Drawing up battle lines – art gallery takes on Wikipedia

From The Independant, Andrew Johnson

The appearance of some of the world's most famous portraits on a website could create a legal landmark

In her coronation robes, Elizabeth I looks formidable and stately – the Virgin Queen in her pomp, an image to propel rivals into battle. Some 400 years after her portrait was painted, that is precisely what she has done.


Hers is one of more than 3,000 images from the National Portrait Gallery uploaded onto the free internet encyclopedia Wikipedia in April by Seattle-based Derrick Coetzee. The gallery, founded in 1856, responded last week by threatening legal proceedings against the PhD student.

That action unleashed outrage in cyberspace and quickly led to a stand-off between the proponents of free information and cultural institutions wanting to protect one of their few revenue streams – licence fees for reproducing images of their artworks. The row also goes to the heart of an internet revolution which does not recognise borders or national laws.

The gallery has instructed the law firm Farrer and Co, which represents the Queen, to sue Mr Coetzee unless the pictures are removed. They claim that letters to Wikipedia were unanswered. While the portraits are long out of copyright, the photographs are not and, the gallery argues, the digitisation process to create high resolution images has cost it around £1m. They are, they say, therefore entitled to a licence fee.

For many MYARTSPACE artists, their concern of their work showing up on commercial products and other sites without their permission (and without them getting compensated) is a valid concern.

You can read this article by clicking over to the New York Times HERE.

The art of a recession: Gallery owners struggling

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Art gallery owners across the country are finding they have a tough sell these days.

With houses going up for auction, unemployment continuing to rise and the threat of layoffs seemingly ever-present, many gallery owners in art communities such as Scottsdale, Ariz., Santa Fe, N.M., Portland, Ore., and New York City are closing shop, going broke to stay open or drastically changing the way they do business.

For the full article by AMANDA LEE MYERS, Associated Press Writer, click HERE

New UPLOAD Manager rolling in soon

MYARTSPACE is introducing a new UPLOAD MANAGER to help make it easier for artists to upload and organize their work on the site. The goal is to deliver a better and more satisfying user experience AND to address the power needs of our premium service members.



A few points that are important to highlight on the new UPLOAD Manager:

- It provides three ways to upload images -- a "bulk loader" for the premium services members, a rapid multi-file upload for standard users, and of course the Gallery Wizard that many are historically used to using.

- Once images are selected to be uploaded, artists can apply "batch" tags to all the images at once making this much easier.

- One can upload images to an existing gallery, a new gallery, or their image library for later use.

- A new "Video Gallery" is being introduced where users can create a gallery containing just a video for playback.

- MYARTSPACE will introduce some space limitations for standard users for the first time. The aggregate amount of storage space -- including images, videos, music and voice annotation -- will be monitored and have some reasonable limitation assigned to it. Premium Subscribers will have 20GB of storage space available.

We think the introduction of the new UPLOAD manager is the first step in helping make the overall upload and management of the site better. Once we integrate this well, the "ORGANIZER" will be introduced, which allows you to manage your galleries, images, videos and work in one easy spot.

Book Review: Jackie Battenfield's The Artist's Guide - How to Make a Living Doing What You Love

I was recently asked to review Jackie Battenfield's new book, The Artist's Guide - How to Make a Living Doing What You Love. It was such an excellent book that instead of reviewing it, I ended up reading the whole darn thing. Highly recommended, the following is a repost of my review at ArtLOOK:

Jackie Battenfield's new book, The Artist's Guide - How To Make a Living Doing What You Love, is an excellent resource for visual artists at any stage of their career. Battenfield writes in a professional and yet easy manner and provides invaluable information, inspiration and resources on making a successful career in the art world.

Battenfield's words do more than just dictate the "how to" and "why for" of the business end of art. She speaks from the heart and addresses such topics as knowing when you are ready to circulate your art (the difference between nurturing your artistic soul and preparing for business), how to take charge of your professional life, your marketing kit, creating your own opportunities, Introducing your work, building relationships and maintaining your practice.

This former gallery director, artist and teacher has supported herself for over 20 years through sales of her art. She and her husband (also an artist) have successfully paid the bills, purchased life insurance, funded their pension plans, took vacations and put their son through college. Jackie attributes this success to diligent planning and pursuing opportunities. She freely shares this wealth of experience and knowledge with her readers.

Inspiring quotes and advice from dozens of art world professionals are sprinkled throughout the pages providing a "reality check" for the reader. Real life examples and step by step exercises will teach you how to self promote, network, build relationships, broaden your funding resources and explore a wide range of exhibition, commission and sales opportunities beyond the walls of the traditional commercial gallery.

I highly recommend this book as someone who works on a daily basis with artists and as a graphic designer seeking opportunities for myself. Battenfield's advice was helpful and smart. The biggest praise I can give is that in reviewing the book I found a new resource which helped me help a client submit to a call for entry in NYC. This book should be on every artists desk!!

