Los Angeles Art News, Art Blog

ART BLOG

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

Putting ego aside

Artists are faced with a confusing contradictory situation. On the one hand, given the difficult realities of the art world and in order to maintain ‘faith’ long enough to get a foot in the door, the artist needs an unshakable belief in the importance of his/her art. On the other hand, the artist must be self-critical and accept outside criticism and disengage from the work long to judge it in the context of the art community. It is a fine balancing act which few manage with success for too much of the first without the second leads to arrogance, while too much of the second without the self-confidence necessary to pursue one’s art, leads to dejection and renouncement. A bit of humble pie is good for you –while too much humble pie ruins your appetite!

Many successful artists have attained ultimate recognition only after their own absolute belief in their work has been bash and battered innumerable times yet remained steadfast. So when those letters of rejection keep arriving from the galleries, don’t despair. If others can’t see in your work what you see, try to understand what it is they do see. The really important thing is -How can you make better art and carry on doing what you love to do – ART?
Artist must hope for the best and be prepared for the worst. With self-assurance they click ‘send’ on the gallery application, wait with trepidation for the reply and most often have to face and rejection when the reply letter comes back. In order to maintain a realistic, balanced approach to what is certainly one of the most difficult professional fields in an already hard economy, there ought to be a time-out - when one’s ego is set aside. Rejection of one piece of art is not a comprehensive verdict of an artist’s work, however constant rejection maybe something worth listening to…… and learning from.

Sunflower Seeds

Next time I buy a packet of dried sunflower seeds to munch on while I watch the TV, I’ll not get upset about the high cost, since compared to the price of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s hand-painted porcelain, dust-laden variety of “Sunflower Seeds” sold at Sotheby’s in London last night (Tues 15th) mine are pretty cheap and certainly more healthy. (Weiwei’s seeds apparently contain traces of lead in the paint and the dust which rubs off the porcelain can create respiratory problems.)
Anyway despite that, 4 avid bidders drove up the price for 100,000 of his hand-painted seeds to $559,394 before the auction hammer came down. Given that the seeds weigh in at about 220 lbs., that means that the buyer paid about $5,60 a seed. At that price, my eatable sunflower seeds from the local store seem like a bargain.
A larger version of WeiWei’s “Sunflower Seeds,” containing millions of porcelain seeds, has been installed at London’s Tate Modern since Fall of 2010 and will be on display until May 2nd 2011. Visitors were initially encouraged to interact with the piece by walking on it, but this practice was quickly stopped when museum official realized that the clouds of ceramic dust thrown up by the trampling feet were creating a potential health hazard.
When the smaller version, which is part of a limited-edition of 10 “Sunflower Seeds,” was displayed at Sotheby’s before the sale, the auction house too cordoned off the piece–but the work’s notoriety seems to have outweighed its problems.
After years of eating dried sunflower seeds at home I have enough shells and pieces strewn around to create a dust cloud or two of my own. When the carpet is completely covered, I intend to contact Sotheby’s and see if they are interested……….

Weiwei's Carpet of Seeds

Blog Feb 15 2011

Selected Juried Competitions & Events: Deadline February 2011

The City of Beverly Hills Affaire In The Gardens juried Spring art show will be May 21 & 22 at its usual place along Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Gardens in Beverly Hills, California. Mayor's Purchase Award, Best of Show, Category Awards. A chance to take a booth at these well attended shows for original fine art by individual artists. Fine Art Categories are: Painting, Sculpture, Drawing & Printmaking, & Photography. Fine Craft Categories are: Ceramics, Glass and Jewelry. There is a $33 screening fee. A booth costs $330. Visit website for application form, or send a SASE to: Greystone Gatehouse & Park / 501 Doheny Road / Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Emails to Karen Fitch McLean at kmclean@beverlyhills.org or tel: 310.285.6836 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting Application DEADLINE: February 14, 2011

The L.A. Center for Digital Art in downtown Los Angeles, CA seeks entries for an international juried competition, March 10-April 2, 2011. The LACDA is accepting all styles of artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to the creation of the images. The selected winner will receive 10 prints up to 44x60 inches on canvas or museum quality paper (worth about $2,500-$3,000 in value) to be shown in a solo exhibition. Ten second place winners will receive one print of their work up to 24x36 inches ($150-$200 in value) to be included in upcoming group exhibits. Jurors: Edward Robinson, L.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA); Rex Bruce, L.A. Center for Digital Art. You can submit submit three JPEG files of original work for $30US fee. Multiple entries permitted, with an additional $30 entry fee for each three extra images. Please register at Online registration only. Enquiries to Rex Bruce at rexbruce@lacda.com DEADLINE: February 15, 2011

A short-term visiting artist position is offered by Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois for April, 2011. The goal of the visiting artist program is to introduce our students to working artists who will provide insight about educational experiences and career goals, inspirations and artistic visions, and the business side of art. The visiting artist will discuss his/her body of work, methods and materials, and experiences with undergraduate studio art students over a period of two days. Demonstrations, if possible, are encouraged. Visual artists working in any art form or medium are welcome to apply. The selected artist will receive a stipend of $1000 for his/her time and travel expenses. Interested artists should submit a resume, a detailed proposal for the two-day workshop plus 10-20 images of previous work. Please send submission by email to Melissa Hebert-Johnson at artspacebhc@gmail.com DEADLINE: February 18, 2011

The Emerald Art Center in Springfield, Oregon announces a call to artists for the Spring 2011 Exhibition to be held April 30 - May 28, 2011. There will be over $6,000 in awards. Only Paintings: - no photos, no collages. There is a $30 entry fee for 1 or 2 images, $10 for each additional Visit website for prospectus, or send a SASE to: Attn: Emerald Spring Exhibition 2011, Emerald Art Center, 500 Main St, Springfield, OR 97477. Questions? Email: director@emeraldartcenter.org or call 541-935-9504 DEADLINE: February 26, 2011

The Coastal Arts League is seeking entries for the "2011 Kellicutt International Juried Photo Show" to be held in July 2011 at the Coastal Arts League Museum in Half Moon Bay, California. 1st Prize: $2,000; 2nd Prizes (two awards): $500; 3rd Prizes (six awards): $100. Jurors: Scott Atkinson, Deanne Fitzmaurice and Erika Gentry. Open to all photographers internationally using any photographic style. There is a $20 fee for first entry + $5 for each additional entry. Download Prospectus (PDF format). DEADLINE: February 28, 2011

MyArtContest.com and MC Art Gallery and Studio (Santa Ana, CA) are teaming up for a group art show at the MC Gallery during the month of April 2011. There will be an opening reception on April 2, 2011 from 6PM to 10:30PM coinciding with the popular Santa Ana Art Walk which brings in about 1000 visitors on the first Saturday of every month. The Contest is open to all artists within the US and the top 10 winner's will get to display their art in the gallery for the entire month of April - commission free! Sorry, but no video or sculptures. The top 10 will also receive full page features in Artist Portfolio Magazine and the top 10 honorable mentions will receive 1/4 page features. $25 fee for 2 pieces of art. Visit website for prospectus. Inquiries? Please email Ben at ben@myartcontest.com Deadline: March 1, 2011