Los Angeles Art News, Art Blog

ART BLOG

ARTICLES FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2011
Contributing Bloggers: John Harbinger Jr.and David Harbrenig

2011 MFA Annual edition of New Amrican Paintings

The 2011 MFA Annual edition of New American Paintings, released this week (April 15, 2011) reviews the work of more than 900 current MFA candidates from 125 schools, in search of the most promising emerging talent. The publication features the work of 40 very diverse artists in U.S. art schools.

Though graduate level education, or any formal academic training for that matter, cannot define an artist's potentialevery year 1000’s of students graduate with a freshly printed MFA diploma in hand. For many aspiring artists, the two-year course of study is a rite of passage which allows them to develop their technical skills, enter into critical dialog with their peers, and learn how to best position themselves within the dynamics of the art world.

"Art is not a profession which can be mastered by study," said Walter Gropius of the Bauhaus movement. Was he was right? Perhaps one can make valid art without acquiring the traditional technical skills, however, an artist – with or without academic training – needs other skills to effectively navigate an increasingly complex and professional art world. For an artist to undertake the profession of art he/she needs organizational skills, social skills and a certain level of business acumen to increase his/her chances of success. These are the skills academic institutions that function as both incubator and launching pad for emerging talent, are including their MFA programs today.

Because of these new “pragmatic” programs, more young artists than ever are able to consider the job of "working artist" as a viable career path.

Among some of the most successful artists in America at the moment are alumni of diverse schools of art from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. It has not escaped the notice of many current art world professionals and collectors who now closely follow art schools such as at Columbia, Yale and UCLA in search of the next John Baldessari, Eva Hesse or Richard Serra.

“Art in the Streets” inspires more art in the streets

The "Art in the Streets" exhibition which previewed Thursday (April 14) at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA includes work by locals Shepard Fairey, Fab Five Freddy, RISK and other street artists who have left their mark on the walls, bridges, tunnels and streets of L.A.

The recognition by MOCA of street art as a legitimate part of the contemporary scene has motivated L.A.’s street artists to - take to the streets. According to the LAPD there has been an increase in graffiti and ‘art vandalism’ in the neighborhood where the Geffen Contemporary annex is located - Little Tokyo.

For those, who understand the terminology, ‘Tags’, including monikers and larger so-called ‘Bombs’ have appeared in the last few days on several commercial buildings, dumpsters and light poles within close vicinity to the museum. I guess the artists who didn’t make the show are making their own ‘Salon des Refusés’ or Salon des Indépendants as a way of preserving the aspect of anarchy, ‘in-your-face’ protest and cultural commentary which is the essence of street art.

MOCA is promoting the event as the first major U.S. museum exhibition on graffiti and street art. "Art in the Streets" runs from Sunday April 17 through Aug. 8 at the Geffen Contemporary, 152 N. Central Ave downtown Los Angeles.

Born to Be an Artist

Is talent something we are born with or can it be acquired through a learning process? We often speak of natural talent but in nature if there is no base, no seed to germinate, nothing can grow, nothing can blossom. Is artistry in the blood? Is it inherited or acquired? Can a person, who is not born with artistic talent ever reach the same potential as those born with it? Can a person, devoid of natural artistic gifts, be taught by one who has them to become a great artist? Is the purpose of the art school to teach the skills needed to paint, draw and sculpt or is its role rather to bring out innate artistry? Perhaps, if an artist has to learn how to be an artist, it pretty much disqualifies him from being one.

The Comic Caper is Solved

The Art Theft department of the Los Angeles police has recovered another stolen artwork (April 10). A rare Action Comics No. 1comic-book, featuring the debut of Superman and stolen from Nicolas Cage more than a decade ago resurfaced last week in a storage locker in the San Fernando Valley. Officially it now belongs to the insurance company who paid out to the actor after he claimed against the theft in 2000. To get some idea of the value: a similar copy of the 1938 comic was sold at auction in March 2010 for $1.5 million.

Blog April 12 2011

Are you stuck in your art?

