Vulnerable...

After class today, many of my fellow students went out on the roof to blow off a little bit of a pre-graduation steam. All during the class, whispers could be over-heard about the incident at Virginia Tech. Some had friends who were in the same building that the shooting took place. Others were struck by how vulnerable we all really are. We are all really tired and stressed out about finishing everything up for reviews, the Open Studio, and finals - many of us were on edge all day, the tension was palatable.

Even though it was cold and it was drizzling and we were all tired, it was good to gather around and laugh and talk and try and find a little bit of community in such a dark time.

Come to Pass...

It was raining when I heard the news about Virginia Tech. It seemed fitting that the sky should be weeping. I am still in a little bit of a shock. My thoughts are a blur. I don't know how to feel about this as a student, a person, an artist.

10 Days...

I'm excited about the BFA Open Studio 2007! Only ten days until the event. I'll be showing the second half of my installation, "The Rays of God." Here are the details: Thursday, April 26th from 5PM to 9PM at 141 West 21st Street (between 6th and 7th Avenue) 4th Floor.

Rain...

It started raining last night and hasn't stopped. Big, heavy drops. The streets have become rivers and my boots are all wet. Yesterday was so lovely, filled with roof-top adventures and today it is raining... raining... raining. The rain makes me want to sleep... sleep... sleep.

I think it's appropriate that I'm listening to Patty Griffin's, "Rain" from her 1000 Kisses album.

Impression of Requiem Aeternam Deo...

I didn't know what to expect when I walked into the Kraine Theater. Before me, unfolded a stylized interpretation of Nietzsche's work through experimental theater. The production follows Zarathustra and the events/thoughts that follow the death of God.

At times tragic, at others comedic, this philosophy-laden performance engaged with several different ways of telling a story. What struck me the most was the role played by Aurea Tomeski. Her performance was amazingly haunting and sent shivers through my spine. In my opinion, her's was the most challenging to pull off. Aurea's character was completely covered by a stretchy black fabric. Her powerful and distinctive voice had to penetrate the cloth and the pretension of a possibly overly-dominate stage prop (that in the wrong hands could have been very cheesy and cliche). She was simply masterful with her stage presence. Being seen. Being invisible. She spoke with her body and made the fabric become a part of her character (yet still retained its symbolic quality); transformed into the epitome of a three-dimensional silhouette. While her fellow actors for the most part had costumes and facial expressions to aid in their performances, Aureas was done completely behind the shroud... a testament to her mettle as a truly stellar actress.

Requiem Aeternam Deo has one more show, SUNDAY April 15th, 3 PM.

On a Rooftop in Brooklyn...

When work was out, I made my way over to South Williamsburg to see my friend David's new loft. Stopped by the Green Market and picked up a bottle of Cabernet Franc/ Lemberger from Anthony Road Wine Company. Very tasty.

His roof is amazing and I took a couple of snap-shots of the Manhattan skyline. The camera doesn't do the view justice. It's a full 360 experience. Reminds me of one of my favorite PJ Harvey songs, "You Said Something."

So the picture to the lower right isn't a picture from a rooftop in Brooklyn, but a shot David took of me while we were sipping "vino." I have to say that I quite like it. Maybe because it's a candid shot, and still looks all right.

Conversations with Melissa Meyer...

After work, I swung by the Artists Talk on Art panel discussion featuring Stephanie Theodore in diaglogue with artist Melissa Meyer. I love Melissa's work and it was interesting to hear her talk about it. Her painting capture a lightness and fluidity that I admire greatly.
Left: "Out of the Blues", Oil on Canvas.