Jackie Battenfield is represented in galleries throughout the United States and in over a thousand collections worldwide. She teaches professional practices at Columbia University and for the Creative Capital Foundation. Please visit her website at www.artistcareerguide.com where you will find information on purchasing the book, interviews, events and speaking engagements.

Site Updates for myartspace.com

MYARTSPACE now offers a personal web address (URL) on the site for $29.99 per year or $2.99 per month as an alternative to full premium. Also, Premium Service on www.myartspace.com can now be purchased at $6.99 per month for those myartspace users that want more power, storage, and features. For a comparison of premium services versus the standard "free" subscription, see: www.myartspace.com/premium

Winners of the myartspace.com London Calling 2009 competition announced!

The results of the www.myartspace.com London Calling 2009 competition have been announced. The three top winners are: Marcy Mendelson, Lydia Panas, and Davide Monaldi. The three winners will have their work physically displayed at the Scream London gallery. Seventeen competitors were chosen to be digitally represented. In all 50 finalists were selected. For more information about the London Calling finalists visit, www.myartspace.com/londoncalling/winners/

The prestigious juror panel included Vanessa DesClaux ( The Tate Modern, London), Tom Morton (Hayward Gallery, Frieze magazine), and Francesco Manacorda (Barbican Gallery, London).

More info to come.

Mona Hatoum at Pallazo Querini Stampalia

Impenetrable by Mona Hatoum

The Pallazo Querini Stampalia is currently featuring a solo show of art by artist Mona Hatoum. The show, titled “Interior Landscapes”, is curated by Chiara Bertola and involves 29 works of art. The exhibit will come to a close on September 20th. For more information visit, www.querinistampalia.it/index.php

Robert Rauschenberg at Peggy Guggenheim Collection

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice is currently in the process of displaying obscure works by the late Robert Rauschenberg. The show, titled Robert Rauschenberg: Gluts, involves over forty works of art by Rauschenberg. The works explore the possibilities of metal as a medium and the social implications of metal in general. For more information visit, www.guggenheim.org/venice

Tighter TWITTER Integration

MYARTSPACE has just released tighter integration with TWITTER for its premium service members.

MYARTSPACE premium service members can define their twitter account (login and password), and MYARTSPACE can automatically post to TWITTER when the user creates a new gallery, posts a new blog entry, posts a new store listing on NYAXE, posts a new event/press release.



This feature is ready and available for MYARTSPACE Premium Services subscribers now.

Personal Blogging... Coming next week to MYARTSPACE

MYARTSPACE will be introducing personal blogging for premium subscribers next week. This will allow users to create their own personal blog where they can post articles, images, galleries and movies into a free-flowing stream of thought.



Users can define set up their own visual header, define "highlighted" posts that they want featured, and post an unlimited amount. The product is closely integrated with the rest of MYARTSPACE, so they can, for instance, easily "embed" one of their galleries in the middle of their post.

We expect to roll this capability into production next week.

Art Space Talk: Resa Blatman (Part 3)

This is Part 3 of my interview with Resa Blatman. To return to Part 2 click, HERE

They Gather in Such Profusion by Resa Blatman

Brian Sherwin: What are your thoughts concerning the internet and utilizing the World Wide Web in order to gain exposure for your art? In your opinion, why is it important for artists to embrace the internet?

Resa Blatman: I think that it’s essential to have a web presence today. But my opinion about this may not be fully objective, as I make part of my living designing websites. However, I do believe that it’s important for anyone who wants their work to be easily and quickly accessible to have a website of some sort. It allows the audience to view anartist’s work privately, at their own pace, and without traveling -- I think this is what most people embrace about the web.

While there’s no replacement for seeing artwork in the flesh, the web can offer a personal connection with the artist and their work. Without my web presence I would not be having this interview with MyArtSpace.

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

RB: Yes. I participate annually in my city’s open studios, which is one of the largest in the States. Somerville Open Studios in Massachusetts is the first weekend in May. Going on now is a small solo exhibit, “Luscious Bird Paintings,” at the Christopher Brodigan Gallery in Groton, Massachusetts until May 10th. After that, my three cut-edge triptych paintings will be on view at two juried shows in Massachusetts: Danforth Museum from June 1-August 1, 2009; and Tufts University Art Gallery, June 3-August 2, 2009.

Red Hot Peevish Birds by Resa Blatman

BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?

RB: As much as I am concerned about my work and it’s place within society, I try not to dwell too much on the art world. I find that getting too caught up in it only gets in the way of my work. That being said, I do think the recession is not as bad for the art world as many might think. These shifts within the economy have a way of clearing out the brush and leaving the art world to the dedicated artists who continue to make good work with serious intentions.

