Saturday, October 27, 2007

The "I Want to be an Artist" Post

There was some mention of a show in Chicago in February. I would like to start having a dialogue about the details so that we can plan what we are going to do.

Chad is the curator so I believe he should start. How big are the rooms? What is the rough layout like? Drawing, painting, multimedia installation? Some sort of theme or just cool graphic stuff that people would want to get tattooed across their stomach?

I also think Pete should spend his time making cool art for the exhibition and not detailed computer models and schematics of a tattoo parlour (unless that is part of his art.)

"Punk Rock tried to kill the Metal . . ."

16 comments:

Pete said...

Hello everybody!

I went to inspect the welds on the structure of a Harley Davidson assembly line yesterday. This is important because I got to wear a blue jump suit and goggles and shoot lasers at stuff (for measuring purposes, not for decimation). I spent all day pretending I was in Devo.

[End of non-sequitor...]

I am truly excited about the prospect of this show in February. I've worked out an arrangement with my work to come in at eleven, then work without interruption into the early evening. This lets me get in a three-and-a-half hour block of studio time first thing in the morning. I've been doing this for the last three weeks, and it has work out tremendously well.

I'm very optimistic about the project I'm doing. I'm also kind of locked into it, because I've sunk a lot of money into setting up a wood shop.

I'm making 20"x40" wooden templates the audience can take off the wall and use to make drawings. This will be done by navigating an painted marble through the template placed face down on a see-saw platform.

The templates will be paintings themselves. The color and pattern of paint will be based on space syntax analysis of the template.

I plan on showing up with 6-8 templates. They'll be grouped into stations with a small worktable in front of the templates that will have a fulcrum & platform along with paper, paint, marbles, and a drying rack under the table. I want to split up the templates between stations, rather than have one big station, because I think it's important that we commingle our work.

The last project I did similar to this I featured the drawings, not the templates; the drawings were 14' long and took hours to make.

I'll post pictures for review in a couple of weeks.

Enough about me; I'm unsure how to package the show. I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have a thesis or theme, other than "we're friends and we make stuff", but I'm open to anything, really. I'm intrigued by the contrast of our work to the flash you'd expect to find on the walls of a tattoo parlor. I think that the subject line of Jason's previous e-mails, "ZUG ZUG SHOW", is a fine title as any.

Don J. said...

I do not think anyone reads this blog anymore. Do you want to do a show in Philly then?

Pete said...

I think Alex and Chad have read the post but haven't found the time to write a response. Chad is tremendously busy with his new home & job, and I think Alex is just getting out of a busy period based on his post frequency on Pull the Pin.

I hope to see the Revolution Tattoo show happen and keep it as a milestone for my studio work. That said, Austin Lee over at Tyler Paint has asked me to curate a show at an alternative space he has opened, which is also his apartment, which is also a storefront. The audience is mostly Tyler students and grads, but it is an audience I care very much about.

I wouldn't get discouraged about the Chicago show. I understand that there are plane tickets to be bought, so some response from the others via blog or e-mail is important.

Mr. Alex said...

Hello! Would you guys like to all do work based on a particular topic or just whatever we happen to be working on?

Pete said...

Hey Alex! I'm not the curator, but I don't think we can go wrong by bringing our best stuff and hanging it so that the works are talking to each other. With that strategy, I think that it is important that the works are around the same size, and that each person is represented equally. Otherwise, the show would become about the imbalance we've set up.

I would, of course, like to hear other takes on this.

Chad said...

I'll have time this weekend to respond in more detail. Like you stated, Pete, I'm busy as all hell right now.

Hope all is well.

Chad said...

I haven't had as much time to surf the internet, now that I'm not working for a dot com and have been busy with a new job and home.

That being said:

The show is still a go. I haven't received an exact date as of yet, but it's set for February.


I'm working on a series of paintings and drawings based on embarrassing life experiences.

I think it will be a bit difficult to somehow connect all four of our work. It may be easier to give it a "We Went to Art School and Have Set Up a Group Show" label. Unless we opt to refer to all of us moving far away from one another and titling it "Separation Anxiety" Hell we could just each take 100 asprin, have the paramedics pump our stomachs, and do performance art about it.

How about "We're Failed Performance Artists"?
ok, back to reality:

What type of work are Jason and Alex planning on showing?

Mr. Alex said...

I have no idea! :-(

I'm currently working on a bunch of level-mockups for a sci-fi 2d game. Maybe I'll end up showing a few poster-sized versions of em...

Pete said...

Alex,
I can help subsidize getting your game-levels on high-end, poster/banner size output. I can go get some pricing from the service bureau we use at work, if you want.
I think it is important that they are very detailed. They do not necessarily have to be to printed at the same scale as the intended screen output. I'm imagining the result as a hybrid of Chinese journey-scrolls, Japanese isometric depictions of battles, Nintendo Power level maps, and Dr Seuss flora & fauna.

Chad,
Yeah, I'm afraid it will be quite difficult to think of a theme. But I'd reiterate that I don't think it's really necessary to have one. A good show name is more important.

Mr. Alex said...

"I'm imagining the result as a hybrid of Chinese journey-scrolls, Japanese isometric depictions of battles, Nintendo Power level maps, and Dr Seuss flora & fauna."

Exactly :-) It's going to be a whole lot of fun and also provide a wealth of art assets for the game I will eventually deploy =D

Don J. said...

I was thinking of bringing a collection of studio sketches from the last year and a half that are mostly inspired by obscure bio-chemistry studies and fear-mongering newspaper articles about parasites.

The idea behind bringing drawings is practical more than anything as they are easier to transport. But it sounds like everyone else's projects are rather ambitious which makes me think I should bring something with eyepopping color as well.

Don J. said...

I am finally back in the studio and making some new work. Soon I am going to do some mock ups for small toy-like interactive sculptures but I do not think they will be finished by the end o winter and it sounds a if any free floor space that is available will be taken up by Pete's template stations.

Upon further thought I will be showing small drawings, but I am going to show a great many of them hung similar to a Raymond Pettibone installation.

When you get a chance Chad please let us know about how much wall/floor space we will each have.

Pete said...

J, if the toys do in fact get done, even a handful of them, and you are willing to show them. I'd build some shelving for them in my shop.

Pete said...

Chad, I promise I won't build a replica of the gallery. But closer to the show, maybe a month out, I would like some information:

Rudimentary plan dimensions of the space.
Comprehensive photos of the space.
Ceiling heights.
Paint color and brand for the wall paints, the owners should have this information. I want to color the mounts for my marble mazes the same as the wall, also it will help with touch up after the show.

Chad said...

will do.

Don J. said...

Do we have an opening night date yet? How about a Valentines Day party? We could get Batman cards to hand out and express our love.

The sooner I know this the better so that I can look into what my options are for traveling.