HER:
You may not remember, but I was in your Freshman Seminar class ... back in the day... or at least it was back in "the day" for me. If I remember correctly, you've done some freelance curating work. I'm considering putting together a group show, and I want to know if there's a formalized way of pitching a show to a gallery (i.e. a proposal of some sort). I have other questions too about particulars, and I would love some guidance. Thanks!
ME:
Jan 31, 2009
Jan 26, 2009
The Greatest Book EVER Wrote.
This is just one of those books you pick up with one eye brow raised, and before you know it - you're THAT GUY laughing to yourself, almost spilling your cappuccino, but you DON'T CARE because you know that everyone around you is missing out by not joining in on the exuberant delight found on those pages!
READ SPEED! "Speedology: Speed on New York on Speed". It is (so far) By Far the best explanation I could offer for why I am remotely interested in living in this cold-old eastern state.
It is the "juciest, most incredible fiasco"!
For a peek into the world of this author/philiosopher/tour guide, see this cameo in "Waking Life" and a clip from "The Cruise" a documentary covering his exuberance.
READ SPEED! "Speedology: Speed on New York on Speed". It is (so far) By Far the best explanation I could offer for why I am remotely interested in living in this cold-old eastern state.
It is the "juciest, most incredible fiasco"!
For a peek into the world of this author/philiosopher/tour guide, see this cameo in "Waking Life" and a clip from "The Cruise" a documentary covering his exuberance.
Jan 21, 2009
Moving Performance by Beyoncé for the Obamas
After performing her cover of the always classic "At Last", for the President and First Lady's first dance, Beyoncé told reporters that she was "so proud" to have been at the inauguration and able to perform.
What a lovely day in history where so much symbolism (Abraham Lincoln's bible used for the swearing-in ceremony) and so much beautiful sincerity (Beyoncé's tearful gratitude) set the tone for this presidential term. For so many to be so moved, I am proud that this is how we choose to present ourselves at this new "beginning".
If our highest goal in life is to Love God and Love others, or simply Love our neighbor as ourselves - Hope is a part of this. Love is to "Hope all things". No matter what the next months and years hold, the majority of Washington, and America have clearly embraced this new Commander-in-Chief with Hope. Though maybe not by ALL, Obama is already a beloved leader. Lets continue to hope all things for him.
What a lovely day in history where so much symbolism (Abraham Lincoln's bible used for the swearing-in ceremony) and so much beautiful sincerity (Beyoncé's tearful gratitude) set the tone for this presidential term. For so many to be so moved, I am proud that this is how we choose to present ourselves at this new "beginning".
If our highest goal in life is to Love God and Love others, or simply Love our neighbor as ourselves - Hope is a part of this. Love is to "Hope all things". No matter what the next months and years hold, the majority of Washington, and America have clearly embraced this new Commander-in-Chief with Hope. Though maybe not by ALL, Obama is already a beloved leader. Lets continue to hope all things for him.
Jan 19, 2009
A Manifesto Of Observance – and all things Inaugural and Visual
Being an idea person, one may think that the intellectual engagement of thought is purely immaterial, but in reality my greatest ponderings in life began when I decided to take a stance of non-editing when it came to the active engagement of looking at things also known as observing – to use Jonathan Crary’s semiotic classification.
When I look around my studio apartment I perceive a great deal of visual input which I tend to control, however when I turn on my computer, step out my door, or open my curtains, a barrage of symbols seduce, threaten, and entreat my senses. The act of looking has always seemed traitorous to me. At times I have felt at war with the visual elements of the world. In response to this imagery waging against my freedom to choose and filter for myself I reached a point, very early on in life, to give myself over to the visceral visual fleshyness and allow it to wash over me so that one day I could learn to wield it for my own purposes and be able to discriminate not by predetermined rules or regulations, but out of true connoisseurship and as a visual veteran.
As time has past I have no doubt that my high intake stance is not only appropriate for future criticism of my own image making, and the work of other artists with whom I hold confidence, but also for my generation’s approach to networking resources, politics and media, and finally discovering the sacred within the vastly profane within the world. I feel that it would be negligent not to consider what I look at and what I produce which I may subject to other’s viewing experience because I see the power it wields.
