Art Space Talk: Dennis Jones

Originally from Detroit, Dennis Jones now resides in Plymouth, Michigan. He is a licensed practicing architect, an educator and artist. He completed his formal education as an architect from the University of Detroit in 1983. He completed his Master of Fine Arts, in Painting, from Wayne State University in 1990. Since, he has exhibited his work extensively in the Detroit area and beyond. Jones has been an adjunct professor of color theory, 2d and 3D design concepts at The College for Creative Studies since 2002. He has also taught architectural design and drawing at The University of Detroit, Wayne State University and Macomb County Community College.

Wake me when its time to go, Installation view

Brian Sherwin: Dennis, can you tell us about your academic training in art? I understand that you studied at the University of Detroit and Wayne State University. Did you have any influential instructors? Can you recall any specific experience during those years that have inspired you to present day?

Dennis Jones: My undergraduate degree is in architecture from the University of Detroit and I continue to practice. My architectural training has influenced my art through an understanding of history, material, construction, scale, space, form and conceptualization. Architecture is the mother of all art forms.

I completed my MFA in Painting from Wayne State University. My influential instruction is minimal but I've had influential personalities and two graduate school people worth mentioning are Dick Wray and Peter Williams.

BS: I understand that you are an instructor as well. Where do you teach? What is your educational philosophy?

DJ: I teach part-time at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. I would like to find a full time position outside of Michigan and continue to look. I currently teach 2D and 3D design, but I've taught architectural design and drawing at the University of Detroit, Wayne State and Macomb Community College. I try to cultivate an atmosphere where creative awareness, inquiry, exploration, discovery and execution can develop and grow.

BS: Dennis, you utilize text within the context of your work. As you know, words can be very powerful-- they can send a nation to war and inspire the masses to behave or act out in certain ways. What interests you in using words directly as a form of expression?

DJ: Images and words are interchangeable. The use of text in my work is relatively new for me, which has developed in the past two years. I had been working with images for sometime and I started to incorporate text along with images which became redundant and then I abandoned a specific image altogether. If a picture is worth a thousand words, with this new work I wonder how many (mental) pictures can be drawn from a single word? I'm also interested in the interaction between the formal elements of painting, its physical surface and abstract text.
BS: Can you tell us about your artistic practice in general? Give us some insight into these works... perhaps you could select a piece and tell us about it.

DJ: Influences come from many sources – the trick is in finding how they're interrelated or not and then piecing them together. These paintings are about skepticism, propaganda, delusions, absurdity and discontent – all accumulating.

I'd rather not discuss any one particular painting but I could give some thoughts on how to approach this work; look at the color and scale, look at the text, look at the overall shape and its construction, look at the surface, then move onto the next one and then come back, all the while asking yourself what does it say or not say. I think these paintings take time and must be seen in reality to fully appreciate their nuance.

BS: Are you more likely to be hit with an idea while going about your daily activities? Or is the 'light bulb' more likely to flash while you are in your studio?

DJ: I carry a small notebook around with me for errant thoughts and ideas. Ideas come during daily activities, which includes working at my studio. We're bombarded with words and images through newspapers, magazines, television and the internet; look around there's plenty of material for paintings out there.

BS: Can you tell us about some of your influences? Have any specific artists or art movements inspired you?

DJ: This work has been influenced by abstract expressionists such as Pollock and DeKooning; early pop artists such as Johns and Rauschenberg whom questioned all the flinging paint; Robert Indiana, Ed Ruscha, Bruce Naumann, Richard Tuttle, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer and Richard Prince to name a few. Thomas Kinkade, the so-called "painter of light", has also influenced me. Other influences include the authors, Daniel Dennet, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens who have examined belief in their writing.

Toyland, installation view at Zeitgeist Gallery

BS: Dennis, your Toyland installation was very successful for you. Can you tell us about that installation and the motives behind why you created it?

DJ: Toyland took about two years to complete and it was shown in parts until a show at the Zeitgeist Gallery, which led to a larger version at Gallery project in Ann Arbor where the installation grew to include about eighty pieces and occupy an 1100 square foot space, which then led to inclusion in the Windsor Biennial.

Toyland expresses a sense of play, wonder, delight and discovery. These thoughts and emotions are directly expressed with a simplified color palette and the varied presence of a child-like everyman. The figures suggest an innocence and hopefulness of childhood—I think of them as my progeny—a metaphor for the creation and realization of ideas—and avatar for the artist as a perpetual child. I think of toyland as a kind of memorial to these sentiments.

With the realization the figures are also small toys to be manipulated, trophies to ambition and vanity, or puppets to be controlled, an undercurrent of irony surfaces as the installation comments on the formation of identity and a creative process that has become corrupted, where innocence and naiveté are doubtful possibilities.

BS: You are one of four artists participating in 'Dehuman', a traveling exhibition that opened in January 2006. My understanding is that the exhibit closes this year. Can you tell our readers about the exhibit?

DJ: Mark Lalibrete, the curator for Dehuman contacted me after he saw my work at the Tangent Gallery in 2002; it took four more years to put together an itinerary that included six venues across Canada. I'm showing with three Canadian artists, Ed Pien, Balint Zsacko and Daniel Erban and each of us are showing expressive figurative drawings. Visit www.dehuman.com for images and itinerary.

BS: Will you be involved with any other exhibits in 2008?

DJ: I'm currently participating in a three-person show that included Chris Crowder and Tom Carey. Chris and Tom are showing figurative drawings and I've done an installation of text paintings.

I'm actively looking into museums and gallery representation outside of the Midwest. The Fundamental(ist) exhibition would make an excellent traveling show. There are twenty paintings that fit well in an 1800 square foot space; there are complete full color catalogs - it’s tight. All I need is the opportunity. I was recently in Los Angeles and my work will be included in a text show at Solway Jones. There has been some interest in New York too and I plan to visit there in early March.

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

DJ: The freedom of ideas sustains me as an artist and always think before you believe.

You can learn more about Dennis Jones by visiting his www.myartspace.com Premium profile-- www.myartspace.com/dennisjones. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

My Art Advice: If I post my work online doesn't that mean that someone is more apt to steal my style? I don't want people to paint like I do!

This is another common question that is asked of me. It can be hard to define 'style', it is one of those issues that can be debated. With that said, your use of 'style' implies the manner in which you paint, the methods you use, the marks that you make with your brush, and the fear that someone will create images utilizing those same kind of marks and methods. With that said, if someone steals your style you should feel honored-- it must mean that you are doing something right in the eyes of someone. More power to the style 'borrowers', 'thieves', and 'cutthroats'! Why do I declare this? Because if you observe this issue within the context of art history you will find that this 'visual theft' of style gives rise to new movements in art and to new styles all together. So this fear of having your style 'stolen' should not be your main concern when uploading art online. In other words, you should focus on doing what YOU are doing and accept the fact that you are part of a visual tradition.

This concern over 'style theft' is common. I frequent several art forums and find that many artists think that they own their 'style'. These artists get very upset when another artist decides to work in a similar manner. Legally speaking, you can't copyright an artistic style. The image itself is copyrighted, but not the manner in which you created it-- the methods you used and the marks that you made. Allow me to repeat that in bold-- YOU CAN'T COPYRIGHT AN ARTISTIC STYLE! For example, if you paint blue figures with white backgrounds you can't file suit if someone else does the same unless the paintings are very close to being identical. There is not much that you can do legally if an artist utilizes the same types of marks, the same colors, and even similar subject matter. If this was the case people would not bother to paint!

Still worried about people stealing your 'style' if you upload your work online? Think of it this way, are you influenced or inspired by another artist or perhaps an art movement from the past? If so, in some way-- even if it is buried in your mind --you are 'stealing' from those styles... those ideas. You are utilizing similar marks and taking a similar direction with your art-- marks and direction that you may not have taken had you not had knowledge of that artist or art movement. By doing so, you add an authentic touch to that visual tradition-- but you can't deny the debt that you owe to those who have came before.

