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

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ABV 5.4%

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Perfect end of day / week brew. Just enough flavor to let you know it's there but not chewy / piney. Hmmm.....

New Tattoo gun?!

Stunning tattoo gun - Core77

Traditional electric coil tattoo machines have barely evolved since their invention in the late 1800's. Still in wide use today, these machines are heavy, awkward, loud, temperamental, and, worst of all, they can't be sterilized in medical grade autoclave machines. This significantly increases chances of spreading blood-borne disease.

Dissatisfied with traditional coil machines, award-winning tattoo artist and inventor Carson Hill set out to create a completely new kind of tattoo technology--the first air-powered tattoo machine.

Iphone pic test

Testing out the wordpress app for the iPhone. This is a shot from Monday up on mt tabor. Nice bike ride...

Ink and water photos

Shinichi Maruyama

As a young student, I often wrote Chinese characters in sumi ink. I loved the nervous, precarious feeling of sitting before an empty white page, the moment just before my brush touched the paper. I was always excited to see the unique result of each new brushing.

Once your brush touches paper, you must finish the character, you have one chance. It can never be repeated or duplicated. You must commit your full attention and being to each stroke. Liquids, like ink, are elusive by nature. As sumi ink finds its own path through the paper grain, liquid finds its unique path as it moves through air.

Remembering those childhood moments, of ink and empty page, I fashioned a large 'brush' and bucket of ink. I get the same feeling, a precarious nervous excitement, as I stand before the empty studio space. Each stroke is unique, ephemeral. I can never copy or recreate them. I know something fantastic is happening, "a decisive moment", but I can't fully understand the event until I look at these captured afterimages, these paintings in the sky.

Simple and yet amazing.

More Long Exposure

Vicki DaSilva Format Magazine Urban Art Fashion

Vicki DaSilva’s photography is bright, bold and undeniably complex. She’s not only behind the camera, but in front of it, carefully crafting the light installations which serve as the subjects for most of her pictures. Though based in Pennsylvania, much of DaSilva’s work was influenced by the time she spent in NYC during the rise of graffiti and hip-hop culture.

What makes her work fascinating is that the effort isn’t apparent, only the skill. Most of her locations are outdoors and they suggest a consciously formed clash between the natural and the artificial, the dark and the light. She uses the words ‘light graffiti’ and ‘light painting’ to describe her work and the terms couldn’t be more fitting. She doesn’t just break through that invisible fourth wall; she leaves her tag all over it.

Using 4ft and 8ft tubes to light paint on a area.

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.

night!

2007 Gallery

New Orleans Nightscapes Gallery 2007

I have always really enjoyed night work.

Pictures!

Holger Pooten Photography

Mood by Gregory Crewdson, some over retouched and some images based off of the chinese guy who does the flying people, but interesting as commercial work.

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.

Yuck

Sick as a dog atm and lots of work to do. Not much blogging going to be going on.

Imagine this was said witty.

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.

New Holiday

This April First I declare a new holiday. The "Stay the Fuck off the Internet Day."

Every year, on April first I shall honor it.

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.

Me want

New Derringer Motorized Bicycles

Derringer is the neo-classical interpretation of a 1920's era board track racing motorcycle, but that's not all.

This revolutionary moto-hybrid was conceived as an exciting new option in highly-efficient transportation. Derringers can be pedaled as a traditional bicycle, propelled via engine power, or pedaled with the assistance of engine power. While under power, the pedals can also remain stationary, allowing you to operate in the style of a traditional motorcycle. Capable of fuel economy ratings that can exceed 150 mpg, Derringers are the first product to take the compromise out of environmentalism, clearly evidenced by the number of customers who purchase a Derringer along with an in-home display stand.

Derringers were specially designed to conform with the legal classification of a motorized bicycle and, in their standard configuration, do not require the motorcycle license endorsement that is necessary to operate scooters and mopeds in most states. As long as the rider is over 16 years of age, no drivers license is required.*

Man, one of these would be cool as hell.

Night photos by Tim Simmons

Tim Simmons – work I like this take on night photos a lot. Very elegant and smooth. I am getting some people together for some night shooting and this is some nice motivational material. Very clean lighting.

I am wondering if I can run my profoto's from my truck without melting the battery.... hmmm....

Font maker?

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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.