But is it Art??

I was hiking through the woods --ok, I was bushwhacking through the woods--thinking about definitions of art.  I'm so happy not to be in college & have to actually care about the difference between art and "craft," for instance. But it's fun to muse on meanings.

The artist Marcel Duchamp really stirred the pot with his entry for a 1917 art show. He bought a urinal at the plumbing supply store, signed it (R. Mutt) and submitted it for the show. His art was rejected by the show's directors. But it started a public conversation about "what is art?" and whether every day objects can be considered ART.

Now admit it, the lines are quite elegant. Even fluid. (sorry, could not resist)

On the trail (finally) I come upon a cairn, rocks someone has piled up to mark the way. I'm really happy to see it (especially after bushwhacking for an hour...).
The cairn is artfully arranged, but is it art?
If it's artful, then it's "Full of Art," right?

An artful cairn on the trail.

In another spot on the trail I come upon a mass of small cairns, created over time by many strangers who also passed this spot, were moved by the beauty of this project, and were compelled to contribute to it.
This one's sorta fuzzy--there is no single artist or detailed plan, yet a thing of real beauty purposefully grows.
Like much public art, it's temporary. The next big storm will clear the logs.

Small cairns (Andrew Goldsworthy-inspired ?) assembled by hikers, over a season.

In the houses on this remote island, people often use rocks to create artful vignettes:

Sometimes I see people hesitate to buy art because they wonder "is this ART? Is it GOOD art?"
Wrong questions.
The right question: "Do I like it?"

It's refreshing after hiking 3 hrs to come upon an Art Gallery that lacks any pretensions.

Really BIG ART, It's MONUMENTAL

I had the great (I could say huge, gargantuan, titanic) pleasure of visiting a collective studio on Treasure Island for a sneak peak at a few of the LARGE SCALE works of art underway for this year's Burning Man art extravaganza in the desert of Nevada. These works are conceived by individual artists, but created by an army of workers and volunteers, all lending their own vision and talents to create collaborative works on a GRAND scale (ok, that's just an understatement).  The results are breath-taking (ditto).
click here for more on Burning Man events & art.

Bliss Project's "Truth is Beauty" 2013; image from PlanetBibi.com

Artist Marco Cochrane and his wife Julia Whitelaw showed me around his Bliss Project. Bliss includes 2 (3rd is underway for next year) COLOSSAL sculptures of women--gorgeous, elegant, powerful, and empowering.  Marco understands at a profound level that the world would be a better place with more art in it. He has, in fact, very specific ideas of HOW the world can be better through art, & he and his fabulous wife Julia--general manager and key driver of massive logistics (in addition to her day job as an attorney)--are working them.

Detail of Truth is Beauty segment. See her metal armature "skeleton" through her silver screen "skin."

Pantograph on white tripod. Look carefully in the dotted red circles: see the 2 Pantograph arms; one follows the path carefully taped out on the smaller sculpture segment at center; the other arm determines precisely where the next larger/upscaled weld should be on the metal armature to the left--thus "growing" the scale of the arm segment shown here, in exact proportion.

The process of making the 3 Bliss sculptures is as fascinating as the result is stunning. Marco creates a "small" sculpture of a live model initially. Through repeated castings and using a Pantograph machine (totally cool, developed in 1603!), he GROWS the scale of his sculpture by welding a metal armature, in perfect ratio, from small to GINORMOUS. The armatures look like computer 3-D models come to life, yet are done entirely by HAND, with this machine based on 400+ year old technology. For the final armature, at 55-70 feet tall (!), Marco & team insert over 1000 specially designed LED lights. Finally he covers her in a silver mesh skin, which is hand tied and screwed on by an army of helpers. The detail of her shape is astounding. She is no simple model made large: she has the topography of a living person.

Segment of Truth is Beauty, looking down her spine, into her lacy armature, while she lies down across the studio

I was especially struck by how gorgeous both the uncovered armatures are--so mathematically precise yet fluid--and the SEGMENTS of the final work, even unassembled. The silver-skinned segments are like the massive statues of antiquity, now lying in pieces in the Roman Forum and on the Capitoline Hill. Yet when you look INSIDE, there is an intricate, lacy structure, aglow with colors. Marco's pieces shine with silver light, and radiate glowing color like they are ALIVE--this melding of the ancient and the totally modern is spectacular.

