de Kooning. When I was a student everyone was copying him. I liked his involvement with paint and color. I also liked him because he did not give a damn-- he was not self-conscious. Students today don't realize that de Kooning was really a rough and tough type of guy. Today people talk about underground artists-- well, at that time de Kooning was THE underground artist.” -- James Rosenquist

myartspace interview with James Rosenquist

“It's not what we go through in life, it's what we make of it. Understanding that hate can only generate more hate and anger, I try to stay away from messages of hate and aggression because that alienates the viewer instead of engaging” -- Wafaa Bilal

myartspace interview with Wafaa Bilal

“…to me, the need for meaning is a human convention that doesn't really sync with the universe at large so I never feel a pressure or strong desire to explain or justify myself.” -- Mark Jenkins

myartspace interview with Mark Jenkins

“I don't avoid or "block out" responses to my work. The work isn't complete until it is out in the world. That kind of communication with an audience (including critics) allows for their active participation in the reception of the work and often presents challenges. Some interpretations I dismiss as not constructive to my studio practice, but others encourage an inventory of choices.” -- Janet Biggs

myartspace interview with Janet Biggs

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com/interviews
www.nyaxe.com

The NYAXE work flow process for selling original work

Selling original fine art work on the New York Art Exchange (nyaxe.com)involves a number of steps designed to make sure that the work is shipped properly by the seller, received satisfactorily by buyer, and the money flow works correctly throughout. We have what is known as an "escrow" system which is designed to protect both the buyer and the seller in the process.

The message box, controllable from your NYAXE dashboard, contains "action items" which are like messages but REQUIRE some sort of action (acknowledge acceptance of a bid, acknowledge the shipment of the work, etc).

The 8 steps in the process are shown in a visual representation that can be found by clicking HERE.

As you can see, there are a number of steps involved. Selling on-demand printed products (such as giclees) or digital products (such as JPEG images) are much more trivial and do not involve an escrow system; they are delivered by a third party, and the seller (typically the artists) has no further obligation. The sale of original work is, by its nature more complex.

Press Reception for the New York Art Exchange (NYAXE)

Catherine McCormack-Skiba, CEO and founder of NYAXE, mingles with press

The press reception for the launch of the New York Art Exchange (NYAXE) took place earlier this month in Miami during Bridge Wynwood. The New York Art Exchange is a marketplace for buying and selling contemporary fine art online. NYAXE enables the art community to capitalize on new digital mediums through technology by connecting artists, gallerists and art collectors via the World Wide Web. The site is designed to be an ecommerce solution for members of the ‘art world’ social networking site myartspace.com.

The New York Art Exchange press reception brought design, technology, and art together.

Catherine McCormack-Skiba, the CEO and founder of myartspace and NYAXE, was on hand to answer questions from members of the press during a cocktail party. Visitors included journalists from the Associated Press, The Miami Herald, and prominent art blogs. Curious gallerists, art collectors, and members of the press observed what myartspace and NYAXE offers to the global art community by participating in site demonstrations. Opinions, ideas, and drinks were shared in a casual setting that was energized by a meshing between art, technology, and design.

Brian Skiba demonstrates the capabilities of the New York Art Exchange

Brian Skiba, the interim Chief Technology Officer and Chief Financial Officer for myartspace and NYAXE, demonstrated the capabilities of NYAXE during several presentations that allowed onlookers to participate. Members of the NYAXE staff directed visitors to experience the site first hand by accessing computers in a media center that was conveniently located within the design of the reception structure.

Reception guests viewed New York Art Exchange stores while listening to a presentation by NYAXE staff.

Catherine McCormack-Skiba, CEO and founder of NYAXE, stated, "It's been my vision for years to make great art accessible to a broader audience through technology and the internet. I'm excited that we can empower gallerists and artists to expand the awareness of their fine art and help them connect with a new audience of buyers on a global level."

Links of Interest:
www.catmacart.com
www.myartspace.com
www.nyaxe.com
www.nyaxe.com/storeSellerSignUp.do

Art Space Talk: Susan Crile

Susan Crile was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1942. Earning her Bachelor of Arts Degree at Bennington College, Vermont, Crile also studied at New York University and Hunter College, NYC. Since then she has taught widely, at such institutions as, Princeton University, The School of Visual Arts, Barnard College, The University of Pennsylvania, Sarah Lawrence and Hunter College, where she has been on the faculty since 1982 and a full professor since 1996.

Her work is in the collections of The Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, The Hirshhorn Museum, The Phillips Collection, The Albright Knox, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Denver Art Museum, The Carnegie Institute Museum of Art and The Library of Congress among others, as well as many corporate collections.

9-11 Fragmant by Susan Crile

Brian Sherwin: Susan, you studied at Bennington College. Can you recall your academic years? Did you have any influential instructors?

Susan Crile: Bennington was both wonderful and terrible; terrible in that one learned practically nothing technically, but wonderful in that it was exposure to real painters, real writers and their ideas. I studied with a number of artists, who were important to my formation.

Among the most important were Ralph Humphrey (his passion for drawing, Morandi, Matisse, Cezanne), Tony Smith who opened my eyes to the third dimension, Jules Olitski who showed how the fabric or art and literature interconnected and Vincent Longo, from whom I learned about color. But the most important artist/ teacher was not at Bennington, but at NYU where I studied with Esteban Vicente, the Abstract Expressionist, a passionate Spaniard, who taught me how to see and how to understand the importance of pictorial space.

BS: Susan, you have taught at Princeton, The School of Visual Arts, Barnard College, The University of Pennsylvania, and Sarah Lawrence College. You are currently a professor at Hunter College in New York City. I always ask instructors this questions... how did you find balance between your teaching profession and creating your personal art? Was there ever a conflict or did you simply adapt?

SC: For a very long time, teaching felt like a conflict- in part because, as with many young artists- I was teaching at two or even occasionally three different schools at the same time. After I began to teach at Hunter, it became easier. By then, I was a more experienced teacher and the simplification of being in one place was a great help. I've never been a particularly good multi-tasker, so it was necessary to work at finding the balance. Spending three months in the country every year, working in relative solitude, has created an important base line for my painting life that carries over into the academic year. That base line allows me to hold my artistic train of thought throughout the academic year.
Crouching in Terror by Susan Crile

BS: Do you have a specific philosophy as far as your instruction is concerned? What do you expect from students?

SC: First I expect students to learn a work ethic and to understand that growth in art comes through daily application, not through "cramming". I teach both undergraduates and MFA students, so the teaching is very different one to the other. With undergraduates I try to teach them about pictorial space, how to think about the issues of painting and to help them become at ease with the process of painting. It is terribly important, as well, to help them to believe that you need to fail in order to succeed. This may be the hardest lesson to learn.

With graduate students I see my job as one of a catalyst, someone who can help the student develop what he or she has to say and to try to help that student find the means to say it. Generally speaking, I am not concerned with technique as an end in itself, but as a means of expression.

BS: Allow me to ask some questions about your art. I understand that your travels have influenced you greatly. You have been to China, Ethiopia, India, Turkey, Morocco, Kuwait, Hungary, much of Europe and some of Eastern Europe. Are there any experiences that you would like to share with our readers? Any experiences that have had a direct impact on your art?

SC: Travel has always had a profound influence on my art, particularly the travel that took place when I was a teenager, before I even knew that I wanted to be an artist. When I was 17, my family went to the Middle East and Israel. I was stunned by the beauty of the Mosques in Damascus; vast spaces carpeted with patterned carpets and ceramic tiles of the most intricate patterns and colors. The light streamed in leaving secondary pattern across the walls and floors.

In Israel we went out into the desert to a Bedouin camp. We sat on calico cushions and Killim rugs and drank coffee poured from an ancient Samovar that sat proudly on a large hammered bronze tray. As I remember, they were the only hard objects in the tent. This was the beginning of my love affair with pattern, both its quotidian, lived in quality as in the Bedouin tent and its more lofty and spiritual side as in the Mosques.

Subsequently, architectural structures, walls and doorways, Light- both external and interior- landscapes and ritualistic spaces of different parts of the world, have all affected my work.

Daylight Darkness by Susan Crile

BS: In the early 90s you created a series titled 'Fires of War'. It seems that war and the outcome of war has had a major impact on you. Many people tend to romanticize war-- we tend to think of the heroes instead of the fallen... the victories instead of the fact that in the end there is, as my grandfather who served in WWII would say, no true victory. Is this a message your strive to convey in your work?

SC: Since I worked on 'the Fires" for almost 4 years, my ideas both deepened and broadened over that period of time. New meanings accrued to the central core as time wore on. My initial impetus came out of outrage. The US had been massively bombing Baghdad, and talking about 'smart bombs' that supposedly had no effect on the civilian population; but that just wasn't true. Furthermore, the mean age in Baghdad was 15 years old, due to the huge loss of military aged men during the ten year war between Iraq and Iran. So, basically, we were bombing children.

Yes, I would agree with your grandfather, "there is no true victory", but beyond that, often there is no good reason to cause the horrendous destruction of loss of life and infrastructure that is the inevitable outcome of war. The embargos were not given enough time- and if Iraq had been truly quarantined internationally, perhaps it would have worked out a compromise with Kuwait.

There were layers of meanings and issues. To begin with, I was showing the extremity of war, and its ecologically disastrous outcome. Scientists had believed that detonating the 700 plus oil wells could well start a nuclear winter; through good luck, due to providential wind patterns, it remained only a regional disaster. Then, the burning of vast amounts of precious oil was a major chess move in the power struggle for control of resources.

Spending time inside the conflagration gave me another viewpoint. I spent almost 2 weeks in the burning oil fields, traveling through them with the chemical engineer, who was the director of safety for the clean up project. It was like seeing the beginning and the end of the earth at the same time. There was an epic quality to it, that I would never have understood without having witnessed it first hand.

And finally, there was the surreal physicality of the scene; nothing looked like anything one had ever seen before. It was post apocalyptic; Mad Max meets Alice in Wonderland in Dante's Inferno.

A Flame by Susan Crile

BS: Some of your work has been politically charged in the sense that it tackles specific issues. For example, you created a series of images that explored the torture at Abu Ghraib. Some of the figures in these works are faceless-- in a sense they could be anyone. Would you mind discussing these works and the thoughts behind them?

SC: In response I would first like to quote from Jean Amery's AT THE MINDS LIMITS; Contemplations by a Survivor on Auschwitz and its Realities.

Whoever has succumbed to torture can no longer feel a home in the world. The shame of destruction cannot be erased. Trust in the world, which already collapsed in part at the first blow, but in the end, under torture, fully, will not be regained. That one's fellow man was experienced as the antiman remains in the tortured person as accumulated horror. It blocks the view into a world in which the principle of hope rules.

When the body is subjected to torture, the protection of the skin dissolves and the self no longer has a safe container; it is afloat and defenseless. I used white chalk to designate the fragility of the victims, who are like the ash-covered figures fleeing the World Trade Center, the body shells from Pompeii or the chalk outlines that mark the place of dead bodies at crime scenes. While the prisoners appear ethereal and are often deprived of sight, the interrogators are massive and accompanied by the accoutrements of power (the gloved hand, the leash, the painful shackles, the attack dogs) which includes the interrogators' right to see and be seen- both their right to surveillance and the right to be photographed with their human trophies. Their physical massiveness (boots, vests, layers of clothes, gloves and excess flesh), in contrast to the prisoners' fragile nakedness, is a sign that they are the center of power, the source of intimidation and abuse.

Private England Dragging a Prisoner on a Leash by Susan Crile

This obscene scene of torture and humiliation that we saw in the Abu Ghraib photos, was treated by the White House and the military as if it were the shenanigans of a "few bad apples". It was chilling and appalling that on the one hand Bush abnegated responsibility for it and on the other suspended the Geneva Convention on torture. The Karl Rove tactic of lying until it is accepted as truth, has accompanied every move made to eviscerate the Constitution of the United States.

I felt it important to make the Abu Ghraib works for many reasons. Above all, this event of the United States engaging in torture, represented a terrible turning point in World opinion towards the United States. As a consequence, we had lost our position as a moral force and as a model of democracy that we prominently held for so long. (Let us hope that some or all of this can be reversed retrieve now that Obama will become President.)

As importantly, photos have become a big part of the fast expendable information age we live in. The sheer mass and volume of photographic images have made the eye the most overused sense. I wanted to leave a more enduring record of what happened at Abu Ghraib. The use of chalk, charcoal, and the texture of paper speak to our sense of touch. Touch slows down the hungry and impatient appetite of the eye and allows, the body-our body- to respond empathically.

Arranged: Naked Mound of Flesh by Susan Crile

BS: Would you say that this series of work, so to speak, serves as a warning of what the United States military and leaders are capable of-- not only to the people of Iraq, but to the citizens of the United States?

SC: Absolutely! It is impossible to act badly in one part of ones life and not have it eventually seep into the rest of ones life; and so with the Government. The Bush foreign policy of "preemptive" war has now seeped into internal domestic policy. We saw this, for example, in both the Democratic convention of 2004 and the Republican convention of 2008, where our own police departments turned against our own citizenry as a preemptive manner.

9-11 Exodus by Susan Crile

BS: You also created a series about 9-11. Would you like to discuss this series? Also, what other events have made an impact on you?

SC: Many events have had an impact on me: the Tsunami, New Orleans, the passing of the Patriots Act, The destruction of New Orleans both by nature and the government- and on and on. I decided after Gulf War 1, that I was not interested in being an ambulance chaser. If something hits me between the eyes, in a way in which I have no choice but to paint it, then I will take it on. Otherwise, I drift back to my love of pattern and beauty.

9-11, as with the rest of the nation, hit me between the eyes. It was a symbol of the vulnerability of the new global world we now live in- new rules, new structures, new insecurities. Most of the works I made show that vulnerability: the impact and explosion, the breaking apart, the falling, the crashing, the dust rising, the fleeing; all indeterminate states of between one thing and another.
Father Michael by Susan Crile

BS: What about politically charged work in general-- in your opinion, why is it important for artists to tackle issues such as the torture at Abu Ghraib? Do you feel that visual art can cause, or at least spur, change?

SC: I'm really not sure that art can spur change, at least in America. Art isn't mainstream enough in the whole country. It is largely the playground for the rich; it is still fundamentally elitist, despite the increase of museum attendance. Art programs in schools barely exist any longer; the NEA has a tiny budget and art institutions struggle for funding. I do believe that art is capable of touching and moving individuals and maybe that is the most we can hope for right now.

An artist is a part of his or her time and reflects it and is a witness to it. The problem is how to make art and not didactic tracts, not that tracts do not have their own power and place; but to have the power of Goya or Picasso, one has to transform the experience of war, or torture or political abuse into art, which is very difficult to do!

BS: Susan, you have had over 50 solo exhibitions and your work is in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Denver Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Phillips Collection, and the Hirshhorn Museum, among others. What comes to your mind when you think back on your career?

SC: Not much comes to mind. I guess I'm more interested in figuring out where to go next. My work has always changed a good deal, which has not always been so good for my peace of mind. It seems that every 5 years, there is a real shift in my work and this is always an initially unpleasant time. I invariably feel that the well is dry and there is nowhere to go. But at least, by now, I know that this is my pattern and if I just sit tight with the muse (which usually means making a lot of bad art) that eventually the path will become clear again. A strange thing happens to me when I get to the end of a period of my work. Suddenly, I technically do not know how to make it any more. It's rather disconcerting to say the least.

Shackled in Red Panties by Susan Crile

BS: Aside from the locations mentioned, where can our readers view your work in person? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

SC: First, images of my work can be seen on my web site: susancrile.com
Although I am in a number of Museum collections, I'm not sure what is currently on view at this time. Last year I had two Museum exhibitions of the Abu Ghraib works in Italy, at Museo di Roma in Trastevere and Museo di Palazzo Moncenigo in Venice. I plan to show my current work, small abstract paintings on wood panels, at Michael Steinberg Fine Art in New York in 2009.

