Renascent on Cargo
Renascent updates his portfolio. Along with many other talented artist getting onto the Cargo Platform (still in beta)
100 Free Useful Apps for Mac
100 Free Useful Apps for Mac. You might find something you find useful.
Folio updates
Designer Rob Cordiner updates his folio, Photographer Pawel Fabjanski updates his portfolio, and also McFaul Studio updates
The Internet and Running an Art Gallery
Below is a comment by gallery owner Carrie Horejs from an earlier post called Running an Art Gallery. She talks about some of the challenges that the Internet is creating for the old artist/art gallery relationship. She raises some interesting questions..
My husband and I have owned and operated Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, and online since 2001. In fact, we opened September, 10, 2001. The next day, with the horrific events of 9/11, we thought we were goners. Of course, the economy of then was nothing compared to the difficult times of today. However, our sales are up from last year by 40 percent (2008 being our worst year yet).
My point in writing this comment is to say we have noticed a dramatic shift since opening in 2001. Back then very few collectors thought to look on the Internet for art or artists. Now, it is second nature to go to google for everything, including researching artists. A collector walks through our doors, falls in love with the artist, goes home and Googles the artist and then commissions directly from the artist. I’m not saying this happens all the time, but several months ago we, by accident, found out about a 0,000 commission that went directly to the artist after the purchaser had discovered his artwork in our gallery. Rather than become bitter, we got smarter. Why shouldn’t the internet work for both artists and galleries.
Now, before we represent artists in our Scottsdale gallery, we require they join Xanadu Studios where they show their work online through our site. Every studio artist shows in our bricks-and-mortar gallery on a rotating basis, but only top-selling artists show on an on-going basis and get shows devoted to them. We’re not sure it’s a perfect system yet, but we’re evolving with the times. We’re requiring more from our artists who promote themselves through personal websites and blogs (which, is like all of them).
I often wonder how other galleries are dealing with artists who have gallery representation but continue to self-promote. I have been known to secret shop gallery represented artists. I contact them through their emails on their personal websites and inquire as to whether they have any studio pieces available. Not once has an artist directed me to his or her galleries for purchases. I fear galleries will dry up if they don’t smarten up. Then where will collectors go to see art in person?
Free Hazel Dooney Photograph
Australian artist Hazel Dooney is giving away 500 limited edition photographs from her Lake Eyre series to celebrate her 500th post at her Self Vs. Self blog.
The image size is around 2″ x 3″ on 4″ x 6″ paper. It is titled “Study for Modern Strategies Of Survival: Resized For Mass Consumption.” Each photograph will be stamped, signed, dated and numbered on verso.
See her post here to learn how to receive one for free.
Previously Hazel has given away prints that had to be downloaded and printed using your own printer, but this offer is signed and sent from her actual studio. Just the logistics of preparing 500 works to be delivered would be enough to scare me off being so generous.
Hazel has also started using Twitter. I still don’t get Twitter and I have no idea how it has become so popular. I like brevity but how much can you say in one sentence? I’m probably missing something though as a lot of people are now using Twitter. I would be interested in seeing how much traffic artists are getting from Twitter.
Radiology Art
I found out about the “radiology art” of Satre Stuelke from a NY Times article called “The Inner Beauty of a McNugget” but I would have called it something like “Scary, Toxic Looking Chicken McNuggets.”
Stuelke has also done a few McDonalds burgers for his Radiology Art project and they look just as scarily toxic as the McNuggets. Sure, they’re beautiful to look at but they’re probably not something that should be put into your mouth.
The New York City artist’s statement for the project says it is “Dedicated to the deeper visualization of various objects that hold unique cultural importance in modern society, this project intends to plant a seed of scientific creativity in the minds of all those inclined to participate”
He has photographed/scanned toys, food and electronics. My favorites are the toys, especially the wild looking barbie doll and the toy elephant. See them on his Website here.
Search Art Keywords
I never know what to expect when I browse through the keywords that people use to find Art News Blog. They range from the funny, to the disgusting, to just stupid.
- Tit hanging - To be hung by your tits? Sounds painful.
- Do art galleries make money - Probably not at the moment.
- Designer vagina - That rhymes.
- Spam Funny - It can be.
- Shit art - That’s a matter of opinion.
- Propaganda advertising - It is.
- Jussst Porn - Wrong blog.
- Bare bums - Cold bare bums in this case.
- Sexy free - Many good things are free.
- Sleep artists - Masters of sleeping?
- Penis artists - I think there’s just one of them.
- Strange artists - Aren’t we all?
- Rich artists - They’re a rare breed but they do exist.
- Art collegia delenda est - That’s your term Donald.
Here’s some earlier search terms from 2006, 2007 and some stupid Banksy searches.
Paper in the Wind
Simple, everyday things amuse me. For example, a piece of paper blowing in the wind..
It was made by Sydney based artist Gary Deirmendjian.
ingredients:
1. a wondering through city fringe laneways;
2. a scrap of paper torn from a nearby skip;
3. a breeze; and
4. a pocket camera aimed with the hope of catching something interesting.
Gary says “It was all inspired and spurred on by the moment, as in there was no preconceived idea or intent to begin with - it took form as I began the filming. The breathing was added in editing.”
It made me think of the plastic bag in the wind scene from the American Beauty movie (I love that scene).
“Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world I feel like I can’t take it, like my heart’s going to cave in.”
Gone Walkabout
I have been on the road for the past week exploring a few places that I thought I might like to move to (see earlier post), which has slowed posting down. Friends were renting a massive holiday apartment on the Gold Coast so I invited myself around to stay. It was on the 70th floor of a building which claims to be the tallest residential building in the world. It was like living on a plane without all the turbulence and flight attendants offering coffee and bad food.
Here’s some storm clouds rolling in..
Here’s a painting that I couldn’t stand looking at in the apartment, so I turned it around as it would have ruined my week. Friends thought I was crazy but I didn’t want it to influence me in any way.
People looked like ants on the beach.
I have a few more places to explore, but I’m starting to think I will just travel around Europe and America for the next year or two.