Artist Marco Cochrane with 3rd Bliss sculpture, under development. This lady will GROW during this year to over 70ft.

Marco also works on a "domestic" scale, beautifully suited for a house in need of sculpture. He is happy to make art for life-size--even table top--work.  Something to consider!
click here to learn more about his work or to contact Marco
click here for a really good interview with Marco about his background and inspiration

Bliss Dance, the first Bliss sculpture, now dances in perpetuity on Treasure Island for the public to enjoy--and you should! She is a marvel, day or night.

Thank you Affinity!

That Mrs. Gardner!

Travel tip if you are headed to BOSTON: Be sure to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Here's why: Mrs. Gardner was an absolutely AWESOME art collector.

She continued to learn about art her whole adult life.
She collected what she loved & loved what she collected.
She acquired a huge variety of both old and contemporary works, in all mediums.
She collected "decorative" work (furniture, textiles, housewares) to mix with the "fine" art.
She was pals with many contemporary artists (who in fact turned out to be damn good); she bought their art even though she saw herself as a classicist.
She hung & placed every work precisely as she wanted it to be seen (I just love that CONTROLLING hand).
She designed the whole museum to look like a HOUSE, to give the experience of viewing a personal collection in a home.
After nearly 100 years Mrs. Gardner still permeates every corner of every room.

She did all this not to demonstrate her prowess as a discerning collector; nor as a monument to herself.

She collected art to SHARE what she LOVED with EVERYBODY.

That's what makes a truly great collector.

Courtyard of the Gardner Museum

What a juxtaposition! The viewer can sit to contemplate an intimate Christ carrying the cross on the the left... or look up at Titian's monumental rape of Europa for a change of pace... Mrs. Gardner REALLY liked her Titian, even hung the fabric from her own ball gown below it. She was a lady who knew how to have a good time.

Children above study John Singer Sargent's "El Jaleo."  Hard not to get up & dance with this lady. Mrs. Gardner was particular friends with Sargent.

On the far left, one of my favorites, by Anders Zorn, "Omnibus."

Click here to learn more about the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

BUYING vs COLLECTING Art

Buying happens the first time you acquire art. 
Collecting is what happens AFTER that.

Some strategies to try out:

- Think about collecting around a theme, such as subject, medium, or period. Make a goal to collect four works --maybe animals or landscapes-- each done in a distinctly DIFFERENT style or medium, by a variety of artists. (Do not become the weird guy with 20 seascapes all done in impressionist watercolor by a single artist.)

- Collect from a particular period. Often you can find affordable drawings or studies even by BIG name artists. If you like history, this is a really nice way to tie together history and art, especially when you travel.

- Collect sculpture that is kinetic, or sculpture made entirely of one medium such as metal, or sculpture made for outdoors, or made to hang on a wall. 

Collecting is an excellent way to hone your "seeing" skills, because you become very FOCUSED. By looking intently for one thing, you actually begin to see other things. You begin to appreciate other art forms, styles, mediums... You begin to see like SUPERMAN.
You develop more gut instinct that you can TRUST.

"Superman" by Andy Warhol

Do NOT buy art as an investment

The Scream by Edvard Munch. Sold for $120mm at auction. And he made 3 others....

This will cost me some friends, but I can't stand it. Yes, my finger is wagging as I say it:
Do NOT buy art as an investment!

Reality: What's "hot" in art is like fashion, it comes & goes.
Often it comes again, but maybe not during YOUR lifetime.
I've watched two friends over the last decade acquire "important collections" (their words), then try to unload them. Circumstances changed, they wanted cash. RUDE awakening: their important collections wouldn't move. The gallerists of course had guaranteed to take back the works for resale at ANY time--but that is NOT a refund, not cash in hand.

More reality: There are FEW people qualified to buy art for investment. They are professionals, who devote HUGE amounts of time to studying the market.
That is not you, not me, and not 99.9% of gallerists. Really.

So back to my strategy at 6 yrs old: buy works that excite you, in a price range that is comfortable.
Embrace the importance and pleasure of having art in your life.
Set aside some cash, then have some FUN (unlike Edvard's poor guy).

Make a Mistake Every Day

Lea Feinstein recently counseled me: "If you don't make a mistake EVERY day you're not trying hard enough."  I adore Lea.