I am/will be in some group shows this fall and winter, 2008/09:

War as a Way of Life, 18th St. Arts Center in Santa Monica, CA
September 27- December 19th)

To:Night: Times Square Gallery, 450 W. 41st St. NYC
September 25- November 23

Independent Vision:/ Feminist Perspectives: Sidney Mishkin Gallery,
Baruch College, NYC, November 20-Dec 17

Cryptoreal: Art And Myth: Francis Lewis Gallery at St. George's Church, Queens, NY, November 22- January 11, 2009

Trouble in Paradise: Examining Discord between Nature and Society.
Tuscon Museum of Art; February- July 2009

BS: Concerning politics, art, and protest... what is the importance of protesting political issues with art? In your opinion, why is a visual message more powerful than a verbal message as far as making a political or social statement is concerned? Is it more powerful?

SC: Both the visual and the written have the potential to be very powerful. Too often, they just aren't quite. I believe that protest is essential; it's what, so to speak, keeps the politicians in line. I'm not sure it matters how it's done, as long as it is done. Under Bush, the White house systematically closed down the avenues of protest. This was and is a very dangerous situation for democracy and makes it even more important for people in the arts to have the courage to do what they can. Unfortunately, it becomes harder for "political" artists and writers to gain access to the mainstream because so many institutions, whether publishers, galleries, museums, newspapers, begin to comply with the new restrictions.
Erotic Humilation by Susan Crile

BS: When you make a political stance with your work are you ever concerned about any form of backlash? For example, have you ever been threatened due to some of the visual statements you have made?

SC: I got one awful hate letter when I had the exhibition of Abu Ghraib drawings at Hunter College. It certainly had crossed my mind that one could find oneself on a 'no fly' list or such, but I thought it unlikely.

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

SC: It has taken me a long time to answer these questions and during the course of it, our story as a country has changed dramatically. I feel much more hopeful about the future of art and the country than I did six months ago. Despite the devastating economic crisis we are in, I believe there will be a psychic and moral correction in the country. If money can no longer be the 'be all' and 'end all' of everything, perhaps this will open up a vast space in our culture for other things to develop and flourish.

You can learn more about Susan Crile by visiting her website-- www.susancrile.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

www.nyaxe.com

The Real Visual Message of “Hope” Behind Barack Obama

The Real Visual Message of “Hope” Behind Barack Obama

“Hope” by Victorian-era artist G.F. Watts helped inspire Barack Obama to the presidency:

"To take the one string you have left and to have the audacity to hope ... that's the real word God will have us hear ... from Watts' painting," -- Reverend Jeremiah Wright from his famous sermon which deeply impacted Obama.

Now that the hype of the 2008 election is over the press has started to piece together topics that were missed during the gold rush-- or should I say media blitz?-- for information and headlines. One of those stories involves an artwork titled “Hope”. However, this image is most likely not the “Hope” you are thinking of-- as in the portrait of Obama titled “Hope” by controversial street artist Shepard Fairey. That “Hope” was caught on waves of media lightning. No, this influential image of “Hope” is from a different era-- Victorian to be exact. It seems that “Hope”, painted by G.F. Watts, is deeply embedded within the psyche of Barack Obama.

So what exactly is the connection between Watts’ “Hope” and Obama? Apparently the Victorian painting inspired Obama’s controversial former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, to give a sermon to his congregation. That sermon was titled “The Audacity to Hope”. The sermon had a great impact on Obama who later mentioned it in his first book “Dreams of My Father”. As we all know, Obama changed his pastor’s phrase to “the audacity of hope” when he used it as the title for his speech during the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The phrase was later used as the title of Obama’s second book.

"Hope", that is the “Hope“ by Watts not Fairey-- is currently on display at Guildhall Art Gallery in London. The painting will be on display until the spring of 2009.

Link of Interest:

Victorian painting by G.F. Watts inspired Obama to harp on 'Hope'

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com
www.nyaxe.com

Art Space Talk: Blaine Fontana

Blaine Fontana was born in Seattle, Washington and raised on Bainbridge Island. He began his interest in art at a young age. During his teens he commuted to two High Schools in order to study graphic design, photography, sculpture and life drawing. After graduating in 1994, he pursued his education of life in the streets of Seattle and Portland as a graffiti artist. After about 4 years of being in and out of towns and community colleges, Fontana chose to attend Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles in 1998.

Four years later Fontana left with a BFA in Communication Art/Design at the top of his class with the “Best in Show” award that is presented upon Graduation in 2002. During School he worked as an Art Director at a design firm, Abound LLC, and also as a Graphic Designer at a Fashion/Lifestyle Magazine, Metro Pop. Fontana has also worked as an Art Director at a young men’s apparel company, Drifter.

In January of 2003 Blaine became self-employed as a fine artist and designer. He spent the next 5 years developing his unique style and becoming well known around the So Cal gallery scene and companies as a rising artist and designer. After pursuing his career and vision in LA for 9 years he has recently returned to his roots on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Honey Barracks, 24" x 24", acrylic on board

Brian Sherwin: Blaine, my understanding is that you lived in both rural and urban settings as a child and teen. Can you discuss the impact those two experiences had on your development as an artist? Philosophically speaking, do you think you would be the same artist you are today had it not been for living in those two very different settings?

Blaine Fontana: My work has always been about juxtaposing 2 worlds, several unlikely mediums, or techniques. This is directly an influence of my upbringing and current interests and inspiration. I couldn't imagine doing my work any different. So to say its been an influence would be an understatement. Lately I've noticed that having an ever changing upbringing and living in different cities across the west coast also steers my obsession to combat challenges and creating new styles that are outside of my comfort zone.

BS: Concerning the urban route of your exploration… in 1994 you hit the streets of Seattle and Portland as a graffiti artist. Can you discuss those early years and how they made an impact on your future work? Perhaps you can describe the mind-set that you had while creating art on the streets?

BF: Like any writer at a young age, you envelope yourself in a state of invincibility and arrogance. The process of graffiti is urgent and on the fly. I approach nearly all my backgrounds in the same way, passionate and a calculated haste to encourage happy accidents.

Obstacle Movers, 12" x 12", mixed media on board

BS: With that in mind, what is your opinion of graffiti art, and street art in general, today? For example, do you think artists should avoid taking that path if they can? I only ask because I was recently reminded of the murder of SOLVE in Chicago. Or would you say that the danger, or possible danger, is just part of the experience?

BF: I would NEVER discourage the medium. Tragedies like SOLVE rarely happen but its part of the territory. No matter how you argue it, graffiti creates a volatile reaction out of anyone. Its not a grey area for opinion. The dangers of injury, jail, dumb ass joeys catching you and beating you to a pulp, and just the simple feeling of getting away with it are all very alluring. I eventually had to quit after being caught 6 times and my college education became in jeopardy. It will always remain in my blood and I still have the itch.

Prayer Telegrams, 24" x 24" acrylic on board. Image 4 of 33

BS: In 1998 you went from the streets to the classroom. You entered the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. At that time did you have doubts? Did you experience any form of conflict? Sometimes graffiti artists, or former graffiti artists if you will, mention that they feel as if they are boxed in when placed in a classroom or gallery setting, did you experience that?

BF: I seemed to flourish there. My education became very serious to me and I deeply applied myself to learn another world. Due to my graffiti nature, I had an attitude problem and lacked any sense of professionalism and discipline. Art school bitch slapped that off my face pretty quickly.

BS: My understanding is that you were very successful at Otis College… having graduated with a BFA at the top of your class in 2002. Can you go into further detail about those years and the influence they had on you? Did you have any influential instructors?

BF: Correction, one of the top in my department. The school nurtured my style(s) unconditionally and overwhelmingly. I did have a lot of friction with the chair of the department at that time. We disagreed on numerous type aesthetics, and contemporary design styles that were emerging out in popular culture that the department seemed to have no interest in. My two most influential instructors were Nathan Ota, and Nick Taggart. Both literally were instrumental fostering my techniques and style.

Guerillas in the Fist -The Fierce Republic -Dining on the Wind, each 36" x 84 ", mixed media on paper and bamboo pole mounts

BS: As a designer you served as an Art Director for several magazines. I understand that you held a few Art Director positions while in college, correct? I assume that you learned a lot about the business aspect of art from those experiences? How did those experiences prepare you for that aspect of your career?

BF: Yes, I suppose thats what created an edgier side to me working already as a professional during school. Having that experienced prepared me to work with a staff and work under people, and realize I still have a lot to learn working with people.

BS: In 2003 you decided to be self-employed as a find artist and designer. Did you stop working as an Art Director at that time? At what point did you realize that you were ready to make that leap, so to speak?

BF: After getting fired the first time in my life, I found myself back into numerous portfolio meetings and having time to explore my own art. One gig lead to another where I was able to sustain myself eventually and began to paint furiously. I've worked as an art director on several projects since then. I've also turned down some very good full time job offers, these days I'm starting to reconsider it now that I've reestablished a balance between the industries and mediums I work in.

The Science of Retirement, 18" x 18", mixed media on board

BS: Concerning you art career I understand that you have expanded your studio in order to offer more design services, correct? Can you discuss what you offer? Do you have a website for that aspect of your career?

BF: We are still in development with most of them, but I am thrilled to see that we'll be launching our design website/company that will have a lot of meat on it from the number of projects I've been doing on the side. Later, we'll be launching a product site/store down the road.
BS: Your art involves visual narratives in that you include aspects of storytelling through the imagery that you include. For example, the faces in some of your work reminds one of tribal masks. There is also the fact that you sometimes call your characters “Templings” due to your interest in myths, shamanism, and the spiritual aspect of creating art. Can you discuss these aspects of your work?

BF: I‘ll answer with this, "Each of Blaine Fontana’s paintings is branded with his unique trademark of twisted and highly stylized figures. Often passive, and somber with a grin, Fontana has labeled these characters “Templings”, a fusion of two words, temple and being. Whether these beings are interpreted as people, gods, demigods, myths, shamans or your own reflection is up for interpretation. Neither male nor female they function as the face of a spiritual currency and ambiguity that heavily relates to the therapeutic intent of Blaine’s paintings. The Templing's also serve as the conduit of people’s emotions and memories around him and the studies he reads. Often these beings are similar, though it’s the richly textured and unique backgrounds that make literal information and colors intriguing juxtapositions free from linear storytelling different in each piece.

Many of the smaller tertiary images and renderings fill in the gaps for the theme and or concept of the work. They are usually graphic landscapes, generic people, numerical coding for actual dates, and dictation of streaming thought during the process of the art. It’s difficult to encapsulate the meaning of Blaine’s work since it is different each time. Each work possesses a microcosm of stories, myths, and beliefs intended only for that piece.

Fontana’s vision is influenced by religious myths, worldly folklore, and current social dynamics. Many cultures used and use art as a form of “medicine”, as a way of illustrating the visions of the shaman to the rest of the community. On the cusp of Blaine’s pursuit of developing his technique, he suffered a very personal & torturous experience. Out of this passage came some profound visions and clarity, which propelled him into a rapidly evolved way of viewing the world. This vision is the source of his eastern influences and spiritual language that can be recognized in his work.

Blaine’s techniques have roots form an array of places. Some of the most pertinent ones are graffiti, photography and graphic design. Having grown up amongst acres of forests surrounding him and also growing up in the urban jungles of Seattle, WA, he got the best of both worlds. He developed an enormous imagination over the paths of two different environments. These are the polar opposites that create a harmonious balance of partnership, the inorganic and organic, the physical and metaphysical, order and chaos."

F8L, 12" x 12", mixed media on board

BS: So should your collective work be considered an ongoing visual narrative, so to speak? As in, do the stories from one piece carry on to the next or is that strictly open to interpretation by the viewer?

BF: Thats up for interpretation from the viewer. I don't try to hold onto to tight to linear storytelling. Usually my work is done in batches of series that relate with each other.

BS: Where do your ideas come from? For example, do you spend time doing research before starting a piece or do you work from intuition? Do you create preliminary drawings to work from based off of dreams? Can you describe how ideas ‘pop’ into your mind, so to speak?

BF: I wish I knew, if I did I would be able to tap into that more frequently. But in general, books, movies, and just sitting deep in thought will trigger something. I rarely use my dreams anymore as influence. I often will do extensive research for a series that needs to portray consistency.

BS: Tell us about your process? For example, the materials that you use.. What attracts you to the certain mediums and surfaces that you utilize? Also, do you work on several pieces at once or do you tend to focus on them one at a time?

BF: I'm usually working on about 3 painting at once. My materials vary. Acrylics, paper, stencils, designer texture brushes for faux finishes in homes, silk screens, spray paint, color pencil, oil sticks, masking tape, and house paint are some of the media I play with frequently, Depending on the theme or individual concept the project will tell me what materials are best suited for the creation.

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

BF: I'll let that be a surprise for my first solo show after a 2 year break that will be in LA in October 09'.

BS: Do you have any advice for emerging artists who dream of making a living from creating art as you have been able to do? Any words of wisdom?

BF: At this point I've exhausted myself answering this question so many times, I'll let aspiring artists figure it out the same way I did, on my own.

BS: What do you think about artists being labeled or classified. For example, many people describe you as a lowbrow artist. That said, what do you consider yourself? Do you try to avoid labels and classification or do you acknowledge it?

BF: I dislike labels, but they are a necessary evil to comprehend artwork for some people. If I had to classify myself, I would call it urban-contemporary.

Camper Ghosts, 18" x 18 ", mixed media on board

BS: Concerning the art world as a whole… do you have any concerns about the art world at this time? Any specific issues that you would like to draw attention to?

BF: I'm to young and feel I have not yet earned the right to call out such things in the artworld, get back to me in another 4 years after I've had 10 years under my belt.

BS: Where can our readers see your work in person? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

BF: See earlier for upcoming show, as for galleries, see:

www.cerasoli-lebasse.com (los angeles, USA)

www.yveslaroche.com (montreal, CANADA)

www.davidbsmithgallery.com (denver, USA)
www.distinctionart.com (escondido, USA)

BS: Finally, when all is said and done what do you hope people gain from your art? Is there a specific message that you strive to leave behind as far as your art is concerned?

BF: Its not up to me to steer peoples gains, nor can I control it, I would only hope they would feel closer to humanity, and contribute more to it.

You can learn more about Blaine Fontana by visiting his website-- www.blainefontana.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

www.nyaxe.com

Damien Hirst is Looking Ahead

Damien Hirst is Looking Ahead. Image via Portfolio

Damien Hirst is considered to be one of the most tactful artists living today as far as establishing a market is concerned. While the ethics of his practice can be debated one must admit that Hirst is a capable businessman-- his actions have enforced the idea that an artist can take his or her career into his or her own hands by utilizing alternative marketing paths, such as selling art online or at auction without the help of gallery representation. However, it may very well be that recent economic struggles have finally caught up to the world renowned British artist and his business model-- at least that is what the skeptics are saying. Could they be wrong?

The media has reported on several stories that reveal the current status of the ‘dismal’ financial situation facing Damien Hirst. For example, there are reports that Hirst has dismissed 20 to 24 assistants from his production company. Further reports include information stating that only two of eight works by Hirst sold at Art Basel Miami Beach less than a month ago. However, one must remember that Hirst has been making his own rules as of late-- so it could be that he does not care about these recent losses. After all, Hirst is by no means a starving artist.

As mentioned, Damien Hirst is a very business-minded artist. Before counting Hirst out realize that he recently lowered his own prices. In fact, Hirst has stated that he is looking forward to selling his work for affordable rates within the context of recent global economic woes. He has already reduced the price of some works by half. Hirst has also said that he is looking at more realistic prices in general. Thus, it seems to me that Hirst is learning as he goes. When faced with a tough market one must learn to adapt, true?

Hirst is aware of this. As a businessman and entrepreneur he is very aware of what is needed in order to sustain his market during stages of economic strife. Hirst recently stated, "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." Thus, you can't measure the success of Damien Hirst with traditional concepts of art world success. After all, Hirst is exploring different markets in order to sustain his art dynasty, so to speak.

Do you need an example of how committed Damien Hirst is to exploring the market for his art? 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. The prices will start at $100 for tees and $250 for jeans. Hirst will utilize aspects of ecommerce when selling his line of clothing. Needless to say, Hirst is an artist who is prepared to brave the new frontier of the art market.

So what can we learn from Damien Hirst? Simple. When demand is down an artist must adapt to the art market as well as the global economy. As with any business... traditional models of commerce are meant to be broken.

