5QFriday: Holiday Edition

I'm taking the week off from blogging, but wanted to leave you with a link to a great profile of my friend Pixy done by a blog for a collective called Nymphoto.

Posting will be light until 2009. Happy New Year!

Lari Pittman via Art21

I always knew that I didn't want to just be an artist, but that I wanted to take on the role of a teacher as well. I think that desire to teach has to do with what Lari Pittman is talking about in this Art21 interview. I like the idea that teaching will keep me on my toes and force me to continue to continually explain what I'm doing as an artist, instead of just sitting back and doing it.

Memphis (without the pyramid)

5QFriday: Elizabeth Alley

Elizabeth Alley is a painter from Memphis who also works at the Urban Art Commission and is the creator of several really interesting blogs.

Question 1: What do you think is the most overlooked piece of art in Memphis?
Elizabeth:  As is my habit, I'm going to give you a list!
1. Ben Shahn tile mural in the library at LeMoyne Owen College
2. Ted Faiers mural in the First Tennessee Building downtown. It is huge and glorious, and I think people don't even see it.
3. Richard Hunt's "I Have Been to the Mountaintop" on Main Street at Poplar. Again, this piece has just become part of the landscape.
Chandler:  Wow, I'm not sure that I've looked at any of those closely. I'll have to make an effort to go see them this week.

Question 2:  What are the components of a really good list? Which of the lists that you've posted on listwork would you consider to be your masterpiece list?
Elizabeth:  The first rule of lists as that there must be at least 3 items for it to be considered a list.  After that, they just have to relate. I think I consider this one a masterpiece
Because it was something that I was just thinking about...I wasn't necessarily looking to make a list.  Here are the types of lists I like:
1. Big ones like that one.
2. Quick ones like this.
3. And ones that get a lot of comments.

Question 3: Did you ever in your wildest dreams imagine that you'd end up on a trading card?
Elizabeth:  No, never. Though I'm kind of surprised it was for art and not for rollerderby.

Question 4:  Do you always base your paintings on photos?  Do you ever think about showing the photos?
Elizabeth:  My paintings always originate with photos. Sometimes they really end up coming from the sketch that I make from the photo, but it's still about the photo. I've never thought of showing the photos because they can be pretty crappy, or they are just snapshots...They are my jumping-off point. By the time the painting is done, it doesn't relate as much to the photo.

Question 5: What are the really exciting projects that UAC is gearing up for in the next year?
Elizabeth:  We're going to start having artists work in our new space and show their work in our gallery area up front - that'll be fun.  We just completed 6 projects in the last few months.

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Elizabeth!  It looks like you have a lot going on!  Merry Christmas and good luck in the New Year!

Every Three Years

I really like this article from Chris Anderson's blog at Wired.  It's really reassuring to read that fresh eyes are more important than experience in some circumstances.  What a great thing to read for someone who just finished graduate school:)  

Wonder Monday 1: Digital Natives--Identity vs. Diversity

I've decided to start posting questions each Monday to help me think about some of the discussions I'm interested in.  Your ideas and input are especially welcome and appreciated!

This Monday, I wonder what words like identity and diversity mean to digital natives who have multiple online identities and avatars.

Links:

Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community

Making Online Spaces More Native to American Indians

Diversity in Academe

5QFriday: Jason Miller--Soul Recorder

Today's 5QFriday interview is with Jason Miller. Jason is an interdisciplinary artist in the University of Memphis's MFA program.

Question 1: What's your favorite piece of art in Memphis?

Jason:  Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Brooks Museum, Lisa Kurts Gallery: all 3 equally in different ways, Dixon I love due to a balance between atmosphere and work exhibited, you may pick from that if you like.

Chandler:  Is there a particular object at the Dixon that you are drawn to or inspired by?

Jason:  Yes, the little girl garden piece at the start of the path that leads into the forest from the fountain garden area, she's just before the trail begins . . . also the bronze girl next to the ball room area, now she's in the permanent collection area. 

Chandler:  I think I know which one you're talking about. Anything you want to add to your answer or are you ready for question 2?

Jason:  #2

Question 2: Tell me about your latest project: what's it about and where can people see it?

Jason:  I am working in two areas right now; the first is titled Corporate Decay and is driven by the idea of loosing the true natural freedom of living off the land as the Native Americans once did, and rather being reduced to life in an artificial environment. That one can be found at my blog page, http://corporatedecay.blogspot.com/ Also, I always work on my Energy String or Image Poem work, which is about Energy Changing form in an arbitrary and surreal visual manner. http://soulrecorder-energystring.blogspot.com/

Question 3:  Since you just gave us links to two blogs, do you think blogs change the way we look at contemporary art? why?

