tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48630332296569944862024-03-05T01:15:56.399-08:00myopia terminusthe official blog of the USSSAusssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-950465462131339502012-11-21T05:01:00.000-08:002012-11-21T05:01:02.724-08:00A Culture to Be Known: an interview with Ernesto Pujol<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ernesto Pujol is a site-specific public performance
artist and so</span>cial choreographer. His undergraduate studies were in humanitie</span>s
and fine arts, followed by graduate work in education, media, and psychology.
Pujol has an MFA in interdisciplinary studio practice from The School of The
Art Institute of Chicago. He has taught at the School of Visual Arts, Cooper
Union, the Rhode Island School of Design, Pratt Institute, Parsons The New
School, Bezalel Academy of Art & Design, and The Maine College of Art.
Since 1999, Pujol has been field training graduate and post-graduate art
students in site-specific art work. Pujol is interested in the notion of the artist
as citizen, the citizenship of museums, and the citizenship of art itself in
the evolution of American democracy. Pujol believes that the creative critical
thinking tools of American artists are integral to the sustainability of
American democracy within an increasingly diverse society. He strives to
reclaim public spaces from clutter, noise, and speed, temporarily eliminating
distractions, generating silence and solitude; transforming them into sites for
interiority, for the reawakening of basic consciousness. Pujol has served with
the New York State Council on the Arts, the Academy for Educational
Development, and the National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC.</span></i></span></span></div>
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image from <i>Tzofia</i>, 12 hour performance, Tel Aviv, 2008.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ernesto, thank you
for offering to speak about your life and work in a political context.
Your article in <a href="http://www.arteeast.org/pages/artenews/bodyofwork/1334/" target="_blank"><i>ArtEast</i></a></b><b> was one of my absolute favorite
artist-reflection pieces. What was your perception of the US in your
youth and how has it developed, now, having lived here for so many years?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: First of all, I would like to clarify
for your readers that I am not a foreigner. I am a US citizen. But I grew up as a US citizen in the Caribbean region, where
people refer to America as “The Mainland.” I recently discovered that they do the same in the Pacific,
in Hawaii. It seems to be a periphery-to-center dynamic, colonial. During my early teens, the US was the
source of my popular culture, while Europe, specifically Spain and England,
were the source of my so-called high culture. Having lived in New York for 27 years now, our situation
feels like the end of an empire, surrou<span style="font-size: large;">nded by an increasingly impoverished
society.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Are the arts an effective way to address this
count</span>ry’s dire situation without being dismissed as another form of rhetoric?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I believe that art
is language, and that all language bears the possibility of communicating
information that leads to evolution. When was the last time that the arts addressed “this
country’s dire situation,” as you say? From my own experience, it was during the 1980s and the AIDS
crisis.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Many artists made work
about AIDS or put their creative skills at the service of activist groups such
as ACT UP. And it was very
effective; and people paid attention to the issues. I think that the arts need to claim that role again. In many ways, other than the lack of
government issued funding, no one<span style="font-size: large;"> is holding them back but the art world
itself.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Th</span>ere seems to be a fairly
consistent triad that energizes your most recent work: landscape, community,
and self. How did you arrive at these elements of your practice and how
has their significance been maintained?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I am not interested in self-expression.
I am an itinerant artist, a conceptual
“portrait painter” through site-specific durational performance art. I reveal the unseen about places, in a
very psychic way, Jungian. I am
commissioned sited projects by museums, universities, and festivals, as the intimate
portraits of people and places. I
have always been interested in art as language, in the evolution of audiences,
and in increasing the relevance and role of art in society. I have sustained these interests at
great personal expense—at great sacrifice. Long
ago I chose not to seek tenure in any of the schools I was invited to teach, so
as to remain free, o<span style="font-size: large;">bjective. It
has been a great adventure, but an austere one.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I</span> also appreciate how
these elements of your work translate your concepts and methods to a broader
audience. You very arduously educate the public about some specific, and
easily overlooked, issues regarding ecology, U.S. culture, and contemplation;
encouraging people who aren’t necessarily “in the arts” to see this world—and
the people in it—more directly and to think outside of the box. But, yes!
. . . tell us about the <i>art</i> advocacy and the broader education,
thereof. When you make logistical arrangements with various groups, are
you also reaching-out to promote the arts in general, or is this widening base
of support (among diverse art communities, naturalists, civil leadership, etc.)
more of an incidental gain?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I come from a family of committed educators.
My mother was a famous educator,
very much ahead of her times, in terms of ethics (values) and rights. I believe that the art world has
dismissed a great part of our mainstream population as too conservative, politically
and religiously.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>We have dismissed
them as hopelessly uneducated, sort of beyond redemption. Part of it is an urban cynical snobbery,
and part of it is a secret fear. Many
artists are not just disconnected but secretly terrified of audiences. Yet those are the very masses of voters
who put retrograde presidents in the White House, creating setbacks, for years.
The art world cannot continue to
ignore them; it risks everyone’s future in doing so. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am very interested
in taking the best of contemporary experimental, interdisciplinary art to them.