Links of Interest:

Has Hirst’s Bubble Burst? [Portfolio]

Damien Hirst, of $100 Million Diamond Skull, Sees Prices Slump [Bloomberg]

Hirst Market in Decline, Say Researchers [ArtInfo]

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com

www.nyaxe.com

Left 4 Dead is Right 4 Censors

Apparently the cover art for a video game titled Left 4 Dead has been censored outside of the United States. Left 4 Dead is a survival horror first-person shooter that follows the story of four survivors of an apocalyptic pandemic. In other words, the Left 4 Dead game borrows heavily from George Romero’s classic film, Night of the Living Dead.

The United States cover depicts the hand of a zombie (victim?) reaching up-- the thumb having been bitten off. Apparently censors in Europe and Japan observed the cover art-- the missing thumb-- as “too grotesque for the general public.” Needless to say, the thumb has been returned on cover art for the European and Japanese version of Left 4 Dead.

So why am I mentioning this on a blog dedicated to art? First, cover art for a video game is art-- depending on who you ask. Second, I find it interesting when cover art is censored-- especially outside of the United States. The US often has a bad reputation for censorship. So it is interesting that this cover art has been censored elsewhere.

Consider this an open debate about art and censorship.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Banksy Splashed Out in Melbourne

Banksy Splashed Out in Melbourne

A work attributed to the world renowned graffiti artist known as Banksy has been destroyed in Melbourne, Australia. The image, known as the ‘Little Diver’, had been protected by a sheet of acrylic glass since 2007. Unfortunately, the sheet provided little defense against the individual(s) who destroyed the image in earlier this month.

The original image, which was stenciled in 2003, is no longer visible due to “vandals” pouring silver paint behind the protective sheet of acrylic glass. The destructive individuals then tagged ‘Banksy woz ere’ on the protective sheet. It was estimated that Little Diver-- before being destroyed-- was valued at over $400,000.

The defacement of ’Little Diver’ reminds one of the notorious Splasher who has been targeting works by Banksy, Anthony Lister, and other graffiti / street artists in New York City since late 2006. Could it be that Melbourne has their own ’Splasher’ now? Perhaps.

Some individuals have suggest that the destruction of famous graffiti / street works has become an art movement in its own right. There are also a number of conspiracy theories floating around-- such as individuals protecting their investment by having specific public works destroyed. In truth, we may never know why people to decide to destroy these works.

News of destroyed works by celebrated graffiti artists and popular street artists are becoming common place. Banksy is not the only target-- street works by Shepard Fairey are becoming a popular target as well. These stories are often filled with irony. For example, why is it that the destroyers of the work are considered ‘vandals’ by the media? After all, in most cases these artists create their art in areas that are considered illegal to do so. Thus, one could say that their art walks hand-in-hand with vandalism. Perhaps fame and a price tag dictates what is vandalism and what is not? Thoughts?

Link of Interest:

The Splasher
http://www.myartspace.com/blog/2007/05/art-space-news-splasher.html

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Advice for promoting and selling your art online

Below are some suggestions on how to improve your online presence-- these suggestions can be helpful in planning your strategy for promoting and selling art online:

1. Post links to your art!

Include a link to the art site(s) that you are using on every profile that you have-- every site that you are involved with. For example, if you have a profile on www.myspace.com or www.facebook.com make sure to include links to the sites where your artwork can be found. Thus, if you have an account on www.myartspace.com be sure to include that link on your Facebook or Myspace profile. If you are managing a New York Art Exchange (www.nyaxe.com) store from your myartspace account be sure to include your store link on those sites as well.

You will also want to include a link to your art on every post that you make-- be it a blog entry or comment on social networking sites. Be sure to include links on any email message you send or reply to. You can even use html code in order to place something like 'View My Art Here' or 'Buy My Art Here' on your profiles so that people will click on 'View My Art Here' or 'Buy My Art' in order to be taken to the site you desire people to view.

2. Build multiple online networks to promote your art!

Build networks on sites like Myspace and Facebook. By building networks on several social networking sites you will be able to use each of those sites as a vehicle for your art. Most of these sites will allow you to send links to several people at once in the form of bulletins, shared links, or group messages. Take advantage of that! However, don’t abuse it. You don’t want the site to mistake you for a spammer nor do you want to annoy people. Sending a weekly update about your development as an artist will suffice. If you are selling art online you may want to inform your networks of new listings. Maintaining social networks is a great way to reach hundreds or thousands of people at once.

3. Write about your art!

Use a service like www.blogger.com or www.livejournal.com in order to create a blog/journal about your art. Post entries about your art, exhibits that you will be involved with, and your thoughts about the direction of your work-- include links to your artwork on every entry that you make be it a comment to another user or a journal entry about what you ate last night. Do the same on any art site that you are involved with if they offer blogs or journals. As mentioned before, it is always good to end an entry with your name followed by the links you desire to promote.

Remember that you don't always have to write about yourself. Anything you mention in an entry can help improve your placement in search engines. If you associate yourself with a specific artist, style, or movement be sure to write about that and the connection you feel that you have. By doing that your name may show up on searches for those respected influences on search engines like Google. Again, by including your name and links to your art on these entries you will greatly improve your search placement. In other words, each entry will help improve your online presence. Remember that establishing your online presence will improve your chance of selling art online.

4. Alternative press is a good thing-- Seek it!

Seek out art zines that may feature your work online. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of these to discover-- and don't dismiss art blogs! As you can tell by my interviews(www.myartspace.com/interviews) artists from all walks of life and stages of career have found value in what bloggers, such as myself, can provide as far as exposure is concerned. I've interviewed artists who are virtually unknown and artists who have had their work sell for over a million dollars at auction. These artists may not share artistic direction or financial status, but they all share an acknowledgment of what online exposure can accomplish and a desire for the recognition that the Internet can provide.

Many art bloggers will be more than happy to make a post about your art if you contact them. Sure, you may desire to be covered by a major art magazine... but until that day comes-- if it comes --the art blogosphere is the next best thing-- if not the best! An art blog article, review, or interview can bring a continuous flow of traffic to your website for years to come if you include links to your art. In other words, an article about your art on an art blog will most likely be viewed by more people than an article about your art in a magazine. Recognition is just a few clicks away! The times have changed.

5. Combine efforts, work together with fellow artists!

Forming an alliance of sorts with like-minded artists can benefit you greatly as far as online exposure is concerned. If you admire the art of your friends be sure to include a link to their work on your profiles and make sure that they do the same. Working together you may decide to create a profile, blog, or website that represents all of the artists involved in the group. A page that includes links to each respected members art is of great value-- especially if each member includes that link along with their personal art links when posting on the sites they are involved with.

Art groups have popped up all over the net alongside self-declared art movements. Artists unified under a common goal-- in many cases exposure for each member --have worked with great success on auction sites and other online resources. There are other benefits to a union like this... for example, if you are unable to find time to go online you will know that your name is still being spread by your friends. Gaining exposure online can sometimes be a battle... it may very well be a fight that is best not fought alone.

6. Find the time to promote your art online!

Some individuals feel that the Internet is an addiction best left avoided. However, if you want to gain exposure for you art-- both online and offline --you really need to find enough time to promote yourself. Spend some time each day posting links to your art, uploading images of your art, commenting on the work of others and building networks on the sites you are involved with. A half hour of concentrated promotion of your art each day will really pay off as the years go by. After-all, you can't build your online presence if you are not online.

One of the best ways to promote your art online is to maintain a blog that is focused on your artistic practice and interest. If you are actively writing about your art on a blog you will be able to take advantage of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In other words, you will increase your chances of being indexed by search engines. Again, this is time well spent.

7. Avoid throwing money away on 'how-to' art marketing books!

Don't waste your time and money on 'how-to' books that are focused on gaining exposure for your art online. I'm sure there might be some that are worth your time and cash, but I've yet to find any. That money is better spent elsewhere for your online marketing/exposure efforts. For example, you could spend the money on website construction or a premium account on www.myartspace.com. There are many online art communities... find the one that works best for you.

I've mentioned my dislike for 'how-to' art marketing publications in the past and have received some delightfully angry responses from authors of these types of books. Why do I say to avoid them? Because they are often over-priced for the information they contain-- information that is often not current with the times and that contains 'helpful' links that are no longer active... which is not very helpful at all-- especially when a $19.95 price-tag is involved!

I take this position because if you do a Yahoo or Google search for 'art marketing advice' or 'gaining exposure for your art online' you will most likely discover everything mentioned in these books and more-- for free. True, those books may contain personal experiences that the author has had researching (note, researching) online marketing and exposure tactics, but more often than not you will discover that the author is not an artist and therefore has not had any direct experience marketing or gaining exposure for art online.

Many of these books are also written by authors who have a business motive hidden within the pages of their book-- that being their $100+ per month art consultant service which is often mentioned in one of the final chapters. This is why I take a hard stance against these books and in many cases their authors-- and before you say that I have a motive note that I make it very clear that I write for www.myartspace.com. Also note that you did not have to pay $19.95 to discover that fact. Also remember that membership on myartspace is free. Premium service on myartspace is just an option.

Instead of buying a collection of art marketing books you would be better off researching online art marketing and exposure on your own. Discussing marketing and exposure tactics with other artists that you meet online is also a great way to discover free information about promoting your art online. The only thing it will cost you is the price of internet connection and time.

In closing, there are many things you can do to promote your art online. Each step can improve your chances of selling art online. This includes, creating free accounts on every art site that offers free membership, creating a blog or two about your art, using social networking sites to build a network, posting links to your art on art forums, and if you must invest money, invest it in a personal website or paid-membership on an art site that you deem worthy of your hard earned bucks.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Act / React

Happy Holidays everyone!

If you're anywhere in the Midwest and near the Milwaukee area this season, I highly recommend scooting over to the Milwaukee Art Museum before the Act/React exhibition comes down. It's an inspiring display of the possibilities with interactive media in art, and is only up for the next few weeks. Below is a review I penned for Rhizome a couple of months ago.

Action, Reaction, and Phenomenon


Image: Daniel Rozin, Snow Mirror, 2006. Computer, custom software, video camera, projector, silk. Dimensions variable. Edition of 6. (Courtesy of bitforms gallery, New York, and ITP, Tisch School of the Arts, New York.)

In his book, Parables for the Virtual, Brian Massumi calls for "movement, sensation, and qualities of experience" to be put back into our understandings of embodiment. He says that contemporary society comprehends bodies, and by extension the world, almost exclusively through linguistic and visual apprehension. They are defined by their images, their symbols, what they look like and how we write and talk about them. Massumi wants to instead "engage with continuity," to encourage a processual and active approach to embodied experience. In essence, Massumi proposes that our theories "feel" again. "Act/React," curator George Fifield's "dream exhibition" that opened at the Milwaukee Art Museum on October 4th, picks up on these phenomenologist principles. He and his selected artists invite viewer-participants to physically explore their embodied and continuous relationships to each other, the screen, space, biology, art history and perhaps more.

Fifield is quick to point out that all the works on show are unhindered by traditional interface objects such as the mouse and keyboard. Most of them instead employ computer vision technologies, more commonly known as interactive video. Here, the combined use of digital video cameras and custom computer software allows each artwork to "see," and respond to, bodies, colors and/or motion in the space of the museum. The few works not using cameras in this fashion employ similar technologies towards the same end. While this homogeneity means that the works might at first seem too similar in their interactions, their one-to-one responsiveness, and their lack of other new media-specific explorations -- such as networked art or dynamic appropriation and re-mixing systems -- it also accomplishes something most museum-based "state of the digital art" shows don't. It uses just one avenue of interest by contemporary media artists in order to dig much deeper into what their practice means, and why it's important. "Act/React" encourages an extremely varied and nuanced investigation of our embodied experiences in our own surroundings. As the curator himself notes in the Museum's press release, "If in the last century the crisis of representation was resolved by new ways of seeing, then in the twenty-first century the challenge is for artists to suggest new ways of experiencing...This is contemporary art about contemporary existence." This exhibition, in other words, implores us to look at action and reaction, at our embodied relationships, as critical experience. It is a contemporary investigation of phenomenology.

Near the entrance of the show, Scott Snibbe's Boundary Functions (1998) begins by literalizing the fine line between publicly constructed and personally constituted space, between "you (plural)" and "me." As his audience members cross the threshold onto the interactive platform, the work draws and projects a real-time Voronoi diagram around them. No matter how many people are present (and moving) in the installation, each gets a continual partitioning of exactly the same size: lines that separate them. Snibbe says his initial inspiration for the work came out of a desire to reveal how we relate to one another, how we define ourselves and the physical space of our bodies through, and with, those around us. When he turned it on, however, his revelation wound up changing that relationship itself: we immediately want to use our bodies to trap or destroy or trick the piece and what it re-presents. It was after seeing his own creation in action that Snibbe began referring to himself as a "social artist" -- given that he doesn't just reveal, but actually affects, social behavior.

Image: Scott Snibbe, Deep Walls, 2003. Retroreflective fabric screen, projector, video camera, infrared illuminator, computer, custom software. (Photo: Installation view at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California, 2003. Courtesy of the artist.)

Further into the exhibition space, this is followed by Snibbe's Deep Walls (2003), where viewers' shadows are recorded and played back in a grid of sixteen cinematic squares. Participants dance and shake and explore with their shadows between the projection and screen, and every active performance snippet is stored as a silhouetted animation in one of its comic book-like boxes. Each video sequence replaces one that was there before. Here, we are creating embodied and dynamic signs within a greater, collaborative structure; we continuously find and make our own language and meaning with and through our bodies. We tell and re-tell and co-tell embodied stories, through movement.

Echo Evolution (1999) is the next work on show, produced by Liz Phillips, an artist effectively working with interactivity for 40 some-odd years. It asks for viewers to navigate through a large dark room, and responds with real-time noise and neon lights. Where you move, how quickly you do so, and where others are in relation to you and the space, all direct the piece's output. Although potentially the richest piece in its complexity, the non-transparency of the interaction and its rules unfortunately made this work the weakest on the exhibition. Most viewers were trying to understand how it worked, rather than exploring their bodies in relation to that interaction. I've seen far better installations by Phillips, and think this one was an ineffectual choice in the context of the greater show.

Image: Brian Knep, Healing Pool, 2008. Computer, custom software, video projectors, video cameras, vinyl flooring. Dimensions variable. (Photo by Nathaniel Stern)

Brian Knep's premiering Healing Pool (2008) continues his explorations of biologically inspired generative algorithms. This room-sized petri dish features a floor that is covered in projected "cells" that active participants walk through/over, leaving tears and empty space in their wake. The installation then "heals" itself by growing new cells as seams and scars, never again to repeat any of its previous patterns. Knep's work pushes at the conceptual boundaries of how we understand growth, healing, organic structures and temporal inter-activity. It's a work that is mostly playful on its surface, and extremely subtle in its visual difference over time. So subtle, in fact, that it's very easy to miss its doubled gesture towards emergence theory: both how simple systems can create complexity, and how our embodied interactions, which seemingly change little, have lasting and forever-changing effects.

Daniel Rozin, Peg Mirror, 2007. Wood, motors, circuits, custom software, microcontroller. 42 inches in diameter; 6 inches deep. Edition of 10. (Photo by Nathaniel Stern)

Daniel Rozin's two pieces were admittedly the most surprising for those already familiar with his work. His investigation of material mirror metaphors began in 1999 with Wooden Mirror, where over 700 individual wood chips in a grid point up and down on servo motors, towards and away from lights above, in order to create a real-time video image, a live woodcut. In the preview images of "Act/React," his Peg Mirror (2007) and Snow Mirror (2006) looked like minor variations on this original theme: the former in lower resolution and with rotating and slanted wooden pegs, the latter a video software projection which slowly reveals our images in what looks like falling snow. But the subtle temporal difference in Rozin's new work opens up the possibility for more contemplative embodied investigation. In Peg Mirror, for example, the slow rotation of each individual pixel means that there is a lovely and material lag that trails off behind everything we do. It is less of a direct response, and more of a call and response with our reduced, or distilled, image. Our engagement is continuous. Snow Mirror, then, also breaks direct mirroring by building an image over time, with "external" forces -- the snow. Its movements define our movements, and vice versa. These beautiful pieces are the strongest I've seen from Rozin yet.