Several years ago Lea began painting on Tyvek, in MONUMENTAL scale on gigantic, ENDLESS roles of Tyvek. Her works are richly atmospheric with moods all over the spectrum. She's now doing wall sculptures as well as soft pieces and mounted works.  One of my personal favorites: she permanently mounted her her work on a client's CEILING--art as wallpaper--killer!

Lea is also a born teacher. Every Sunday she hosts a gathering in her studio to discuss art, work, and life over wine and entertaining conversation.
She inspires me to reach further, work harder, take more RISKS--make more mistakes.

Here's one mistake you should NOT make:
don't miss the chance to visit Lea's Sunday salon.
Click here to contact Lea for a Sunday visit

Lea rolls out a large work in progress

Art by Lea Feinstein; architecture by Dumican & Mosey

Lea with mounted painting on left; painting on unmounted Tyvek on right

Studies for new work above, inspiration images below

Lea's fabulous studio space

A Great Evening

Guest communing with kinetic sculpture by Nemo Gould

What a SHOW!
What a CROWD!
What a PARTY!

The artists of Oakland's Lost & Foundry Studios hosted an EXCELLENT gathering on Saturday evening, filled with art appreciators and even more artists from around the Bay Area.

Artists of the Foundry create engineered art using some righteous power tools and heavy equipment.  They generously opened up their studios with LOADS of wild & wonderful art to see, lots of LIVELY discourse, and plenty of COLD beer after a hot day.
The crew did a beautiful job setting up the space for viewing and socializing.

If you were not lucky enough to join in the merry-making, you should kick yourself.
(I told you to go.)
Below are a few pictures of the action you missed.
Contact any of the Foundry artists to purchase or learn more about their work:
click here for the Lost & Foundry Studios Facebook Page

You could've been having fun with this crowd at the Open Studio Party

Wall Sculpture, left, by Sean Orlando; Sconce, right, by Peter Kropf

Artist Daniel Yasmin explains 9000 year-old direct gating process to absorbed young guests

Guests enjoying some hands-on time with the art

detail of work by Nemo Gould

Studio workspace at Lost & Foundry 

Beware VACATION Art

A few lucky folks are gearing up for a spring trip soon.
Exercise CAUTION when buying art on your travels.
Avoid the hotel art gallery.
Avoid potentially pilfered relics, bad juju to bring home.
Skip those galleries lined up along the main drag that exist to cater to tourists.

Step away from your vacation euphoria and THINK about how the piece will look "back home"
--sometimes, away from its native context, a piece looks lame.

Stick to "souvenirs" that are small objects; handcrafts, even small sculptures are often a better choice than wall art when traveling.
If you collect a few small, endearing items you won't even care they were possibly made in a country other than the one you are visiting...

Tiny Persian Enamel Vases, sweet & easy to pack in your carry-on bag.

Ceramic Cactus from Italy, weird and amusing.

Sturdy carved Camel, also easy to pack & take home.

Carved Gourd, super easy to transport.

You can't go wrong bringing home SHELLS
(just make sure the creature has vacated FIRST-- I learned the hard way as a child coming home from Florida with a RIPE suitcase).

A Must See Show at Creativity Explored

Opening this Thur Mar 6 is Animal Menagerie -- a show at one of my FAVORITE places to buy art: Creativity Explored.
Personally I don't know another studio with as many artists working under ONE roof.  
Creativity Explored has wall art, paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, textile art -- a HUGE array of something for EVERY buyer, from the diverse talents of over 150 artists! The price points are mostly under $50-- you can go home with your arms LOADED, no kidding.  There is some extraordinary work there.

I could claim I buy art there because Creativity Explored has a wonderful mission, providing studio space & support to artists who happen to be developmentally disabled.
But the truth is: I go because there's wicked good art.

Great art helps you see your world differently. Creativity Explored is BRIMMING with that art.

The show is on til April 16.
Go EARLY, go OFTEN, and buy a LOT!

Click here to see more art at Creativity Explored.
245 16th Street (at Guerrero St), San Francisco
Some of the Artists working at Creativity Explored:

Doris Yen

wall art by Sara O'Sullivan (from my Portfolio/San Francisco images)

John Patrick McKenzie

Miriam Mungia, detail of large textile hanging

Walter Kresnik

Studio at Creativity Explored