BS: There have been several stories involving copyright infringement in the mainstream press as of late. What is your stance on copyright? Do you see strong copyright as a reflection of artist rights in general? Or do you feel that copyright restricts creativity? Do you have a stance on this issue?

RB: My thoughts about this go back and forth. I do think it’s important for an artist to have ownership rights over their work, but I also think that we should allow others to borrow from our creations, with credit and limitations. I use photos and books for some of my source materials and without them I would have a difficult time finding the perfect ostrich, bat, or bird to paint.

Lavish Heronry by Resa Blatman

BS: As you know, the economy has been hard. Have you had to change-- or should I say adapt-- your practice due to the economy?

RB: I’ve been lucky. My design business has been busier than usual lately and we have several websites that we’re currently working on, which means I have a little less time to be in the studio at the moment -- one has to work when the work is there. At the same time, I was awarded a few artist grants in the last year and sold several paintings, which has allowed me to continue working as a full-time painter.

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art?

RB: The ideas keep coming and I am very grateful for that.

This concludes my interview with Resa Blatman. To return to Part 1 click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

Art Space Talk: Resa Blatman (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of my interview with Resa Blatman. To return to Part 1 click, HERE

Mild Rapture #2 by Resa Blatman

Brian Sherwin: Can you discuss your process in general? Are there any specific techniques that you utilize?

Resa Blatman: My process is quite simple. I think about my work constantly -- while I’m exercising, when I’m driving, and before I go to sleep, it’s always on my mind. For me, this is like sketching. I have a very vivid imagination; I can see what it is I want to paint before I do it. That doesn’t mean that the paintings turn out how I originally imagined them, but this process allows me to dive into a new painting without fear or hesitation. In fact, I’m often thinking about the next painting while I’m working on the current one, and that fuels me to move forward and complete the current work so that I can continue my “visual story.”

I use a lot of source materials for my paintings -- photos, books, animal, fruit, and flower models, and the internet. First, I design the surface edges on the computer and then I send the files to the company that cuts the panels. Once I have the panels back in my studio, I gather all of my source materials and I start drawing out the composition directly onto them -- there is no preliminary sketching beforehand. The painting starts off with one composition, but I frequently change the subject, placement, and color, while I’m working on it. I let myself erase, paint over, and change my mind so that the painting remains fluid despite the careful, tight rendering.

Ravishing The Night by Resa Blatman

BS: What about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists?

RB: Yes. I’m a huge fan of and influenced by many artists, particularly John Currin, Tara Donovan, Walton Ford, Julie Heffernan, Martin Johnson Heade, Ernst Haeckel, the Baroque, Hieronymus Bosch, Lucas Cranach, the Elder, early Flemish painting, Pre-Renaissance painting, the Baroque, and Victorian Decorative Art.

BS: So what is the specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

RB: As I mentioned previously, my work is specifically about fertility. This is an issue I have personal epxerience with, and one that has offered me a great deal of creative ideas and energy. I suppose my philosophy is to be honest with myself and with my audience. I can’t escape who I am, what I believe, or what I’ve experienced in my life, which means it’s impossible to divorce myself from my work. This allows me to be personal with my work and subject matter, which drives my concept. However, I do my best to keep irony within my work, and to not take myself too seriously.

Three Flamingos by Resa Blatman

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

RB: If you look at my “gallery” on MyArtSpace or check out my website at http://www.resablatman.com/ you can see the cut-edge panel paintings. This is my newest work and the direction I plan to pursue for now. I’ve completed two triptych cut-edge panels (the third, “Lemon Spray,” is nearly complete), and I’m in the process of starting a fourth in this series, which will be approximately 20-30 feet wide and include six or eight panels.

My plan is to keep the cut edges elaborate and have each of the panels integrate more often with one another. As for what I plan to paint, well, that’s my secret for now. Only my husband knows what I’m thinking about putting on the surface, and that may change.

To read Part 3 of my interview with Resa Blatman click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

how to write an artist statement (teaser)

This is a teaser for a longer post on implicit art. Please comment there so as to keep all discussion in one place...

Like making art, there are no steadfast rules to writing artist statements - and even the best of us fail sometimes - but there are of course some decent guidelines one might consider following....

Art work descriptions and statements should be about 300 - 500 words, and strictly address the following:

1. What "is" the work? Describe it as an object, installation or situation in a way that enables visual and/or sensual comprehension. This is not what the piece is “about.” I mean it literally / physically: what are your art piece’s individual components and materials, and how do they work together as a whole?


2. What do we see or experience? If it's an installation, consider a walk-through, a description of how it looks, sounds, smells, feels (again, not emotionally or conceptually, but physically), and what actions viewers have taken in and around it. If it's a situation, describe the relationships (and power structures) you are intervening in and how participants might perform them. Many works would likely need to address both what we experience and what we do as an audience or participants in front of it / around it / with it. How do viewers relate to the work, to the artist, to each other...?


