Chapter 3: The Fair - Review

This chapter was an interesting read. A bit hard to hear and digest this bitter truth. As I'm sure many other student artists would agree. Reading about the dealings of the art fair did stir up feelings of hope. I always feared choosing between the starving artist lifestyle or the monotonous commercial lifestyle, but this read demonstrates that those with true talent and connections can become financially successful as an artist. I was surprised to learn that collectors are overly eager to purchase as much art as they can. I envisioned the fair looking something like a closeout sale at Macy's with hordes of people pushing impolitely to snatch up the best works.

A quote that I found amusing stated that collectors are viewed as the least professional in the art world, because all they have to do is sign a check. The woman stating this seemed like a typical affluent yet over sophisticated snob with an ego larger than her bank account. But I found what she said to be profound; an artist doesn't become an artist in a day and neither does a collector, it's a lifetime process.

Interesting MFA Program List

I have researched numerous universities that offer graduate programs in the visual arts. As a photographer, I have selected these 5 that I feel are the best choices if I were to apply.

1. Pratt Institute - Brooklyn, NY

2. School of Visual Arts - New York, NY

3. New School - Parsons School of Design - New York, NY

4. New York University - New York , NY

5. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick, NJ

Chapter 6: The Studio Visit

In this chapter the author travels to the studios of very prosperous artists, mainly in Japan. She explores how the artists operate within their studio and how they produce art. The one artist the author visits, Murakami, has his staff arrive at 8:50am then begin the day with warm up exercises. To me this just sounds like the action of the typical eccentric artist. This artist in particular is said to be very angry and hard to please, he explains that this is a method he uses to make the assistants work harder, for if they easily receive praise they will not try as hard. As strange or cruel as this method sounds I think it's genius. The studio is kept very clean and so are the assistants. Typically there are as many as 40 projects going on. The artist will jump from one to another depending if he gets bored with one and wants to work on another. As an artist I do the same thing, except it's not 40 projects, more like two, three or four at most.

Mason Gross MFA Gallery Review

As I walked around this exhibit I had mixed feelings. First off I was very impressed by the large photographs on the front wall, when I arrived the artist's info was not yet listed. In front of these photos were wall pieces used to mount various pantings and some wood statues. I didn't like how these were fit into the gallery space. It felt a bit awkward and it robbed attention from work hung on the surrounding walls. The two small rooms to the left were utilized well in terms of space. I enjoyed the four huge artworks that filled the first room on the left by James Hyde. As a whole I was not very impressed, although I felt there were some strong pieces by certain individuals. The layout of the show could have been organized a bit better, it felt cluttered with poor flow.

Exhibition Visit (Student's choice #2)

MOMA, NYC, October 23, 2009

New Photography 2009

September 30, 2009–January 11, 2010

The photos exhibited in this show were of much interest to me, mostly because I take interest in working with composite/manipulated photos such as these. Three artists I found most intriguing were Daniel Gordon, Sterling Ruby, Sara VanDer Beek and their individual chromogenic color print series. The photos by Gordon were by far my favorite and inspired ideas for my own thesis project. His prints looked like the result of a deranged serial killer, bazar yet beautiful with a unique marriage of media such as photo cutouts, crude sculptures and other items arranged together to be flattened and married by the use of photography. The works by the other two artists were very much similar in terms of composite photography but consisted of completely different media and subject matter. Ruby's photos appeared to be very dark graphic design style images. I did not care much for the colorful rainbow-like photos by Walead Beshty or the photo series by Leslie Hewitt.

photos: Daniel Gordon, Sterling Ruby, and Sara VanDer Beek

Exhibition Visit (Student's choice #1)

MOMA, NYC, October 23, 2009

Polish Posters 1945–89

May 6, 2009–November 30, 2009

Upon walking up to this exhibit I was immediately drawn to the brutal imagery that filled these posters. Each poster has an individual identity and message, a message that screams at you. The poster with an illustration of a brick wall wrapped around a man's head reminded me of Pink Floyd's "The Wall." It clearly represents government oppression or containment of some kind. Overall I enjoyed the use of collage work and clever photo and illustration manipulations. Their use is most likely telling political ideals and opinions.

chapter 2: the crit

-People remember what they say much more than what they hear.

-Group critiques offer a unique-some say "utopian"-situation in which everyone focuses on the student's work with a mandate to understand it as deeply as possible.

-"No technique before need." It used to be said that some art colleges instructed their students only "up to the wrist," while CalArts educated its artists only "Down to the wrist."

-The prevailing belief is that any artist whose work fails to display some conceptual rigor is little more than a pretender, illustrator, or designer.

-Politics is central to the conversation that go on in Post-Studio.

-Crits may be opportunities to hash out communal meanings, but that doesn't mean that students finish the semester with uniform values.

-Group crits are such an established part of the curriculum in the United States, and to a lesser extent in Europe and elsewhere, that only a few teachers reject them.

-Many believe that artists shouldn't be obliged to explain their work.

-Artists often don't fully understand what they've made, so other people's readings can help them "see at a conscious level" what they have done.

-Perhaps creativity is not on the agenda at art school because being creative is tacitly considered the unteachable core of being an artist?

my interview with Rebekah Daly

September 28, 2009

1. As early as you can remember what first intrigued you about art / photography, and did this have any significant impact on your decision to pursue photography as a career?

--When Rebekah was around age 12 she first viewed a film about Dali. This lead her to form an immediate interest in the concept of surrealism. That early influence has stayed with her and is reflected in her current work as a photographer. Rebekah has always had an interest in photography, but it was not until after a year or two of college she decided to shift gears from majoring in psychology to majoring in visual arts / photography. She continues to study psychology which is a major influence in her work.