In Memoriam: Sol Lewitt

Sentences on Conceptual Art
by Sol Lewitt

1 Conceptual artists are mystics rather than rationalists. They leap to conclusions that logic cannot reach.
2 Rational judgments repeat rational judgments.
3 Irrational judgments lead to new experience.
4 Formal art is essentially rational.
5 Irrational thoughts should be followed absolutely and logically.
6 If the artist changes his mind midway through the execution of the piece he compromises the result and repeats past results.
7 The artist's will is secondary to the process he initiates from idea to completion. His willfulness may only be ego.
8 When words such as painting and sculpture are used, they connote a whole tradition and imply a consequent acceptance of this tradition, thus placing limitations on the artist who would be reluctant to make art that goes beyond the limitations.
9 The concept and idea are different. The former implies a general direction while the latter is the component. Ideas implement the concept.
10 Ideas can be works of art; they are in a chain of development that may eventually find some form. All ideas need not be made physical.
11 Ideas do not necessarily proceed in logical order. They may set one off in unexpected directions, but an idea must necessarily be completed in the mind before the next one is formed.
12 For each work of art that becomes physical there are many variations that do not.
13 A work of art may be understood as a conductor from the artist's mind to the viewer's. But it may never reach the viewer, or it may never leave the artist's mind.
14 The words of one artist to another may induce an idea chain, if they share the same concept.
15 Since no form is intrinsically superior to another, the artist may use any form, from an expression of words (written or spoken) to physical reality, equally.
16 If words are used, and they proceed from ideas about art, then they are art and not literature; numbers are not mathematics.
17 All ideas are art if they are concerned with art and fall within the conventions of art.
18 One usually understands the art of the past by applying the convention of the present, thus misunderstanding the art of the past.
19 The conventions of art are altered by works of art.
20 Successful art changes our understanding of the conventions by altering our perceptions.
21 Perception of ideas leads to new ideas.
22 The artist cannot imagine his art, and cannot perceive it until it is complete.
23 The artist may misperceive (understand it differently from the artist) a work of art but still be set off in his own chain of thought by that misconstrual.
24 Perception is subjective.
25 The artist may not necessarily understand his own art. His perception is neither better nor worse than that of others.
26 An artist may perceive the art of others better than his own.
27 The concept of a work of art may involve the matter of the piece or the process in which it is made.
28 Once the idea of the piece is established in the artist's mind and the final form is decided, the process is carried out blindly. There are many side effects that the artist cannot imagine. These may be used as ideas for new works.
29 The process is mechanical and should not be tampered with. It should run its course.
30 There are many elements involved in a work of art. The most important are the most obvious.
31 If an artist uses the same form in a group of works, and changes the material, one would assume the artist's concept involved the material.
32 Banal ideas cannot be rescued by beautiful execution.
33 It is difficult to bungle a good idea.
34 When an artist learns his craft too well he makes slick art.
35 These sentences comment on art, but are not art.

First published in 0-9 (New York), 1969, and Art-Language (England), May 1969

Rush...

This will be just a quick post before I head to bed. I'm exhausted. Today was spent all day in the studio. I'm busy getting everything ready for the END OF THE YEAR show. It's a lot of work. The way in which I work usually consists of me making hundreds of small pieces, and then cutting them up and putting them together in a few collages. So... lots of activity in the studio.

I had a quick burger at Rush Hour with my friend David and then his friend Sam joined us for "vino" at the Pink Pony in the Lower East Side.

I was going to go back to the studio and pull an all-nighter, but I'm tired and there were lots of people working in their studios and it wasn't really an environment conducive to work. So, I'm going to wake up early and try to pop over to the studio in the morning.

STUART...

Just joined a website run by the Saatchi Galery called STUART. It's a site that is open to all students in the visual arts, that encourages the sharing of art and dialogues between artists. You can see my profile by CLICKING HERE.

Letters to a Young Artist: Howardena Pindell...

Art on Paper Magazine created a book called, Letters to a Young Artist. It is a book that includes 23 letters from professional artists who give advice to "the young artist."

Here is what Howardena Pindell, from the panel discussion on High Times, Hard Times wrote:

Dear Young Artist,

I received your letter and felt that it is so very hard now for the young artist in New York. It is also difficult for the older artists who, although they started at an easier time, are struggling with the usual enormous expense of living in New York, and additionally face all the problems of aging and having elderly family to support as well. I think New York is always a problem unless you are a billionaire. I feel you are correct in seeing as much art as you can, as well as meeting other artists and sharing your experiences.

One thing I would warn you about: Be careful of whom you let into your studio. I remember two artists who lived near each other and often visited each other's studio. One had an earlier and better chance to show than the other and took her friend's idea and showed it first. So you need to be very self-protective and shrewd.

Also, as best you can, be aware of the art world's foibles and how it is constructed. Try to get a sense of the galleries, museums, and auction houses as they are very intertwined to the point where one wonders about insider trading among the most elite members of the art world hierarchy. One of the things I did was to use statistics to try to analyze the situation, especially for artists of color (Latino, African American, Asian, Middle Eastern, Native American, etc.). There are of course the usual tokens and collaborators. I wanted the knowledge to understand what I was and was not seeing. I did not want to be a "good German," so to speak. I also did a lot of reading and self-searching to try to understand my strong points and my weaknesses. I tried to be aware of other people's behaviour and motivation so I would not take it all so personally. My findings were that there was a definite bias throughout the art world against people of color and often women. To this day I am still dealing with this issue and hope that you prefer to become fully aware of some of the underpinnings of the art world. Some prefer to show in this environment, taking advantage of the restricted opportunities to push themselves forward with what is called white privilege.