There are many canonical examples I could to share from contemporary art history and pop culture, but as the hours count down to the inauguration of our president elect, I would like to share an occurrence in today’s political and cultural climate. Starting at the periphery of The Obama Campaign. Obama’s campaign engaged a visual and information driven America partly through bogging and widely propagated photographs in a way that is probably on par with past attention given to past presidents, however special attention and even that online stalker sort-of admiration when you want to know someone better. It allowed a particular kind of citizen to accomplish their own back ground check in a way, for better or worse. Weather the details of his campaign were received as prescribed or transparent something went right.
Moving forward with the Obama term I am more specifically interested in the kind of images that will be provided to us in various press releases and over time via the national archives from recently appointed official white house photographer Pete Souza (http://www.petesouza.com/) a documentary photographer charged with the task of documenting this new era. His task will be an honor to himself as a documentarian and a great resource for future historians and the visual anthropologists of our culture. I am interested in how Souza’s images may differ from Eric Draper’s for example. Draper, a graduate of Cal State Long Beach, held many assignments included the 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns, the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, the Kosovo conflict in 1999 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, before being appointed official photographer to the white house under President George W. Bush. I anticipate a great contrast between these two, and look forward to noting how far, if very far at all, we have come from the origins of the presidentially appointed photography of Cecil W. Stoughton. Cecil was appointed by John F. Kennedy. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/JFK_and_Marilyn_Monroe_1962.jpg)
Regarding our culture, its vivacity for the visual, which in some ways may also mean youthful and seeking knowledge, I think it will also be important to observe how young Eugene Kang holds up as he makes a huge step into the white house boots with Obama’s staff. A 27 year old who is used to writing down tasks by hand, and doing the grunt work to get things done, (but perhaps hasn’t been around long enough to see the results of his own work, until now) will follow as the junior assistant to the president, and hopefully keep his friends updated on non confidential matters via his Facebook account. For a candid look at the cast of characters check out this nice little photographic portrait essay: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/magazine/2009-inauguration-gallery/index.html?WT_mc_id=PO-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-MII-ROS-0109-NA&WT_mc_ev=click
In conclusion, and in line with my general rule-of-thumb to soak up visual information to enrich and refine my taste for the cultural relevant, and the stuff of canonical stay-power: I look forward to observing how the next few years of this administration will provide some interesting fodder for the press, (the most highly syndicated mode to view ANYTHING,) the historians, and -- if Obama is successful on the very basic level in which he intends to inspire – the artists and thinkers of this culture. Will we create tangible hope and opportunity for ourselves and along side Obama? I guess we will just have to wait and see.
When I look around my studio apartment I perceive a great deal of visual input which I tend to control, however when I turn on my computer, step out my door, or open my curtains, a barrage of symbols seduce, threaten, and entreat my senses. The act of looking has always seemed traitorous to me. At times I have felt at war with the visual elements of the world. In response to this imagery waging against my freedom to choose and filter for myself I reached a point, very early on in life, to give myself over to the visceral visual fleshyness and allow it to wash over me so that one day I could learn to wield it for my own purposes and be able to discriminate not by predetermined rules or regulations, but out of true connoisseurship and as a visual veteran.
As time has past I have no doubt that my high intake stance is not only appropriate for future criticism of my own image making, and the work of other artists with whom I hold confidence, but also for my generation’s approach to networking resources, politics and media, and finally discovering the sacred within the vastly profane within the world. I feel that it would be negligent not to consider what I look at and what I produce which I may subject to other’s viewing experience because I see the power it wields.
There are many canonical examples I could to share from contemporary art history and pop culture, but as the hours count down to the inauguration of our president elect, I would like to share an occurrence in today’s political and cultural climate. Starting at the periphery of The Obama Campaign. Obama’s campaign engaged a visual and information driven America partly through bogging and widely propagated photographs in a way that is probably on par with past attention given to past presidents, however special attention and even that online stalker sort-of admiration when you want to know someone better. It allowed a particular kind of citizen to accomplish their own back ground check in a way, for better or worse. Weather the details of his campaign were received as prescribed or transparent something went right.