Image: Janet Cardiff, To Touch, 1993. Wooden carpenter's table, electronic photo cells, audio speakers. Dimensions variable. (Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York.)

Next, Janet Cardiff's To Touch (1994) adds a wonderful counterpoint to Snibbe's Deep Walls. Instead of her visitors constituting new narratives with their bodies, they elicit and construct two lovers’ stories with their physical touch. Each participant is invited to draw out and feel monologues and aural moments, her main characters revealing history when we glide over the surface of a well-lived carpenter’s table. As our hands caress the grain, marks and dents of the wood, her multi-channel sound installation proffers tidbits of story to contemplate. Cardiff is a master at creating physiological responses to minimal sonic and/or visual information, and this piece is no exception.

And finally, Camille Utterback's External Measures (2003), Untitled 5 (2004) and Untitled 6 (2005) summarize the entire show by inviting an embodied investigation of art, art history and art-making itself. Here, visitors' movements under a birds-eye view camera can create, smudge or magnetically and magically attract scores of painterly marks across her screen-as-canvas. These stunning software paintings each encourage explorations of material and presence, with varying styles and application methods to their surface. The complexity of Utterback's software, which is crafted to respond to stillness as well as movement, to continuously shift with every new interaction, is matched only by the simplicity of her interface: the body. This is art about art and artists, images and image production, signs and bodies; it asks us to engage with how we express and represent, and how we relate to each of these embodied processes. It is a beautiful series of works about the art of embodiment, and the embodiment of art.

For as Massumi points out, "When a body is in motion, it does not coincide with itself. It coincides with its own transition: its own variation... In motion, a body is in an immediate, unfolding relation to its own... potential to vary." The body, like art and the bodies and dialogues that surround it, is "an accumulation of relative perspectives and the passages between them... retaining and combining past movements," continuously "infolded" with "coding and codification." Fifield and his selected artists invite us to engage, enact and explore all of the above.

"Act/React" runs through January 11, 2009 at the Milwaukee Art Museum, and includes a full-color printed and DVD catalogue, in collaboration with Aspect Magazine. Remaining events include a lecture by Steve Dietz on 16 October, an artist talk by Amy Granat on 13 November, and gallery talks throughout the rest of the year. http://mam.org/

Nathaniel Stern (USA / South Africa, born 1977) is an experimental installation and video artist, net.artist, printmaker and writer. He currently pursues an arts research PhD at Trinity College, Dublin and is an Assistant Professor of Digital Studio Practice at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. http://nathanielstern.com

how to gain exposure for your art online

How to gain exposure for your art online

It is common for me to receive dozens of questions each month concerning advice on how to develop or improve online presence. There are many artists who want to improve exposure for their art by utilizing the Internet. The problem is that most do not know how to do it efficiently. True, there are many books about this subject on the market. However, there is also a world of information online that one can obtain without cost. It all starts with a simple search.

Search ‘online exposure for art’, ‘how to gain exposure for your art online’, or any number of combinations and you will most likely find some useful information. Google searches for ‘art business’, ‘art market’, or simply ‘online exposure’ can also be helpful. Below I will provide some general advice about obtaining exposure and creating presence online for your art.

One of your main goals will be to obtain traffic to your personal art website or the profiles that you have created on online art communities such as www.myartspace.com. This is a task that will involve some organization if you desire to do it well. Thus, be prepared to spend 15 minutes to an hour each day updating specific online efforts and posting links. The sacrifice of time is minimal when compared to what can be achieved.

Many artists make the mistake of thinking that the effort involved in gaining exposure and presence online is a one trick pony. These artists will create profiles on select online art communities or create a personal website thinking that alone will build their online presence. They create a personal site and online art community profiles-- but fail to update or promote them. Again, that tactic is a one trick pony that will have mediocre results at best. It is kind of like going to the gym only to leave shortly after setting up equipment. In other words, creating a personal website or online art community profile is just the starting point.

True, those minimal efforts will certainly help with online exposure and presence, but it is not an efficient way to establish yourself online if you allow them to gather cyber dust, so to speak. In order to receive a steady flow of traffic to your art online you must spread your links like wildfire on the World Wide Web. There are several ways to go about it. For example, if you visit an online forum you will want to include a link to your main art site at the end of any comment you make. Often there will be a space provided for the URL. If so, use it! This goes for Myspace bulletins, Facebook messages, Livejournal entries, blog comments… and so on.

You can also take advantage of email. When you write or reply to someone you will want to include links below your name at the bottom of your message. That will hopefully spur curious readers to visit your personal website or the profiles you have on online art communities. Email can be a powerful tool for gaining exposure. Especially if you establish an e-letter in order to keep family, friends, past buyers and other interested individuals current about your art practice, exhibits, and updated about your website and online efforts.

My point in all of this is that you can't simply create a personal website or community profile for your art thinking that the site(s) alone will do all the work for you. True, having your work on any site will bring visitors to your art, but you need to do some work yourself in order to maximize that traffic. You need to have your name and links to your art on as many sites as possible. You need to pass those links on whenever the opportunity arises. Remember that there is nothing wrong with promoting who you are and what you do. There is no room to be shy-- especially when we are talking about the internet.

On a side note, artists also need to think about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). That is a topic that I will go into further detail about in the near future.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Pop Goes the Art World Bubble

Lately I have been thinking about the current state of the art market. It goes without saying that the art market is in for some rough times. I’m by no means an expert on the subject, but I must say that I could see this happening. The bubble did not burst in the way I had expected-- I don‘t think anyone could foresee these dire times, but I did stress the fact that certain aspects of the art world had been walking a fine line.

Today the bubble is gone. It popped months ago. The question is… what will be the result when everything is said and done? How will the various aspects of the art world restructure after having been dealt a hard economic blow? Many have taken a Darwinist view of the situation in that they feel that the ‘best of the best’ will survive this storm-- the best artists and art dealers. You can see this opinion expressed on art blogs, art forums, and elsewhere. What are your thoughts on this issue? Who are the 'best'? Do any of you view the recent chaos in a positive light?

The following is an excerpt from a post I made in 2007 titled I’d Hate to Burst Your Bubble:

“True, there has been record-breaking sales of art in 2007. It seems that the art market has finally overcome obstacles that had left the market in question for several years. However, I'm nervous as to how much longer this can occur before there is another slump. Slumps in the art market tend to trickle down the chain of art sales. When the market is good it is good for every artist- when it is bad... it is bad. When it is bad... even the most established artist can have a hard time selling his or her work.

Many younger artists, who are not really established yet, are fetching up to $20,000 for their works according to collectors who frequent fairs like Art Basel. This is due to the market at this time. If the art market were to fall it would cause many of these younger artists to get caught in the process- which could lead to young careers being stamped out before they even started. The current market is reminding people of the bubble of the 1980s market and history teaches us that it can burst at any moment.

I'm not suggesting that a young artist should not price his or her work high. However, young artists need to think in the long-term about their careers. Fetching a few high prices now is great, but what if the 'bubble' around the current art market were to pop? Where would that leave them? It is hard to go from fetching $20,000 to just a few thousand per piece. One would do that at the risk of offending collectors who had purchased their work for higher prices. In other words, I'd hate to burst your 'bubble'... just be careful.

The art market looks great at this time. A young artist can throw caution to the wind, right? Just remember that in the wind a bubble can only be carried so far before it finally pops. That is a situation that leaves a young artist who is not established with only one direction to go- Down. Don't get caught in the 'pop'.”

View the complete article from 2007 by clicking, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Art + Politics = Press

The Cavity Search by Bruce Elliott

Do you remember the painting depicting Republican Vice President hopeful Sarah Palin in the nude during the 2008 election? You know-- the painting that grabbed the attention of national news coverage simply due to its subject? Remember? Well, the man behind the painting, Bruce Elliott, has decided to place another politician in an awkward situation. His subject-- Governor Rod Blagojevich from Illinois.

Elliott’s recent painting, which is already receiving press in Chicago, depicts a nervous Governor Rod Blagojevich (Democrat) with a prison jumpsuit pulled down to his knees. In the painting Blagojevich is positioned as if he is looking at the viewer as a guard stands near wearing a rubber glove. The painting, titled “The Cavity Search”, pokes fun at Blagojevich‘s potential future if he is found guilty of attempting to sell Barack Obama‘s former seat in Illinois. The Governor from Illinois is currently caught in the throws of scandal over the issue.

The artist has stated that he created the painting because the criminal complaint against Blagojevich “stunned” him. He has went on to say that he did it to appease individuals who criticized him for having painted Sarah Palin in the nude. I think it is safe to say that he painted it because he has found the golden ticket for gaining news coverage within the current political climate.

So what is the point in subjecting my readership to The Cavity Search? Simple. I find it disappointing that the mainstream media is so quick to latch on to works that focus on political figures or political scandals-- especially when said works would not be relevant otherwise. I don’t want to be too harsh on Bruce Elliott and his paintings, but I don’t find them to be overly skillful and I think the mainstream media is doing a huge disservice by throwing artworks like The Cavity Search into the spotlight.

Perhaps Bruce Elliott should take a lesson from Shepard Fairey, the artist behind the iconic image of Obama titled HOPE which was 'inspired' by Alberto Korda's famed shot of revolutionary Che Guevara, and ‘reference’ a better image before creating his own work. Elliott could take it a step further and follow Shepard Fairey’s knack for infringing on the copyright of political artists from the past without giving credit where credit is due-- as Fairey did by exploiting the posters of Felix René Mederos Pazos without permission from the Mederos estate. Or maybe, just maybe, the mainstream media can learn a few things about art-- and the artists behind the work-- before reporting on it.

Is this the ‘new art’ fueled by Obama’s campaign that so many of my peers have been writing about at length? We all know that Shepard Fairey’s image of Obama titled HOPE-- with a steady flow of media attention-- spearheaded this ‘revolution‘. All I can say is that the one good thing about revolutions is that they are normally short. Until that time I suppose artists like Bruce Elliott will continue to ride this wind of change-- and easy media.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

My Art Advice: Contacting an Art Dealer by Email

If you read this blog you know that I sometimes give advice on what artists should not do. I know, I know, we are all focused on what we should do-- like gaining exposure online, social networking, and creating the best art that we can. However, many artists make simple mistakes that can reflect poorly on their professionalism. An example of this is contacting an art dealer whom you don’t know personally in the hopes of gaining gallery representation. Edward Winkleman, a gallery owner and art blogger from New York, recently posted a perfect example of why artists should not contact art dealers by email in this manner. Winkleman handled the situation well in that he could have criticized the artist harshly for sending random solicitation. To read the story please visit Edward Winkleman’s blog, HERE .

It does not surprise me that an artist would contact Ed out of the blue. It happens to art dealers often and is commonly viewed as desperation. As Winkleman points out, the action sends a red flag message that the artist in question may be more trouble than he or she is worth-- professionally speaking. After all, art dealers are like anyone else in that they don’t want to take on the extra burden of an artist who is desperate or insecure. In other words, it is not an art dealers business to improve the esteem of a hopeful artist.

As I’ve mentioned before this issue is very delicate. Most people, including art dealers, don’t want to offend someone concerning the caliber-- or lack thereof-- of their art. Thus, contacting an art dealer without knowing him or her creates an awkward situation for both the art dealer and the artist. Most art dealers are likely not to respond to the unsolicited message-- which furthers the doubt the artist may have for his or her art. Unfortunately, lack of response spurs some artists to send even more unsolicited message. It is a lose-lose situation for the artist. In other words, this form of solicitation is almost always met with failure. Therefore, it is important for artists to not give in to the urge.

Most artists desire to be represented by a gallery-- specifically a gallery in New York. With that said, there is a key step to remember when pursuing gallery representation-- be it in New York City or anywhere else for that matter. So what is this step? Simple. An artist will want to attend openings at the gallery he or she is interested in. The artist will want to learn everything he or she can about the gallery-- attending exhibit openings can be one of the best ways to do that. Thus, it is a good idea to take that step before contacting anyone at the gallery by email.

While attending exhibit openings you will want to keep an eye out for the type of work that is displayed at the gallery. If possible, try to speak with artists who are already exhibited at the gallery and be friendly to the gallery staff. You want to become a familiar face without being overly familiar-- such as sending an email that is doomed for failure. In a sense, you want to know exactly what you are hoping to get yourself into-- you want to know if it is right for you. Simple conversations can help you to find out if you are right for the gallery and visa versa.

As I have mentioned on this blog before, getting to know people and being friendly I does not mean that you should go up and say, "I really like this space. Are they looking for new talent?" or "Can you get me in here, my work is great!" to everyone you meet! Just enjoy yourself... be yourself-- leave the 'I'm a brooding artist' or 'I'm better than this place' persona at the door. If needed imagine yourself as a ronin observing the force that you are interested in joining. In other words, silence is a virtue and speaking when spoken to-- or when the opportunity arises-- is always a good tactic.

In time you can slide the fact that you are an artist into the conversation, but keep it short. Business cards that contain a link to your personal website or accounts that you have on art sites like www.myartspace.com can come in handy if a conversation goes well-- be prepared! Don’t be afraid to ask for the art dealers card after you have become a somewhat familiar face. You may even want to ask him or her if it is OK for you communicate by email just to observe the reaction on his or her face. Just remember that fake smiles are often a business trait of the profession. If you don’t believe me simply attend an art fair as a member of the press and you will know exactly what I’m talking about.

As mentioned before on this blog, the question of when to contact an art dealer by email reminds me that the world wide web is sometimes a double-edged sword for artists just as much as it is for anyone else. On one side you can cut yourself short by annoying galleries and other exhibiting venues by emailing them random information about your work. On the other side you can carve out your career by building your presence online. In regards to this question, be careful which way you swing the blade-- especially if you are just starting out. Artists want to land gallery representation, but that does not mean that every gallery wants to be baited by a thousand emails from hopeful emerging artists each day-- yep, you are not the only one contacting them.

Before you send a random email to a gallery about your art remember that there might be hundreds of other artists doing the same thing at the same time. What will happen? You will most likely have your email marked as spam or blocked. If you are not blocked and you continue to send messages about your work you will most likely become an inside joke at the gallery rather than land representation. I’ve seen that happen. Worst case scenario... you will annoy the person on the other end and they will end up telling their associates about you. Word can travel fast and in the art world-- even on the most basic level --everything is about presence. You want to put your best foot-- and face since you will be attending exhibit openings-- forward. You do not want to create obstacles by sending an unsolicited email message. Annoying gallery owners can be career suicide depending on the status of the gallery and the disposition of the owner.

Artists often forget that a gallery is a business. In fact, the business side of being an artist shares some similarities with the business of running a gallery. For example, an artist tends to not want someone to barge into his or her studio-- the same can be said for art dealers who are just as focused on their work. An artist probably does not want to deal with unsolicited email messages and the same goes for art dealers. Remember that an art dealer does not display art simply for the viewing pleasure of visitors. No, the art dealer has paychecks to write and lights to keep on-- it is a business just like any other. While it is true that galleries need artists to run their business, you need to remember that they already have a stable of artists-- they need art, but that does not mean that they need your art.

You might be thinking, " If that is the case, why do the galleries have their email listed if they don't want artists to contact them?". Do you want the truth? In most cases a gallery has their email listed for two reasons. 1.) They can send out exhibit information to their email list from that account. 2.) A random collector can write to them with questions about an artist that the gallery represents-- though most will call the gallery before writing them. Having an email address listed does not mean that the gallery is offering an open invitation to hopeful artists. In fact, the important email address are rarely listed on a gallery website.

There are always exceptions. Some galleries want artists to send examples of their work by email. Many of those galleries have ads in art publications stating that fact (just as galleries that do not want artists to send samples of their art by email will often have some fine print-- sometimes BIG print --stating that they do not read unsolicited messages under their contact information!!!). As stated, I think it is better for artists to attend openings at the gallery they are interested in instead of sending a desperate email to the gallery about their art and the possibility of representation. As I mentioned before, there could be thousands of artist worldwide sending emails to the gallery with the same desire. As artist wants to be a face in the crowd... not a random name listed in the galleries email inbox-- or trash bin for that matter.

