Art Space Talk: Steven Bogart

Steven Bogart combines oil and rustoleum paints in a variety of consistencies to achieve complex abstractions. Bogart states that he finds inspiration from nature, cosmology, physics, biology, music and surrealism. His work is an ongoing exploration of spontaneous intricacies, chaos and thought. Each painting is an emotional experience in capturing something beautiful and surprising.

Dolichopodidae by Steven Bogart

Brian Sherwin: Steven, 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?

Steven Bogart: I received my BFA in painting from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. While I was attending the Museum school I worked with several great instructors: Kaji Aso, and T.Lux Feininger were two important teachers. But I also owe a great deal of gratitude to my two high school art teacers, Richard Fendorak, and Wilhem Wybanger. Without them I may not have found myself in art.

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

SB: I was interested in art from the time I was seven years old. My stepmother and my father exposed me to the art world through museums and art books. Between the ages of 7 and 12, I used to copy the paintings of Toulouse Lautrec, Kees Van Dongen and Alexei von Jawlensky
Gamma by Steven Bogart

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

SB: Over the past thirty years I have explored both surrealism and abstraction. For the past five years I’ve moved to purely abstract painting. My work is influenced by cosmology, nature and ideas about the universe, i.e., chaos theory, quantum theories, light, fractals, and space.

I often draw specific inspiration from the sky and the space between tree branches. I’m interested in discovering something beautiful and unexpected. It often takes me several canvases to find one that works for me. I want my paintings be compel the viewer from a distance and entice them to move closer, while viewing the work close up creates a very different experience.
Medusa's Dream by Steven Bogart

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

SB: I spend a good amount of time preparing a luminous space using oil colors that eventually function as both background and areas that come forward into the foreground. The images that play on the surface of the canvas are created from mixing enamel paints in various combinations.

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

SB: I used to have very strong ties with Paul Klee, Joan Miro, Mark Rothko, and Turner. I also love Pollock. There was a frustrating period where I couldn’t seem to escape the influence, but something happened five years ago that exploded my work into a voice that I feel is now uniquely mine. I think the influences can still be felt, but they are like echoes now. Some artists that I feel a kindred spirit with now are artists like Barbara Takenaga, Sarah Walker, Matthew Richie and Terry Rose. If you have a chance to google these artists and take a look, you won’t be disappointed.
Elephant by Steven Bogart

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?

SB: I hope that my paintings are filled with beauty and the excitement of the unknown.

BS: What are you working on at this time?

SB: I’m working on a series of paintings called, As Form Falls Away.

BS: 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?

SB: I think the internet is great, and allows for artists to connect more with each other.

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

SB: Presently, I a have solo exhibit on line with the Caladan Gallery, and I’m in a group show that opens March 21 at Artspace Maynard Gallery called, Edge.

BS: Steven, do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?

SB: I don’t have any real concerns. I love how the art world is eclectic and filled with so much great talent. However, for myself, I’m having a very difficult time find a gallery that wants to represent my work.
Crescendo by Steven Bogart

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?

SB: Artists have a right to control their images and the right to be credited.

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

SB: No. The more I talk about my work, the less interested I am in what I have to say.

View Steven Bogart’s profile on myartspace.com

You can learn more about Steven Bogart by visiting his website-- www.stevenkbogart.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

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Brian Sherwin

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Art Space Talk: Janice Nakashima

Janice Nakashima was born and raised in Northern California. She is a third generation of Japanese descent or sansei. Nakashima’s art is meditative and introspective. However, she is also concerned with humanitarian and social issues. Her paintings often explore notions of place and belonging. Nakashima has been involved with exhibits at the Haggin Museum, Triton Museum of Art, and the Crocker Art Museum.

In one series of paintings Nakashima explored the idea of home on various levels. This works explored the idea of home within ourselves, within our communities, and upon this earth-- the universal aspects of ‘home‘. Nakashima’s installation ‘Far from Home, is an expression of the plight of refugees in camps all over the world. The double cages of seven camp details are from camp images from all over the world. Refugees live in a kind of double prison—both physical and political. Many have no hope of returning to their homes and remain dependent on aid organizations.

Far from Home by Janice Nakashima

Brian Sherwin: Janice, 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?

Janice Nakashima: After teaching school for a few years, I went Claremont Graduate University and studied art, receiving an MFA in 1979. The most important part of that experience was the freedom and encouragement to explore that was emphasized. It helped me experience what being an artist was about.

BS: Give our readers some insight into the thoughts behind your art…

JN: My work is a kind of a confluence of my response to the outer world whether nature, social, etc. and my interior world of feelings.

Far from Home detail (Baghdad) by Janice Nakashima

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

JN: I work very intuitively, sometimes without knowing what the work will be about and a conversation begins that carries through the work. Occasionally I'll begin with a clear idea that I see in my mind.

BS: Janice, is there a specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

JN: Each piece has its own experience that I try to convey rather than a specific message. That is a broad statement. The installation/s that I have done do have a specific humanitarian message--mainly to bring an issue to light. I don't have a didactic message. So for the "Far From Home" installation, I was merely putting out for consideration the plight of refugees in many countries.

Far from Home detail (Darfur) by Janice Nakashima

BS: What are you working on at this time?

JN: I am working on a series of watercolor paintings and a collaborative installation.

BS: 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?

JN: The internet is an amazing tool and has given us incredible access to art and everything else. I hope it helps in getting exposure to art to folks. I do feel the inner-person experience is still essential because art has a real visceral presence and the scale actual piece needs to be there in real life for it to be accurately experienced. But--the internet can help get interest in the art.

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

JN: Yes, I have a solo exhibit in May at Axis Gallery Sacramento.
Ecoute Moi by Janice Nakashima

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?

JN: Copyright should definitely be given to the artist for the life of the art or the artist can choose to give it up. But it should be the artist's choice.

Phases by Janice Nakashima

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

JN: As most artists probably hope--I do hope my work is something that is of value to the viewer and can communicate something that is intangible and positive in their life.

View Janice Nakashima’s myartspace.com profile

You can learn more about Janice Nakashima by visiting her website-- www.jnakashima.net. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

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Art Space Talk: Olga Gouskova

Often walking hand-in-hand with controversy is the sensual female form, Russian born, Belgium based - artist Olga Gouskova certainly knows how to capture an audience with her paintings of beautiful and stylish women. Gouskova's women are sexy, melancholic and mysterious, with a powerful physical intensity and a subtleness of form which almost makes you want to caress them. Her female figures do in fact caress themselves, almost as if to emphasize the preciousness of the female body - the eternal source of life and love. The sinuous lines in Gouskova's paintings convey vibrations, memories, ambivalent feelings and deep emotion by means of the positions and expressions of the figures.

Her contemporary approach to pose, dynamic composition and colour produces paintings that are modern, proud, vibrant and uniquely individual. When painting, Gouskova uses two different techniques. First she draws the body with sepia pencil to make it look almost real - warm and soft, giving it a feeling of physical intensity and a subtleness of form, outline and volume. For the rest of each painting she uses acrylic and all kinds of pens to draw lines and small decorative details. She doesn't paint the volume, using instead flat washes of colour. The lines and patterns make the composition dynamic and complete.
SCARLET FLOWER • 60 x 60 cm • acrilyc on canvas, sepia, pen. By Olga Gouskova

Brian Sherwin: Olga, 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?

Olga Gouskova: I was born in Russia and grew up in Belarus. At the age of 11 I went to Byelorussian Art College in Minsk. After 7 years of studying I've obtained an academic classical art education. Many hours of painting and drawing. From landscape in water-colour to model in oil on canvas. After college I went to Byelorussian Academy of Arts in Minsk. But I've chosen the Design department, because I wanted to learn new things and do something different. And for the next 4 years I was busy with all kind of textile design for interior and cloth.