3. What's at stake? Why is this important to you? Why should it be important to me / others? You can briefly address or allude to conceptual issues here, but be specific rather than general. How does the piece itself address these concerns? How do we encounter them in our experience of it, and what value lies in that encounter?

7 guidelines to follow:

1. This is not a mystery novel. Start with a one-sentence description that encompasses all of the above to some extent – especially what it is – then unpack each of the listed items as is needed.

...

Read more and comment at implicit art...

Spring Exhibition at NYAXE Gallery in Palo Alto, CA

Catherine McCormack-Skiba, the founder of www.myartspace.com, speaks with a NYAXE Gallery visitor.

The opening of the Spring Exhibition at NYAXE Gallery was held on May 21st. The exhibit featured works by myartspace.com members Jane Fulton Alt, Leah Tomaino, and Miles Holbert-- the finalists of the most recent NYAXE Gallery representation competition on www.myartspace.com. Seventeen artists from the myartspace.com community were represented digitally at the gallery space.

The exhibit opened at 6pm and came to a close at 10pm. A steady flow of gallery visitors were present-- over 100 people were counted during the early hours of the opening. The technology, powerful works of contemporary art, and music set the pace of the environment as cocktails were served. The event was yet another successful example of the meshing between the physical and online art world.

NYAXE Gallery visitors view a work of art by Leah Tomaino

NYAXE Gallery in Palo Alto, CA officially opened on February 26th, 2009. The exhibit on May 21st marks the second exhibit featuring www.myartspace.com members. The represented artists are chosen from a selective-- ongoing --competition that allows members of the myartspace.com community to compete for NYAXE Gallery representation. For more information visit, www.myartspace.com/nyaxegallery.

The digitally represented artists for the May 21st NYAXE Gallery exhibit:

Lisa Mistiuk, Edie Nadelhaft, Martin H.M Schreiber, Hans Meertens, Carla Falb, Jovan Villalba, Reka Nyari, Syed Zaman, Viviane Vives, Bill Bosler, Pau Guerrero-Prado, Bob Martin, Jagna Wesolowska, Jason Wolfe, Lucille Dweck, Thomas C Chung, Peter Tankey

NYAXE Gallery in Palo Alto, CA positions myartspace.com as one of only a few social art sites to have a physical presence in the form of a brick & mortar gallery-- as well as the only online art community to have a physical gallery presence in the heart of Silicon Valley. The NYAXE Gallery places myartspace.com members art within reach of some of the most powerful-- and wealthy-- professionals in the United States.

myartspace.com is the leading online social network for the contemporary art world. Dubbed "the biggest network you never heard of" by The Next Web and as one of the top six social art sites according to Mashable, the site continues to experience dramatic reception by the art community. myartspace was the first site to offer compelling, integrated presentation technology -- the ability to blend images of art, music, video and audio narration all online. The company also distinguishes itself by being a free and open community in that all members can upload an unlimited number of images, videos and music.

The competition is free for Premium myartspace.com members to enter. You can learn more about Premium membership on myartspace.com by visiting the following page, www.myartspace.com/premium. You can learn more about the current represented artists by visiting, www.myartspace.com/nyaxegallery/winners

Link of Interest:

NYAXE Gallery Representation Winners. May 21, 2009 Exhibit

www.myartspace.com/blog/2009/05/nyaxe-gallery-representation-winners.html

Claes Oldenburg at the Whitney Museum of American Art

Ice Bag - Scale C (1971) by Claes Oldenburg via NY Times

The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York is currently featuring a Claes Oldenburg retrospective The exhibition explores Oldenburg’s early career as well as his longtime collaboration with wife Coosie van Bruggen. The retrospective details nearly five decades of Oldenburg’s work.

The sculptor is best known for his public art installations. His work tends to feature very large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions of everyday objects. The exhibit comes to a close on September 6th, 2009. For more information visit, www.oldenburgvanbruggen.com or www.whitney.org

Art Space Talk: Resa Blatman (Part 1)

Through her art Resa Blatman attempts to show nature at odds with itself by playing with the contradictions of emptiness versus fullness, lush versus barren, and rapture versus displeasure. In her paintings, the berries, linear loops, and tiny dots represent an abundance of embryos, eggs, and seeds. Heaps are an important element: these berries, loops, tiny dots, and sometimes creatures accumulate in piles and mounds and represent the bounty of femininity and ripeness.

Beauty and the Beasties by Resa Blatman

Brian Sherwin: Resa, what can you tell us about your academic background concerning art? Did you study art formally? Tell us about your art studies in general-- any influential instructors?

Resa Blatman: I have a lot of art school experience under my belt. After high school, I went to the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, where I majored in “fine arts.” That meant I had a well-rounded art education doing everything from etching to stone sculpture. After Ringling, I moved to New York for a couple of years, where I had several jobs and painted during my free time. Then I left for Florence, Italy, where I studied at the Studio Art Centers International (SACI) for one year and lived in Florence for another two years, with a side excursion to London for seven months.

