Brian Alfred solo exhibit at Studio La Citta

Golden Hour – 2009, acrylic on linen, 40,6x50,8 cm. By Brian Alfred

Feature myartspace.com artist Brian Alfred was interviewed by myartspace.com in 2007. Currently, Brian Alfred is involved with an upcoming solo exhibit at Studio La Citta in Verona, Italy. The exhibit, titled Majic Window, will involve paintings, collages, an animation, and Custom View Masters. The exhibit will explore optical phenomena and the sublime landscape. Brian Alfred’s solo exhibit at Studio La Citta opens on March 28th.

Brian Alfred received his Masters of Fine Arts from Yale University in 1999. Since that time he has enjoyed solo exhibitions at the Mary Boone Gallery, Max Protetch Gallery, Sandroni Rey Gallery, SCAI the Bathhouse, and Haunch of Venison. Alfred's work has garnered many awards including a Joan Mitchell Foundation Award and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant. His work is represented in many important collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among other prestigious collections.

According to Studio La Citta, Brian Alfred is known for working fluidly between painting, collages, digital drawing and animation. He has worked extensively collaborating with electronic musicians creating and designing catalogs for which these musicians created songs in relation to the artist's work. His animations have been shown in film festivals internationally. The collages are made from Color Aid paper cut with an X-acto blade. The artist works with collage paper to create "paper drawings". These collages are made in a similar fashion to the computer drawings and paintings. The small scale and tactile nature of the collaged paper give them a more intimate feel.

Brian Alfred will also have a solo exhibit at Haunch of Venison in New York this fall.

Brian Alfred’s gallery on www.myartspace.com.

Links of Interest:
www.paintchanger.com
www.studiolacitta.it/English/
www.myartspace.com/brianalfred
www.haunchofvenison.com

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
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Sonya Sklaroff Solo Exhibition at David Findlay Galleries

Cafe, oil on panel, 48x36. By Sonya Sklaroff

Sonya Sklaroff, interviewed by myartspace.com in 2007, will be having a solo exhibition at David Findlay Galleries in New York City. The exhibit, titled City Thoughts, will involve recent paintings by Sklaroff.

Sonya Sklaroff is inspired by the urban landscape. From her studio in SoHo she captures the energy and character of New York City. Her paintings frequently include water towers, fire escapes, street lamps, and other seemingly mundane elements of the NYC infrastructure. However, these structures are just one aspect of her paintings-- at the core of her work is a strong interest in abstraction. Sonya challenges herself with different methods of composition, contrasting elements of light and dark, complementary colors, and negative space.

“David Findlay Galleries has long been associated with fine painting. The gallery was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1870 by William Wadsworth Findlay as The Findlay Art Company. Since 1938 the business has been known as the David Findlay Galleries and located in New York City. Michael N. Findlay, the fifth generation in the family art business, is the president and owner.” -- www.davidfindlaygalleries.com

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Zeng Fanzhi’s first United States solo exhibition at Acquavella Galleries

undefined painting by Zeng Fanzhi

Chinese contemporary artist Zeng Fanzhi will be involved with his first solo exhibition in the United States next month. The solo exhibit will feature Fanzhi’s recent portraits and landscapes-- this will be the first time that the works will be shown publicly. Zeng Fanzhi is one of the most celebrated Chinese contemporary artists. His work has sold for over $9 million at auction. His paintings explore social convention and personal identity.

According to Acquavella Galleries, “Zeng Fanzhi was born in 1964, and came of age during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. He studied at the Hubei Academy of Fine Arts in his province, where he was deeply influenced by Expressionism. From his graduate work on, Fanzhi’s painting have reflected these cultural and critical touchstones…”. Fanzhi has exhibited widely. He has had exhibits at the National Art Museum (Beijing), Santa Monica Art Centre (Barcelona), and Art Centre (Hong Kong).

Zeng Fanzhi’s solo exhibition at Acquavella Galleries will open on April 2nd and will run until May 15th, 2009. The exhibit will involve approximately 20 oil on canvas paintings. A Q&A session with Zeng Fanzhi has been scheduled. Visit www.acquavellagalleries.com for more information.

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Philip-Lorca DiCorcia’s ‘Thousand’ at David Zwirner Gallery

Philip-Lorca DiCorcia’s Untitled, 980, from Thousand, via David Zwirner.

David Zwirner Gallery is presenting its first solo show of NYC based artist Philip-Lorca DiCorcia. The exhibit involves 1,000 Polaroids shot by the contemporary photographer over the span of almost three decades. The exhibit reveals DiCorcia’s cinematic approach to photography-- a balance between documentary and staged photography. On a philosophical level on could say that DiCorcia’s Polaroids focus on the juxtaposition of fact and fiction. Upon viewing the photographs one can easily establish their own narrative for what the images are communicating. Thus, the exhibit welcomes imagination as viewers take the role of participant. The solo exhibit is titled Thousand and will be open until March 28th, 2009.

Links of Interest:
Exhibition Page [David Zwirner Gallery]
Philip-Lorca DiCorcia at David Zwirner [Primeira Avenida]

Zwirner + DiCorcia [Horses Think]

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

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Piero Manzoni Retrospective at Gagosian Gallery

‘Merda d’Artista’ by Piero Manzoni

Andres Serrano declared himself the champion of fecal art in 2008. However, his play on human excrement is not very groundbreaking when you consider the 90 cans of ‘Merda di’Artista’ by Piero Manzoni. Manzoni ‘produced’ the contents of the cans in 1961. Manzoni priced the cans based on the weight of gold. The artist died a few years later-- a few months short of 30 years of age. Since that time the individual cans have sold for as much as $80,000. The Gagosian Gallery is currently holding the first major United States retrospective of Manzoni’s work. While Manzoni is best known for his canned feces the retrospective shows that there was more to Manzoni than 90 cans crap.

The exhibit at Gagosian ranks Manzoni as one of the first major artist critics of the art world-- art world criticism via means of creation. His radical brand of conceptualism took jabs at the art dealers and collectors who supported him. At heart Piero Manzoni was a critic of the commercialization of the art world-- one could say that he loathed it. The irony being that art collectors still pay larges sums of money for his visual criticism today.

Links of Interest:
Manzoni: A Retrospective [Gagosian]
Piero Manzoni: A Retrospective [Time Out NY]
To Bump Off Art as He Knew It [NY Times]
Italian Conceptualist Piero Manzoni: More Than the Guy Who Canned HisCaca [Village Voice]

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Brian Sherwin
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Art Space Talk Quotes #5

Here is another group of artist quotes taken from the Art Space Talk series of interviews. This group of quotes deals with aspects of the economy, politics, or culture. You can read the Art Space Talk series of interviews by visiting, www.myartspace.com/interviews. Enjoy.