During these years I had a lot of good teachers like Ugrinovich Vikentiy and Nazarenko Oleg, and I've met very interesting and talented people. I'm very grateful for this wonderful experience and the possibilities to learn and do so many different things.

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

OG: I’ve painted and drawn for as long as I remember myself. I just love painting. I enjoy the process and mostly the results too. It fascinates me how the white piece of paper or canvas can become the visual expression of emotions and feelings, somebody's stories or dreams... and after all of that the painting can have its own life and existence. All paintings are part of me and at the same time when they are ready they are not me anymore... I love to watch how people experience art... how it makes them feel and think, how it brings new emotions in their live...

PAPILLON • 60 x 80 cm • acrilyc on canvas, sepia, pen • sold. By Olga Gouskova

BS: Olga, can you tell us more about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your art.

OG: My paintings are about feelings and states of mood, about dreams and expectations. And I express it through the female portrait. Sometimes it feels like I paint a kind of self-portrait from the inside out - the way I feel... the way I am or the way I want to be or will never be... My thoughts about being happy or sad, sensual or extravagant... The mood of the day, of the season, of the moment... of life-- all through the portraits of women. In every painting I try to capture part of the mystery of the female personality by combining the beauty of the physical with the intensity of the mental.

I emphasise the soft femininity of my figures by using flowers, butterflies, and lace details within the compositions, but counter that delicateness through the use of heavy contrasts and strong bold lines. The hair is almost always long and exudes some soft sexuality and is exquisitely detailed. I want my women to look comfortable, soft, serene, and special in their nudity and exposure.

Actually I don't really like to talk much about my paintings, it's like Gustav Klimt had said "I have the gift of neither the spoken nor the written word, especially if I have to say something about myself or my work. Whoever wants to know something about me -as an artist, the only notable thing- ought to look carefully at my pictures and try and see in them what I am and what I want to do"

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

OG: When painting, I use two different techniques. First I draw the body with sepia pencil to make it look almost real - warm and soft, giving it a feeling of physical intensity and a subtleness of form, outline and volume. For the rest of each painting I use acrylic and all kinds of pens to draw lines and small decorative details. I do not paint the volume, using instead flat washes of colour. The lines and patterns make the composition dynamic and complete. Some times I use a model, some times I get my references from photos.

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

OG: Often people see the Art Nouveau style in my paintings and speak about the influence of Gustav Klimt and Alfons Mucha. I like these artists very much, but there is no influence in terms of medium, techniques, or ideas.

MARGO • 50 x 70 cm • acrilyc on canvas, sepia, pen. By Olga Gouskova

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?

OG: There is no particular message. I just try to bring some beauty and emotions to viewers, some special feelings and joy - be who you are, look for things that make you special and happy, see the beauty in people and simple things around you, love them... and enjoy it as much as you can.

BS: What are you working on at this time?

OG: I'm busy with series of small paintings on painted canvas. It's a little bit different technique than I'm used to-- something new for me... and for viewers too. I have a few commissioned portraits for private collectors as well that I’m working on.

BS: Olga, 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?

OG: The best thing about the web, in my opinion, is the access it provides for sharing information. You can find anything on the internet. You can view artists from all over the world and meet buyers from all over the world. In fact, it doesn't matter were you live anymore. With the internet you can be everywhere you want to be.

I use the internet a lot - to find things and people, to get some information about things and people. My website is my portfolio for everyone who is interested in my art. And... without Internet this interview would not exist-- or so many people would not be able to read it...

GERBERAS • 60 x 60 cm • acrilyc on canvas, sepia, pen. By Olga Gouskova

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

OG: You can see my paintings in the gallery space BONHOMME in Liege Belgium, till 19/04, also in gallery Artipico in Schiedam, Netherlands, and on my website www.olga-gouskova.be

BS: Olga, do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?

OG: No, I don't have concerns. I think it doesn't make sense to have any concerns about the art world. My concerns will not change or help it anyway. There are so many possibilities and opportunities for artist and the art lovers-buyers, so many things are being created every day, so many new ideas, new exhibitions, new names. I just try not to be overwhelmed. So I'm busy creating new paintings and think about the people who can see, feel and like them just like I do.

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?

OG: All this attention to the artist copyright is certainly a good thing for all artists. Because making money with the artwork without paying the artist his copyright can not be right anyway. And it still happens a lot. It is one thing to be inspired by somebody's work... If it is just copied it is simple and obviously wrong . That said, if the artwork gives new ideas and inspiration where does it stop the copyright of the one artwork and begin the copyright of the other?

HAVAH • 70 x 70 cm • acrilyc on canvas, sepia, pen • sold. By Olga Gouskova

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

OG: I’ve read a lot of Abraham-Hicks. It helps me to see things different. The world is the way you think about it or expect it to be. When I paint I never think about the economy or stuff like that. In fact, I try not to think about it at all. When I paint I think about some beautiful pure things, like love and joy, light and colours...

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

OG: I'm happy being an artist and doing what I do. It is wonderful that there are people who love and appreciate me work. I want to thank Brian and MyArtSpace for this interview and opportunity to show my art. And I hope you can be kept up to date with my new works on my website at www.olga-gouskova.be

You can learn more about Olga Gouskova by visiting her website- www.olga-gouskova.be. Gouskova is currently a member of the www.myartspace.com community. Feel free to visit her myartspace profile . You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

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Carrie Ann Baade at Dabora Gallery

"The Character of Mercy" by Carrie Ann Baade

Fellow www.myartspace.com member Carrie Ann Baade is currently involved with a group exhibit at Dabora Gallery. The exhibit, titled Fata Morgana: The New Female Fantasists, features 15 female artists who explore surreal / mystical worlds within their art.

I interviewed Carrie Ann Baade for myartspace.com in 2006. Since that time Carrie has helped me with one of my youth art education fundraisers. In my opinion, Baade's art is a perfect example of what a surrealistic painter can accomplish today. Carrie's paintings have been called "Imaginative Realism" due to her strong skills in traditional painting. Her body of work captures the essence of Master works while embracing the heart of surrealism. This mix of 'old and new' comes together to create images that are both beautiful and alarming at the same time.

There is a mysterious beauty about Carrie Ann Baade's work. In my opinion, the world she creates is one of harlequins and jesters cloaked by a shroud of danger that can be observed just beneath the surface. When viewed as a collection, Baade's paintings become a masquerade: Anger, fear, humor, sadness, humility, and joy all wear their respected mask. They beg for the viewer to peer beyond their guise. Will you be so bold as to take a look?

Visit Carrie Ann Baade’s myartspace.com profile and website, www.carrieannbaade.com.

From the Fata Morgana Press Release: (www.daboragallery.com/fata.html)

Dabora Gallery and Phantasmaphile's Pam Grossman are proud to usher in the spring season with the group show "Fata Morgana: The New Female Fantasists," on view from March 14th through April 12th, 2009.

In literal terms, a fata morgana is a mirage or illusion, a waking reverie, a shimmering of the mind. Named for the enchantress Morgan le Fay, these tricks of perception conjure up a sense of glimpsing into another world, whether it be the expanses of an ethereal terrain, or the twilit depths of the psyche. The artists of "Fata Morgana: The New Female Fantasists" deftly utilize the semiotics of mysticism, fantasy, and the subconscious in their work, thereby guiding the viewer through heretofore uncharted realms - alternately shadowy or luminous, but always inventive.

About the Curator: Pam Grossman is the creator and editor of Phantasmaphile (www.phantasmaphile.com) the premiere online destination for art aficionados with a passion for the surrealand the fantastical. An internationally beloved art and culture web log, it features daily spotlights on artists and events, as well as interviews with such visual luminaries as Thomas Woodruff, Nils Karsten, and Richard A. Kirk.