At SACI I spent my time painting, primarily portraits. I had a memorable learning experience, particularly with portrait painter and teacher Manfredi, who taught me to see a person’s character and exaggerate it in order to make the portrait look like the model. The director of SACI, Jules Maidoff, was instrumental in helping me move paint around
more freely and with more confidence.

After my year at SACI, I worked for a mask-maker named Agostino Dessi, who owns a little mask shop called “Alice” in the center of Florence. This job let me stay in Italy for two more years. Agostino taught me the craft of mask-making, and skills related to selling artwork, which were very useful to me later on.

I then moved back to the United States and settled in Boston, where I’ve been ever since. My art education might have ended there, but after a few years of making and selling masks, paper jewelry, and portraits, making a very meager living, I decided to go back to school for a BFA in graphic design. I enrolled at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and with my previous credits, I was able to get through the design program in two years and receive my degree. During this time and the following years to come, I had essentially given up on painting.

My work got stuck and stodgy -- I couldn’t think of what to paint next and it seemed that my desire to paint had come to an end -- it was no longer a productive or fulfilling relationship. Studying graphic design was a welcome change for me, and on reflection, I believe it was one of the best career choices I’ve ever made. It taught me new skills (especially computer skills) and gave me confidence to start my own business. I made a good living while still doing work that was creative and enjoyable.

My small design business flourished and won awards, and I had many steady clients. But after 9/11 the economy was in trouble -- the work dried up and I sat around wondering what to do next. I had been teaching graphic design part-time at MassArt since 1997 and really enjoyed it, so I thought I’d go back to school for my MFA (but this time I’d get the degree in painting), so that I could teach full-time and revive my old love for painting. But, because I hadn’t been painting for nearly 10 years, my portfolio was weak and I was rejected from the few local grad schools that I applied to (my husband was working full-time, which meant we couldn’t move and I had to apply to schools in, or near to, Boston).

Then I learned about the one-year post-baccalaureate program at Brandeis University, which I was accepted to, and my relationship to painting renewed itself. I learned so much, mostly from my peers, and also from the terrific visiting artist and instructor from New York, Charles Spurrier, who opened my mind and eyes to contemporary, conceptual art. My previous art education had rarely examined the contemporary art world; instead it highlighted Michelangelo to Picasso with the impressionists sprinkled in between.

The following year I applied to the same local grad programs as I had previously, was accepted by three of them, and chose Boston University. My experience there was mixed; being the oldest student made me stand out, but not always in the way I intended. Nevertheless, I worked diligently in the mostly studio-based program, which was one of the toughest educational experiences of my life. Despite the difficult crits and the personal and artistic challenges, I’m extremely grateful for my graduate school experience -- my work continually evolved and my painting skills and conceptual abilities
improved enormously.

I was in a class with highly talented peers and the painter and instructor John Walker, and they taught me more about painting than I could ever have imagined. By the time I was near the end of the grad program I realized that I no longer wanted to teach full-time; rather, I wanted to paint full-time again. I decided then that I would supplement my painting career with graphic design, allowing me to pursue both fields and take advantage of my design skills to enhance my paintings. I graduated from BU in 2006.

Coitus by Resa Blatman

BS: Tell us more about yourself. At what point did you gain an interest in creating visual art in the first place?

RB: This may sound a bit clichéd, but when I was a small child the grownups around me would ask, “What do you want to be when you grown up?” And I would consistently say “I want to be a artist.” Eventually, I learned to say it correctly but my desire never changed. No matter what other things I tried, or waters I tested, I always knew I would be an artist.

Aphrodite's Garden by Resa Blatman

BS: Can you tell us about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your art.

RB: As you might imagine with so many different art school experiences, and a lot of years in between, my work was initially quite different from the way it is now. That said, I notice some things in my current work that harken back to my childhood drawings and paintings, and the tight painting I did in my 20s. While we can’t help but be influenced
by our peers and historical and contemporary artists, and the time in which we live, I believe some things about us never change. Our work and our lives move in circles that we continually begin and end. The ideas I have, and use now, in my work are often ideas that I thought about years ago -- these ideas never really leave, but crop up here and there when they become useful to me.

My current work is about fertility, abundance, sensuality, and an over-the-top beauty. The paintings combine decorative patterns with flora and fauna. The cut-edge surfaces are an extension of the painting itself, allowing the work to feel as if it is growing out of control.

To read Part 2 of my interview with Resa Blatman click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

The Spiritual Side of Art

Art has the power to move people-- if art did not there would, in most cases, be no reason to create art in the first place. The visual dialogue that is art is one of the purest forms of communication in my opinion. There are hundreds if not thousands of examples of art that is capable of touching the soul of viewers. For example, viewers have been known to weep while standing before a painting by Mark Rothko-- while others have cried openly before Picasso’s Guernica. Why? Because these works touched them on an inner level.