Styles and methods of creation have been 'borrowed' throughout time. One artist will 'take' ideas from another artist or a group of artists and build upon it. We all owe a certain debt to artists who have came before... so it is naive to think that your 'style' is free from the observation and exploration of others-- I would go as far as to say that it is a sign of insecurity if you feel that way. Thus, who are you to say that your art should be free from the observation and exploration of your peers?

I will go further with this! I think it is safe to say that every artist has told visual white lies with their work-- we are all inspired or influenced by someone-- and those ideas are molded into our practice-- even if we are not aware of it. One could say that this is a glorified type of theft. In that sense, every artist is a thief. So if you are worried about someone 'stealing' your 'style'... step back-- view your work --and ask yourself how many artists you've stolen or borrowed from. After giving this some thought... ask yourself how many artists they have stolen or borrowed from. At that point you will see how the cards are stacked and you will be less likely to conceal your hand.

We do 'borrow' or 'steal'-- though steal might be a bold choice of word --from other artists regardless if we admit it or not... or are even aware of it. Show me your work and I can show you the work of a dozen artists who worked in a similar manner-- artists who have had a lot of exposure... meaning that at some point you have probably observed their work in a book, magazine, or on TV. Think of it this way, when we are young a peer draws a smiley face in class-- what happens next? A dozen kids end up drawing a smiley face and each add their own bit of truth to it. However, the original motivation to draw the smiley face was 'borrowed' or 'stolen' from the kid who did it first. Each child adds his or her own perspective to the original image that had been etched into his or her mind, but the foundation for that creation can be traced back to the child who drew it first in the classroom. Those of you who have taught will know exactly what mean. Is that not theft of style on its most basic terms? Does it matter?

I'm not suggesting that people should openly steal styles, but if someone does it to you... don't feel so bad. As I mentioned, it obviously means you are doing something right. Your focus should be on creating new works. In a sense, we humans are conditioned to borrow ideas, to steal ideas, to build upon the information that we have observed-- and make it our own. This is not exactly a negative trait... and none of us are above it. As far as art is concerned, we experience this theft in our youth the first time we draw a smiley face... so why do we feel that we are above it later in life? Why feel that your art should be protected from the thoughts and actions of others?

Here is my direct answer to this question-- if someone wants to 'borrow' or 'steal' your 'style'-- let them without a second thought. Chances are they will not have the same energy in their work that you do. Who knows... maybe they will end up utilizing the skills they have learned from 'borrowing' in order to develop their own visual direction. Perhaps they will end up doing what you do-- better. That is how art movements are made and shaped. It is the foundation of art history! To fear this is nothing more than a sign of insecurity. Again, that is my opinion-- and I understand that it is a philosophical one --take it for what it is worth.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
www.myartspace.com/balhatain

Art Space Talk: Shadi Yousefian

Shadi Yousefian was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to the United States when she was sixteen. She received both her Bachelors (2003) and Masters (2006) of Fine Art in photography from San Francisco State University. Her work explores themes of identity, duality, and the clash of cultures that she has endured.

Brian Sherwin: Shadi, you were born in Tehran, Iran. You moved to the United States when you were sixteen. Can you discuss your early years and how they influenced the art that you create today? Do the cultural differences between Iran and the US play a role in your work?

Shadi Yousefian: At the time I moved to the United States, the social atmosphere in Iran was very different than what it is today. There was a lot less freedom, especially for women and many people dreamed of getting out of the country to live in a place with more freedoms. Despite this fact, for the first couple of years, I still preferred to go back and live in Iran.

Even though I was familiar with American culture to some extent through movies and the music we listened to in Iran, the culture shock was too overwhelming when I moved to the United States. I didn’t know the language well, I didn’t have my old friends around, and I was unfamiliar with the new environment. This forced me to reflect on myself on a deeper level. I was more aware of myself as an individual. In Iran, I was part of a group, but here I became more aware of my identity as an individual, and later of a double identity.

The double identity came when I started to adapt to the American way of living. I still had my Iranian side, but there was an American side that was shaping. I felt like I had two identities, but neither one was complete. This situation reflects in my self-portrait series, which is about double identity.

BS: It is my understanding that you studied photography on the academic level. Where did you study? Did you have any influential instructors during those years?

SY: I studied photography and received both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at San Francisco State University. Professors, Lewis DeSoto, Alice Shaw, and Dale Kistemaker, were influential in shaping my art. They familiarized me with photography techniques and artistic concepts and helped me find my own individual artistic direction and style and never tried to change who I am as an artist. Also, professor Whitney Chadwick, my art history teacher helped me understand art theory and criticism.

BS: Tell us more about your influences... are you influenced by any specific artists?

SY: One artist whose work I’ve always admired is Joel-Peter Witkin. My work is by no means similar to his neither compositionally nor conceptually, but I’ve always admired his use of textures and his emotionally moving concepts. The use of textures reflect in my work as well. Another artist whose work is visually and conceptually moving is Erwin Olaf. I also love the visual compositions of Kurt Schwitters, and the use of collage and fragmentation in the works of Hannah Hoch.

BS: Shadi, your early work involved-- as you have stated in the past -- an abstract expressionistic style. This works involved close-up shots of marks and scratches on surfaces such as walls, telephone booths, and trash bins in public places. Can you tell us more about these earlier works and how the experience of working in that manner directed or enhanced the self-portraits that you now create? Is there a connection?

SY: My early work started with a series of abstract compositional studies. I was exploring the medium of photography as a visual tool to create these compositions. The reason I say "abstract expressionistic" is because these compositions were abstract and they were created by photographing scratches, marks, and "expressions" that had been created by different people.

I would look for surfaces that had expressive marks and textures and, looking through the viewfinder, I would find compositions that appealed to me. Later, when I was creating my self-portrait series, I started creating these expressive textures by hand, working directly on the surface of my negatives.

BS: Tell us more about the social implications of your work? What is the social message that you strive to convey?

SY: My work mostly deals with identity. Identity of myself as an Iranian-American immigrant, which also relates to identity of all immigrants, and identity of any individual. One important message that I strive to convey is that living in a diverse society, and interacting with people from different cultures, races, age groups, and genders, our identity starts to get fragmented.

BS: Can you tell us more about your process? What are the methods that you utilize in order to make your photographs a work of self-expression rather than straight representations...

SY: I work directly on the surfaces of my negatives leaving my own expressive mark, the same way a painter or a collage artist creates a piece of art. I scratch the negatives and combine pieces and fragments of different negatives to create my final piece. In this way I’m introducing other layers besides the photographic shot.

BS: Is photography a spiritual or therapeutic practice for you?

SY: I would say therapeutic. I release personal emotions through my work. These are emotions that I don’t normally communicate through words. I think communicating these profound feelings through art has a therapeutic effect on me.

BS: Select one of your works and tell us about it.

SY: As the title suggests, the piece "Duality" (image above) is about duality. The double identity that I experience as an Iranian living in the United States. In this piece, I’m sitting in a calm position, contemplating my identity as an individual. I have no head, but am holding two heads in my hands. One head, wearing a scarf representing my Iranian side and the other representing my Western identity.

BS: Finally, do you have any works in progress at this time? Can you tell us about them?

SY: Yes. I’m working on a series called "The Letters". When I first moved to the United States, I kept in touch with my friends by writing letters regularly. We exchanged letters that ranged from 20 pages to 70 pages. This continued for a couple of years, but as time went on, it gradually faded and, after a while, it stopped. I literally had two huge boxes full of these letters that I had kept and, unfortunately, I had to throw one away when I moved to a new place.

A while back, I was thinking of these letters and went back to them and started to read them again. I was so amazed by the effort we all put into keeping in touch and all the emotions that we communicated to each other. It was almost like a diary. Now it had all faded and all was left was an abstract thought of letters that we once exchanged and the content was forever lost. I decided to create a series from the letters that I had still kept to convey this experience.