Phantasmaphile was written up two years in a row on the Manhattan User's Guide Top 400 New York Sites list, and has also fostered rich relationships between Pam and numerous artists who have been promoted on the site. "Fata Morgana" is Pam's first curatorial effort.

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Brian Sherwin
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Joanie San Chirico at The Ocean County Artists' Guild

Zona #2 by Joanie San Chirico

Fellow www.myartspace.com member Joanie San Chirico will be having an exhibit at The Ocean County Artists' Guild this April. The Ocean County Artists' Guild is a non-profit organization working to promote the arts in Ocean County drawing in artists and patrons from around the region. Their mission is to serve the artists and community; to provide an outlet and training for artistic talent, to enhance the quality of life for the residents and thereby attract newcomers, and to provide an attraction to draw tourists to the community. For more information visit www.ocartistsguild.org or www.joaniesanchirico.com.


Visit Joanie San Chirico’s myartspace.com profile

Joanie San Chirico's work is unique in that it incorporates painting on canvas, photography, or stitching on textiles in such a way that challenges the viewer to decipher how the work was made. More than simple paintings, she combines these media to portray natural surfaces using imagery of this planet's fragile beauty. The work depicts ordinary objects, perhaps some lichen, rocks on a beach, dead vines; images from the artist’s travels or even her back yard.

Quoting the artist:“These little things are beautiful, and I never know when I'll find an interesting image or texture that I'll save for use in my work at some point. Please take care of these little things, as they will eventually affect the BIG things. My art is about raising awareness of the fragility of our environment.

Since 1982, a two-phase Superfund environmental remediation project has been ongoing at the Ciba-Geigy Site, now owned and operated by Ciba Specialty Chemicals, in Toms River, NJ where I live. As a result of the spill into the drinking water in the 1970’s, a cancer cluster developed which affected some children in the area. It is essential that we prevent incidents like this in the future.”

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Brian Sherwin

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Nancy Pirri at Lillstreet Gallery and Serene la Femme

Fellow www.myartspace.com member Nancy Pirri is currently involved with an exhibit at Lillstreet Gallery in Chicago, IL. Pirri also has an upcoming exhibit, May 29th, at Serene la Femme. She will also be involved with a charity event on April 17th-- check her website for updates-- www.npgraphx.com.

Nancy Pirri (b. 1963) was born in Brooklyn, New York, and currently lives in Chicago, IL. She has dabbled in every art form since childhood, discovering clay to be her true passion in 1991. For the fifth year, she is represented as a House Artist in a local Michigan Gallery and also Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. She exhibits at many different venues including charities, and even curates her own group shows.

Her work is about women and how they survive through time. She works in several different clay bodies utilizing techniques that result in 'aging' textures. Ceramic print techniques continue this 'antiquity.' She fires her work in atmospheric kilns including soda firing… transpiring her art further into history as if her pieces were buried underground for centuries.

The Ceramic Print is an exhibition of work by artists who integrate traditional printmaking techniques like etching and silkscreen printing into ceramics. Exhibiting artists include Eric Jensen, Matt Harris, Nancy Pirri, Paul Wandless, Thomas Lucas, Marcia Adler and Nancy Anderson. Paul is also the author of Image Transfer on Clay, published by Lark Books. Lillstreet Gallery • 4401 N. Ravenswood • ChicagoReception: Saturday, March 28, 5 - 8 pm

Visit Nancy Pirri’s myartspace.com profile

Serene La Femme This collection of work is a contemporary twist on the timeless beauty of the female form as a muse, featuring innovative techniques in platinum photography by Ted Preuss, ceramic methods and figurative sculpture by Audry Cramblit and Nancy Pirri, and paintings by Mary Qian. Show will exhibit for 10 days.

Percentage of sales will be donated to The Union League Civic & Arts Foundation which develops and promotes programs that support education, civic responsibility and the arts for children and young adults in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

For more information please visit serenelafemme.com or contact Nancy Pirri.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
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My Response to Shepard Fairey concerning his ‘AP, Obama, and Referencing’ message on ObeyGiant.com. Part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


Copyright is very important concerning the market and technology of today. People talk about how “fair use” needs to be extended due to the technology of today-- they feel that an extreme interpretation of “fair use“ is needed to secure creative freedoms. They often forget to mention the ease in which an individual can make reproductions from images found online today and the fact that many of the artists advocating for extended “fair use“, such as Shepard Fairey, profit from the random images they find online.

They are waving the banner of creative freedom when in reality the focus is on profit and profit alone-- their profit. Profit with total disregard for the profit and market of their peers. That is why Shepard Fairey is a target for my criticism-- and why he will continue to receive criticism until he takes responsibility. Unfortunately, he tends to use his charity work as a shield or resorts to having his friends rattle sabers when faced with criticism.

The fact remains that a skilled artist can use computer programs to alter an image they found online in order to suggest that it is his or her own-- or he or she can simply print off copies of the image in order to make changes to it. That is not to suggest that artists using these programs are not artists or that certain aspects of computer based art is of no value. It all comes down to responsibility and respect for other artists.

Shepard Fairey, to me, represents artists who display neither. Those who support his extreme view of “fair use” either don’t care about how hard it is for artists to establish a market for their work or they embrace his practice within their own methods of artistic creation involving works for profit.

My issue with extended views of “fair use” is that an emerging artist can spend months or years working on an oil painting or sculpture only to end up with another artists using an image of that painting or sculpture for a project that may have only taken days to create. In a sense, you could say that the artists working in traditional mediums need to have their work protected from the technology of today. Telling those artists not to upload images online is not the answer.

All artists deserve to gain exposure online knowing that their work is protected by strong copyright. There is room for “fair use” as long as it is limited and does not destroy or burden the business of emerging artists before they have a chance to rise on their own. Unfortunately, copyright is constantly under attack.

As mentioned earlier, more artists than ever are making a living or part of their living from selling their art. These artists need to know that their images are protected. Their collectors need to know that their investment is secure. In other words, artists must be able to defend the exclusive rights to their art-- to their business and legacy. If Shepard Fairey wins against the AP it will be yet another blow to artists who desire to embrace the market aspect of art. Throw the romantic image of 'the artist' aside! The idea that art should not involve business is a fantasy when one consider the art market of today-- Fairey knows this. So do I.

That is why so many art organizations and individuals have stood against orphan works legislation in recent years due to the fact that if passed the legislation would have greatly reduced the ability of living artists to protect and defend their art in court. Those same people should stand against artists like Shepard Fairey who fly false banners of ‘artistic freedom’ and ‘free expression’ during legal cases involving copyright infringement.

After all, the artists who cry ’artistic freedom’ and ’free expression’ when exposed for copyright infringement often do it in order to protect their profit rather than the way in which they work. Look at Shepard Fairey’s lawsuit against the AP-- it makes it clear that he desires to protect the profit made from the image as well as future profit. The issue is not necessarily about the AP-- the fact remains that Fairey could have done this to a fellow artist as he has done in the past.

Again, if the AP loses to Shepard Fairey it will mean that the door will be open further when he decides to ‘reference’ artwork by an emerging artist. If he wins against the AP it will set a precedent that will greatly harm the ability for all artists to defend their copyright in court. I can't stress this enough!

I realize that copyright issues can quickly become a debate between freedom of speech/expression and control. However, suggesting that supporters of strong copyright are attacking creative freedom is not exactly fair considering that the issue of copyright infringement does not become an issue until price tags are involved.

