Bad Artitude

Over this morning’s breakfast of Fruity Cheerios, I flipped through a 2-year-old magazine. This issue contained an article entitled, “Braving the New Art World.” I’m assuming that the economic “downturn” that occurred since this article was published has given this new art world a kick in the pants. Perhaps there are fewer buyers (read investors) these days, but I’m guessing that the attitude is still there.

The hedge fund managers that the article states are the ones tossing money at celebrity artists have probably done an about face. No doubt their purchasing power has been replaced by another group of those art buyers who must show the world they have deep pockets and high, selective taste. I am not a part of this group. Nor will I ever be. Yeah, I know, never say never. But I do not think I will ever have the money or the bad artitude to collect with impunity. My desire is to LOVE what I purchase. Or, at least to love what I may not be able to purchase. I do not wish to collect to show others that I have the means to collect. I have no desire to place an investment on my wall, no matter how trendy, to gaze at every day.

I would rather attend my local art fair (which isn’t really all that local, its just nearby), than wear some lacerating high heels and Prada attire to patronize Art Basel Miami Beach with a pack of hoity toities in similar garb. Art buying is not a “scene,” at least not for me. I do not feel the need to have my artwork assault me with images of evisceration, rape, or feces, disturbing art being quite popular these days. On the other hand, I do not want a work I’m considering purchasing to require a user’s manual to understand its deeper than deep meaning, also quite popular these days.

This article informs me that I must do a lot of research before I am educated enough to considering purchasing art. I must visit dozens (at least) of galleries to see the “newest, most compelling work,” first. I’ve got to read the art magazines and ask questions in museums and at those dozens (hundreds) of galleries. Then, and ONLY then, can I try to prove my worthiness to a gallery owner. Heaven forbid I just walk into a gallery with cash falling from my pockets and orifices. The dealer wants to sell to important collectors. Those whose names “everybody” knows. Not to little ole me. Gosh, I’m so stupid. I don’t even know any “important” collectors, let alone be one myself. If little ole me is lucky, I could get put at the bottom of a waiting list. For an important all-white work of monkeys being eviscerated. That may or may not come with an owner's manual for understanding. Now, if I’m lucky, really lucky, I could get on the waiting list to purchase a half-million dollar work of a handful of words stenciled on a white canvas in black letters. What the . . . ? I could go to the local sign-maker and have him whip me up something for $30.00. But then when I threw a wing ding at my home, I couldn’t just say “Look here, I have a piece by Ed the Signmaker.” No one would give a sh*t. And frankly, in the crowd I hang in, no one would give a sh*t if I owned the $500,000 piece. Perhaps I just have a bad artitude. I refuse to give into this elitist thinking in regard to art. I’m one of the lowly idiots that thinks art is an expression rather than a commodity.

Then, there is the matter of the required, page-long artist statement. Overworked artist’s statements just leave me exhausted. I just can’t make the connection between an artist being able to use the words context, dichotomy, manifested, inferred, ostensible, divergent, conceptual, and juxtaposition, and fine art itself. Are artist’s statements that use such words just a method for weeding out the weak-minded. These statements imply “If you don’t get it, you don’t deserve to have it. Fool.” If an artist talking about his or her work causes my dictionary to burst into flames, well it just isn’t worth it to me. I’ll never make it in this world as a collector.

The word dichotomy is a must-use word in artist’s statements. Wanna know what it means. My not-so-trusty old American Heritage dictionary defines it as:

1. Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions; schism. 2. The division or subdivision of a class into two mutually exclusive groups.


So, there you have it. Art buyers can be divided into two mutually exclusive groups. Those who buy it because they love it, and those who buy it just to impress others. Am I making this too simple? You tell me. Am I right? Or do I just have a bad artitude?

Beats Selling Eggs

Of the Sun, 4.5 x 6.5"

Fun day in the studio, now that I have let myself in.  I have been gathering ideas the last couple of days and today they all started pouring out.  My mission was to complete something today.  Anything.  And here it is.  It's small, it's cute (as cute as I get anyways), and it's going to be affordable.

I'll tell you why.

My daughter just finished watching the American Girl Movie Kit Kittredge.  A great movie for young girls!  Anyway, the movie is set during the Great Depression.  Families all over the country are broken up as fathers go to cities in search of work.  The rest of the families do what they can to keep their homes.  Kitt's family, as most of the families in their neighborhood that manage to retain their homes, takes on boarders, sells eggs, and makes clothing from feed sacks.  Life for them ain't easy. 

My family has been fairly lucky during this recession.  The hubby still has employment, and I have not been forced to give up my art to be a Walmart greeter or coal miner. However, I do miss the income I have enjoyed for the last several years.  I use my income for home furnishings, clothing, vacations, books, and ART SUPPLIES.  Darn those things are expensive.