You can learn more about Shadi Yousefian by visiting her website-- www.shadiyousefian.com. Shadi is also a Featured Artist on www.myartspace.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Savako

The artist known as Savako creates unique and profoundly original works that are the result of an interstellar communion with a distant Utopian planet and it's occupants that she has imagined. Her creations challenge the viewer to engage themselves on a level that is spirited and childlike. In a sense, Savako's art reminds the viewer that the best things in life come from the imagination-- not material gain.

Cojomojo Forest, installation- Lunarbase, Brooklyn. 2004

Brian Sherwin: Savako, you create what has been described as bold, free standing sculptures which profess a retro, mid-twentieth century futuristic view. Your subjects are aliens that live in an imagined Utopia on a planet that you have named Pajamaja. Can you tell us more about this world that you have created?

Savako: Planet Pajamaja is simpler than human being society, and the Planet Pajamaja is full of feelings of happiness. They have a civilization that is on a better level than human beings. But they do not depend on intelligence and material gain. They build their paradise while having a heart like a child.

BS: Savako, your sculptures are known for being humorous. Viewers often smile upon viewing your works. Is there a serious side to these works or do you simply strive to make people smile?

S: I regard senses when viewing art as very important. My work may become humorous even if I go about it in a serious manner. It can display both humor and seriousness depending on the interaction with the viewer. I allow viewers to wonder. Maybe, When I create it, I feel that I am happy and that is why some people view my work as humorous. Due to this perhaps my feeling will reach people.

Alien in the City by Savako

BS: You have exhibited your work in NY several times. How have your travels influenced the work that you do?

S: I enjoy exhibiting outside of Japan because I like the thought of people viewing the world I've created. My work is for the here and now rather than for future generations. The interactions that viewers have with my work are an important drive for my creations.

BS: Is there a difference in the way that people react to your work in the States compared to the reactions you get in Japan?

S: The reaction of a person sympathizing with my view of the world in both Japan and U.S.A. is very direct. American viewers are wonderful even if the emotional display is rich. The Japanese tends to enjoy a character. One of my collectors in Japan carries my "Portico Popilyn" and continues taking souvenir picture at various places. For example, a certain person made a song of Portico Popilyn. And, a certain person made juice which resembled Planet Pajamaja. Children who are acquainted with my work make pictures of Portico Popilyn in their notebooks at school almost every day. It is very interesting.

BS: Savako, where did you study art? Have you had any influential instructors or mentors? Tell us about the academic side of your work...

S: I learned most of the techniques of sculpting by self-education. I did not like school. The work I seen coming from schools did not appeal to me. So in a sense I am self-taught.

BS: Can you tell us about some of your other influences?

S: 4D-world, Black hole, Moon, Ancient civilization, Fairyland, etc...

Alien in the City 2 by Savako

BS: Tell us about your process... how are these creatures created, so to speak?

S: I regard unconsciousness as very important; you do not need to use your brain in order to be good. I feel that the neutral state that is not controlled by feelings and reason creates the best image. I choose some shapes from a lot of sketches and use those shapes when I create my sculptures.

BS: Will you be involved with any exhibits in 2008?

S: I have two solo exhibitions in February and April in Japan. I will be displaying an installation and will reveal my new expressions. I hope that I can exhibit it in the U.S.A. and Europe.

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

S: At this time I'm making a production of a big UFO titled Came from the Planet Pajamaja. It can disintegrate, and the transfer is going to be enabled, too. I look forward to it and hope that everyone enjoys it.

You can learn more about Savako and her art by visiting her website-- www.dugazig.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

My Art Advice: Should I send a gallery a link to my art or images of my art by email in order to be considered for gallery representation?

I get questions like this often from emerging artists. This is a delicate issue. This question reminds me that the world wide web is sometimes a double-edged sword for artists. On one side you can cut yourself short by annoying galleries and other exhibiting venues by emailing them random information about your work. On the other side you can carve out your career by building your presence online. In regards to this question, be careful which way you swing the blade-- especially if you are just starting out. Artists want to land gallery representation, but that does not mean that every gallery wants to be baited by a thousand emails from hopeful emerging artists each day.

Before you send a random email to a gallery about your art remember that there might be hundreds of other artists doing the same thing at the same time. What will happen? You will most likely have your email marked as spam or blocked. If you are not blocked and you continue to send messages about your work you will most likely become an inside joke at the gallery rather than land representation. Worst case scenario... you will annoy the person on the other end and they will end up telling their associates about you. Word can travel fast and in the art world-- even on the most basic level --everything is about presence. You want to put your best face forward-- not blow it off with one quick letter. Annoying gallery owners can be career suicide depending on the status of the gallery .

Artists often forget that a gallery is a business. Galleries do not display work simply for the viewing pleasure of visitors. They have paychecks to write and lights to keep on-- it is a business just like any other. While it is true that galleries need artists to run their business, you need to remember that they already have a stable of artists-- they need art, but that does not mean that they need your art. You might be thinking, " If that is the case, why do the galleries have their email listed if they don't want artists to contact them?"... In most cases a gallery has their email listed for two reasons. 1.) They can send out exhibit information to their email list from that account. 2.) A random collector can write to them with questions about an artist that the gallery represents-- though most will call the gallery before writing them. Having an email address listed does not mean that the gallery is offering an open invitation to hopeful artists.

There are exceptions. Some galleries want artists to send examples of their work by email. Many of those galleries have ads in art publications stating that fact (just as galleries that do not want artists to send samples of their art by email will often have some fine print-- sometimes BIG print --stating that under their contact information!!!). However, I think it is better for artists to attend openings at the gallery they are interested in instead of sending a desperate email to the gallery about their work and why it should be represented. As I stated before, there could be thousands of artist worldwide sending emails to the gallery with the same hope that you have at the same time. You want to be a face... not a random name listed in the galleries email inbox-- or trash bin for that matter. Brick & mortar galleries do not have the manpower to address thousands of emails like that.

So what can you do? Attend openings-- get to know the people who are already exhibited at the gallery and be friendly to the gallery staff. By getting to know people and being friendly I do not mean that you should go up and say, "I really like this space. Are they looking for new talent?" or "Can you get me in here, my work is great!" to everyone you meet! Just enjoy yourself... be yourself-- leave the 'I'm a brooding artist' or 'I'm better than this place' persona at the door. Eventually you can slide the fact that you are an artist into the conversation, but keep it short.
Business cards that contain a link to your personal website or accounts that you have on art sites like www.myartspace.com can come in handy if a conversation goes well-- be prepared!

Some of you might be saying, "But I live hundreds of miles away! Sending an email is my only option!". Well, if that is the case you might want to ask yourself if you want to be represented by a gallery that you can't visit in person at least once per month, especially if you are new to the scene. With a ton of luck your email effort might land you gallery representation, but if you are not able to actually visit the gallery you will not know if your work is actually in sight of gallery patrons or somewhere in a backroom waiting to be pulled out when-- and if --someone wants to view it. That is not to suggest that galleries are shady, but they do tend to cater to the needs of represented artists who can actually visit the gallery often. Thus, you might want to focus on exhibiting opportunities near you or online venues that specialize in giving opportunities to artists who would otherwise be isolated.

Keep in mind that I'm mainly talking about city galleries. Rural galleries might have a different outlook on 'view my art' soliciting. I still think that getting to know more about a gallery in person, no matter where the gallery is located, is the best choice for you if you are seeking gallery representation. Also, remember that you do not exactly need to rely on brick & mortar galleries ... you can always represent yourself by utilizing sites like www.myartspace.com, www.youtube.com, and www.myspace.com as tools for exposure. Combine your efforts-- place links to your art accounts on your Youtube and Myspace account and place links to your Youtube and Myspace accounts on your art accounts. Be active online... network with artists and curators that you meet. Keep in mind that many established artists started out this way. Don't sweat over gallery representation.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
www.myartspace.com/balhatain

Art Space Talk: Jonathan James

In his own words "The images selected for my galleries at Myartspace were chosen primarily based on the ability that these images have to capture and release their viewers. In so many ways you can become fully engaged in a section of the pieces leading on to newer more densely occupied areas and thrown simultaneously through the entire composition in a matter of moments. These fleeting moments grab the viewer intensely therein occupying the viewer in a macro and micro universe as you focus and un-focus throughout the piece. The leading lines and entrancing spirals cause that connection of interest that will either draw you so far into the composition or explode outward to you. Either way you are left with that feeling of intense energy that was used to create the work itself."

