Category Archives: DIY Art
Journalism 101 as artist’s statement-writing strategy
Strategy Moment:
I owe this insight to Jean Shin, a marvelous sculptor (who’s got a nice profile in this month’s Sculpture Magazine, btw.) Why not just stick to the basic interview questions journalists use when trying to talk about your work?
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW?
Ask them of the artwork; you can even interview it as if it [...]
Also posted in Recession Advice, Writing Advice for Artists Tagged artists statements, Jean Shin, Journalism, writing strategy Leave a comment
Too cool for school? Never.
As this week of free advice on artist’s statements comes to a close, here’s Two Things I’ve Learned: 1) Don’t give your work away for free (artists, writers, this means You); even if it’s for a nominal fee, your work must get valued. 2) Try not to treat your attempts at writing-to gain-clarity-and-objectivity as a [...]
An open letter to Ed Winkelman, SVA, Dan Cameron, or anyone in a position to help artists speak Truth to Power: we do need “A New Currency”
No wonder artists have a hard time writing statements. Rebelling against the need to write is the only self-defense/self-preservation mechanism they have left in a system that seeks to compartmentalize them. Do you want funding? [asks the foundation] Explain how what you do fits in with our criteria for what’s worth $. Want me to [...]
Critic writes half-ass artist’s statement on a paper bag at Cafe Grumpy
My friend (if he still is my friend), Kurt Strahm, seems worried that I may not be able to hack writing artists’ statements in 15 minutes at Winkelman this Wednesday; so, I offer to write him one on the spot—only he’ll have to wait ’till after I use the rest room. He insists (to toughen [...]
At The Brucennial: 2010
The weather (a Nor’Easter!) didn’t deter. huge crowds.
and the work: pretty good! well grouped. and the show’s more fun than a Whitney after-party.
below is is The Paparazzi Shirt. Alfred Steiner’s contribution. Designed, of 3-M material…
…to blow out any prying photographer’s flash.
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Bruce High Quality Foundation strikes the Mis-educational Tone
Once again, the inscrutable, the hip…BHQF is coming to town. Naughty or Nice; just get in line.
There’s a ‘Francesco Bonami’ quote (not included here, sorry. It’s just too absurd) on the website. Plus this, below:
BRUCENNIAL2010: Miseducation brings together 420 artists from 911 countries working in 666 discrete disciplines to reclaim education as part of an [...]
Sometimes ‘angry’ is good; as in: Buddy Guy
The New York Times review of the film Chicago Blues by British Director Harley Cokliss called it ‘angry.’
That said, when creative types do something new (start a gallery in an art desert, write music that wasn’t written b4) it often is out of dissatisfaction.
Enter Buddy Guy, Bluesman. Just because. In Chicago, ca. 1970.
Also posted in Uncategorized Tagged Buddy Guy, Chicago Blues, dissatisfaction and creativity, guitar blues, Harley Cokliss 2 Comments
Art Lot Not a Lot of Art (on Columbia St.)
They’re taking it down, finally. There it was, in all weather: the detritus-turned-inspiration of John Bjerklie and Matt Blackwell on Columbia Street (in The Art Lot).
First it appeared, outta nowhere.
And the artists were happy to chat, and let you into a shack they’d built on the site.
Then, you could rely on it (intrepid art stuff) [...]
Also posted in Brooklyn 3 Comments
Artist Statement, the Good/Bad List
People have been asking me for this lately (Hi, Julie, in India!!); so I’ll just re-post it here.
La Passegiata/Studio Visit 3: Designing Serendipity/Andrew Coates