Rebellion and Art...What should come next?

The one thing that remains the same is that Art always finds a way change. Being Avant-garde is a part of keeping things fresh to preventing stagnation by finding ways of rebelling against establishments, and tradition. Dadaism was the most obvious rebellious movement within the arts, but each generation finds its own way of pushing society's buttons. Being avant-garde means pushing the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo, primarily in the cultural realm.

Have things gotten too corportate and cozy lately? If so, is that good or bad for art as we know it? What do you see as the role of art and rebellion today? Will it be hi-tech, low-tech, and what impact will it have on society and within the arts? What do you think will be the next new idea, bold experiment? Let's discuss in the comment section.

President-Elect Barack Obama's favorite Painting...

In case you were curious about the taste in art of our President-Elect Barack Obama, I learned from the "Two Coats of Paint" blog that Barack Obama's favorite paintings is called Hope, by George Frederic Watts.  

[At first glance, it is hardly the most comforting of images, with its pea-soup greens and murky greys; indeed, GK Chesterton quipped that Watts might more accurately have called his painting "Despair". But the painting's message of faith in the face of adversity fascinated Wright. "The harpist is sitting there in rags," he preached. "Her clothes are tattered as though she had been a victim of Hiroshima… [yet] the woman had the audacity to hope."  The phrase stuck irrevocably in Obama's mind. He adapted it as the title of his rousing address to the Democratic Convention in 2004. In 2006, he used it again, as the title of his second book.]

The Tate Museum of Art that owns Hope, has an interesting explaination about this mysterious piece: 

The figure of Hope is traditionally identified by an anchor. In this picture she is blindfolded, seated on a globe and playing a lyre of which all the strings are broken except one. Watts wanted to find a more original approach to symbolism and allegory. But Hope’s attempts to make music here appear futile and several critics argued that the work might have been more appropriately titled Despair. Watts explained that ‘Hope need not mean expectancy. It suggests here rather the music which can come from the remaining chord’.

Interesting to think about the effect and power of "Hope" in the face of the unknown during these complicated times ahead.  Discuss.

Street Artist Swoon, reveals all in ArtNet interview!

Street Art is an artform that in recent years has been gaining more and more attention. Nicole Davis, of Artnet did a video interview with street artist "Swoon," where she talks about her reasons for taking art into the streets. 

Swoon speaks of needing to push away from listening to people who told her, "I can't do that."Swoon explains, " I wanted to do something that was kind of bad...once I started working outside I just had this intense energy, that I could just make things, put them out and they'd be gone, ravished and destroyed... It was a way of clearing out every idea, so you are forced to keep making new things... this constant renewal allows you to move through a lot, because you are not going to keep anything. She later goes on to explain how this path led to other public art and collaborative projects with other artists.

It is really important as an artist to allow yourself a path to experiment, work in different medias and formats, and explore the lows and highs of your thought process in order to mature and know oneself. I enjoyed seeing Swoons work and hearing her explain how street art was an act of rebellion as well as a testing ground for her creative process. She creates her works using the wheat-pasting method popular in urban areas such as NYC. Let me know your thoughts. 

Our current Kish Art Gallery Artist, Kurt Webb

Artist Lecture and Gallery Reception at Kish Today!

The artist Kurt Webb who is showing at the Kishwaukee Art Gallery will be doing a powerpoint lecture on his art today in room A-225 from 11am-12pm.  

Staff Sergeant Depending on Prosthetic Limb: Amputation rate for U.S. troops twice that of past wars - 

Kurt Brian Webb. Two-color woodblock print. 10” x 8”. 2006

Following the artist lecture, there will be a reception open to the public from 12-2pm at the Kishwaukee Art Gallery with food, refreshments, art, and good company.   See you there!

Artist Comissions

Hey every peoples, I just wanted to make a post about some art commissions I had done of my characters recently. I commissioned both of these artists to do drawings of my characters, Phibi and Suni.

The first is by Stephen "Teben" Hetirc and the second is by Afu, who only did Phibi. They're both very different takes on my characters, as well as styles. I think it was a great way to get out into the art ommunity and talk to some artists! They were both really nice guys, and very cooperative as well. As for cost, both of them combined only cost me 25$, which is pretty darn cheap, and I think they both did an awesome job! Hope you think so too. Thanks!

Student Art Show Opportunity in 2D Display Case at Kish

The Art Department is now organizing the opportunity for Personal, Group, and Class shows in our 2-D Display Case in the Art Wing of Kish.

You may sing up next to display case to schedule your Kish Art Show of:
Photography, Prints, Drawings, Paintings, Collages, Mixed-Medias, and other 2D artwork.

Getting as many people to see your art is one of the main reasons we make art!

Our first show is already on exhibit, so check it out, and be sure to leave a comment and sign the guest book. Receptions are up to the artist(s) involved.

P.S. Check out the show of Charles Gneich's Acrylic Portrait paintings in the Kish Art Gallery. Large and interesting work.

Interview with Kish comic artist, Andy Hongisto.