If an artist wants to explore the work of another artist directly, fine-- it becomes an issue when the artist attaches a price to the ‘new’ image or produces prints of the ‘new’ image for profit. We would not be facing this debate if it were not for the fact that some individuals-- Shepard Fairey for example-- think that it is acceptable to profit off of the hard work of others. His case against the AP is not about creative freedom or any of the other similar rhetoric spewing from his lips-- it is about his desire to profit off of others without consequence.

Securing creative freedom is one thing-- the desire to legitimize irresponsible and disrespectful appropriation for profit is another. Creative freedom is not under attack-- the rights of artists to secure their artwork and images of their artwork by copyright is. The ability for artists to protect the market for their art is under attack. Those on the other side of the aisle continue to wave the banner of creative freedom-- I wish they would just come out and say what their battle charge is really about. They want to be able to profit off of the works of others while at the same time protecting their ‘new‘ images from “profiteers“, “mimics“, and “parasites“. They want the best of both worlds. Point that out and those artists will often flee from a debate on this issue.

Think of it this way-- many of the artists who support an extended view of “fair use”, such as Shepard Fairey and Joy Garnett, are the same artists who create art utilizing the work of others for profit. They are represented by galleries-- they know the business side of art. So are they really champions of freedom and free-culture? Or are they just protecting their own business by supporting standards that would make it harder for other business-minded artists to protect their images from their use? If it is not about profit you would think they would be more than willing to 'spread the wealth' with the artists and photographers they 'reference'.

Don’t get me wrong, “fair use” is important-- however it should not be extended to the point that a widely known artist can base his or her career working directly from artwork by relatively unknown artists-- and other individuals-- for profit. This is why I have concerns about Shepard Fairey and what he represents. The contradictions and hypocrisy is tiresome. I’m not attacking creative freedom with my opinion-- I’m standing up for what the majority of artists have fought long and hard for. Don’t confuse creative freedom with the need for some artists to profit off of other artists.

To put it bluntly, it is going to be horrible if artists allow their rights to be stamped out in the name of creative freedom when the artists leading this charge, such as Shepard Fairey, are thinking more about their bank accounts than real creative freedom. Since when did creative freedom involve the need to profit from others? Are we defining creative freedom by dollar signs now? Let us not confuse the two! We should examine what Shepard Fairey is really saying when he uses these powerful words-- “creative”, “freedom”, and "expression".

In my opinion, he is seeking the freedom to be creative with the work of other living or recently deceased artists-- and others-- in order to profit without consequences. He desires the freedom to go against their intentions and legacy while expecting others to ‘obey’ his intentions and legacy. He is no different than the people who strongly supported aspects of the recent orphan works legislation which would have harmed the ability of living artists to protect their art. It is as simple as that. If we define ‘artistic freedom’ and ’free expression’ with a dollar sign the arts are truly doomed.

I must stress this-- If Shepard Fairey/ Obey Giant Art Inc. wins against the AP it will set a precedent that will make it easier for individuals and corporations to abuse the copyright of visual artists and other creative professionals. Make a stand-- disobey Shepard Fairey. Let people know that not everyone in the global art community supports Shepard Fairey's extreme interpretation of "fair use" for profit. Think of the past allegations that have shadowed his career-- think about what a victory against copyright could mean for your career. Support the exclusive rights that the majority of artists have fought hard for.

This is a 4 part rant:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Take care, Stay true,

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

My Response to Shepard Fairey concerning his ‘AP, Obama, and Referencing’ message on ObeyGiant.com. Part 3

Part 1
Part 2

As I’ve said before, securing creative freedom is one thing-- the desire to legitimize irresponsible and disrespectful appropriation for profit is another. Creative freedom is not under attack-- the rights of artists to secure their artwork and images of their artwork by copyright is. The ability for artists to protect the market for their art is under attack.

Those on the other side of the aisle, such as Shepard Fairey, continue to wave the banner of creative freedom-- I wish they would just come out and say what their battle charge is really about. They want to be able to profit off of the works of others while at the same time protecting their ‘new‘ images from “profiteers“, “mimics“, and “parasites“. Shepard Fairey wants the best of both worlds.

Shepard Fairey then states, “This case has raised many issues, including the use of references in art. Some of my earlier works have been attacked by some as “plagiarism”. I think reference is an important part of communication and it has been common practice in the art world.” Followed by, “When I flipped through the Christie’s auction house catalog from November 2008 I found many pieces that are based on reference or appropriation. Most are selling for over $100,000. Some are more clever than others, but these are all works that are at auction being taken very seriously. Take a look.”

Shepard Fairey failed to mention that many of the artist examples he listed appropriated widely known images instead of a photograph that was relatively unknown as he did with Mannie Garcia‘s AP copyrighted photograph of Obama. For example, the famous photograph of Marilyn Monroe was widely known, for the time, when Warhol used it. Warhol’s image quickly became iconic. Thus, under “fair use” one could parody Warhol’s Marilyn with little worry.

The same goes for other examples Fairey listed, such as ‘Jetsons’ by Kenny Scharf-- Scharf was a child in the 60s- it is safe to say that The Flintstones and The Jetsons were iconic long before Scharf used them in his art as an adult. The Marlboro advertisements that Richard Prince re-photographed were also widely known for their time. On a side note-- Fairey must not know that Richard Prince is having troubles of his own right now over copyright infringement.

Fairey then states, “If the AP wins their case, every Obama art (or any other politician) that was based on a photo reference that was not licensed would be rendered illegal.” Followed by, “Here are just a few that were an important part of the political discourse during this election cycle. I also think art that is critical of leaders that neither the subject or the photographer approve of need to be a legal form of expression. I think this Bush image is a perfect example. See Below.”

Shepard Fairey is full of contradictions. Today he is the champion of artistic freedom and free expression-- for many he is now the poster boy for “fair use“. However, last year he had a different stance on artistic freedom and free expression. In an October 2008 article for US News Shepard Fairey mention that he planned to “go after” individuals who “hijacked” his style in order to make “copycat images” of the candidates. He stated that he would try to make the “bootleggers” donate their profit to the ACLU. The fact remains that Shepard Fairey is not the champion of appropriation that he claims to be. After all, his Obama posters were widely known by that time. One could suggest that parodies of HOPE and PROGRESS would be perfectly acceptable under “fair use” due to the iconic status of the posters.

Need further insight concerning the contradictions of Shepard Fairey over “fair use”? In May of 2008-- as reported by the The Austin Chronicle -- Shepard Fairey was infuriated when emerging artist Baxter Orr created a parody of Fairey’s 20 year old image of Obey Giant-- an image that was widely known… iconic in its own right. Orr titled his parody ‘Protect’ and placed a SARS mask over the face of Andre. Soon after Orr received a cease-and-desist letter from Obey Giant Art Inc. The Austin Chronicle reported that Fairey called Orr a “profiteer”, “parasite”, and “mimic” for having appropriated Obey Giant.

Fairey, according to the Austin Chronicle, felt that Orr’s parody of Obey Giant threatened the secondary market for his art. In the Orr situation Fairey made it clear that he was protecting his trademark. Obey Giant is a trademark-- however, there is “fair use” under trademark. Fairey knows this-- he has parodied trademarks himself. He also said that the difference between he and Orr is that if contacted by a copyright owner he will stop using the protected image. Apparently that does not count in regards to the Associated Press case? The contradiction don’t stop there.

Earlier this month, March 2009, the Pittsburgh City Paper reported that Shepard Fairey had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cafepress.com due to a store titled Steelerbaby. The store featured merchandise involving Steelerbaby , a doll designed by Larkin Werner. The official site for Steelerbaby features an image of the doll along with several catch phrases that visitors can click in order to have Steelerbaby say the phrase. One of the most popular Steelerbaby phrases happens to be “Obey Steelerbaby”. Thus, Werner created “Obey Steelerbaby” merchandise for his Cafepress shop. Cafepress removed all of the Obey Steelerbaby merchandise soon after receiving the cease-and-desist letter from Obey Giant Art Inc. However, Werner claims that he was not inspired by Shepard Fairey in the first place. Needless to say, Shepard Fairey felt that the merchandise was a threat to his trademark and the market for his art.