Moving forward with the Obama term I am more specifically interested in the kind of images that will be provided to us in various press releases and over time via the national archives from recently appointed official white house photographer Pete Souza (http://www.petesouza.com/) a documentary photographer charged with the task of documenting this new era. His task will be an honor to himself as a documentarian and a great resource for future historians and the visual anthropologists of our culture. I am interested in how Souza’s images may differ from Eric Draper’s for example. Draper, a graduate of Cal State Long Beach, held many assignments included the 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns, the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, the Kosovo conflict in 1999 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, before being appointed official photographer to the white house under President George W. Bush. I anticipate a great contrast between these two, and look forward to noting how far, if very far at all, we have come from the origins of the presidentially appointed photography of Cecil W. Stoughton. Cecil was appointed by John F. Kennedy. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/JFK_and_Marilyn_Monroe_1962.jpg)
Regarding our culture, its vivacity for the visual, which in some ways may also mean youthful and seeking knowledge, I think it will also be important to observe how young Eugene Kang holds up as he makes a huge step into the white house boots with Obama’s staff. A 27 year old who is used to writing down tasks by hand, and doing the grunt work to get things done, (but perhaps hasn’t been around long enough to see the results of his own work, until now) will follow as the junior assistant to the president, and hopefully keep his friends updated on non confidential matters via his Facebook account. For a candid look at the cast of characters check out this nice little photographic portrait essay: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/magazine/2009-inauguration-gallery/index.html?WT_mc_id=PO-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-MII-ROS-0109-NA&WT_mc_ev=click
In conclusion, and in line with my general rule-of-thumb to soak up visual information to enrich and refine my taste for the cultural relevant, and the stuff of canonical stay-power: I look forward to observing how the next few years of this administration will provide some interesting fodder for the press, (the most highly syndicated mode to view ANYTHING,) the historians, and -- if Obama is successful on the very basic level in which he intends to inspire – the artists and thinkers of this culture. Will we create tangible hope and opportunity for ourselves and along side Obama? I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Jan 14, 2009
Free Advice:
Because I don't really have the time/resources/energy to be spreading the seeds of my limited wisdom around while take my GRE, apply to grad schools, recharge my creative juices in general, manage MANY bi-costal relationships, and search for flatware as the East Coast Maid Of Honor in Nel's wedding, I've decided to just drop in some advice on curating that I recently shared with inquiring minds for you to decipher...
Later I may also share some other helpful things as I think of it so I can just refer people here and stop writing lengthy emails and doing other people's research.
Here it goes...
::SITUATION A::
HER:
::SITUATION B::
HER:
I just talked to you last week! Sorry it has taken me a while to get back
to you! My boss is going to be sending me more information tomorrow about
the artists, and I will send you the link so you can look at the art!
I'll just tell you a little bit about myself and what I am doing! I just
graduated from ... and I studied International Relief and Development. I
recently just got an internship with ... as a part of the
fundraising team. I am going to be planning different events at
universities and I will also be doing fundraising with corporations as
well as private parties. I will also be displaying art in a few studios as
well.
My goal is to raise $50,000 by April. All of the funds will be going
towards Wells in Niger in West Africa. Niger is the poorest country in the
world and also has the largest water drought. It cost $12500 for one well
but it sustains a community for 1,000-2,000 and it also lasts for 20
years. World Vision is the largest NGO. It is a Christian Relief and
Development Humanitarian organization and works in 98 countries.
ME:
Thank you for getting in touch with me again.
Let me just say that I think your goal is a great one. Using art as an attractive and focused mode of fund raising is a natural thing, however, from experience, I would say that... (a) you need a charismatic speaker to work with you as a spokes person for the issues at hand. and (b) you should have supplemental fund raising items as most people wont bid on art work for financial or spacial or taste reasons. and finally (c) you need someone, and this may be you, to focus primarily on the finances, both raising money and keeping track of it.
These sorts of things can never be done alone. Know who your friends are that will help you and try not to exhaust those resources.
I also went to ... . I studied Fine Art and Graphic Design. Working with designers I understand that Marketing helps these sorts of events, and working with artists, I know that partnering with volunteers and artists requires a lot of energy on relationships.
Good luck. Talk more soon,
::SITUATION C::
HER:
hope you're doing well!
Although I have no expectations because this is super super last minute. (33 hours left on the countdown.) I'm looking for 1 last reference letter required for an artist residency application. If you would be open to doing this on such short notice I can send you the project proposal I'm finishing up if you'd like to see it and will send the online application invite where you submit the letter to. I'd just need to know the best email address to send to, your title and organization as you'd like it to be and it can be uploaded straight to the ... Foundation which I'm applying to.
ME:
email me and I will do it tonight which should still be in time.
HER:
I sent you the invitation. I was not sure what to say your title is. I put Curator, if you would like it differently I can see if I'm able to go in and update it on my end. Tonight will be fine.
Thanks so much!!!
ME:
Later I may also share some other helpful things as I think of it so I can just refer people here and stop writing lengthy emails and doing other people's research.
