Vagary-Art

I am going to China! and doing a spot of fundraising :)

2011-08-14T00:08:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I'm doing last minute fund raising for my trip to China :) I'm selling art cards OR post cards for $5 (payable via paypal). They are hand painted, your choice style & up to 5 colors, your choice subject matter (gimme a photo reference or a clear description of what you want). I will paint & ship up to August 29th (day before my flight). Here are a few examples of my work. You can contact me via the button under my bio on the right of this post. I will respond with the pertinent details. I could reeeally use the extra money right now. Thanks!

Art model resource

2011-03-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

I didn't plan to post again today but I came across this excellent resource and thought I should share it. I'm sure many of you are aware of how difficult it is to find how quality art models, particularly if you are too broke (like me!) to pay for your own live model. This site has both male and female models and photos taken at 360 degrees (from every angle) of the same pose. Each set has around 24 hi res photos for only around $4. So, if you are as serious as I am about anatomical drawing, you definitely should check out this site.

http://www.posespace.com/

*Edit*
I also wanted to add a free resource. Much less extensive but it will do in a pinch. Scroll to the bottom for male and couple models. http://tripodart.net/blog/wp-content/posing.pdf

Rainforest Art Projects

2011-03-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

Currently I'm visiting beautiful, sunny, tropical Puerto Rico and have been wanting to do a related post on it. I wrote this article for another publication but I think you guys will also appreciate it. I am also going to add in photos from my time here in PR and examples of rain forest related artwork (click on the paintings to go to the website I found them on) to inspire you.

Teachers often assign rainforest-themed art projects while they are teaching students about the importance of conservation and saving the animals that are there. These projects can be quite valuable in terms of bringing attention to the role the rainforest plays in the environment and inspiring students to participate and help in any way they can. You can even use rainforest art projects to gain donations that can be used to help the rainforest, animals, plants and people in it.

Role of Arts in Conservation

Art has a unique role in conservation. A soon as ago as the 1800's art was used to document scientific discoveries made in the forest in the form drawings of the unique animals and insects that live there. While the role of documentation is now performed using photographs, art can still be used to help in conservation. Posters, installations, paintings, books and even music (all forms of art) are used to inform people and gain their attention about what is going on in the rain forest as well as to solicit donations and sales.

Animals

Many animals that live in the rainforest under threat of extinction are endangered due to excessive human interference with their habitat. You can highlight the plight of the animals by creating an art project focusing on a single animal type or species. For example you could create a shadow box showing the damage logging causes to monkeys who have no place to live. Or you could show the effects of dehydration on a small wet frog who no longer has access to the flowers he was accustomed to living in by making an audio installation that starts with natural noises slowly being over powered by the sounds of people and habitat destruction.

Plants

Like the animals, many plants in the rainforest are also endangered because of logging or their medicinal uses. Because rainforests are essentially “lungs” for our planet and help to provide oxygen, this destruction is having global effects. To bring attention to this destruction it may be best to put aside paper –also made from trees—and get outside.

Create an interactive art piece such as an installation or performance art that brings attention to this problem while trying to do something about it. For example, an installation in a public place could be made showing alternatives to rainforest derived products. It could also teach people about conservation and general rainforest facts -if desired-- via audio, videos, sculptures, poems, signs, and more. A performance piece can be done in which the artist shows the difficulties of reforesting by planting a tree alone and then seeking help from the audience, thereby involving them in the process. You could also make a painting showing the vast variety of plants that live in the rain forest.

People

The indigenous people of the rainforest also suffer alongside the plants and animals. Some tribes had never seen outsider until as recently as the mid 1900's but they now come in constant contact with people from outside the rain forest. This has resulted in an erosion of the traditions of many of these ancient people and in some cases the complete disappearance of tribes by absorption into larger ethnic groups. This results in the permanent loss of the language, culture and history of these small communities. Highlight this aspect of rainforest life by creating art in the style of these tribes, for example by making animal masks or carving totems. If you have an opportunity you could also make an audio installation of interviews with people from these tribes and their stories.

Updates!

2011-03-07T01:02:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers! I’m sorry I’ve been unable to post for the past two weeks but I have returned with more exciting new posts. Expect an interview with artist Scott Garcia this week, as well as two new tutorials: How to draw using pen and ink & Basic Intro to painting with watercolors. There will also be one extra-long post this week and another next on Behind the art: Installing a world class piece of art. There will be one about Pepon Osorio and the other about Amalia Mesa Bains. I hope you enjoy this week’s posts and please leave a comment if there is something you want me to cover in the coming weeks.

Coming next week

2011-03-04T03:19:00.000-08:00

Just checking in to let you all know that I will be one of Pepon personal helpers assisting with set up on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 from 9-5pm. :D & I will be taking a few days off here because I am also preparing to fly from Albuquerque to Puerto Rico on Wednesday the 16 so I'm taking this next week to get as much work done as I can.

I will, however, have a ton of new articles, how-tos and reviews for you next week. I'm working on about 30 articles for the blog right now that I will be adding periodically so expect some new content soon.

Sorry about the wait regarding artist of the week. Josue is busy with his band "Ser.es" but as soon as he answers the interview questions I will post them here. In the meantime I am preparing 2 more artist of the week specials. One will be about a carver named Scott Garcia and the other is El Moises.

Have a great week! Next week I'll start posting graffiti pics from Puerto Rico.

Here's are some ser.es videos I found on youtube (Josue is the singer):

Introducing: El Moises, Artist of the Week February 14-21

2011-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

I met Moises in late 2010 at a barbecue for artists given at the home of Scott Garcia and I was super excited by his stimulating, textural and graphic style. This interview was given on February 13, 2011 and you will find even more awesome pictures after the break.