True, these works can move someone on an emotional level. However, I would say that emotion and the spiritual often mesh. I’m not necessarily talking about the religious aspects of spirituality as much as the fact that many people will describe how a specific image can ‘touch’ them on the inside-- a connection that is often beyond words and expression. These connections are made everyday in art galleries and art museums worldwide.

In many of these examples the viewer has prior knowledge of what the image represents or about the life of the artist-- they may have read about the specific artwork in a book before having ever viewed it in person. In other words, people know that Rothko had a difficult life and that Guernica captures the horror and pain of war. However, even without that knowledge the use of color, figures, and symbolism can have universal implications I would think. You could say that we are born to understand visual images to some degree.

Thus, without knowing one can experience a message-- one that touches the core of how he or she defines himself or herself-- that is just as powerful as the message experienced by an art historian who knows the who, what, and when. To me, that is the power of art-- and the basis of why we feel connected to specific images. In a sense, we can understand an image without fully understanding. Such is life. True?

Consider this an open topic concerning the spiritual aspects of art. Has a specific work of art touched your soul? Can you recall a specific work of art that helped your through a difficult time or defined a time of joy for you? I know that some people suggest that there is no longer room for the spiritual in the art of today-- do you agree? Or would you say that the spiritual aspects of art surround us just as they did in other periods of time? In your opinion, why does visual art have this power-- why do viewers establish these personal connections?

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

Art Space Talk: Carla Falb (Part 3)

Roller Coaster Series: Nitro by Carla Falb

This is Part 3 of my interview with Carla Falb. To read Part 2 click, HERE

Brian Sherwin: Carla, what are your thoughts concerning the internet and utilizing the World Wide Web in order to gain exposure for your art? In your opinion, why is it important for artists to embrace the Internet?

Carla Falb: When I began making art, in order to gain exposure, we had to take slides, which meant: hanging a black backdrop on the wall, lighting the work so there would be no glare, bracketing the shots, finding a studio that would process slide film, then selecting the best slides to have duplicates made. After making the slides we would need to label them – either with fine tipped Sharpies or clear address labels cut to size, and then finally mail our information out to galleries and competitions. So much has changed in so little time!

Now with digital photography and the opportunity to post our work on sites like My Art Space – the world has opened up for artists. People from all over the world have the opportunity to view our work! Through My Art Space, we can connect with other artists that have similar interests. I also know that I don’t feel nearly so isolated with my art making as when I wasn’t connected to the World Wide Web. I have a sense that people are interested in my work and want to see more.

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

CF: As a matter of fact, I happy to say that I was just selected as one of twenty artists that will be exhibiting their work in the Spring Exhibition at the NYAXE Gallery in Palo Alto, California. Selected drawings and paintings from my Roller Coaster Series will be displayed digitally.

Roller Coaster Series: Viper Triptych by Carla Falb

BS: There has been several stories involving copyright infringement in the mainstream press as of late. What is your stance on copyright? Do you see strong copyright as a reflection of artist rights in general? Or do you feel that copyright restricts creativity? Do you have a stance on this issue?

CF: When I decided that I wanted to use roller coaster structures in my artwork, it occurred to me that I could just use images that I would be able to find online and in published books. However, even if I combined and transformed the images to make them my own, to get around the copyright laws, it simply felt unethical and phony – like trying to pass off someone else’s experiences as my own.

In addition, I decided that perhaps most importantly, I wanted viewers to have a visceral reaction when looking at my work – to actually feel as if they are on an endless ride. I realized that if I wanted to create this experience for my viewers, I would have to go to amusement parks, wait in line, ride the coasters, sit in the front car, and take my own photos – an industrialized/pop version of J. M. W. Turner’s habit of riding out storms at sea.

On the other hand, what about work that is about the mass media and our popular culture? Can you imagine if Andy Warhol hadn’t deliberately used copyrighted photos? His famous image of Marilyn Monroe was originally a publicity shot by Gene Korman for the film Niagara, made in 1953. Did Shepard Fairey do anything that different from Warhol when he used an Associated Press photo as a basis for his recent “Hope” portrait of President Obama? The following link is to a Washington Times article explaining the suits and counter-suits between Fairey and the Associated Press:

www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/12/iconic-obama-hope-portrait-hung-up-in-court/

When considering the question of copyright infringement, it’s also essential to look at the work of contemporary representational painter, Damian Loeb, who uses movie stills as source material. At the beginning of his career he was involved in several lawsuits because of his use of copyrighted images. Currently he is considered one of the preeminent Post-Modern representational painters and is represented by the prestigious Acquavella Gallery in New York.

