It's a freaking ink jet print you snobbish twit.

Giclée - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Giclée (pronounced [ʒiːˈkleɪ] "zhee-clay" or /dʒiːˈkleɪ, from French IPA: [ʒiˈkle]), is an invented name (i.e. a neologism) for the process of making fine art prints from a digital source using ink-jet printing. The word "giclée" is derived from the French language word "le gicleur" meaning "nozzle", or more specifically "gicler" meaning "to squirt, spurt, or spray"[1]. It was coined in 1991 by Jack Duganne[2],

This is a big pet peeve of mine. Just because you use a french made up name does not make it special. You are not a special unique snowflake and your art is mostly made of crap. Stay off my lawn. Damn kids.

And turn down that music too!

Art and changing tastes

The New Atlantis » Reality and the Postmodern Wink

something in me wants to remain true to my adolescent vision. The beauty I imagined I also saw, and could not have seen without Rothko’s aid. But I do not see it today, and wonder how much it was the product of the stress of adolescence, and of the strange, still atmosphere of the Whitechapel Gallery in those days when so few people visited it, and when those few were all in search of redemption from the world outside. Now that modern art has been cheapened and mass-produced, to become part of that outside world of commercial titillation, it is harder to see Rothko as I saw him then.

To some extent this dilemma is an artifact of modernism itself, whose most salient characteristics are the feeling of liberation from traditional restraints and the exaltation of the artist at the expense of his subject. Both things have by their nature a relatively brief shelf life in the aesthetic marketplace. After the modernist revolution around the turn of the twentieth century, it only took a couple of generations before both freedom and the phenomenon of the artist-hero could be taken for granted. Nobody cares about the traditional restraints anymore or remembers when anyone but the artist was the hero of his own creation. Though the culture is still committed to these once-revolutionary doctrines, the thrill of the revolution itself is long past.

In praise of booooze.

' I drink, therefore I can', Prospect Magazine issue 158 May 2009 - Printer Friendly Article

The Colorado study tested the DNA of moderate-to-heavy drinking students to determine whether they had the G-variant gene. They were divided into two groups accordingly, before having alcohol injected directly into the bloodstream (to eliminate differences in absorption rate). Those with the G-variant produced a slightly different version of what is known as the mu-opioid protein, which elicits a stronger response in the brain. As a result they reported stronger feelings of happiness and elation after their shot of alcohol. This initial euphoria is usually followed by a longer state of relaxation, lasting several hours. For those with the G-variant, this period aids the creative process. Perhaps the odd additional tipple might be needed to keep the fire burning, although too much further consumption douses the flames prematurely, inducing lethargy.

The effect of alcohol on this group is not the same as an opiate. The euphoria is much less pronounced than, say, heroin, while alcohol still exerts depressive effects. A drink too many and the soporific effect predominates, overwhelming the endorphins and sending even the G-variant drinker to sleep. This may be why Francis Bacon, by his own admission, worked well after a few drinks, but not when drunk.

The creative effect of alcohol, then, seems to involve a delicate counterpoint between stimulation and relaxation. Unlike some side-effects of drink, such as its tendency to make some people morose or violent, this endorphin release is positive and pleasant to behold. People with this gene variant also seem more prone to alcoholism, perhaps engaging in an increasingly vain pursuit of the highs they used to experience after the first drink or two.

There once was a saying uttered among my friends in younger days, "There ain't nothing I do I can't do better drunk."

Now the saying is more along the lines of, "I need a nap."

The moral? Don't get old. Great link though....

Bryan Nash Gill | Ashes & Milk Blog

I am extremely excited to welcome Bryan Nash Gill and to announce that we will be offering his work at Ashes & Milk. As a lover of natural textures and literal translations of beauty, I am completely embraced by the above print. Through relief printing and a laborious rubbing technique Byran created the above piece Hemlock 82 (Bryan literally scratched his fingernails over every surface of the tree). At the grand size of 52″ long x 38.5″ wide the actual diameter, texture and pattern of this tree section is gorgeously translated onto paper.

Very interesting idea that yields interesting art. I'd love one of these for my house.

