Nathans Questions

1. Smithson mentions that entropy essential is a trending toward balance, how do you feel this relates to a creative practice’s trending toward completion?

I may be misinterpreting this question. For Smithson entropy essential is trending towards balance because we want to keep our world equal. We don’t want too many man made things, as well as natural things. We are attempting to keep our world from disappearing but at the same time need to keep it changing. I think as an artist our work is similar. A creative practice needs to be constantly changing but it can’t change to quickly as we are often prone to hold onto old habits, styles and techniques. In the same way we don’t want our creative process disappearing but need it to keep changing, and this dynamic informs its completion.

2. Having been written in the early 1970’s this conversation mentions both energy crisis and the derelict remains of floundering housing projects, are these issues specific to the cultural climate, unavoidable and ubiquitous, or a combination of the two?

Although this dialogue was written in the 70’t it could be taken into our modern context quite easily. These places still exist, and are still parts of our lives. I also believe they are a combination of both unavoidable and ubiquitous. The difference now is their cause. Our headlines now read economical crisis and housing decline. The issues are a constant but the causes are subject to the cultural climate.

3. Smithson mentions the an intention to sculpt the sides of the Niagara Falls to make it look less “man made” and more natural, how does this relate to idea of entropy?

This is our way of fighting entropy. Like what was spoken about during the talk. People are generally afraid of entropy, constantly fighting decay. They actually stopped Niagara Falls to fix not only the decay but also nature itself. It is an insane idea, but because we are always fighting with the balance of man v. nature, and decay v. pristine it was voted as a necessary improvement.

4. Do you feel that you relate more positively to work that is more idyllic or dialectic, and why?

I relate more positively to work that possesses idyllic qualities. I feel as though art is governed by hierarchical nonsense. A status has been placed on dialectic work as being more sophisticated and important, most of the time dealing with political, social or economical issues. There are enough problems in the world being dealt with in my opinion. I look at art as an escape, not only through the creative processes it but also from the viewer’s perspective. To relate back to Kim’s reading, we are faced with many many choices. I want art to take me to one place and give my mind peace. That is not to say I don’t enjoy being informed, but is it really arts place to inform someone?

5. What does it mean to skip order and start from a state of incongruity?

To skip order and start from a state of incongruity is allowing the process to inform the outcome. Starting out of order would ultimately disrupt the original plan and create something not necessarily understandable. I feel as though this relates to your work quite well actually, mostly because I don’t know your process at all. I have never really had a discussion with you about your work but the clocks seem to pull from whatever is going on that day, or last week, or what you ate or found funny. There doesn’t seem to be an order to you work. I know there is a connection between the objects on the clocks but I struggle to make it.

6. Why swim against the current?

According to the salmon that is how you get to the best place to have sex. I wonder if this question relates to you work? I feel as though your work fits pretty well into mainstream contemporary art. It has all of the necessary attributes: Witty, different, interesting mark making, uncommon use of object/materials. Most artists swim against the current metaphorically because it stirs people up. I don’t really think its possible to swim against the current anymore. People are to accustom to people trying to swim against the current.

7. What do you feel are the essential differences between being a conservative and being a conservationist?

Loved this question in class. They are exactly the same only dealing with different subject matter. Both are trying to keep an environment alive and well. Conservatives are dealing with a way of life. They are holding onto old traditions, politics, and values, and will vote to keep those all day and night. Where was a conservationist is fighting for, for the most part, a natural environment. The best part is they are both fighting the natural time line. The only constant is that things change. Natural selection/and adaptation is how a species or environment survives or dies. This is just a case of fighting entropy on both parts.

8. I decided to include several readings, how do you feel that relates to my studio practice, and why do you feel I do it?

I think this is how you make-work. Your work is not necessarily opinion but it is facts. Lots of facts compiled into one piece that at times can be a little confusing but they are all connected even if only in a small way. When you spoke you talked about not wanting to form opinions necessarily but only wanting to take in facts to know what is going on in the world. This is how your pieces present themselves. One clock with all of these objects attached to it. Like your mind rolls around and picks up little bits and pieces of everything.

Questions: Kims Reading

Thesis questions, Kims reading

1. What does zengoitita mean by “optional”? what is a good example of “real”? What is an example of “mediated”?

When Zengoitita speaks about optional I believe he is speaking literally about all of the options we are faced with today. Specifically speaking about the options relating to goods and services. An example given of this would be cereal choices. 60 years ago there were only 4 choices, now the possibilities are endlessly combined. To escape these options would be to experience the real. I believe nature is the best provider of that, if you can escape to a place that is unmediated by people. It is easier to give an example in America however of a natural place mediated. One of these is our very own lido beach. Every day it is combed, de weeded and watched by lifeguards. One is never allowed to see the natural growth that would occur, or the depth of the ocean, or how nasty sand can become when not precisely combed every day. It is real but only in the sense that it is in front of you.

