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rebaegg.wordpress.com

Blogging isn't really my thing.

so it begins...

hooray chester burton! today he:

1. extended his offer (of cutting blocks & allowing me to use the digital printer in the cage) so that i can continue printmaking,
2. actually cut my (2) linoleum blocks to their proper size,
3. informed me that i can use the relief ink in the intaglio/relief studio since i'm broke.

alright! hooray!

i have already prepared an image.

about

The work that I do is a compulsive result of my excitement upon recognizing patterns and relationships within the world around me, particularly the visual patterns that exist in nature.

We are surrounded by fractal patterns. I’m specifically fascinated by the repetition and self-similarity that I find when rummaging through bins of textiles, eating my vegetables at dinner, or when noticing anonymous piles of trash. In general, I think that we naturally seek order and understanding. We search for patterns around us and we associate things/ideas to each other—doing so organizes what initially seems like chaos. Finding some interconnectedness within seemingly unrelated details helps many of us feel content with our existence, and for some, may fuel an intense sense of wonder.

Geology has always interested me. I use rock thin sections as a point of departure because I think they’re some of the most visually interesting things I’ve ever seen. Finding these images in a book for the first time was an epiphany for me—noticing that at any given distance I could find landscapes repeating and that these landscapes are essentially composed of the same elements. Examining these images and reading a little about optical mineralogy, I found that I admire certain anisotropic minerals in cross polarized light for their intense and interesting color relationships. Maintaining a sense of those relationships within my work is important to me.

The idea to hand color and cut paper came from seeing Henri Matisse’s large les gouaches découpés (paper cutouts). Creating cut-paper compositions inspired by thin sections seems like a fitting technique⎯consolidating painted pieces of paper to make a greater image reminds me of how minerals make up a rock; whereas extreme pressure, heat and/or water is required for that, all I have to use for this is patience, an x-acto, and archival tape.

2010

well, i graduate soon.

right now i'm pumping out works for my final exhibition that will have its opening reception on December 10. i've been getting up around 7:30 every morning, and going to bed around 2:30 every night. tough stuff, but it's a fact that i enjoy perpetual busyness. there's so much to do and so little time. i wish i could add 5 more hours to each day.

after all of this is over i'll restart the regular updates for sure.

excerpt from an interview with Richard Colman

from Juxtapoz Magazine online

CRG: I know that you use Islamic patterning as a reference in your work, and I also noticed that all or most of the faces are hidden/ obscured. I found that pretty interesting because in the Islamic religion, they are not allowed in their artwork to depict the human form. Is there a significance to this Islamic idea of not depicting faces?

RC: I don't really reference Islamic patterning directly, I think it's more that I just build my patterns in the same sort of way. I like figuring out ways to build the different patterns, there is a sort of math to it all that I find interesting. Working out the patterns and actually the whole painting is this process of sort of making and solving a puzzle all at once. I like that.
The faces and other things which are obscured or hidden just comes from wanting to hide things and have secrets in my paintings. I like the idea that you can never really know what's going on and that you can continually find new things in them.

CRG: Second part of that question, also related to Islamic patterning, their use of patterns derived from nature represents the most perfect depiction of the presence of their god. In other religions, in particular the Mandalas that occur in a number of different cultures, they use pattern and repetition as a way to meditate on the presence of some greater power. What are your thoughts on this?

RC: I think working in this way can be very meditative. A lot of times I'll be working and before I know it the whole day has gone by. It's very easy to zone out and lose yourself in this kind of work. As far as reflecting on, or communing with any sort of higher power, I don't know—but I'm not really looking to do that. I just kind of daydream or think about whatever, but I guess if I were real into God, I'd think about that.

ART CHICAGO

art chicago

artists of note:

William Steiger, The Blue Mill - 60 x 48

oil on canvas

Tom Wesselmann, Bedroom Painting # 23 - 99.8 x 110.5

oil on shaped canvas

Cordy Reyman, 193 Stairs - 82 x 121 x 2

Acrylic on wood

Erika Lawlor Schmidt, Overwhelming Compassion (Meanwhile, The Arctic Melts), 30 x 40

Collage and Acrylic on Reeves B.F.K.

Adam Scott, Electric Koolaid Acid Punch - 46 x 46

Acrylic on canvas

Nichole Stager, Bracket - 4 x 4

Chromogenic photogram and resin, mixed media.

Ted Larsen, State of Play - 35 x 32

Peter Skvara, Asteroid #4

Michael Burges, Reverse Glass Painting - 23.6 x 16.5

Acrylic, Plexiglass, Aluminum

galleries of note:

eo art lab

verve gallery

rebecca ibel

skestos gabriele

tory folliard gallery

riverhouse van straaten

rebecca hossack art gallery

jill george gallery

roy boyd gallery

lausberg contemporary

zane bennett contemporary art

jim kempner fine art

kavi gupta

hungry man gallery

like the spice gallery

steven zevitas gallery

pele prints

IFPDA

ANNE STAHL interview. new painting.