I was reading an article a few days ago originally published in the (UK) Guardian newspaper (3/31/2011) by an art critic who questions “What if the Stuckists are right?” The writer was discussing the belief that contemporary British art is dominated by conceptual values to the point that it puts figurative painters at a serious disadvantage.

British galleries and museums nowadays dedicate almost all their space to the promotion of "contemporary art" as it is defined by the prestigious Turner prize. Contemporary Conceptualists seem to reject the notion that physical skill, natural talent or technical training, have a real value as art, denigrating the astonishing histories of technique and style in painting & sculpture.

If an idea is itself enough to be Art then why should young artists be encouraged to deepen skills in drawing and painting etc. instead of immediately turning to other media which seem to have greater acceptance. The British journalist added: “No novelist can win the Booker prize without being able to write. But if you said all artists must be able to draw, you'd be laughed at. I'm not trying to re-impose academic art education. But tolerance and creative freedom must be a two-way street. If artists are free to do what they like, this should also include the right to learn to draw and paint superbly well – and to have that ability recognized and valued.”

Anyway I decided to check out the term “Stuckism” and for those of you who are still reading, here is what I found online:

The name Stuckism was derived, in the best art historical tradition, from an insult, in this case from 1999 Turner Prize Nominee, Tracey Emin, to ex-boyfriend,Billy Childish: "Your paintings are stuck, you are stuck! Stuck! Stuck! Stuck!"

Stuckism is a radical art movement founded in London in 1999 to advance new figurative painting with ideas as the most vital artistic means of addressing contemporary issues.

Stuckism is a rebuttal of the twentieth century development of Modernism, which has resulted in an increasingly fragmented, isolated, material-obsessed and stultifying academia, existing not by virtue of the work but institutional and financial power, flattered by critical acquiescence.

Stuckism regards the foundation of Modernism in art as an opportunity for vision, integrity and communication which has never been fulfilled.

Stuckism is a contemporary figurative painting group which includes sculpture and printmaking, but it is not a 'traditional modern' group - it embraces a wide diversity of style and technical difference, as well as valuing ideas as an integral part of art.

So, there you have it. Are you a stuckist or not?

Youth Art Expo – young artists from Burbank’s schools at the creative Art Center

Art-LA-Now is all about encouraging and promoting emerging artist in the greater Los Angeles area- no matter how young (or old) they are. So, we’re pleased to post an announcement for Youth Art Expo that will be held next week on Thursday and Friday evenings at Burbank Creative Arts Center at 1100 West Clark Avenue in George Izay Park.

Youth Art Expo (April 7 - 21, 2011) is an annual exhibit that highlights the talented students attending Burbank based Schools. The students’ artwork encompasses grades K-12. The opening reception for Middle and High School students will be on Thursday, April 7, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. with awards presented at 6:15 p.m. The opening reception for Elementary School students will be on Friday, April 8, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., awards will be presented at 6:15 p.m.

The Burbank Creative Arts Center has a pottery studio, classrooms and art gallery and offers a variety of programs including art classes for both children and adults in both the visual and performing arts. http://www.burbankarts.org

The Art of Curating Art or Caring for your Work

Curator (from Latin cura, care), means manager or overseer. In museums, auction houses and galleries curators make decisions regarding what objects to exhibit or collect, oversee their care, exhibition and documentation, and conduct research for publication. In the gallery context the curator’s role is to put together a coherent and representative show of the artist’s work in the best possible display afforded by the confines of the gallery space.

An exhibition is like an essay on a wall: there should be a theme, a topic or a thesis, and the art work is the substance. The examples of work in the exhibition should give support to the curatorial idea. In some instances the reverse may occur. When preparing a show for an independent space, using the stable of artists represented by the gallery, a curator may perceive certain similarities and trends in their work from which a curatorial idea is born.

Artists, who organize their own shows in the studio or at art fairs, should view themselves as ‘curators,’ with all the professional expectations of the title. The show must be well-organized, well-light and present the work in the best possible manner afforded by the space. (Be mindful of the flow of the show.) They must be prepared to give intelligent and informative answer to questions about themselves and their work in context of the wider art community. Professional curators devote time preparing literature for exhibitions so that collectors and buyers can take it for future reference. Artists who ‘curate’ their own shows should also take the time to prepare brief text panels, brochures, postcards, business cards and CD’s of their work and note down as many emails as possible of those who visited –and send them an email thanking them for coming. Next time they might buy!