Some of you might be saying, "But I live hundreds of miles away! Sending an email is my only option!". Well, if that is the case you might want to ask yourself if you want to be represented by a gallery that you can't visit in person at least once per month, especially if you are new to the scene. With a ton of luck your email effort might land you gallery representation, but if you are not able to actually visit the gallery you will not know if your work is actually in sight of gallery patrons or somewhere in a backroom waiting to be pulled out when-- and if --someone wants to view it. That is not to suggest that galleries are shady, but they do tend to cater to the needs of represented artists who can actually visit the gallery often. Thus, you might want to focus on exhibiting opportunities near you or at online venues that specialize in giving opportunities to artists who would otherwise be isolated.

Keep in mind that I'm mainly talking about city galleries. Rural galleries might have a different outlook on 'view my art' solicitation sent by email. With that said, I still think that getting to know more about a gallery in person, no matter where the gallery is located, is the best choice for an artist if he or she is seeking gallery representation. As always, I suggest seeking regional success before going after the big dogs. Yes, there are some advantages for artists who do not live in one of the hubs of the art world-- I'll save that for a later topic.

Also, remember that you do not exactly need to rely on brick & mortar galleries ... you can always represent yourself by utilizing sites like www.myartspace.com, www.youtube.com, and www.myspace.com as tools for exposure. Remember that most of the artists represented by Steve Lazarides (he represents Banksy and Mark Jenkins, among others.) started out by spreading their influence online. My point-- Don't sweat over gallery representation. Don’t make a fool of yourself or place yourself in an awkward position by contacting art dealers you don’t know personally. If gallery representation happens, it happens. If not you can always go it alone.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

For the Love of God: Damien Hirst Threatens Young Artist with Legal Action

A collage by Cartrain involving Damien Hirst's 'For the Love of God'

There has been some buzz about a situation involving a young British graffiti artist and Damien Hirst. Apparently the young artist, known as Cartrain, took a lesson from Banksy’s playbook-- he displayed one of his collages in the National Portrait Gallery under the nose of security and staff. So where does Damien Hirst come into play you ask? The collages by Cartrain, which the artist has sold as prints, involve a parody of Hirst’s ‘For the Love of God’. It seems that Hirst was not thrilled to discover that a young graffiti artist had profited from prints involving his copyright protected works.

The Design and Artists Copyright Society, of which Damien Hirst is a member, contacted Cartrain after receiving direct instructions from Hirst. The society informed the young artist that he had broken the law by infringing upon Hirst’s copyright. Hirst’s demands were clear-- he demanded the original works and the halt of sales with the threat of legal action. Hirst also demanded the profit that Cartrain had made from selling his collages and prints. Four works were confiscated by DACS from Cartrain’s gallery on November 12th. Reports state that Cartrain only earned about £200 from sales of the work.

People are defending the work of Cartrain by stating that appropriation is not theft. However, appropriation can be considered theft if the work is protected by copyright. It really boils down to a fine line decided by judge or jury. True, art schools and law have very different opinions about the implications of appropriation. In the case of Hirst’s work-- which is known worldwide-- one could make a case for parody within the protections of appropriation.

Damien Hirst is not the only internationally renowned artist waving the legal stick around these days. Shepard Fairey, the visual spearhead behind Barack Obama’s campaign, recently stated that he will take legal action against “bootleggers” who have “hijacked” his “style”. That said, I find it ironic that Damien Hirst would be upset over someone infringing upon his copyright considering that he has infringed upon the copyright of others. Damien Hirst and Shepard Fairey have two things in common-- they have both settled out of court due to infringing on the copyright of others and they have both threatened legal action against artists who have violated their protected works. The saying, “you reap what you sow”, comes to mind. Did I mention that Cartrain is 16 years old? ‘For the Love of God’-- Indeed.

Links of Interest:

‘Appropriation’ isn’t theft, Mr. Hirst

Damien Hirst 'threatened to sue teenager over alleged copyright theft'

How Damien disappointed us

With Barack Obama Posters Comes Fame

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Art Space Talk: Belinda Eaton

Belinda Eaton’s magic realism paintings and portraits evoke a world of colour, vivid characters, swirling spaces, uncontained energy that can’t be trapped by the limits of the canvas, images constantly on the move, living life, dancing, drinking, and eating. Within the canvas there are no boundaries of subject, perspective or reality, just the borrowings from all that she has been exposed to. Belinda Eaton graduated with a B.A. Fine Art from St.Martins School of Art, London, in 1983.

Face I by Belinda Eaton

Brian Sherwin: Belinda, you studied at St. Martin's School of Art in London. Can you discuss your academic years? Did you have any influential art instructors?

Belinda Eaton: I was very lucky to be at Art school in England at a time when all the colleges were Government funded. There were unlimited supplies of free art materials and fantastic courses. I was even luckier to have been selected by St Martins School of Art for both its amazing Foundation Course and then the Degree course, 4 years in total. The foundation course covered everything from sculpture, photography, fashion, painting and printmaking etc. You were given the opportunity to try everything and then you were able to make your choice as to which direction you would like to go. It was an absolutely great experience.

Two of my contemporaries were John Galliano and Peter Doig. This interaction between all the departments carried on into the degree course. The famous fashion department was influenced by the painting department, etc. it allowed a freedom of exploration and creativity to constantly grow and be explored rather than a narrowing down of discipline.

I decided to take my degree in Film making, which was a passion of mine, but found the course was focused on the minimalism of film, the abstraction and deconstruction of the medium rather than the content and imagery. So I transferred over to Fine Art and was drawn to the Printmaking department.

I did no painting at all at college, instead I immersed myself in acids and inks and metal plates, the world of etching. It absolutely fascinated me. Starting with a blackened metal plate covered in ground. Creating lines or areas that would be bitten into by acid, so many factors affecting the quality of line, so many serendipities and unpredictability's. To this day I prepare all my canvases with a blackened gesso. For me it's the experience of allowing the light and form to emerge from the dark. I actually cannot paint on a white ground. It freaks me out.

As for remembering my art instructors, St. Martins was very well known for the fact that all the tutors were well known artists. But at the time as a female, I found it a very sexist environment to be in and also very boozy and as I can't remember any of the tutors names l don't think they had a lasting impact on me. But that was my experience, not necessarily that of others.

Face II by Belinda Eaton

BS: You have stated that your paintings are your world, your fascination for people, plants, animals and color. You went on to say that they are how you perceive the energy of things. Can you go into further detail about this? Tell us more about the philosophy behind your art.

BE: Oh!... To try and identify my philosophy about my art would be like trying to contain energy. I try not to be too mind-full or intellectual about what I do. I have practiced mediation for over 20 years and feel the influences of that more and more in my work. Not so much in the content, but more in the approach, especially recently.

I start with a black canvas and I stand and start to paint. Always a face comes first and this informs the rest of the painting. The story unfolds. But more recently each brush stroke has got its own life. I am beginning to paint just looking at the colour rather than the form. It is being in the moment with the paint rather than projecting the finished painting. Very much like meditation.

The artist's block always come when one begins to think about what one is projecting, where is it going? Is it any good? What on earth am I doing? etc etc. To just be in the paint forgetting everything and really, the old cliché, letting the painting take over, it's so very true.

Face VI by Belinda Eaton

BS: I understand that you have traveled often. How have those travels shaped your artistic direction?

BE: This is a really interesting question. I think by constantly moving you can never really attach yourself (on a subconscious level) to anything. By being secure in one place it's very easy and comfortable to begin to identify with a group or culture and find your comfort zone within that. As a sort of nomad you take something from here and there, an impression, a sound, a smell. You collect references that become jumbled and mixed and lose their original context, to emerge in a new context.

Its just been a circumstance of my life that I have moved from country to country never staying longer than seven years and occasionally only a few years. I am currently on my longest stay which is here in Spain, nearly 9 years. Moving around, arriving finally in Barcelona with its sophistication and amazing architecture and then Almeria. In the middle of the desert where all the Spaghetti westerns were made with Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone along with many other films. It's a scarred landscape almost like a blank canvas, exposed and raw. And its here that I have built my studio and hopefully will end up staying a while.

But how has all this traveling shaped my work. It's the richness and newness of each culture. Always having to look with a new uninformed eye. From Pakistan , the amazing painted lorries, where every surface even the engines are painted and decorated. Old men with their flaming hennaed red hair and beards. India with all its colours with no restrictions. Africa where as a child everything was larger than life and colour again and amazing creatures and improbabilities like an elephant eating the roof where you were sleeping. Spain and its magic and superstitions, Easter processions of religious statues being walked through the village at night with thousands of candles and masked bearers in their sinister pointed hoods. Terrifying until they reach beneath their robes and throw out handfuls of sweets. The tomato throwing festival. New York with its thousands of different faces from every background. Its all layers and layers of colour, pattern, no rules, surprises and light. And I think this is how I paint.

Also, I think quite importantly, realizing each country has its own relationship with art. What Art is for them? What is good? etc. How the trends in art are so strong, especially in the West. Personally as a painter this period in time when up until recently painting has had very little value. That successful art has come from a very mindful intellectual space. To go to countries and have ones work received from a heart place has been quite amazing.

Gamblers by Belinda Eaton

BS: Can you discuss any symbolism in your paintings that reflect those experiences?

BE: No, I can't really. There is no conscious symbolism, but I am aware that I do use symbolism, I just haven't worked out how its symbolic to me. In my drawings and etchings there are always fishes in the sky. Certain patterns emerge again and again especially pomegranates, tattoos, eggs. I don't want to think about it really. And in 10 years I might have a deeper understanding of why l have used them, but it is not important now, as they are not conscious but subconscious.

BS: Can you go into further detail about some of your methods as far as your painting is concerned?

BE: As I have already mentioned, I prepare the canvas with a black ground and just begin to paint. If it's a more narrative painting, the face comes first and the story after. I paint in acrylics, which really suit me as I like to work fast and need to repaint an area over and over. I sometimes think if someone x-rayed one of my paintings they would be amazed at the layers and layers of colour and change of figure, composition etc. These layers are fantastic because an element of the lower colour always comes through somewhere and adds so much dimension. If the painting were planned out you would lose all this.


Also by painting in acrylic and liking to work wet on wet, you really have to work fast and then the painting becomes purely instinctive. I can spend weeks painting and then an hour painting over the whole painting and reworking it with completely fresh paint and it's finished. You lose all the agony and caution of those weeks and what's there is dynamic and fresh. This approach is really happening in my new large Faces. I add a dimension to this of turning the painting on its side or upside down whilst I am working. So I lose the image and really just focus on colour.

I use a large painter & decorators brush and just get very physical and dynamic. There is so much energy with each brush stroke, it's magic. It's also quite abstract and liberating. But then my obsession with layers and patterns comes in, and these begin to play with each other. So in a way there is an element of total freedom and then complete control. Hmm, interesting.

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

BE: No not really. If anything I think I am quite traditional and probably most influenced by the early Renaissance. I don't think I am inspired by any artists, but I find some artists truly inspiring. For example, I went to see Ron Mueck's exhibition at the National Gallery, London where he was the artist in residence. He creates these people who are so realistic but their proportions are different to real life. Take his 'Man in a Boat ', a roughly metre high naked old man sitting in a rowing boat. You could see every pore on his skin. The hair on his arms, the pink of the skin of his elbows, his small penis etc. etc. is quite amazing. They are alive. You expect them to breath, you are waiting to see their chests rise and fall, a pulse.

I find Rothko's work for me borders on the religious. They are possessed and quite spiritual and leave me in wonder. Paula Rego is an artist I really identify with. She paints her world, which has that magic realism and dreamlike quality, and at times a harsh brutality. She is so true to her self. Originally l went to live in New York in the early eighties because of Rap, Graffiti and Jean- Michel Basquiat. At the time his language was so new and refreshing as was rap and graffiti. I went to see Peter Doig,s exhibition at the Tate Britain and found it magical. You stand in front of his large snowscapes and the texture and colour are so charged and move into the realm of possessing their own life. There is a common theme through out the artists above, of work, which breathes a creative force of its own. I am really inspired by life around, people, nature, the layers and layers that make up life.
Tattoo Girl by Belinda Eaton


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


BE: I am currently working on much larger canvases and am really involved in the larger faces with the focus on colour, paint and the brush stroke. This is what's consuming me right now. Tomorrow I could be lead somewhere else. Again as I mentioned before, my work is purely instinctive and l try not to intellectualize too much about it which in turn would inhibit the freedom I search for within painting.


We all have our own relationships and motivations of why we create Art. I guess mine is to try and experience liberation with in the medium. I can get totally agonized by thinking of what to paint, where is it going etc, and months can pass by in this self-inflicted questioning and also criticism. A lot of artists I speak to all have this horrendous inner critic.

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

BE: Yes, I have a solo exhibition coming up in two weeks in Karachi, at the V.M. Gallery which is a great space. I had quite a few shows in Pakistan over 10 years ago and have wanted to go back. It is very, very, rewarding to show in the East. I think l have already mentioned how ones work is really received from the heart. I am also about to start a whole new body of work for a show I am hoping will come off in Paris.

Woman with Pomegranates II by Belinda Eaton

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?

BE: Yes it is apart of the process. As a painter you spend so much time on your own, isolated in your own little world, or lost in your own world. The process of showing is your emergence. somewhat terrifying and very vulnerable. I don't let anyone in my studio whilst I work. But hanging for a show is the first time you see all the work together, hanging and breathing. Then you can let go of it, really let go of it. The paintings are no longer a part of me and can start their own journeys.

I have had paintings in shows that are then taken on exhibition all around a country with out my knowing. They have their own lives. When I appeared on television on BBC 1, the response was amazing from all over the world. From the isolation of the studio to a conversation with the world via the internet. In the same way I love to see what happens to my images on the Internet, what people do and say about them, it's brilliant.

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

BE: About my Art? I actually think I have said too much, but thank you for giving me the opportunity. A dream would be to be involved in a project that would have some beneficial impact on the planet. Some project that would enable artists to use their creativity to help solve some of the environmental and social problems that exist.

You can learn more about Belinda Eaton by visiting her website-- www.belindaeaton.com. Belinda is also currently a member of the myartspace community--www.myartspace.com/belindaeaton. 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

Myartspace Announces London Calling Competition

Myartspace Announces London Calling

Myartspace is sponsoring a competition juried by a world class panel from The Tate Modern, The Hayward Gallery, and the Barbican Gallery all in London. Fifty finalists will be selected and three winners will have their work represented at SCREAM London in June 2009.

Inspired by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood’s own career as an internationally recognized artist, SCREAM touches shoulders with some of London’s most established art galleries in the traditional hub of the capital’s art market. SCREAM London is run by Tyrone Wood as curator. Notable guests and patrons have included Tracey Emin, Claire Danes, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Beverly Knight, Meg Mathews, and many others.

Competition Snapshot:

-Deadline for registration and submission is May 15, 2009.
-Competition is open to myartspace members. Membership is free.
-Registration fee is $50, but for early registration by March 31, 2009 the fee is $25.
-Those who register before December 31, 2008 will receive a free 3-month trial subscription to Premium Services.
-Very qualified jury panel to review your work.
-Fifty finalists will be selected and announced by the jury panel.
-Three winners will have their art represented at SCREAM London, in June 2009. Winners to be announced on May 31, 2009.

Summary:

myartspace, the premier online venue for the contemporary art world, is sponsoring a Juried competition. We want to represent three contemporary artists at a venue in London, England during June 2009. The competition, like others from myartspace, will have world-class jurors reviewing the work of the submissions. Fifty finalists will be selected and three winners will have their work represented at the show.

With over 50,000 members, and more than two years of history, myartspace has been a key force in the art industry at availing opportunity for its rapidly growing community. The myartspace community consists of artists, collectors, gallerists, art appreciators, educators, curators, art critics and many others. Membership to myartspace is free, and members can upload an unlimited amount of art work, music, video and audio narration.