According to the Pittsburgh City Paper, Olivia Perches-- the representative of Shepard Fairey who sent the cease-and-desist letter to Cafepress-- has suggested that Obey Giant Art Inc. owns the use of ‘Obey’ and that artists can’t use the word ‘Obey’ in their artwork or designs. Chris Broders, a business partner involved with Fairey’s Obey clothing line, has suggested that the use of “Obey” becomes an issue when artists or other individuals profit from the “‘Obey’ mark”. He went on to suggest that Fairey’s representatives and business partners will do what they can in order to “protect" their "trademark".

Keep in mind that Werner only made just over $70 from Obey Steeler baby merchandise-- just barely enough to buy an OBEY hoody. Again, Werner claims that Shepard Fairey’s ‘OBEY’ was not on his mind. Even if it had been I would think that his use of Obey would be considered parody and that it would be acceptable under “fair use” due the iconic status of OBEY in general. Which begs the question-- does Shepard Fairey really support “fair use” and the whole of appropriation for that matter?

Again, this is just my take on Shepard Fairey’s message concerning the AP, Obama, and referencing. Read his message in its entirety in order to draw your own conclusions. I stand by my opinions . I want to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with being successful. I want artists to be successful. However, I also want emerging artists to be able to protect their work from the abuse of profiteers- like Shepard Fairey-- who take an extreme position regarding “fair use“ for their own gain.

I don’t care if it is a corporation, an artist, or an artist who owns a corporation-- they should not prey on the images of emerging artists. An artist can be successful and sustain a level of integrity. If the laws allow abuse perhaps they should be changed as far as visual art is concerned.

This is a 4 part rant:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Take care, Stay true,

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

My Response to Shepard Fairey concerning his ‘AP, Obama, and Referencing’ message on ObeyGiant.com. Part 2

Part 1

Fairey states, “As far as the idea of the image being “stolen”, I would love to have the clout to command portrait sittings from world leaders, but for me and most artists out there, that is not an option. For lots of artists, even licensing an image is out of the question financially. Should artistic commentary featuring world leaders be stifled because of copyright of the reference images even when the final artistic product has new intent and meaning? Reference is critical to communication, and in my opinion, reference as a part of social commentary should not be stifled.”.

Unfortunately, Shepard Fairey failed to mention that some media sources and individuals make images of this nature available for use at no cost. There were many photographs of Obama that Shepard Fairey could have used legitimately without dodging aspects of licensing that any first year illustration student understands. Keep in mind that he could have simply asked Yosi Sergant of Evolutionary Media Group to obtain a photograph of Obama during the campaign. After all, Yosi Sergant worked as a media consultant for the Obama campaign. Thus, one could suggest that Shepard Fairey did have access if he had wanted it. Instead, he chose to willfully infringe on the copyright of the AP.

Fairey stated, “Another suggestion someone made was “why not splice two or three photos together and illustrate from that?” Well, though a direct match would have been harder to find, with an image as popular as the HOPE poster, internet sleuths would probably have found the references and maybe I’d be facing two or three lawsuits.” Followed by, “This leads to the next question: is illustrating from a photograph “cheating”? I studied art, illustration specifically, at one of the most prestigious art schools, The Rhode Island School of Design. At RISD I was taught to draw from life, to draw from photo references, and to appropriate and re-contextualize imagery. All of these techniques had historical precedents which I learned about. Here are some great examples of famous painters working from photo references, and not always their own photos - http://fogonazos.blogspot.com/2006/11/famous-painters-copied-photopraphs_06.html”

I’m glad that Shepard Fairey learned the basics at RISD. However, I don’t think this brief reflection of his academic years has served him well. I don’t think many people suggest that drawing or painting from a photograph is “cheating”-- that is not really the issue here in the first place. Fairey’s distraction aside, there is a difference between drawing or painting from a reference photograph compared to stenciling over a copy of a photograph.

No, that is not to suggest that stenciling is ‘wrong’ or is of no value-- its just that it is a different process than drawing or painting as far as I’m concerned. As mentioned earlier, the real issue is that most first year illustration students know that if they use a copyrighted photograph as a reference or as a base image they had better ask permission or finding out about licensing from the copyright holder.

In his defense Fairey mentioned how artists from the past used photographs as a reference, some of which were “not always their own photos”-- the link he provided mentioned, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cezanne, Toulouse Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, and Edgar Degas. Unfortunately, Shepard Fairey failed to mention that the situation today is very different compared to the past-- especially with respect to art law and the art market.

None of the greats he mentioned earned over $700,000 from copies of a single image in their respected currency during their lifetime. None of them had sold out exhibits involving thousands in profit during their lifetime-- at least not when compared to the profit that some artists earn from exhibits today. None of them sold their art as a corporation as far as I know-- dear Vincent did not run Starry Night Art Inc., true?

Furthermore, the famous painters that Shepard Fairey mentioned were not aware of copyright law as we know it today-- as any first year illustration student knows it today-- these artists were long dead before current copyright law. Times change-- the business of art has changed. Keep in mind that the majority of visual artists have fought for decades to have the rights they enjoy due to copyright-- the right to have more control in the market of their art.

Now, more than ever, visual artists need to be able to protect the market for their art. It seems that if we lived in Shepard Fairey’s world-- a world where current law is useless-- it would be acceptable to take a leap back in time in order to neglect the rights that creative individuals enjoy today. If the art community accepts Shepard Fairey’s extreme interpretation of “fair use” it will no doubt cause even more artists to endure the same financial woes that Vincent van Gogh endured in his time.

Fairey then states, “I have respect for, and have frequently collaborated with, photographers, but I do not think permission, or a collaboration is warranted in every case where an artist works from a photo reference. I collaborate with photographers because I WANT to, not because I believe I HAVE to.”

If Shepard Fairey feels this way he has failed to acknowledge over 60 art organizations that stood up against the 2008 Orphan Works legislation. With this statement he has slapped every photographer, including fine art photographers, in the face. With this statement he slaps Brad Holland and the Illustrators Partnership of America in the face as well. With this statement Shepard Fairey slaps the face of every creative person who understands the need to be able to protect their works!

Shepard Fairey is doing this while waving the banner of ‘artistic freedom” and “free expression” when in reality he is concerned with the freedom to profit off of the hard work of others without consequence. Keep in mind that this is the same artist who ‘ referenced ’ a poster by Rene Mederos without contacting the Mederos Estate for permission. After being exposed he stated that he did not know how to contact Rene Mederos since Mederos lived in Cuba. Apparently he was unaware that Rene Mederos had died in 1996-- so much for Shepard Fairey’s art history lessons.

This is a 4 part rant:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 Part 4

Take care, Stay true,

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

My Response to Shepard Fairey concerning his ‘AP, Obama, and Referencing’ message on ObeyGiant.com. Part 1

Shepard Fairey has addressed some of the allegations against him by posting a statement on his website. The message, titled ‘The AP, OBAMA & Referencing’, is an attempt to challenge the allegations against him concerning the AP. Fairey’s message is also an attempt to connect his use of the Obama photograph to art history. I warn you that this will be long-- I can't help it. Someone has to say what needs to be said and far too many people are worried about dents in popularity if they speak out. I don't care who I'm in favor with-- I know where I stand.

