The De-definition of Art

Lucio Fontana, Spatial Concept, Waiting, 1960



I'm reading The De-definition of Art by Rosenberg. Highly recommended.

"Fontana...called himself a "spatialist," his gouging holes in his canvases had always seemed to me a Dadaist nose-thumbing at the formalist dogma of "preserving the integrity of the picture plane." With his punctures Fontana transformed his paintings into a species of relief (they are sometimes referred to as sculptures)."

More on Fontana

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.

25 Disegni

I love Blu--artist behind the famous MUTO animation. The image below are his drawings that were included in 25 Disegni, a publication of artists drawings. Each soft-cover, 48-page flip book features two artists, one going in either direction. Alas, the one seen here, featuring the work of Blu and Eric Ailcane, is sold out...but there are other interesting books to buy here.

Eric Ailcane (great website--check out his exhibition installations)

Did he just say vagina on the Travel Channel?

Sunday mornings for me are all about settling down with a cup of coffee and chilling out for a second...this morning I happened to turn on the Travel channel, which is one of the few TV stations I actually watch once in a while.

There was a guy talking about art! I watched it for awhile, thinking this was just a little blurb as usual, and soon they would be on to a different attraction--but no--he was discussing art and only art. It took me a couple episodes to believe this was true.

See, I've said for years that there should be a show about fine art on mainstream television. If anything, simply to expose more people to art. Bring art to the masses. The show is Art Attack with Lee Sandstead, an energetic art historian.

Not saying that the show is perfect--I would quibble with some of his remarks. And he buys into "rumors" a bit too much. But for what the show is trying to do---bring art to a wider audience--overall I was really happy to see it.

Lawrence Fane

I just came across Lawrence Fane and completely fell in love with his work, more of which you can see here at his website.

His current show is Studio Alchemy at the Zabriskie Gallery in NYC.

You can also buy a book about his sculpture: Machines of the Mind

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

Music Book Art

Yes, they are books that make music.
And they are for sale here!

Texan artist Jennifer Khoshbin also makes other amazing book art, which you can view here.

Definitely check out her site it is a treat!

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

Cross Stitch a Banksy

Street art in cross stitch is the latest in subversive cross stitch. How cool is it to be able to cross stitch a Banksy - rather than picture of a kitten holding some flowers?

The patterns are provided free and are surprisingly simple to do (although it’s a whole world of pain reading the charts).

I would recommend doing your street art cross stitch with a bottle of Jack Daniels next to you. It will help the hours fly by.

Also if you are not a fan of Banksy then this cool site also offers patterns in guns, Michael Jackson and for those with a fetish out there people wearing gas masks.

Source: fuldesign.se Via: radicalcrossstitch and trendhunter

Lazerian Lampshades

The talented Lazerian duo of Liam Hopkins and Richard Sweeney continue to amaze with their exquisite ‘Light Modulator.’ Certainly not content with being called a mere lampshade, this computer-generated form is carved from birch plywood using a CNC router. The construction is composed of 26 individual units to create its lace-like symmetry.

Lazerian works out of their studio in Manchester, UK, which used to be a hat factory.

Source: lazerian Via: yatzer and trendhunter

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.

Insecurity Envelopes by JK Keller

I'm really amazed by the number of spectacular artists I come across everyday that I've never heard of. So many artists, so little time!

It's even better when a spectacular artist has a spectacular website. Check it! You won't be sorry :)

The Wandering Uterus, etc.

I've been extremely busy so I apologize for not updating Visual Influence as much as I would like. Just a quick update about my other projects:

I've been posting on my blog/zine The Wandering Uterus quite a bit lately. Personal stuff but if you are interested in knowing me on a more intimate level, that's where I share about all the randomness that is ME.

I'll keep Visual Influence for art inspirations and influences.

The Emergence Project has a new look.

And make sure to check out The Eclipse Gallery's blog for updates on what is going on over there--sneak peeks of our upcoming artists and keeping up with our renovations.

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...

Bruce Mau Design

I'm in love with Bruce Mau Design.

Need some good advice on being a creative person?
Read his Incomplete Manifesto. Then buy Massive Change.

From the Publisher:

Massive Change is a modern illustrated primer on the new inventions, technologies, and events that are affecting the human race worldwide. The book is a part of a broader research project by Bruce Mau Design intended to provoke debate and discussion about the future of design culture, broadly defined as the "familiar objects and techniques that are transforming our lives." In essays, interviews, and provocative imagery aimed at a broad audience, Massive Change explores the changing force of design in the contemporary world, and in doing so expands the definition of design to include the built environment, transportation technologies, revolutionary materials, energy and information systems, and living organisms.

NAKED ART by Matthew Rose

Also read about Matthew's exhibition, The End of the World, in whitehot magazine.

Matthew is multitalented.