Here it goes...
::SITUATION A::
HER:
This has been super helpful! I now feel better prepared to make this show happen, though I'm sure I'll have more questions further down the line. Thank you again!
::SITUATION B::
HER:
I just talked to you last week! Sorry it has taken me a while to get back
to you! My boss is going to be sending me more information tomorrow about
the artists, and I will send you the link so you can look at the art!
I'll just tell you a little bit about myself and what I am doing! I just
graduated from ... and I studied International Relief and Development. I
recently just got an internship with ... as a part of the
fundraising team. I am going to be planning different events at
universities and I will also be doing fundraising with corporations as
well as private parties. I will also be displaying art in a few studios as
well.
My goal is to raise $50,000 by April. All of the funds will be going
towards Wells in Niger in West Africa. Niger is the poorest country in the
world and also has the largest water drought. It cost $12500 for one well
but it sustains a community for 1,000-2,000 and it also lasts for 20
years. World Vision is the largest NGO. It is a Christian Relief and
Development Humanitarian organization and works in 98 countries.
ME:
Thank you for getting in touch with me again.
Let me just say that I think your goal is a great one. Using art as an attractive and focused mode of fund raising is a natural thing, however, from experience, I would say that... (a) you need a charismatic speaker to work with you as a spokes person for the issues at hand. and (b) you should have supplemental fund raising items as most people wont bid on art work for financial or spacial or taste reasons. and finally (c) you need someone, and this may be you, to focus primarily on the finances, both raising money and keeping track of it.
These sorts of things can never be done alone. Know who your friends are that will help you and try not to exhaust those resources.
I also went to ... . I studied Fine Art and Graphic Design. Working with designers I understand that Marketing helps these sorts of events, and working with artists, I know that partnering with volunteers and artists requires a lot of energy on relationships.
Good luck. Talk more soon,
::SITUATION C::
HER:
hope you're doing well!
Although I have no expectations because this is super super last minute. (33 hours left on the countdown.) I'm looking for 1 last reference letter required for an artist residency application. If you would be open to doing this on such short notice I can send you the project proposal I'm finishing up if you'd like to see it and will send the online application invite where you submit the letter to. I'd just need to know the best email address to send to, your title and organization as you'd like it to be and it can be uploaded straight to the ... Foundation which I'm applying to.
ME:
email me and I will do it tonight which should still be in time.
HER:
I sent you the invitation. I was not sure what to say your title is. I put Curator, if you would like it differently I can see if I'm able to go in and update it on my end. Tonight will be fine.
Thanks so much!!!
ME:
I dont really feel like I have enough information to write this up. Whats your project about? whats your recent work about? I need more of your vision for studying there to know how to write this letter.
please advise.
(She fills me in and I look at the website for residency.)
To Whom it may concern:
I am pleased to recommend ... for your residency program. She and I have worked creatively, crossing paths periodically, since our undergraduate work at .... Her video and installation work pushed past what many of our piers would have thought of at the time, and her approach to her work was always professional.
That professionalism is why I have exhibited her work as I have gone on to curate a verity of spaces since our time in school. Her sense of movement, structure, rich texture, and composition is highly developed in her still photographs as well as her motion installation. She has proved to be a stickler for detail and quality.
Her interests go beyond that of her craft and extend also to the viewer, and even further into the community. She has a skill to reflect her own ideas, but is also apt to aid others in their creative development. She has shown consideration for her fellow artists by her involvement in founding mentorship opportunities while we were in school. She has shown her interest in her viewers by attaining a high level of craft, leaving no flaw to distract. She has also exhibited a high capacity for creative conceptualization and the facility of materialization of those ideas.
Overall I believe that she could greatly benefit from the opportunity of this temporary community for the natural beauty of it's geography, as well as the magnetism of it's cultural relevance. ... manages to include many layers of her life experience into her work, and I believe that this would deepen future work created by her, as she also would contribute to the environment shared with the other elect fellows.
::ONE MORE EXAMPLE::
Here is one more example of a recommendation letter - some details omitted...
