How we work

February 4, 2005 What Envelops Me

 

From Rodcorp on Picasso

When someone commented that Stein did not look like her portrait, Picasso replied, "She will."

 

Modern Painter

February 4, 2005 What Envelops Me

The magazine Modern Painters has gone through many guises in its past. It used to be a terrible right wing magazine dedicated to painters of a painterly type. I cut my art debate teeth on some of its contributors, notably Sister Wendy Beckett (arguing with a nun, how art student is THAT?). Recently relaunched (more beautiful, softer, more expensive), Modern Painters retains the services of Matthew Collings, art commentator, television presenter and writer of books such as Blimey that chronicled the YBA phenomenum. Oh, and he's an artist as well.
Collings' columns for Modern Painters are generally very funny and backbiting, in a sort of faux naive manner, about the art world. This month though, he seems to have settled into a slough of despond:

'I see a lot of the art world from a backstage position. Imagine you're me. You see the curators and they'are inadequate power-mad saddoes, and you see the artists and they're unctuous sucker-uppers - what kind of seriousness is this?'

Later in the magazine, while reviewing the legendary Rolling Stones film, Cocksucker Blues, he maybe sums up the art world perfectly: 'roadies groping groupies'.

Marching, marching

February 3, 2005 What Envelops Me

Spotted this yesterday.

Grow you own Chairs

February 3, 2005 What Envelops Me

This guy grows chairs. Five years each.

Payments for Web Art

February 2, 2005 The Long Tail of Art

The Long Tail of Art gathers momentum, maybe. Ed Picot offered a nonlinear short story for sale on a  pay-to-read basis ($0.25). He then wrote an article about this for trAce. Read on ...

The Hyperliterature Exchange.

I recently posted an announcement in various forums about my nonlinear short story, The Recycling Bins, which I was offering for sale on a pay-to-read basis at a fee of $0.25 (US), via the BitPass micropayments system.

To me, asking payment for online work seems perfectly natural, but this view obviously isn't shared by all new media artists: indeed, I seem to be in the minority. As a result of my announcement I was asked to write an article on the subject for trAce, and to prepare this article I contacted a number of other writers and artists and asked them for their opinions. Their responses are reproduced in full below. The article for trAce - entitled "To Be or Not To Be Free" - can be viewed here.

Salute

February 1, 2005 Work In Progress

Salute

On the Wall

February 1, 2005 Work In Progress

   

Work on the studio wall this week. Working towards an assemblage, all these confections are supposed to work as one installed space. Work on ...
You can follow developments via the webcam.

Rome remains Rome

January 28, 2005 Artists & Shows

A strange story in the Guardian today about Damien Hirst paintings.

Eternal city finds holy site for Hirst

Damien Hirst must have grown accustomed to enjoying an almost god-like status among contemporary British artists. But not even he can have expected to get a church to himself in the capital of Christendom.

It's a bit of a nothing story. The two most interesting things to ponder are whether this is more manifestation of Hirst's religiosity (where does he get that from?) and can these paintings be serious? Is Hirsty really painting in the art student stylee, complete with stuck on pages (from the Bible?).

The Laws of Sculpture

January 28, 2005 What Envelops Me

THE LAWS OF SCULPTURE

1. Always be smartly dressed, well groomed, relaxed, friendly, polite and in complete control.

2. Make the world believe in you and pay heavily for this privilege.

3. Never worry, assess, discuss or criticize but remain quiet, respectful and calm.

4. The Lord chisels still, so don't leave your bench for long.

GILBERT & GEORGE

SCULPTURE 1969

Rubbish Resident

January 28, 2005 MyLifeAsAnArtist

Images from my residency site this week.

Army Surplus

January 28, 2005 What Envelops Me

Walking back from a visit to my residency at the tip, I pass this shop every time. I'm tempted, but have never been in. I love the furry faced guy standing out front.

My Work - My Flickr

January 27, 2005 What Envelops Me

The Auschwitz Planet

January 27, 2005 What Envelops Me

This is actually the history of the Auschwitz planet - the chronicles of Auschwitz.
I, myself, was at Auschvitz camp for two years.
The time there is not a concept as it is here in our planet.
Every fraction of a second passed there was at a different rate of time.
And the inhabitants of that planet had no names.
They had no parents, and they had no children.
They were not clothed as we are clothed here.
They were not born there and they did not conceive there.
They breathed and lived according to different laws of Nature.
They did not live according to the laws of this world of ours, and they did not die.
Their name was a number, K. Zetnik number so-and-so ...
And I believe wholeheartedly that I must carry this name as long as the world will not awaken after the crucifying of the nation to erase this evil, as humanity has risen after the crucifixion of one man.

Testimony of Yehile Di-Noor (K. Zetnik) at the Eichmann Trial, June 7 1961

Industrial Overheads

January 27, 2005 Work In Progress

Each week I sit in college and look at the ceiling. Not that I'm bored, but I find them fascinating. I like the random industrial effect of the suspended panels with air conditioning, lighting and other detritus.
I have long wanted to start photographing them. This week I finally got down on my hands and knees and started to do something about it.

 

Brighton Earthship

January 27, 2005 What Envelops Me

   
I'm not much of an eco type, but I do love a good construction project. A while ago I went to visit the Brighton Earthship. I wanted to write an article on it for my friend Nick's Off-Grid website. Why? I love the idea of off-grid, although I also think it's a bit daft. I sort of like the lateral thoughts it leads to, like can we have offf-grid art? Typically, my kids liked the off-grid toilets best.