Know your Market

Edward_ Winkleman

1. Determine whether your work even belongs in the commercial end of things: Many artists who want commercial galleries are conflicted about what is commonly discussed (at least in many art schools) as the corrupting or irrelevant influences of the commercial art market. Personally, I have no qualms about artists who eschew the art market...in fact, I find it highly impressive if done for the right reasons. I know many artists who like to think that way about their work, though, who will just as happily sell work if it doesn't cost them anything personally. (I think of a certain neo-Marxist who attacked me at a panel discussion for being the source of all ill in the art world because I'm a commercial art dealer only to confess over vodka that he too had sold work and liked doing so.) All of which is my long-winded way of saying start off doing a bit of soul-searching. I don't agree that the commercial side of the art world is automatically corrupting. Too many amazing artists were all too happy to work within it and/or work to improve it. Still, there's no reason to assume you need a commercial gallery just because you're an artist. You may not. It should be something you choose because it fits in with your vision of your career.

Good read on getting into galleries, something I have dabbled with over the past, hell, 20 years? Well I have learned that it's not for me. But for people interested in it this is a good read. I do like that he calls it "commercial" and makes no bones about. The gallery world is the same as any other business and I think this is something a lot for struggling art students fail to understand. Art for arts sake does not exist once you contact a gallery. You are marketing a product.

Now, there are no value judgements going on here on my end, so don't get your panties in a bunch. It's just being honest. And this article will help you achieve those goals if you choose that road.

VIA Conscientious

Paintings

Jerome Lagarrigue

At first hand, Jérôme Lagarrigue seems to fully reveal his infinitely complex and yet infinitely simple nature. His roots are composite: he is French and American, his education and *spirit roaming freely between two continents. He owes his artistic sensibility to his father, Jean Lagarrigue, whose work is a great influence. The two now seem to be passing the torch back and forth, Jerome in return influencing his father, with whom he shares a fascination for what lies in the depths of a man’s glance. Everything in his painting becomes tinged with humanity, the walls of the Coliseum seemingly turning and revolving around themselves, much like the Earth itself. In the manner of a tightrope walker, Jérôme is constantly seeking out the balance and bond linking the different origins emanating from him, which dance to the sound of swing or be-bop and can be sensed as much in his vision as in his way of moving, speaking, observing, painting and portraying the world. Perhaps it is this internal rhythm that guides him along, bringing his soul’s temperaments together in harmony, the various viewpoints livening his gaze and assembling the vivid identity that is his, which far from being artificial and contrived is revealed to us as something quite straightforward, natural and spontaneous.

Nice loose style and a Freudish color pallete.

Future May Be Brighter, but It's Apocalypse Now

Garfield: 'Chaos Scenario' Has Arrived for Media, Marketing - Advertising Age - News

The post-advertising age is under way.

This isn't about the end of commerce or the end of marketing or news or entertainment. All of the above are finding new expressions online, and in time will flourish thanks to the very digital revolution that is now ravaging them. The future is bright. But the present is apocalyptic. Any hope for a seamless transition -- or any transition at all -- from mass media and marketing to micro media and marketing are absurd.

The sky is falling, the frog in the pot has come to a boil and, oh yeah, we are, most of us, exquisitely, irretrievably fucked.

Paintings and Illustration

Don't Panic > Magazine > Structure > SAM WEBER

Sam Weber's paintings are rich in colour, and full of emotion. He paints a dark world of vampires and demons, yet sustains an elegant, classical feel to his illustrations. Jessica Allan spoke to him to find out how, when and where these creations came to life.

How did you develop such a distinctive painting technique? Did you learn it at art school?

Like with most things, I think it developed over time. Art school was a great first step in getting me set on the right path, but I think I made my most important leaps and discoveries afterwards. It's so important to keep pushing yourself after school. Illustration can be very craft oriented, and it takes time to develop the hand and observation skills necessary to make professional looking work. Working in my sketchbook and on personal projects has been essential in developing my body of work.

A very classic textured painting look to his work with a bit of modern design. I like the image of the female Vampire that was on a Comm Arts cover awhile back.

For future thought

The F STOP » Professional Photographers Discuss Their Craft » Article Archive » Is photography really dead?