Invasion by Jonathan James

Brian Sherwin: Jonathan, do you have formal training in art? Where have you studied? Have any of your instructors influenced you?

Jonathan James: Yes, I started out going to Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland to see if it would work out, since then I recently transferred to the Academy in San Francisco, and it has really taken me a long distance in my work. One Instructor really stands out when I think of this question. Her name was Donna Hepner, real honest type woman who, if you show the initiative, she will show you the way. She basically exploded my creative mind, and now I'm trying to piece it all together in an intelligent way.

BS: Jonathan, when I view your work I get the impression that you are a painters painter... meaning that you seem very interested in the process of painting itself and the expressive qualities that you can capture through the marks and strokes that you make upon the surface. Is that so? Can you tell us about the motives behind your work?

JJ: Surface quality is just as important as the image itself. I really try to work the dimension of texture and give my pieces the chance to express themselves. This also gives the viewer the chance to follow the progression of the piece, we have that connection in a way at that moment of communication when we both know how it went down. Motivation is such an incredible word. When it comes down to it my entire lifetime has been a motivation to make art. Specifically, and more recently I have been interpreting my studies into world religion, ancient civilizations, and pre-1900's philosophy.

Seperation Anxiety by Jonathan James

BS: This is an age old question-- is a work of art ever truly finished? What are your thoughts? For example, when a piece leaves your studio do you ever wish that you could work back into it? Or do you view it as the end of one process and the start of a new one?

JJ: There are some points when you just know. It's like giving birth, when they are ready they let you know, and you let them fly into the world with everything they need for a beautiful life. Give them a fancy suit, a few phone numbers, and let them know they are always welcome to come home. I recognize this point in art making at that pivotal moment when you realize, by adding even the slightest more, you will only be selfishly taking away from the image. This process is never ending. The end of one piece is always the beginning of a new one, this is aside the fact that there are always 5 pieces being worked on at any given time. It's a cycle that I'm particularly glad I became a part of.

Neo-Ganeshism by Jonathan James

BS: Jonathan, religion and politics seem to mesh and clash... fight and scream within the context of contemporary society-- does your work convey this struggle? Are there any social implications to be found in your work?

JJ: Religion is a big issue for me. I find that the greatest human inspiration comes directly from religious and spiritual sources. Religion drives people, it forces them. For me, it is not so much organized religion that I find most curious, but more-so that common Source they all have. This force moves with me, through me. I can only be a part of it.

A funny example I have of religion meshing with politics is my take on Neo-Ganeshism. Ganesh is one Hindu God that takes the form of the elephant. I represented him as the typical American would. Here, Americans usually shy away from Religions other than our own, and this particular God is Distorted because of it. When the Benevolent Ganesh appears to an American, we simply view him as images like "Dumbo" or only catch a glimpse of a pink form when we are drunk.

BS: Tell us more about some of your influences. Are you influenced by any specific artists or art movements?

JJ: I can only give credit to all of those who came before me. I am influenced by everything that was, is, and is going to be.

Enlightenment by Jonathan James

BS: Would you like to select a specific painting and tell us about it?

JJ: Sure. "Enlightenment" is my most recent finished painting. I have been getting really interested in the connection of the Pineal Gland to the Universe as a whole. I recently stumbled onto the idea of the Pineal, and have since found all of these wild connections. First they say it is the pre cursor to the human eye, it has a lens and a retina. It is connected to the Sahasrara Chakra, and is located directly behind the "Third Eye" Chakra. Scientists say it takes 49 days, and the pineal spontaneously appears in the human fetus. Buddhists say the after death to reincarnation process takes 49 days. So on and so forth. Things like coincidence, and deja vu' to me just mean that the world is letting me know I am on the right track. After all of this intense information exchange with the world, I sat down to reflect on what I have encountered and began to work on Enlightenment.

I composed this piece into sacred geometry finding golden section ratios, and square root 3 rectangles broken down into the basic patterning structures like hexagons, triangles etc. With this base structure I formed the image of a fetus at 49 days. My rendition of the universe as a whole fills the head of the child, and it peers down into the green sphere I dubbed earth. The sequence of enlightenment goes from human to the moon, to the earth to the sun. All a sequence where the latter is dependent on the former. I painted this image using homemade ink which is the closest thing to honesty that I can find to make an image.

BS: Jonathan, can you tell us about your studio practice. For example, do you listen to a specific type of music or radio station while working? Do you work in silence? Do you read before working? Is coffee a must? What are the little things that you do before and while working?

JJ: Working in the studio is definitely not quiet time. To start out working I read a bit from a random book, set out a few artist books around, prepare my area and set out the supplies. Music is a must, but it depends on the mood of the day or what I am painting. Tribal music is nice, Native American, African, Indian etc...

While working there is usually alot going on around me. The city is moving, the roommates are living, all of this gets transferred into my work I'm sure. I get a little loud sometimes in the studio, not aggressive but more excitable. I can really let loose a bit from being so restrained outside with the people. I will start screaming a bit sing along with the music, jump around, who knows. It is good to know you are in the moment. Sometimes I will be stressing over this or that, and this 'loud time' usually helps remind me that I am here, this is now.

A Closer Look at Honesty by Jonathan James

BS: What are you working on at this time? Also, will you be exhibiting in 2008? Where can our viewers see your work in person?

JJ: Right now I'm working on this Pineal thing. It is sort of leaking into a disconnected conversation with the world around me. I have my coursework in the mix too, anatomy, color, sacred geometry golden section, and figure painting. This usually keeps me on my toes as well. It is almost ridiculous how much agony we go through just to make these images, but I can no longer help myself. It has to happen i suppose.

In 2008 I'm slacking on the exhibition. I recently put together a nice collection of my images to propose to galleries here in San Francisco while I am in school. I usually show in Maryland on my breaks though, so If anyone is in these areas I will keep you updated.

Maruad Probity by Jonathan James

BS: I noticed that you have an account on Myspace as well. In your opinion, how has the Internet and sites like www.myartspace.com and www.myspace.com helped artists?

JJ: I think it really opens up the world of artists to fellow artists. At times I will pour through these sites to find work by contemporary artists and be so extremely amazed at the talent in either one. At the very least it is a way I find to see recent work going on in places I would otherwise be completely in the dark about.

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

JJ: My favorite color is yellow!

You can learn more about Jonathan James and his art by visiting the following --www.myartspace.com/jonathanjames/ and www.myspace.com/tokyotoyparty. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Premium Selection: Derek Ogbourne, Brian Hoover, and William Brovelli

Here are a few www.myartspace.com Premium members of note for this week. I will post a select group of artists each Monday. Feel free to leave comments for these artists.

Critics have noted that there is no room for comfort in the work that Derek Ogbourne has created. Derek captures the sadness of mortality and the fragility of our existence within the context of his work. He explores our collective fears and weaknesses by creating scenarios that are at times alarming-- scenarios that are charged with a darkly surreal energy that captures our morbid fascinations. Derek is represented by Carter Presents and Galerie Brigitte Schenk.


www.myartspace.com/derekogbourne

"Ultimately, I would like people to respond the same way I do to many early Christian works - not for religious reasons, but for the fact that they were often strange, unworldly, powerful and even fearsome objects of reverence. I appropriate imagery from the ancient past to popular culture and combine it with dream imagery. I then endeavor to create a sense of myth and magic in the hope that I may create my own objects of reverence." -- Brian Hoover


www.myartspace.com/brianhoover

"The work is centered in exploring the possibilities that arise from mass production on an individual level and its accumulative results as well as the philosophical implications of choice, volition, and controll vs. chaos." -- William Brovelli


www.myartspace.com/webfigs

Learn more about Premium service on myartspace by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/premium

My Art Advice: Should I be worried about my images being 'stolen' online?

