QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERNET AGE
Are you there?
Who are you?
Why did you come?
Why do you care?
What’s in this for you?
Don’t you have a life?
You’re innocent?
Are you a reporter?
Did you do something?
Did I?
Did you never do these things?
What are you after?
Am I newsworthy?
Do you have a story in mind?
Am I your muse?
Am i just one more victim?
Are you confused?
Did I turn the tables?
Did you just bump into me?
Was this just an accident?
Shall we go our separate ways?
Are we forever inextricably linked?
Are you a friend?
Could you be a friend?
Did you lose your way?
Are you reaching out?
Can I hold your hand?
Touch your hair?
Doesn’t this creep you out?
Couldn’t you stop?
Can’t I?
Am I obsessive compulsive?
Do you have a condition?
Is there no way out?
When did you arrive?
Have you been there long?
How much did you see?
Was it all bad?
Are you watching life go by?
Anything incriminating?
Won’t it disappoint?
Isn’t this a waste of time?
Don’t you have better things to do?
Is this just the modern age?
Can’t we put on the brakes?
Can we change our approach?
Is there another way to do this?
Do you ever respond?
Have you got no heart?
Were you born this way?
Was it always so?
Are you a technician?
Is it a lonely life?
Don’t you find it sad?
Do you want to cry at times?
Couldn’t we shrug it off?
Has anything been broken?
Do you ever laugh?
Is this your line of business?
What time is it?
Are you hungry?
Is that what drives you?
Is it me you want?
When did this begin?
Did you always know?
Do you wish to cause pain?
Are you seeking enlightenment?
Is this the way to go?
Want to play a game?
In the end is it harmless?
Did you mean to do this?
Are you above it all?
Haven’t you better things to do?
Is life that dull?
Is this sadism?
Are you a busybody?
Should I poke back?
Should I be concerned?
Should I feel sorry for you?
Should I care?
Is your skin thicker than mine?
Can you claim the high ground?
Are you doing good work?
Do you get paid for this?
Do you have no shame?
Is it my money you are after?
Do you want my secrets?
Do you want my passwords?
Is it my ideas you are after?
Why choose me?
Would you like a drink?
A bite?
Do you want my stuff?
Are you a collector?
A hoarder?
Is hacking fun?
Was this an accident?
Is it happenstance?
Are you alone?
Do you want a friend?
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Toys of the Avante Garde
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Upon Making an Art Object-Pronouncement #2
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| Note hole in canvas. Found this canvas at a dump and reused it! Beautiful painting in my humble opinion. The canvas is essentially rotten but wasn't it Dubuffet who, upon being accosted by a patron and owner of one of his artworks that was slowly melting above her radiator, said: "It's alive!" |
When Contemplating the Act of Making an Art Object consider the following:
Q: Do matters of posterity, longevity and/or fame concern you?
A: Life as an artist will be a much easier enterprise if making objects that last is of little or no concern. So really why bother learning the craft? Not to be cynical but in this day and age there is simply so much stuff. Who needs more? Think and do. Don’t suffer and struggle. Why make ART (or ART—your choice) in the first place if it isn’t any fun?
Believe me when I say I am speaking from personal experience. I have made well made art and believe you me it sucks! You have to do things like remembering if you applied an acrylic or oil based ground, used oil sticks and then painted with latex based paints on top! Did you paint thick over thin or thin over thick? Lordy! Well sure some people have what is called “an eye” and, despite only having one eye can appreciate subtleties like the minimum use of turpentine and the application of paint with a red fox hair brush. They might even be the people with the money to pay you for the extra time and grief poured into said artwork—but I doubt it. If they should be art buyers for the nouveau riche you are in luck! The only people I know are other poor artists. What use is that..but I digress. Indeed it brings me to my next answer.
A: Network, network, network. For more on this you’ll have to go elsewhere.
If you find any helpful suggestions let me know, perhaps something that does not require partying when you are knackered, attending the exhibits of other artists with whom you have no creative/spiritual connections whatsoever, or pretending to be someone you are not against your own better judgement. Don’t get me wrong. I love to pretend to be who I am not. I call it performance art/acting and developing pseudonyms is a gas.
A: Eat well and exercise! The longer you live the greater chance you have of making something you are genuinely pleased with.
Dying young for your art is so eighties. I say this so flippantly and a little voice inside says: “We will revisit this!” the same voice that says: “You eat crap and exercise once a week when you are on fire!” Funny. Very funny.
An Occasional Pronouncement and Cheap Art Manifesto Addendum from the Bruxist Collective
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Upon Making an Art Object-Pronouncement #1
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| Art O'Connor Grimly Mixing Paint |
When Contemplating the Act of Making an Art Object consider the following:
Q: Are you naturally lazy?
A: If so buy ready made paint!
Ready made paint comes in all sorts of varieties. You might come across names like Oil, and Gouache, Watercolor and even Acrylics. These are all varieties of paint. Then there are things like House Paint, Nail Varnish and Food Coloring. Hardware stores might even give you old, dented and rusty cans of paint for free! If you are sensitive to smell many of these options will not be viable choices. Don’t let this upset you. Either you are willing to die young for your art and will put small matters like toxic fumes and poisonous content out of your mind concerned as you are only for how the paint works for you. Does it do what you need it to do? Is it satisfactorily viscous? Are the range of colors offered in the line of your choice adequate to meet your coloring needs? Does surface application feel good? Does it SMELL good? The more limitations the better! Limitations mean less choices and less choices mean a narrower focus and, with practice, concision and may even result in Art!
A: Buy ready made paper or/and ready stretched and primed canvas.
Only a masochist stretches and primes their own canvas, or hand makes their own paper, and then goes on to mash and grind their own pigments—a masochist or a trust fund baby with Time to Kill, and/or...(horror of horrors) assistants/unpaid interns on hand to help!
An Occasional Pronouncement from the Bruxist Collective
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Images from Gas
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| Images from my recent show at GAS Gallery and Studio, in Maplewood, NJ (phots coutesy of Nancy!) |
Friday, July 15, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Currently on view in New York: Vintage Atomic Explosion Photographs at Peter Blum
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| Bikini-Atoll (Nuclear weapon test, Operation Crossroads, 'Baker' explosion, from Eneu Island), 1946 gelatin silver print, printed c. 1946 4 2/3 x 9 1/8 in. (11,9 x 23,2 cm) |
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