In the message Shepard Fairey declares that he is fighting against the Associated Press in order to “protect the rights of all artists”. Thus, his message is also an attempt to rally support from the visual art community. In other words, Shepard Fairey is attempting to say a lot with what little he is allowed to say due to the case. Unfortunately, it is what he does not say that should alarm the global visual art community. WAKE UP!

To be fair please read Shepard Fairey’s message in its entirety in order to draw your own conclusions. Then, by all means, read my opinion and see where you stand. Before I go further I must thank Qi Peng and Marc Schiller-- recent debates with these two individuals on Twitter spurred me to investigate Shepard Fairey further.

Done? Good. Throughout the message Shepard Fairey makes bold statements about ’artistic freedom’ and ’free expression’. He suggests that all artists will lose some of their rights if he loses against the Associated Press over the issue of copyright infringement. My take is that artists stand to lose more if Shepard Fairey wins his case against the Associated Press.

My opinion is that if the AP loses to Shepard Fairey it will mean that the door will be open further when Fairey decides to ‘reference’ artwork by an emerging artist or any artist that is not widely known. If he wins against the AP it will set a precedent that will greatly harm the ability for all artists to defend their copyright in court.

Fairey stated, “The Garcia photo is now more famous and valuable than it ever would have been prior to the creation of my poster. With this factor in mind, it is not surprising, that a gallery in NYC is now selling the Garcia photo for $1,200 each. As I understand it, Garcia himself did not even realize the poster was created referencing his photo until it was pointed out to him a full year after the poster came into existence. Mannie Garcia has stated in the press that he is an Obama supporter pleased with the poster result."

Shepard Fairey failed to mention the name of the gallery in his message. The gallery is Danziger Projects. The owner of the gallery, James Danziger, contacted Mannie Garcia on January 21st 2009. Danziger informed Garcia that his AP owned photograph had served as the basis for Shepard Fairy’s “HOPE” and “PROGRESS” posters. Fairey failed to mention that Mannie Garcia has stated that he does not like it when photographs are "ripped off"-- he has said that Fairey's Obama poster is a special case. Fairey also failed to mention that the “gallery in NYC” has represented some of his own artwork in the recent past.

I have to agree with Shepard on this one-- I doubt he was surprised at all that Danziger Projects is now selling prints of the photograph for $1,200. Just as I’m sure that Anthony Falzone was not surprised when he included the sales at Danziger Projects in Fairey’s preemptive lawsuit against the AP in order to ‘prove’ that the market for the photograph has increased due to Fairey’s use of the image. Take that for what it is worth…
Fairey states, “I did not create the Obama poster for financial gain. The poster was created to promote Obama for president, and the revenue from poster sales was re-invested in more posters, flyers, stickers, etc.., and donated to charity, including the Obama campaign.”

Unfortunately, Shepard Fairey failed to work under the umbrella of a charity group. In most cases if someone desires to raise money for a cause they will do so in direct partnership with a non-profit. The non-profit will handle the money instead of the individual-- in this case Shepard Fairey. My understanding is that Fairey handled the majority of the profit directly and then allocated it as he wished. Thus, Fairey did profit.

Think of it this way-- if you donate your entire paycheck to a cause does that mean you did not profit from your employer? No. You made profit-- you earned your paycheck-- you just decided to do a great deed with that profit. My point being that the money Shepard Fairey earned from his Obama prints and Obama merchandise is profit no matter how he attempts to slice it.

Fairey states, “A free download of the Obama image was available on my website, which should provide further evidence of the desire to disseminate the image, not to benefit financially.”

Unfortunately, Shepard Fairey failed to mention that he often has free downloads available on his site-- he also makes sure to have copyright information listed on every page of his site. Including the page where the downloads are offered. He also fails to mention some of the veiled legal threats he made in 2008 concerning artists who made parodies of his Obama posters. In fact, in one article he suggested that after the campaign he would go after ‘bootleggers’ and other who profited off of the image or variations of the image.

Obviously Shepard Fairey was interested in profit and in silencing those who referenced his poster for their own form of social commentary. One could say that though he may not have put any of the profit from the image in his own pocket he most certainly did want to secure his investment in the image.

This is a 4 part rant:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Take care, Stay true,

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

myartspace London Calling early registration ends March 31st

www.myartspace.com/londoncalling

Early registration for the London Calling competition ends on March 31st. There are only a few days left to take advantage of the reduced entry fee. Currently the registration fee is $25. After March 31st it will be raised to $50. After registering, myartspace.com members (the site is free to join) can submit a www.myartspace.com gallery of up to 20 images for the jurors to view. In other words, if you register before March 31st it is $25 for a 20 image myartspace gallery that the jurors will view. A great value if you consider the caliber of the jurors.

www.screamlondon.co.uk

Scream London is run by Tyrone Wood. Tyrone, son of Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, is quickly becoming one of the most influential gallerists in London. Notable guests and patrons of Scream London have included Tracey Emin, Claire Danes, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Beverly Knight, Meg Mathews, Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones and other celebrities, groundbreaking visual artists, and notable musicians.

The Jurors for London Calling are: Vanessa DesClaux Assistant Curator of Performance, The Tate Modern, London, Tom Morton Curator at the Hayward Gallery, London and contributing editor at Frieze, and Rancesco Manacorda Curator, the Barbican Art Gallery, London. The jurors will select 50 finalists. Artwork by 3 top finalists will be physically exhibited at Scream London for London Calling. Also, 17 artists will be represented digitally at Scream London for London Calling.

The jurors for myartspace.com London Calling:

* Vanessa DesClaux Assistant Curator of Performance, The Tate Modern, London.

* Tom Morton Curator at the Hayward Gallery, London and contributing editor at Frieze.

* Francesco Manacorda Curator, the Barbican Art Gallery, London.

If you are new to www.myartspace.com take advantage of our video tutorials in order to learn more about the site and gallery creation. www.myartspace.com/tutorials. You can also contact us at info AT catmacart.com if you have further questions about London Calling or myartspace.com. Feel free to repost this blog entry if you feel that your readership may enjoy this competition.

Matthew Lively at Red Door Gallery

72 Virgins, approx. 10 in. tall Mixed Media 2006

Fellow myartspace.com member Matthew Lively will be involved with an exhibit at Red Door Gallery in Richmond, Virginia. The exhibit will open on April 17th, 2009. The show will feature Lively’s sculpture and paintings-- which are all backdrops or set materials from a short film that is still in progress.



Find out more about Red Door Gallery by visiting, www.reddoorgalleryrichmond.com. Learn more about Matthew Lively by visiting his website, www.matthewlively.com, or myartspace.com profile .

Take care, Stay true,

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

Christian Rex van Minnen "Neo- Grotesque" at Roq La Rue Gallery

Keyhole Portrait 4 by Christian Rex van Minnen

Featured www.myartspace.com artist Christian Rex van Minnen ( Interviewed in 2007) is currently involved with a solo exhibit at Roq la Rue Gallery. The show, titled ‘Neo-Grotesque’, involves 10 recent works as well as several of van Minnen’s landmark pieces from 2007-2008. Van Minnen's art, as the Roq La Rue Gallery press release states, features biological monstrosities painted in portrait form with a Renaissance formality.

In recent years there has been a resurgence of artists exploring subjects that are traditionally considered repulsive or unattractive while at the same time revealing the figures in a sympathetic manner that is enforced by aspects of traditional painting techniques-- this has been coined 'Neo-Grotesque'.

In Christian's work aspects of alchemy and automatism are linked together in the cognitive creative process. As he has stated, intention becomes line, line becomes shape, shape becomes form, and form becomes content. In his work Christian finds himself either suppressing or indulging his own desire to associate personal narrative to the raw visual information inherent in the material and process. Construction, destruction and reconstruction are symbiotic elements in the creative process allowing the image to fluctuate between abstraction and representation, truth and illusion, personal and archetypal.