If they do not come to the
mountain, the mountain (the hills!) must go to them. They must not remain undisturbed, complacent. I am interested in challenging their
assumptions and broadening their horizons, demonstrating that we are one and
the same people. I actually
believe that they have a lot to contribute to the global dialogue. We say that we love globalism. Indeed, we seek the story of every other
people, of distant tribes and remote villages, all but our own. The art world is embarrassed by our
regional unsophisticated stories, south and west. But we must face them and generate a new enlightened
regionalism, interconnected. We
must practice an <b><i>intern<span style="font-size: large;">al globalism</span></i></b><span style="font-size: large;"> in America.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Wow. Fa</span>ntastic points. On a related note, you’ve worked in
coordination with a number of organizations and government agencies to realize
your projects: Good Works Foundation of Los Angeles, The Land Institute, U.S.
Art in Embassies, various Museums; and you have served on the New York State
Council on the Arts and as a Consultant for the Conservation Trust of Puerto
Rico. Is diplomacy a skill that you recommend for artists of the c<span style="font-size: large;">urrent
era?</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: </span>Yes! While no one taught me diplomatic skills in art school, I
could not do what I do without them. I would not accomplish anything. I have had to work hard as a
cultural diplomat, as an ambassador for contemporary art interventions in the
public sphere with the Cuban communist government, with Republican conservative
Christians, with Mormon politicians. All very delicate.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have had to translate to them what I wanted to achieve in
their communities.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Every place has
gatekeepers and stakeholders. Diplomacy
is a skill I learned from my heroic mother, who integrated her school, which I later
perfected on the road. Art schools
need to teach students how to work with people as peers, as true collaborators,
not merely as studio and project assistants.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Interdisciplinary practice does not consist in more
complicated research, expanding the texts that inform your process. It actually consists of dialogue with
experts who are as e<span style="font-size: large;">mpowered as you are, or more. It is humbling.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Image (above): <i>Awaiting</i>,
12 hour performance, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">D</span>o yo</span>u have formal
training in choreography, art direction, or curatorial duties?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I am self-taught in all those fields.
But as you stated in the beginning, I have a very broad formal education: in
humanities, philosophy, religion, psychology, media theory, and visual arts. And everything is connected. And I am an observer of people, a good
listener—and a quick study.</span></span></div>
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image from <i>Memorial Gestures</i>, 12 hour performance, Chicago, 2007.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you find</span> some
political value in your ability to organize and engage large numbers of people?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: Yes, I could not do what I do without a
certain political mass quality that is nothing less than charismatic in terms
of engaging hundreds of people to follow me into the dream and the labor of a
non-profit project. It becomes
like a poetic political campaign, but one created for their behalf. It is for them. They own it. They take it over long before I leave town, and certainly
afterwards. It is funny that you
ask, because I have sometimes thought of running for office. But it would have to be on a very small
scale because I dislike large bureaucracies. Part of enjoying what I do has to do with sidestepping all local
red tape and going directly from conceptio<span style="font-size: large;">n to production to enactment, in free
flow.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tell us a </span>bit about “<a href="http://www.thefieldschoolproject.org/" target="_blank">The Field School</a>” </b><b>initiative and how you see these programs
developing in the coming years.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: The Field School is something humble that
developed organically, through graduate students wanting to study and work with
me during and beyond school. For
years, I have turned every project that has been commissioned to me into an
ephemeral school. We need more
training like that, beyond school walls, in the field. I would like to see more art schools
with experimental storefronts and partnerships with hospitals, clinics, etc. Art students should intern in places other
than galleries and museums. Art
students are always looking for content; that is the great worry of youth, not having
something to say. Volunteer in a dog
shelter, in a small organic farm, in a poor nursing home one long hot summer
and you will<span style="font-size: large;"> have a lot to say by fall.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What is your take on
artistic skill—do all people have the capacity to be ar</span>tists? What about
the ability to see things from an artistic perspective?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: Are you good at everything? I do not believe that everyone has artistic skills, just like
I have no mathematical skills, nor am I able to withstand the sight of blood
and open wounds. I could not be a
mathematician or a physician. Yet,
if we provided universal education as a right for all our people, all people
would enjoy some form of more complex intellectual life. And all people would be creative, at
some level, because creativity is at the core of every discipline, its research
and analysis. Not everyone is a
surgeon. Not everyone is an
artist. It would be naïve to think
so—
sentimental. But everyone is
potentially creative. Regarding
everyone seeing things from “an artistic perspective,” I am going to assume
that you mean from a creative critical thinking perspective.<span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span>Everyone is capable of that, given
education, openness to experience, ongoing cu<span style="font-size: large;">riosity, and humility.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">More and more in
r</span>ecent years, I’ve come across various reports that MFA’s are a worthless
degree <span style="font-size: large;">(</span><a href="http://www.libgig.com/node/3988" target="_blank">here</a> </b><b>and <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/college-finance/graduate-degrees-dont-pay-off.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>)</b><b> not to mention seeing, first-hand, a
growing number of disenfranchised artists funneled into a work-force that is
predominantly industrial and commercial, by design. I found <a href="http://dismagazine.com/discussion/32984/throwing-the-gauntlet-art-programs/" target="_blank">your article</a>
for “dis magazine”<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></b><b>online
to be extremely relevant to shaping a more appropriate trajectory for artists.
