I think my brain finally woke up...

....or I guess a more accurate analogy would be that it finally climbed out of bed and shook off its 'whoa is me, art is complicated' pity party mindset. I've been reading and watching some inspirational pieces* that i feel have been giving me a more relatable perspective of what it's like to be a contemporary artist. In the true sense of the meaning contemporary-belong to or occurring in the present- as opposed to some of the "contemporary" art we had learned about in school this same time last year which focused on post 60s art but covered very little of the last 5-10 years. Although the art we talked about was all still interesting and important in the history and discourse of art, it does little to help our positions as artists now. I'm more concerned about what the current ideas are already in play that we should be considering, and questioning in our own work to move us forward in the next progressive step.

Art movements start before they reach mainstream recognition. That's why you can't try to make art that looks like what is currently popular. I mean, you could, but then you'd be a poser. You're not creating it for the same reasons and with the same background and intentions as those who have been making it. You have to bring your own twist if you're gonna jump into the conversation that's currently happening because it's been happening for awhile now already. Your other option, start your own conversation. About something new. There is a reason why we aren't still painting the same things that the renaissance painters were painting. Art progresses in order to survive, much like technology. We must move forward. It is the nature of art and creativity. The same ideas over and over become dull and boring. What's the point? If everything was the same all the time we might as well be rocks. And thank whatever-higher-energy-you-chose-to-believe-in, we're not rocks. We breath. We move. We think. We move forward. We question. We discover. We move forward again. We analyze. We retaliate. We move even further.


You have two options:
You can go with the flow.... (is this really an option?)
or question the system...
"Wait."
"Is this working?"
"Is this working for me?"
"What is really happening here?"
"How can I change it?"

Are you a rock or a hammer?
Art is a hammer. As artists, we are always questioning the current state of things. What we're specifically questioning and how we go about questioning and whether we pose possible solutions or leave it up to the viewer, these are the things that change artist to artist and movement to movement. Sometimes these questions appear as subtle statements, small whispers that may pass over the heads of the majority but reveal themselves to a clever few (Most pop art). Or they creep their way into your daily life so sly you almost don't realize in until you do a double take (subversive street art). And then there are the ones that say exactly what they mean to with a bold and unwavering confidence (activist art).

Another thing to consider is that you can't think about art history as a linear timeline. Especially since post-modern art. Multiple schools of thought can occur at the same time, over lapping and interweaving each other. The Tate Artist Timeline by Sara Fanelli is a great illustration of that.

*The things that I mentioned I have been reading/watching...
Letters to a Young Artist
Beautiful Losers

Making Peace with ((ART))

I'm pretty much set on the form in which my thesis project will take, silkscreen design-ish prints and at the very least, on poster size paper with potential experimentation on a variety of surfaces and materials.
What I'm still stuck on is the subject. I had the bold idea of making the prints an "attack" on the world of art but not only is that a rather large and risky undertaking, but I'm not exactly sure what it is that I'm attacking. The art world is kind of complicated. Am i attacking art? the gallery system? the art auctions? the artists? which artists? why? And what am i'm trying to say about it all?
One of my professors made this suggestion "Maybe your point is that with a design training, which is professional (you are paid for a service), you are struck by the irrationality and favoritism, etc., etc. of the art world" which does make some sense and could be a good lead in figuring out a stance.
But is it really what I want to make my thesis on? I mean, at the moment i'm frustrated and feel like retaliating against ((ART)) but is it really art's fault? or my own? Am i really just frustrated with myself and my struggle to find a meaningful topic.
Tonight I just finished reading "Letters to a Young Artist" as part of a class assignment but it's probably one of the first things I've read so far since being in this program that really related to the anxiety that i've been feeling. As I was reading the letters, it sounded as if they were sent to me. I was the young artist coming out fresh from school and eager to dive into the art world but also unsure about it. Worried about sacrificing my integrity to become a slave of the ((ART SYSTEM)) or spending my career struggling to get any kind of recognition.
Though the letters started to sound a bit repetitive in their suggestions and advice, I also found it interesting that all these artists, unknown of the others contacted, seemed to have the same points to say. It was reassuring that they weren't just pulling out some bullshit to make themselves sound smart or cool. There was some variations in things said based on who was saying them and what kind of artist and person they were. Obviously, the Guerrilla Girls had a strong message of activism that they were pushing. But as a general summery of what I got out of it was that you can't worry too much about this ((ART WORLD)) as you work. And you can't try to make a work of art with the intention of it to be a masterpiece. You have to do work that's meaningful to yourself and that you can believe in. There is some give and take if you want to try to get into galleries or make some money but you should still ultimately stay true to yourself. And if you don't want to sell out than you shouldn't expect art to be your only source of income. Having another profession is okay in order to pay the bills and keep your integrity intact. So basically, forget about this ((art world)) and what it thinks and just create for the love of creating. Create because there is a burning, yearning desire within you to do so. Not everything you will make will turn to gold but if you keep at it, and keep experimenting, keep pushing yourself, you're bound to hit on something amazing in a way that maybe no one has before. And if not, well, didn't you have fun anyway? And isn't enjoying yourself more important than trying to find fame or fortune?