I receive a lot of emails from emerging artists who want advice about marketing themselves online. Thus, I've decided to start yet another series on the blog which I will call, My Art Advice. In this series I will tackle some of the questions I've been asked and I will give my advice about how emerging artists-- and artists in general --can utilize the Internet in order to gain exposure for their art.

The first topic I will deal with is copyright concerns and the fear of having work used without permission. A lot of artists that have contacted me are wary of the Internet in regards to how their uploaded art can be used by others. These artists know that they can gain exposure by uploading and displaying their art online, but they also have concerns that people may 'steal' or 'rip' their images. Thus, I will tackle this issue-- take my advice for what it is worth-- an artist giving advice to other artists. In other words, I'm not asking you to live by what I write... you must draw your own conclusions (no pun intended).

Let us look at this concern at face value. An artist desires for his or her work to be seen, but at the same time is wary that his or her work will be used without permission. While there are ways to protect your art online the simple truth is that if someone wants it bad enough they can work around any security guard that you have in place-- or they can find someone who can. Nothing is 100% safe on the world wide web. That is a risk we all take by uploading our work online-- it is a valid concern. However, by not displaying our work online we risk not being seen. Personally, I would rather run that gambit than risk total obscurity.

Allow me to explain... if I only displayed my art in brick & mortar galleries my work would only be viewed by a few hundred people per year depending on how many times I exhibit and where. By uploading my work to art sites and social networking sites I greatly increase the number of people who view my work at any given time. I know artists who rarely exhibit... yet they have had over 100,000 people (and growing) view their work online after being involved with the 'online art community' for just a few years. I won't drop names, but these artists went from having only a few hundred people viewing their work per year in person to having thousands view their work per month online. Would they be so well-known had it not been for uploading their work online? No. They took the risk and it paid off.

So here is my advice in regards to concerns about images being 'stolen' or 'ripped' online. Sometimes you just have to throw caution aside and look at the bigger picture (no pun intended). Displaying art online is vital to artists today-- especially for emerging artists, artists living in a rural or isolated area, and artists who have to work a day job and don't have the time to seek out brick & mortar opportunities. There is no excuse not to upload your work somewhere on the web when one considers all of the positive outcomes that may occur. Don't allow the fear of having an image used without permission keep you from having your work viewed by thousands that desire it and want to pay you for it -- or simply view it. This is crucial!

Experience tells me that there are really not that many major cases of artists having their work used without permission after uploading their work online. It is very rare for an individual or company to rip work online in order to profit from it. If it does happen and is discovered there are many legal steps that you can take if your images are used for profit without your permission. I'm not a lawyer-- do a google search for art law or copyright law.

Think of the Internet as a train that is heading toward the happy town of Potential Success. Thousands of artists hop aboard each day... do you want to be the one left behind? Don't get caught in the negatives. The success that can stem from displaying your work for the world to see far out-weighs the fear of someone abusing your images. The Internet allows artists to create a network of potential buyers/collectors and to keep in contact with other interested parties-- fellow artists... gallery owners. Those are opportunities that one can miss out on if he or she fails to take advantage of what the Internet can provide.

Don't like my train example? Fine... think of the Internet as a 'tool kit' for success. The features and capabilities of websites are all tools that you can use to 'build' your presence-- and dare I say, business. The tools are before you-- use them! You can worry about (and cash in on) copyright issues when and if someone earns a profit from your work.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
www.myartspace.com/balhatain

Art Space Talk: Josette Urso

Josette Urso, a Florida native and current resident of New York City, draws inspiration from the “places” that surround her. Her recent oil paintings and ink drawings explore the notion of place through what the artist refers to as “organic fragments of experience”.


Dense Garden, 2007, oil on panel, 16 x 20 "

Brian Sherwin: Josette, tell us about your early years. Where did you study? Who were your mentors? At what point did you know that you wanted to pursue art for life?

Josette Urso: My parents were my earliest mentors. My mother is an artist and my father a mathematician who taught himself to play classical guitar. When I was nine years old, I took private art lessons from an art student at the college where my father taught. This was my first introduction to many basic drawing concepts including the mechanics of perspective.

My earliest experience looking at art was with the reproductions in my family’s art encyclopedia set. The first actual artwork I remember noticing was a Rauschenberg collage at the Tampa Museum of Art. It was a playful piece using recycled materials. At thirteen, I visited my cousin in NYC and realized that one day I’d like to live in New York. In high school, one of my teachers suggested that because of my interest in art and science I might like to study medical illustration and I started college thinking this would be my direction.

At the University of South Florida, I took science and drawing classes including a highly demanding comparative vertebrate anatomy course alongside the pre-med students. I soon realized that I was more interested in fine art and that I really wasn’t wired as an illustrator. I finished my undergraduate studies with a degree in drawing. I took a year off and realized I was really interested in studying painting -- so I went to graduate school.

Jennie's Garden Vermont, 2005, oil on panel, 11 x 14"

BS: Josette, you- along with Basil Alkazzi and many others - are participating in the art fundraiser I’ve established to raise money for youth art programs at the Eclectic Gallery in Jacksonville, Illinois. Do you feel that it is important for people to advocate for art education in this manner? It often seems that rural areas are excluded from ventures like this-- even though many of the artists who have shaped the artworld came from small towns throughout the United States… is that why you decided to donate work?

JU: So many people have been so very encouraging and supportive for me along the way. Donating work to help raise funding for the youth art programs in Jacksonville, Illinois is one way for me to give something back. Having art in their lives is extremely valuable for these and all children. Yes, I agree that art education should be made available for all -- regardless of geographic location. It is true that small towns are often overlooked in this matter.

BS: Josette, you are a recent recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation award. How did you feel when you learned that you had been chosen?

JU: I was of course thrilled. This award from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation represents the most generous gift of all -- the gift of more uninterrupted studio time. It not only gives financial support but also provides a huge psychological boost. I think for all the artists who have received this award it has been an affirmation that we are on the right track and doing work of merit.

Go Go , 2005, Collage, 24 x 24"

BS: Josette, in regards to your watercolor and collage work -- you are preoccupied with the problem of information, or its dual nature as nourishment and interference. Can you go into further detail about this?

JU: For me working generates ideas and one thought or action always leads to another. I approach my process intuitively and all of my work starts with a simple impulse. My work with collage is first fed by the intangible network of connections I make while exploring the "live" qualities of experience and then is further nourished by the elaborate web of endless visual information I receive from every direction.

That said, my collages are driven and nourished by the accelerated pace of the everyday world which includes the daily milieu of printed matter. I find many of my collage ingredients waiting in my mailbox and am especially drawn to materials that provide an instant footprint to our life in general or that speak of the spirit of this time and place.

For me, collage and the slowed down, low-tech process of first gathering and sifting through countless images then cutting and pasting them into place is one way to decelerate the often overwhelming chaos of our day-to-day existence. Also, I think I am able to somehow understand the bigger picture or the whole by first examining the parts and then putting them sometimes seamlessly/sometimes not back together again. In other words, I am trying to find some sort of manageable order within the daily chaos.

On/Off , 2005, collage, 24 x 24"

BS: By any chance, are you interested in Daoism? Perhaps that influences your work? Where do you draw your inspiration from? Also, what artist’s or art movements have influenced your work?

JU: Although I don’t draw directly from Daoism in my own work, I am still interested in Chinese philosophies and traditions, especially those emphasizing the mysterious secrets of the natural world. I really take most of my inspiration from life in general.

Although there are many artists whose work I do admire, some even make me jealous wishing I had made the work myself. As far as painting goes, my real heroes are the artists whose works I have always responded to -- from my earliest involvement as an artist till now. The works that first come to my mind are Charles Burchfield’s fantastical garden paintings, Arthur Dove and Helen Torr’s biomorphic landscape inspired abstractions, Marsden Hartley’s Maine landscapes and especially the dark sea and urban landscape paintings of George Bellows. In fact, nearly every summer I visit his two small oil paintings from 1913: "Sea Fog" and "Beating Out the Sea" both at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockport, Maine.