It’s probably fair to say that because of CGI, traditional studio photography will begin to fade away in the next couple of years. But to make great ‘photographic’ images, as with retouching, a healthy relationship between the CGI studio and photographer still needs to be a part of the image creation process. The role of the photographer is simply evolving, as is ours from just a retouching studio to a full creative production facility. Whilst we have a strong grasp of photographic technique, it’s preferable in many cases to also have a photographer’s eye looking over an image, as they can often help define the lighting and camera angles and spot errors that the untrained eye can’t always see.

So I am on the fence about this one. I was one of the first to call out the end of Photo Labs back in the 90's, but I don't know if photography will go away. I saud all the labs around will go away and there will be a few custom labs left around to do high end art stuff and thats it. Which is pretty much where we are at.

But this discussion about the death of photography we hear now is based on two fronts:

One, video is killing photography. Everything will be motion based and print is dead.

Two, CGI is killing photography. Why have shoot a product when you can just 3d render it.

Here is my main thought on both of these discussions. MONEY.

It all begins and ends with money. You think a retoucher is expensive and time consuming? Have a 3d model built and see what that runs. You think renting a studio for a still shoot is expensive? Add on all the hot lights and grips you need for a motion shoot. Plus sound and video editing. These are more expensive by factors of two all around. Don't forget that all of this take way more time to produce as well and time is money. You are not walking away from the shoot with a rough edit of the commercial to show the client the next day. That is weeks away. Same with 3d for any kind of decent rendering.

So I do not really see photography going away really. but on higher end shoots I see these other aspects being incorporated in the bag of tricks one uses to achieve a final goal. Video for "Harry Potter Newpaper-esque" loops on websites and 3d for incorporating impossible to achieve effects.

Font maker?

Font Generator - Make Your Own Handwriting Font With Your Fonts

# Your own handwriting turned into your very own font for free # Optionally include your signature and digitally sign your contracts # You'll have your very own font within 15 minutes # Make as many fonts as you like # Use your fonts on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux # Personalize your digital scrapbook pages and invitations # Make your own "family handwriting history" # Use your fonts in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and every program that you own

So this is interesting. Blogging it here to come back and test so I don't lose the link. I'll let you know how the results come out.

Jason Leisge's new work

Jason D. Leisge - New in progress stuff

I am adding some new stuff here because its either not finished or its a fresh photo.

These two are done, I just need a healed photo of them.

The black and white phoenix is amazing. Tattooing is such a strange art to me. You have to get in so close to people and then physically hurt them. So it's this very intimate thing in a way with all this trust going on. It's interesting to hang out in the shop when they work.

Cool project

Ghost in the Machine - a set on Flickr

In this series I showcase a number of portraits of musicians made out of recycled cassette tape with original cassette. Also included are portraits made from old film and reels.

So to be clear, they pulled out the tape and used it to draw the portrait. Very cool use of materials.

Man, I like Prints.

MIT Visualizing Cultures

Kiyochika’s War

The energy and artistic skill of the best war prints are all the more remarkable when we keep in mind the haste of their composition. Some sense of the impressive nature of this accomplishment can be gleaned by an overview of prints by Kiyochika, the most esteemed of these artists, who is calculated to have produced more than seventy triptychs during the brief ten months of the Sino-Japanese War. Kiyochika’s impressions of the front ranged from the lyrical to the atrocious, sometimes even bringing these two extremes together.

This image of a sinking ship is my fav.

This and the following link via Plep

challenge! address! engage! -Pffft!

Twiglog » Blog Archive » Charm

The black sheep of the contemporary arts family is commonly supposed to be beauty, but if you are truly determined to be erased from the Blackberries of your creative friends and relatives you should try putting in a good word for charm. The drama-free, accessible beauty of small gestures and quiet moments, charm is simply too nice, an embarrassment best left to historians of the eighteenth century and the home styling pages of middlebrow newspapers. True art is not supposed to be comfortable or easy to live with - it should challenge! address! engage! - and the vital processes of discourse and narrative are expected to convince by argument and assertion, not rely upon the suspect crutches of easy sociability and gentle persuasion.

VIA: Wood S Lot

I agree, so much art is just empty comments on the art world. Navel gazing inside of uglier navel gazing to draw attention to someone else's ugly navel gazing. But I am very cynical as to what is called Fine Art. To me 95% of it is made by rich people or kids of rich people with connections to the galleries, A.K.A. Ryan McGinley.