International Fiber Collective

I just talked to Jennifer Marsh on the phone--so exciting! She runs the International Fiber Collective, you may have heard of her gas station wrapping project which she got a lot of press for, including a feature in FiberArts Magazine. Jennifer's current project is Interdependence. Participants will create a full-sized tree for display in April 2009 in Huntsville, Alabama. The concept is, "much like a live tree is interdependent on its leaves and roots for survival, societies are interdependent on the greater whole, family units, communities, and countries."

Participants from around the world are invited to create leaves to contribute to the creation of the tree. In total, up to 30,000 leaves may be used. For more information on how to participate, click here. This is open to all age groups and levels of artistic ability.

Jennifer's next, highly ambitious project after the tree is wrapping a NASA rocket! But she needs help raising the money to rent the expensive crane required to install the artwork. Click here to see how you can help and become involved. She needs your help!

Jennifer will be representing Alabama and Community-based medium for my 50 Artists, 50 States, 50 Medium exhibition at The Eclipse Gallery in October 2009. I am still accepting submissions from artists, crafters, and designers. Click here for more info.

I am also working with her to plan a solo show for her amazing sculpture.

Peter Plagens: A Painting as it's Painted

Untitled
mixed media on canvas, 96 x 144 in.
2007

Peter Plagens is a painter and critic in New York.
What is unique about his website compared to other artist websites is the slideshow of the above work in progress, "A Painting as it's Painted."
You can also read his essays and see examples of his other work. And make sure to read his artist statement while you are there--since he is a writer it's quite good.

I came across Peter Plagens because he reviewed the book, Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton in the current Art in America. The review was so good I had to see who this guy was. I do think his work is really interesting.

As far as said book, here is a quotation: "In [an art] world that has jettisoned craftsmanship as the dominant criterion by which to judge art, a higher premium is put on the character of the artist. If artists are seen to be creating art simply to cater to the market, it compromises their integrity and the market loses confidence in their work."

More on Seven Days in the Art World
More on Peter Plagens

Knit your own beaded cashmere gloveletes!

What a lovely winter project! from Knitch

Also check out their FREE patterns, which are quite good!

I've actually been working on some knitting of my own. I have like 3 projects on needles right now. Too bad I'm so slow and easily distracted....

Wisdom by Andrew Zuckerman

One of my favorite and most influential quotations ever is included in this film/book:

"Inspiration is for amateurs. I just get to work."
--Chuck Close

See more

Buy the book

Ink & Spindle

What is better than hand screen printed, limited edition fabric? Hmm....maybe the fact that it is also environmentally friendly.

Ink & Spindle

i left this here for you to read

This is a great project by Tim Devin, a Boston-based conceptual artist and writer.

From the website:

About this magazine
Each month or so, we release a new issue of "i left this here for you to read." We then leave them in public places (such on park benches, on buses, in airports and dentists' offices...) for anyone to take--free of charge.

Currently, we distribute our magazine in Boston, New York, and LA. We only print about 50 copies of each issue, and don't reprint any past issues. Sorry, we can't mail you any copies--we only send them to contributors.

Email us at i.left.this.here@gmail.com

They accept submissions of writing, art, and even objects. And they automatically include every single thing they receive. Of course I sent them something! Go here for more info.

Fiber Love

Postcards by Marty Calhoun (left) and Carol Tamasiunas (right)

Make a Fiber Postcard for Valentine's Day (yeah, I know it's a little early to be thinking about it but hey...) for the post office of Loveland, Coloardo who has been re-mailing valentines from around the world since 1947, adding its own special cancellation and poem. Loveland is the hometown of Fiberarts Magazine, one of my faves. There are some guidelines so make sure to check those out before you mail! Deadline January 15th, 2009.

New Fave Publisher

The publisher is Laurence King, UK-based, and they publish books on architecture, art, design, fashion, graphic design, and interior design. Just browsing through their website is delightful. I found out about them because I WON a copy of Key Urban Housing of the Twentieth Century from a Dezeen contest. I never win anything!