First off, lets get an idea for who you are and where you are coming from:

Who are you? My name is Moisés. I also go by El Moisés, a name that everyone had problems pronouncing throughout my life. To simplify, people would call me Moses. I hated that. So I force people to see my name on my work by only Moisés.

Do you consider yourself an artist? Why or why not? I am an artist. I have known I was an artist since I was around 6 years old. My kindergarten teacher showed me a few books about other artists that had the same drive as I do. I didn’t know what an artist was until she explained, “These are artists just like you Moisés”. I then realized in these books the artists had lifetime commitments to what they did and I fell in love with the idea of doing this forever.

How did you know you wanted to be an artist? Did you grow up creating or was it something you found as an adult? Was your family supportive?
As far as family support, my parents did not really know that I was going to be a full-time artist. They probably just thought I was a kid scribbling with crayons. My father tried pushing me in other directions so I could have a successful career. My mother thought what I was doing was cool. I have always known that I had to follow my instinct of making art.

Now I'd like to learn more about your art.

What mediums do you create in? I work in a lot of mediums: wood, paper maché, a lot of recycle/reuse art but my strong is acrylics on anything. I have worked with oils, but oils do not work with my technique.

Is there a particular genre or style that you create in? Why do you create in that genre/style? What’s the history behind it and your own history with it?
My work is more contemporary due to the fact that I am still using friends, family, and culture as a reflection through art. Art imitates life. Growing up Mexican-American and with some Native American in my family has really brought forth what I am and what I do.

How much time do you spend creating art? Do you study other people’s style and art history to learn? Or are you one of those that prefer not “contaminate” their vision? Do you incorporate other skills (beading for example) into your main type of art? Do you think “stealing” other artists style, imagery, colors or ideas to incorporate into your art is a good or bad thing? Why or why not?
I stole from every master artist as a child. I would trace coloring books and copy adds from flyers and newspapers. I believe this has developed who I am today simply learning from the best. I later developed my own style some how, some way. I spend a lot of private time still learning. I use colors that are bright from a more folk art perspective. I incorporate a contemporary perspective on a traditional idea. Sometimes my work will have kooky ideas with serious work. My work is very narrative. All of it tells a story.

Moises You have a particularly unique style that I love. Where did you come up with this pop-y, bright, textural look? How did it develop? Your art has a bit of “street art” vibe and I’ve noticed you also paint motorcycles. Is that where you got your start as a painter? (doing graffiti or car painting)
Yes, definitely. My father always worked on cars from body work to paint. My father had a few lowriders, so you can see where the street vibe came from. My technique came from years of drawing and painting. It just happened one day when I wasn’t looking for it. As far as the bright colors I just love bright colors, no explanation. My work has been accepted by a diverse public from street motorcycles to CD covers and so on. This is something that I have been blessed with and give thanks to God everyday.

Many of the people who read my blog are interested in becoming artist, so I would like to ask you a few questions about your life style.
Do you make a living from your art or do you earn expenses from a job? What is it? Give me a ballpark estimate of your yearly income from art alone, please.
Put it this way, I have been making a living off of my artwork since I was 12 years old. I used to hustle drawings for $1. At times, I would make $200 a week. My dad used to think I was selling drugs. I started selling paintings as a teenager in the thousand-dollar range. I do not really keep track of money in a way an accountant would. Yes, I am a full-time artist and make a living from my art.

How are you able to make a living (if you do) from art? How is your art marketed and sold? Do you do it yourself? Have an art manager to take care of it or leave it all to a gallery? Why?
I have been marketing my own work forever. I have organized exhibits as a young man. I watched how the pros did it and I found some things I did not like. I would select the strategies I used and created my own innovative ways. I found that doing things my way was the best. Being greedy or stepping on people was not one of them. I believe in educating the public on my art pieces. It has always been a blessing to sell my work. Currently I am professionally represented by Kenneth Lingad, 1680PR. This gentleman has been a true friend and brother. We work on the same concept of creativity.

Are you able to take care of your family on your art income (if pertinent)? If not, why not, if so, what does your family think of your career? Does being an artist ever cause friction in your relationships? Do you work from a home studio or have a separate one? If you have a home studio, do distractions ever become an issue? How do you deal with them?
Yes, this is what I do full-time. I have no other job. As a matter of fact I have the best job, being a father! I am always comfortable knowing that my children are safe and well fed. No one else can do that but mom and dad. My art does not get in the way of my relationship. As a matter of fact, my wife is the one that told me to quit my career and paint full-time….talk about being supportive. Art actually helps our family relationship. My kids make art with dad. My wife also helps me with earrings or priming “prep work”. I think if we didn’t have art in the house, that could affect a whole relationship.
I work from home. I do have a studio but find myself working close to my family in the dining room. I like to make sure my kids are cool.

Now I'd like to ask you about your beliefs in terms of the role art plays in society:Did you go to art school (university)? Why or why not? What do you think about the state of art education in schools (K-12)? What is the importance of an education in the arts? How do you feel it might help society?
No art school. I am a self-taught artist. I did not go to art school because I was too busy painting. And yes, art education is extremely important. I wish my children would receive more of it in school! Art is very therapeutic for the young and old. Art has always made an impact on society through advertising, self-expression, and even political movements. You just can’t get away from art.

What is the role/function of the artist in society? Is art meaningful or simply decorative? SHOULD it be meaningful or simply decorative?
Art is very meaningful to who ever appreciates it. As far as decorative, it could be depending on what is being decorated, a bridge or a wall behind your couch. Decorating is completely up to the buyer or collector. I enjoy creating and decorating our home with art.

