An art walk in the dark
December 13, 2008 at 2:56 pm | Posted in 1, Music, Life, Art, News | Leave a commentTags: 619 Western, Art Show, Art Walk, Arts, Artwalk, Blog, blogging, Contemporary Art, Daily, demonstration, Doctor Johnny WOW, Dr. JohnnyWOW!, Events, Gallery, JohnnyWOW!, Life, Modern Art, news, Opinion, painter, painting, paintings, Performance, Performance Art, personal, Public Art, SEA SHOW, Seattle, society, Thoughts, Video
Last winter wasn’t like this one. This is my second year producing my video and art show, and I expected this fall to be mellow and rejuvenating after spending most of my summer in the south bay, California.
I missed my dog, was behind on projects, and other constraints and my new freewheeling lifestyle demanded I start working harder at my freelance ambitions. Despite all that, I’ve been able to keep up the pace with the art. Lots of art events happen in the fall, especially in Seattle. While its not known for being a 24 hour city, there’s definitely a night life.
One like I have never seen in my 6 years in San Francisco, exposed to the painted writhing denizens of the underground art scene by the bay. That is home to an excess of decadence and disdain. I saw a few things in my time there as a student! I didn’t enjoy most of it.
I hoped Seattle would be a refreshing change. I really hope to meet more artists in SF but I’m usually so busy with classes or meetings its hard to find the time, so instead I just sublet lofts in the painted alleys of the Mission district instead.
Back to my promise last week, here are some shots from December 4, 2008
The Doctor wanted to try something different this month. He’s not content to have hoardes of young viewers shuffle through his studio month after month on the First Thursday artwalk. He wants a response, some feedback, perhaps a comment on how his art affects the viewer. This evening the Doctor was trying out some new art pieces and showing video of his new direction was part of the equation.
I rented a projector and showed video of my edit for his upcoming 28 minute episode on SCAN TV. The audience Johnny has a gripe with didn’t seem to react any differently than they are known to. Its a big warehouse full of artists, so everyone is always on the move.
The audience was actually commenting once Dr. JohnnyWOW! dived into his slasher presentation. I am incorporating this into the episode so that you have a context for it, so I’ll post this video once I get the new footage worked into the current edit.
The past few months I have either shot two times a month, in contrast to the 20 a month days or more I was shooting during the competition that started all this madness. This month, the most peaceful of all, see me leaving the state not once, but twice. The madness never ends.
More about next week’s excitement soon.
I missed the performances they had because I had to keep an eye on my equipment, but I did drop in, say hello, shoot a little footage downstairs on the 2nd floor, at Blank Space Gallery.
The artist behind Efflux Creations was there as part of the art show. It had been at least 6 months since I met him and he looked busy so I went back to my shooting.
Blank Space Gallery has a really nice space, and are working hard to put on some good art shows. Keep up the good work Mindi, Riley, and Leo,!
Cover Me : Wrapup of Art Basel Miami Beach 2008
December 10, 2008 at 2:01 pm | Posted in Miami Art Basel, Music, Life, Art, News | Leave a commentTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, art blog, art bloggers, art blogging, art blogs, Art News, Art Show, Artist, Artists, Arts, Artwalk, bloggers, blogging, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Daily, Events, Exhibit, Gallery, Life, Miami, Miami Art, Miami Art Basel, Miami Art Basel 2008, Modern, Modern Art, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Collector, Palm Beach Contemporary Art Fair, Palm Beach Gallery, personal, Public Art, SEA SHOW, Seattle, society, Thoughts, video log, vlog
I hope that I attract a wide variety of art lovers with many differing tastes, who all find enjoyment in the semi-coherent chatter I publish daily. I know a lot of you read or have visited many of the majoy art sites, I hope I can give you something new in the little goodies I find on the web. I don’t remember if I was doing a google image search or what, but this site was kinda cool. I’m not sure what the criteria is to make it on this virtual map, but it might be useful to some. You click on the little tags and it will tell you about current shows that are going on all over the US. I have heard about the Eventful website in the past, but I was surprised when one of my image searches led me to this website, which listed a lot of current art events in and around Miami and Palm Beach, which I just discovered is home to yet another sumptuous art gathering, the Palm Beach Contemporary Art Fair.
Google Earth Image of Palm Beach
In the past, I have known people who have been proponents on culling the less than intelligent portion of the population. Such an attitude is not going to win you followers! Better yet, lets raise the bar for readers and other art bloggers. Out of left field, came one of the most comprehensive and meaningful bits of writing about the week at Art Basel came across my virtual desk. While I had to wonder what might have motivated this well-thought out piece of writing, I had to appreciate it. I am blogging on a subject that is relatively new to me so I enjoyed this as I would a fresh Braeburn apple, and I savored every bite. Either I am not searching in the right places, because there are some art bloggers are offering us something more substantial than tasty but unfulfilling art hors d’oeuvres. Your humble host included. :-p Who know that men.style.com would have one the best blog entries on art basel miami beach I have read all week. This guy doesn’t mince any words, and his entry is humorous and well-written. Loved it.