For ARTP 499 we had to interview an artist in order to prepare for a presentation about that selected artist. I chose the artist Anne Stahl. I'm posting here the interview with her because I think her work is awesome, because it was cool that she did this for me, and also because she had some interesting things to say.

RE: Was your education helpful to your career? If so, in what way(s) has it been helpful?

[Anne Stahl] Yes, very much so. The college I attended was focused on teaching us useful things like: knowledge of materials, technique, philosophy, discipline, critical thinking, other art exposure, art history, etc... The ART would have to come from us and it does.

RE: What has been easy about getting where you are as an artist; what has been challenging?

[Anne Stahl] I have been blessed with an endless supply of ideas and visions. It is hard to make a living and survive poverty, lack of support and culture.

RE: In terms of your career as an artist, if you had to do anything differently, what do you wish you had done?

[Anne Stahl] Not so much done, but I know my work would be much more known and exhibited and bought, if I were more outgoing of a person. But I'm a bit of a hermit and don't like to talk and network at all.

RE: What is the process you take in finding galleries and other places to exhibit your work at? That is, do you research on your own, rely on others, or is it some combination of the two?

[Anne Stahl] Unfortunately I have been ripped off by the majority of the galleries I have dealt with thus far, and so no longer pursue gallery shows. I do enjoy working with agents/dealers who are - in my experience - more professional, courteous and do not hold any of my work. Contracts seem to give artists nothing but responsibilities, because at the end of the day if the other party is not fulfilling the contract, do you have the money to sue them? No. So, THEY can get away with breaching the contract while the artist generally can not.

RE: In your statement you mention working with conservation groups and biologists to learn more about the subjects for your work—could you elaborate a little on this for me? Do you contact them with questions, attend lectures, read articles on/offline, and/or etc.?

[Anne Stahl] Yes, I like to get non-art related opinions and information. This has been very helpful in the past as scientists are often creative people but not visual. Hearing their ideas and thoughts can provide me with triggers of visions that I would not otherwise have had. I believe that science and art are very closely related and find fact are at the source of much of my work.

an assortment

I want this kind of life...
"Fortunately, I am a member of an academic community where I enjoy (not suffer) the privileges (not rights) of rank and tenure. While I never think I have enough time for my own work, in fact I am able to go about painting on a fairly regular and intense basis. I am paid well enough to stay a bit ahead of my debtors, to travel, and to give modest support to causes or projects which seem important.
Moreover, as an artist in an academic community, I have the opportunity to rub ideas daily against the ideas of colleagues and students. Despite the burdens of administrivia and the irritations of committee work, I teach courses in subjects I value. At least a certain amount of my time can be given honorably to the preparation of material for those classes, for thinking about interesting problems, for looking at paintings or sculpture that i find compelling. in short, I am able to earn my living doing something I like very much to do. Be it bias or faith, I believe my lot in life a good one, a pattern that might be equally engaging and stimulating for other artists."

In the University by Lee Hall

Art and sexual politics; women's liberation, women artists, and art history.

Tonight I'm starting a new painting. I've made new compositions that are closer to what I was doing before when I was working on the round paintings. I'm trying to make them so that they make more sense as "landscapes". By doing this I hope that they will give the viewer more of a sense of how (I think) microtexture images can look like the landscapes in which they [the rocks] might make (at any given perspective, close or far). I hope this goes well. I think it will. I feel like I'm lacking some direction with all of this this, however, it seems like my feet are appearing closer to the ground now. This is all just trial and error.

Over spring break I finished an acrylic drypoint of a Jade plant dad's growing in my room. This accomplishment made me feel wonderful, and strengthens this longstanding idea that I work best if I'm working directly from life and not from a freaking photograph. I think I'm going to do more drypoints of plants, but on zinc... maybe. I do like the ability to have a fractured matrix, and using acrylic makes that easy. Anyway, more plants. FUN. I'm going to hit up the greenhouse on campus. This week I'm attending a screen printing demo--we'll see where this goes, if anywhere (could be exciting).

slacking

I haven't posted anything here in almost a month. I'm a horrible blogger, hah. I've been reading a ton and I have several projects going at once. School really dominates my time.

In brief, sort of, not really--

Though, perhaps the imagery I was creating would have worked best with acrylic paint like this i.e. like Beatriz Milhazes, or if I were doing relief printing, perhaps? Perhaps. My dad mentioned that he wouldn't mind taking the numerous designs I made in order to make custom jigsaw pieces to lay down as centerpieces for decks. Very interesting. I haven't started any collages yet, but I have cut out a lot of paper in case I want to start doing that soon. Actually, I really will have to start doing that soon because I have to for class, haha.

In printmaking I'm working on etchings. The imagery for them is inspired by the microscopic world as well, but human derived rather than Earth derived. The process of etching has been very enjoyable for me, so printmaking this semester has become dedicated to that. I've been open biting, aquatinting, and using various kinds of crayons as resists to the acid to get different textures. I've also been doing a lot of burnishinggggggugh. I seriously need to read more about etching processes, because I want to experiment more. It's taken me too long to get back into the swing of things.