Concerning the economy, politics, and culture:

“Which comes first, art or politics? I think art becomes the reflection and the record of time…but life is politics, and usually art imitates life, except occasionally when life imitates art.” -- Wafaa Bilal

“The thing is life is full of contradictions, it keeps things interesting, certain people try to live out their lives through products and brands, it's excepted in our society that shopping is a 'hobby' and wearing brands depicts your of a certain 'stature' or 'class'. What I noticed recently with the down turn in the economy is that people are still going to the shops, it's as if their lives have become programmed to do that, no matter whether they have money or not.” -- D*Face

“I use the Financial Times newspaper stock listings as I think of the stock market as a global dream-world that literally flows through all of us. This for me is a contemporary form of landscape…” -- Gordon Cheung

“I feel that everyone views the world through the lens of there past experiences. That being said I've lived a life that has been full of exchanges like the ones you see in my work. I see today’s world as a place where everyone has reverted back to their state of nature doing whatever it takes to get theirs. I think that this perspective resonates with people today in our current economic and political times.“ -- Cleon Peterson

“I'm really not sure that art can spur change, at least in America. Art isn't mainstream enough in the whole country. It is largely the playground for the rich; it is still fundamentally elitist, despite the increase of museum attendance.” -- Susan Crile

“Popular culture isn’t a myth, it is culture, it is spirituality, it is our heritage. The beauty of media is its ability to expose freedom of speech, or the lack of it.” -- Anthony Lister

“I believe that it is important for the artist, painter, poet, dancer, etc. to keep in mind that it is the art that drives the art world and not the other way around. Artists and other people of intelligence have the power to bring deeper content to our culture.” -- Thornton Willis

“There is lots of Porn or politics in my art...because there is lots of porn and politics in our lives. Sometimes people get pissed, but that is even better because it proves that your work is making people feel. At least they feel it!" -- Miky Fabrega

Feel free to comment about any of the quotes listed above. Can you relate to their words? Do you take a different position? You can read the Art Space Talk series of interviews by visiting, www.myartspace.com/interviews. Enjoy.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
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Myartspace.com London Calling update: Early registration deadline is March 31st

www.myartspace.com London Calling update: Early registration deadline is March 31st

Myartspace.com is sponsoring a competition juried by a world class panel from The Tate Modern, The Hayward Gallery, and the Barbican Gallery all in London. Fifty finalists will be selected and three winners will have their work represented at the Scream London in June 2009. Seventeen artists will be represented digitally at the exhibit as well.

The early registration fee for London Calling is $25. After March 31st the registration fee will be raised to $50. Once registered for the competition the artist will need to submit a myartspace.com gallery containing up to 20 images for jury consideration. In other words, for $25 the jury will view up to 20 images. The final deadline to register for the competition is May 15th. May 15th is also the final day for those registered to submit a gallery for jury consideration.
Located in the heart of the West London art district, Scream London is just a moment away from Sotheby's, Cork St and the Royal Academy, and rubs shoulders with some of London's most established art galleries in the traditional hub of the capital's art market. Scream is run by Tyrone Wood as curator. Scream is focused on contemporary art and has quickly developed a reputation as being an innovative gallery.

Scream London has exhibited works by Robert Indiana, Matty Small, Ingrid Baars, Rene Ricard, David Montgomery, among other artists. Notable guests and patrons have included Tracey Emin, Claire Danes, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Beverly Knight, Meg Mathews, and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones.

The jurors for myartspace.com London Calling:

Vanessa DesClaux Assistant Curator of Performance, The Tate Modern, London. Vanessa DesClaux is currently assistant curator of performance at Tate Modern, recent projects include Actions and Interruptions and USB Openings: Saturday Live. Vanessa has recently collaborated with artist Benoit Maire, to produce an artist book which will be published by Revolver Books this summer. Vanessa contributes to a variety of magazines and art publications, including Untitled, Art-News, Contemporary and Art_Press. The Tate Modern in London is Britain's national museum of international modern art and is, with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives, and Tate Online[2], part of the group now known simply as Tate.

Tom Morton Curator at the Hayward Gallery, London and contributing editor at Frieze. Tom Morton is a curator at the Hayward Gallery and contributing editor at Frieze. The Hayward is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames, in central London, England. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings (the Royal Festival Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall/Purcell Room) and also the Royal National Theatre and British Film Institute. Prior to a rebranding of the South Bank Centre to Southbank Centre in early 2007, the Hayward was known as the Hayward Gallery.

Francesco Manacorda Curator, the Barbican Art Gallery, London. Rancesco Manacorda is Curator at the Barbican Art Gallery in London. Born in 1974 in Turin, Italy, Manacorda undertook a Degree in Humanities at the University of Torino and completed a MA in Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art, London in 2003. He is an experienced art writer, publishing extensive articles and reviews in publications such as Domus, Flash Art Italia and Flash Art International, Frieze, Metropolis M and Art Review.

Info about myartspace.com:

myartspace.com is a social art site for the art world. With over 50,000 members, and more than two years of history, myartspace has been a key force in the art industry at availing opportunity for its rapidly growing community. Membership to www.myartspace.com is free, and members can upload an unlimited amount of artwork, music, video and audio narration.

Myartspace galleries can be embedded on other websites-- one goal of the site is to provide tools that artists can utilize in order to promote themselves online. Members can also utilize the New York Art Exchange (NYAXE) -- www.nyaxe.com, an eCommerce platform for buying and selling art online. New features are regularly implemented as the community continues to grow at an alarming rate.

Again, the early registration deadline for London Calling Competition is March 31. If you are a myartspace.com member and desire to enter the competition please visit, www.myartspace.com/londoncalling/register

For more information about Scream London visit, www.screamlondon.co.uk

For more information about the myartspace.com London Calling competition visit, www.myartspace.com/londoncalling

Art Space Talk: D*Face

D*Face (Dean Stockton) is a London-based street artist who has received international acclaim for his outdoor and indoor art. One could say that D*Face uses London as his own personal gallery and the world as his personal art museum by utilizing spray paint, stickers, posters, stencils and aspects of sculpting in order to spread his visual message directly to the public.

D*Face held his first major London solo exhibition, titled Death & Glory, at the Stolenspace gallery in October 2006-- it was a sold out exhibit that placed D on the radar of the mainstream art world.

Cli Che by D*Face

Brian Sherwin: D*Face, In the past you found yourself in a cell-- a work desk to be exact. My understanding is that at the time you doodled in order to express your individuality. In time the doodles became drawings on various materials. Eventually you created stickers, posters-- your art became something more than just a way to escape your day job. It turned into a message that defines you-- a voice.

Today your day job of old is just a memory. Can you reflect on those early years? What motivated you to take the leap, so to speak? What inspired you to cut your own path in life? Also, is it true that your mother spurred your first interest in street art?

D*Face: The origins of my work were purely self indulgent; a means of escape from the daily grind. Don't get me wrong I had a good job in a creative agency that I'd studied and worked hard to get, it just wasn't what I'd expected. It seems so often the case is that the journey to a place or a point in time is more enjoyable than the actual place when you reach it and I think that summarizes my path from what some would call 'education' to employment.

Those days were really naive and exciting, there was no preconceptions, no such thing as 'Street Art' there was just a few like minded people putting work up, this is outside of the more traditional graffiti, as there was always tags and throw ups going up.