In my wanderings along the shore, I overturned a stone and discovered this contemporary art blog. Another facet, how interesting. This person is a speculative collector, and unfortunately, he only updates his blog once a month. I’d like to see more. Art as Authority is another obscure blog that caught my attention, but sadly, this one isn’t updated much either. Looks funky, check it out.
I stumbled upon Wynnwood Art Magazine today, it offered a neutral rundown of events, decorated with praise for this annual fair. I learned something else new today. Having lived in San Francisco for six years, I remember seeing a lot of guerilla marketing. When I was younger I didn’t know how to discern between public art and advertising, I guess you won’t know unless you know who created the images. I saw a lot of stickers and spray painting in random places of an image inside a star, and one word: OBEY. He likes to party down with SuperTouch Art. Slowly, the peices of the puzzle are coming together. Digging around for images of the OBEY public art, I stumbled upon this pretty cool blog on public/street art with tons of cool photos – Global Graphica. GraffHead is of a similar vein, but this blog covers other topics, like fashion and music. Hey, this is fun!
This blog and foray into art has been a learning process, and I’ve blogged a few times about Street Art, because its the sort of emerging art form we enjoy. This entry didn’t clarify anything about the subject for me, so I’ll have to keep my eyes and ears open. In my image searches I find pretty cool things too that were related to Art Basel Miami Beach, like this photojournalist’s blog, Digital Light. There is something very immediately engaging about his pictures. I wonder if he ever attended Miami Art Basel. Check out his blog.
Photo from GraffHead
During the week, the daily blog is a bit of a production, it can take an hour and that’s if I’m not distracted by 20 different things and even more alerts that come in as I write. I’ll be sitting there doing my daily blog, and my blackberry will start buzzing, and 3 out of 5 times its some news alert that has to do with art or basel or contemporary something or other. Or as in the case tonight, I am capturing video for my next vlog and I’m trying not to get off track. This will be a 2 blog day, since the vlog is the hot new thing. And we’re hot, so of course we will vlog.
Meaningfully. On things other than Miami Art Basel. In the next post.
So yes, I’ve been sick as a dog for three days straight and have blogged daily. Being hungover/tired is no excuse either. I am dedicated! :-> Now this new post on the Soul of Miami website has an event that might offer up some more substantial fare. Then I read the tag words “high-profile”, “VIP”, and “Exclusive” on its website as it describes it attendees and events, and I fear this is just a tiny art predator in the making. The Palm Beach fair has been around 12 years, and this is the first I’ve heard of it. I learn something new every day! This fair focuses primarily on Miami and New York collectors and artists, as well as some international exhibitors. I only saw two galleries from Santa Fe, a a few from California even represented in their list. The Northwest did not make it onto their radar. Perhaps we can help remedy that!
Before you mistake me, and wonder why I am championing the cause of art in the west, let me say that while I have spent the majority of my life on the east coast, I focus on artists on the west as a theme for pioneering, and now expand that to any coastal city near water or a beach. SEA SHOW is about the confluence of art & life, art & the myriad things that form modern life, and the beauty that ensues when those elements combine. It contributes to my happiness immensely!
Aftermath : See. Eat. Bye.
December 9, 2008 at 10:36 am | Posted in Miami Art Basel, Music, Life, Art, News | 4 CommentsTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art News, Art Show, Artist, Artists, Arts, author, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Daily, Events, Exhibit, Gallery, Life, magazine, Miami, Miami Art, Miami Art Basel, Miami Art Basel 2008, Modern Art, new york, new york mag, news, northwest, Opinion, opinions, personal, Portland, public, Public Art, publisher, SEA SHOW, society, Story, style, Video, writer
I’ve never spent a week reporting on an event, but I am glad I spent a week doing it, it was a exercise in journalistic bravery. If you know how to scan the web efficiently, can recognize an article posing as a thinly veiled advertisement, and know how to assemble words in an engaging fashion, it is possible to do reporting when you’re not actually at an event.
Photo by Carlo Fachini
Style Mag for example, used this week as an opportunity to make a special issue just for Miami Art Basel. We can’t blame them for wanting to capitalize on the event like everyone else is doing, but a more in-depth article with some images from the magazine would have been nice. Globatron was one of those magazines where my initial impression was intrigue, which was only heightened by my discovery that this is the website of a masked art critic. He was at Art Basel and has a ton of photos to show us. Was he masked during the fair? Does he not know anyone in the art world? Interesting questions to ponder.