For more information about London Calling visit,
www.myartspace.com/londoncalling

For more information about SCREAM London visit,
www.screamlondon.co.uk

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Frequently Asked Questions About the New York Art Exchange (NYAXE)

Below are some frequently asked question about the New York Art Exchange (NYAXE). The New York Art Exchange is an online marketplace for buying and selling contemporary fine art. NYAXE was officially launched on December 2nd at the Bridge Art Fair in Miami. The New York Art Exchange (NYAXE) enables the art community to capitalize on new digital mediums through technology by connecting artists, gallerists and collectors via the World Wide Web. NYAXE can be used in association with www.myartspace.com. NYAXE and myartspace are owned by the Catmacart Corporation.

Why the two sites - myartspace and nyaxe?

"We debated this issue quite a bit. We decided that we wanted to see the social network, myartspace, continue to flourish as a great place for free expression, unlimited uploading or work, and a healthy balance of artists, collectors, gallerists, educators, students and art appreciators. Artists can upload their studies as well as their best work, and gain valuable feedback and support. It's almost like a museum exhibit for the artists. The New York Art Exchange is highly focused on providing a market for selling and buying art, and so the items for sale are likely to be amongst the best people have to offer, and the buyers are there not only to look and appreciate, but to purchase. We see this nyaxe personal store more like a Chelsea Gallery. People can wander in to admire, but many will be on a mission to buy. We think the overwhelming majority of members will co-exist between the two sites as there are ways the sites are tightly linked."

Can I use my art on myartspace for nyaxe?

"Yes. When you go to create a listing, you can either upload a fresh new piece of work directly into your online store OR you can import work from your image library in myartspace. If you feel the images you uploaded in myartspace are perhaps not high enough resolution or don't capture you work well, you can always upload new images. You can access your NYAXE store by logging into your www.myartspace.com account. Simply visit your account page and click on Manage Store."

What resolution images should I upload for nyaxe.com?

"You should try to upload the highest resolution images possible onto nyaxe as buyers will want to use the zoom feature to scour your work for details and because on-demand printing is always better with a higher digital image to print from. We would recommend a minimum of a 5 megapixel camera, and today if you are buying a new camera, the lowest resolution should be 10 megapixel. A Digital SLR camera will generally take much better photos than a non-SLR even with the same megapixel rating."

How many photos of my piece of work should I upload?

"For each listing, you can have one primary image, and 4 secondary images. You may want to show different perspectives on the work, or perhaps some images more zoomed in that others. You don't need to provide additional images, but the capability is there."

How many listings (items for sale) can my store have?

"There is no practical limit to how many items can be listed on your site. But realistically, you will need to use Categories in order to keep them in smaller groups so that the buyer doesn't get lost. Each store plan has a limit to the number of free item listings you can have that year, and after that there is a cost with each listing. You probably would like to balance the incremental listing costs against the traffic you see going to your store before committing too many listings."

Do I get my own web address with my store?

"Yes you do. It will be something like www.nyaxe.com/lois.foley. You get to choose that address when you sign up to create your store."

How does the representation work?

"Gallerist have more advanced stores and have the option to "represent" other artists work found in a nyaxe store by making a formal request. The gallerist would propose a representation to an artist through the nyaxe messaging system. He would propose a price that the artist would receive upon sale of the work, and a shipping arrangement. In some cases they may leave the work with the artist and simply represent them online. Either way, the art listing is immediately transferred from the artists store to the gallery store. We expect more galleries to develop an physical and online presence."

What is the commission I pay to sell my work?

"The commission varies from 5% to 15% depending on your store program. You can choose a free store, and you would have a limited number of free listings and a 15% commission when your work is sold. Or you can choose a professional store, list up to 100 pieces of work for free, and pay a 10% commission. For galleries, they have substantially more advanced capabilities and pay a 5% commission. So the actual figure depends on how active your store is."

How does the escrow program work?

"nyaxe is based on an escrow model for selling original work. The program is designed to protect both the buyer and seller. The money is put safely aside when the artist sells some work is held by us until both parties are satisfied. The way it works is pretty straight forward. The buyer purchases a painting and pays for the item and the shipping. Our escrow system dispenses the shipping money to the artist and the artist then safely ships the work to the buyer. Once the buyer receives it, he acknowledges it and the rest of the money due is released."

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com

Edward Winkleman: How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery

Edward Winkleman, an art dealer from New York, has written a book dealing with the many aspects of running a commercial art gallery. Winkleman announced his book, titled How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery, on his popular art blog. The book is designed for individuals who have considered opening their first gallery. However, it appears that there will be useful information within the book for artists and others. How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery by Edward Winkleman will be released in July of 2009 and will be published by Allworth Press.

On his blog Winkleman stated that he did have some hesitation about the announcement, stating, “as the world economic situation crumbled all around us, I thought it a particularly cruel joke by God that this would be the backdrop against which I announced a book titled How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery.”. However, based on the comments he has received so far it would seem that people view the book in a positive light. I look forward to reading it.

Winkleman commented on his blog, “The marketing copy and the copious caveats throughout the book do take pains to stress that not only is a gallery a very organically grown and individualized enterprise but that although it's possible to summarize the advice and best practices of the dealers I've interviewed and known over the years, outside of legal and business regulations, there are no hard and fast rules for running a commercial gallery, and the most successful new dealers are the ones who re-invent the business. In short, it's a book for beginners. I wouldn't dream to suggest it contains anything that established dealers would need to know.”

Links of Interest:
www.edwardwinkleman.blogspot.com/
http://badatsports.com/2008/episode-169-edward-winkleman/

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Finalists of myartspace / Bridge Art Fair Miami competition

Finalists of myartspace / Bridge Art Fair Miami competition

Myartspace, along with Bridge Art Fair sponsored a competition juried by a world class panel from Bridge Art Fair, SF MOMA, San Jose Museum of Art and Whitney Museum of Art. The registration and submission period ran from September 1 through November 15, 2008. Fifty finalists were selected along with three top winners.

The three winners were Jonathan Brilliant, Beatrix Reinhardt and Douglas Ljungkvist. The four-person jury panel consisted of Elisabeth Sussman, senior Curator of the Whitney Museum, Janet Bishop, Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, JoAnne Northrop, senior curator of the San Jose Museum of Art, and Michael Workman, Founder of the Bridge Art Fair.

Catherine McCormack-Skiba, the founder of myartspace and CEO, noted, "We continue to marvel at the quality of work that the community puts up for consideration, and the challenge the jury confronts with such breadth and depth of material. Our goal continues to be to provide great opportunities for artists to have their work recognized by leading curators and the art public. We continue to see a global audience of artists and art appreciators in our community."

Michael Workman, Founder and Director of the Bridge Art Fair, said, "We have always believed the art industry will thrive with new entries, new models and new venues. myartspace.com brings to the table a dramatically new and contemporary way to address the art market. We welcome such innovation from the Internet in the Bridge Art Fair."

This will be a short series of entries acknowledging the fifty finalists. I shall post five at a time:

Paul Hickey -- www.myartspace.com/paulhickey
"My work explores space and colour interaction as central sensuous elements. Attempting a balance between control and chance I use bold industrial colours to achieve a democratic approach towards hue. Focusing on the correlation of the whole to its individual component pieces, I want my work to have a direct dialogue with the architecture and not to be confined by the picture plane but to fully discover architectural limits."

Milee Tibbs -- www.myartspace.com/milleetibbs
"I am drawn to photography because of its ubiquitous presence in our culture and because of the tension between the truth-value photographs infer and their inherent manipulation of reality. Despite our awareness of the mutability of photographic images, we approach them thinking we know what to expect: something that-has-been, a fixed subject inside a frame. If the fundamental nature of photography is the fixing of an image, then it is my goal to create an image whose subject is illusive. I develop my work out of my desire to scratch off the surface of the image and expose its construction.

My recent work is a response to our relationship with mediated images, specifically those of women. I use the transgressive space of self-portraiture to upend the canonical power relationship between photographer and subject. This is a picture of me is an attempt to locate the self in an image. This series both evokes the impossibility of going back to childhood and questions the desire to do so. The act of reenacting these photographs is a gesture meant to question how a woman is expected to present herself.

In present American culture, women are asked to have the body of fourteen year olds, and fourteen year olds are presented as desirable women. There is an obsession with youth and sex, and not coincidentally, there is also an obsession with pedophilia. By reenacting these childhood poses I am asking the viewer to reinterpret them through what I see as our culturally confused and confusing relationship to sexuality."

Mari Richards -- www.myartspace.com/maririchards
"Our culture is hell-bent on consuming everything around us. In every area of life – from food, to information, to our choice of identity and beyond – we create a concept of self by asking our bodies and minds to incorporate and assimilate our surroundings. This habitual filling assumes that individual bodies can take it all in, and continue in the same oblivious state as they began. But, what is our personalized bodily response to this excess and overfilling? How do we cope – subconsciously and corporeally – with too much input, and no end in sight"

James Robert Ford -- www.myartspace.com/jamesrobertford
James Robert Ford is a contemporary British mixed media and installation artist. James attended Goldsmiths College, London. His artwork is often based around social interaction and include elements of game play, participation, communication and humor, and is recognizable in form by its heavy use of the Internet as a means of creating, displaying and promoting artworks.

Yeni Mao -- www.myartspace.com/yenimao

"My work investigates nationalism, in its broadest sense, and the slippery navigation of belonging. The most current work deals with absence and fullness, the imbuing of a template with desired characteristics, and the potential blankness of identity. Personality is hollow, an amalgamation of characteristics plucked from your heroes and shaped by your chosen environment. This is accomplished through series of works that circulate around this central subject.

The images I choose to work with are either the assembly of smaller wholes to make one larger body and movement, or are a single body that addresses the interior space of the silhouette. The fascination with mutable identity is really a reaction towards the American dream, being anything you want to be- especially relevant to immigrant societies, but widely applicable."

About myartspace:
myartspace, the premier online venue for contemporary art, is one of the fastest growing and diverse communities on the internet. Its members include more than 50,000 artists, collectors, gallerists and other art world professionals from across the globe, and it currently has on display hundreds of thousands of pieces of fine art.

Membership on myartspace is free and artists can upload an unlimited amount of work including images, music and video. Myartspace is created and run by CatMacArt Corporation. CatMacArt Corporation is located in Palo Alto, California. CatMacArt Corporation also is the company behind The New York Art Exchange (www.nyaxe.com) the premier online marketplace for contemporary art.

For more information visit, www.myartspace.com/miamibasel/winners/winners.html

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Nothing's Shocking?

Between Nothingness and Paradise (detail) by Gregory de la Haba

When writing I follow two paths. The first involves complete silence and the other involves loud music. My taste in music ranges from Bach to Megadeth. Tonight, since I’m working away from home, was an ear shattering night. I listened to my usual-- Into the Lungs of Hell off of Megadeth’s So Far, So Good… So What! album is always a favorite for setting the mood when that extra edge is needed. However, tonight I felt like something else-- something less audibly shocking, so to speak.

Eventually I stumbled upon my copy of the album Nothing’s Shocking by Jane’s Addiction. The album, which was released in 1988, made me think-- just what is shocking--with social commentary in mind-- today as far as the art world is concerned? The art world is a reflection of our collective culture, true? So what is shocking? What shocks us visually when we visit a gallery, art museum, or art fair? What hits us in the gut? What wakes us up? Does that type of work exist in mass today or has the concept been so watered down that it is only whored out by attention seeking art-star hopefuls?

For me, shock art-- or just art that is shocking if you like-- must have a strong message in order to remain valid. Viewers must leave with an idea that goes beyond the absurdity, beyond the bizarre. Sadly, a true sense of social commentary is rarely achieved with shocking works today. That is my opinion. I have seen very few works to convince me otherwise in recent years.

A perfect example of this shocking failure could be found at Bridge Art Fair (Wynwood) during Art Basel Miami. An artist at Bridge Wynwood strived to shock curious onlookers as they passed by his installation titled Between Nothingness and Paradise-- which was conveniently located near the center of the exhibit space. The installation-- involving three horses in the throws of exaggerated sexual gratification with a child-sized doll standing nearby-- was the work of Gregory de la Haba. Needless to say, the spectacle-- I mean installation-- attracted a steady flow of viewers. However, the interest did not appear to be strictly about the work. In fact, people tended to focus more on the man behind the work.

Throughout the length of the fair onlookers whispered amongst themselves while passing by the large installation (large compared to the other exhibited work at Bridge Wynwood)-- questions about the artists sanity and sexuality could be overheard. It seemed that people were more shocked by the fact that de la Haba created the installation than by the artwork itself. In that sense, the only social commentary that de la Haba achieved was an exposition of assumptions questioning his stability as an individual and as a father-- since it was made clear from word of mouth that de la Haba created the piece in the presence of his young sons.

With that in mind, there was nothing truly shocking about de la Haba‘s actions. In fact, it appeared as if he were following a blueprint for attempting controversy-- a path that has been followed by many hopeful provocateurs in recent years. However, de la Haba did make a few unorthodox twists and turns in his game plan. For example, one report states that the artist chartered a truck that displayed an image of the installation as a form of promotion-- as if being positioned as a centerpiece at Bridge Wynwood was not enough.

Apparently the artist drove around Wynwood displaying the graphic image until Miami police threatened to arrest him. Censorship or common sense? You be the judge. In other words, a shocking work of art with meaning does not need to be forced upon viewers in order to be valid. Unfortunately, it seems that is exactly what de la Haba was attempting to do. This example of the 'look at me, look at me' attitude is becoming all too common. The story is always the same-- no matter how badly the game is played. Fumble.

I’m certain that dreams of instant art-stardom tickled de la Haba’s brain upon resting his head each night throughout the length of the fair. The only problem is that this provocateur, as so many before him, failed to provoke anything other than a few fleeting moments of curiosity, concern, and ridicule from viewers. Nothing lasting. No meaningful kicks to the gut. Nothing truly shocking. If there was social commentary behind his ‘shocking’ installation it was lost after a few beers and a trip to Art Basel Miami.

This brings me back to the questions at hand: What is shocking today in the art world? What is purposefully shocking, so to speak? Has social commentary been exchanged for a petty display of arrogance and the desire for fame? Is de la Haba more important than the message his work conveys? In thinking about these questions-- while listening to Jane’s Addiction-- I recalled the past.

The album Nothing’s Shocking by Jane’s Addiction was released a year before the Andres Serrano Piss Christ scandal. However, there is a long history of ‘shocking’ art to consider when thinking about the span of art history-- works that were both shocking and meaningful-- works that offered commentary that has stood the test of time. That said, what exactly is shocking-- with meaning-- today considering the art world we know? Why does it seem that social commentary in these works has been lost to art-star delusions?

There is much to comment on today... issues and concerns that could be delivered with a visual bang-- a clever form of shock art. After all, we live in the ‘age of terror’-- there is enough war to go around, we watch movies involving mass destruction followed by movies involving talking animals, children butcher thousands of characters on the tv screen each day in the form of a Playstation 3 game (or is Xbox 360 all the rage?) followed by taking care of a virtual pet so that it does not get 'sick'.

So what is shocking today? How can our way of life be expressed in both a shocking and meaningful manner? Is there still room for social commentary just under the surface? Or would we be better off searching for Wild Horses.

Links of Interest:

Art Basel: It's 'horses gone wild' at Bridge fair

Wacked-Out Weirdness at Art Basel

Horse Porn, Kids, and Basel

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Finalists of myartspace / Bridge Art Fair Miami competition

Finalists of myartspace / Bridge Art Fair Miami competition

Myartspace, along with Bridge Art Fair sponsored a competition juried by a world class panel from Bridge Art Fair, SF MOMA, San Jose Museum of Art and Whitney Museum of Art. The registration and submission period ran from September 1 through November 15, 2008. Fifty finalists were selected along with three top winners.

The three winners were Jonathan Brilliant, Beatrix Reinhardt and Douglas Ljungkvist. The four-person jury panel consisted of Elisabeth Sussman, senior Curator of the Whitney Museum, Janet Bishop, Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, JoAnne Northrop, senior curator of the San Jose Museum of Art, and Michael Workman, Founder of the Bridge Art Fair.

Catherine McCormack-Skiba, the founder of myartspace and CEO, noted, "We continue to marvel at the quality of work that the community puts up for consideration, and the challenge the jury confronts with such breadth and depth of material. Our goal continues to be to provide great opportunities for artists to have their work recognized by leading curators and the art public. We continue to see a global audience of artists and art appreciators in our community."

