Saturday, October 29, 2011

Exploding with words






Dear K, 

So my new exhibit is up! I literally spent last weekend hanging from the rafters, installing 300 ft. of hand cut text around the space of Whitespace Collection

I'm feeling really good about it. Thought you might want to see some pics! The opening is next weekend and this installation will be up throughout the whole season. Yeah! 


On a lighter note.. meet our new friend, Lilith!! ;) She's an outdoor only friend.. showed up on our door a few weekends ago, and hasn't left. As much as this is a shock to me, she's actually pretty cute. Plus, the Mr. is in cat lovers heaven. ;)


Been thinking about ya. Hope you are great. 
Love ya, K.

Friday, October 21, 2011

their dreams and ours

K,
OMG, yes!  I just got into Swoon, after watching this movie: Our City Dreams on Netflix instant.  It shows her Mississippi River Project towards the end.  So cool!  Plus it highlights other amazing women artists:  Marina Abramovic, Ghada Amer and Kiki Smith.  But I appreciate Swoon's alternative approach to the art world in general, and her sincere gestures for bettering community.


Thanks for all the links!  Good luck with install.  Let's chat this weekend.

Love you!
k

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Your zest for life is oh so good..




Dear K,

Whew. . . nice last post. We needy a heady one to balance out our light and airy posts. Thanks for all of the fantastic links. I love that GoDoGood campain.. seems appropriate for the times. I totally agree that these days, your "likeability" factor IS a factor in the job search. I tell my students this all the time - its not just about knowing the programs or having an awesome portfolio anymore.. its acting professional (and "goodness" is part of that). We had all kinds of faculty meetings today and idea of not only acting responsibly came up but also critical thinking and fostering a critical dialogue. Funny that you sent that NY Times article, I read this one in the Chronicle and was thinking of you too. Foundations.. are they changing? Are they needed? (I think so..)

When Adobe first started developing their Creative Suite, graphic designers were so fixated on "learning the programs" that they forgot about basic design principles. I always note to my students that graphic design existed long before Adobe. It is possible. And it can be amazing.

Speaking of teaching - I scheduled two field trips this week for various classes. We went to the Jaffe Center to look at books, touch old presses and smell old ink. It was a full sensory experience. In addition, took my 3D class to the Boca Museum where I watched their brains slowly explode. We saw an amazing installation by Federico Uribe, a Miami artist. Holy crap... it takes alot for me to feel overwhelmed by art anymore. (Ever feel "art-ed" out??) . . . this gave me hope in the future of installation and the general creative force here in south Florida. It was Florida without being overtly Florida. No glass. No neon. No airbrush or watercolored palm trees. I loved it. Walking into the room was and again, it a full sensory experience. He had hanging birds, trees, cows - a whole habitat built just for us. One of the most interesting things was that in his statement, he talked about sustainability and making responsible decisions towards society and the earth with his art. He even got Puma to donate 2000 shoes and over 25,000 shoelaces for his delicate assemblages. It was all of my favorite themes in one installation: detailed, obsessive and unexpected materials; nature and bold vs. quiet color. Be sure to watch the video!


Also.. rediscovered my love for Swoon. And watched this video of her and thought of you. I really liked how she talked about her process.. how she got to where she is.. and her awesome project, Miss Rockaway Armada project on the Mississippi River - and how that has morphed to other collaborative music + art projects. (Swimming Cities of the Switchback Sea) She also brought up this idea of in a disaster, what CAN artists really DO in terms of act as an agent of change, help, assistance. Her questioning of the role of the artist in the world is really interesting. If you haven't looked into those projects, you should! The community aspect makes me think of your Traveling Truck Show, Mabel's Wayback Machine, etc.

I install my piece this weekend, wish me luck! ;)

Thanks again for my recent gift... it makes me miss you so!
Love, K.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

good-type-ness

Hey K,
I just read this article in the NY Times--a great read about new efforts in Education. The article follows two schools from very different socioeconomic backgrounds in their approach to teaching students "good character" alongside regular rudiments.  The schools are challenged, among other things, to define what "good character" means and how it is of value to the students and their future success and life happiness. 

First thought: this nebulous little thing, "good character," seems to be infiltrating systems of all kinds.  I imagine in this economy, one's character is the deciding factor for employers to take on a new employee.  Character or "goodness" also carries a lot of weight in consumer choices.  Organizations and their corresponding advertising agencies are playing to our society's consciousness, swaying us to believe in a company or choose a brand based on its good character.  I find myself being pulled in by more and more commercials that drive a direct message of social awareness or advocate sustainable practices.  The indirect message we're likely supposed to glean is, "oh, ______ is a really good company, I feel good supporting them."  This has been an advertising ploy since the 60s, but sometimes these mini-movies can be powerfully moving and strike such a personal and contemporary chord...yet still with a tinge of suspicion.

This gave me one of this moments.  Watching on TV (without the branded background graphics of this webpage to clue me in), I was completely absorbed into the imagery, message, the song!!!  So sad, and then hopeful, and then...WHAT???  This is for Chipotle? Surprising, yet somehow inspiring. 

And one that is somewhat ironic to show in reference to the article above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owsTf0HxvJI--highlighting an incredible education project powered by a super positive influential man, to bring value to AmEx?   

However, I think it's great that companies can be born out of this consciousness, in which their advertising IS what they do---Toms or the Red Campaign.

It's cool, I guess, that being good or doing good is momentarily trendy, but can we take it beyond consumerism?

This Summer in Chicago, Kay Rosen's GODOGOOD public installation took over the streets, on billboards, banners, signage, postcards, stickers, buttons, magnets, buses, trains...and even used-book collection containers in several building lobbies downtown.  What looks a little like a large scale advertising campaign, is an art project, just one of Rosen's many word play ditties.  After grabbing your attention, though, the work called for action:  http://godogoodchicago.com/ 




Tangentially, I'm glad type-based projects are getting a lot of play these days, too.  Doyle Partners did the experimental type pieces that accompany the New York Times article (images at top).  They were actually temporarily installed at the school, only photographed from the perfect perspective.  Here is a "making of" video.  The design company has a lot of other word/type-play solutions, too.  


Whew.  I don't know where that came from.  Anyway. 

xo,
k

Monday, October 3, 2011

Hanging in the wind...





Hey K,

Sorry I've been out of regular posts. . . Been thinking of you - and congrats on your newest exhibit! The photos look so awesome! I too love seeing art in non-art places and that industrial space is super cool. Parallel lives strike again with Florida and Chicago connections. Speaking of, Bill Tasma's drawing on the places/spaces he has lived totally remind me of my Homestellations and other "not made yet" pieces that are similiar in my head. I love the fact that the drawing were made on dry-erase boards, reminds me of erasing memory/erasing bad memories of spaces. Ironically, I'm applying to be in a show at Evanston Art Center by you with Homestellations and another night sky photo piece. ;) We'll see.. 


In addition to several applications checked off my list in the last few weeks (finished applying to a big grant and a couple of shows), I finished my cuttings - without an assistant. I'm currently taking applications!! I'm looking forward to installing them soon. Check out Whitespace's season of programming, including my project in the "Special Projects" section.  


Art + life + lots of lesson plans had me wanting to do something fun.. Here's hubs and I parasailing over Palm Beach yesterday. Honestly, I was a bit more freaked out than I thought I would be.. plus, these photos were taken pre-barfing on the boat from motion sickness from the ocean. Yikes! Fun activity gone bust ;) Oh well.. one more thing off the bucket list. It was pretty beautiful and oh, so, quiet.... 


Miss you - Hope you are great. 
xoxo, K.