Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Having Trouble Selling Out?

Then some of you may find this helpful, or at least interesting.

"The Web 2.0" has given us blogs, myspace, YouTube, flickr, and a host of other community-based personal networking sites where one can promote themselves, share their work and meet others like them all over the world. There's even Xpeeps, a personal networking site exactly like myspace but for... porn stars (!), both professional and amateur. ..

In the same vein, the notorious British ad-executive-turned-art-gallery-superbrand) Charles Saatchi has started up a personal networking (you show me yours I'll show you mine) site for young contemporary artists. Called Stuart, (a mashup of, I assume, the words Student and Art) the site works kind of like myspace, except far less fluidly. Nevertheless, I posted a few images on there last winter and so far I have recieved minimal spam, updates on ways I can sell my soul to the Saatchi enterprise, and, actually, some helpful feedback on my work from people in other countries. I was recently asked by someone who saw my work on Stuart to be in a show in Berlin.

The best thing about Stuart is that you can scan student works from hundreds if not thousands of young student artists. While a little nauseating, Stuart is one way you can Art It Up in the global sphere while seeing what else is out there.

Just puttin that out there.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Friday, May 25, 2007

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Waking up

Lately I feel that it is my responsibility to make artwork the addresses current socio political situations. Specifically pertaining to the War in Iraq. I have been ignoring any sort of heavily weighted work having to do with the war in my work over the last several years. My work has tended to be more personal and introspective since 911.

Do any of you feel the same urge to make work that addresses specific current events or situations? In a sense I do feel as if I'm waking up out of a fog. I'm hoping others are ready to wake up too. Or maybe I'm the only one who has been asleep?

Saturday, May 19, 2007

GIT YER ART BLAWRGS ON!!!!

I would say we have a nice little art blog in the works here. In cooking terms, I d say its marinating. Not that I'm an expert or anything, but I have been toolin around the old art blog-o-sphere for a few years now, mostly as a participant/commenter/peanut gallerist.

So whats the deal with artblogs? Well, for me, they have been the artnerd equivalent of jailhouse porn, meaning that, until recently, I havent been able to find too many flesh-N-blood art relationships around here so I have been gettin some from the old double click. So, just on a mushy, emotional level, artblogs have helped me from feelin' lonesome (especially those nights when i turn the lights low, get out the linseed oil, and have me some hot, art chat session with someone who "says" they're an artist... " Hey baby! Wut R U Wearin'....to the art opening?" oh yeah!!)

Um...okay that was wierd, anyway, this post is about the benefits of art blogging and some of my favorite ones that dont suck. I already mentioned the sense of community one gets from art blogging (not as rich as a real community I know, but hey you take what u can git). But, also, one can learn a great deal from reading and participating in artblogs. Market info, career tips, details about certain art scenes, lots of images and info about shows and other artists are just some of what you can learn. Most of the information is extremely current, wide ranging, and many of the views expressed are extremely insightful. Some say that artblogging has or is replacing traditional art journalism, especially with newspapers (even the NY Times) cutting their arts coverage very drastically.

How do I know that? I read it in an artblog!

In addition to all that, artblogging can be a really great promotional tool! I was offered a solo show in LA after the gallery owner visited the link to my portfolio website found in my blogger profile. So I made some random, probably assinine, comment and got to go to L freakin A! Stardom is just a click away my friends!!

Okay so there are also some benefits that arent so random and chance-ridden. Each of the major and many not as major art cities have multiple art blogs. Keeping up with these is a great way to scope out the different scenes, discover new galleries that may dig your work, all that. Sometimes you get insider info on certain players in the scene so that if you were to try to enter that scene with your work, you have some info to go by (who's who, what's what, etc). And its possible to make some really great connections in those cities- people who could show you around and introduce you to others whom you wouldnt normally have access to.

So here are some of my fav art blogs:

Edward Winkleman-- run by a gallery owner in NYC, some great inside info, tips, and random stuff
Modern Art Notes- a DC based one, LOTS of info bout museums and crap
Critical Miami- get the scoop on those wacky Miamians!
Detroitarts- Heres a secret: Detroit ROCKS! They are a good model for us Jacksonvillians, i think.
Bad At Sports- The super funny and informative podcast about the Chicago scene. Great to listen to on yer ipod in the studio or wherever.
Fette's Flog- Run by this sooper cool girl I met in LA! She and her husband really get around and document TONS of LA shows. Most of this blog is images of these shows. Check out the archive and just sit back and be amazed. THIS blog shows the diversity I think Jax should aspire to- urban art, conceptual, painting, everything!
Vernissage TV- Wonderful video tours and interviews showing ALL the artfairs and TONS of european art stuff. Very cool!