Soon I am having a give-away of my own so stay tuned :)

Especially exciting is Laurence King's new book Stickerbomb--the first collectable, fully peelable sticker book featuring illustration, graffiti and graphics. It is filled with an amazing collection of more than 250 specially commissioned stickers by artists, illustrators and graffiti writers from around the world.

Their books are very reasonable on Amazon! Check out my Wish List.

Variable Media Art

Derek Lerner, (IN)BETWEEN, 2007 Variable Media 984.6 cm x 594.2 cm x 59.1 cm, 247 prims rezzing as 1 prim

New media that changes due to its nature, whether that time-based, performance-based, interactive, etc. is considered by some to be non-medium or variable media art since there is no way of categorizing it within the old medium format.

Do new media artists agree with that label?

What does that mean to you?

What does this mean for curating, conservation, etc?

We are just scratching the surface--

I would be very interested in accepting a non-medium work for my upcoming 50 Artists, 50 States, 50 Mediums exhibition.

Links: PADI-Variable Media Art

Archiving the Avant-Garde

Capturing Unstable Media

Rhizome

Variable Media Network

Conflux

Related: When logic-type people try to explain art vs. non-art

And they keep going...

Two contests for you

If you have ugly pillows, you can enter this contest over at Design*Sponge for a chance to win some gorgeous Thomas Paul Pillows!

And make sure to enter the contest at Dezeen for a copy of the book Digital by Design, which isn't even for sale yet...
This book looks amazing, and even though I entered the contest I am still buying a copy of this when it comes out. If I win, I'll do a giveaway here! Maybe I will anyway!

I am trying to think of a good giveaway here...watch for that soon!

genericZINEexchange

g e n e r i c Z I N E e x c h a n g e

Anyone is welcome to participate, including international artists. Please feel free to invite others.
THEME - Generic. Do whatever you want!
MEDIA - Hand-printed cover in any media. Any paper/ printed media is acceptable for the interior pages (for example: screen-printed cover with photo-copied interior pages, etc)
PAPER SIZE - No larger than 8.5” x 11” and no smaller than 4.5” x 5.5”
EDITION SIZE - 25. Please sign and number the zines individually 1/25 through 25/25.
DISTRIBUTION - One portfolio of 20 zines to each participating artist. One complete edition will be retained for exhibition and one complete edition will be donated to the zine collection at The University at Buffalo. The remaining editions will be donated to various international and domestic collections, at the discretion of the organizers.
FEES - 10 (USD) per participant to defray the cost of postage. Please include in your package of zines; packages sent without the 10 (USD) fee will not be included or returned to the artist.
DEADLINE - November 15, 2008 (postmark date). Please include your mailing address in the package with your zines.
QUESTIONS - Email Abbey Hendrickson at hownowdesign@yahoo.com
MAIL ZINES TO - Abbey Hendrickson / Print Media Visual Studies 202 CFA, UB North Campus, Buffalo NY 14260, USA

This looks like a great opportunity for all you zine makers out there. I found this via Eleanor Cardwell's amazing blog A Good Idea on Paper and her link to University of the West of England's Book Art Newsletter (which is a wealth of information!!)

I am really going to push myself to make a new, special edition of The Wandering Uterus Zine for this deadline!! I'm thinking of a dreams really do come true topic, because that is how I feel right now--so happy!

Wouldn't it be great to get 20 zines in the mail for only $10?!

Update: I found out that Abby has a great blog! Visit Aesthetic Outburst.

Exhibition Opportunity

I thought of a great idea for an exhibition the other day, and now that I am opening The Eclipse Gallery I can make it happen! So this is a call to all you artists, designers, and craftspeople out there.

50 States, 50 Artists, 50 Mediums

One artist or designer from each state in the USA will represent a different medium, bridging the gap between the traditional fine art world and other arts disciplines, including craft, design, architecture, performance art, etc.

Open to all professional artists living or working in the United States. Open to any and all mediums in the art, craft, and design communities. See below for examples of accepted mediums.

How to submit: Send a short biography (including your address & e-mail), artist statement, a few words about why you want to be in this show, 10-20 images & information (including medium, dimensions, & price), and any links to your work on line to sarah@theeclipsegallery.com. Important: You must write “Submission for 50 Show” in the subject line of the e-mail or I will think it is spam. Attachments are fine. E-mail submissions are preferred.