I found some video from Art Basel Miami Beach on the Globatron website, and I couldn’t get through this video without laughing. I’m not even going to comment on the videograhy/inteview, its just not fair, since not everyone is as good as we are. Also, I’m a comedian at heart, so I find many things funny. I may make fun of something, but its only because I like to see humor in a situation and usually its the first thing that comes to my mind. In the beginning of the video is an interviewer with a gentleman wearing dark sunglass and whose voice is cracking from what might be too much shouting at a noisy party the night before. I’m just guessing thought. You be the judge.
Numbers are important, so the slew of articles I’ve seen today on Art Basel Miami Beach were more numerous than any other day this week. Maybe some were too busy assessing the facts on the ground before writing, wanted to read all the news about it before chiming in, or simply not including the right keywords. Either way, there is a lot for me to show you today. I’m sorry if you’ve had your fill I was going to go back to the interesting reporting I was doing on other subjects, but there was too much to not do a wrap up.
The New York mag article expressed its disdain for the lack of excess at this years parties, particular ones which are known for their lavish nature, were not up to this reviewers’ discerning tastes. Apparently they would like to see larger piles of lobsters on ice, or perhaps I interpreted the article incorrectly.
While at some point we would love to sell advertising and form partnerships with other art groups, my reporting is completely biased and based on my personal opinion. On the other hand, I’m sure the Miami Herald would love to see more action, visitors, and things to report on so their overall analysis was middle of the road and seemed in line with the public persona Art Basel wanted to maintain. I may be presumptuous but any writer knows, you need to have an opinion. Don’t hold it against me if you don’t happen to like mine, I’m just playing by the rules. Sorta.
I couldn’t help but chuckle when I started reading this entry in BlackBook. This person had a good time and say there are opportunity for artists at Art Basel. But of course! I don’t think anyone ever said there wasn’t. Getting there, or into a major gallery in order to be a part of it is an entirely different story. Let’s tell the whole story before we start calling anyone a hater. I like the variety of opinions, its made the week so spicy! My only question is, Would I be considered a hater?
The bloggers at Flavorwire aren’t the only ones who are die hard attendees of Art Basel Miami Beach 2008, they obviously get around, and know how to work it, giving the obligatory shout outs to the people they perhaps got business cards from and just had to include in their blog. Nice pics. Also they were complaining that they were too busy partying to get up early Friday and didn’t get to swim in the beach every morning they were there. Boo Hoo.
I was excited to hear about artwork from the Northwest respresented there this week by some artists from Portland, even if you did have to go off the beaten path to find it.
Day 5 : American Salon is Art Basel Miami Beach
December 8, 2008 at 9:25 am | Posted in 1 | Leave a commentTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art News, Art Show, Artist, Artists, Arts, Artwalk, blogging, China, Chinese Contemporary Art, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Discussion, Impressionism, Life, macao, Manet, MOCA, Modern Art, museum, Music, news, Opinion, Performance, personal, Post Impressionism, Public Art, Salon De Refuses, SEA SHOW, Seattle
Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough, here is one last post on all things Art Basel. While I did not attend the week’s festivities, I’m not the only writer to report on the event without ever setting foot on the sands of Miami.
It turns out my clumsy conjecture may not be so off point after all. Things didn’t look good for Art Basel, but it was not the funeral everyone predicted, as this Indian Reuters article suggests. In these other websites, its not so clear what is going on. I like the clean design of this site, which mentioned Miami Art Basel. After checking out the link, I was not really sure what this website was about. Then I realized its a fashion blog and these darlings had the pleasure of attending the festivities at some point in the past week. If this is the future of fashion, then I’m scared. I didn’t get anything out of this site at all.
In my art coverage, I was also directed to the Take Part website for their Miami Art Basel 2008 coverage, which is yet another one that is new to me.
During a stint as a travel writer a few years ago, I was interested in Macao and since 1999, when China gained control over it and made it a special administrative region, it has become the Las Vegas of the far east, when it had been a formerly Portuguese colony since the 16th century. I don’t imagine that the buzz has quite really caught on, but Contemporary Art is working on creating a foothold there. Is this a future site for Art Basel? Are we going to keep the ocean theme? How about inviting the SEA SHOW for a multi-disciplinary art performance and roundtable discussion? :-> I came across a page for a gallery in Macau that had links to archives of previous exhibitions in my search for images of Contempory Art in China .
When I look at a painting, especially one by a local artist who I might know personally, I cannot help but think of the Salon de Refuses, which was set up for the famous impressionists who gave so much to modern art, as they were repeatedly turned away from the Salon. In a broader light, I can’t help but think of Art Basel in the same light. So many that purchase and influence descisions about art don’t create it themselves, and so its almost inconceivable that they would buy art from an unknown and undervalued artist, or and do whatever can to help them. I don’t think the art world has worked like that since the Rennaissance, if ever.
Paintings by Dr. JohnnyWOW!