Should art be a commodity/investment? What do you think of the current state of the art world (few artists selling for millions while other cant sell, “spam art” or hyper commercial art, “art speak”, folk/primitive artists vs “real” artists, etc)
You just answered your own question. Art is a diverse market and it could have a high price tag money wise or a high price tag emotionally and/or historically. As far as selling art, I do not keep up with what is selling and what is not. I am amazed when I do hear or read about a piece selling for millions at an auction. I am very happy to hear that kind of news because it lets me know that there are people out there that are very crazy about art. There is nothing wrong with that.

Moises, where can I buy your art? Got a website?My art can be purchased directly from me. My website is www.artedemoises.com . I am also on Facebook. All of these links can be found on my website which I recently refreshed.

More of Moises' art! and an update.

2011-02-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

So, today was the first day of set up for the show. It was exhausting but a lot of fun. I took a ton of photos of every step of the process so you all can see what goes into setting up an installation of this scale. It will be a few days before I get a chance to edit the pics and write the post, so expect it next weekend. See more art below:

In even more important news, I have scored interviews with both Pepon Osorio AND Amalia Mesa-Bains and I'm hoping they will both agree to Artists of the Week. Expect these interviews sometime in March!

And now for some more of Moises' fabulous art :)

Announcing Feb. 14- 21 Artist of the Week: El Moises

2011-02-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

Hello all!
Today I am happy to announce this weeks Artist of the Week is El Moises (image is of the artist with a piece):

El Moises is a kicka$$ contemporary artist based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico but originally from Phoenix, Arizona. His work is visually exciting, graphic and textural (as well as being some of the most exciting work I've seen in a while).
I will be putting the interview with him up on Wednesday but in the mean time I plan post a picture of some of his work every day of this week. Here is the first:

Check out more of Moises' work at http://www.artedemoises.com/.

516arts show update

2011-02-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

I contacted Rhiannon Mercer, the assistant director of 516arts and told her of my interest in helping to set up this show and specifically with Pepon if possible. She is making up the schedule today and I will definitely be participating with set up in some way although I don't yet know if I will meet or work with Pepon personally. I will try to get some kind of interview with him if at all possible. Excuse my fan girl behavior but I'm super excited :D
I will keep you all informed of everything that happens. Here is some of Pepon's art for you to enjoy in the mean time.

Image of Amalia Mesa-Bains piece for the show from 516arts website

"Drowned in a Glass of Water," 2010. Photo credit: Charles Giuliano From art:21

Textos Entretejidos 2004, the installation workshop I participated in.

"My Beating Heart" 2000 image from The Art Blog

"La bicicleta" 1985 Photo by Tony Velez on PBS

"La Cama" 1987 image from AUCA150Art

and my favorite, "Lonely Soul" 2008 photo by Pepon Osorio

For your convenience!

2011-02-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

I'm working hard to clean up the look of this blog, create good content and use decent hacks to make the blog easier to use. Check out the new share buttons I've installed to make it easier for you to show the blog to your friends.
Let me know what else I can do to make this blog better using the contact me button on the left side of the page. :)

Pepon Osorio at 516arts in Albuquerque, New Mexico Feb.19th - May 14 2011. OMG!

2011-02-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

So, through a fluke of fate or luck or gods know what, I entered the wrong search parameters into google when finding links for my last post and randomly discovered something amaaaazing. The local gallery I love/hate and volunteered at is participating in "Latina/o Visual Imaginary: Intersection of Word & Image" a show running from February to May as part of the "East Coast/Southwest—Latino Literary Imagination: Narrative Voices and the Spoken Word" biregional conferance. By some vile quirk of fate this show opens just 2 days after I leave Albuquerque forever to return to Puerto Rico, before moving to China. This sucks, to put it lightly and has got me a bit down. I cut ties with this gallery in disgust with some of the IMO crappy shows they were doing about a year ago and boy am I regretting it now. I am trying to suck up to a few pertinent people to see if there is any way I can help with the installation this but I'm not counting on it. I will let you know if I manage to participate though and will try to get an interview with Pepon Osorio if possible!

If you want to learn more, go here for more information. I can guarantee you that this show will be excellent so you should definitely go in my place! Let me know if you attend and gimme all the details!

Concept art: is it really that lame??

2011-02-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Today’s musing is going to be about concept art. I know many people outside the art world do not see the value of concept as art but I am absolutely convinced that art is no more than a pretty image without an “idea” behind it. So today I am going to tell about how I met Pepon Osorio (with no clue of how important he was) and fell in love with installations and concept art.

Once upon a time after I had been studying poetry writing at the UPR for a few years I randomly found a flier advertising the opening of the new art building. There would be a workshop on installation building with Pepon Osorio. I decided to go and met a hyper active, grouchy, bossy older man (Osorio) who was constantly shouting. It was more an assistantship than a workshop but I did learn quite a bit. We started with conceptualization and the idea that the piece should be silver. We used recycled materials and built a large chandelier type thing and covered rocks in tin foil. This was the point where I began to realize that anything and everything could be art. It was also where I learned about the art school I eventually attended. I did not enjoy the experience at the time and have only recently come to understand how valuable the experience was and to what extent it shaped my view of art.

I think (this is purely my view and probably not shared by other artists) that conceptualization and intent is an essential part of any art piece. But when it comes to concept art, the idea is everything. The physical aspect of the piece can be anything but without that idea (usually expressed in the choice of name) the piece is meaningless and IMO, without any value. The thing I absolutely hate about concept art is that it has become an excuse to show crappy, half assed work with no thinking behind it. The industry seems willing to accept anything under the term “concept art” without analysis or thought and this, to me, is immensely stupid. The whole POINT of concept art is to make you think, analyze, question, justify, rationalize and even argue about the art. It is not to write a 7 page rationalization or justification of your crappy piece. If I can not find a meaning in a piece with the name, observing it and reading the same short blurb any other piece would get, well, the piece was probably not very well conceptualized and it isn’t clear. I mean, we don’t all have to come to the same conclusion or perspective but we should all be able to come to A conclusion or perspective without reading some long rationalization.

