What Comes Around Goes Around

I have just noticed a trend in artists. It is not always the case but most often then not, the students who like to party, go out and schmooze at galleries, make them selfs look important rather then work on their art, like to be current in the strangest of fashion, trends and pop culture, tend to make art that looks very "contemporary" which is always trying really hard to be "strange" and "ironic" underlining hipster themes. By "contemporary I mean this.

Robert Barry

Helen Marten

Which can be quite troublesome for many reasons, first you have to be an artist elitist to get it which not many people really are, second even then sometimes you might not get it and in that case you have to have faith that the artist is not full of shit, which I is something I always question. Third by going in this direction artistically others will follow and be influenced by it. Or we can only pray that they rebel against it.

And note that not all art coming out now falls into these tropes. 

Students who do not do these things, though are still involved in the art world, tend to make more honest and unique work. People who try to be different never are, people who are them selves and find something interesting, investigate it and conceder it, that comes from the real world and not the art world, make the work that passes the test of time. People who don't always stick around for all the critiques, try to go to every show ever even if they don't like it and they never really look at the work because they are too busy drinking free wine and socializing. People who have a life out side of the art world, bring into their work something from that world, tend to be in touch with the real world much better and this shows in their work. We can look at news as a great example, now it seems that news stations report what other news stations report, creating multiples of the same thing, in addition their opinions are limited and seem to be completely ignorant of the real world. As if they never even go out side. 

I Want You to Want My Art

What makes people care about art? Is it visual pleasure? Is that what draws them in? Like a fish to a flashy lure. It is the desire to see what artist have created? Do people even care at all? Do artist care anymore? Are they just making work for them selfs now? Whats the point in it all? People come up with many answers and I guess that would mean I have to find out for my self why I want to make art. Because it is individual to me and only I know why I want to. but what if even after i make my work and perhaps find a show to put it in my work still does not satisfy me or worse yet, does not do what I want it to? Should I carry on and work to reach that goal no mater how impossible and finically draining it can be? Am I fucking stupid for doing all this? Am I learning anything scenes I have ben here? Have I ever tried?

The Art of Spectacle

Walking through our schools BFA show, a big exhibition for the seniors who apply and get into it, I noticed that they more often then not did one of two things. Tried to be spectacular or not really give a shit about being there. Either by installation, or the content of the work its self.

I have noticed that art students now are trying to play up the spectacle of being an artist rather then focusing on the art work. This is a big problem for me, first off usually the art work with the most spectacle around it is shit, second it shows that the artist is more focused on being and artist as a title rather then a person. Playing into the new look of, "bad  artist" or cool artist guy, aka douchbag who take themselves way to serious. With big elaborate installations, loud sound or video pieces that are sure to draw attention. "Controversial" subject mater, wall text of poetic sounding nonsense. Using materials or subjects that are hip, pop culture references and so on, that are more about the fact of trying to get attention rather then the interest in the subject.

On the flip side this were many students who seem to not care very much  that they were in a exhibition that brings in many people, and can be a jump start for your career as an artist. They wound hang work poorly, use poor materials, make a piece that they probably did the night before. This disinterest in the work and the fact that they were in a show and are given and great opportunity, proves that people come to art school for the wrong reason, or that they are dissatisfied with their education and or them selves. A problem this school should address, you should want to make art not feel that you are being forced to.

There were very few people I saw that seemed to hit it right on the head, although they are students and are still learning, the work they make should reflect potential, presence of the craft they learned, and not work that is in over its head. Trying to be something it is not, this only shows that the students here are learning to be persona of artist and not actual artist who are concerned with material and subject mater. This is a trend in art right now, not just in schools but in the art world, work is getting more and more extravagant and is rich with these "hidden metamorphose" instead of actually showing work. Its the young hip, cool kid thing to do, and they all want to be the coolest kid on the block. Unfortunately for them they will crash and burn soon enough while the people with true intentions will prevail.

Calling Attention

About to go pass out some flyers for drawing and painting lesions, hope I get a bite, not only do I need the money but I actually would like to teach people the correct way of doing things.