There is an excellent article on Loeb’s website by Charles Giuliano that mentions the suits and describes Loeb’s commitment to film as a resource for his paintings:

www.damianloeb.com/history/bfa101408.html

On the Acquavella website Loeb explains his choice of using images from films: www.acquavellagalleries.com/artists/damian-loeb/

Do I have a stance on these copyright issues? I imagine the simple answer is that it depends on the artists’ intent. I agree with Shepard Fairey when he explains that artists’ use photos of public figures for “reference as a part of social commentary should not be stifled.” When copying serves a higher purpose, it seems ethical, and in some cases, essential to the meaning of an artists’ work.

Roller Coaster Series: Medusa by Carla Falb

BS: As you know, the economy has been hard. Have you had to change-- or should I say adapt-- your practice due to the economy?

CF: Actually, the economy has always been an issue for me. Rather than placing my career as a painter first, I’ve been teaching in public schools for twenty-two years to earn a steady income and that job has always come first as far as prioritizing my time. As a consequence, most of my artwork has been accomplished over the summer. On a positive note, my work with students gives me so much fulfillment and joy; it has played a huge role defining my identity and giving my life purpose.

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art?

CF: Look for some new work this fall on My Art Space and on my website: www.carlafalb.com. I plan on having a productive summer!

This concludes my interview with Carla Falb. To return to Part 1 click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

Art Space Talk: Carla Falb (Part 2)

Roller Coaster Series: Statosphere by Carla Falb

This is Part 2 of my interview with Carla Falb. To read Part 1 click, HERE

Brian Sherwin: Carla, what about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists?

Carla Falb: The idea of combining roller coaster tracks from various viewpoints in a single composition is derived from Cubism. In Gertrude Stein’s words, I am attempting to create a world where there “There is no there, there.” This notion can also be likened to Einstein’s imagining that he could travel on a beam of light where space contracts, time dilates, and now enlarges to encompass the past and the present.

The Futurists were also interested in creating this experience of simultaneity in their work while using imagery that glorified technological advancements, speed, youth, and violence. My subject matter certainly seems to fits the Futurists’ iconography, and simulates the experience of traveling the length of the roller coaster in a single instant. However, being a Post-Modernist, I use the imagery of the rides with a sense of irony and wonder of the need to experience extreme thrills and fear as a recreation in our twenty-first century pop culture.

In graduate school, during the summer of 2001 when I was just beginning my series, I saw two exhibits that would profoundly influence my work: Wayne Theibaud’s retrospective at the Whitney, and architect Frank Gehry’s models and sketches at the Guggenheim. Prior to viewing these exhibits, I always considered constructed/man-made forms and natural forms to be diametrically opposed.

When I saw Gehry’s spiraling wave/shell-like buildings and Theibaud’s plummeting waterfall San Francisco streets, I realized that natural and constructed forms could be melded. My roller coaster tracks could become strands of DNA, circulatory systems, explorations of time and space, wormholes, and universes. In addition, partly because of Theibaud’s influence, I enjoy employing roller coaster imagery in my work so that it can be appreciated on a variety of levels: by the general public, young and old, as well as the art world.

BS: So what is the specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

CF: In Meyer Schapiro’s essay, “On Perfection, Coherence, and Unity of Form and Content,” the concept of unity in a work of art is likened to the “mystic’s experience of the oneness of the world or with God.” What does this have to do with roller coasters? Certainly on a formal level, I focus on uniting my compositions through use of color and repetition of forms. But the question remains, how can spiritual awe and the thrill of amusement rides be compared when they are on entirely different planes of existence? Perhaps like the process of art making itself, each is associated with a need to transcend the mundane experience of everyday reality.

A critic once described my roller coaster drawings as twenty-first century versions of M. C. Escher’s work. After hearing this, I did some research on Escher and found that his complex black and white prints are influenced by an unlikely combination of Mathematics, Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, and Eastern philosophy. According to Leonard Shlain in Art and Physics, Escher’s depictions of Mobius strips in several of his works vividly illustrate the Chinese concept of Tao. On the site, www.thetao.info, Robert Friedler states that “common dictionary translations of Tao include: road, path, way, means, doctrine.

In the Tao Tee Ching, it is generally used to indicate the unseen, underlying law of the universe from which all other principles and phenomena proceed.” Roller coaster tracks can be viewed as pathways and equated to a complex Mobius strip, since at the end of the ride, the cars arrive back where they began. This cyclical law of the universe, where opposing forces are unified, is the philosophical core of my work.

Roller Coaster Series: New York, New York by Carla Falb

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

CF: I recently received a Dodge Foundation Visual Artist/ Educator Fellowship and will use part of the funds to travel to Los Angeles this summer to photograph roller coasters and various amusements at Tomorrowland in Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and the Santa Monica Pier. When thinking about the next progression in my Roller Coaster Series, I considered that even though I have always lived on the East Coast, the imagery in my Roller Coaster Series has more of a West Coast/ pop culture vibe. So I decided that LA would be an ideal location to gather new source material for paintings.