I am most drawn to artwork that fuels my own desire to make work. As far as contemporary living artists go I seem to be most inspired by artists who put everyday materials to eccentric use and show real imagination and ingenuity. Of course, when there is real poetry achieved I am the most interested.

Snowy Morning, 2006, oil on panel, 8 x 6"

BS: Josette, your plein air paintings often convey an ecstatic moment when information dissolves into sentiment. These works play on the mind of the viewers… who contribute relics of structure from the actual scene. In a sense, these images reveal the psychology of the viewer in that they are open to interpretation of the viewers mind. Are you interested in the study of psychology and how it can be utilized to expand the meaning behind your work?

JU: I don’t specifically study psychology but I am interested in the fact that our individual responses to our physical world do indeed effect our soul and really do speak to our emotions. My plein air paintings are moment-to-moment extrapolations - internalized responses to my own external surroundings. I am equally interested in the seen and the unseen and in places observed, considered and then re-imagined.

Teetering between objectivity and subjectivity, representation and abstraction, reality and fiction, it is not my aim to simply mirror the visible world but to dissolve all categories and to pair visual perception with abstract improvisation. There is a distillation involved here and what I discover as I filter, synthesize and condense while making these paintings is then also processed again through my viewer.

There is a delicate threshold between seeing and knowing - it is part conceptual and part sensual. It is my hope that experiencing the world through my paintings leads to a greater understanding of place, perhaps even seeing the world with new eyes.

BS: Josette, your husband, Peter Schroth, is also interested in landscape painting. As you know, landscapes were frowned upon in the artworld for the longest time. Recently, it seems that landscapes are making a come-back, so to speak. Can you discuss your interest in landscapes? Also, have you collaborated with your husband?

JU: It is never a good idea to make decisions about your own artwork based on what is or isn’t accepted territory. My own interest in landscape painting happened naturally and quite by accident and it never occurred to me to think about whether or not this direction would or wouldn’t be frowned upon.

For me, it all started about ten years ago during my two-month studio residency in Cadaques, Spain. A week or so into my stay in this charming fishing village near Barcelona, I realized that by working indoors I was missing so much of the experience of being there. It was off-season, so the village was somewhat quiet. This gave me the idea to set up a studio outside -- really just as an excuse to be outside.

The first paintings I made outdoors were still based on invention and were a continuation of the oil paintings I had already been working on. Then, one thing led to another and before I knew it I had connected specifically with the landscape and had also become inspired by the "sense of this place". In retrospect, I realize that by having something to respond to rather than only relying on what I can find in my head, my visual vocabulary has become much more interesting.

Yes, I am fortunate that my husband is also a landscape painter. Peter left printmaking for painting, working first with abstraction and then discovering the landscape. Perhaps you’d like to interview him for all the details. You asked if we had ever collaborated. For the last ten years, we have traveled and had painting residencies together in Arizona, Ireland, CT, Spain, Maine and most recently Nova Scotia. In 2005, we had our first two-person exhibition at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Florida. It was a wonderful opportunity to have the chance to show a selection of our travel paintings from the last ten years.

May 8th Atlanta, 2007, ink on paper, 8.5 x 11 "

BS: Josette, your drawings are almost always based on aspects of the city architecture. What do you find most interesting about the architecture of cities… what features capture your eye the most. Do you view the cityscape as series of geometric forms or do you focus on the materials of the creation… what do you see when you are working in this manner?

JU: Actually I make drawings wherever I happen to be. For instance, I am slowly building a body of airport drawings -- making these really helps pass the time while traveling and looking at these drawings from time to time I am able to retrace my steps -- so to speak. As you noticed though, at the moment I am especially engaged with my drawings of the city. This is really the result of my being in a new rooftop workspace where I have two walls of windows and where the outside seems to literally come inside.

Looking across Brooklyn’s lower lying factory and warehouse buildings toward the tall grandness of Manhattan the view is incredibly complex and at times somewhat overwhelming. It is almost too much to take in but while looking I wander around the spaces between the buildings trying to understand the flow and logic to this geometric maze. For me, drawing parallels the act of seeing and is the most direct link to private time with the physical world. I see the city less as a series of architectural forms and more as a living, breathing entity -- a literally buzzing environment made up of layers upon layers of human history and mystery. I hope that my city drawings somehow tap a bit of this urban spirit and mirror my own relationship with New York City.

Empire upclose, 2006, ink on paper, 16 x 20"

BS: Josette, do you ever find it difficult to move from one medium to the next? For example, your collage work has several differences when compared to your landscape work-- does this ever cause a form of ‘creative conflict’ so to speak? Or are you able to focus on one manner of expression over the other at any given time? Do your forms of artistic expression feed off each other?

JU: I have always felt comfortable moving from one medium to another and since my initial involvement as a visual artist, I have been simultaneously engaged in two bodies of work -- mixed media collage and oil painting. Yes, as you mentioned my various projects feed off each other.

Until most recently, it was very easy to negotiate what I was working on at any given time. This was because I made my plein air work when I traveled and my collage when I was in my studio in NYC. Now, though, in my new studio with big windows it has become a little more complicated to decide what to work on when. So I just rely on my instinct.

I do seem to be more connected with the weather now and specifically the spirit of the time of year in my collages. I find this interesting because it seems to draw a parallel with my plein air work.

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?

JU: Thank you for reading this interview.

You can learn more about Josette Urso by visiting her website-- www.josetteurso.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Premium Selection: Introduction

Starting Monday I plan to post the url for a select group of Premium www.myartspace.com members. I will post a new group each Monday from that point on. Readers of the blog can comment on the work and learn a little about the myartspace community as a whole. If there is enough interest I will make a daily Premium Selection post.

When possible I will post a flash gallery for each respected artist and their statement. Premium members have the option of creating html and flash galleries. If a statement is not available I will post some brief information that is provided on the artists account. Today I will post a teaser of sorts by introducing the readership to a few artists who are part of the www.myartspace.com community.

NOTE: If at some point a gallery does not play it most likely means that the artist has deleted the gallery. If that is the case, click on the link below the gallery to go to the artists profile on www.myartspace.com where you can view their active galleries. ALSO, galleries may contain music... in order to stop the gallery simply refresh your screen... unless you like to be hit with a barrage of music from several active galleries-- some of us do. :P

"People often think I am trying to be offensive with my Islamic based art. This is a huge misconception as I am Muslim myself and would not want to offend my own faith. The work is about the distorted view many Muslims have of their faith and culture and what makes a 'good' Muslim - especially in a western society." --Sarah Maple



www.myartspace.com/sarahmaple

Lois Foley was a highly accomplished and prolifiic artist. She painted for over 50 years. Her work was shown and admired around the world. Lois Foley is deceased.



www.myartspace.com/loisfoley

"My work is an expression of personal experiences that have had devastated, antagonized, and encouraged me.I am fascinated by simple yet beautiful forms, especially those found in nature.The use of abstracted forms allows the viewer to connect with the work without preconceptions. By abstracting a simple shape, I am able to create complexity through color, texture and light. I want to continue to portray interesting, passionate, disquieting, and beautiful moments of human life." --Christine Hilbert

www.myartspace.com/christinehilbert

Art Space Talk: Mark Jenkins

Mark Jenkins is an American artist most widely known for the street installations he creates using packing tape. His work has been featured in various newspapers and magazines including Time Out: New York, The Washington Post, The Independent, the book Hidden Track: How Visual Culture is Going Places, and on the street art blog Wooster Collective.

Mark has shown indoors in galleries in the U.S., Europe and Brazil and is represented by Lazarides gallery in London. He maintains the website www.tapesculpture.org and teaches his tape casting process in workshops in the cities he visits. He was born in Fairfax, VA and currently lives in Washington DC.

Brian Sherwin: Mark, it is my understanding that you have not had any formal training in art and that your interest in installation sculpture occurred after you viewed a Juan Munoz exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum in 2001. Why did Munoz's work inspire you? Can you recall how you felt upon viewing that exhibit?