Guns are for Idiots by D*Face

It's was a pretty gradual process, first doodling away in any spare moment I had sat at my desk, then I thought if I replaced the paper (which I was throwing away most days) with adhesive vinyl I could make very basic hand drawn stickers to put up on my way home and on my travels across London, it became addictive and I was putting up more and more stickers and changing my routes to and from work, making all my journeys across London on foot, just to put more stickers up.

I was then spending every night drawing out stickers and I realised I had to figure out how to screen print... it was a very natural growth, built upon my own demand to put my work up, I wasn't even aware people were seeing these characters peering down at them from lamposts and walls, I didn't even care, I was putting them up for my own amusement, I was more interested in how long they lasted, how to make them last longer and how easy it seemed to link up routes across town.

I met up with fellow artist from around the world, The London Police, Shepard Fairey, Faile etc. and as I was spending every night in my loft printing stickers, painting posters, I'd go into work the next day and think what am I doing here, I could be so much more productive if I had the daytime hours and not just the graveyard shift, luckily I had a supportive girlfriend who encouraged me to quit my job to spend more time producing my own work.

Looking back on it now it all came about really naturally and in truth naively, I learnt as I went along, taught myself techniques and methods to produce my work, I've always had a DIY mentality which I get from my father, as a child growing up we didn't have much money so my dad encouraged us to make things and this mentality continued as I grew up and my interests developed into skateboarding and punk music, both of which were born from a DIY ethic, I'd build my own ramps, paint and shape my own skateboards and I guess that mentality has never really left me, I'm very much about being self sufficient.

My mum brought me the book 'Subway art' and that spurred my interest in graffiti, but that was way, way before any of my own activities and the term 'Street Art' was coined, so I'm not sure she could be held accountable for that really, I think skateboarding has more to do with it, but then again she did buy me my first skateboard!

United States of America by D*Face

BS: Tell us more about your thoughts on consumerism and popular culture-- and how your work offers, or at least explores, an alternative. For example, would you say that most people live in contradiction-- in the sense that they strive to be individuals while embracing every message that flashes on the TV screen?

D: The thing is life is full of contradictions, it keeps things interesting, certain people try to live out their lives through products and brands, it's excepted in our society that shopping is a 'hobby' and wearing brands depicts your of a certain 'stature' or 'class'. What I noticed recently with the down turn in the economy is that people are still going to the shops, it's as if their lives have become programmed to do that, no matter whether they have money or not.

I was at a shopping center recently and it was strange, people were walking round the shops but like zombies or vultures circling a giant rotting corpse looking for a 'bargain'. It was surreal, but at the same time really interesting, the backdrop of most shops 'Sale' or 'Closing down' signs covering the windows, made it feel like a film set or art installation.

I really don't want to come across like I'm preaching, because I wear Nike, I drink Coke, but if there's an alternative it should be considered.

My work has always been about a subversive intermission from the media saturated environment that surrounds us, I always saw the characters I was putting up as a break to to the advertising bombardment, it was also my escape from this world, I was surrounded by it, not just in the public domain, but at the time the marketing mumbo jumbo speak that I'd hear at work... it made me really cynical, I guess seeing and hearing it with my own eyes and ears made me want to spread the rot from the inside out.

You know, I've never said 'don't buy this brand or wear that label' what I've wanted to do is get people to consider an alternative or look at the brands that surround us with different eyes. The billboard liberation's I've created are my most direct way of instigating this.

I need a Riot by D*Face

BS: With that in mind, would you say there is hidden riot going on within our collective conscience-- a need to break away from spokespeople and the daily news? Is our society boiling just under the surface as far as you are concerned? If so, what do you think keeps it from boiling over?

D: I often wonder and I probably shouldn't, but I'm intrigued in how a shared opinion or belief becomes a protest and a protest becomes a riot. What the triggers are. I think CCTV has a HUGE part in the control of our society, you could look further and say that television and media reports are also controlling, the information that we're fed and how that's translated and digested.

I think recently there's been situations that could have been one or two steps away from a riot. People cuing up to get their savings out of Northern Rock, if the government hadn't stepped in to secure peoples savings... who knows. Anyway it's all got a bit heavy!

BS: Tell us more about the thoughts behind your work. In your own words, what is the message that you strive to convey to viewers?

D: I don't want to talk too much about it, I prefer the viewer to work it out or not. But behind every piece is a back story that might not be immediately obvious, there's an underlying current, tone or message that I try to convey to the viewer.
Pop Tart by D*Face

BS: Can you go into further detail about some of your influences? For example, I understand that Shepard Fairey's Obey Giant campaign has been a major influence for you. What about other influences?

D: Shepard and his Obey Giant campaign was an early influence, I wouldn't say a major influence, but I admired his methods, determination and mentality, when I met up with him for the first time in 1999, it cemented what I was already doing.

In terms of influence I'd say Jim Philips, Vernon Courtland Johnson and John Pound were unknowingly my biggest influences, the illustrations I'd see in Thrasher Magazine, on the boards I was skating and also on the records I was listening to.

BS: One interesting aspect of your work is that you did not necessarily desire to receive recognition for your art. In other words, you created your art and utilized public spaces due to passion and the need to express yourself-- the thought of financial success and fame did to cross your mind.

Furthermore, you never set out to create a trademark image of your work or 'brand'. Thus, the success you have had with galleries and companies is more of a by-product than anything else. That said, did you have any hesitations about exhibiting in galleries or working with companies?

D: The actual creation and act of putting my work up was purely a creative escape and release, a selfish act really, putting work up in the street was a by-product of my interests in graffiti and skateboarding as a kid... I was content with putting the work up and meeting like minds, I hadn't ever imagined or even considered exhibiting work in galleries, you have to remember that there was no such thing as Street Art when I started and only a handful of people doing anything what is now termed Street Art, so when the interest picked up to the point where I was offered shows, print releases, opportunities to work with brands, I was really surprised and flattered.

Obviously I was hesitant as I wasn't sure that something I'd been doing for my own self amusement should be used in this way, but it made me realise that there was a possible way out from the daily grind and maybe, just maybe I could live as an artist. I wake up everyday looking forward to getting into my studio and thank God that I get to do this... Obviously along the way I've learnt by mistakes as well!!

Skeleton Key by D*Face

BS: So today are you concerned that people would accuse you of commercializing street art or that somehow your work with galleries and companies would conflict with your message? I've interviewed a few street artists and there seems to be an underlining concern that they will inadvertently become the very thing they have opposed-- and that their message will be lost. Is that a concern that you have?

D: Nope. If you feel strongly and do what you do with passion, integrity and love why would you become the very thing you despise? So long as you keep evolving and developing then so will your work. I think my earlier messages are stronger now than ever, what with the economic down turn and mistrust in what our consumer led society has brought us... but as that becomes more apparent and my work continues to develop I feel there's less reason for me to make those points so vocal.

BS: As you have pointed out with your work society is saturated with media hype and consumerism-- it is not hard, even in a small town, to see an ad anywhere that you look. However, one could say that the streets are also saturated by street art-- saturated with regurgitated messages that focus on anti-consumerism and anti-media messages. It is not hard to find works that play a little too close to work that has been created by you and others, so to speak-- as in some artists are relying a bit too much on your work in order to create their own message.