Michael Workman, Founder and Director of the Bridge Art Fair, said, "We have always believed the art industry will thrive with new entries, new models and new venues. myartspace.com brings to the table a dramatically new and contemporary way to address the art market. We welcome such innovation from the Internet in the Bridge Art Fair."

This will be a short series of entries acknowledging the fifty finalists. I shall post five at a time:

Julie Davidow -- www.myartspace.com/juliedavidow

Julie Davidow was born in Miami and attended New World School of the Arts in Miami from 1996-1999 on scholarship. Her work has been exhibited at The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC; The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art; The Tampa Museum of Art; the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, N.C., and numerous local and national galleries.

Davidow's work is included in the permanent collection of the Miami Art Museum, the Girl’s Club Collection in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and many private collections nationwide. She is recipient of a Florida Artist Enhancement Grant, Dade Community Foundation’s Leo and Raye Chestler Contemporary Visual Arts Award, and was a four year juried artist-in-residence at the ArtCenter / South Florida on Miami Beach. In addition, Julie is the coauthor of the book MIAMI Contemporary Artists.

Nicola Evans -- www.myartspace.com/nicolaevans



Maureen Keaveny -- www.myartspace.com/maureenkeaveny
Born St. Louis, MO; 1980. Living and working in Providence, RI. Photographer, installation and new media artist Maureen Keaveny utilizes outdated machines, electronics, photography, and a variety of found and recycled materials to construct large-scale, impermanent landscapes. She constructs reproductions of a nature-based reality that explores the disintegrating layers of what is natural through the formation of cultural objects and imagery.

Keaveny has won honors for her work at the St. Louis Artists' Guild in Missouri and has received the Albert P. Weisman Memorial Scholarship Fund from Columbia College Chicago. She has exhibited her work in Chicago, New York City, St. Louis, Providence, and in the Museum at Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA.


Joyce Siegel --www.myartspace.com/joycesiegel
Joyce Siegel is a working artist with a studio in Long Island City. She recently had a solo show at the Shag Gallery in Chelsea, NY. She also has work at the Pierogi gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. While living in London, Joyce became fascinated with paintings, sculpture and especially drawings. She scoured the galleries and museums in London and New York.

Joyce is primarily a self taught artist and much of what she has learned has come from her interaction and observation of great art. She developed her techniques by taking several art classes at the The New York Studio School, The School of Visual Arts and Anderson Ranch. She has also worked with Jerry Salz, Suzanne Joelson, and more recently with Shazia Sikander and Joan Snyder. Joyce was invited and resided at the artist colony Yaddo, the summer of 2006.

Joyce primarily works with water based products on paper. She is very intrigued by the surface and edges of paper. Joyce has always been fascinated by the creative process; one mark leading to the next mark, as well as one drawing developing into the next drawing. Besides producing her own work, Joyce has also worked with children from The Dalton School, P.S. 6 and the 92nd Street Y Nursery School creating large scale grid drawings. The drawings incorporate sentences, letters, marks and words generated by the children. The entire student body is involved in the drawings which have raised significant funds for these institutions.

Joyce Siegel was born in New York City where she currently resides. She received a B.S. in Economics in 1982 from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and worked on Wall Street for 10 years.

Megan Bisbee-Durlam -- www.myartspace.com/meganbisbeedurlam
Megan Bisbee-Durlam was born in Minneapolis in 1983 and grew up in Vermont. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art from Alfred University in 2005. She has exhibited at such venues as Lohin Geduld Gallery in New York City, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center in Buffalo, Tampa Museum of Art, Bleu Acier Gallery and Covivant Gallery in Tampa, FL, and Flinn Gallery in Greenwich, CT, and was a finalist for the 2005, "Albright Knox: Western New York and Beyond."

Megan's work was published in the Northeastern edition #56 of New American Paintings and will be included in the upcoming publication RiseUp: Vol. III. Reviews and announcements of shows she participated in have appeared in such publications as Art in America, Buffalo News, The Gay City News, The Tampa Tribune, and Tampa Creative Loafing. Megan was invited to give an in-class presentation of her work as a visiting artist at the University of South Florida. She has studied art abroad while living in Paris and Florence. Megan currently lives and works in Anan-cho, Japan, learning Japanese and indulging in Japan's truly unique visual landscape.

About myartspace:
myartspace, the premier online venue for contemporary art, is one of the fastest growing and diverse communities on the internet. Its members include more than 50,000 artists, collectors, gallerists and other art world professionals from across the globe, and it currently has on display hundreds of thousands of pieces of fine art.

Membership on myartspace is free and artists can upload an unlimited amount of work including images, music and video. Myartspace is created and run by CatMacArt Corporation. CatMacArt Corporation is located in Palo Alto, California. CatMacArt Corporation also is the company behind The New York Art Exchange (nyaxe.com), the premier online marketplace for contemporary art.

For more information visit,
www.myartspace.com/miamibasel/winners/winners.html

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

TOUGH CALL by Charlie Spear

TOUGH CALL by Charlie Spear

This is going to be a tough call. I have three cans of spray paint, a jar of acrylic gel, four tile spacers and a canvas panel 18x24. I am thinking of an abstraction. Shadows from coat hangers on the back wall of my lighted closet have caught my attention the last few days. The voices start the minute I reach for the canvas panel and prop it in front of me on the paint covered 1950’s Formica gray kitchen table.

The whole four years in art school diatribe comes back to me…What is art? What about composition? Who do you think you are to have something worth saying? I know. Still, I have been in love with the process of making art since I started drawing in the first or second grade. It was more fun then. The teacher would give us a few simple instructions about whatever we were doing in class in English and the rest was pure ZONE. When I was done I liked ‘What’ I saw. That was it.

Now, I am an artist and still an art teacher and most of the joy has been squelched from the process of expression by The Art World. Marketing is the focus and Money the goal. I pick up the spray can of Krylon Safety yellow and start letting the paint run down the canvas from staying in one place too long. I like the smell and the liquidity of the yellow street crossing color.

This is what I remember. That feeling of experiment and what now takes me away from the sound of voices. Something of an ethereal feeling fills my mind. Industrial Blue enamel jets out of the nozzle causing a rich green to appear at the edges of the spray thrust. Again the liquid runs like rain on the canvas onto the table and puddles. Quickly before it dries I am scooping out the gel and pushing it onto the surface.

The two mediums can’t mix but still stay on the panel like unyielding neighbors over a driveway easement. The gel peaks from the pull away from my palm. The smell is memorial. I have liked the smell of acrylic from the first can of paint my dad bought for the bedroom, Lucite brand. Smells are the most primeval sensory memories.

The four tile spacers need to be included. I have the last can of Farmall red from Rural King. I point and soak the four spacers in that Garden of Eden red. I sling them onto the canvas in a random but perfect placement. More gel coats over them while they float listlessly in the clear viscous goo. The idea of the coat hanger shadows comes out of nowhere. Yes, the shadows. There are a slew of them hanging from a gas pipe by the washer. Five or six should be enough. I lay them on the canvas allowing for an accidental placement to occur by hitting the stretcher.

More red flows from the wire shapes and drips into crevices of gel. With one hand I wipe the red away from the surface holding the hangers down with the other hand. Several swipes pull the red into a gradual softening mottled pattern. One last offering of Safety yellow softens the red into a Crayola orange-red. Done.

The piece is hanging in my living room over a library table. I look at it now and then. Some new ideas are forming like small wisps of cloud. I might just pick up a few more canvases. And some different colors. Recently I found a DVD copy of an interview of Frank Gehry by Sidney Pollack called the DRAWINGS OF FRANK GEHRY. Frank makes a comment in the beginning of the interview to Sydney about his work for clients. “I’m terrified I won’t be able to come up with anything good for them. So I start drawing and cutting pieces of paper placing them into something that looks good to me.” Hey, that sounds a lot like second grade.


Charlie Spear is a member of the www.myartspace.com community. You can view his work at, www.myartspace.com/CHARLIEARTS/. If you would like to write an article for the Myartspace Blog feel free to contact us at info at catmacart.com.

Portfolio Submission and Review is Now Online

Portfolio Submission and Review is Now Online

For decades, mailing 35mm slides served as the only option for sharing/reviewing portfolios. This was expensive and time consuming, but nobody had a problem with it because there were no other options. That is, until the digital camera came out. Then the art world when through an awkward period where many photo documentation was being taken digitally, and output as 35mm slides. This never really caught on due to expense, and was quickly replaced by photo-services automatically saving everything to a CD. This was very cheap and convenient for the artist.

However, CDs caused new problems. The first problem with CDs was compatibility. Organizations often could not open files because of software differences. And artists were scared because they were not sure if their portfolios were viewable. This gave rise to pages and pages of instructions, for exactly how files should be prepared. But not all artists are Photoshop geniuses, so this was frustrating as well. The second problem that arose was the inefficiency of of receiving hundreds (or thousands) of CDs. Slides were at least easy to preview and review, you just hold the sheet up to the light. But CDs have to be inserted, opened, navigated and clicked through one at a time ... very time consuming. But many organizations "upgraded" to this because digital photography was the new standard, and they want to be fair to applicants.

With the explosion of online usage, the web is the new standard for communication, including portfolio submission & review. Even the word "digital" has become synonymous with "online." Some institutions build their own system, while others buy professionally made systems. For example, Since 2006 over 50 major art schools in the US moved to an online system powered by SlideRoom, and this number is growing everyday. Some of the schools using SlideRoom include CalArts, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Hunter, MICA and Pratt.

The benefits of doing everything online almost needs no explanation. Applicants can easily upload, label,arrange and submit their portfolio (along with any application forms). And organizations can easily aggregate, view and assess the submitted portfolios in one private online setting. This has several beneficial consequences for the organization. First, with the proliferation of media types, it is extremely helpful to have all media converted to one consistent format. There is no more fear about whether a file can be opened. Secondly, reviewers can participate remotely, leaving ratings and comments from anywhere in the world. And finally, everything is automatically organized and archived, saving weeks (sometimes months) of administrative work!

Now I can hear you saying: "Wait a minute, I know lots of places that ask for portfolios to be sent via postal service." I can guarantee you they are presently looking into online options. Some organizations have been slow to switch for a variety of reasons. Some are worn out from having just switched to CDs, and the idea of making another major switch to their process is scary. Another reason may be a fear of expense. Online systems are not free, they can cost anywhere between $50K - $100K to build from scratch. Luckily, companies like SlideRoom provide affordable alternatives in the form of ready made systems.

So, I wanted to end this post with three tips for artists:

1) Don't let the convenience of the digital camera lure you into being lazy about demanding great photo documentation. While most point and shoot digital cameras take great pictures, you may still want to hire a professional for formal documentation ... particularly if you want print the images in invitations or catalogs. Even if you are not printing the image, because the web makes it possible for everyone the entire world to see your work, and you need to be looking good.

2) Maintain two inventories of your work: one for print (300dpi) and one for web (72ppi). Your main inventory should be for print, because these are huge images, and you can always make them smaller. However, they are too large for the web. You will face trouble emailing, using online submission systems, or posting anything to web because the files are way too huge. If you don't know how to re-size images yourself, invest in a 30 min lesson from a friend. Since the web is now our universal medium for sharing media with each other, it is critical you understand this digital material.

3) If you make videos, keep the original file and the software you created it on. This is the only way you will be able to alter it to meet future submission guidelines. I have seen countless artists save their movie to a DVD, only to find they cannot post it to the web. Or, they have it saved to a CD, but not in the format an institution is asking for. The easiest/best way to meet specifications is to take your video into the original software and re-export to meet guidelines.

About the author: Christopher Jagers is the Founder & CEO of SlideRoom: www.slideroom.com. His company provides online systems to universities, art groups and others to receive and review visual media from applicants.

Art Space Talk: Suzanne Unrein

Pastoral, oil on canvas, 62.25 x 53

Brian Sherwin: Suzanne, I observed that you take three directions with your work. You have an ongoing series of paintings, drawings, and portraits. Does each series of works feed off the other? In other words, do your drawings inform your paintings… and your paintings inform your portraits, so to speak? Also, do you prefer one body of work over the other?

Suzanne Unrein: The paintings originated out of the drawings. I had been living in Mexico and was working on a series of drawings that were oil on clay paper. They worked like daily visual diaries that started out as gestures and then became very sculptural in form as the applying and erasing evolved.

Shortly after I moved back to the States, I took a trip to London and saw Rubens’ Massacre of the Innocents. I was excited and began thinking about the sculptural forms in my drawings. I decided to try a painting inspired by that Rubens work, using the technique I had developed through the drawings. That was the start of a body of work reconstructing the old masters as abstract paintings.

I have been interested in portraits throughout my life. I like the forced discipline of the genre, and they provide a yin to the yang of my more abstract work. All three ongoing bodies of work inform each other. On a given day, one may seem more important to work on than another, depending on where I am creatively.

BS: Suzanne, when I view your paintings I’m reminded of classic works, such as The Rape of the Sabine. You are obviously influenced by the Old Masters and other artists from the past. You drawings contain some of the same movements, so to speak. Can you discuss that influence? Perhaps you can go into detail about specific influences?

SU: I find great joy in the Old Masters and am very much inspired by the dramatic impact created by the composition and colors. When I first turned to them after making the drawings, I was having an artistic crisis with my works on canvas. I was blocked and not sure how to proceed. The Old Masters seemed so alive compared to what I was working on at the time, and I felt that I could learn something from going back to that source. While Rubens is a particular favorite, I’m also a big fan of Poussin, Raphael, Correggio, and Bougereau.
Antic Hay, oil on canvas, 80 x 68

BS: Tell us more about the thoughts behind your work. For example, is there a specific message that you strive to convey to viewers of your work?

SU: My interest in the Old Masters came from a desire to get back to the joy of why I started painting in the first place. By playing with the compositions – mixing Bougereau’s nymphs with Poussin’s – I’m both taking weight off of the work as well as bowing to these great icons.

BS: Tell us more about your creative process and the methods and techniques that you utilize…

SU: The drawings are oil on clay paper, and they are painted gestures that I then erase with turpentine and a rag to create sculptural forms. The works on canvas begin with creating collages. I take old master figures and reconfigure them into new compositions. I use these as inspirations for the paintings. My painting technique is similar to the drawings, although they involve quite a few more layers.
F-86, oil on canvas, 59 x 69

BS: Can you discuss some of your current work? What are you working on at this time?

SU: Right now I am interested in combining the still life genre with portraiture. My current canvas is inspired by Rubens’ Portrait of a Man as the God Mars, with a van Huysum flower arrangement on his head.

BS: Let us step back and discuss the role of art history within the context of your work. It often seems that people dismiss the past when striving to create a ‘new’ art. Everyone wants to be the ’first’ even though art history informs us that they are walking on the shoes of many other artists who came before--- everyone wants to be ‘remembered’ while not taking the time to remember those who came before. That said, would you say that a connection to the art of the past is needed in the art world of today more than ever--- especially on the academic level?

SU: A connection to the art of the past is extremely important to me. I couldn’t say what is needed in the art world.
The World Inside the Wrist, oil on canvas, 65 x 87

BS: Do you have any other thoughts or observations concerning the art world of today?

SU: With the technology of today, we are able to see so much more work on a global level, that it’s very exciting. Through art websites I’ve seen amazing paintings that I would not have had the chance to see otherwise. I’m optimistic that the internet will open the art world up to lesser recognized artists and their work.

BS: Finally, where can our readers see your work in person? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

SU: My main focus at the moment is producing this next body of work. I have a studio residency at PS 122 and will be doing a month residency this winter at the Jentel Foundation. I hope by late spring to have a body of work together to show in New York.

You can learn more about Suzanne Unrein by visiting her website-- www.suzanneunrein.com. Suzanne is currently a member of the myartspace community-- www.myartspace.com/suzanneunrein. 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

New York Art Exchange (NYAXE)

The New York Art Exchange media lounge and digital gallery at Bridge Miami Wynwood. Catherine McCormack-Skiba, CEO and founder of myartspace & NYAXE, mingles with press

The New York Art Exchange, an online marketplace for buying and selling contemporary fine art, was officially launched on December 2nd at the Bridge Art Fair in Miami. The New York Art Exchange (NYAXE) enables the art community to capitalize on new digital mediums through technology by connecting artists, gallerists and collectors via the World Wide Web. NYAXE can be used alongside www.myartspace.com. NYAXE and myartspace are owned by the Catmacart Corporation.