When I see a painting in front of me by a talented local artist, I see a Manet in the works, and the art is precious to me, because of the effort of the art. If it weren’t like artists who I know first hand who would create art even if they were homeless or you would think there was no way for them to create, find a way. And I think its beautiful. If there is a collector like that out there, please let me know.I have to say, I do applaud the efforts of the man trying to help MOCA. But imagine if everyday artists had access to that. What would happen? Surely something more exciting than the uninspiring reports I am reading from Miami Art Basel.
Day 4 : Green Basel
December 7, 2008 at 4:45 pm | Posted in 1, Art Exchange, Miami Art Basel, Music, Life, Art, News, Travel Updates, Upcoming Events | Leave a commentTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, art commentary, art criticism, Art News, Art Show, article, Artist, Artists, Arts, Artwalk, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Daily, Events, Life, Miami Art Basel, Miami Art Basel 2008, Modern Art, Murakami, museum, news, painting, paintings, personal, public, Public Art, SEA SHOW, society, Thoughts, writer, writing
So its been exciting for me since starting this daily blog that some of these stories that I pick up on pop up in my alert box, sometimes the very next day!
This is a great article with a great rundown of the fair- its straightforward and portrays the event in an accurate light. There’s plenty of read and its useful info, please enjoy.
If you’ve managed to fight off the hangover, get over to the new Frost Museum and indulge with breakfast in the sculpture garden Sunday morning. Artchival is a website that I just came across. In late October, they posted a run-down of events to enjoy. Definitely one to check out! Since the fair started, we’ve had celebrity sightings all over Miami, with Pam Anderson got in on the action and was spotted enjoying some art yesterday, too.
A particular article from Murakami jumped out at me since he was in the news recently, so I paid a visit to a blog called the Pursuit Aesthetic which comments on fashion and culture, and had mentioned this event with this artist. Ther and linked to this website, which had a link to an event stranger website on fashion and footwear, that also had pics from the the artist’s night in a costume.
I will give Art Basel some props for its eco friendly efforts. I hope the Paint the Town Green party that went on Friday to celebrate the Green was also green.
I just reported on CasaLin yesterday for the first time, since I am intrigued by Public Art and stuff outside the norm. I was reading through my daily posts when I scanned an article with this gorgeous image of what looked like an entrance to Narnia. It was the public art display that I commented on yesterday. Pretty cool!
This website, Arrested Motion, had tons of photos from the Pulse Miami fair. It prompted me to do a comparison with some of the art I saw at the artwalk since they looked so similar. If Seattle artists with no gallery representation can create art objects that are so similar to the same art that sells every year at Art Basel Miami Beach, it really puts it into perspective. The Salon was slow to accept artists who were working outside the norm, and it was a catalyst for the early impressionist and post-impressionists.
This competition underscored the disdain for experimentation. Master Art will always do well at auction, because of its universal appeal. The emerging/Contemporary artist is always one step ahead, but becayse of this he or she has to push past accepted boundaries. If one day some of these other artists and art experiences were to make thier way to Miami Beach during Art Basel, then I feel like the art world would experience an incredible amount of excitement, and the event can really be worthy of something besides being seen as something which it is now, the fair and its related commentary completely focused on parties and sales and established players, but what I feel is very little on intellectual progress for the art world to enjoy and benefit from; broad discussions and genre exploration.
LEFT IMAGES : Miami Art Basel 2008 Gallery Peices – December 2008 RIGHT IMAGES: Seattle Artwalk at 619 Western Artists’ Loft – December 2008
As I was drafting this latest post, a flurry of strange alerts and notices made themselves known to me. One article felt on the need to insist that there is more to Art Basel than the art fair itself. Why yes, that’s true, but there wouldn’t be any crowds if it weren’t for the main fare. I think it will be a long time, if it ever happens, that Art Basel will begin to be known for the variety of art experiences that you won’t find on any elegant satin finish card. Heck, we could even find a way to integrate and benefit talented young local artists who study the craft. Being in the proximity of Art Basel Miami Beach is not going to get these art students any closer to the Contemporary Art world, for reasons that were clear to me early on. I give Art Center Sarasota a gold star for hosting an opening of political art this fall. Those guys are fighting the good fight.
Art & Absinthe is a cool looking site that I found good information and not so good images of another one of the satellite art events. So Sunday is the last day, I’m sure it will be a flurry of more last minute buying and feverish sales, so it should be pretty interesting to write about; this is fun!
Day Three: Art Basel Miami Vice
December 6, 2008 at 12:42 pm | Posted in Miami Art Basel, Music, Life, Art, News, Upcoming Events | Leave a commentTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art News, Art Show, Artist, Artists, Arts, Artwalk, blogging, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Modern, Modern Art, news, Opinion, personal, Public Art, society
There was not as much Art Basel action for you, maybe all the private parties start now, and there will be less public events, or everyone is too hungover to keep up with the reporting while they’re enjoying the week at Miami Art Basel.