What are your thoughts on street artists who take your imagery in order to make it their own-- while not really offering anything new to the visual dialogue that can be found on the streets? Would you say that some people are going about it the wrong way? Are there any rules? Is it an issue of respect? Furthermore, would you say that some street artists are mere opportunists-- in that they know the market for said work is hot?

D: For sure, but thats just the case with any movement or subculture that starts picking up momentum and interest. I've personally seen allot of people suddenly become 'Street Artist', the last 2 years have seen a massive influx and there's been many 'artists' that are looking at already established artists for inspiration, obviously when it appears that money can be made, motivations change and thats when you start to see a million Banksys or other 'inspired' works. Personally I don't pay attention to it, I'm doing me, I'm always developing what I do and moving it forward, I switch off to the next internet hero.

To inspire someone to go out and 'create' and even better claim public space for their work is more than I ever imagined of my work, so long as those people keep developing what they're doing then thats cool with me. Besides it keeps things fresh and moving and there's been some really good artist that have surfaced in the past 2 years. It's funny to think now that 'Street Art' is being studied at Colleges and Universities.

Stay Up by D*Face

BS: Lets get back to the work-- you utilize a variety of mediums within the context of your work-- everything from computer programs to spray paint. That said, do you have a preferred medium? Would you say that it is important for an artist to try as many mediums as possible?

D: I always enjoy screen printing, I love the process and imperfections, I also love painting with enamel paints, you can get such a good quality of line, they're pretty much a constant in my work. It's really important to me to keep developing, trying and learning new methods or rediscovering old techniques, each yields new ideas and results and if you don't try you never know.

BS: What about your process in general? Can you discuss how an image comes into being? For example, do you create preliminary sketches or do you work intuitively directly upon the surface? Is there a difference between creating work on the street and creating work in a studio? Or do the two mesh together?

D: My work generally follows the same pattern of development... everything springs from a thought, these can be triggered from various places, just living in London, watching the TV, reading books, the birth of my little daughter... everywhere and everything... these ideas I write down in a little black book or as a note in my phone, I'd then doodle these ideas out, at least the ones that stick, then draw them up to a more finalised visual, these are then traced out and painted out or scanned and turned into a screen for printing. If I'm working on a show, then I'd see what ideas sit together and develop them, but the truth is I still see every idea as a street piece, or at least how it could be executed in the street. I guess that still sticks with me!

Dead Head- Winston Churchill by D*Face

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the goals that you have?

D: The greatest goal is to be able to live as an artist and love what you do everyday, both my parents hated their jobs and as a child I guess that must have left a great impression, not to get trapped like that wishing your life away. I'm lucky enough to have found a way out the rat race and live life loving what I do.

You can learn more about D*Face by visiting his website-- www.dface.co.uk. 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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Join the myartspace.com Community Forum

www.myartspace.com/forum

Myartspace.com now has a community forum. The purpose of the community forum is to foster debate among members of the myartspace.com community. It is also a useful place to share art advice and feedback. Feel free to discuss controversial artists, exhibits, aspects of the art market, or anything else art-related.

If you have an art blog be sure to introduce forum visitors to it by starting a thread about it on the Art Blog forum. There are also forums for Art History, Art and Politics, Art School Reviews, Selling and Buying Art Online-- among others.

Recent topics include:

Controversial art exhibits that stir violence and outrage-- who is responsible?

What Adhesives to Use for Making Recycled Indoor/Outdoor Sculptures?

Do Copyright Laws Restrict Creativity?

What is Art to the Artists?

There are also specific forums on the myartspace.com community forum for discussion about site features of www.myartspace.com and www.nyaxe.com, the eCommerce platform for myartspace.com. Feedback about the two sites is appreciated since we are always looking for ways to improve the sites.

As always, www.myartspace.com is free to join. Members can upload an unlimited number of images and create an unlimited number of Flash galleries in order to display their images on the site. Music, video, and audio narration can be attached to each gallery. The galleries can be embedded on other sites. Embedding your myartspace.com galleries on other sites can be a great way to gain exposure for your art online.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
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Art Space Talk: Laura Larson

Laura Larson is an artist from Chicago, Illinois. Her work encourages self–initiated discovery as an antidote to the media’s hypnotic propaganda. Larson achieves this by creating sculptural objects that are approachable-- that invite the viewer to investigate another level or levels of meaning.

She has stated, “Each object is worthy of examination, yet much more powerful when combined as a whole piece. Ultimately I want the viewer to feel uplifted about his or her own uniqueness, and at the same time more aware of our connections to each other.”

Larson has an extensive exhibition history-- including solo exhibits at Kristi Engle Gallery, HAUS Gallery, and the Riverside Art Museum. She studied art at Carthage College and UCLA.

Laura Larson -- Tableaux for "The Clearing"

Brian Sherwin: Laura, tell us about your academic background. Did you study art formally? What about influential instructors that you have had?

Laura Larson: I graduated from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1973 with a B.A. in Fine Art and Speech Communications and Theatre Arts. I specialized in print making because we had a really good printmaker named Joe Rozman. Being that we were close to the Chicago area, the influences of the Chicago Imagists and the “Hairy Who,” were felt. This group which included Jim Nutt and Ed Paschke, was fiercely independent from New York/East Coast trends and felt that art should have motivation and content other than Camp and quotation. However, my attention was really split between Art and Theatre. Our theatre program was small but highly developed and participated in major regional competitions. Everyone did everything. I worked on props, costumes, painted backdrops and became a fairly decent character actor.

Moving to L.A. in 1978 I took a weekend “Doing by Doing” performance art class with Rachel Rosenthal, a highly acclaimed performance artist. I have taken other various classes through UCLA Extension over the years for printmaking, drawing and, a class in 3-D computer rendering called Form Z to better visual public art projects.
Laura Larson -- Baby Crone

BS: Tell us about the thoughts behind your art. Can you give our readers some insight into any specific themes that you explore?

LL: My work is generated by curiosity about the nature of our nature – our body, mind and spirit – as well as our relationship to the planet and the universe beyond. Yes, the big picture. But since no one can ever see the entire picture, I have spent time working on selected categories, one by one, from the interior to the exterior and back again in some apparent spiraling motion.

In the recent past I investigated the nature of beauty and self-esteem. I wondered just how important youth and beauty are in regard to a woman’s self worth. In my installation The Looking Glass Lounge I decided to re-examine the value of beauty and its affect on our self-esteem and to see if we, as women, carry the same issues as our female ancestors. Moving from the very interior notions of “the Lounge” I began to look outward and at the human figure itself. Another installation called Epidermis Emporium examines our ambivalent or dichotomous relationship with our bodies’ sacred (honored) and profane (misused) aspects – using the shape of the dress form as a stand in for the human body.

Now I am moving a bit further outward and am including the animal world in my purview. I visit the zoo regularly and wonder what will happen to all of these species in the coming years. Will we resolve the issue of global warming and its effects? Why did we come to this disconnect? Can we learn to cherish the earth and its inhabitants again? I ask these questions as I create my next project.
Laura Larson -- Lady Pink

BS: Is there a specific message you strive to convey to viewers concerning your art?