To Whom it may concern:
I am pleased to recommend ... for acceptance into ... . I first met ... when we were working on our undergraduate studies at .... I believe we both gained much inspiration from professors ... and ..., whose careers remain active (respectively) in interdisciplinary projects, sculpture and performance. Undergraduate work sparked my interest in curatorial studies and collaboration. Since then, a fellowship at ... brought me to the east coast. This allowed me to work again with ... as well as artists .... I am now on the board for W< ("Wunderkammer", founded by Swartz) and continue to enjoy dialogue with artists working in all media, but particularly new media and installation. In my experience working with ... she has always been exhaustive in her approach to new projects. Looking for smart ways to refine craft and effectively communicate concept. She has always been able to verbalize her ideas at a superior level of intellect and comprehension, while acknowledging the dynamic picture of her work in the context of the cannon of art history, as well as contemporary art culture, and the world in general. Personally, I enjoy her work for both the depth of her thoughts as well as the qualities of her materials - which, I believe, interface cohesively. Recently ... has been teaching art at an elementary level as she builds up her body of work. Though she has excelled in this experience with creativity, bringing nuance to her class room when the bar was set at basic craft, I believe she is meant to create work and teach at a level of higher dynamism and academia. Earning a higher degree is not only critical for her to accomplish what she must, but it is a very natural next step that I believe she is prime for. Last August she withdrew before attending ... because she believed there was a better situation in which to develop her graduate body of work. Observing her dedication to the mind and the arts in practice and research I have no doubt that she would be an asset to the landscape of your program, as she advances herself through it. Her view of art making as a serious intellectual pursuit and her desire to be in a rigorously challenging program allows me to state with confidence that acceptance into your program would be mutually beneficial and honoring to the work she has already accomplished.
(She fills me in and I look at the website for residency.)
To Whom it may concern:
I am pleased to recommend ... for your residency program. She and I have worked creatively, crossing paths periodically, since our undergraduate work at .... Her video and installation work pushed past what many of our piers would have thought of at the time, and her approach to her work was always professional.
That professionalism is why I have exhibited her work as I have gone on to curate a verity of spaces since our time in school. Her sense of movement, structure, rich texture, and composition is highly developed in her still photographs as well as her motion installation. She has proved to be a stickler for detail and quality.
Her interests go beyond that of her craft and extend also to the viewer, and even further into the community. She has a skill to reflect her own ideas, but is also apt to aid others in their creative development. She has shown consideration for her fellow artists by her involvement in founding mentorship opportunities while we were in school. She has shown her interest in her viewers by attaining a high level of craft, leaving no flaw to distract. She has also exhibited a high capacity for creative conceptualization and the facility of materialization of those ideas.
Overall I believe that she could greatly benefit from the opportunity of this temporary community for the natural beauty of it's geography, as well as the magnetism of it's cultural relevance. ... manages to include many layers of her life experience into her work, and I believe that this would deepen future work created by her, as she also would contribute to the environment shared with the other elect fellows.
::ONE MORE EXAMPLE::
Here is one more example of a recommendation letter - some details omitted...
To Whom it may concern:
I am pleased to recommend ... for acceptance into ... . I first met ... when we were working on our undergraduate studies at .... I believe we both gained much inspiration from professors ... and ..., whose careers remain active (respectively) in interdisciplinary projects, sculpture and performance. Undergraduate work sparked my interest in curatorial studies and collaboration. Since then, a fellowship at ... brought me to the east coast. This allowed me to work again with ... as well as artists .... I am now on the board for W< ("Wunderkammer", founded by Swartz) and continue to enjoy dialogue with artists working in all media, but particularly new media and installation. In my experience working with ... she has always been exhaustive in her approach to new projects. Looking for smart ways to refine craft and effectively communicate concept. She has always been able to verbalize her ideas at a superior level of intellect and comprehension, while acknowledging the dynamic picture of her work in the context of the cannon of art history, as well as contemporary art culture, and the world in general. Personally, I enjoy her work for both the depth of her thoughts as well as the qualities of her materials - which, I believe, interface cohesively. Recently ... has been teaching art at an elementary level as she builds up her body of work. Though she has excelled in this experience with creativity, bringing nuance to her class room when the bar was set at basic craft, I believe she is meant to create work and teach at a level of higher dynamism and academia. Earning a higher degree is not only critical for her to accomplish what she must, but it is a very natural next step that I believe she is prime for. Last August she withdrew before attending ... because she believed there was a better situation in which to develop her graduate body of work. Observing her dedication to the mind and the arts in practice and research I have no doubt that she would be an asset to the landscape of your program, as she advances herself through it. Her view of art making as a serious intellectual pursuit and her desire to be in a rigorously challenging program allows me to state with confidence that acceptance into your program would be mutually beneficial and honoring to the work she has already accomplished.
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