After the workshop with Pepon (Textos Entretejidos: Instalacion/Perfomance/Memoria 2004) I did some research on him and learned a bit more about his work. He is an installation artist who makes surprisingly complex pieces and got his start as a social worker. I think this background gives his work an emotional depth that I haven’t seen in other work. His work centers on the family, politics and culture and IMO communicates emotions rather powerfully.

As for specific concept pieces that I find effective, I thought I’d bring up Hirst since I have been researching him for another post. In general I find Hirst work to be very over rated and overpriced but I did come across one piece of his that I liked and a deconstruction of one of his pieces by another artist. “A Thousand Years,” Hirst’s piece in which generations of flies are born and die while consuming rotting meat in an enclosed glass box. The concept is of life and death is one that has always interested me and along with the short, meaningful name, I think it is a perfect example of a well thought out piece of concept art. It is engaging and absolutely commands a response of some kind from the viewer. The other piece that I was amused by was “Black Sheep” the deconstruction by Mark Bridger of Hirst’s “Away from the Flock” in which Bridger poured black into the formaldehyde tank containing a sheep. I found Bridger’s deconstruction to be more thoughtful and clever than Hirst’s original piece.

Art as commodity: Hirst & the value of "art"

2011-02-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

I was asked to do a review of Damien Hirst and while I originally planned to do so referring to concept art, my complex feelings towards his work have convinced me to approach him from an easier angle. Today I want to write again about “art as a commodity” and how value is placed on a piece. I’ve said before that I do not believe “talent” to be essential to become an “artist” and I think this statement is embodied in Hirst. It is well known that much of “his” work is created by assistants, with him doing the conceptualizing. I read on his Wikipedia page that an assistant once asked him for one of his dot paintings and he told her to paint one herself since she had done others. I can’t remember his exact response but it was in the vein of “the only difference between my work and yours is the money” which I think illustrates exactly my point. I personally have a complex view when it comes to assistants although it may simply be because I will probably never have any, though heavens knows that I could be doing much larger and more complex work with a few. My point being that I do believe conceptualization is a major component of creating a piece. On the other hand I also believe that if an “artist” signs off claiming a piece, that piece had damn well better have had some work beyond "I thought it up!" (conceptualization) done by that artist.

Hirst is, if I am not mistaken, one of, if not the richest artist now living and his works commands prices in the millions. I contrast this with some of the highly accomplished and beautiful art that I have purchased for as little as $10. I can see the literal monetary value in some of his work, for example “for the Love of God” his diamond encrusted skull. The diamonds alone are worth millions so it stand to reason the price for the art would be relatively high, but after you have made back the creation and upkeep costs, how do you come up with a value? How does one justify the difference between an installation made for a few thousand dollars and sold for millions?

So art is a commodity but who decides what is worth buying and for how much? Obviously the great investors of the art world (Saatchi, et al) are to some extant responsible for driving up prices but why are the rest of us going along with them? I’ve known a few famous artists in my time and have no problem with the self important attitude many of them have and the tendency to command others to assist with their art (I’ll post about that some other time). But I have noticed a difference in attitude between the very successful artists and those neighborhood artists that I know: the artist whose work sells for $1,000's+ KNOWS the value of what he does. Even before he got to the point of commanding such high prices, he was completely convinced of the value and validity of his work, and somehow, others become convinced of it too. I think this is where basic psychology and all that power of positive thinking crap comes in but after floating around the sidelines of the art world for a few years I am convinced that the major part of art is purely mental. I think many of these guys THINK themselves into a higher tax bracket by convincing others of their worth.

Essentially, what I’m saying is, if I create a piece and manage to convince ONE PERSON, the right person, of how immensely valuable it is, I become a hot commodity, I become an “Artist” in a different way than I am right now. So, my question is: what’s stopping you? It’s time to believe in yourself as an artist.

How the way people speak of art shows arts role in culture

2011-02-04T04:13:00.000-08:00

I have recently been reading a lot more art news in an attempt to make better posts here on Vagary Art. During some of this reading I came across something that interested me greatly. In a regular newspaper, not an art magazine or art blog, I came across the description of a recent art show in which the artist is described as “creating a dialogue (with the public)” (traer un dialogo). This struck me since it is a phrasing and concept I have never come across when reading English daily newspapers or even in regional art newspaper (although it does come up in arts magazines). Essentially the idea behind this phrasing is communicating to the common people, not the high art world, that they have a role to play in art. By viewing a piece, they are participating in a “conversation” with the artist or creating a discourse. This concept accepts the influence of viewers on art, a piece of art on other art and society in general while it invites the viewer to respond in turn instead of simply viewing the piece in a vacuum.

This is a sharp contrast to what I have observed while living in the United States where many times art is seen as unnecessary and as the realm of the elite. On discussing this idea with a friend she suggested that those artists who do accept and embrace this idea of “creating a dialogue” are looked down on here, and their work is considered “folk” or “craft” art, essentially “not real art.”

This society seems to be pushing art out of common life and isolating it, with graffiti and tattoo artists picking up the slack and bringing art into society. This interests me because I find local tattooist to be more “artists” here than “transcribers of images” the way they are in Puerto Rico, but on the other hand, the level of accomplishment in graffiti art locally is nothing like that found in Puerto Rico. The reason for this, IMO, is the view (here in Albuquerque) that public art (graffiti) is a visual nuisance. For example, a local artist has recently gone around painting rainbows down the sides of ugly buildings in an attempt to entice people to look up and smile. His resulting jailing for this attempt at public discourse is in sharp contrast to the work of artists like Sofia Maldonado whose enormous graffiti works in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico became a celebrated focal point that inspired others to beautify the urban center.