Mark Jenkins: I did take a Humanities & the Arts class in college and studied a few artists, Bellmer for instance. Munoz was the first live introduction I had to figurative installation sculpture. Actually, prior to this show, "installation" didn't have a meaning to me in an artistic context. I'd just thought of sculptures as stand alone objects that caved in on themselves, not something to use to affect space around it. So for me it was a radical shift in the way I saw the use of art objects.

BS: You have a strong background in music. How does music influence the installations that you create? Is there a connection? Does one form of expression feed off of the other-- a unity of creativity? Do you ever combine the two?

MJ: The connection isn't so direct, but more in the way I see the people receiving it. A good live show for me is a lot like my street work in that it causes people to react, interact, or even get on stage. As for a combination, I've played around with making the Trashers make pig sounds, or with the G.R.L. we were working on having Jesus 2.0 call out lucky lotto numbers to passersby, but these ideas didn't/haven't made it to the street.

BS: I understand that your first experience of using the tape sculptures as a form of street art occurred in 2003. In a sense, the connection between your work and the street happened by chance-- you enjoyed the attention the piece, which you have described as a 'giant sperm' received from onlookers as you tried to photograph it. Would you say that your work on the street has become a form of addiction?

MJ: Oh, well, with the giant sperm in Rio that was really more just an outdoor experience, integrating the piece, pushing the sperm out into the ocean and letting it surf back in while the bathers looked on baffled or came up to ask a few questions. I wouldn't really call that a street piece since I never abandoned it. It was more like taking my sculpture for a walk even if it ended up getting stuffed in the trash at the end. But no, I don't see these street installations as an addiction either. It's just something to explore.

BS: Place us in your frame of mind when you hit the streets in preparation for setting up an installation. What thoughts go through your head? Do you ever have any legal concerns... or concerns that the pieces might be destroyed before they are viewed? Is there a sense of being on 'the edge', so to speak?

MJ: It's a lot of details being thought through. Not wanting to have forgotten something, and then just trying to keep the mind empty, to be attentive to what's going around, cops or other authority types, who might prevent the installation from happening. But sure, the "edge" is there. Out in public space you never really know what might happen.

BS: Mark, do you do all of the placement by yourself? Do you sometimes have help?

MJ: I always like to have someone along if possible and with the bulk of the installations, my girlfriend, Sandra Fernandez, has been the co-conspirator.

BS: You have mentioned in the past that watching self-cast sculptures as they are disposed of was like a form of death and rebirth for you. With that in mind, would you say there is a spiritual side to your work?

MJ: In the surreal sense it's a sort of religion in that I'm manifesting fictitious ideas to warp the social fabric. And for me since it's my own body a lot of the time, it cuts deeper into my psyche--this sort of self-projection in the landscape. But still even though its very surreal, it's more psychological than spiritual.

BS: Tell us about the other thoughts behind your work? What is the message you strive to convey? Is there a message?

MJ: I don't really ever set out with something that intentional as a "message". I think doing figure installations it was more an idea to extend the conversation Munoz was having within the art institution to a larger more open canvass and in the illegal sense, in order to get better social integration and social impact. It's also why the work went away from the clear alien look toward the hyper real. But it's been as much a social experiment as it is an art project. If it gets urbanites to question the authenticity of their surroundings that's good. But to me, the need for meaning is a human convention that doesn't really sync with the universe at large so I never feel a pressure or strong desire to explain or justify myself.

BS: Mark, you feel that unsanctioned public sculptures make more of an impact on viewers than commissioned public memorials, monuments, and sculptures. You have a 'here and now' philosophy about your work and other unsanctioned public works. However, you-- and others who utilize the street as a basis for their work --face great opposition for creating these works? In your opinion, what do people need to remember when viewing these works?

MJ: There is opposition, and risk, but I think that just shows that street art is the sort of frontier where the leading edge really does have to chew through the ice. And it's good for people to remember public space is a battleground, with the government, advertisers and artists all mixing and mashing, and even now the strange cross-pollination taking place as street artists sometimes become brands, and brands camouflaging as street art creating complex hybrids or impersonators. I think it's understanding the strangeness of the playing field where you'll realize that painting street artists, writers, as the bad guys is a shallow view. As for the old bronzes, I really don't see them as part of what's going on in the dialogue unless addressed by a new intervention.

BS: You have exhibited in galleries as well. When faced with four walls do you feel as if your work is contained-- boxed in --missing the freedom that is crucial to the existence of these works? Do you ever regret taking your work indoors? Or do you see it as a challenge?

MJ: In galleries, museums, the work has been presented more in a documentary/artifact sort of way. My tangent off Munoz has been about migrating the conversation out of the art institution and so going in reverse didn't make much sense, at least initially. This last year though, I started setting up installations indoors in non-art spaces such as high school lockers and cafeterias. And in turn, that has brought the possibilities to bring it full circle in the sense that the work could maintain it's camouflage, say, with a pair of legs sticking out of the museum toilet. Still the energy potential is diminished here. In other words, fire trucks won't be rolling up to save a girl on the rooftop. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth doing.

BS: Can you give us any insight to what you have planned for 2008? Have you thought of placing works in cities you have yet to visit?

MJ: I think it's more of the same and also more workshops. For new cities, I'm trying to get over to Tokyo in the spring, also gigs lined up for Sweden, Barcelona, LA and Norway.

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

MJ: I think that does it.

You can learn more about Mark Jenkins and his art by visiting his website--www.xmarkjenkinsx.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Gabriel J. Shuldiner

Gabriel J. Shuldiner's painting is largely about process, both intentional and intuitive. Gabriel establishes deliberate boundaries, parameters and recurring themes, which he then violates as he examines surface, depth, scale and support as numerous materials, multiple layers and diverse textures and techniques confront (and sometimes oppose) each other through subtle variations in tone, sheen, luminosity and color. Homemade tools and modified paints help to make each mark, scratch and chip as intentional and vital as the brushstroke, while light reflected off the varied black pigments yields additional shades of grays and whites.

Shadows And Tall Trees, 2006. Acrylic, gesso and alkyd resin on mounted canvas on wood. Overall dimensions variable approximately 41×32 x 11.4 cm. (16×12.5×4.5 in.) © Gabriel J. Shuldiner

Brian Sherwin: Gabriel, you were born and raised in NYC. Can you tell us about your early years and how those years shaped you into the artist you are today?

Gabriel J. Shuldiner: I remember listening to rap music when I was 11.. RUN DMC. It was incredible. The origins of a new musical genre.. Early graffiti, skateboarding. Growing up in New York City was an incredible experience. Being exposed to so many different cultures, different music, food, art.. all while just walking to the subway. The graffitied subways back then, they were beautiful moving, steel canvases. Like a sponge, l I’ve absorbed so much from my environment. And as an artist, this is invaluable.

Zagadka, 2006. Acrylic, sign-paint, gesso, alkyd resin and oil-stick on mounted wood panel on wood. Overall dimensions variable, approximately 30.5×30.5×9 cm. (12×12 x 3.5 in.) © Gabriel J. Shuldiner

BS: Would you say that the environment we are raised in dictates the direction we take with our art? If so, how does that apply to you?

GJS: I think it depends on the individual. To a large degree I grew up looking at concrete, steel, and cement instead of trees, grass and mountains. I absolutely love nature, but given my environment, I learned to see beauty in objects typically not deemed as such. Those beautiful (seemingly random) patterns that occur in nature (leaves, snowflakes, et. al.) exist in concrete and cement, too. I think in my case, there is a direct aesthetic correlation between my environment and my work.

BS: Gabriel, your work is concerned with destruction, disintegration, and decay. The words that are often used in a negative manner-- however, you find calm in them and what they represent. In a sense, you are comfortable in the chaos. Can you go into detail about this? Is there a philosophy behind the work that you create?