In his spare time, Andy "Checkmark" Hongisto, Kishwaukee College art student and cartoonist for the Kaleidoscope (Kish's School Paper), also writes and draws his own online graphic comic called, "Drifter". Marking the 3rd anniversary of his comic, "Drifter," local filmmaker Joel Zaruba and character actor "Chester" conducts a fun and informative interview with Andy about his comic. Check it out:

To see more of Andy's comic, click HERE.

Mattew Ritchie collaborates with Archictect Benjamin Aranda to create artwork

An interesting interview of architect Benjamin Aranda, discussing his contribution to contemporary artist Matthew Ritchie’s anti-pavillion project The Morning Line (2008).  In today's times, Artists working in non-traditional ways often collaborate with engineers, scientists, doctors, writers, designers, architects, etc. to achieve their artistic goals.  You can read more about Ritchie's artwork, (HERE).

On Matthew Ritchie’s The Evening Line project at the Bienniale Architecture in Venice:

It’s not just about architecture here in Venice. Matthew Ritchie is an artist who recreates the universe as art with paper, lights and installation. For the Biennale he has collaborated with Aranda/Lasch and Daniel Bosia/Arup AGU to create a huge installation made up of fractals and site specific designs.

New Art Exhibit at Kishwaukee Art Gallery

A Message from Gallery Director Michelle Erickson:

I'd like to welcome you all to the KC Art Gallery's October exhibit, "Emerging from Darkness" paintings by Chicago artist, Charles Gniech.  This show will be on display October 6 - 31, 2008.  

The Artist's reception will be Tuesday, October 7 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.   Mr. Gniech will begin his gallery talk at 11:30.  Please join me in welcoming this very talented artist to our campus.  

Be well, Michelle. 

"The Artist Wonders, Acrylic on Canvas, 2003."

Installation Art, Art and Money, and Plácido Domingo

Artists curious about installation art should check out this slideshow of recent sculptural installation art by Tara Donovan by clicking (HERE). 

She has the ability to "transform huge quantities of prosaic manufactured materials — Styrofoam cups, pencils, tar paper — into sculptural installations that suggest the wonders of nature."  Really cool stuff, and here is just a hint of what to expect (made out of styrofoam cups).

For a strange article about painter/filmmaker Julian Schnabel getting ready to paint famous Mexican tenor, Plácido Domingo, check out this article here.  He talks about his process approaching a subject and a painting in brief, and what inspires him.  He is the humble painter who once said, “I’m the closest you’ll get to Picasso in this life.”

(HERE) is an interesting article about the artist Damien Hirst.  He is an artist who likes attention and making waves (famous for suspending a dead shark in a plexi-glass box as art).  The art market typically works by artists showing their work through galleries, and getting a commission from sales at these shows.  Eventually, some art-buyers sell their art investment at art auction houses, often at a profit.  Hirst recently decided to bypass the art gallery establishment (galleries) and go directly to Soethby's Art Auction.  

Gallerists are not pleased.  Its a novel idea, but I see a trend today where art is treated more as business and less as passion by artists, dealers, critics, buyers, and historians.  Perhaps it is a product of our times.

Take a look at the (Jeff Koons) show that the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago just had.  It was filled with shiny and beautiful sculptures, paintings, and photographs, and probably most of them painted and cast by his assistants.  Yes, I do believe Koons directed the assistants, and developed the ideas and maybe this is a product of conceptual art.  However, in conceptual art, the idea is more important than the product.  

(Jeff Koons, Michael Jackson and Soap Bubbles, 1988.)

Usually that means, we spend more time admiring the idea, because the product is not necessarily aesthetic.  In Koons situation, there is bling, shine, and gloss.  I think we are attracted to the product.  It makes the art of painting and sculpting feel more like skilled labor than a creative act in the hands of Kitsch-Master, Jeff Koons (c). 

Are we to feel glad for the artists who are now making a killing in money from their art,with artists like Takashi Murakami collaborating on Album Covers for Kanye West, and designing purses for Louis Vuitton, or should we be concerned that many of the art stars are role-models for taking a more materialistic approach to art and its purpose?

I guess that this is a question for future artists and dealers and appreciators to decide.

(Andy Warhol, Dollar Sign, 1982)

Honest to Blog.

This is a painting I did a few months ago for my high school. Part of the tradition there was that any art student who took an art class all four years of high school was allowed to paint a mural on the school wall, kind of cool. I did this piece on the left. One thing I like to do is give plant-life human characteristics. If plants and such were able to interact with us more, I think people would think twice before cutting down forests or throwing their garbage carelessly on the ground. The human limbs replacing the tree limbs give a sense of feeling to the tree. It is able to feel when someone is cutting it or setting fire to it, and in theory it would bleed the same way a human arm would bleed.
The flowers with eyes at the base of the tree can see what people are doing to their enivironment. I gave them eyes because a lot of emotions can be read from a persons eyes. This is meant to show that plants could possible have emotions and to somehow make people feel guitly for destroying them.
I personally think the concept of this painting is pretty cheesey; although, i did have fun making it. I had a very short time period to work on this so i did not get to put as much thought and detail into the painting. The cliff in the back is actually a painting that i have already done, the original of it was more close-up. I threw it in there just for filler space. That's pretty much it. Let me know what you think. thanx for checking out my BLOG!

GO LIVE! Attend this free workshop

GO LIVE!
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008
6-7 PM @ ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM

Attend this free workshop to get Information on starting your own Web site, necessary software, design and content tips. It's a great place for information if you are ready to take those first steps to bring your
artwork into the World Wide Web.

Instructor: Melissa Seipel | Location: RAM Funderburg Gallery
Cost: FREE
To register for classes call Stacey Sauer,
RAM Education Coordinator, at 815.972.2874.

Rockford Art Museum
711 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61103
DIRECT 815.972.2877
fax 815.316.2179
mseipel@rockfordartmuseum.org
www.rockfordartmuseum.org

Great KC Library Resource

For your research papers, research projects or general interest.

Grove's Art Online
articles and images on all aspects of the visual arts.

You will need to scroll down the list of e-resources until you see the Grove's link.

If you log in from campus, you automatically have access. Please contact the KC library for the username and password to log in from off campus.

Blog Cleaning

Hi!

We are only allowed to have 100 authors for this site and it has frozen us from inviting more students to participate as authors.  Since we do not know who some of the authors are via the email addresses, we decided to delete all non st.kishwaukeecollege.edu addresses.  If you would like to have author capabilities reinstated, please email your instructor and it will be done.

Cheers,

Management (hee hee)

Miles and C-L

DeKalb Gallery Closes

The DeKalb Gallery has officially closes as of Sept. 6th, 2008.

When I was a child, I used to enjoy going downtown for dinner. After dinner, my family and I would always stop inside our favorite small-town art gallery to see local art in-person. The gallery I used to visit is called Lancaster Galleries, and resides in Lancaster, PA. I would study the pictures to see what the artists were up to and think about my future place in society as an artist.  I would ask how I might improve so that one day my work would be on exhibit. It was one aspect of many that helped enrich my appreciation and dedication to a life in the arts.

Being a local art gallery in a small town is difficult. Will people be interested in art? Will they buy art? How do you balance art that is interesting and courageous while at the same time realizing that safe art sells much easier. Gallerists play an important part in supporting art, bringing culture to the community, opportunity for artists, and value to its customers. It is more love than profit.

Supporting the arts can mean many things. It can be appreciating, going to openings, buying/donating, taking classes, going to museums, supporting funding, educating oneself and others about art, making art or working in art related fields.

I am new to this community, however I recognize the loss to the character of downtown DeKalb, and to the art-lovers DeKalb Gallery has touched over the years. If you enjoyed seeing shows at DeKalb Gallery in the past, send Dan Grych (curator and owner of DeKalb Gallery, and a nice guy) a thank-you message and wish him well on his new life in Arizona.

Yes, Dekalb Gallery has closed.  Hoever, even supporters of the arts need support and our thanks too!

If you have any personal memories or wishes about DeKalb Gallery, let the owner know that you cared.  You may contact Dan Grych at: dan@dekalbgallery.com

The torch passes on to you. 

Welcome to the ArtandKISH Blog, Fall 2008

Hi all, and welcome to the ArtandKish Art Blog. This is just a refresher for what this space is for:

1. Sharing, discussing, networking, and promoting the art that you make with others.
2. Announcing local art events and meet up groups that others might want to hear about.
3. Learning about news and upcoming events, trips, and opportunities within the Art Department at Kishwaukee College.
4. Writing about art, honing your art journalism skills.
5. Posting cool art news, stories, links, videos, artists, art that you hear about or think others should see, sharing your blog with us.
6. Participating in a local and online community.

If we have something to tell you, or you to tell us, this will be an educational, and active place to find out about it. There are also many handy links on the left-hand side that will help you find cheap places to buy art supplies, read about art news, find tutorials, and learn about art contests, etc. This place is ours, so it will be as exciting and useful as we make it. So browse, post, comment, and welcome to the Art and Kish Community!

P.S.
If you have any questions about how to post, please ask your Art Instructors

Thanks,

The Kish Art Dept.

Ashley Wood and Reyyy.

I thought it'd be cool to post two new artists who have some really interesting work. Both of them have been pretty successful in their art fields, and have very different mediums. Ashely Wood was recently quoted in Juxtapoz magazine too.

Ashely Wood

Corey Lewis Rey

Thanks guys.

Barbapapa

Ok, I was telling one of my classes about the trippy cartoon I used to watch growing up in the 70's. I think WGBH Boston staff were trippin. I love Barbapapa.

Animation that Happens in the Streets

Some more Summer Videos...A fun animation painted on public walls in Buenos Aires and Baden. Interesting to think about the fact that animation can occur in the streets, on buildings, paper, computers, or anywhere. All you need is imagination and a good work ethic to get started. MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu. Pay attention to the trace of the image that remains slightly visible as it becomes painted over.


Reminds me of the South African artist, William Kentridge and his hand drawn animations. Enjoy.