LL: When I was a young artist I read a book called “Seth” by Jane Roberts. The message that Seth set forth in the book was that we “create our own reality.” This became my mantra or message for my art, and I wanted to share it with everyone. Now I believe that each person must find their own way, belief system or structure to make sense of the world. So I try not to be didactic about messages. However, if there is a message I am striving to convey it is to care. I mean really care about one’s self, one’s fellow human beings, our fellow inhabitants on this planet and the planet itself.

BS: What can you tell us about your process in general? Give us some insight into how you work… as in turning an idea into reality, so to speak? Can you discuss some of the methods that you utilize?

LL: What I do is try to create an atmosphere for exploration of the subject matter. My work is definitely content oriented but is presentational in nature so that any conclusions should come from the viewer’s own perspective. My intention in the execution of the work is to make it approachable, and then to invite the viewer to consider another level or levels of meaning. Humor is important in my work as the means of approach.

Here’s what happened with my newest project, “Nearly Beloved.” I read somewhere that plant and animal species were becoming extinct at a rate of 40 per day. I was shocked and I wanted to learn more and then to shine a light on the animal world. Then I became motivated to go to the zoo, draw animals, ask questions, write a lot in my notebooks. I seem to need to set my art works within some framework. So in this case I decided it should be an atelier where these artifacts are collected by a time keeper.

The concept is everything in my work. It all revolves around the concept. For “Nearly Beloved” I am examining the dichotomy of wild/domestic, control/chaos, male/female energies which translate into painting/embroidery, real/fabricated materials. Then I draw and dream and generally I see the piece before I make the piece. Generally I have many images in my head and am working on 3 or 4 at a time. I also like to think up things that would be challenging to make and then figure out how to do it.

The process also ties into my personal domestic life. I walk in the hills and pick up sticks, branches, burrs, seeds – mother nature’s cast offs. I take them home and combine them with domestic materials such as fabric and embroidery. A stick becomes a unicorn horn. A shelf holds a group of salt shakers, each one preserving (in salt) a dead bee I have collected from my balcony. An encounter with an ostrich at the zoo becomes a portrait revealing her sense of humor, encouraging the viewer to consider her domestication for food and the “Folies Bergere” nature of the feathers that frame her.

Laura Larson -- Ode to Joan x Millions

BS: What about influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists, world events, or art movements?

LL: Betty and Alison Saar (narrative and mythological), Terry Allen (poetic installations), Kiki Smith (body art and fairy tales), Orly Cogan (embroidered drawings about domestic issues), Nancy Jackson (delicate evocative sculptures), Kate Clark (hybrid animal/humans), Brancusi (master of the understated) and Bernini (master of animated baroque sculpture), The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, CA (wildly atmospheric and mysterious)

The feminist art movement of the 1970’s in which I was a member of Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party. Currently – the fire storms of Los Angeles and the plight of the changing earth and its inhabitants

Laura Larson -- Earth Form

BS: Where can your art be viewed at this time? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

LL: The past decade was very busy for me with 7 public art projects and several solo shows. The last year or so I have been taking a breather and focusing on a completely new body of work. I am just now starting to look for appropriate venues. (When one does installations, there are a lot more things to consider for both the artist and the venue.)

BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this? There has been a lot of debate recently about copyright and the rights of artists. Do you have an opinion on issues such as that?

LL: I am concerned about artists’ rights. In Los Angeles Kent Twitchell’s amazing mural of Ed Ruscha (which he considered his masterpiece) was obliterated overnight by people who didn’t really understand what it was and didn’t care that it was supposed to be protected by copyright. What really concerns me about this is that the average person cares very little about art.

I think the reason is twofold. If the arts in general and visual arts in particular were thought to be an important component to a person’s well rounded education and introduced to people at an early age, then perhaps the average person wouldn’t be so intimidated by art and would care more about it. On the other hand the art world has become highly specialized and pretty elite. As a result visual art is not a necessary part of most people’s lives unless you consider TV art.

I am pleased to see that the economic stimulus package has reinstituted the original funding of $50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts. This is a good sign for arts organizations as well as artists. Perhaps there will be a surge to include more art and art programs into popular culture and for more artists to be recognized as contributors.

BS: What about the internet? One could say that the art world is starting to catch up-- more galleries are turning to the World Wide Web in order to further exposure for their artists. How do you think the internet will impact the art world in say… a decade? Can you see a meshing between the traditional market and alternative (online) markets taking shape?

LL: I think we all better get good at photoshop because I am guessing that there will be a lot more art seen on the internet in virtual galleries than in actual galleries. I think the internet is great. I love myartspace.com because I am being exposed to so many more artists from all over the world. It’s like a breath of fresh air. My only fear is that I will disappear one day into cyberspace.

Laura Larson -- Marie Antoinette

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the goals that you have?

LL: My goal is always to find that state of grace which allows me to be in contact with my muse. That is where I make my best work. I strive to be open and truthful in my work. I hope that whatever truth is revealed to me is something that I can translate into compelling work.

You can learn more about Laura Larson by visiting her website-- www.larsonart.net. Laura Larson is currently a member of the myartspace.com community. You can view her myartspace.com account by clicking, HERE . 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: James Cropper

James Cropper is an emerging artist from the UK. Cropper is concerned with the re-use of discarded items/objects that are of specific interest to him as materials and function. Cropper searches discarded junk-- metals, plastics, wood, fibrous materials-- in order to create ‘Constructs‘. His process is selective-- and involves preliminary sketches in order for him to decide which material to integrate together.

Cropper’s Constructs invent new possibilities, combining completely opposite objects within the same structure, eliminating their functions and partially their identity to initially confuse the viewer. One could say that Cropper’s Constructs echo the wisdom of Marcel Duchamp. However, Cropper's Constructs are a hybrid of conceptual and contemporary ideas.



Brian Sherwin: James, tell us about your academic background. Did you study art formally? What about influential instructors that you have had?

James Cropper: Yes I did A-level art at school, then did a Foundation Diploma in College and I am now currently in my 3rd year at Loughborough University in England studying Fine Art and will be graduating in June this year. My tutors Alan Bunkum and Nelson Diplexcito have been fantastic and a great help in developing my concepts since I started the course in September 2006.

Construct - James Cropper

BS: Tell us about the thoughts behind your art. Can you give our readers some insight into any specific themes that you explore?

JC: I have been attracted to the idea of using junk objects like I was using any of the strange combination of materials in my developing studio work over the past 2 ½ years. The reason I do this is because I have an uncontrollable urge to merge the most unlikely materials and objects together, thus creating these strange but intriguing structures.

One of the concepts of my work is influenced by Duchamp’s Ready-mades of the 1920’s which were ideas on the elimination of an objects function or a transformation of its function and/or its practicality as an object. Quintessentially though the concepts of my Constructs are a hybrid of conceptual and contemporary ideas.

Construct - James Cropper

BS: With that in mind, is there a specific message you strive to convey to viewers concerning your art?

JC: Yes…I hope that people viewing my work will strive to challenge art boundaries.

BS: What can you tell us about your process in general? Give us some insight into how you work… as in turning an idea into reality, so to speak? How do you determine what to use? What about your process in general?

