Chaos. Post again in a few days. End Transmission…

I made this for a travelling sketchbook show, click here.

I saw this show yesterday, and initially hated it.

But then I was walking around and thinking about it, I guess it was a little too close to home with my own cartoons.

These paintings are super-skillful and polished. They look a little like very polished Disney cartoons, or Ren and Stimpy… But they also have sort of random, unpleasantly superficial art references: random digital/pixel areas, the ubiquitous crystalline shape, symmetry that doesn’t seem to have any significance. All of these things are very popular “moves” and while these paintings have a lot of stuff I feel that Sam Gibbons “owns” there is a little too much disingenuous trendiness.

That being said, they are still really captivating and well made paintings.

You can see the show’s website when you click here.

What bothers me is that: I like so much about these paintings, they are really well drawn. The painting is crisp, extremely dexterous, and interesting. The colors are thoughtful, carefully selected, a study in careful analysis of colors from popular culture and cartoons. But there are persistent reminders to trends in contemporary art that I think most of the decisions in these paintings go beyond. Maybe Sam Gibbons needed these trends to locate himself and feel that he was making something “good,” or if he is cynical something salable. I don’t know him personally, or blame him for making something that will appeal to people who may purchase his work. Honestly I don’t have enough money to purchase one anyways, so my opinion is just a random foot note.

They occupy an almost cubist space, and would be very similar to cubist space if they allowed short shadows from one object/character to fall on another object/character. Not that I think it would be better, but I am just pointing it out.

What you can’t see from the photos is that the edges are sculpted. I imagine they were cut with a jig saw, but maybe something more advanced, can’t be sure.

These paintings have really gotten to me. I see a lot I like, and a lot I dislike. Because of that they are creating an internal debate. That is about as good as it gets. When art makes you discuss what you think is valuable, what you consider to be important, your ideas regarding aesthetics, your concept of beauty, line and craft – that art has done its job…

I was reading a book about the psychology of cult leaders, and it was saying that after a cult leader consciously learns everything they can they normally go into a mode of surrender – and let their unconscious work on the material they have learned for a while. Once they are ready they then take their conscious knowledge and unconscious savoir faire, and use it to start a new religious movement. Another phrase for cult leader is charismatic leader of a new religious movement.

I wonder how this can be applied to an artist, where they have established a cult of personality around themselves, and achieved what we think of as “being famous.”

Would their personal development be very similar?

Should artists who go to school, consciously surrender to their unconscious afterwards so they can achieve an identity that integrates knowledge with personality?

Anyways, let me know what you guys think.

PAINTALLICA kicks CHATTANOOGA in the balls!

What, you call this art?!?!? Yeah!! We are the future, and you should be thankful, because people like us are what stops dystopias from forming like “Brave New World,” and “1984.”

PAINTALLICA’S website

This photo is courtesy Brandon Buckner, our Chattanooga chapter leader, you can see his blog when you click here.

Any of you blog readers on Good Reads?

Here is my profile: click here.

It is a list of books I have read, with little book reports. I have 14 friends on it… It is a useful online community because you can see what people you know are reading – and what they think about it.

I like it anyways. If you are on there add me as your friend!

I found this movie, “Building Gods,” when I was doing research on the book I am reading: “The Singularity is Near,” by Ray Kurzweil. Basically there is a group of people that say something is going to happen in the nearish future (the century), where machine intelligence becomes more intelligent than people, and once that happens the machines will be able to exponientially create better machines. These scientists are actually predicting a global war between machines and people.

Wild – I guess the Matrix is a real possibility…

Here is the website of Dr. Hugo de Garis, click here. A scientist working on building an articficial human brain.
Here is the wikipedia page about the Singularity, click here.
Also here is the MIT Biological Engineering Open Courseware website, where you can watch the Biological Engineering lectures on video for free, they are doing some really amazing stuff, click here.

snakeoil
obsessssed with Alex Vivians Farking-beautiful smoodgy hangover at Neon Parc.
http://www.neonparc.com.au/

going through old diaries.
old MANIFESTO
…The farm is sawn outta optimism. All the inherited paintings are shit n muddy. Except for the the Parriultcha. Mum keeps asking me to get it valued.I can’t get myself to follow that up. Mum is good at farm art rustica, poly pipe, wreaths, rust, rocks, she paints everthing black. This is typical, but everything is so brute macho and oversized its good.
Ripped up old lino that was over 50’s womens weekleys.
There were articles about when plastic was invented. Plastic was awesome future. Snake oil to a po-mo hangover.

Kinkead Contemporary presents:

Drawn

Featuring works on paper by Michael Jones McKean, Jered Sprecher and Kevin Zucker.
February 21 – March 28, 2009 Opening reception Saturday, Febuary 21, 2009
6029Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232
www.kinkeadcontemporary.com

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Cress Gallery of Art presents:

Rob Nadeau Primal Scene

Jered Sprecher Drift

Exhibition dates:
February 10 – March 17, 2009
The UTC Cress Gallery of Art features two exhibitions of fresh, thoughtful, and relevant abstraction in its spaces for Spring 2009: paintings and drawings by Rob Nadeau (NYC); and paintings and project table by Jered Sprecher (UTKnoxville, TN).

UTC John and Diane Marek Visiting Artist Series events: Both artists will be on campus and in the community February 09 – 12

Artists’ lectures followed by opening reception Tuesday February 10, 2009 5:30 -7:00 pm, room 356 UTC Fine Arts Center

Other presentations by Marek Artists open free of charge to the public:

February 11, Wednesday: 11:00 am – 12:00 noon, roon 356, FAC :
Professionalism Panel: Life as an Artist
February 11, Wednesday: 2:00 – 3:00pm, room 339,
FAC: Portfolio Presentation: The Role of Drawing

The Cress Gallery is located in the lobby of the UTC Fine Arts Center (FAC) at the corner of Vine and Palmetto Streets. Admission to the Gallery and all events is free. Visitors to the Gallery may obtain a parking pass from the Facilities Building on Palmetto Street; parking is freely available in any University lot after 5:00 pm.

For more information contact the Director and Curator: ruth-grover@utc.edu