One of the things that I find very helpful is this: If you open your studio or have a show and you get verbal or published criticism that is not positive, write it down or talk it into a tape. I find that that gets it off my mind, as I do not need to bother remembering it because it is captured along with my reactions to it. Once you have distance from it, you can decide what is useful.

You should also try to be aware of archival practices so that your work will physically survive. Also be sure to keep track of where your work is and who owns it. Records that I kept or did not keep years ago have profound consequences for me now - positive or negative. Try to select your representatives carefully. Do they pay the artist, and how quickly, when the work is sold? Will they tell you who bought it and for how much? Are they truly honest? One big caution is showing abroad, as there can be economic losses. One can have problems with import and export tariffs and taxes on art that vary from country to country, as well as large shipping bills. The best way is to have a reliable dealer take on that headache for you if you can trust her.

We all isolate ourselves. Try to get together with people you trust. Also keep your mind fresh. I try to read every day from about 11:00 P.M. until 1:00 or 2:00 A.M., or I try to read first thing in the morning. The hard part is finding enough work (a job) to pay the bills - and pay off student loans - so that you can afford to make art. I worked for a museum for twelve years (five days a week or more) before I could find a teaching job. Some artists work in construction, some work on Wall Street, some wait tables or work for other artists. Some teach and some are librarians. Whatever works for you. Try not to get overly discouraged. Isolation can also cause this. One thing that helps is reading about the lives of other artists.

I wish you all the best. Be true to your work and try not to take the pits and valleys of the art world personally.

Howardena Pindell
New York

Panel at the New School...

After work, I headed over to the New School to watch a panel discussion in response to the exhibition, High Times, Hard Times. Katy Siegel (the curator of the traveling show) was co-moderating the discussion with Anna Chave, with panelists Jack Whitten, Howardena Pindell, and Robert Pincus-Witten.

It was an interesting discussion. Jack and Howardena both gave introductions about their work and the climate in which the pieces were created, emphasising racial, political, and sexual factors. Some of the panelists kept talking about the "master narrative" and how that after Clement Greenberg and October had passed, there seemed to be lack of an over-arching voice to direct the eye of contemporary artwork. They touched on how it was hard to verbalize abstract art and that the key that tied all of these works together was that they were all painting and questioning the expansion and limitations of the term. The show itself addresses a period of time that was largely over-looked by critics and art history.

I asked a question at the end of the discussion. The question that I asked was, "Does the very mounting of this show, the fact that many of the artists included in the show are teachers - with sway over their students, current market successes of participating artists and rises in publication interest, in some way predict that the artists and writers involved will become the new master narrative?" Katy Siegel emphatically and jokingly said, "YES!"

It is most interesting how these artists who "fought for a place at the table" may in fact become the artists who control the future of the table.

Artforum and Anchovies...

We never can keep an issue of Artforum in the restaurant. They always seem to get stolen... I was thinking about that early this morning, when the senior editor, Scott Rothkopf walked in. I used to serve him yonder year ago, at the old location... never knowing that this very young and sociable regular (with an affinity for the anchovy sandwich) was in fact running one of the most prominent art magazines in the country. I only recognized him, because I had seen him speak recently at a panel discussion last month. Come to think of it... I think he used to "date" one of my friends also.

Studio Sunset...

After this morning's early morning documentation of the view from my apartment, I decided to take some pictures of the view from my studio. It's the other place that I spend most of my time. This time at sunset. Due to the time of year, the location, and when I got to take the photos... it isn't the most intense sunset ever. But I still love the view.


My studio is located in Chelsea on 21st Street. In the picture to the right, you can see the health food store and the wine store on the corner.

I think this is a more typical image of what people think New York looks like. You've got to have at least one Yellow Cab in the picture.

Pieces from the Rays of God...

One of the readers of my blog wanted to see examples of my "real" work that I make. Here are a couple of small pieces from my last show. They are ink drawings on vellum that are stretched over line drawings that have been touched up with some gouche. All of them are 4" X 6" and mounted on stretched canvas. These aren't the best scans, because the vellum is a little bit more opaque and distorts even more what lies beneath.

Love Hurts...

I got called in to work at the SoHo store. One of my fellow employees is not so good at tapping shots. The ones this person made were too loose and not packed tight enough (resulting in a watery, less flavorful crème). I found out when I went to clean out the last shot and hot, wet espresso grinds flew out in all directions. A big glob landed on my arm and created this heart-shaped burn. I think it's a sign.

Brooklyn Sunrise...

I got up extremely early this morning and decided to go up on the roof (still in my PJs) to document the neighborhood skyline at sunrise.

Right: Here is the top of an old building that I absolutely adore. Everytime I walk by it, I think of what a nice building it must be to live in.

Left: A view of Manhattan with the early morning light reflecting off some of the buildings.