As I find myself developing as an artist and figuring out what kind of art I want to create, these socio-cultural differences take on greater importance in my mind. I’ve come to believe that establishing a discourse is absolutely essential to creating “art” versus simply an attractive image. At the same time I am disturbed by how little importance is given to art and the role of art in society in many places which suggests to me a sort of cultural retardation. Not in the sense of becoming “less intelligent” but rather a slowing or reversal. Someone has suggested to me that the current atmosphere of art censorship is almost a cultural inquisition.

The responsibility of being an artist?

2011-02-04T03:57:00.000-08:00

Image by Theresa Canino for Primera Hora:

I recently read in Autogiro that Antonio Martorell, a well known Puerto Rican artist had chosen to remove his art from the Puerto Rican Supreme Court in protest of the current political climate there. This brings in a topic that I think I have sort of broached in my other posts: the socio-cultural responsibility of being an artist. Is it our place, as creators, interpreters and communicators of culture (art), to act/protest in an attempt to change society/culture/politic policies? Is it like that poem: When they came for the jews, I did nothing… when they came for me, there was no
one to do anything (I’m paraphrasing). Do we, as artists, have a responsibility to use art to make political/cultural/social statements?

See Martorell's art after the break

Martorell disagreed with the political policies and actions of the current administration and felt that he could not and would not lend his support to that administration by leaving his art there. By removing his art he sends a clear statement that the policies are unacceptable to him. Would leaving his art there have implied that he agreed with those policies? Was it a sort of way to punish the government? Was his action some kind of publicity stunt? I personally have no idea but I love the thought of it. How important is the role I play as an artist in society? Hypothetically if I (and all artists) decided to remove my(our) art from society to make a point or even just to punish society for it's behavior, would that truly have an effect at all on society? How important is the role that art plays in society? I don’t mean just the visual arts either, since, at least in Latin countries, there is a long standing tradition of political music and writing. What would happen if all of that disappeared and all that was left was essentially cultural spam?

I have to say I agree with Martorell’s decision to remove his art although I have to wonder at his timing. The present administration of Puerto Rico has been working to remove funding from many cultural institutions, including the Escuela de Artes Plasticas, the only art university in Puerto Rico, but the protests for this were over a year ago. Timing is everything when it comes to protesting so I wonder what exactly his reasoning was for doing this now (please note that I do not have as much info about what is going on in Puerto Rico as I would like so there may be something else going on politically). And for all I agree with protesting I have to wonder if his art has been completely removed from the public eye or if it has simply been transferred to a more positive environment. After some thought I have come to the conclusion that removing art as a sort of punishment may result in a cultural “dumbing down” that will leave only the detritus of the art world.

*edit: Martorell removed his art to protest the present governor's creation of two new court justice positions. This means his statement is purely political and an issue of him taking personal responsibility to have no relationship with said government. I for one applaud his actions.

"From here to there" Image from the New York Times

Gestuario Image from NCC news

Check out these books featuring the work of Martorell:

Coming soon: Artist of the week

2011-01-30T21:14:00.000-08:00

Starting this month (February) Vagary Art will have an extensive interview with an artist discussing their art and views on the current state of the artistic industries. I'm hoping to do this at least twice a month. The interviewees will be all manner of artists, from visual arts, designers, sculptors, to musicians, poets and film makers. If you know an exceptional artist, successful or not, contact me using the form on the left or below and drop me a link to some of their work.

The first ever Vagary Art artist of the week will feature Josue Gonzalez, my personal favorite artist and a great friend. Here is a preview of some of his art:

To art school or not to art school: the value debate

2011-01-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

Selling Art to the Community, Or Applying the Principles of Publicity to the Department of School Art

In the spirit of disclosure I must admit that I did go to art school although my path to it was rather random. I first encountered art in elementary school, when I lived in the United States. My teacher Melanie Megyassi, thought I was brilliant at a time when my other teachers seriously thought that I might be mentally retarded. Thanks to her, I participated in dozens of children's competitions and won quite a few of them. In seventh grade I moved to Puerto Rico and the arts are not a normal part of the average student’s education there. I did not have another art class until I was in eleventh grade and in time, I forgot much of my love for art. I went to college to study English language, in hopes of becoming a poet, and it was there that I rediscovered my love of art. I participated in an installation creation workshop given by Pepon Osorio, an interesting artist, but who seemed like kind of a jerk. The experience did give me back the feeling of infinite potential that I had lost.

There's an ongoing debate that I myself have experienced, and that is the argument about the value of art school. Those who did study art consider those who don't to be primitive (also called "folk") artists and these artists are shown in special galleries dedicated to showing off their tendency to buck educational trends. On the other hand, these so-called primitive artists think that those who go to art school are foolish. More than once, I have had the unfortunate experience of participating in a conversation with artist friends, who did not go to art school and then proceeded to talk about how foolish those who do go to art school are. While I can certainly appreciate their taking offense at essentially being considered second-class citizens of the art world, there are also times that I can understand completely why their art is called primitive and considered uneducated.

An arts education is valuable. Not so much because of what you might learn in class as what you will learn from all of your peers. The opportunity to explore different types of art, not just painting or drawing or sculpture, but things like stained-glass working or bead making, or installation making, film, graphic art, videography and so much more. These different types of art and different histories and perspectives on arts are important. They can make you think and become a better artist. I have heard people say, in a mocking tone, comments such as “I don't look at other peoples work, because it might contaminate my perspective.” That seems to me to be the biggest bullshit I have ever heard, and it is an excuse to remain ignorant.