GJS: I’m a huge fan of the double negative.. of using the ‘negative’ to point out the positive… What is really meant by ‘negative’ anyway. From destruction, disintegration and decay comes beauty. Look at the Universe for an example of this. Philosophically, I am deeply interested and influenced by Zen, Taoism, Existentialism…and Capitalism. Quantum Mechanics, the Chaos Theory… What we know vs. what we think we know.. A sort of post-postmodern, post-punk, existential Zen meditation, at times deceptively self-effacing, cynical and nihilistic. A direct experience that remains beyond thought, speech and words. A paradox.

Like An Idiot, 2006. Acrylic, house-paint, gesso, alkyd resin and nails on gesso board. Overall dimensions variable, approximately 32×32 x 6.4 cm.(12.5×12.5×2.5 in.) © Gabriel J. Shuldiner

BS: Would you say that you are fascinated by the small details of life?

GJS: I would say that I am perhaps only interested in the small details of life.

BS: Does your eye for detail go beyond inanimate objects-- in other words, do you strive to capture the essence of personalities and other aspects of the human condition with your work?

GJS: Yes and no. I explore the surreal, disparate and timeless depths of the human psyche and human condition playful dance and violent struggle, self-destruction and growth, pain and pleasure, good versus evil, saint and sinner, love and hate, observer and observed.

BS: Would you say there is a degree of psychology about the work that you create? Or is it more of a spiritual experience for you? Is it an awakening, so to speak?

GJS: It is both. How can a spiritual experience, by definition, not imply an incredible degree of psychology? The physical act of creating is, for me, most definitely a cathartic, spiritual experience. But it is not solely that… it is just one intrinsic element in my work.

BS: Can you tell us about some of your other influences... perhaps there is a specific artist who has inspired you?

GJS: I am most influenced by the work of Robert Ryman and Pierre Soulages… Somehow (and I don’t yet know why) I was filled with ‘false’ ideas about what was/was not ‘allowed’ in art. When I saw my first Ryman (which, in fact, was not that long ago) these false ideas that had ruled me, were finally and permanently shattered. I was breathless.. Here was ultimate beauty. Here was what I had wanted art to be… It was with this newly found freedom, that I started to paint.

BS: Gabriel, when thinking about your work... do you try to place it within a historical context? Or are you more focused in the 'here and now'?

GJS: Both. There is a large part of my work that is concerned with the ‘here and now’ Specifically, the physical creation of my work; the process.. my ‘becoming one’ with the materials, and being ‘in the moment’. But I do not paint in a vacuum. Knowing where and how my work fits into the vast history of art as well as the current artistic canon, is both extremely interesting to me, as well as important.. However, (and this is a very important point) it does not dictate my work in any fashion.

A Single Mark, 2006. Acyric, house-paint, alkyd resin, gesso and charcoal on mounted canvas on wood. Overall dimensions variable, approximately 42×30 x 13 cm. (16.5×12 x 5 in.) © Gabriel J. Shuldiner

BS: You have mentioned that your work is about process. Can you tell us about your process? What steps do you take in the creation of these works? What state of mind are you in while working?

GJS: There is a lot of thought and planning involved. But once I start a piece, the materials begin to take on a life of their own, and the evolution of the composition (more often than not) takes on a life of its own. It’s about layers and layers of materials. Building an object, so to speak. It’s very physical.. A playful dance and violent struggle, if you will.

BS: Is there a 'do it yourself' approach to your work? I notice that you don't always use conventional methods with your work... you often utilize materials that are not exactly traditional in their application. Also, are you ever concerned with the stability of these work in regards to the chemicals interacting-- or is that just part of the process?

GJS: There is an extremely experimental element to my work. I like breaking the rules, which implies that one must first know the rules. Chemically, my work is sound. I am aware of how the different materials and chemicals I use work together. Within that framework, there is so much variation, it’s incredible. There is a strong alchemical aspect to my work.. it’s in the details. Some of the most fascinating elements of my work are, in fact, chemical.. something completely unseen and unknown by the viewer, buyer, collector… It’s the essence within the composition. I intuit this element of my work, by my intentionally specific material listing…

BS: When do you know that it is time to walk away from a painting?

GJS: It’s a feeling. The closest I can come to explaining this feeling, would be the realization/solving of a Zen Koan, of feeling enlightenment. The tricky part is to trust this feeling.
The Space Between (Black Rectangle), 2006. Acrylic, house-paint, alkyd resin, raw pigment, paper towel, tape and nails on mounted cardboard on canvas. Overall dimensions variable, approximately 51×33 x 4.3 cm. (20×13 x 1.7 in.) © Gabriel J. Shuldiner

BS: I read that you studied at The School of Visual Arts in New York City. Who were your mentors during that time? Also, have you studied elsewhere? Tell us about those experiences and how they motivated you to continue your artistic exploration.

GJS: I’m actually at Parsons School of Design right now, pursuing my MFA in Fine Arts. First year. Prior to Parsons, I took a few courses at The School of Visual Arts, including their Summer Residency Program. Until a few years ago, I had never taken an ‘art’ class (except for those incredible experiences during grade-school). Despite my recent academic route, I still consider myself entirely self-taught.

BS: Do you have any exhibits planned for 2008?

GJS: I just recently had a composition on display at Bergdorf Goodmans, which was quite fun. I have solo show set for later this year (I’m still working out the details), as well as the Parsons School of Design Spring 2008 Open Studios. I’m also looking forward to taking part in the 2008 Little Red School House Art Auction (my former grade-school!)...

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

GJS: No. That is all. Thank you.

You can learn more about Gabriel J. Shuldiner by visiting his website--www.gabrieljshuldiner.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Myartspace site update

We've been busy building new features and capabilities into www.myartspace.com and we wanted to update you on some of the changes. Next week we'll be introducing some long overdue changes to the "Favorites" capability in myartspace so you can share your "playlist" or art with others. Myartspace offers free accounts as well as Premium accounts. The following is some info on the Premium accounts.

Premium Subscribers-- We wanted to let you know that all of the features promised in the premium subscription are now all up and operating. We recently added a premium subscriber page, social bookmarking capabilities, press release capability, event posting capability and evites to our capabilities.

The Premium Subscriber Artist Page-- From the home page of myartspace, clicking on the "Artist" label at the top brings up the first screen of featured artists. In the upper left corner of the screen you can see "View All Artists Premium". By clicking on the Premium you can locate our premium subscription members quickly and easily. This request was made by a number of collectors on the site.

Social Bookmarking Capability-- Added Social bookmarking is a way for people to store, organize and share web pages. For premium users, a social bookmarking capability can be added to the personal profile page so that others can quickly and easily mark your page in Digg, Del.icio.us, Facebook Share, Twitter, Stumble Upon and many others. Artists that are serious about getting their work viewed and recogized on the Internet realize they have to avail their web address to millions of prospective viewers. The social bookmark is a simple and powerful way of doing this.

Event Posting-- Premium subscribers can post to their personal profile page upcoming events for others to be able to monitor. The events can be for an upcoming solo or group show, for an exhibition at a local gallery, or any upcoming topic of interest. The location can be added and Google Maps will bring up a map of the precise location. Of course, if the search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or MSN pick up the event, then it will be available to a substantially larger number of people.

Evite Capability-- eVites are quick and easy to make for premium subscribers. When an artist posts an event, he has an option to create a corresponding eVite, or electronic invitation that can be sent out to your network or beyond. Artists can select a piece of art from their image library to include in the eVite
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Signing up for premium services is quick and easy. Currently, you can sign up for premium services for $50/year. In July, this figure will rise to our normal price of $75/year. In addition to the features above, you get a personal web address on myartspace, the advanced personal profile, the ability to add video and music to your personal profile page, an alternative HTML gallery template to show your work, the ability to order and reorder you galleries, portfolios and images, and a catalog/eBook capability for your work.

Our next major capability for the myartspace community is The New York Art Exchange, a very contemporary way for artists to sell their art on the web. We will keep you all informed as we move closer to rolling this capability into production.

Kind Regards,

Brian Skiba

CatMacArt Corporation