Juried Shows, Competitions and Special Events for April 2011

"Consequential Fusion: Messages in Wax" Members of International Encaustic Artists and the Morro Bay Art Association are invited to submit entries for a juried exhibition, July 7 - August 14 at Art Center Morro Bay, Morro Bay, CA. If you’d like to become a member, contact artcenter.morrobay@gmail.com for more information. They’re offering cash and product awards. Jurors: Daniella Woolf, Michael Miller & Dane Goodman. There is an entry fee of $35. Visit website for prospectus, or send a SASE to: Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St, Morro Bay, CA - Attn. Flo Bartell. Any Questions? Please contact Flo Bartell at the email address above or call 805-772-2504 DEADLINE: April 8, 2011 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting

The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art announces a call to artists for the juried San Obispo Plein Air Festival, October 2-9, 2011 in San Luis Obispo, California which is now celebrating its tenth year.. $5000 in cash prizes with awards for Best of Show, Artists' Choice and People’s Choice. Open to all plein air artists nationwide. 50 artists will be selected to participate in a week-long paint out of the unspoiled landscapes of San Luis Obispo County, located half way between LA and SF on the Pacific coast. Artists pick top 3 paintings for Exhibition & Sale with 3 more held in reserve to be sold at artist's fixed price. Special events include a Collector's Party, Quick Draw, Exhibition & Sale, plus week of art events designed to attract residents, visitors and art collectors. Entry Fee: $35.00. Visit website for prospectus, or send a SASE to: SLOMA, Plein Air Festival, P.O. Box 813, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406. Inquiries? Please contact Karen Kile at kkile@sloma.org or call 805-543-8562 ext 13. DEADLINE: April 15, 2011

“Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse” Southern CA. The Koehler Gallery, a newly renovated gallery in Fontana, CA, is looking for artists creating artwork using anything recycled. Fee is $10 for up to 4 pieces. Contact: julieart25@att.net or visit the Fontana Art Association website at http://www.fontanaartassociation.com for details. DEADLINE: April 15, 2011

April 30 – May 1, 2011 LAMAGA AUCTION Reception: Sunday May 30, 2- 5 pm.) The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery Associates and the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation present a silent and live auction of works by acclaimed contemporary artists—many of whom got their start at the gallery. For more than fifty years the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery has presented hundreds of exhibitions that showcased the work of thousands of artists from the region introducing L.A. citizens to their own cultural heritage and the art of our time. The benefit will help fund the exhibitions and innovative, participatory programs that have become the hallmark of a cultural institution dedicated to fostering awareness, curiosity, and creative seeing. Visit their website for details: www.lamag.org

The 1st Annual Napa Valley Art & Music Festival will take place July 1-3 at Trinchero Family Estates Main Street Winery in St. Helena, Ca. There will be a $1000 cash prize for best in show, and invitations to return next year for best in all categories, plus bay area press recognition for the 2012 show and program and website recognition. The jurors include the nationally renowned curator, executive director, and writer Michael Monroe and nationally famous artist, curator and writer Bruce Helander. Application fee is $50. Booths are available in 10' x 10', or 10' X 20'. Booth fees only, no commissions on sales. Categories include: 2-D Mixed Media • Functional Art • Printmaking • 3-D Mixed Media • Glass • Sculpture • Ceramics • Jewelry • Watercolor • Drawing • Painting • Woodwork • Fiber • Photography. All applications are through Juried Art Services. Questions? Contact Sandy Durden atapplications@nvamf.org or 707-603-2675 DEADLINE: May2, 2011.

The Pasadena Society of Artists will be holdin its spring screening for potential new members on Saturday, May 14 2011. If you are interested in becoming a member you can complete a membership enquiry form on their website at http://www.pasadenasocietyofartists.org or phone Marion Dies at 323 662 9534 for more information. There is a one-time entry fee of $15.00.