So thats a good start. I bet sum of you cats have some fav-o-rite ones also and some ideas about artblogs in general.. so what are they? Come on, times a waistin'! I got to get back to my OTHER favorite artblogs. Now now, JaxCAL (that IS still the name right?) dont be jealous! I still love you too!

(You have to be very sensitive to artblogs' feelings)

Friday, May 18, 2007

Contempoary Installation Art

Takashi Murakami

Is he an art star or a marketing genius? You certainly can't deny his success. And you can't deny his likable images either. I look at his art and I really really like it... aesthetically. I feel he uses all the tricks that make you like it. You know, all those things you learn in school about composition and color and how to produce an emotion by using these visual tools. Those things that work in advertising.

But is it good art?

Some say he's popular for bridging the gap between East and West. I came across this interesting statement he made that was in an artnet.com story.

(Murakami) repeatedly laments that Japanese artists don't understand that art-making is, and should be, a commercial activity. "You cannot create an art piece unless you know how to make and sell it."

I'm not sure where I stand on his art. In some instances I think it's powerful and then sometimes I think he's a bit of a hack. Anybody else follow his work?

Thursday, May 17, 2007

PrettyDarnSwell.com Group Show


Parent Company

One of my professors in undergrad once commented that in order to be a successful, mobile and well-known artist one should fit all or most of the following criteria: 1.) Be independently wealthy or have had your schooling entirely paid for and have no debts. 2.) Be willing to move all over the world and relocate at a moment's notice, and 3.) Not be married, or, barring, that, not have any children holding you back at least until you're well established.

I fit none of these criteria and I'm curious about the rest of you- especially those of you who are parents. I have a two-year-old boy and another baby due in July. I'm constantly maneuvering to juggle work, family and art-making obligations. In order to get art projects done, I have to steal time that I would otherwise spend relaxing or doing something else. It has definitely changed the way I work and the way I think about making work.

Parents, I'd like to hear your strategies for balancing out work, family and art-making time. Perhaps we could share time-saving and/or creative parenting tips. I'd also like to find out how many stay-at-home dads might be out there. How has being a parent changed or affected the way to approach your art?

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Mid-week pick-me-up

I justify posting this because us artists can get low from time to time. WHhen I get low I know its time to get down!!! Sang it Nina!!!



Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Good Books

I was wondering what art books you guys think are an excellent read. And also, where to get good art books. Amazon does seem to produce a somewhat thorough list even if they don't sell the more obscure titles. Here are some books I've enjoyed;

Point and Line to Plane by Wassily Kandinsky (Dover press) A dogma on non-objective art.

Seeing Out Loud by Jerry Saltz (The Figures press) A collection of art reviews from the Village Voice 1998-2003.

Techniques of the Great Masters of Art (Chartwell Books) A good historical reference spreading 1300-1980 and an incredible investigation and deconstruction of how great works were made. Here's a little excerpt about Cezanne's House of the Hanged Man (Cezanne's palette for this painting, which has been analyzed by the Louvre, included lead white, zinc white, yellow ochre, chrome yellow, and it goes on)

Monday, May 14, 2007

9th and Liberty Photos


Thanks to Dana for the great photos. Take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nugget7/sets/72157600212546474/
I really did meet some interesting folks during the opening. So nice to have some real conversations about art and life.

Thanks to everyone who made the opening. To anyone who didn't, you can stop by on Saturday from 12-5 or shoot me an email and I'll set up a time to open up the space for you. After 4:30 weekdays, email me: byronking@gmail.com.

Also, much respect to Paul and Tony for help with the space. And to Ian and peeps for the tunes.

Not To Be Confused With...

When you think JAXCAL, what instantly comes to your head? Well, when you Google it, or simply type jaxcal into your browser, you are instantly connected with the Jacksonville Christian Athletic League (jaxcal.com).

I'm not sure Byron was aware of this, but no worries.

We can easily outstrip Jacksonville's Christian athletes as the top hit on Google by just getting all our friends to Google jaxcal and select us instead.

Just a heads up so no one gets confused.

Onward Christian athletes!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Yo Mama Says Yo Dada

So before we head out to thank the ladies who incubated us for a bit there, here are some cool vids which should be very educational (our Moms would approve):

First, a lesson in idol worship:


okay I changed this vid since math aint too cool:

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Concepts

If you are working on a new body of work and would like to share the concepts behind that work please share your concepts here.