While I do believe that art schools should be less xenophobic in direction and accept the value of other types of art without labeling them as primitive, I still feel that they are valuable. Art school is where you go to free yourself from stagnation and potential stagnation. As an artist it is far too tempting to figure out what I do well and stick with it. But if I did that I would never grow to be a better artist. So even though I can't pay to return to art school right now, I continue trying to learn in the manner I learned at art school, by looking at others' work, going to classes, talking to people, analyzing and paying attention. I do believe that you can become an artist without going to art school and that your art will not necessarily be any more primitive than an art school graduates. But I also believe the experience of art school is extremely valuable. Besides learning about a variety of artistic mediums, you learn the value of criticism as a means to grow as an artist and you learn art speak, to talk bullshit to get what you want, skills which are very difficult and painful to learn on your own.

Should art outlast the artist?

2011-01-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

I love the ephemeral nature of art, and I'm not just saying that. I believe that the value of art comes from its transient nature. Graffiti artists, concept artists and installation artists seem to understand this nature instinctively. I understand that this point of view is not common to the art world. In fact this industry seems to be geared mostly towards making as much money as possible from as few artists as possible, saving some pieces for hundreds of years. Take Picasso for example. What is his value now? What do his pieces mean? Of course his art sells for millions of dollars, something I find vaguely obscene considering that most artists die impoverished. Then again art is now considered an investor's market because of the very transient nature of art and artists. The fact that artists die effectively limits the supply of their art, which automatically jacks up the price, whether the piece is worthwhile or even good.
This puzzles me. Isn't arts meant to be about expressing the now? What value does a piece by an artist, even one as great as Picasso, hold for me as an artist now? Certainly I can learn from his example by seeing his art and studying it, but I will never see his art face-to-face. His work, like that of so many other brilliant artists, is kept locked away from the public in special rooms owned by the elite. And yet, all art fades in time and its meaning is eroded by changing history. I can learn from the history but it would be pointless for me to imitate it. There would be no value in it, either for me as an artist or for the art world at large. I celebrate the deconstructionists who understood that the very process of degradation, aging, and destruction was an art form unto itself. Instead of being angry or upset at a pieces loss or damage, they would incorporate that damage into the piece, make it a part of the piece; integral, functional and necessary.

I find that for me the best way to celebrate the nature of art is to accept that it is transient and ephemeral. What I create now will have little or no meaning tomorrow but it is beautiful because it shows me the value of today. And so unlike most artists I'm not sad when a piece of mine is damaged or destroyed or altered by another artist and not because I do not value my own work, as some have implied. Rather, I know that art was only mine while I was making it and when I was done I gave it to the world.

The role of art in the rehabilitation of youth offenders

2011-01-21T18:38:00.000-08:00

inside/out: a Guide to Arts & Arts Education Resources for Children and Teens in San Francisco
I was a volunteer guide/translator and then an intern at a gallery in Albuquerque by the name of 516arts a few years ago. This gallery is (was?) a non profit and focused on education rather than sales. They had a very strong education program. I think the coordinator has since left the art world, overwhelmed by the same sense of disillusionment that attacks so many young artists. But before then I learned a great deal from him. One of his (in my opinion) most important projects was a program he set up with a local juvenile detention center to have groups of these young boys brought to the gallery. These were as far as I know, low level youth offenders, not say, murderers or repeat offenders, so they had field trip priviledges. Sadly, the man from the detention center told us that around 80% of these kids were back in the center before a year had passed. This was seriously crushing for me even though I only saw most of these kids once and I was only able to participate maybe 4 times. Today I am going to describe what we would do and why I believe in this type of project and it's role in the rehabilitation of offenders. I also believe it wouldwork with adults and I hope I get a chance to pursue it again at a later date.

The kids, all boys between 12 and 19 (most around 15) would be brought in by bus after a day of activity and running around, so most were already grouchy and trying very hard to not be impressed. They didn't want to be there and couldn't see the point of it, but they knew they had to be on their best behavior so they could participate in the next outing. The boys would be seperated in groups of 3 or 4 and taken around the gallery where we would show them the art and try to make it meaningful for them. They would get to ask questions about the art and artists and then they would leave.

This discription doesn't really explain much though, so now I will tell you what I did and why and the results of it.

There are two men who bring the boys, one white young man who volunteers with Americorps and an older Native man who kept the boys in line. The gallery's education coordinator, another priviledged white male (his words, not mine) and myself, the only non male, non white person who worked at the gallery. This made me an instant minority which may have helped since of the group of 15-20 boys invariably there were only one or two white boys, a similar number of black boys (shocking in this area that has a very tiny black population) and the rest were Native or Hispanic. I would usually have the boys keeper stay with my group at first but he would invariably end up with the one of the other groups. The other guides and the edu. coordinator would generally give the kids the same tour that they would anyone else, a well educated tour using some complex terms but very little depth or analysis of the work. I had a rather different style and in my opinion it worked best when we were showing politial work. I would take advantage of my similarities with the students (poor, non white minority who grew up in a crappy area) to convince them to "feel" the art. They would usually start off being sarcastic or smart alecky and saying rude or sexist comments which I ignored at first (if necessary I would respond in an appropriate manner depending on the kid, usually just showing that I wouldnt take shit and they would be kicked out if they didnt STFU, but this was always a last resort and rarely necessary). What I noticed is that the kids respond best to honesty. They could tell that for me the art wasnt just a pretty picture like it was for the other guides and they could also tell that I wasn't educated in the same Western-centric manner that exoticisizes other types of art. Essentially I would hold them all hostage in front of a painting until they felt something and if they didn't I would tell them what I felt. One of my favorite moments was when all three groups met in front of one print and the other guides were giving history and so on. I asked my kids what it made them feel and what they thought it said. The image was of a cross type shape with flames (I cant remember the name of it, I will add it later if I remember) and the title was something political. For me it was a very obvious reference to racism and this countries violent history, while my white peers were arguing quite forcefully that it was definitely not and that it was something to do with religion. The kids were watching us in real surprise, as much because we were arguing as that art could have many different interpretations. I think I eventually stole the floor and told them all that niether of us were wrong because the only value art has is the individual value we each put into it. And then I asked my group WTF they were doing and why and told them I never wanted to see them again (in that context). I think I convinced one or two to become artists by telling them to not waste their lives and instead express their anger in art and show the world what they felt instead of hurting themselves. I never found out what happened to the kids afterward. But I remember that once my entire group shook my hand, of their own accord, those rude little punks who had made vulgar comments just an hour before. That moved me and still does and I hope I am worthy of the respect those kids showed me. The kids minder also thanked me and shook my hand and the art educator told me something about planting seeds and that you can't see what grows. I dont know if anything has but I sure hope so.