Right: In immediate foreground is a new luxury condo building that they just built, in the midground is the Williamsburg Bridge and in the far background is the lower portion of Manhattan.

The Projects at Night...

From my window there's a view of a housing project. At night it becomes a patchwork of different colored lights. Due to the holiday, the projects looked especially nice this evening.

Songs for Little Hakim...

My good friend, Heather Wynn is the first to participate in the Mixed CD Exchange. She's a peach! It includes music by Griffin House, Tim McGraw, The Fray, John Mayer, Alison Krauss, Shawn Mullins, Brad Paisley, Diamond Rio, Fountains of Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Matt Costa and The Wreckers, to name a few.

Eggs and Bunnies...

Since it's Easter, work was closed. I didn't have enough steam to go into the studio, so today I relaxed. It'll be a very busy next couple of weeks and I wanted to grab some rest before the big rush.
Left: View from a rooftop in Brooklyn.

Illustration Friday: Green...

After I almost died last night, the spark returned. Better days, I think, have returned! Here is my submission for this week's theme: Green. As you can probably guess, I've still been doing extensive reading on the Middle Ages and it is surfacing in my Illustration Friday images.

I started off by building up a background with collage. Then I painted and drew the figure and incorporated the two elements together. One abstract. One figurative. Hope you enjoy!

Muddy, bloody, and sore...

It is a little after 4AM. After a long day at school, packed full of meetings, I went out with my friend Josh. I had a couple of drinks and then went home. While waiting for the train, apparently I fell asleep while standing up and fell into the train tracks. Luckily there was no train coming and two gentlemen came to my rescue and pulled me from the tracks. My Oscar Della Renta jacket is covered in mud, my knee is skinned, my hip is bruised, and my left hand is scraped up, but other than that... I am fine. Just muddy. Tired. Bloody. And sore.

April Art Event 3...

Join me April 26th from 5PM to 9PM at the School of Visual Arts for the BFA Fine Arts Department Open Studios at 141 West 21st Street, 4th Floor! As this will probably be my last time in the studios (I'm graduating in May), this will be the grand-daddy of them! The work presented will be the second half of The Rays of God show I had at the end of March.

April Art Event 2...

APRIL 25, 2007 at 1:30 pm at the American Folk Art Museum

FOCUS ON COLLECTORS AND COLLECTING - COLLECTING SANTOS, RETABLOS, AND EX-VOTOS

$3 General Admission
Free to members, seniors, students
Speaker: Deborah Dwyer

Santos and retablos are now primarily historical objects, while ex-votos continue to be created as a tradition still in progress. Deborah Dwyer will explain how, aside from artistic charm, these Hispanic artforms offer collectors a wealth of opportunities for insight into religious folk art. Dwyer has authored numerous articles on Latin American folk art and has taught several courses at the American Folk Art Museum.

April Art Event...

Artists Talk on Art will present Melissa Meyer in Dialog with Stephanie Theodore on April 13th. ATOA is a weekly event that occurs Friday evenings at 7PM at the School of Visual Arts.
Left: Melissa Meyer's oil painting, "Regale".

The Owl Collection...

I got an email asking to see my owl collection. So, here is the majority of it. They come from all over and are made of all different materials. Some were expensive and others very inexpensive. Yes, I know that I need to organize them. And yes, I also know that not everything in the case is an owl. Oh, and I have a few more. Some are too big to fit in the case and others are doubles of ones already in it.

The next time I'm in Florida, I will ask my mom about the ones I had when I was little. Then I will try to claim them back.

Grace...

After a sluggish start, I quickly went about doing my errands. I got almost everything done for today. I did miss a meeting, but will reschedule it for later. On the way home, I passed by the Grace Church. The tulip trees are in bloom and it is a beautiful sight.

Rainy Grey...

Everything is grey outside. It's rainy and a little bit cold and I get very tired when it's like this. I don't like to leave the apartment and I can feel all the things I need to do mounting, one by one. Especially after being sick, all I want to do is hibernate.

Migraines...

Today I got a migraine while I was at work. Very inconvenient. It was our first day of being officially open. Cindy had recommended an herbal remedy, but unfortunately it was back at home and I didn't get a chance to try it yet. I was talking with my manager about the migraines and was telling her that my senses were heightened. I could smell everything and hear everything. I was painfully aware of everything around me.

Finds...

Here are some recent finds from Anthropologie. I got these a week ago, but didn't unwrap or take them home until tonight. What great deals! All of them were on sale and were very affordable.

I'm loving this owl print. But that's because I love owls and have HUGE collection of them. The sea urchin dish made out of bone china was an impulse buy. I think I bought it because I thought Cynthia would like it.