That's about all. I'm thinking about applying here (KSU) for graduate school. I like the faculty's work there.

back to work on wednesday

Craig

24" x 40", oil on canvas

This is what I've been working on for a semi-short while this winter break. I decided against doing pretty much everything else, mostly because I over-obligated myself to myself and others, hah (this is the story of my life). This painting isn't nearly finished at all. I'm at the point where I'm not sure what to do next because I never work representationally and I'm not very good at that style of painting haha. It'd be nice if I could work loosely. I know how I ended up here, I sort of know where I want to go, I just have to get there; however, I'm waiting for the semester to begin again first, so that I can get some opinions from peers/academia (or, simply anyone/everyone).

Today my brother and I went to Turkey Run State Park in Parke County IN because at some point I'd like to do something, whether it's drawings, prints, large paper cutouts, or paintings, based off of ice on rock. I've never been to Turkey Run during the winter, but I'm glad I went despite there only being a high temperature today of 10 degrees. I'm especially glad that my brother likes to hang out with me and went along. Had he not, I'm not sure if I would have been as adventurous, nor do I think I would have enjoyed myself so much. I got some pretty nice photos in the process.

i've been productive lately

Give me all the abstracted landscapes...

My favorite part about Jane Lewis' paintings is the intentional and sparing use expressive color, paired with various grays, and lowly saturated tones. I'm also very fond of the gestural brushwork.
JANE LEWIS

"Beach I," Oil on canvas, 31.5 in x 31.5 in.

fits and starts

This week I thought a little bit more about the potential winter quilting project (that, of course, knowing me, is likely to never happen haha). When surfing YouTube for tutorial videos on how to quilt, I ran across this video which describes a little bit about traditional English hexagon patchwork. After watching that video I thought, hmmmb, perhaps I could draw up a pattern for myself on paper, cut out the shapes, and then sew the fabric around the paper - just like one would if composing a traditional hexagon quilt? Who knows, it might work, or it seems like it would? The paper template idea makes a lot of sense in terms of composing the damn thing - mostly because the shapes are not at all regular ones. All that is angular is good here because I know that round is hard to sew.

more

I've been reading/watching tutorials on quilting and it makes me want to quilt one of the microtexture compositions. It would be challenging, but naturally I'd be pumped about it. Over winter break my main project is to cleaning up the sides of the round paintings and get them to a point where they'll be ready to hang. I will be entering them into the student show in January. Too bad they wont be varnished by then :(

This guy = inspiration:

IAN HUNDLEY

Apparently, about a year ago, there was a fiber arts exhibition at ISU which he was a part of. I missed it, ugh.

none

Painting last night was wonderful. I like to paint at night when there aren't any distractions. I can't wait to paint tomorrow.

Sean McNulty; fractals

SEAN MCNULTY - EXTRA LARGE PAINTINGS

This guy does some really interesting work.

These abstract lanscapes that McNulty paints look like aerial images to me, and that's probably what they are inspired by if I had to guess. Sure, I certainly find aerial images to be interesting as well, but really only in their relation to microscopic rock textures. A lot of it has to do with the fact that it reminds me of fractals - no matter how far or close you are zoomed in or out, the image is seems to be repeated. It looks so similar that it seems uncanny. Last year, Vincent and I watched this video from the library about fractals and it nearly blew my mind. Goddamn, I love science. Learning about the repetition in coastlines really tied some things together inside my brain. I mean, of course I find everything to be significant haha.

This is a simplified explanation of what I've mentioned poorly:
APPLICATIONS OF FRACTALS

gah, dilemma

I would really like to go to the university of New Mexico in Albuquerque because I think that New Mexico would be inspirational to my work with all of the mountains, monoliths, rocks, and etc. around. I would enjoy painting landscapes for a while.

briefly

Productivity feels good. Last night Vincent and I went to figure drawing and it was great. I'm not great at drawing but I felt free and so it was fun.

I wish I were prolific like this guy:

RUI SOUSA
I think I like this dude's style because it reminds me of how I draw humans when they come from my imagination. Perhaps this guy and I physically look similar to one another. Well, I just think he's a badass, that's all. Check it.

it's love

I am looking forward to painting tomorrow morning. It's frequently the last and first thing on my mind each day.

ANNE STAHL

Lately I've been looking at a lot of different artists, mostly contemporary artists, just to see what people are doing and are interested in. More so though, and in particular, I've been looking for artists whose work is similar, or maybe runs parallel to my own work. Most of what I've been looking at lately have been abstract paintings - specifically, paintings that artists are considering to be abstracted landscapes.

FRACTAL by ANNE STAHL

Of course fractals are interesting! I think that's why people are making paintings inspired by aerial images. These paintings she did were made nearly 10 years ago.

Good stuff.