Art philos, Tees and the Blogosphere

So, last weekend we had the Magic City Art Festival (formerly Art in the Park) downtown. I hadn’t been to this since my first year in the ‘ham (2000) and I don’t know why i don’t go to it more often; I enjoyed it very much then and enjoyed it even more this time ’round. I even bought my very first piece of artwork this year. Traditionally, I refused to buy artwork from other artists simply on the premise that I could do it myself and hold it in more regard. Granted, that’s speaking of all the drawings, paintings and digital pieces. Ceramics and pottery, which I haven’t tried, still draw my eye but they’re usually over-priced.

Anyway, on the eve of my departure from the bookstore, I happened upon a copy of the Black&White paper and saw a very interesting painting on the cover. When I got home, I went to the artist’s website and was amazed! Long story short, he had a spot at the festival that I just had to see. Going in, I knew that I wanted the piece that was on the cover, but I didn’t see it exhibited, so I inquired and he pulled a print out from his ’secret stash’. I bought it, shook his hand and moved on. In retrospect, I would have liked to discuss his techniques, but I’m just not wired that way.

Anyway, I saw a few other artists who were doing some interesting work, and even listened in on one guy who was trying too hard to explain his art. When people start talking about how one stroke of color invades the presence of another color and pushes it to action, then I automatically come to a conclusion: they’re an art fag. I don’t like art fags. They’re way too pretentious with their self-piety. If you have to explain your work that much, then you’re missing your own big picture. I prefer to let viewers decipher their own meanings from my artwork. I intentionally create imagery that could be taken in a dozen different directions. That makes it much more interesting for me. Sure, a piece will mean something specific to me, but I rarely explain what. I much rather hear what other people make out of it. That way I get ideas for other works and it also creates a more intimate connection between the piece and the viewer. Take another look at my gallery and let me know what you think.

All in all, I found the festival very motivational and plan to get my shit together and start producing. I’ve been away from it for too many years. I’ve got enough ideas in my head to fill a 100-page book….double-spaced, of course. The challenge is to get it done before another 100-page book comes along. All the while, I’ve got all these other avenues to explore, such as this blog, my music, my book and my soon-to-be T-shirt enterprise. That’s right! I’m gonna make tees! I just have to build a silk screen. Travis and I are gonna play around with designs for our several ‘companies’ and advertise through simple T-shirts. You know you want a Mancavemojo.com shirt, don’t you?! You’ll be the envy of the town!

So, as usual, my plate is heaping, but I’m determined. What good is calling yourself an artist if you don’t produce? You can’t keep falling back on what you did years ago. And that’s part of the reason I’m so thrilled to be working at Menasha. While some of the work becomes tedious and requires a smoke break from time to time, working with computers on design and production has turned my frown upside down. I am definitely in my element now! Sure, there’s a butt-load of stuff I have to learn about prepress, but the design aspect of the job has really got my mojo workin’! I’m in such a go-go-no-stop mode right now, i want to redesign everything I see. Nothing is safe! It really started while I was designing Nat’s blog. I had learned a few new things about the dreaded code and was instantly opened to so many possibilities. So now, I want to redesign my blog….again. It shouldn’t be too much; just a li’l face lift and better content. Consider it an attempt to get you guys more involved in my blog… my world… my universe.

I’d said previously that I was gonna limit my posts to those that would evoke discussions, but in order for that to actually work I’d have to provide you with some better content. So, I’ve devised a li’l plan of action as a test, kinda like my easter eggs but not so much. That test proved ill-fated from the start. Anyway, content seems to be the #1 ingredient for a successful blog, so I’m gonna get crackin’ on some topics. Of course, this will require your participation in the form of comments/replies with the obligation of speaking your minds. Will it work? Well, that all depends on how interesting we are.

more as it comes…