So after that reading, it makes me not really want to attack ((ART)) anymore. I just want to make it. I might not have it figured out yet what it is that I will make specifically but for the moment, that's okay. And it's okay to struggle. It seems if you're not then you're probably not working hard enough. You've probably just found the easiest solution and chose to ride the flow.
My favorite quote comes from M. Scott Peck...

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”

Tru dat. For me anyway, if i'm unhappy in a situation I seek to change or leave that situation. Like working a dead end office job that sucked away a part of my soul each day that I was there...I found a way out and went back to school. And even though i'm frustrated with school at the moment, it will ultimately lead me to better places once I work through it.

But I suppose I better settle on a topic soon so I can start getting some work done.

Faile

I love these guys and this is a neat little video where they talk about their work.

http://vimeo.com/ride5films/faile

FAILE from Ride5 Films on Vimeo.

War of Art

Dear Art,

You made me doubt myself and you threatened my passion to create. I pledged my allegiance to you, but I was let down and misguided. As for your anything goes policy, although I think it is important to give every creative thought a chance, your laissez faire attitude has opened doors to talentless hacks that use their money and social standing to but their ways into galleries and museums. I also find your contemporary theories to be far too serious and pretentious. In fact, I think your idea of what is considered contemporary is in need of an update. Just like Modern Art has become a name of a art historical period and less the true meaning of the word “modern,” your contemporary is not exactly of the present either. We live in a different world now. A post 911 world where no matter how invincible you think you are, everyone is vulnerable. And there are greater political, environmental and social issues that are far bigger than you and of greater concern to the survival of the planet than your concerns over authorship, objecthood, medium, psychoanalysis, etc. So it is until these issues can be resolved that I declare war. As this is not the first time you have done battle, you should be familiar with the blows of sarcastic criticism and the subversive tactics of guerilla art warfare. Consider yourself warned, rebels show no mercy.

Sincerely,

M. Hine

a.k.a. Red Hat

rethought thesis

I've been spending the break rethinking...and rethinking... my thesis. I felt even more lost after the crit than I did during the last semester. But you know, I've been pretty lost the entire time I've been here. Every time I think i'm on to something it doesn't work out. I'm really frustrated with the program and I feel like art has become less fun. I'm sick of it. So now I'm gonna do what I always do when I get fed up with something. Mock the shit out of it. Not so much the MFA program....cause i do want to get my degree to make it all worth it. But I'm gonna mock the fine art system and market. Because it's kinda silly sometimes.
I've decided to take a more design approach because I tried to be a painter and fine artist but let's face it, my skills and passion have and always will lie with design and illustration. And I miss design. It has a function and purpose behind it that isn't as pretentious as fine art.
So far, the plan is to do a series of silk screen prints. Mostly text based with some illustration/graphic. It will mostly be sharp witty statements about art or art related ideas. Little harsh sometimes and a touch of irony.
Still trying to determine the size and dimensions. I'm not sure if I want to do a classic poster size or a more unexpected dimension.

"who am I creating art for?"

at some point as an artist you have to ask yourself, "who am I creating art for?"

is it for my family... to hang on their walls and brag to their friends about how talented their kid is regardless of how good it actually is.

is it for my teachers... pleasing them with evidence that I grasped whatever technique or conceptual theory(bullshit) they talked about in class.

my friends... to make them laugh.

the art market... to sell for thousands of dollars.

for galleries and gallery goers... that will say they saw my work when I was just an unknown, back when the work was "raw and honest"

or do i make it for myself... because it fulfills a desire to create. because I excites me to mix colors. because i tingle at the feel of brushing paint on a surface. because i don't care what i'm painting as long as i'm painting...

Copied from my own Facebook post in our MFA group


Meg Hine

Well if Rob Pruitt can have a solo show at the Dallas contemporary museum with a bunch of glittery paintings of fucking pandas (seriously, some of the pandas are having sex) then what the hell, I'm gonna do some equally nonsensical paintings of like...dinosaurs in drag...or robot prostitutes.

· · · 48 minutes ago near Philadelphia

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• Jasmine Alleger and Dawn Kramlich like this.
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    Meg Hine

    I'm actually somewhat serious about this... think about it.. the whole pop art movement started as a reaction to the abstract expressionism and art becoming a commodity, hence paintings of other commodities and the use of industrial printing techniques (at that time silk screening) and it was kind of this big thumbing of the nose to the art world...but people bought into anyway. ...so where do you go from there? well it seems the subversive sense of humor is still there but has gotten even more devious and twisted. take for example, a large portion of the street art movement. in particular the ones that reapropriate corporate logos to reveal political and social messages. and then you have the guys painting things like pandas...cause i guess he really likes pandas. i mean, i do too. but see thats the point. who doesnt like pandas? and people will buy anything if they can identify with the subject matter. fashion is an even more overwhelming example of that. how many people have a goofy graphic t-shirt that bought cause it had a *insert your favorite obsession here*?

    12 minutes ago ·
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    Meg Hine i think i'm gonna do some research into who is buying art these days and what type of art they are buying. cause i feel like the art market is a different place than it was even 10 years ago. I feel like there is a younger generation of buyers with different tastes...so let's see if i can find information to back up these theories....

    5 minutes ago ·
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