end the stall

Yard Appreciation: fence bouquet is stalled.

Hot flashes, mood swings, hormone imbalance, jobs, sinus attacks, sleepless nights: all happening but they can no longer be an excuse.

8-10 days to just work on this project would be ideal, but that is not going to happen.

The stall needs to be over and it’s up to me.

statement for the viewer

Conveying a specific intent, making a statement, through ones art practice is not easy.

I have noticed that often times the only way I understand the proposed intent, what the artist wants to convey to me, is by reading a written statement.

Is a written statement enough.

Often times, especially with installation work, one does not know if the piece will convey the intent until the work is complete and/or installed. So, at that point if you see it is not working do you maintain your original intent with the statement, or do you let the viewer have whatever experience comes to them?

Maybe it is too difficult to step back, step away, and see if the work is really conveying your intent.

Maybe everyone will or cannot get it.

Maybe it does not matter, and if so, then why have the statement.

Maybe it should just be up to the viewer to get whatever they get from the work.

I wonder.

Art is Dead - Art is Alive

This year I was asked to participate in a Zine project.

The opportunity to write and reflect was and is valuable.

I am responsible for my path.

I can see patterns.

It will be interesting to see where I lead myself.

North County San Diego Art Run

Part 2: California Center of the Arts, Escondido

This location featured the exhibit Leveled: an interactive experiment in art, featuring Doris Bittar (in collaboration with Diane Gage and Jonathan Glasier), Wes Bruce, Ingram Ober, and Marisol Rendon.

At the front desk we were given a brief description of the this was about, something about demystifying the contemporary art experience to the public. To the curator 

demystifying art means having the viewer interact with the work. I am not sure the act of interaction really demystifies contemporary art so much as it makes it fun.

We were told we could start anywhere, at the fort behind us shrouded behind black fabric or to our left in the open space. We went left bringing us to Tec-Tang-Tarab by Doris Bittar, Diane Gage, and Jonathan Glasier. The next area was Esperanto by Marisol Rendon, and then The Green Century by Ingram Ober.

The Secrets Surrounding the Mysterious Life and Psychology of Miss Augustine Greane by Wes Bruce was our last stop. We stepped through the black fabric into a subdued space with an 2 incredible structures. Walking around the structures we were not sure where to start our adventure into it, and then we went for it.

We spent hours in there, checking objects out, typing, leaving notes, and trying to take a rubbing off of two linoleum blocks. As we played around we heard people above us. I was not scared by my partner is play got a little freaked out. The noise above stopped and we forgot for awhile that anyone was above us. Then we heard them again and decided to check out this second story.

We talked to the two males on the second floor to find out how we could get up there and then we were there. We talked with the two and eventually found out one of them was the artist. I said it would be great to have a sleep-over here and it turns out there will be one. We talked, music, art, and smell, and Wes reminded me of the book The Poetics of Space. I had read it long ago in graduate school and had pulled it out to read again last year, now I must find it again and get to it. We found another second story room which would be perfect to sleep in, and relaxed a bit.

Upon leaving the fort we signed up for the Concert and Crash event in Nov. We were both very excited, just like two little girls planning a sleep-over.

The fort brought back memories of the past, an awareness of the present, and excitement for the future. It was magic, giving so much, including making a wish come true. In the guest book, close to were we first started our fort adventure, I wished I could sleep in the fort, and now I will.

What an incredible experience. I need to go and spend more time in the fort. I wonder if I will find out about Miss Augustine Greane, maybe I’ll find out more about myself.

Thank you Wes Bruce!

San Diego North County Art Run

Part 1: Oceanside Museum of Art

We started upstairs playing in the installation by Richard Gleaves Liquid.

The billing as being an experience of being underwater is quite accurate.  I have always found my experience in water to be joyous play and my experience as I spent time in this installation was such.

The gallery next to Liquid had Looking Back/Moving Forward: Contemporary Mexican-American Art, works by Einar & Jamex de la Torre and Raul Guerrero. I am always drawn into the work of the de la Torre brothers.

Is it the glass, the images, the connotations, must be it all.

Downstairs was Defying Expectations: Contemporary Native American Art from the San Diego Region. Works by James Luna, Gerald Clarke, Raymond Lafferty, and Catherine Nelson-Rodriguez. This was my first introduction to their work.

Luna’s was inspiring, thought provoking and had humor.

I was intrigued, and inspired.

Clarke’s work made me cringe, shake my head, and it possesed humor as well.

Nelson-Rodriguez’s work drew me, and as it did feelings of sadness, and depression began to arise. It was not easy to take it all in. She is very brave.

The showcasing of these contemporary local artists shows me there is incredible artistic creative energy in our region.

Thanks OMA!

things that make me smile

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.”

Albert Einstein

hypocrite

I need a 12 step program for artists addicted to making stuff.

I like stuff and I cannot stop making stuff.

creating objects for yard appreciation II using repurposed materials

I think I can move on

Feelings of crisis are arising. It started after going to the Art San Diego Contemporary Art Fair.

First thoughts, Is this any better than the San Diego Art Walk?  Art is inside on walls instead of out under a canopy.

There is a lot of STUFF here.

Larry Bell sitting in one of the booths. Is this real, is Larry Bell really sitting at an art fair booth hawking his wares.

Is this where art is. Is this what art is about.

Is it all about commodity.

My conflicted feeling of making STUFF arise, again.

The installation I just took down was an experience for viewers, but it also created stuff to store, stuff to recycle, stuff to give away, stuff to get back to artists, stuff to deal with.

How do I want to deal with stuff or do I want to deal with it at all.

Then there are questions of success, and what makes a successful installation..Is it being seen by many, is it being reviewed, is it making money.

-Being seen by many, how many is many, and there is always someone you know that will miss it.

-Then no one writes about it and you wonder why.

-And then you figure out more money went out than came in and wonder why did I even think about this.

How do I stop getting sucked into art as commodity and move on to what I want my art to be. I really really need to move on.

Maybe a list of what I want my art to be.

1. sustainable (without harm to the the environment, people, and animals, and able to continue as a practice).
2. accessible to many (physically and mentally accessible to a diverse population)
3. added value (to my community, and myself)

How hard can this be, there are just three requirements.

Can I stop being sucked into what the concept of art is to so many?

And I love making STUFF.