Deadline for submissions: April 15, 2009. Show is scheduled for October 16, 2009 – March 8, 2010 at The Eclipse Gallery. Location: 507 Fourth Street (Hwy 42), Algoma, Wisconsin, 54201.

Mediums accepted, but not limited to:
Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Digital, Ceramics, Mixed Media, Knitting, Jewelry, Metals, Found Object, Glass, Plastic, Photography, Crochet, Paper, Quilting, Felt, Wearables, Architecture (such as models, plans, photos), Graphic Design, Film/Time Based, Installation, Furniture, Baskets, Typography, Sand, Rock, Performance, Music, Spoken-Word, Text, Artist Books, Zines, Mail Art, Encaustic, Watercolor, Sewing, Mosaic, Fresco, Graffiti, Illustration, Altered Book, Printmaking, Silk Screen, Product Design, Wallpaper, Textiles, Etc.

Any questions, feel free to e-mail me. Thanks :)

Craftivism: Reclaiming Craft & Creating Community

This show opens today at the Lawton Gallery in Green Bay, WI. I helped set the show up as part of my degree in Gallery/Museum Practices. It is guest curated by Faythe Levine, the owner of Paper Boat Boutique & Gallery in Milwaukee. It just so happens that she know my artist friends Paul and Tashana Kjelland, which was super cool. The Paper Boat Blog is also a great site and I would highly recommend checking out Faythe's projects.

I was, of course, very excited to see this show come to Green Bay, because Craftivism and DIY culture directly influences my artwork and my vision for The Eclipse Gallery. To read more about that, click here to visit my gallery's blog.

It is so exciting to live in the midst of this culture, and to contribute. I know a lot of my readers are not local, but if you are--don't miss the gallery opening tonight at 4:30.

A quote from the show catalog: "I believe this is just the beginning of something much larger. I think that through the emergence of the DIY, art, craft and design community, we will continue to see growth and exciting developments. For me, craftivism is about the desire to produce change through the passion of creating..." --Faythe Levine

A few highlights of the show include Kate Bingaman-Burt's Zines "What Did You Buy Today?"
Mellissa Vogley Woods Sun Bonnet Quilt Squares
Stephanie Syjuco's Counterfeit Crochet Project
Photos of Jennifer Marsh's International Fiber Collective Wrapped Gas Station
Betsy Greer from Craftivism.com
And more...

Make sure to visit the International Fiber Collaborative website. Their new project for the 2009-09 year is constructing a life sized Fiber tree, the theme being "Interdependence". The project is open to Kindergarten--Adult levels, artists and non artists. Jennifer Marsh will be collecting up to 30,000 leaves made from people all over the world. The leaves must be 2 1/2 inches at the widest point, to 4 1/2 inches from end to end. Leaves must be fiber related and are due by March 20th, 2009. For more info visit the website link above.

Artist Statements: the good, the bad, and the horrible

There are varied opinions as to the importance of artist statements, but I happen to find them--if they are well written--to be very helpful, interesting, and add greatly to my understanding of the work and the artist. That being said, a bad artist statement can really throw me off. However, it doesn't bother me at all when an artist chooses not to write one.

Bad artist statements are either badly written or they don't add anything to my understanding of the artwork. For example, a statement that I read recently went like this. The red is the artist's words and the black is my critique.

