Favorite Piece of Art

Here are a couple of my favorite pieces that I've done (that I have pictures of).  Unfortunately I don't have pictures of any of my paintings and they are at my house right now so that's why these are just drawings:

 

Opening Reception of "Legacy" at UNH Museum of Art, 1/28/11

I made it to the opening of "Legacy" on Friday and was especially excited for this exhibit because I really wanted to see what alumni of the UNH art program have created.  Seeing all their work inspired me and reinforced the idea that it is possible to continue with art as a career after college (and even if art does not become my career, it will certainly still have a major presence in my life).  

One of the other things that I really enjoyed about this show and opening was just seeing the wide variety of different styles, different subjects, and different ways of approaching the making of art.  Whereas some of the exhibitions at the Museum of Art have been focused closely on only a couple people, this one was great because it showed such a breadth of work.  Although there were some artists that I would have enjoyed seeing more than one or two pieces from.  

Here are some pieces that I especially liked, particularly for their color and texture:

Thomas Park Glover, Gulls with a Barrel of Bait, 2010

Arthur Balderacchi, At the Edge of the Marsh, 2010

Brett Gamache, Red Onions on a Blue Plate, 2010

Sean Hurley, Cement Factory, 2010

Trisha Coates, Cleo's Famous Sprouts Teapot, 2009

(images take from UNH Museum of Art website) 

"Criticizing Art" Chapter 1: pg. 1-14

This chapter begins by addressing the often negative view of art critics (by both artists and the public).  The word criticism provides a negative connotation that is not accurate to what critics do.  Art critics often write because they have a great love for art and want to share this love with others.  Sometimes critics also write because it is a way to help themselves better understand pieces of art.  Unfortunately, people who are not directly involved in the art world often see critics as arrogant or complain that their writing is difficult to read.  Many critics believe that art itself is often difficult to understand and is meant to challenge people to think about things they may not have considered before.  But critics often try to tailor the way they write to the particular audience they write for or are trying to reach.  

Many artists have an indifferent or negative view of critics because if one receives negative criticism, it is hard not to take it as a personal slight.  Critics are often paid by certain galleries to write about their pieces and so many see this as critics not being fair and open to all sorts of art made by all sorts of people.  Today, however, critics do not have as much power as they have had in the past and often cannot make or break an artist's career.  But they can certainly increase the value of pieces of art and increase the public's awareness of said art.   

"Making Art, Making Artists"

This article, by Wade Saunders, is mostly a collection of interviews conducted with artists who have employed assistants, artists who have been assistants for other artists, and artists who have taken on both the role of employer and employee.  Through the interviews, the relationship between assistant and artist is discussed and shown to be often quite extensive and complex.  Many artists initially hire assistants to do more organizational or tedious preparatory tasks like preparing the workspace, stretching and gessoing a canvas, etc.  Often this employment would develop into more of a give and take relationship between the artist and assistant, with the assistant sometimes doing critical amounts of work on a piece and giving extensive feedback to the artist.  In many of these situations, both the assistant and the artist would benefit: the assistant learning how to be a full-time artist and getting support in their own careers from their employer, and the artist having a companion who could serve as a friend and someone who could give the artist the freedom to do more decision-making.  Not all assistants had close relationships with their artist employers, however, and artists often differed on whether they would give credit to their assistants in their exhibitions.  Despite these differences, all seemed to agree that dealers and the public are averse to the idea of artists having assistants as it seems to shatter the preconceived ideal of the lone, struggling artist. 

"Later"

This article, by James Surowiecki, asks the question, "What does procrastination tell us about ourselves?"  Surowiecki observes that people have become aware of procrastination as a pervasive problem only in the modern era (within the last few hundred years), but makes the point that the behavior might be a fundamental aspect of our relationship with time.  Procrastination has been a puzzling problem for many of the academics that have studied it because it is hard to see why people will consistently engage in a behavior that doesn't seem to make them happier, but rather more anxious about completing certain tasks.

One theory the article posits is that people are able to make rational choices about events far in the future, but for things fast approaching, they are more likely to be seduced by short-term wants and needs.  The author, however, writes that this observation of "ignorance" cannot account for everything.  Surowiecki shows that many people who procrastinate are uncertain about a task and often lack the confidence to proceed with the prospect of failure.  In order to limit procrastination, many rely on tools such as creating frequent deadlines for themselves so they can aid the part of their self that wants to work.  Surowiecki ends the article with an observation that there might be two kinds of procrastination: one due to ignorance and the seduction of things one would rather do now, the other, the kind that reveals a subconscious questioning of whether any of the tasks are really worth doing.

Studio Practice

As of right now, I don't have much of a studio practice outside of class.  During the semester, I find it hard to do work for myself because of the demands of classes, work, etc.  Although my concentration is in painting, when I am doing art outside of class, I often find myself doing more craft-based projects like knitting and sewing.  I also really enjoy making things as simple as cards and little presents for other people.  

I wish that I did more painting on my own, in addition to classes.  I guess I just get overwhelmed by the amount of preparation to begin a work that goes into starting an oil painting, for example.  When I want to make something, I want to get right into it, right away.  I suppose that's why I gravitate towards crafts because they provide less prep time.  

When I am beginning a painting in class, there are several aspects of the class environment that I think are helpful.  Even though I may not feel particularly like painting that day, being in class forces me to buckle down and get to work.  Before I get started I always need to set up my space and make it organized.  Putting out all my brushes and paint in a certain way is always necessary before I start.  The other main thing I enjoy about the class environment is that I get to look at other people's work and their process.  I enjoy this immensely because it is so fascinating how differently everyone works.  It is also fun to find similarities, get ideas, and just see how each person approaches the same problem.  

I think another thing that deters me from doing more of my own painting is my lack of a personal space, a place where I can be alone and paint.  While I do appreciate aspects of being in a classroom with other students, I think I can get most immersed in my work when I am alone.