Christian Rex van Minnen‘s profile on myartspace.com.

Also on exhibit, according to the Roq La Rue website, is a very small show of work by Japanese painter Yoko d'Holbachie. D’Holbachie’s work has been described as “Jim Woodring on acid“. Her work, like van Minnen, reflect a "grotesque" style. However, her works are more humorous and sweet in nature. Find out more at the Roq La Rue website-- www.roqlarue.com. Also visit, www.seevanminnen.com, for more information about Christian Rex van Minnen.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

myartspace.com

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Art Space Talk: Steve Litsios

Born in 1959 near Boston, raised in Washington DC, Steve Litsios moved to Switzerland with his family in 1967. He studied art for a couple of years at Geneva's ecole d'arts appliqués before attending the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 70's, then moved back to Switzerland where he has been active internationally as an artist since 1983. He lives in the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds and can be found playing the washboard with The Crawfish Blues Band.

Slice of air -1998 - acrylic on paper (Torinoko extra light) - Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Neuchâtel

Brian Sherwin: Steve, Mark Staff Brandl introduced me to your work. I understand that you have exhibited with Mark in the past. Have the two of you ever thought about collaborating? Have you? Is that something that you would consider?

Steve Litsios: We collaborated two years ago. I was in a group show at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Neuchâtel in which each artist was asked to invite someone of their choice, and since I was interested in working with Mark I asked him if he wanted to participate.

For that show we organized an exhibition within the exhibition using Mark's Collapsible Kunsthalle: a wandering Art Space that he created and holds solo and group shows in(www.markstaffbrandl.com/collapsible_kunsthalle/collapsible_kunsthalle_3.html). So I guess you could say that I invited Mark to show his portable Art Space in which he invited me to join him by making an installation for it. I certainly would be interested in other forms of collaboration.

Encircled - 2003 - acrylic and paper, each ball Ø10 cm. / 4 inches

BS: Steve, my understanding is that you were born in the United States and that you eventually moved to Switzerland with your family. Would you say that your travels have influenced your art? Did you experience a clash of cultures, so to speak?

SL: My family moved to Switzerland when I was eight, it was definitively a clash of culture and ended up being something that I was pretty unhappy with as a teenager.

I'm sure it influenced my work. When I went to the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 70's for instance, a canvas that would have been considered big by many Swiss artists was pretty much the same size as what was seen as small by my fellow students. Although that wasn't really a surprise in itself, the American tradition for large scaled works was well known, I found it interesting that in most cases it seemed that it was not a conscious decision, artists on both continents where mostly making art the size that “felt right” for wherever they were. How our sense of space is modified by a culture and the environment that goes with it has always intrigued me and is something I have often work with.

However, the San Francisco bay area had (still has?) a tradition for figurative work so it wasn't like I was suddenly confronted with something that was new to me. My mom is a printmaker, she studied art at Cooper Union in the mid 50's and is still very active in her work, so it can be said that my mother culture in art is also American.

It was actually in the first art school I attended for 1½ years in Geneva before going to SFAI that I experienced the most clash. My attitude, ideas and expectations didn't go over well with the teachers and it seems that the only reason I didn't flunk the first year was because I was American and what could you expect...

In the long run however, I think that simply living and adapting to Switzerland, learning to speak French and all, is really the part of it that influenced my work the most since it helped me understand just how much of what we perceive is defined by the culture(s) we belong to.

We watch, absolved in our narcissistic ways as Willie Pete consumes them. The children die, the wise man dreams. - 2005 - acrylic, ink and paper on linen - 180x120 cm. / 71X47 inches

BS: In several of your works I’ve seen references to aspects of contemporary warfare. For example, images of tanks and bombs. Is your work political in that regard?

SL: In that regards yes, but although it is political, politics isn't always its main purpose so it's kind of hard to explain in a general way. As a child I was always sensitive to the opposition between the enjoyment of playing make believe war and the knowledge of what war actually is. That concern remains facing the primal attraction a weapon can have and opposing that impression to the destructive object it is; this to me brings forth a curious state of emotional ambivalence all the more since we mostly can live with it and not be bothered more than that.

So in some of those works there is the desire to use these images of war machines in a way that hopes to portray those contradictory emotions. It is a fact however that some of my works do strive to denounce specific armaments in a more direct way if only by reminding us of their existence.
Landmine Wallpaper Motif (Where have all the flowers gone?) – 2006 - acrylic and interference pigments on linen – 110x70cm. / 43¼ x 27½ inches

BS: Can you tell us more about the thoughts behind your art? The themes that you deal with and so on?

SL: Well for years my work was mostly abstract, but beginning around 10 years ago, I found it growingly difficult to receive the daily media brought dose of the conflict we humans seemingly thrive on - the way we mistreat the small and finite planet we live on - the amount of viruses just waiting to pounce on us and so forth, and not be expressing anything about it in my art work. So I took a deep breath and began to look for ways to open my work to those concerns.

Although desired this wasn't something that just happened overnight, it took a few years to go from head to hand. One of the first “clues” I remember finding was in a small paper installation titled “Encircled” in which a group of paper balls I had made where placed on the floor in a circle surrounding other paper balls that where place haphazardly. The balls where coated with the discreet colors you get with interference pigments, a fact that could have been used - one color surrounding another for instance - but purposely wasn't. Multicolored balls encircle multicolored balls, both visual and part of an imaginable story.

Later that year (2003) I was considering the numerous man – women “toilet door” figures that were appearing at that time in many art works. Despite and yet perhaps because of the fact that I found them cheesy, it occurred to me that these and other generic symbols might also be useful for what I had in mind, a means for the narrative. It was a surprise just how interesting these turned out to be even if they were somewhat limited, so I continued looking in that direction and ended up focusing on emoticons (smileys).

Because these grins, frowns and winks are used to make sure the reader understands the emotion behind our hastily written words in order to help avoid misunderstandings, they seemed perfectly suited to be separated from their texts and tell a few stories of their own.

Still, trial, error and letting whatever elements enter the dialogue remains the basis of my work because I rarely have a clear image in my mind to work from, it's only when I can put what I'm working with out in front of me that it gets a chance to make sense. Mostly my ideas begin by seeming impossible to work with, I tend to get caught up in an intricate maze of what I know, all I don't know, the whys and the hows.

But some themes were obvious ones: portraying weaponry that can not be excusable for whatever reason like white phosphorus and fragmentation bombs. Terrorism and global warming have been unavoidable themes as well as the various plagues which I hear a lot about when I visit my father, a retired World Health Organization Senior Scientist, and currently a historian of public health. Nothing extreme if I dare put it that way, just our daily background noise with its multiplicity of emotional content.
Enhanced Mutant Maggot Wallpaper Motif with LOL Initialism (Maggots Love Global Warming) – 2008 - acrylic, paper on linen, 120x85 cm / 47¼ x33½ inches.

BS: So what are the direct social implications of your art? For example, is there a specific message that you strive to convey to viewers concerning issues that trouble you?

SL: Well, it would be nice if my babbling was somehow part of a chain of thought that gives the masses something to think about but I doubt it and in fact don't believe art to be a good weapon for activists. If your goal is communicating specific messages there are many other ways, most of them better.

Still, like everything else that happens on earth, troubling issues slowly become part of our collective memory and in that sense it's important that they be portrayed by artists. I see it as being part of our society's digestive system. How would we consider both the past and the present if we didn't have generations of art works that transmit visual sensations and emotions beyond the known historical facts?

BS: Tell us about your process. Perhaps you can discuss some of your current work and the process involved in creating those specific works?

