On A Lighter Note

Last night was a show my class had at our teachers studio vestibule on the 5th floor of the Fine Arts Building. But on the 10th floor the grad students had a show as well which I did not know until I got there. 

Love, Sex and Violence was the theme, the artist statement goes as follows:

sexuality has become a spectacle in which men and women are performers. In this context, a human relationship itself is a perforative act. Power is at the center of this dilemma. Issues of identity and sexuality come into play when it comes to Love. The desire to control ourselves and those we love gives rise to aggression, which can lead to Violence. 

among paintings and video there were two performances later that night, I have never really been into performances too much, with some exceptions. But this was one I was really draw to. A man standing naked in the middle of the room was spit on by a woman in heals and formal business attire. She drank from win glasses filled with paint and walked around the man spitting it on him, sexually, degradingly and painterly.

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.

To Be Young and Hopeful

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has a tee shirt design contest every year and I thought I would give a whack at it. 

This was the design from last year, wtf right? Is that the best we can come up with? One of the best art schools in the world?

This is mine, don't know how I feel about it yet? Maybe I'll think of a better one later. But its better then a fucking tree.