JC: Well, my work is concerned with the recycle if you like, of Junk objects; of any shape, size and material, although I draw a firm line between Junk and everyday rubbish, such as food packaging, bottles... etc. I am also very selective and specific with the junk that I collect from the skips, the choice of which junk objects I pick up depends on the characteristics and previous functions of the junk and also personal preference. Then I collect it in my studio and then methodically sketch varying ways in which I can join the objects together to become a single unified structure.

In my work I have used as many ways as I can invent to attach the objects to one another, such as using nails, screws, cable ties, glues, tying objects together, hanging objects, balancing objects, and slotting or placing objects on top of one another. Also the creative processes involved in making the Constructs are before hand made using intuitive decision’s throughout, such as how am going to attach such and such an object together? Are these two materials pliable? How will the viewer interact with this Construct?

Construct - James Cropper

BS: You mentioned Duchamp-- what about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists, world events, or art movements?

JC: My primary influence is Conceptualism of the 60’s, such as Robert Morris, Sol LeWitt, Joseph Kossuth but my current work is influenced in particular by Marcel Duchamp and Robert Rauschenberg. I have also looked Fischli/Weiss and Tomoko Takahashi to aid the development of my concepts.

BS: Where can your art be viewed at this time? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

JC: At the end of this year (June) there is a Degree show held in the Fine Art Studio’s in LUSAD at Loughborough University which attracts people from all over Leicester and the general public. This will be my first exhibition if you like, but I am going to enter the 2009 London Calling Exhibition held at the Scream London Gallery later this year.

Construct - James Cropper

BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this? There has been a lot of debate recently about copyright and the rights of artists. Do you have an opinion on issues such as that?

JC: I haven’t read any debates recently on this but I think that art work should certainly not be copied it should always be the right of the artist to be able to preserve his individuality in which ever medium he or she works in.

BS: What about the internet? One could say that the art world is starting to catch up-- more galleries are turning to the World Wide Web in order to further exposure for their artists. How do you think the internet will impact the art world in say… a decade? Can you see a meshing between the traditional market and alternative (online) markets taking shape?

JC: I think that the internet, from now on will always help upcoming artists promote their work. Then again I think it’s more important to view art physically in a gallery than on the internet, and I don’t think that the internet will ever replace the gallery. I can definitely see online markets taking full effect in the sale of some art in the future, although I am a little bit skeptical of sale of 3D and sculptural works.

Construct - James Cropper

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the goals that you have?

JC: Yes my favourite and famous quote by Ad Reinhardt 1963, ‘The one thing to say about art is that it is one thing, art is art-as-art and everything else is everything else. Art as art is nothing but art. Art is not what is not art.’ If you remember this you can’t go wrong.

James Cropper is currently a member of the myartspace.com community-- www.myartspace.com/jamescropper. 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: Kathryn Dunlevie

Kathryn Dunlevie is an artist based in Palo Alto, California. She is a two-time recipient of the Arts Council Silicon Valley Fellowship in Photography. Dunlevie's art has been featured in Artweek, A Journal of Art Criticism, San Jose Mercury News, Palo Alto Weekly, ArtLies, ArtShift San Jose, The New York Times-- among other publications.

Dunlevie has exhibited internationally-- her extensive exhibit history includes exhibits at Vertigo Gallery in London, at Studio Thomas Kellner in Germany, and at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Artists Gallery.

A graduate of Rice University, Dunlevie also studied film at the University of Paris, photography in Madrid, and painting at California College of Art.



Brian Sherwin: Kathryn, when I view your work theories of science and psychology come to mind. It is as if your images bend time-- they explore our perception of the world around us. One could say that they capture the idea of various dimensions as well as altered states of the mind-- or reflect collective memories stored as information. With that in mind, can you discuss your interest in science, psychology, and philosophy in regards to your art? Are there any specific theories that you adhere to within the context of your art?

Kathryn Dunlevie: About ten years ago the focus of my work began to shift from memory and psychology to a contemplation of the sensory overload being created by new technologies. It seemed to me that we were developing a different type of perception – not a linear catalogue, but an instant synthesis of pertinent images culled automatically from the ever-increasing barrage of data.

Not at First Glance: New London, 1998, mixed media on panel, 45” x 37”. Kathryn Dunlevie

Not at First Glance: London Inside Out, 1999, mixed media on panel, 45” x 60”. Kathryn Dunlevie

In my series Not at First Glance I attempted to offer visual models of this new type of perception. I created composites of disparate photographs which, once combined through collage and painting, formed meaningful compositions. As I used paint to blur the borders between the photographs, I began to notice in some of the works the appearance of peculiar transitions. This development inspired me to create my next series in which I consciously pursued the creation of more of these spatial anomalies.
More Than Meets the Eye: Carcieri del Vaticano, 2006, mixed media on panel, 60” x 47. Kathryn Dunlevie

More Than Meets the Eye: Changing Station, 2004, mixed media on panel, 37” x 60”. Kathryn Dunlevie

In More Than Meets the Eye I employed the photographic deconstructing and reassembling of specific places, and allowed the act of painting to coax the spaces into revealing their hidden layers. The interweaving of different perspectives created twists and ripples not visible in the original scenes. The pictorial worlds of More Than Meets the Eye were no longer merely composites of things seen while moving through space and time, but focused compositions containing glimpses of invisible extra dimensions.
Mirror Unmasked: Illumination, 35" X 54" - 2005 mixed-media on panel. Kathryn Dunlevie

BS: Kathryn, one of your most recent projects is titled Matter Unmasked. These photographic collages involve altered scenes that challenge the viewer’s perception of familiar objects and places. A review by Garland Fielder for ArtLies mentioned your methodical attention to detail. He also noted that you conveyed a painterly sensitivity in this body of work. Can you go into further detail about Matter Unmasked? Give our readers some insight concerning the thoughts behind this specific body of work.

KD: The series Matter Unmasked grew out of the mixed-media works of More Than Meets the Eye. My interest in String Theory and the depiction of unseen dimensions led me to a contemplation of particle physics’ Standard Model and a desire to illustrate the actual but visually imperceptible make-up of all matter. I felt I could best convey the notions of molecular structure and subatomic movement through the hard edges of collage.
Mirror Unmasked: Beyond Manhattan, 50" X 30" - 2008 mixed-media on panel. Kathryn Dunlevie

I put my paints away in favor of cutting and pasting, but soon found that I was essentially “painting” with snippets of photographs. In order to create recognizable scenes as well as a sense of underlying motion and structure, I integrated intact images with mosaic-like passages of small shards of photographs. This often led to a sense of surfaces having been stripped away to reveal a magnified view of what was actually underneath.
Mirror Unmasked: La Visitazione, 45" X 58" - 2008 mixed-media on panel. Kathryn Dunlevie

BS: What about your process in general? Can you describe how you work? For example, do you build the images from intuition, so to speak, or is their a great deal of planning and research beforehand? Tell us about your process.

KD: I’ve amassed a large bank of images primarily from urban areas. I photograph intuitively and extensively, choosing which images to print after I return to the studio. I like to start several pieces at once and move from one to another in order to keep a fresh eye.