Art Observed is a sleek art blog that got my attention today with its clean commentary and pics. Another New York site is getting my notice as well for its nice photos and tasteful coverage. I am assuming my discerning art readers know or visit most of the links I include.
Contemporary Art is often colorful, and I like virtually strolling through the galleries with nice slideshows of the event I happen to stumble onto.
Despite gloomy predications, this article on ArtInfo gives the impression that sales are steady at Art Basel Miami Beach. Why anyone would be surprised that die hard collectors would be the last to pass on this opportunity to get valuable art with fewer buyers to drive up the price is beyond me. Even if you don’t follow art news, its no secret that art is still a solid investment. On the other hand, an entry in the Miami Herald downplays the brou haha and one of its articles focuses on the subdued sales at Art Basel Miami Beach 2008.
Like so many arts, the events and news are open to interpretation, and the week isn’t over yet. I can’t say that I have a ton of experience with reporting on large art fairs, but I try my best. I can only pray that my wit and charm carry me through it gracefully.
I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot in the press about design and Art. If you’re in the hip locale of Dubai, then you will want to visit this opening. Fans of Hans Jean Arp that can make it to France this month can enjoy the opening of his work in Strausberg, which will have over 180 peices on display.
Art by Hans Jean Arp
Pakistan has got an artist whose work I really enjoy, Mashkoor Raza reminds me of an artist who explores similar concepts like power and whose art work also has a lot of nudes, Seattle’s own Dr. JohnnyWOW!. In China, the alarm is more pronounced, and the situation for contemporary art looks bleak, at least for the bad artists, according to this article.
It might be a week-long hangover for many attendees, but its important to get around, talk to people, and really try to make something out of the week. Tomorrow is the mid-point, so it’ll be interesting to read and report on the commentary at days’ end.
I would be most impressed if one day the art world hosted a roundtable, for dealing with all the uncertainty, questions, and disputes in the art world. Drama is definitely good, but to what point? Maybe some like to end their year with a kick. I for one, wish for nothing more than quietude during this time of year. I want to experience nature and absorb everything that’s happening. I’ve split my time between two states for over a year and sometimes I just wish the world would slow down for me. My growth depends on reflection and thought, not just action. I want to enjoy art, not just mechanilly produce it. I love this project, and some of the most blissful moments I have had, we doing just this. Living the Arte Vivant, full of vigor and a open vision of a bright future, optimistic for the future of art, and the importance of the supporting deserving artists.
Like so many random artists I find and think would be perfect for the show, PosterBoy is your odd pick of the day. Pretty cool public/underground art.
Art by Poster Boy
It seems like there’s always a new twist in the discussion over the fate of MOCA, a Contemporary Art museum whose fate and challenges are the concern of one of the largest metropolitan communities in the nation, that of Los Angeles.
I will have to report on the art show I took part in/filmed Thursday at the Seattle Artwalk in another post since this is devoted to one of the biggest events in the American Art scene, Art Basel Miami Beach. If you can’t make it to Miami this year, but happen to be in Quebec, you can check out this exhibit at an opening of Contemporary Art.
Day Two : Basel Pulse
December 5, 2008 at 2:37 pm | Posted in Miami Art Basel, Music, Life, Art, News, Travel Updates, Upcoming Events | Leave a commentTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art News, Art Show, Artist, Artists, Arts, Artwalk, Blog, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Exhibit, Gallery, Life, Miami Art, Miami Art Basel, Miami Art Basel 2008, Modern Art, Music, news, painter, paintings, personal, Public Art, SEA SHOW, Seattle, society
Interestingly, so many of the references I find in my as-it-breaks art alert are taking me to financial sites, I end up reading strange documents about the long-term viability of Turkish Painting as an investment, or the strange hotel industry web sites that are reporting on the secondary effects felt on the tourism industry when an event like Miami Art Basel manages to avoid straining its already wide financial girth. Its no secret that wherever Art Basel goes, collectors and their whimsy will follow. Gridskipper is a travel site but has a nice Art Basel guide with maps and tons of info, a nice refreshing treatment of the events.
I’d been coming across articles about the new Frost Museum more than once in the past week, but its popped up enough times that I have to mention it once more. If you want to go see the new museum along with all the other strange shiny things to enjoy in Miami during Art Basel 2008, check out this article on Examiner.com for info on the events and how you can get there via shuttles this week. Her partner at the Examiner is also covering the event.
This photo could be something out of Miami Art Basel. These colorful characters were on hand last night at 619 Western, where SEA SHOW artist Dr. JohnnyWOW! was showing, as were scores of other attractive young art zombies. It was a good time, so I’ll be sure to blog about it very soon! There are a lot of good looking people, but sometimes I wonder if the Art Basel Miami Beach is like the artwalk, lots of traffic, little substance. Some of us here in Seattle are fighting the good fight, perhaps its not a bleak as it seems.
