Invisible Venue(s): Alternatives to the Institution

http://www.artandeducation.net/papers/view/23

Just thought this was interesting. Check it out if ya'll want to.

of things and such.

2 Things to say today:

1. Justifying my existence (in the art world):

I am in the art world and justify my existence in it because of my passion for art and the amount of work I've put into it. If I were to put so much work into any world, I deserve to be part of it - anybody does. ln addition to this I am automatically part of the art world because of the art I've put into it. This justifies my existence in the art world and also the real world. We are justified by what we do and put into it; whatever we are is justified by some means because otherwise we would not be where we are. Whether the means we used to reach that position are pure or polluted - the position an individual occupies is justified because of the actions he made to get there. I am justified to be where I am in the art world because of the actions I made to arrive there. I am here because I am here and therefore I am justified in being here because I AM here.

2. Random stuff floating around the blogosphere:

One of the questions I've been asking sculptors has been, "How does technology influence your art?". I didn't get any brilliant answer from any of the students that I "interviewed", but have been keeping my eyes open for some interesting uses of technology. Here's some sculptor's I find most intriguing:

http://www.travesssmalley.com/images.html

He's actually a grad student from VCU, (after graduation from Cooper Union) and is currently living in New York! I shot him an e-mail with some questions... he *might* respond, and if he does I'll post it.

Got caught up on some blog reading today... somebody might find this stuff interesting...

How NOT to approach a curator

Shows that are hot and cool right now

Public sculpture/art + we have one on campus I think

"Unmistakable, clear-as-the-nose-on-your-face rule number one: If the place where you put your art looked better before you put art the art there, you’ve screwed up. Patently evident rule number two: If a work of art is less interesting after you’ve placed it in the public environment, you’ve likewise made a misstep."\

Seems like art dealer aren't doing so hot right now....

How do you Justify what you do?

I believe awareness is the successful result of communication. To be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas to others in a clear and effective manner, can create awareness about an idea. However, if this method and process of communication can connect with your audience on a deeper level, and still remain visually appealing or striking; then I think that this process can successfully promote the kind of awareness in the public, and in turn can give cause to positive combative action.

In order to first solve problems, in my opinion, awareness must first be created about the problem. Today there is an untold amount of suffering, corruption, and deterioration in this world, and until the public is made aware of, and educated about such problems, solutions cannot be created to solve them. Therefore, Graphic Design can provide a vehicle to aid solving communication problems. I want to be able to artfully engage the public and perhaps enable the creation of answers to pending local, national, and global problems by spreading awareness.

However, on more pragmatic note, Graphic Design enables consumers to more readily connect to their products, in the hopes that a more artistically appealing product will enable it to sell. Similarly, Graphic Design gives a visual voice to concepts envisioned by people who need another mode of communication to reveal their ideas to the larger population. In this way the functional aspect of Graphic Design serves a direct purpose in the economy—to increase consumerism.

Justify Yo'self.

Being asked to explain myself as a young artist is somewhat of a tricky thing for me, because I believe that most peoples' reasoning for pursuing art rather than math, sciences, or other "core academics" in upper level education/life is more emotional and abstract than concrete. If someone genuinely enjoys doing something, they, in most cases, make an effort to invest themselves in it before career opportunities really come into consideration. If they don't, perhaps they're running away from themselves. It starts simply in the search for personal happiness - to work intensively on creating something, find great pleasure in doing so, and wind up, after all is said and done, with a finished product that one can feel proud of - a physical, aesthetically or emotionally pleasing object that mirrors the creator's ideas or feelings.

Personally, I use my art as a sort of means for catharsis. My emotions need to be funneled into something - put to use and allowed to escape - lest they sit stagnant and uncomfortable. The release of working on a drawing, painting, animation, object, or piece of music keeps me in check as a person and makes me feel better about things - more sane, even - and accomplished when I have something to show, in the end. It also gives me a means to convey ideas that I have in an abstract way, without having to use words - without having to directly explain to someone exactly what I mean or think. Being ambiguous and leaving things open to interpretation, the way I see it, is an interestingly effective way to get points across, because, upon analysis, if you're subtle in all the right ways and places, the viewer will feel as if they are his own interpretations. Often they are. And the beauty of art is that it is a fluid, amorphous thing that the audience can take in any way they choose.