Anyway, I don't think this is as clear as my usual posts but it is something that is difficult for me to explain.

I think, if you can put yourselves on an equal level with kids like these, instead of looking down at them and trying to "educate" them, they respond really well. Most don't like the life they live but they have no other options. Give them the gift of art, real art, not art-speak bullshit. They feel, most just can't find a safe way to show it. I think art gives them power and the ability to control some aspect of their lives, however small.

If any of you decide to start or participate in a program like this, please tell me about it & if you want info or advice, leave a comment with your email and I will contact you :)

Using animal bones in sculptures

2011-01-19T22:51:00.000-08:00

Incorporating animal bones into your art piece may serve as an interesting way to make a statement or start a conversation about topics that might not otherwise come up. Because of the nature of bones (and really any bodily fluid or part), a great deal of significance is typically attributed to pieces that use them, whether that was the artist's intention or not. This is something to consider before you begin. Expect that your piece will automatically make a "statement" on a subject if there is a natural connection. Use this to your advantage by making a meaningful piece of art.

Step 1

Determine what you are trying to say. This is important because when using body parts, people almost always infer or add meaning to a piece, whether it is the artist's intent or not. You can use this tendency to add depth to your piece, even if your work is really purely superficial or kitschy. For example, you might have simply found a cool wolf skeleton while out on a hike but when you incorporate it into a sculpture, for example by reasembelling the skeleton and dipping it in gold, it becomes a statement. In this case, you may simply be playing around or being kitsch but the piece could also be interpreted as a commentary on how society's love for "things" comes at the expense of "beings." For good or bad, many people automatically assume artists are "deep." Play off this image to gain a reputation as "a serious artist" and gain a stronger foothold in the art world.

Step 2

Prepare appropriately. Bones have germs and some look quite ugly. A simple bleach solution can clean them up and kill germs while bleaching them white. If you like the mottled or yellowed look of your bone but it has bits of remains, boil it in a pot you will never use for cooking, until the flesh comes off. The bone should keep it's color and most of the germs will be gone. If you're feeling lazy or want the bone exactly as is (gunk and all) pick it up with gloves and lacquer it to seal in germs and keep it looking the same. Use a matte formula if you hate shine.

Step 3

Remember that your materials are one of the most important parts of building any sculpture. You aren't going to gild a statue made of bones hot glued together (or you shouldn't, the glue will melt and the bones seperate). The better the quality of your supplies, the longer your piece will last and the more you can charge for it.

Step 4

Use bones wherever it "feels" right. There really are no rules on how a sculpture should look (just make sure it can stand alone) so if you want to drill bone to make jewelry, use bones from a variety of different animals to build a new one or simply need a bone to show through the clothing of your paper mache rendition of Red Riding Hood's wolf dressed as grandma, you can.

How to paint in sepia

2011-01-19T22:38:00.001-08:00

Vere Foster's painting for beginners: Facsimiles of original studies in sepia
A course of sepia painting: First series
Sepia, an interesting style done in shades of brown, is most commonly seen in photographs and some colored pencil drawings, but it can be particularly effective and attractive in painting. The most difficult part of painting in sepia tones is finding or mixing the colors, otherwise it would be virtually identical to converting colors to shades of gray. The major difference being that instead of black you will have the darkest red-orange-brown shade at one end of the scale and white at the other.

Step 1

Buy your paints or mix them. If you can't find a dark brown that seems right, try making your own by mixing burnt sienna with raw umber and shades of red and orange until you reach the darkest sepia shade you prefer. You also should have white paint.

Step 2

Create a shade scale, the same as you would create a gray scale, using white at one end and dark sepia at the other. A mix that is equal parts white and brown should be in the middle and the scale should lighten toward the white while it darkens toward the brown.

Step 3

Draw the picture you plan to paint or do an under painting (you can use non-sepia tones to create the under painting if desired).

Step 4

Paint the image using only your sepia tones. Where you would normally use a black mixture to make shadows, use your darkest sepia tones; for highlights, sun dappling or reflections, use your lightest sepia tones. The majority of the image will probably be painted using the middle shades of your scale.

Evans Paintings: Sepia Explanation [http://www.evanspaintings.com/sepiaexplanation.html]Moon Gallery: Sepia [http://www.moongallery.com/sepia.htm]

Creating an animated movie.

2011-01-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

Creating an animation is a simple but labor intensive process. Be prepared to spend days, weeks, months or even years drawing (either by hand or using a digital application) to make an animation that lasts only a few seconds. While it can be a bit of a hassle it can be a satisfying experience to create an animation like those of Hayao Miyazaki, creator of My Neighbor Totoro, or Walt Disney.