Photo by Tim V.
With so much conflicting information about the Contemporary Art World, I’m afraid your humble host can be of no help. I can only offer you information that seems to discredit other forecasts and impressions of the market for Contemporary Art. Like the record sale of a Suerat, conflicting with the latest statistics from Sotheby’s about sales trends in the Contemporary Art market.
Those that have the means will undoubtedly make the trip to Miami to be a part of a year of flux for an Contemporary Art market which seems just as incomprehensible as some of its visions. Its a smart time to travel, especially from Europe, so smart collectors undoubtedly factored all these elements in and likely decided to attend the Miami Art Basel.
Smart collectors know that there will be some great art on hand. If they have the time and opportunity, they will come here to seek that art and be a part of a scene that repeats itself year after year. Its like all my tech friends and MacWorld, they can’t resist.
The sheer variety of links I see daily really make the who blogging process pretty fun and easy! I’m committed to it, so its a matter of deciding what amuses or interests me the most, and passing it onto you! That’s right, you too can experience the shimmering effulgence. This is an art blog, so I can be a little creative, right?
Everyone is reporting on Art Basel, from news about the parties, to celebrities that were seen out and about, the buyers attitudes, you can practically blog about a dozen or more topics related to this event and not cover it all. The possibilities are endless.
Art by Naoto Hattori
This week we want some structure, so its going to be all Art Basel, all the time, but for just this week. See it through the eyes of a visitor of who revels in the convergence of art and luxury in his blog. I am not promoting any particular links or sites or events, just trying to give you a variety of information, choices, and pretty pictures for your delight.
I really like the SuperTouch site, so much that I have to restrain myself from including links all the time. I like the art in this show, because its fun and colorful and so am I, but for some reason the pics are grainy. That’s no fun. Check out another cool blog with info on the paintings Marilyn Manson is displaying.
While I normally think an artist is no longer undiscovered when the local media picks up on it, I am nontheless intrigued by this CasaLin, which is a private property that has a portion designated as an art gallery.
As I had mentioned before, anything that involves forging into new art territory, melding forms, blurring lines, that’s where I want to be. This won’t be the last time you hear one of my many mantras. One of my other is simply, Support the Arts! Which of course we love to do. Which also leads to the fringe artist feeling of fascination and revulsion at what the art world is today, its essence personified in Miami Art Basel. Granted, this is an international event which I have never attended in any continent, so admire me for my guileless efforts, or illuminate me so that I can offer more concise rambles.
Let me assure you, my intentions are honorable and my blogs are far from scathing. If you’re as smart as I know you are, you’ll understand and hopefully be invoked to think or act about art! :->
So surely the investors have been doing their work today and are aware of or attended the art sales held at Sotheby’s, they know that there are still big sales being made but that this is a pivotal year for Contemporary Art, so this only adds to the intrigue that is fermented at this event.
If the radio and blog updates just aren’t giving you enough of what you need, thing being art basel, you can check out some video. This is an oft-visited site I’m sure, but its new to me, and on my radar. Looks interesting.
Aside from a usual run down of events going on this weekend, I must say I am surprised to find out that some think that my daily coverage of Art Basel is from first hand experience?
Yes, some kind souls reached out to me after hearing my anguished words of truth. Karma, in an ocean of joy. I will definitely to keep an eye on other reporters from Seattle in their adventures in Art Basel Miami Beach 2008! SlamHype is an art & music blog I’ve noticed recently, they like SuperTouch too but I like the diverse effort on this site, it has random goodies about Art Basel and links to music. Again, not a lot of time to check out a ton of the links, but it looked good from what I saw.
From when I heard about this event, I wanted it for artists that have opened their art to our organization, and my blog this week is my way of touching the event on behalf of those awesome artists I work with. I hate to disappoint my readers, but your jet-setting author does not have Miami Art Basel on her social calendar this week. I do have up to the moment updates on articles related to the event and modern art that I see throughout the day, so I hope I have my finger on a current that is helpful and interesting to my readers and artists I work with.
Let me briefly diverge from Art Basel to give you an update on an ongoing saga that the art world in America has been watching closely. We had news of an announcement a week ago about the bailout, and ever since then the art world has been waiting for news about the fate of Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. The stalemate in a descision to accept the gift has prompted the donor of the gift to try to reassure the museum. As we wait for other potential donors to step forward, you can be sure that however this art drama resolves, it will be interesting.
What do you think about our Art Basel coverage? Am I onto something? Are you bored yet? The blog overall? Email the author, and tell us how you feel, or give us a hi-5 with an encouraging comment! We like you too.
My next post will have some images and video from my night at artwalk.