The most exciting part of the process occurs in the studio. No matter what I’ve had in mind when selecting particular images to work with, there is always a moment when the piece veers off in a direction I haven’t seen coming. Ultimately each piece develops its own logic. Fortunately, I can now print all but the largest photographs myself. I’m able to work with a greater sense of immediacy and flexibility than ever before.

Double Take: Phane, 8" X 6" - 2003 mixed-media on panel. Kathryn Dunlevie

BS: Can you go into further detail about some of your influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists or art movements?

KD: I’ve always loved the way Georges Braque leads the viewer panoramically through a room with seemingly illogical jumps that end up making perfect sense. I also love the untrammeled way Rauschenberg mixed different media and so many aspects contemporary culture. Of course, David Hockney has been a huge inspiration with the way his photographic collages encourage the eye to progress through time as well as space.

Double Take: In Shadow, 20" X 15" - 2002 mixed-media on panel. Kathryn Dunlevie

BS: Speaking of exhibits-- where can your art be viewed at this time? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

KD: Right now I have work at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Artists Gallery in San Francisco, at Belgravia Gallery in London, at the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz, and at Hooks-Epstein Galleries in Houston, where I’ll be having a solo show in December.

You can learn more about Kathryn Dunlevie by visiting her website-- www.kathryndunlevie.com. Dunlevie is currently a member of the myartspace.com community-- www.myartspace.com/kathryndunlevie.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
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The Downward Spiral of the Chinese Contemporary Art Market

An untitled painting by Zeng Fanzhi

In recent years the market for Chinese contemporary artists has been hot in the global art market. Many of the top selling Chinese artists were virtually unknown before the Chinese art market boom at high profile auction houses and art fairs. Successful Chinese contemporary artists, such as Zeng Fanzhi, reaped what quick fame and fortune offers to artists who dominate the global art market. Due to global success artists from Shanghai and Beijing have been able to operate large studios in order to create further work. However, success can be fleeting-- these artists are now caught in what has been described as the “downward spiral” of the contemporary Chinese art market.

Galleries and art dealers in Shanghai and Beijing are facing some of the same struggles that galleries in New York City and other hubs of the art world have been challenged by in recent months. At the core of the plight is the ongoing global financial crisis. Art collectors worldwide are not as wealthy as they were just a year ago-- thus, aspects of the art market have been caught in a financial freeze, so to speak. Prices for art have dropped rapidly-- meaning the value for specific artists may be in limbo. In other words, high profile collectors are wary to invest in an uncertain global art market.

Chinese contemporary artists who were steadily patronized over the last few years are now faced with the humble reality that perhaps their art will falter within the global art market. Even the top auction houses, such as Sotheby’s, have been reluctant to spotlight Chinese contemporary art in recent months. This has lead insiders to suggest that the era of high-priced Chinese contemporary art is over. Rumors suggest that the market for Chinese contemporary art may bottom out before the global economy recovers. Thus, the fate of these artists within the global art market is not clear.

The surge in popularity for Chinese contemporary art among wealthy global art collectors-- such as Charles Saatchi-- came without warning. Artprice.com only listed one Chinese artist on their Top 10 best-selling living artists list in 2004. By 2007, 5 of the 10 best-selling living artists at auction were from China according to Artprice.com. The most acclaimed Chinese contemporary artist for that year, Zhang Xiaogang, had total auction sales of over $56 million.

Zhang Xiaogang ranked under Damien Hirst and Gerhard Richter in 2007-- two artists who have long dominated the global art market. The rise of Chinese contemporary art came swift. Unfortunately, the crash of the Chinese contemporary art market in the last year came just as sudden. It begs the question-- will any Chinese contemporary artists remain on the Artprice.com best-selling list of living artists after 2009? Who knows what will happen in this turbulent market.

Some feel that the bust of the Chinese contemporary art market was needed in order to sustain the validity of the market for Chinese contemporary art as a whole. Wealthy art collectors and art dealers, such as Charles Saatchi, had artificially driven up prices by investing heavily in art by Chinese contemporary artists-- according to some insiders. Other high profile art collectors and art dealers followed suit in what I like to call the ‘Keeping up with the Saatchi’s' effect.

A few of these individuals were quick to open galleries in China in order to take advantage of the flow of wealth-- now gallery doors are closing. Needless to say, some individuals feel that the artificial rise of specific artists-- not just Chinese contemporary artists-- within the global art market must come to an end in order for the global art market to have a steady business foundation that places integrity and sustainability above excessive personal gain.

Thus, it is felt that art dealers-- in general-- must take more responsibility within the global art market by helping their represented artists sustain the market for their work in a realistic manner. For example, art collectors/dealers who artificially increase prices may need to be avoided if the global art market is to have a strong foundation. Unfortunately, many artists throughout the world will fall victim due to key art world power players who have already manipulated the market for their own needs. The global art market as we know it will never be the same. Integrity is due.

Link of Interest:

China’s Art Market: Cold or Maybe Hibernating? By David Barboza -- The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/arts/design/11decl.html?_r=1

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
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Art Space Talk: Kate Bauman

Kate Bauman is a contemporary artist and designer in Portland, Maine. Growing up in Wisconsin, she began painstakingly crafting all kinds of projects with her mother and grandmother at a young age. The habit stuck with her. She completed her BFA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2005, with a senior research project focused on enameling.

A year later, she packed up and headed east to the foothills of the Catskill mountains, where she began her graduate studies in metal at SUNY-New Paltz. She graduated in 2008 and this time headed northeast to the coast of Maine. Her work is rooted in contemporary American culture, and pursues subversion in pattern, decoration, and enamel.

Brian Sherwin: Kate, tell us about your academic background. Did you study art formally? What about influential instructors that you have had?

Kate Bauman: Yes, I studied graphic design and metal at the University of Wisconsin -- Madison for my BFA. There, I was greatly influenced by Lisa Gralnick, an excellent metalsmith and challenging instructor. Lisa introduced me to enamel (glass fused to metal), and encouraged me to explore possibilities of this traditional medium with contemporary imagery and ideas.

I recently completed an MFA in Metal at the State University of New York at New Paltz, where I studied with enamellist Jamie Bennett, metalsmith Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, and Sarah Turner. The MFA Metal program at SUNY-New Paltz is extremely rigorous, and I have been fortunate to study with such renowned and influential figures in my field.
BS: Tell us about the thoughts behind your art. Can you give our readers some insight into any specific themes that you explore?

KB: My work is greatly influenced by pattern and ornamentation, both traditional and contemporary. I am intrigued by the psychological effects of pattern in domestic spaces and at play in American culture. Family dynamics, relationships, and heredity are also themes that motivate much of my work, though they may not always be readily apparent.

These influences derive from a time of particular difficulty in my own home life. a time when everything seemed to be falling apart and I found myself disturbed by the audacity of the happy flowers crawling over the walls in my family’s home. I focused on wallpaper patterns as a metaphor for the tendency of families to cover up their realities to put up a front, a veneer, as wallpaper covers cracked walls and pattern camouflages or transforms an object or space. I also began to consider the spaces we live in as witnesses to realities that often go unacknowledged.