SL: Most of my ideas come from the working at it and not the thinking about it. As I said, I need to stick things out in front of me and move them around until something clicks somehow, so I draw things I'm thinking of on leftover bits of paper, or on the computer to be printed, and leave them scattered around, visible to be picked up; a way to see what associations are raised when they are randomly placing side by side. I also have many stencils that I've made that can also be added to the mix.

I use repetition a lot, initially with the smileys it was a way to create the idea of a crowd or group of people while avoiding the need for explicitness. Later, like in the works that have land mine silhouettes for instance: Landmine Wallpaper Motif (Where have all the flowers gone?)(2006), I covered the canvas with them to make a wallpaper like pattern because the idea of wallpaper made me think of how its graphic presence, when new, fades into the background over time, simply because it becomes so much part of the room that we don't see it unless we look at it. By being metaphoric instead of descriptive, it suits how I want these works to feel which to me is perhaps even more important than how they look. Other works have elements place on top of, or behind the “wallpaper” layer like: Enhanced Mutant Maggot Wallpaper Motif with LOL Initialism (Maggots Love Global Warming) (2008).

There is also a lot of “let's see what happens” in what I do. “Mass Grave Soul Party” (2006) began with the decision to silkscreen a smiley repeatedly along a line on the bottom of the canvass until a whole area was entirely covered, in this case in black. At the time I was looking for convenient ways to cover the canvass with smileys and other images. Silkscreen worked, but getting the printed smileys to dry fast enough to be able to print over them before the paint in the screen dried up was a real pain. I ended up having to work in small sessions for two or three months just to cover that small area, but the resulting black is physically filled with the smiley motif in a way that made the whole process worth it. These days, if the image permits it I mostly use stencils for that kind of layering.

The “Lost Souls” series, an undefined number of paintings that I am working on now, are made like that with a multitude of human silhouettes. The idea came watching flocking birds in the evening sky and I wondered how much of their fantastic group movement could be transcribed to a painting.

The red oxide, white or/and black color combination found in all of my recent work came about when I started using linen again after a few years of just working with paper, at first three dimensionally and then flat. Process-wise, the flat paper works are better described as paper “sandwiches” than collages and the process used to make them involves a flat plastic surface on which it all can be glued together, left to dry and pealed off. At one point this surface was a funny orange red color which was visible through the thinner parts of the paper while I was working which was cool. I used a similar color as a base on the paintings and decided then and there that it was all I needed.

When the work contains paper its color adds to that palette of course and to complete the mix, most of my works regardless of medium, contain interference pigments one way or another. These have been with me since they appeared on the market in the early 80's and I have yet to find a good enough reason to stop using them.

Mass Grave Soul Party – 2006- silkscreen and acrylic on linen – 155x101 cm. / 61x39¾ inches

BS: Steve, I noticed on your website that you list what could be considered stages of your artistic exploration. For example, from 1977 until 1999 you primarily created oil paintings, from 1990 to 1999 you created shaped wood abstract painted constructions, 1998 to 2005 you focused on installations, and from 2004 to present you have focused on works on paper and mixed media paintings. Do you view your work in stages, so to speak?

SL: No, not at all. It was just that the way my work evolved can be a bit confusing to explain, presenting it that way helps to make that clearer. Basically I worked on shaped relief oil paintings for quite a while until the way certain aspects of the early works were reacting over time forced me to reconsider my whole work process, a moment of forced change that also made me give acrylics a try.

It was a surprise to find how much acrylics had a different language than oils and a direct outcome of that was that they inspired me to paint directly on the wooden structures that I had been building to stretch the canvass on. It also showed me just how stupid I had been up to then by having many of the preconceived notions that oil painters can have when facing acrylics. I decided to be more open to other mediums after that.

The painted wood structures pointed directly towards sculpture, which with hindsight seems to have slowly removed the need for color in the wall works that I continued to work on. I've always liked the fact that a shaped object on a wall has nothing attaching it to the space around it, a relief from sculpture's plight with gravity. It suddenly became obvious that objects had to be hung in space and I was fortunate at that time to have a group show that gave me the opportunity to experiment a first idea in that direction. (Slice of Air, Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Neuchâtel, CH. 1998). So because of its light weight, paper became something to work with, not on, and inspired a whole series of both flat and sculptural works as well as some installations. So one thing just lead to another and a lot of it happened simultaneously.

BS: It often seems that we are told that artists should focus on one form of expression-- that branching out to other mediums instead of having a focus can become an obstacle. In your opinion, why is it important for an artist to branch out and explore several mediums?

SL: Although I can see what your getting at, I'm not convinced that artists are really told to focus on just one form of expression. Painters usually draw, which is a whole world in itself, and are often involved in printmaking one way or another, and these days who doesn't play around with video and everything digital technology offers, even if it's only for the yearly Christmas card. So in fact it would be an artist who really works in only one medium that would be weird.

That said, it's also a fact that certain medium mixes seem more “acceptable”, most artists work with one form of printmaking or another and no one ever views it as a lack of focus but painters who make sculptures and vice-versa can still meet with some foolish “not a serious this or that” negative remarks. Fortunately contemporary art has helped make working with many medias a lot more acceptable.

Exploring different mediums can be stimulating and often makes you see your work from a different perspective, get a new eye, plus it can a lot of fun. If you only work within your comfort zone, you greatly reduce your chances of stumbling on something that will help you move beyond it. But that doesn't necessarily mean working with another medium so whether it's important or not depends on the person. It is obviously going to take up your precious time so there has to be a certain amount of desire, need or curiosity to begin with.

In any case, I was taught that much of being focused involved mastering the medium; because only then could you express yourself clearly. But in my opinion focus is also learning to recognize and take advantage of the specificity of your abilities.

BS: Speaking of the internet, you are involved with a few art forums and sites, correct? What are your thoughts on the internet and how it can be utilized to gain exposure for artists and inform artists?

SL: No, I wanted to give it a try but writing actively turned out to be far too time consuming for me. The web has obviously helped art's globalization, it makes it possible to know what's going on pretty much everywhere, as a result there is the fact that any successful trend is immediately recuperated. Today's art is tomorrow's commercials and vice-versa.

Of course it is useful, if only to give easy access to images of your work and of course it can help artists gain recognition since it has already created a few stars. But blind luck aside (I was once contacted by a gallery owner, the poor guy was suffering insomnia and stumbled on my website at 3am), I suspect more often then not it is complementary of the exposure artist are already receiving in the “real world”. There are simply too many artists everywhere trying to get there work seen.

Unfortunately the web can also be to the artist's detriment too. Even having your own website is not an obvious choice-- it means that if you aren't getting shows it will be blatant and people will be judging you by what they see there. Keep in mind that not all that many successful artists have them...

I do follow a few art sites, Sharkforum (www.sharkforum.org) for instance which I like because of the diversity of the content, (poetry, music, art, etc) and because of their critical attitude towards the art world which we need more of.

White Human Silhouettes (Lost Souls? #1) – 2008 - acrylic on linen – 180x120 cm. / 71x47 inches

BS: Is there any specific concerns that you have about the art world at this time?

SL: The art world and the art market now seem the same thing, a system that functions with a market's logic, with the value of an art work based on its desirability and perceived importance. Both are contiguous to your perception of them and as such are factors that are malleable. I've never been that interested in this white-collar way of looking at art so “concern” is probably too big a word here. However I do think there should be more critical debate about this state of affairs.

It used to be that the market would become interested in an artist after they had received acclaim by their peers; nowadays it is the art market itself that does the filtering. This does not necessarily mean it makes bad choices, but it does show that the dynamics within it have drastically changed. Everyone is a business man!

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

SL: These days it's all in the titles...

You can learn more about Steve Litsios by visiting his website-- http://steve.litsios.org/. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page--www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
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