I’m looking forward to being taken by surprise by the unexpected amusements or images I will encounter, not just the rides I’ve viewed online. I’m also interested in photographing the parks at night. This is something I have never tried before, and I think I might like the disorienting effects of the colorful lights and the blurred motion.



To read Part 3 of my interview with Carla Falb click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

Art Space Talk: Carla Falb (Part 1)

Don’t be mistaken by Carla Falb’s art. Falb is not a roller coaster fanatic and doesn't consider her work as literally depicting specific rides. Instead, Falb thinks of her Roller Coaster Series as being more about the layers of metaphorical meanings based on the various coasters' physical structures, sudden turns, extreme drops, and cyclical ride. Falb was recently selected for representation at the NYAXE Gallery in Palo Alto, CA. NYAXE Gallery is operated by Catherine McCormack-Skiba-- the founder of www.myartspace.com and www.nyaxe.com.

Roller Coaster Series: Medusa Storm by Carla Falb

Brian Sherwin: Carla, tell us about yourself. At what point did you gain an interest in creating visual art?

Carla Falb: In junior high I was deeply involved in music. At home I spent hours practicing classical piano and even auditioned to play with the Philadelphia Orchestra. When I got to high school, my piano teacher emphatically explained that I needed to decide if I wanted to make a commitment to become a concert pianist.

At the time, I was searching for a more creative outlet, so I decided not to continue with music, and began to take classes in visual arts. By my junior year I decided that I wanted to be a painter, applied for early admission, and was accepted to the Philadelphia College of Art at age sixteen.

BS: What can you tell us about your academic background concerning art? Did you study art formally? Tell us about your art studies in general-- any influential instructors?

CF: After spending three semesters at the Philadelphia College of Art (PCA), I realized that I wanted to learn traditional painting techniques, so I began studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts – the oldest art school in the United States. Looking back, I realize that since I was a classically trained musician; it made sense that I desired a more formal approach to painting.

While at the Academy, my most influential instructors were Arthur DeCosta, and Sidney Goodman. DeCosta’s demonstrations in Basic Color class focused on understanding the history of various palettes as well as skill development of alla prima painting techniques. His classes were engaging and informative. On the other hand, Goodman’s classes were intense. On the days he instructed, we were given the task to complete an entire figure painting in three hours.

I now see my undergraduate education as being the best of both worlds. At PCA I received a solid background in design and composition, and the Academy developed my formal/ technical skills. Today as a fine arts teacher in high school, I bring both of these approaches to my classroom instruction.
Roller Coaster Series: Circus Circus by Carla Falb

BS: Can you tell us about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your art.

CF: When I decided to focus on the visual arts back in high school, my choice was driven by a strong desire to work in a tangible medium where I could further my quest for self-knowledge. Later, in graduate school, before I came up with the idea for my Roller Coaster Series, I deliberated about who I was as an artist and as a person: what could I paint that truly expressed my personality, energy, and philosophy? Without a particularly interesting ethnic background to explore, and with no strong activist leanings, what unique vision I could share with the world?

After some soul searching I realized that the person who had the most profound effect on my life was my father, a Methodist minister. He shared his beliefs as well as his eclectic interests with me: i.e. the writings of Carl Jung and Herman Hesse, the humor of Charles Addams, and music ranging from Beethoven to the Beatles.

Overall, I see the work I produce as a metaphysical journey that connects the complexities of our physical existence with the emotional/spiritual realm – albeit from a pop-culture perspective. Simply stated, I’m trying to paint the visual equivalent of rock and roll. Summers spent at the Jersey shore and my quirky sense of humor lead me to use roller coaster tracks as means to create movement and depth in my compositions -- to take the viewer on a ride. However, underlying the general euphoria is the unsettling absurdity of the controlled-fear catharsis inherent in thrill rides coexisting with the sense of transcendentalism in my work.

Roller Coaster Series: Batman by Carla Falb

BS: Can you discuss your process in general? Are there any specific techniques that you utilize?

CF: When I first began my series, I would construct compositions by making collages of Xeroxed photos of roller coasters. Now, I use Photo Shop and have found that even though the physical process has changed, the creative process is similar. Since I usually don’t have a firm idea of what I want when I begin a new work, I play with juxtapositions of the segmented forms – sections of tracks plummeting downward, spiraling and looping through space; lattice/leg-like supports; bits of ground with pathways, blurred buildings and trees; and pieces of sky.

As I am assembling the collages I feel as if I am finding my way through a maze. I want the tracks to travel effortlessly through space and appear as a never-ending ride –using perspective and shifts in scale; yet also have areas of incongruity and disjointedness when examined closely.


To read Part 2 of my interview with Carla Falb click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog