Clutter

So I think that I want to focus more on discussion on the Tiger Strikes Asteroid blog rather than it being a diary of things we've seen, so I will be posting more about different topics that relate to artists rather than posting music or show reviews. If you want to see posts about that, you can go to my old blog, Watching Paint Dry.

I've been reading Letters to a Young Artist, and there is a part of Gregory Amenoff's letter that I've been thinking about:

"...LET YOUR STUDIO BE YOUR SANCTUARY... When your work leaves your studio and moves into the world, its character changes. One doesn't need to consult a Marxist to understand that art is a luxury commodity. You learn to live with this fact (and find ways of justifying it), but in the studio, things are different... If the marketplace finds its way (siritually) into that studio you have abdicated your essential power. Keep your studio clear from concerns of the marketplace. You might have to dance with the wolves but you can still keep them near the door."

Now, granted there is no marketplace for my work, but i still find myself stressing out about art-career related things while I'm working. I don't paint differently or anything, but sometimes it immobilizes me, and often times it makes me grumpy and less likely to enjoy working, mumbling something about getting ready for my retrospective at my U-haul storage space.

I realize that a lot of artists are perfectly happy to just create and could care less if they show in New York, LA, Berlin, whatever, but that is a choice that they make. I've chosen to try to have a "career" in this horrible game.

What do you guys think? Do you have strategies for clearing your mind of all the stress-clutter that comes with trying to be an Artist?

TEH INTERWEBS N ART

Sounds pretty interesting. You should check it out! More details at the Vox Populi website.

Hey Ladies

My friend just showed me Tucker Nichols' work... I love it. Super smart, super funny. All good things.

Grand Opening in March!

Please join us for the grand opening of Tiger Strikes Asteroid. Our inaugural exhibition, Getting Ready for the Prom, features the work of Phillip Adams, Timothy Gierschick, Alexis Granwell, Alex Paik, Nathan Pankratz, and Caroline Santa.

Getting Ready for the Prom
March 6-27, 2009
Opening Reception: Friday March 6, 6pm-9pm

Magicians and Cartoons

I saw the show at the ICA a while ago, but haven't gotten around to writing anything about it. I think Anthony Campuzano is one of the best artists working in Philly right now, so I think it's great that the ICA gave him a solo show. Dude really deserves it. I'm not really sure that I "get" the work, but he does some amazing things with text. His work really seems magical, which sounds corny, but I really think it's true. He transforms the text just enough so that it hovers right between that line of text-as-image and text-as-word, and there's something really amazing about seeing that. Every time I see his work I want to run home and make things just like his, which I suppose is the highest compliment I can give.



Josh Mosley's video was really nice as well. I'm kicking myself for not taking more advantage of having him on the faculty at Penn while I was there. Stupid, stupid, stupid! His video has a boyish whimsy about it and rides the line between cartoon and art really well. I kind of feel a guilty pleasure when I see his work -- it's like I get to watch an amazing animated cartoon and it's "serious" art! Lisa said it best: "That was a video piece that I actually wanted to continue watching after a minute."

Happy Birthday, Mendelssohn. Fuck You, Wagner

Interesting little bit about Mendelssohn over at NPR in honor of his 200th birthday. Apparently, there is a 2nd version of his 4th Symphony! I'd love to hear it, but haven't been able to find it in my interwebs searchings. I think they exaggerate how big of an impact Wagner had in slandering Mendelssohn out of the canon, but it's worth mentioning how big of a douche-bag Anti-Semite Wagner was.

In my opinion, Mendelssohn is a bit underappreciated, so it was nice to hear the story. Here's the 1st movement from his 4th Symphony... enjoy!