How do you justify what you do?

One in the arts world can be just as justified in what he does as someone in the medical world or the world of business. Although an illustrator may not be able to perform open heart surgery or discover the cure for cancer, he can have as much of an impact on an individual or a group of people in different ways.

I personally believe that in order to be justified in what one does (regardless of one’s occupation) that some measurable and successful impact must be made. This reigns especially true in regards to the arts. Whether influencing a group of people or impacting the physical environment, there has to be some sort of impact made. For example, Joe is a painter and cannot justify what he paints if it is kept behind closed doors and is never exposed to the world around him. There has to be a communication with the rest of the world so that Joe’s work is known, otherwise it can never have any sort of impact.

There are many ways that someone’s work can make an impact. An interior designer’s work impacts the physical space and environment in which it is located in a functional way, whereas an art educator impacts an audience or class by revealing and teaching what he knows about certain aspects and techniques of art. A painter or sculptor can justify what they do by influencing others to create or by satisfying the demands of a particular customer.

Not only does one have to make an impact in order to be justified in what he does, but the impact must also be measurable and successful. If an architect decided to build a bridge that would be used daily and built one that was beautifully decorated but highly unstable, then how can the architect justify his work when it cannot serve its purpose? In order to be justified in what one does, he must successfully accomplish what he had originally intended to do. An artist is just as much justified in what he does as anyone else holding any other position or occupation as long as he successfully makes an impact and accomplishes what he had planned to.

Justify your existence. How do you justify what you do?

This is a heavy question that I’m not quite sure how to answer. I do art because art feels right. It’s something I’ve done, it’s something I’m pretty okay at and it gives me pleasure. Can it be as simple as that?

I enjoy exploring emotions through visual images. I like challenging myself with different mediums. I like expressing myself in my own way, without using words someone else came up with like “serotonin and dopamine have been released into my synapses and caused this happy feeling” or “based on Freudian psychology, this anger and frustration is from deep set penis envy”. Besides, I’m not good at using words and art fills in that gap for me. Art is my translator.

It was a hobby and I’m trying to make it a career. I want to do what I love; fuck the rest, and all that jazz. Here’s my art. Imagine what I was thinking while drawing this. I was probably hitting my head against the wall. But, I just created something. It feels awesome to create or change something into another something. Take this sheet of paper. Make something beautiful or ugly, but it’s no longer the same sheet of paper.

I do art. It’s like breathing. How does one justify breathing other than to live?

Justifying Art...

I feel that the creation of a piece of art is justified by what it’s trying to accomplish. In that light, there are several ways to justify art making, for example: communication, therapeutic purposes, and to make money.

Firstly, communication is the general, overarching justification for art. Though an artist is paying massive amounts of money to say something, it’s really his ticket to make a statement, whether it regards politics, environmentalism or any other personal opinion. Displaying art puts forth a totally different dimension of saying something— it gives people a way to communicate without literally speaking to each other, a visual aid in understanding an idea. So ultimately, the effort put into buying materials and spending time is justified by the silent, mental and emotional connections made among the artists and viewers.

In the same way, art therapy is a means of communication for those who are socially incapable of normal verbal communication (or are not functioning normally). However, the cost and time spent are also justified, in this case, by the medicinal properties of art making— it promotes the expression of feelings, which can serve as therapy to clients or patients that need it. And this idea of therapy justifying art leads to the idea of personal fulfillment in creation.

Not only is art justified by the connections people make with others, but it can be personally fulfilling for the artist as well. This is similar to the justification for art therapy, only that it doesn’t require the relationship between two people. Many artists’ justifications of using money and materials are simply that they want to. Art making is a personal experience that enhances an artist’s wellbeing, and the expression connecting the individual to the canvas may just be worth it.

Finally, to justify art making, there is the idea of monetary profit. In this way, an artist’s success/profit gain in selling out to consumers justifies the initial money spent on materials and time on labor. Sometimes—probably most of the time— this is seen as a very shallow reason to make art, but it’s inevitably the driving force of many artists. Many amount success to the fatness of one’s wallet.

Ultimately, these are just a few things that justify art making. There are a vast array of justifications, many of them much more specific than these. And to those who argue that there really is no existent justification to art— I’m sure that art would be much more sparse than it is if its justifications didn’t hold true.