Art that moves
November 26, 2008 at 11:39 pm | Posted in vlog | Leave a commentTags: 2D, Animation, Art, Art Show, Art Shows, Artist, Arts, Business, Cartoon, Design, Events, Exhibit, Gallery, Impressionists, Library, Life, Los Angeles, Media, MOCA, Opening, personal, Philanthropy, Portland, School, Technology, Thoughts, TV
The internet and changes in media have opened a lot of doors for alternative forms of media. We can look forward to some more interesting inroads by artists into 2d and 3d animtion if the first episode of Murakami’s is any indicator. In my alerts I came across some comments in the art websites about the sale of Loius Vuitton bags he designed at his art opening.
The art community of Los Angeles has pretty strong feelings about MOCA, which is safe thanks to a philanthropic bailout – but many are happy that the artist will be paying taxes and creating jobs when his animation studio opens.
Art by Murakami
While I think there are a ton of overlooked animators out there, there is a chance for you to see some animated art. Interestingly, the show I’m sure consists of many artists who work with and know one another so its interesting to see the individual work, but also the work in the context of its influences and these artists acquaintance with one another.I had a love affair with the impressionists then later Picasso when I would check out library books after high school.
It was fun to read about these artists with crazy ideas that were unaccepted and broke but they did anything to go for it! I see a similar picture here. Seattle was awesome when I got here and its spirit is still strong, and it had a lot of ties its sister city in the northwest, Portland.
The December opening at Art not TV gives working animators an opportunity to show us what they can do with the talent they have when they’re not trying to get paid to be artists.
Cartoon artists and animators have some very colorful imaginations, and its really cool seeing abstract concepts from artists like Richard Mather come to life with sound and movement. Its great to make a living as an artist, but its nice to be just an artist too.
Art by Richard Mather
Basel who?
November 24, 2008 at 9:51 am | Posted in Deep thoughts | 1 CommentTags: Art, Art Event, Art Show, Artist, Artists, Arts, Blog, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Culture, Gallery, Miami, Miami Art, Miami Art Basel, Miami Art Basel 2008, Modern, museum, Smithsonian, society
So every since about a year ago, when I naive and wandering confidently into this art fracas, I wanted to seek out the best opportunity for the artists I work with. In earnest, I began some research into the “Contemporary” Art world. Its not modern art people, that term is SO 90s.
Last December, the Smithsonian Magazine ran an interesting article about this event. It looked titillating, and a perfect opportunity to showcase my voice. Wanting to give the underrepresented artists I have been working with this past year, I was intrigued when I read about Miami Art Basel in the December issue. After reading the article, I had the impression that it was a hub of excitement and opportunity for cutting edge artists, since its a show featuring Contemporary Art.
When I saw that 3 billion dollars of art changes hands in the bacchanal that is Miami Art Basel 2008, I thought, now here is an opportunity to express some amazing art to the world. I have had boundless success in finding artists, having shows, networking, etc. Why should this be any different?
I posted on craigslist because I knew there had to be some local artists that had participated in this or knew someone that had. A helpful soul offered up some advice, that there’s no chance of exhibiting at Basel if you hadn’t had a national show at a respected gallery. My heart sank when I read his letter, and it opened my eyes.
Granted, Seattle is not exactly a hub of art, as I so naively described a year ago, but artists, and the future of art thrives here. When I moved here, I was cool enough to make friends as a Seattelite but I specifically came here for its low rent, small town ways. Seattle in 2003 was still pretty cool, a cheap place to live, and the arts and music thriving.
In the few short years that I have lived here, we’ve had construction that is on par with the sort of development you would feel in a third world country, rents have skyrocketed, and our state budget now has a 5 billion dollar shortfall.
Artists I know and work with personally are literally on the edge in so many ways. I wonder what will happen to 619 western when the lease runs out in 2012? Life in Seattle is a rude awakening. Grey weather, heavy traffic, commercialism, a cold and indifferent air in the society, we face the cold harsh reality of the struggle of art daily.
Why is so hard for people to forget the stark picture of the artist who had to reuse canvases in order to paint? An an early artist Picasso and many of his friends I’m sure racked up enormous debt to local merchants so that they could spend all their spare time and energy as artists. That’s the struggle and the beauty that this early was imbued with. Art that is now priceless, is much more so because of the artist’s struggle to create that they experience in the context of their everyday creation.
Here is the roundup of breaking news from what I have recieved in the past 48 hours about Art Basel 2008 Miami Beach and related events, some of which look very promising for us aspiring art beings who can only dream of participating in such an exclusive event. There are some, who like many in Seattle, have no comment about the whole art situation.
Here is an article that talks about how you can see underrepresented artists in the nearby art quarter, Lincoln Avenue, who galleries are surely seeing more discerning art figures than we could ask for in our art-challenged city.
Soul of Miami website has info on the Green Art Fair. Being eco-friendly is all the rage so its important to keep this event going.
A gallery from the United Arab Emirates will be featured at Art Basel, they sound like a gallery that’s doing work in their community aside from art shows so here is to them.