I want to keep on doing as I have been doing.  I like making larger pieces of art.  But they are not selling at this time.  My idea of large is probably not the same as somebody else's idea of large, but regardless, cheaper is selling better at this point.  I think this fellow here will cost $26.00 and $4.00 for shipping.

I'm not sure I want to get into selling prints or doing notecards.  Textiles just look so much better in person.  The idea of my art is to touch it myself, and when I'm done touching it, I want it to go out in the world to be touched by someone else.  So, for now, until I'm forced to sell eggs, I'm sticking with creating originals.  Smaller originals.  With content that I think people will like.

Selling out?!?  I don't think so.  Meshing my interests with the interests of the marketplace?  I think that is how I can best put it.  Birds are hot!  I like birds.  I have put birds into my art for years now, and I'm not about to stop.  So . . . more birds!  Text?  So far, I have not used text in my work.  Possibly because so many others have used it in their work.  But I love text.  I love a letter.  I love a word.  I love a phrase.  And so on.  I have collected a handful of "antique" books for the collages I used to do in the dark ages.  Although, I could never convince myself to cut them up.  I pulled a couple of books out this morning and started ripping and cutting.

One small slip of paper that has been in my idea folder for, uh, 10 years (wow), has finally come out of the dark.  It says, "words for wings."  So now my birds will have words for wings.

So, let me know what you think.  Really.  Whether you like it or not.  Whether you think I'm selling out or not.    Be honest.

Another One

I seem to be on a roll. This one is "New Orleans: Languishing Muses." It is 24"x 24". Soon to appear on my Website and Ebay. My hubby and I are reworking my pricing and tons of updates need to be made, so in a few days, these will start appearing, ready for sale.

I almost finished the last one yesterday. Not the last of the series, but the last of the ones I had already started. But, I have been forced into a vacation. It is Spring Break! Woohoo.

So another forced vacation. I really don't like those. But schools are closed, and what can I do. Set up playdates! Unfortunately I owe the other parents around here so playdates are at my house for the duration of spring break. I guess this will allow me to do all sorts of computer "work" instead of going into the studio.

Or perhaps I could join up with those college students. We could go drink ourselves senseless, or perhaps go even further than that. At least our closest neighbors will be gone for the next week. We have a fine group living next to us this year. I don't know how a teeny tiny ranch house could be the home to 7 or 8 cars. I'm anxious for them to take their drinking and puking somewhere else for a few days.

At Last

Finally, absolutely completed. And so much time wasted trying to come up with a name. And then to have it not be profound. But anyway. . . this is

New Orleans: Regaining Ground I. It is 16 x 16" and is up for auction on Ebay this week.

I hope you can see the stitching in the detail view of houses, doors, and windows. I think I have given an explanation of the components of these pieces in an earlier post, so I'm not sure I'll bore anybody with it now. I would be more interested in hearing your own interpretations.

Over the month of March, there will be changes in my prices on the website, Ebay, and Etsy. Since I do not have a magic wand, I cannot update every price at once, so if there is something you have been considering purchasing, now might be a good time.

Yes, I hate to raise prices during this time of great economic prosperity. I know we all have loads of mad money to throw around. After I recently "completed" one of my larger pieces, I asked myself what I thought it was worth. Then I went to my inventory list to see what the price would be for a piece the same size. I was shocked. Very few people, in this country at least, work for such a low wage. So a change is going to come.

Nameless

The big one is finally finished, except for a name. Why does this seem to always be the hardest part? I would hate to saddle a piece that took so long to make with a lame name. All in this "series" represent New Orleans. I don't know if all will have the same name and then be given numbers, or should they all have different names?

Any help out there? I would really like to get these posted on my website as soon as possible. Perhaps if I broke the pieces down, I could come up with an idea.

Each of the pieces has some water imagery in it, representing rain, standing water, or hurricane. There are homes, restored and occupied or standing empty. Outlines of homes show that some are no longer there. There are representations of foliage, green and alive or brown and dead. Black figures on red represent the life of New Orleans -- its people. Pieces that are integrated into the artwork represent those who have returned to New Orleans. Pieces that have been sewn to the top after the artwork was quilted represent those who did not or cannot return.

When this piece was completed, I thought about the price I would like to receive for it. There aren't many artists out there who receive what they would like for a piece. I am one of them. I looked up a piece of equal size on my inventory list and was a bit surprised at the price. I do feel it is time for a change. So a change is going to come. I can't put so much time, energy, and emotion into a piece and not receive what I think is a fair price. So today, while my daughter is out of school sick and I am off of work sick as a result, I will go over my inventory list and work on prices. Some will remain the same -- the older ones and perhaps the smallest.

The television will be on for a bit today so I can visit the city through Google Maps. I do spend a good deal of time doing that each day. I can't tell if it makes me feel better, or if it only increases my longing for New Orleans. Whatever. It must be done. Today I'm going to visit the Riverbend section. And later I will force my daughter to take a nap so I can get at least an hour of work done. Away from the computer.