2. What is your constructed identity and lifestyle?

My constructed lifestyle like most Americans is complicated. I have chosen bits and pieces from lifestyles I have taken time to dabble in so far. I surf, kayak, print, vote logically but tends to be republican, want to be an artist/batman home mom (as Jeffery puts it), and southern by birth. Those are the pieces of me that people catch/ are allowed to see. It is a really hard question, because I love being conservative, but my feet want to go on the town sometimes and run around like a wild woman. However I don’t think my feet count, because only my close friends know them.

3. de Zengotita writes, "Some people refuse to accept the fact that reality is becoming indistinguishable from representation in a qualitatively new way." Are you aware of this? Do you think about it? What do you think about it? Or is this a pretty new idea for you? If so, how do you feel about it?

I’m pretty aware of our entire world, real and unreal melding into one blob of insanity. It’s not a new idea; we are bombarded with images all the time. If someone asks me if I know the pyramids I say yes… have I been there, no. Mediation is a blessing and a curse. On one hand my entire thesis is about mediation. Yes, technically it’s about conservation, but the images I draw are mediated to create a perfect environment. No bugs, no snakes, no fog, no sweat. I only show you what I want you to see/edit out because that is how I see these environments. On that side it’s a blessing I can mediate these places I love so much so you can experience them the same way I do.

4. de Zengotita writes," The problem with trying to comprehend the process of mediation is that you can't get outside it." Can you imagine a way to get outside it? If that was your assignment, to get outside of the mediated world/environment, what would you do?

My goal to escape mediation is reoccurring. I escape the mediated world by going into nature. Specifically trying to find someplace untouched by people. That means no signs, no paths, and especially no one telling me what I can’t do. This is generally judged by if I’m out on the water, and I can kayak naked. I have found somewhere unmediated.

1. I think my work has the "whatever" quality to it that de Zengotita describes. Do you agree?

Whatever is not a word I would use to describe your work. I feel like whatever implies a disregard for anything. Your work is in the contemporary art world. It automatically gives another layer… or so it’s assumed. Meaning when I look at your work I’m grasping for a connection to the images. There must be a reason they are on the same page. Art in general will always lack the “whatever” quality at this point.

2. I also think my work plays with the range between the real and fabricated/mediated that de Zengotita describes, and I present that range on a level playing field. Do you agree, or not--and why?

I agree. With your art you have created semi believable environments with Things going on that could happen. They probably would not, but very well could. In all reality you could have taken a picture of a fan man herding pigeons into an oil drilling area. Likely its not, so we try and connect the three images acting as if they are separate. This could just be a strange occurrence such as the bear man suit in the mountains.

3. What else can I/should I do to more successfully describe, in my work, the mediated/optional environment we live in in America?

I still struggle with the idea that you’re actually dealing with mediation. I feel your work is simply mediated because that is how you make your work. Physically showing us choices would speak louder about mediation than giving us multiple unrelated images. We don’t have to choose between them. We can have them all.

4. What is the similarity or difference between the "tone" of de Zengotita's writing/analysis and the "tone" of my drawings?

This question is lost on me. I have only seen two of your pictures in person, and tone is not something I think about for the most part. I cannot give you a response with writing down.

Thesis Hypothesis

My thesis is well under way but this is what I was thinking in the beginning of the semester and where it is now. The first things I worked on were a combination of wetland conservation and the invisible people and it certainly shows in the first prints. since then my work has become more matured and the invisible people are no longer a part of my work. I want to work with the beauty of the wetlands because I dont believe that people care to conserve things they are not attracted to. Within my sculpture I address the issues happening such as our building over them to make condo's and such.

critiques

Individual critiques: 1. Kim -Sep 20th
2. Nathan - I dont remember the exact date but we discussed my prints and boat while it was leaking
3. Kim - When you came into town for a few days
Group Critiques: 1. Not sure of the date, Involved Paul, Kim, Brittany, and later Therese, Jeremy, and Trisha
2. Group critique with class final week

Art Market

In the essay by Christine Mehring,"Emerging market: Christine Mehring on the birth of the contemporary art fair, 2008." She speaks about what would be considered the first art fair. The fair took place in germany and was called Kunstmarkt 67. It was a huge success and included dealers of both German and American art. The article mostly speaks about the history of this market and its main founders, Rudolf Zwirner and Hein Stunke. The article also goes into detail about the politics behind the art fair and the controversy that arose with the refusal of certain art dealers into the fair. It goes into detail of how gallery openings are no longer the norm for selling large amounts of art and how art fairs have opened the door for stroller toting mothers to get into their cultural side.

This article is fitting given that the Ringing seniors and juniors are embarking on a trip to Art Basel this week to experience the art fair in person. It is also an eye opening view on the real way to get your art into the world. Not necessarily by openings... but with the ever popular art fair.

Foot Prints

I dont know why they follow me
Blindly following their creator
They know nothing of this world
Only the organized line they stand in

They wait for me to walk
I assume they think this is amazing
because there are always more of them
they must be telling their friends

They trust me as their creator
that I would never destroy them
If only they knew
I lead them to their death along this shoreline

Mindless fools

Jack Burgess explains contemporary art, 2010

This is one of the best simple explanations of modern art I have ever watched, and very entertaining. I do not have much to say about this video it pertains to my art in the most obvious way, that we are working in the contemporary art world. I wish I had more to say about this fun little video.