NYAXE will connect collectors, artists and gallerists together, allowing buyers to quickly search through thousands of works of fine art on the site and navigate through numerous curated pieces of works. Gallerists and artists can create a personal and customized branded online gallery storefront to begin selling on the NYAXE marketplace. The storefront gallery allows artists and gallerists to sell the following: an original piece of artwork, a digital version of the work (e.g. jpeg), or an on-demand version of the print on merchandise (e.g., posters, note cards, Giclees for example). Storefronts can be organized into categories such as watercolors, original works, sculptures, to make it easy for art collectors to find what they are looking for.

Brian Skiba demonstrates the capabilities of the New York Art Exchange

There are five different levels to choose from in building a NYAXE gallery storefront. A basic storefront is free for the first five listings, and each level provides more advanced features and marketing capabilities and cost effective pricing structures. The various tiers of service are designed to enable artists and gallerists to try their hand at ecommerce to build a basic store at a low cost. Artists and gallerists subsequently can upgrade to higher tiers if they wish to expand their offerings. NYAXE is a an affordable solution for exploring what eCommerce has to offer.

Catherine McCormack-Skiba, CEO and founder of NYAXE, stated, "It's been my vision for years to make great art accessible to a broader audience through technology and the internet. I'm excited that we can empower gallerists and artists to expand the awareness of their fine art and help them connect with a new audience of buyers on a global level."

Links of Interest:

www.catmacart.com

www.myartspace.com

www.nyaxe.com

www.nyaxe.com/storeSellerSignUp.do

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com

Was There a Dark Cloud Looming Over Miami? Or Was it All in Our Minds?

Was There a Dark Cloud Looming Over Miami? Or Was it All in Our Minds?

Gallerists, collectors, and art appreciators were fully aware of the dark cloud-- psychologically speaking-- looming over Miami during the recent art fairs. The ‘rain’ fell on Scope, Pulse, Bridge and other art fairs-- they fell on Art Basel Miami Beach as well. It was a psychological rain and with it came great concern and fear surrounding the stability of the current art market. The streets and busses were filled with rumors and dark predictions-- this collective voice of dissatisfaction blared throughout the length of the Miami fairs.

The ‘rain’ fell early on. Individuals fueled by optimism turned utterly pessimistic as the doubts of gallerists and their assistants became overly visible-- you could see the concern in their faces… in their eyes. While roaming the fairs I experienced several instances of gallery assistants looking at my collection of press passes as if I were some form of hope in an otherwise dismal situation. In their eyes I could see open questions, such as-- “Who does he write for?”, “Will he stop here?”, “Was this trip worth the cost?”. There was a foreboding sense of despair-- even at Art Basel Miami Beach. I don’t think any dealer or assistant was exempt from the realization of the cold market the art market has found itself in due to the struggles of the economy as a whole.

As the days went on it seemed that gallerists and their assistants were more focused on their next smoke break or social outing than the possibility of selling art. In fact, some seemed to have a great deal of struggle herding their help back to stable, so to speak. The question I found myself asking was-- “is it really that bad or has the aura of pessimism got the better of some individuals?”. Ironically, I did chance into a few conversations with buyers who were annoyed that upon finding a piece of interest there was no assistant/dealer on hand to negotiate with. One buyer confused my status and thought that I was an exhibitor--- upon telling her that my pass was a press pass she stormed away saying aloud, “How do they expect to sell if there is no one here to do it”. I smiled and continued on.

Based on my observations I would not say that Miami was a complete disappointment, but it could have certainly been a better experience for all involved. Each fair had similar problems--- marred by lack of traffic and studded by lackluster examples of poor work-- when compared to previous efforts. There was certainly a negative sense of energy taunting overhead. As you can tell my imagination rescued me from some of the boredom and helped me to fend off some of the drama.

Honestly, I felt as if I had walked into a collective performance piece exploring the failure of the current art market. My guess is that many had wished they were just a player in such a spectacle. However, the hard grasp of reality was ever present-- it could be heard in the words upon the street and seen in the eyes of those trying to push their wares. Miami was not a journey into the surreal-- it was a map of the situation the current art market is facing as a whole. Bitter truth for bitter times. When the final days came to a close it was all for the better.

So was there a dark cloud looming over Miami? Not really. It was simply a case of high hopes being drowned by hard facts. They say to always expect the unexpected--- that said, sometimes we must accept the expected for what it is. There will be brighter days ahead.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
www.myartspace.com

Art Space Talk: Craig Hawkins

Craig Hawkins is a graduate with a B.F.A in Fine Art from Valdosta State University(2001). Drawing since the age of two, Hawkins grew up in multiple cities including Laurinburg, NC, Greer, SC, Roanoke Rapids, NC and Warner Robins, GA before attending college in Valdosta, GA where he currently lives. Hawkins describes his work as, “the evidence of taking truth and imagining it”. His background includes oil and acrylic painting and charcoal drawing. In his 2D work, Hawkins uses canvas or collage of various papers and masking tape to develop a composition of line and texture in addition to applying his media. Creating a piece that explores depths of truth, mark making, and the love of contrast becomes the foundation of his work.

Stand, charcoal and tape on paper, 42” x 42”, 2008

Brian Sherwin: Craig, you studied at Valdosta State University. Can you discuss your academic background? For example, did you have any influential instructors?

Craig Hawkins: I'm thankful for the education and experience I received at Valdosta State University. VSU gives their students storage space and, when they become juniors and seniors, their own work space in the painting studio. 24 hr access and the encouragement of the professors helped me to develop dedicated studio habits that have continued to sustain my independent studio practice to the present.

Two instructors, Keith McIntyre and Harry Ally, were very influential to my work and work habits. Keith McIntyre was an artist in residence at VSU while I was an undergrad who was instrumental in my ability to study abroad at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle, England. His work illustrates stories and personal experiences in a language that surpasses my own ideas of illustrative work. Harry Ally taught me the elements and principles of design which have become an invaluable toolbox that every artist should be familiar with. In addition, the significance of a mark and the exposure to modern and contemporary artists like Jim Dine and Jenny Saville were to the credit of Harry Ally.

In Christ, charcoal and acrylic on paper, 72” x 54”, 2008

BS: You have described your work as “the evidence of taking truth and imagining it”. Can you go into further detail about that? Would you say that you adhere to a strong personal philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

CH: I would have to start by stating what is truth. Truth is the adherence to reality and fact. In relation to my life and art I believe the Bible to be real and true, Jesus' words to be true and Jesus to be truth beyond just a metaphor but as a person. Imagining Jesus as truth changes my relation to truth from an argument I can agree or disagree with to having confidence in a person.

In practice, I've imagined some of the parables Jesus taught and visualized them with an image that marries the story told and the truth taught. For example, the parable of the Sower, found in the eighth chapter of the book of Luke, tells a story about four different types of soil and their acceptance to seed. The types of soil represent the state of a person's heart and their acceptance to the word of God. When I imagined this parable I saw the four soils as portraits of people and to represent each soil I used the described state of the soil literally applied the face of each model.

As for a personal philosophy regarding my work, I believe my work may vary in style or content but I desire it to have integrity and excellent craftsmanship. I believe seeking to understand a work should be the prerequisite to having an opinion of it's success or value as a piece of art.

Light of the World, oil on canvas, 2006

BS: Craig, tell us about your process. For example, I understand that you admire a strong relationship between marks on a canvas… you see the use of materials as a form of conversation, correct? Can you go into detail about that?

CH: I do see the materials as a form of conversation. On occasion I have used vellum or some translucent material to mute the information I have on the paper and potentially redirect the focus of a piece of art. The power of a line to suggest form and space seems to me to be a very primal function that I just can't get enough of. Freshness in mark making is thrilling to me. It seems more truthful. It's hard to lie with a drawing as opposed to a painting. Mark making leaves a history of process where as it's easier to edit unwanted strokes of paint with more paint in a painting.

My marks become journal-like on a personal level. So my goal in my process is to be as honest as possible with the creation of a work and try to embrace every attempt to render or express something with a mark. Even if a mark isn't successful I enjoy the history left behind from the attempt to erase it because it never truly goes away.
Adam and Eve, mixed media, 2003

BS: Craig, I understand that you are heavily influenced by the bible, both in your personal life and as far as your art is concerned. Can you discuss that influence at length? Perhaps you can discuss a few examples of your work in order to convey that connection?

CH: Yes, the bible is a significant influence in my life. As a Christian it is my source material to discovering God's attributes, his character, his likes and his dislikes. As stated earlier I believe it to be true. It's such a significant influence that it shapes my world view. I see people as intrinsically valuable because they are God's creation. In seemingly unforgivable circumstances I believe I can forgive someone because I have been forgiven for my own sin, independence, and rebellion from God. I believe that love can change anyone and that a relationship with God is vital to discovering one's own sense of purpose and meaning in life. I see my art as a journal of my relationship with God. What I learn about God, the nature of mankind, and the application of God's truths to my own life becomes the inspiration for the majority of my art.

Some of my work, like "Adam and Eve" exhibits this influence more directly and traditionally. Adam and Eve are both drawn on vellum stretched over canvas. They face each other with their heads downcast in shame. They are divided physically from a larger face painted on the canvas below representing God the Father. The division of the media represents man's broken relationship with God. Adam and Eve are also separated by a half eaten apple and a crack dividing the composition representing how sin not only broke the relationship between God and man but also contributes to broken relationships within mankind's interaction with itself.

Another example, Rebellion, less directly exhibits the rebellion of mankind. This drawing illustrates two girls embraced in a hug. However, both girls are holding hand mirrors and staring at their own reflections exposing their own selfish nature during what should be a mutually shared exchange of care for each other. Both "Adam and Eve" and "Rebellion", in my opinion, are successful examples of my work influenced by the bible and my faith. Someone's personal knowledge of the bible may determine which work of art illustrates the broken world we live in best.
Rebellion, charcoal on paper, 2007

BS: As an artist do you ever face conflict with your work as far as your faith is concerned? Or conflict with how others who share your faith view your work?

CH: If I was very strict about the interpretation of my work I think I would encounter a lot of conflict, but I'm aware that every viewer brings their own interpretations based on their own history and experience with religious subject matter. That kind of variable is out of my control. I do like to write about the inspiration for each piece and I make it available on my website if viewers are interested but I enjoy the applicability others find in my artwork as well as the message I try to communicate.

I've had others who do not share my beliefs challenge me on matters of creating a graven image or even my own knowledge of the history of religious art. I do not believe I create works of art that are graven images. At the core of it's inspiration my art is an attempt to share or direct attention towards God and glorify God; not to become a substitute for God. The potential to abuse something should not become reason in and of itself to make a blanket ban on anything. It sounds absurd to destroy the sun and the moon because people may worship it.

As for art history, probably every artist I know, including myself, could always benefit from a greater knowledge of art history. It is an admittedly weak area in my studies that I intend to improve. Most who share my faith have been very encouraging and a few have even decided to support my work financially while others have been critical of the nudity that I have used. Nudity is more distracting to some audiences than others. While I hold nudity as an excellent way to represent timelessness, the vulnerability of man, beauty, universal applicability, as well as sexuality I understand that not everyone will acknowledge these uses and limit the use of nudity to sexuality. Sometimes we have to agree to disagree.

Denial, acrylic and charcoal on mylar, 30” x 24”, 2008

BS: A friend of mine has stated that he feels that there is a need to focus on God within the art that is created today. Not necessarily in the spiritual sense, but in how works can convey something other than who we are as individuals. My position is that God can be seen in all works no matter who has created the work in question. What are your thoughts on this?

CH: I agree with your position that God can be seen in all works no matter the creator. I think it's innate for all creation to naturally point to the creator. The "work of our hands" as artists is hard to ignore and in many cases something that inspires awe.

BS: What about other influences? For example, do you draw inspiration from any specific artists?

CH: Some of my favorites due to skill, contrast, mark making, the use of the figure, and their wrestle with spiritual themes are Jim Dine, Alex Kanevsky, Harry Ally, Gerhardt Richter, Tony Scherman, Eric Fischl, Jenny Saville, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Makoto Fujimura, Ann Gale, and Chuck Close

Meditation, charcoal and acrylic on paper, 81” x 60”, 2008

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

CH: Currently, I'm playing around with a color alphabet. I've used colored blocks spread across drawings to represent individual letters. The colored blocks spell out words and sentences that relate to the content of the piece. It's forcing color into my drawings in an abstract way. I'm also working larger. I'm finding the larger scale to free up my hand as I mark make while still allowing a concentration of marks to render representationally amidst the soundtrack of marks I'm playing with.

BS: What about exhibitions? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

CH: I will be in a group show in February 2009 at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, GA

Firstborn, oil on board, 48” x 42”, 2008

BS: Speaking of exhibitions I noticed that you have focused on exhibiting in Georgia. I often advise emerging artists to focus on regional attention before setting out for national or international attention. I think regional exposure is very important because it gives an artist something to fall back on if the other routes are difficult. I assume you would agree with my views on this? Can you discuss that? For example, in your opinion why is important to exhibit in the state in which you live? In your opinion, why is it important to seek as many opportunities as you can regionally?

CH: I think it's important to exhibit in the state in which you live because your peers and the general public may have better access to the you not just the art. It just makes since that there's a better opportunity to develop professional and social relationships within the community that you spend the majority of your time living in. I would also think it helps to have a name for yourself before exhibiting nationally or internationally because that name can then bring a history or credit with it. It seems logical to think having regional support would naturally lead to national or international opportunities. People who live in your region may not be native to your region and may be the contact or link that creates greater opportunities for a national or international audience.

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

CH: I think I have similar goals to most artists. My goals are to have my work impact as many people as possible, to find a wide variety of places to call home, to be shared and enjoyed and be understood. My work is a personal made public endeavor.

You can learn more about Craig Hawkins by visiting his website-- www.craighawkinsart.com. Craig is also a member of the myartspace community-- www.myartspace.com/craighawkins. 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

New York Art Exchange: myartspace launches e-commerce platform

Myartspace.com, the premier online social network for the art world has announced the implementation of e-commerce capabilities. The announcement of the New York Art Exchange occurred during the Bridge Art Fair in Miami. Members of the myartspace community will have several options for the type of store they wish to manage. Artists, gallerists, collectors, and buyers can benefit from what NYaxe.com has to offer. More to come...

Links of Interest:

www.myartspace.com
www.nyaxe.com

myartspace Scholarship Program / Competition

MYARTSPACE, the premier online venue for the contemporary art world is now offering a series of art scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students. Participation in the scholarship competition and membership to myartspace.com are both free.

The program is for students to continue their education in an approved MFA, BFA or higher level degree program for the arts-- including BA and BS in Art. The scholarship is intended for students who exhibit exceptional artistic excellence in their chosen medium. The scholarship arises from a commitment to support emerging artists so that they can develop their skills and careers. There are plans to expand the program each year.

For two years myartspace has been a key figure in availing opportunity in the arts on the web and in global events. Myartspace has a track record of providing competitions involving prestigious juror panels with professional backgrounds from institutions such as the Tate Modern, Whitney Museum of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Myartspace has also been a sponsor and exhibitor with the Bridge Art Fair.

The 2008 scholarship amount of $16,000 will be divided equally for an undergraduate and graduate competition as follows:

Undergraduate Competition

1st prize: $5000

2nd prize: $2000

3rd prize: $1000

Graduate Competition
1st prize: $5000
2nd prize: $2000
3rd prize: $1000

The final deadline for registration and online submission of work is December 16, 2008. The Early Submission deadline has already passed. Interested students must upload JPEGS/videos into a myartspace online gallery. Up to 20 images can be submitted for consideration. Scholarship winners will be notified by December 23, 2008. Scholarship winners will be publicly announced on January 7, 2009.

For further information, www.myartspace.com/scholarships

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com