2. Explain how you produce work - from idea / inspiration to the finished product. What is your typical process? Do you self motivate or depend on others to set you off on a project?

--After viewing her work and hearing how she speaks about it, it is obvious that Rebekah is a self motivated artist. Her approach to tackling a project is a bit unique. She takes a passive, spontaneous approach and dives right into the work with little or no preconceived thought process on how the work will pan out or how it will get there. Step by step the pieces of her projects come together motivated by emotion and a natural talent for visual conception.

3. Where do you see your career taking you and how do you intend to get there? What would you like it to develop in to?

--Like most artists, Rebekah would like her career as an artist to reach a level of exhibiting work in high scale galleries. This however is not her primary concern, she is very modest and sees her future through a more realistic, "Down to earth," perception. Most likely after graduation, Rebekah plans to continue her work in commercial photography, working for various companies on a freelance status. She would like to continue her own personal fine art photography on the side, and hopefully have that develop into a full time career. But as a freelance commercial photographer, her dream and future motivation is to work for National Geographic.

4. What plans are in the works for your thesis exhibition; any ideas? How do you intend to produce the work; shooting, editing, printmaking?

--Rebekah has a pretty firm idea for her thesis exhibition. She has set her focus on the dynamic nature of her own family. She plans to build her project through intense research on her family history, restoring old family negatives and creating prints from them, using her intense interest in psychology to analyze her family through multiple perspectives, and much more. Through all this work she hopes to better see how her family has progressed and what may lie ahead for them in the future. Rebekah sees this as therapeutic, a means of self discovery, and also an attempt to find her true connection to her own family.

5. How has Mason Gross helped you grow as an artist; if it has at all? Are you finding "Art School" as something that is essential to become an artist / professional artist?

--Rebekah has mixed feelings regarding the academic structure of Mason Gross. She feels that our school lacks an essential teaching of the practical / technical elements required to develop as an artist. Rebekah has developed most of her technique in photography by working outside the school in commercial photography and personal projects. She does however praise Mason Gross for its ability to challenge students mentally and develop critiquing skills. In regards to expressing her opinion on whether it is essential for an artist to complete an art school, she feels that its primary reward is the credentials one obtains, but in todays world, expecially in regards to photography, an "art school" is not necessary; all the needed techniques can be learned on the job.

Chelsea Gallery Visits

September 23, 2009

Robert Miller Gallery: Barthelemy Toguo

This exhibition was titled "The Pregnant Mountain." It featured paintings, photography, video, and installation. The paintings were made in water color. To me they stood out as the strongest pieces in the gallery. Each painting was large scale with wild designs and unique colorful compositions. The installation consisted of a room filled with beds covered in piles of clothes, with photography mounted on the walls. I enjoyed this form of presentation because of how it connected the various forms of media.

Andrea Meislin Gallery: Jed Fielding

This collection of photographs struck me as soon as I entered the gallery. The exhibit was titled "Look at Me," an appropriate title for a collection of documentary style photos of blind people in Mexico City, primarily children. The photos were black and white, in medium size, and scattered throughout the gallery. Each photo was very compelling and a bit hard to look at but also hard to look away. This was my favorite exhibit of the day.

Mitchell, Innes & Nash: Enoc Perez

This exhibition by Perez I found to be very enjoyable. Coming from an engineering background I admired the various pieces consisting of buildings and other oddly designed architectural structures. The drawings / paintings were very geometric and linear. The use of bold colors made each image pop with a bold appearance.

Lehmann Maupin Gallery: Juergen Teller

Upon viewing this exhibit titled, "Paradis," I found nothing striking about it. When I view a piece I suppose I look for the immediate / obvious meaning or significance and I found very little in this work. I think the artist was trying to make some comparison from classic art to modern day art. The photos appeared flat with poor composition. I suppose it may be a reflection of my personality or generation but I am not one for subtlety whether or not this work is about that.

Aperture Gallery: Nature as Artifice: New Dutch Landscape in Photography and Video Art

This was the only exhibit that featured works by multiple artists I viewed this day. The photographs were stunning. Especially the large scale prints of various Dutch landscapes. The Dutch are haled for their civil engineering master craftsmanship and it can be seen in a lot of these works. My favorite was two large scale glossy photos by Frank van der Salm. His cityscapes were surreal and captured my attention and respect immediately.

my visit to the New Museum

My visit to the new museum was inspriing. Being a photographer myself, my favorite exhibit was the collection of photography by David Goldblatt. His style is simplistic and uncluttered. It provides a lot of information without jumping off the wall with attention grabbing imagery. It was interesting to see the contrast between his early work featured in black and white compared to his recent work in large scale color prints. I also enjoyed the exhibit by Emory Douglas for his edgy and radical style. It was interesting to see the original artwork featured in newspapers and various other media with such strong political messages. This raw, in your face style is an inspiration to me, but it must have obviously been the same for the entire nation for political and equality reasons, my reasons revolve around wanting to be more radical myself.

response to 'Bucket of Blood'

I enjoyed watching this film. Toward the end it reminded me of the plot to 'Art School Confidential.' The film was humorous and portrayed a wide variety of artistic stereotypes quite well and in a comical fashion as was the intention of the film. It was clear that the underlying message hinted that art is something for all to enjoy and that no one has authority over what is to be considered good or bad art. Art is simply an expression of oneself.

response to "Untitled '95" by Alex Bag

I found it to be very humorous, but a bit painful to watch. It definitely reflects the pretentious and naive attitudes of art school students, such as myself. The last scene with Morrissy playing was hilarious and disturbing.