Jason:  I think blogs are a very useful teaching tool, as well as general tool for communication and sharing information in a quick, simple, and efficient way.

Question 4: Do you have any favorite bloggers that you check every day?

Jason:  My interest in blogging is relatively new and up until this point I solely made only private dedicated websites by building them with Dreamweaver and similar programs.

Chandler:  fair answer.

Question 5: What's on your Christmas wish list?

Jason:  New Canon Mark 3 5D and trip to India, Italy, as well as sleep time with all my kitties...

Chandler:  Wow, Santa brings trips to India?! How rad is that!?  Thanks for doing the interview:)

non-traditional sidewalk values

twitter

There are too many visual events in Memphis this weekend.

Hugh Busby at the GLB Center on Cooper.
Clayton Colvin at Material.
A big messy new media installation at Odessa.
Holiday shows at LRoss and Lulalyn.
Maysey Craddock at David Lusk.
P&H Art Bazaar.
etc.
etc.
etc.

I don't know how "real" art critics make it to everything. I'm going to keep most of my criticism on twitter for now.

I know a couple of other people interested in art in Memphis on twitter, but I wish I knew more. Especially more who could explain to me in 140 letters what exactly I just saw at Odessa with the projectors and the wall painting and the camera in the middle of the room. I think I may have accidentally stepped into someone's bedroom while I was there. What is that place?

5QFriday: Jed Jackson

I'm kicking off a new feature on this blog today and calling it Five Question Friday. I'll be interviewing artists in Memphis about the things that shape the visual culture of this city. This week, Jed Jackson shared some of his insights in response to my e-mail.

1.  What role does writing play in your creative process?  Do you keep a sketchbook or journal for ideas about new paintings?
I describe my work in prose, do thumbnails and snip out photos that might be useful for reference. I am very unsystematic about this and do not consider the sketchbooks “art” with a capital A, but they are invaluable in the idea generating process. I also rely on my unconscious mind to do some of the work and to reveal the solution to a problem at the necessary moment.

2.  How do you get your news and information about visual art in Memphis?  What advice would you give to someone who is new to town and interested in navigating the local visual arts scene?
The papers ( online more and more) primarily. Go to as many openings as possible. It becomes clear soon that the people really interested in new art are there. Ask them about their work. Go see it.

3.  What piece of art in Memphis best represents our city?  Why?
I would not presume to answer that question other than to say no piece of art can exemplify a city.

4.  Part of your recent exhibition at the Dixon included a few paintings from your recent trip to France.  Did you notice any interesting relationships between your paintings and those in the Dixon's permanent collection?
Landscape primarily. The great French tradition is academic history figuration and landscape.

5.  You've painted several images of political figures; some of my favorites include your images of the current president, George W. Bush.  
What is the motivation behind these images?
To parody a dangerous ventriloquist’s dummy and thereby disarm him. My military background made me question Reagan and  Bush 1 and 2, mainly because they are very poor commander in Chief choices and philistines about art and the importance of education.

Will you take on Obama and his administration?  At the moment, Obama has a get out of jail free card.

Do you ever target local politicians?-- It is a confidence game for boobs. Local Schmocal. All the local politicians are in it for money and ego. They will self destruct.  

What are your favorite political portraits?
Otto Dix, official photo portraits of Kaiser Bill,
“Triumph of the Will” by Leni Riefenstahl.  
David’s paintings of Napoleon,
Churchill etc.

Trash

I just submitted a photo of my trash to my friend Jason at http://photographyourtrash.blogspot.com/

You can do it too! Here's Jason's invitation:

Please make one or more simple photographs of your personal trash can in any location of your house of office, then just submit it to jason.miller@soulrecorder.com

It will be posted with your name, the date the photograph was made, and the location of the trash can. Please only your personal trash can from any place in your home or office.

Thanks and I hope to receive as many interesting images as you are willing to send. If you'd like submit only one, but if you like, please feel free to make daily submissions of how your trash changes from day to day.

I have posted the first image at the above link, and it is in this blog that your images will also be posted.

Once again, thanks for your time,

Jason Miller

(PS: Painters can paint and then photograph a painting of your trash if you'd like, I'd say sculptors could do the same, but I have no idea what the out come would be.)