Having experienced painting and drawing for many years, the ultimate reflection within ones work is drawing. Don't cite how long you have been making art. Nobody really cares. And this sentence would make more sense if you said "within my work". Make your statement specifically about your art. The line is an integral part within the structure of making art. The idea of the line is of the upmost importance. No kidding. Don't underestimate your audience. If people care enough to read an artist statement, most likely they know the importance of line in art. Also it's utmost, not upmost. My work begins with that line and continues to learn the fabrics of the drawing to the painting. Don't use metaphors that make no sense. Although my work is constructed with an abstract frame it is fundamental to achieve all possibilities to push further my philosophy of the two acts. Huh? The stronger the line the richer it becomes, therefore new ideas and sensations are formed. So only strong lines are rich? Where are these new ideas and sensations forming? How can one paint without the exploration of drawing? First of all, lots of artists have created masterpieces without relying on drawing. Second, don't ask questions in your artist statement, especially dumb ones. Looking at the painters of Venice to Arshile gorky, the art of the past makes you understand and inspire your art and the importance of the line and paint, today and tommorrow. Never cite other artists in your statement, especially a broad generalization like this. Second, don't assume that everybody else has the same opinion as you do. The art of the past doesn't inspire all artists. For example, Marinetti, a founder of Italian Futurism, urged artists to start afresh and ignore all tradition.

I'm sorry to critique that so harshly, but I get a lot of e-mails from emerging artists, wanting to become part of The Emergence Project. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these artists have horrible artist statements. I haven't accepted any of those artists. On the other hand, I have read statements that were so good, I accepted the artist's work even though I had trepidations. I quickly discovered that was a mistake and moved on. I do have a couple artists at The Emergence Project that have little or no words to say, and that's just fine. My advice to artists is--if you are bad at writing, or don't know what to say--don't worry about the statement. The other option is to have someone help you write one.

In fact, if you e-mail me at sarah@theeclipsegallery.com I would be happy to proofread your statement and make some suggestions.

If you are a good writer, but don't know where to start, I would suggest reading lots and lots of artist statements to get a feel for it. There are some great ones at The Emergence Project. Also, explore what your art means to you. Do some automatic writing about your work. Then go back and, just like you work into an artwork, work into your statement. Have several people proofread it. Before you do anything with it, live with it for awhile. Write it on a piece of paper and tape it to your mirror. Also, write a statement before you need one. Don't write one just because you are entering your work into a show, etc.

What brought this whole post about was reading the beautiful catalogue for the art faculty exhibition for the University of Wisconsin-Madison professors, which was at the Chazen Museum of Art. The statements from the artists were amazing, as was the artwork. (It was refreshing to see such great work by living Wisconsin artists!) I could go on, but this post is too long already. Look for a post about the art faculty exhibiton soon. I have to leave you with one statement from that catalogue, however. This is how it's done!

John Hitchcock

My current artwork consists of hybrid mythological creatures (buffalo, wolf, boar, deer, moose) based on childhood memories and stories of growing up in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma. I explore notions of good and evil, cycles of death and life. My depictions of beasts, animals, and machines act as metaphors for human behavior and cycles of violence. My artwork is a response to intrusive behavior by humans toward nature and other humans.

The moral of the story is--be concise! Nobody wants to go view a show, and spend a ton of time reading the statements. People just want a quick look into your mind so that they can better understand your art.

By the way, if you want to see a super amazing site, visit John Hitchcock's!

Design Influences

Eileen Gray

One of the most influential women designers of the early 20th century.

Sarah van Gameren

Highly complex and intricate, mass produced products with a focus on traditional technique.

norm

A typography and technology team. Visit the link for a great interview.

Fernando and Humberto Campana

Brothers that produce semi-handmade, unbelievably original and somewhat humorous chairs.

Alvar Aalto

A genius that I'm guessing many of you are aware of. If not, click the link now!

I've been really inspired by design lately. I've always been a huge art history buff, but I'm just now starting to discover and study some of the major designers--many of which are seldom included in art history texts. So many great artists and designers, so little time!

The above designers have truly changed my outlook on design and art, and have been indescribably influential to me. Make sure to check out the Design Museum and Moss websites. A feast for your vision and insight. Enjoy!

iCopyright: Great Resource for Artists

I came across iCopyright the other day, and I have to say I LOVE this service! It's free, easy to sign up and use, has great features, and is very professional. If you are an artist, a musician, a writer, or performance artist, I would highly recommend checking it out and signing up. Basically, you create an interactive copyright tag that you can use on print or web media.

This is what my entry looks like:

Copyright 2008 Sarah Elizabeth Condon
For permissions: sarahelizabeth.iCopyright.com

Click on the links to see what my profile looks like and such.