The New York Magazine promises a more restrained event this year, further strengthening evidence for this annual event’s voluptuary nature.
Its wonderful that art still has so much potential and relevance in today’s society. My passion, lies, however, in the creative person that thrives on instinct, whose need to create is irresistible, whose joy in expression I take such delight in. While I love the art world and all it represents, my motivating force is a powerful need to do what’s right and help creative souls. I admire the beauty and strangeness of thier efforts to live the art life (arte vivant) however possible, and what little I may contribute I hope only adds to the wonder of that experience.
Here is to the arts.
Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.
SEA SHOW Blog - Seattle Emerging Arts 
Unauthorized Art
December 23, 2008 at 3:24 pm | Posted in Graffiti, Miami Art Basel, Music, Life, Art, News, Public Art, Travel Updates, Upcoming Events | Leave a commentTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, art blog, art bloggers, art blogging, Art News, Art Show, Artists, Arts, Artwalk, Blog, blogging, California, California Art, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Daily, Events, Exhibit, Graffiti, Life, Los Angeles Art, Los Angeles MOCA, Los Angles, MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Music, news, Opinion, Palm Desert, personal, Public Art, San Jose, Santa Barbara, SEA SHOW, society, Thoughts, West Coast Art
We’ve been blasted with winter snow for the past five days and its been a busy month as I prepare to travel yet again. I always come back with trips with even more on my plate than I already have, so I’ve been distracted for a few days as I try to wrap up some projects before my business trip. This is my first lapse since my daily efforts about a month ago. I started a new blog, am sleeping odd hours, and have a twitch in my left eyelid.
Photo on Dec 22, 2008 from the deck
The word Basel is associated with banking and a city in Europe close to the border of France, Switzerland, and Germany. I’ve seen the long trail of news articles and blog entries with this word in it comes across my desk, and some of them are rather interesting. Between the mid-summer event in June in Europe and its Miami counterpart, bloggers can feed on the continual supply on art news. Since I am intrigued with this event because my interest is Contemporary Art and Beyond , its been the subject of many blog entries.
Recent news has shifted westwards since the end of Miami Art Basel in Early December to the west. It looks like the MOCA stalemate has finally ended. I just discovered that the fellow who offered a bailout for the beleagured MOCA (Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art) is one of the founders, and the latest news is that this morning (Tuesday, December 23rd) the museum will release news about its financial plan and new officers. You can be sure there will be a flurry of commentary after this, in fact it has already begun.
A very innovative use or incorporation of art into a public space is this library in San Jose that is using illuminated cell glass art that should be a model for public buildings. Tree Hugger also has an article on this new library. Artists exist and work regardless of whether or not there is a venue for them, but when it becomes available, as in the case of a property owner in Palm Desert who paid an artist to decorate signal boxes that belong to the city.
If I had attended Miami Art Basel, the stuff going on over at the so called Wall of Fame would have been ground zero for me, I always am interested and pursue awesome artists who resort to interesting measures to get their art seen. Its the future. Fecal Face is an awesome site has its finger on the pulse, with a ton of pictures of the gorgeous graffiti art that went on display by this core group of artists during Art Basel Miami Beach.
The city has moved to regulate any future artist who choose to do the same. I went to an alternative public high school, so I was interested to read about a new public art school in Los Angeles for high school students that is supposed to open in 9 months. Hopefully it will represent a broad spectrum of students from all across Los Angeles. The San Jose Mercury chimed in on the ongoing debate about public art with its own commentary about the need for art in public spaces, adding richness to the experience of city living. The city of Santa Barbara is setting a great example in its work to recycle used items that would otherwise become trash and educating youngsters in the process. I guess my main gripe with events like Art Basel Miami Beach and the traditional Gallery/Museum scene is that there is very little of this interchange with the public.
Its really sad that the artists in Miami work tediously in the hope that they will have an audience for their art, but the community has no way to benefit from these art events and fairs. There is so much richness and excitement in the artists who I work with who are on the fringe and half of their work as an artist is just finding an artist or struggling to pay for materials. It is a touching experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I’ve often compared Seattle to a third world city in its rampant building. I was over in the Eastlake neighborhood, and I counted no less than nine cranes in my frame of view. Public Art is actually one of our initiatives that we are working on here in Seattle, in regard to the non-stop building that is going on, since our real estate market does better than most of the country. New Dehli is taking command of its public spaces for contemporary art. The push by local artists to create and preserve public art is a model for cities like Seattle whose face is being changed in a way that the common citizen has little or no control of.
I like the Visuals and concept of the slow painting website. Its got links to other art history website and blogs, and you can read about an exhibit on Greek Vase Painting in Manhattan in this recent post. Moco Loco is another cool art blog that I just discovered. I haven’t gotten in depth yet so I don’t know quite what its approach is, but its a modern and contemporary art blog with a clean design and colorful and cartoony art that I enjoy so much in today’s entry.