Step 1

Create or find a story that can be done in animation. Keep in mind that it can take as many as 60 cells (drawings) to create a second of image so don't be ambition for your first attempt. Pick something simple and consider not doing an entire story. Instead you can draw a process like a butterfly fluttering around, a dog running or a child kicking a ball.

Step 2

Draw a starting image. This picture should have the main character in a ready position to do whatever it needs to do, so don't draw a man facing left if he needs to walk right, or you will have to draw him turning around. You can draw in pencil but outline the drawing in pen and erase the pencil when you are done to make the image clearly visible for the next step. Label the drawing with a one in a corner.

Step 3

Tape the drawing to your light box, then carefully align a plain sheet of paper over it and tape that.

Step 4

Observe your piece of paper. It should be thin enough to see the previous drawing through the sheet.

Step 5

Draw the next step on this second page using the original drawing as a base. For example if a man is walking, he doesn't go from foot on the ground to foot in the air instantly. You will need to outline the previous drawing and then alter it Infinitesimally. So this second image should be virtually identical to the first except a foot might be slightly turned upward. Write a number 2 in a corner of this sheet.

Step 6

Untape the first sheet and tape the second onto the light box. Create the third page exactly as you did the second. It will take as many as 60 to 100+ drawings for your character to move a few steps so keep the image as simple as possible. Continue adding the numbered finished drawings onto a stack, while using the previous drawing to make the next step until your character has done what it needs to do.

Step 7

Scan each image and save them as labeled and numbered files.

Step 8

Use a movie making program to string the images together in order to make your animation. There are many kinds of animation software with different directions so make sure you know how to use yours.

Pro tip!
Animation becomes more difficult as more details are added. This is why most cartoons do not feature complex shading, detailed leaves and grass or hair that isn't a solid color. While you can take the time to color your animation do not do so until after you have finished using it to draw the next picture. It may also be easier for you to do only simplistic line drawings until you have gotten the skill down.

Integrating art into a college prep curriculum

2011-01-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

Oftentimes, arts education falls to the wayside when it comes time for students to prepare for college. Art programs are usually the first to be trimmed from budgets, although statistics show that students that participate in the arts (e.g., music, theater, dance and visual art) are more likely to succeed in school. Susan Sclafani, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, considers art education to be "Vital to young people's success in school and in life." The arts can be integrated with even an ambitious college preparatory course with relative ease.

Step 1

Go over your curriculum. Most college prep courses focus on subjects like math and science while placing less attention on subjects like Language Arts ("English") and history.

Step 2

Look for classes that students need to improve in or where an incentive might help. Don't just aim for the "important" ones. Real world skills like knowing foreign languages, design or management skills can all be integrated into an arts and college prep focused course.

Step 3

Approach the subject from as many angles as possible. History is not just reading dry facts; it is also music, plays and art from that period, and how people dressed, spoke and thought. Science is not just charts of data; it is also the beautiful and strange vision of viruses and microbes through a microscope, tools designed to help people around the world and far reaching global effects. Many people approach these subjects as if they were isolated islands of information, but they are interrelated.

Step 4

Decide on ways for students to show or interact with what they are learning artistically. For example, have students in a natural science class draw realistic trees using only charcoal pencils so they also learn about shade scales. Or you could have students create an interpretive dance, musical or play about an important recent event such as an oil spill to explore the environmental effects, history of similar situations and even politics and ethics.

Step 5

Draw together as many subjects as possible. If your students are learning design, introduce them to textiles from other countries. Use that opportunity to draw in world history, ecology and politics. Even math disciplines such as geometry can be used to explore African or Native American designs or statistics to learn about the long-term cultural effects of social problems like slavery.

Pro tip!

Strange as it might seem, almost every subject can be compared and backed up by another which may actually help your students learn better. Be fearless when investigating your subjects and looking for ways to introduce the arts. When you get stuck, try looking online or visiting local arts centers, educating museums or just take a walk through an interesting part of town. You might find a strange, new Arabic restaurant with a distinct food influenced by a culture's history. Use these little things as inspiration.

ECS: The Arts Are Vital to Young People's Success in School and in Life [http://www.ecs.org/html/Document.asp?chouseid=6236]

North Gate Band: Art Education Statistics [http://www.northgateband.org/resources/resources.asp?ID=270&g=267]

What is the nature of art?

2011-01-19T22:30:00.000-08:00

What is the nature of art?
It seems that there are two different views from which to approach contemporary art. You have one side where all people expect is essentially a pretty image that they can use to decorate space or a wall. On the other hand there is a sort of expectation, in what you could call the more "real art" world, of "deep" meaning being embedded into a piece of art, when in reality that "meaning" is imposed by an external source (by the viewer, reviewer, gallery, etc). I think that this is a throwback to one of the original uses of art (or what we now call art) as a means to show God, for example the prototypical Venus: a wide hipped mother Goddess with pendulous breasts. She was not "art" to the people who made her, but a visual reminder or representation of their gods. Now however, this human tendency to add meaning where there is none is taken advantage of by hustlers and salespeople who market art for the masses. Despite this easily manipulated trait, the art world remains active and possibly because of these hustlers, it remains fresh and ever changing.

A friend once told me that conceptual art is what is made by writers with no talent. I think this is an interesting concept. "Bullshit" is well known facet of the art world. You can find it everywhere from the titles of pieces to excessively long and detailed descriptions of the art and even in how people speak about it. Strangely enough, talent is not a prerequisite for becoming an artist. It is more important for the creator to speak or write well and have the skill to communicate ideas. Essentially the making of art is the practice of making ideas tangible and in some cases physical.