While my artistic interests span a variety of media, I am most inclined to use, and muse upon, enamel. Not enamel paint, but vitreous enamel, which is glass fused to metal. It is a process that is no longer widely practiced, but is incredibly appealing for its rich colors, visual depth, traditions, and permanence. Enamel is generally considered simply a decorative medium. I am attracted to the potential of enameling as a primary means of expressing ideas, rather than secondary to the fabrication of a metal form or the crafting of a jewel. I seek to use enamel in a manner that blurs the distinction between art and craft.

In my work, I have explored the visual and psychological effects of applying a series of enameled patterns to a repeated shape (copper guns) in the Silhouette series as a manifestation of something pattern could transform. Or, in the case of the Wallpaper series, something pattern could hide.

In a body of 100 drawings, I investigated the ability of repetition in pattern to hide an image, in this case, again, a gun. The structures of the patterns suggest various other styles, eras, and ideas, but the silhouette of the gun is not often readily recognizable.

Moving away from guns as imagery, I began to consider floral patterns, and the ability of their stylized tendrils to creep into ones subconscious. Natural flora have been an ever-present subject in pattern and decoration, but stylized and controlled in rigid patterns. Growths began to question what could happen if such constraints were lifted.

The series, Decorum: The Devil Is In The Details, arose from an interest in decoration as a projection of identity and an effort to design new pattern motifs reflecting contemporary culture. Patterns from patterns, they are at once visual motifs created from daily human habits, personalized crests, Rorschach inkblots, and pop design. Their familiar imagery and seductive colors betray a conflict of the American consumerist psyche. The vibrant colors and detailed images draw the viewer in and force them to look more closely at portraits that, through glossiness and subtly textured imagery, may also serve as mirrors on their own life.

While my work is sometimes inspired by personal events, it has been important to me not to create work that is personal to the point that it is about me, or my story alone. Instead, I hope to make work that relates universally personal ideas.

BS: Is there a specific message you strive to convey to viewers concerning your art?

KB: I don’t have a single, specific message to convey to the masses. Rather, I am interested in creating a visual experience that will resonate with viewers on various levels. The root of my work is a desire to express aspects of the human experience, and I hope that others will recognize and respond to that.

BS: What can you tell us about your process in general? Give us some insight into how you work? as in turning an idea into reality, so to speak? Can you discuss some of the methods that you utilize?

KB: I suppose my process varies from piece to piece. I usually start by writing down ideas, followed by general sketches. When I get down to the actual creation of a piece, I do lots of specific drawings, trying out shapes and compositions to see what works. I often use my computer to do some of these drawings, creating vector shapes in Illustrator that I can quickly move around, scale, and experiment with. But for all my preparations, I often end up making lots of intuitive decisions in the actual completion of a piece.

I have found, between my experience in graphic design and as a maker, that I really enjoy moving back and forth between using my computer as a creative tool and using my hands. One seems to balance the other out and provide opportunities to inspire and work through ideas in a variety of ways.
BS: What about influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists, world events, or art movements?

KB: I am inspired by enamelists Veleta Vancza, Gretchen Goss, and Jamie Bennett, contemporary pattern designers like Timorous Beasties, artists Rudolph Stingel and Peter Garfield, and photographer Sarah Malakoff. More truthfully though, my work is a response to the influence of my life and surroundings.

BS: Where can your art be viewed at this time? Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

KB: I have a few exciting projects and exhibitions coming up in 2009. I have recently been invited to create a site-specific enamel installation for the upcoming American Enamels exhibition at The Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston, opening May 1st. A number of my Silhouettes will also be on display.

I am also working on an interesting and challenging experiment in collective making with a number of my colleagues. We are making 15 pieces between nine jewelers and object makers, a sort of exquisite corpse via mail. The finished pieces will be shown in an exhibition titled Unbalanced Forces: An Exploration Of Collective Making at Bambi Gallery in Philadelphia during the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) conference, also in May.

Finally, two of my enameled portraits from the Decorum: The Devil Is In The Details series have been selected for the Surfacing, the 8th International Juried Student Exhibition, sponsored by the Enamelist Society at The Oakland Art Gallery in Oakland, CA from July through August.
BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this time? For example, there has been a lot of debate recently about copyright and the rights of artists. Do you have an opinion on issues such as that?

KB: Sure, I think every artist is concerned about the art world during this particular economic struggle. I think the art world will survive, but will definitely be changed. I think the down-turned economy will shift the faces of the art world, force some galleries out of the game, and allow room for new ones. In the big picture, its natural selection and survival of the fittest, as always. But, I think people will continue to buy art and support the hand-made.

I am, however, particularly concerned about attitudes towards art and creative expression by American culture in general. I think its sad and problematic that many people untrained in the arts feel intimidated by a visit to an art museum or gallery, or feel that they don’t know the proper response to a work of art.

The recent focus on Shepard Fairey and the AP over copyright issues has been very interesting. I think the Internet has inspired a pervasive attitude toward images and words, that things should be shared. It’s become increasingly difficult to control images and words. It seems that anything is fair game for an artist to cull for their work. I think that if an image or idea is transformed by the artist’s vision, it has become a new thing and intellectual property of the artist.
BS: What about the internet in general? One could say that the art world is starting to catch up-- more galleries are turning to the World Wide Web in order to further exposure for their artists. How do you think the internet will impact the art world in say? a decade? Can you see a meshing between the traditional market and alternative (online) markets taking shape?

KB: I think the Internet is already having a huge impact on the art world, and I’ll be interested to see how both evolve over time. The Internet is a great promotional tool for artists. A personal website is a gallery that anyone can view at any time. That changes the whole ball game. There are more opportunities for artists to share their work online, and as we’ve seen through globalization of everything else, we have access to more creative images and ideas than ever before.

Artists can share their work with different social communities, and there are an increasing number of online exhibitions. Although an actual physical and visual experience with an object or painting or photograph will always trump a virtual one, the Internet spreads our awareness of how and where and when we can do so.

The Internet has also opened up opportunities for artists to sell their work themselves, by setting up a shopping cart on their own site or using sites like Etsy or myartspace’s NYAXE. Many artists I know have been upset by some attitudes on sites like Etsy to sell handcrafted products at prices that don’t reflect the time, price of materials, skill, and ideas required to make them. They’re worried that such under-pricing will lead to a public perception that handcrafted objects and artwork are worth less than they should be.

However, I have seen artists selling work for appropriate prices and making sales. I’m not sure that such practices will turn out to have such overreaching effects. Buyers can still spot skill and will value reputation and craftsmanship. It will be interesting to see if and how this affects traditional galleries. I can definitely see a meshing of traditional and online markets, and I think the two can serve different purposes and reach different audiences.
BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the goals that you have?

KB: I’d just like to thank you for your interest in my work, and for giving me the opportunity to reach a broader audience. Your questions raised some interesting thoughts about my practice and current issues in the art community.

You can learn more about Kate Bauman by visiting her website-- www.kate-bauman.com. Kate Bauman is currently a member of the myartspace.com community. Her work on myartspace can be viewed, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
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