It's wonderful to talk about having shows, etc., but maybe we all should just keep focused on the work in the meantime. Make it and they will come?

Here's an Idea

It was mentioned in a previous post that "we artists" should approach the museum with a curated local show in a space other than the fifth floor Blue Cross Blue Shield gallery. It was shot down in a hurry by other posters.

I am not particularly sure that this is what Jacksonville artists need either; as I think that there are plenty of other venues that contemporary artists can start with, and then work their way up to a show at MOCA after they have been showing in THIS AREA for some time. Now, I know what you are going to say about this...what venues for contemporary artists are you talking about?

Well, it may not be as glamorous at MOCA but what about the artist who have been finding those unused spaces around town for shows? Byron's "Digital to Physical" show at 9th and Liberty, all the Theif in the Knight shows at the W.A. Knight Building, the Travel show that opened at one of the artwalks last year, the "I'm Bored" skateboard deck show a year or two ago that was at The Pit, the Art Open House show at 1951 Market, the countless beach art shows put on by Joe VanDyke (sp?), and although we all talk smack about the Art Center artists at the Carling and now the Adams building, they at least have gotten off their booties and tried to do something. Not to mention, the actual galleries that we have here, which I am sure we all already know, Opaq, Bogda, Jane Gray, Screen Arts Gallery in St. Augustine, etc.

Okay, now that I have gotten off track, I will meander back on to the path. Here is some hope for the future for all of those who want nothing more than a little, teeny, tiny exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville...San Jose Museum of Art will now start holding shows they are calling "one night stands". These shows are intended to support contemporary artists from the area for one night mini-exhibitions, which they will be doing every couple of months. Sounds pretty cool.

www.sjmusart.org

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

9th and Liberty


This saturday from 6-10pm. Take Main to 9th from Downtown. Right on 9th. 3 blocks down on left, watch for parking attendant on left.

You Know You're A Contemporary Artist When....

1) You start using words like "context" and "juxtaposition" even when thinking.
2) You get so upset that Borders hasnt put the latest issue of Art in America or Artforum or whatever on the stand that you threaten to burn the building down!
3) You set your alarm to wake you at 4am when WJXT will air the latest episode of Art 21.
4) You start looking at things like your toenail clippings as possible art material.
5) You practice what you are going to say when you get the call by that curator asking you to be in the next Whitney Biennial.
6) Your mom says things like "I remember that lovely painting of flowers you made for me when you were 10, why dont you do things like that anymore dear?"
7) Youre not being asked to design the Jazz Fest poster or the Riverside Arts Fest logo.
8) You often goto Home Depot or Lowes for art materials, and when you cant find what you are looking for and have to ask a worker, you try your best to disguise the fact that you are an artist (like building a motorized pole with swinging monkey heads and car horns is a typical weekend home improvement project)
9) people look at you really really really really wierd
10) I mean REALLY wierd!

Mr. Contemporary

Hieronymus Bosch
The Last Judgement / Triptych Center Panel / circa 1482

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Circles

How many different art circles are there in Jacksonville? Why can't there be one circle?

Friday, May 4, 2007

JaxCAL.org

JaxCAL now has a url that's super easy to remember, www.JaxCAL.org. Remember it. Tell your peeps.

Antlers?

I want to pose a question to all of you folks out there. What's with all the antlers? I've asked several artists who are involved in antler depictions this and I get a vague answer if any answer at all. I'm seeing antler art everywhere.

I'm on My Space and I'm meeting artists from all over the world. Norway. Mexico. Germany. Eastern Europe. Japan. All over the world. What's up with all the deer antlers?

Another trend I'm seeing is drawing humans with animal heads. And sometimes they have antlers? I do believe in the collective unconscious of humanity. That sometimes all over the world humans begin thinking along the same wave length. A perfect example would be the building of pyramids all over the world. It all just started to happen. All at the same time. Similar to this damn deer antler phenomenon. What gives?

Are we being taken over by deer people? Are we all going to have animal heads in the future and these artists are just being psychic? Is it just a trend? If so, why is it a trend? Where did it start? If it's not a trend but some sort of subversive art movement that I am not aware of what is it called? Thanks.

May 2007 Art Walk Photos








Photos by Anna-Marie

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Pushing a stroller through coolness.

Went to Artwalk tonight and damn there were a lot of folks walking around. And man did I not feel cool. I don't know what happened but Jacksonville is cool now. It's like all the kids from San Fran and New York who couldn't afford the rent decided to move back to Jax. I don't have one tattoo. I'm pushing a stroller. I don't drink. But it was cool.

Cool to be around something cool. Cool to remember what it was like when I was cool. Now my curfew is not set by my parents but by my screaming toddler. I didn't take any photos. I wish I did. Opaq gallery has a great show up right now curated by Ryan Rummell. It's a painting show. Nice paintings. Really nice mix of work. The work in the Burrito Gallery is definitely interesting.

The bike show was fun. Great tunes. Live music. DJs. The weather was perfect. The streets were packed. We explored the old library. Our little girl ran like a wild deer through the vacant downstairs floor. I love it there. The renovation of the old library will be the best thing to happen to Jacksonville since the Superbowl. And then we went home.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007


Mew Zee, Um

Okay, so I hate to clobber a departed equine, but the discussion last week on Folio Weekly’s blog that began as a vent for local artists who feel underserved by MOCA Jax got me to thinkin’. In one of my responses I said that, for the life of me, I couldn’t think of any major museum that had an exhibition space for local artists or did anything for local artists except take their admission fees. At the time, I felt pretty confident in this defense of the museum, but, just to be sure I wanted to research this a bit ( I didn’t want to be like those peeps who defend Bush without even a quick comparison to every other president who ever lived, including the guy who got sick and died at the inaugural!)

My findings? Well, it is true that hardly any museums do anything for local art scenes, so MOCA Jax is a bit rare in this case. But, I did find one special place that…

well…

after you read what I am about to write I fully expect all of you at my doorstep with your carpetbags packed ready to ride the caravan to the artist heaven that is ST. LOUIS, bruthas and sistahs!!!!

Allow me to introduce to you the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (not sure why there ain’t no “of” in there.). Anyway, this museum is every local artist’s wet dream! I would imagine that every local artist in St. Louis and its environs has a little rug that they fold out onto the floor every day at noon and bow down in prayer towards the direction of 3750 Washington Blvd (the address of this Mecca of a museum)!

If you goto the museum’s website., look under the exhibitions tab and click on “artist opportunities”, here is a synopsis of what you will find.

Four Opportunities:

Flatfiles

“an oversized filing cabinet housing St. Louis’s best local art….began in May 2006 in order to make the talent of Midwest artists more visible and accessible to the public” … it contains works on paper that are “incorporated into the shows by asking artists [currently exhibiting in main spaces] to select their favorite works to show in the museum’s upper level education space…. the files are also a resource for artists, curators, collectors, critics, and the general public.” The museum’s curatorial staff reviews submissions.

City Wide Open Studios-

“ a weeklong celebration of local art beginning July 17 with the opening of open

studios exhibit at the Contemporary…the show consists of one work by each

artist…” weekend events include a tour of local artists’ studios using a map

provided by the museum.

Emerson Visiting Critics and Curators Series (this is so cool)

“ Each year, the Contemporay invites two internationally-known critics and curators…as part of its mission to make St. Louis a vibrant place for the arts, the Contemporary is committed to supporting the careers of local artists. The Emerson Visiting Critics and Curators Program provides a rare opportunity for local artists to have their work reviewed by important critics, while helping to broaden the national visibility of St. Louis as an important cultural center.” The visiting big-wig also gives a free public lecture!! (im such a nerd!)

And now for the MOTHERLOAD!!!

The Great Rivers Biennial and Fellowship


Every two years internationally known curators choose up to 3 local artists to receive $20,000 grants!!!!!! Money is used at artist’s discretion. In conjunction with fellowship, the selected artists are given a 4 month exhibit at the museum. Its like the freakin Turner prize in the UK! This years deadline is June 1st, so , let’s see, I think my wife and I can pack up and move there by then… I mean, it’s a sure bet that Id be selected right?!


Well, there ya have it, read em an weep. I know, I know, you are saying “the grass is always greener” right? Well, sometimes the grass IS greener, like for example my neighbor’s yard has MUCH greener grass because he, um, actually takes care of his yard.

A couple of thought to ponder tho. I was thinking that the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis must have a HUGE endowment and a large staff to offer these programs. Well, they do report a recent campaign to raise 5.4 million by June 30th of which they have raised 4.2 so far. I would imagine that is far greater than MOCA Jax’s endowment, which I heard is 2 million total? I am not sure what St. Louis' total endowment is. Interestingly, I looked at the staff listings expecting to see a huge curatorial staff- not one person was listed as a curator or even an assistant. I am not sure what that is about.

Anyway, the caravan to ol’ St Louie is bein prepped. You can bring pets, food, water an old people. I will pack some wooden coffins in case anyone dies on the way. I need someone to volunteer to make the “ST. LOUIS OR BUST” sign. See ya,.