Could you build on any of the specific points from that article with examples
of programs that may be best-case examples of the innovations you recommend?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I have
written so much about this. I am
interested in American art training reform. I believe it is in crisis; much of it is morally bankrupt. There are some new graduate programs
developing, new or reinvented, but I do not think it ethical to promote one
program over another through this venue. So, let me just say that all students need to take control of
their education and lead it assertively where they want to. The problem is that, in order to do
that, you need to know who you are, that is: where do you come from and where
are you going, individually and collectively? And those are tough questions because we live in a culture of
entertaining spectacles that keep you distracted and immature, infantilizing
everyone and everything.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Writer Carol Becker has said (and I am probably paraphrasing
her incorrectly) that sometimes we seem to be a country without culture, having
instead a mammoth entertainment industry. If you add our advertising media to that, and the new
information technologies as multiple 24-hour portals, that leaves the American
persona with no time for silence and solitude—for reflection. I do not believe that we will survive
for long like that. An
increasingly impoverished diverse society needs to reflect. Democracy can onl<span style="font-size: large;">y surviv<span style="font-size: large;">e if there is
space for reflection.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Farmers Dream, <i>Dreaming
Kansas</i>, 12 hour performance, Salina, Kansas, 2009.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I’d like to hear more
fr</span>om you regarding the state of our culture. Your description of the <a href="http://www.dreamingkansas.com/introduction.html" target="_blank">Dreaming Kansas</a></b><b> project describes a region that is often
hijacked by electoral politics. The text is furthered by mourning the
loss of something that runs deeper than demographics: the loss of a rural
American culture whose values and traditions were intrinsically dependent on
survival with the landscape. What else has the country lost by way of
losing our r<span style="font-size: large;">ural, farming families and communities?</span></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwU6gkei0kg9mHAOzzXQ8RgpqgEZ9w2xaiZbjO1gy8p2KAiJ4mqTdEFY85A0s9Gfmp1PIrNde2VD28bB76UekM8iHYnrq-ZB0QrJ22JQImX7m6iBjuJYb9KO4D8UzLmzX4jtJ4k6-X-c2o/s1600/Farmers+Dream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwU6gkei0kg9mHAOzzXQ8RgpqgEZ9w2xaiZbjO1gy8p2KAiJ4mqTdEFY85A0s9Gfmp1PIrNde2VD28bB76UekM8iHYnrq-ZB0QrJ22JQImX7m6iBjuJYb9KO4D8UzLmzX4jtJ4k6-X-c2o/s400/Farmers+Dream.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: It has los</span>t
a connection to the land and its resources and cycles that, although far form
perfect, it was intimate. We need
to reconnect with our environment and food sources.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>It is time that visual artist residencies should begin to
take place in nature preserves and organi<span style="font-size: large;">c farms across America.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I</span>mag<span style="font-size: large;">e</span> (right):</span> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Farmers Dream</i>,<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>12 hour
performance,</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Salina, Kansas, 2009.</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Discuss</span>ions of an
American culture—with its origins in multiple waves of European settlement—are
under incr</span>easing scrutiny for the massacre of indigenous peoples. As
someone who was born and raised in the Caribbean, you are no stranger to the
traumas and injustices that are carried through the generations following the
European Conquest. How have you formed an appreciation for any traditions
of “American” culture at the expense of such extensive bloodshed?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: Indeed, I was
born and raised in the Caribbean, specifically, in Cuba and Puerto Rico, two
little countries that historically were and remain under US influence. In the 1960s, my parents were young
progressive professionals, intellectually interested in the Christian
democratic socialist politics of Scandinavian countries. They were socialist pacifists; they were
not communists. America has yet to
learn the difference between militarized communism, as a form of fascism, and
liberal socialism as an evolution of democracy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In my case, both of
the islands where I have a family heritage witnessed their native indigenous
populations wiped out early on and replaced by African slave labor. My white European family owned slaves
until Emancipation and remained white until the Cuban Revolution of 1959, when
it began to mix, slowly. I grew up
surrounded by that new cultural mix. American culture is very new yet complex, where people are
just beginning to consciously mix rather than blindly assimilate. But its native peoples remain one of its
great shames. They remain a
muffled voice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nevertheless, there
remains an openness to North American society. There are castes, but it is not a caste system. There are aristocrats, but there is no
aristocracy. There remains an
upward mobility, through an increasingly hard to come by good education and
hard work, in spite of widespread corruption. The genocide of the Native Americans was horrendous, and
their situation remains tragic, but when you read the great innocents of the
West, like Willa Cather, a book like <i>My
Antonia</i>, there is still an American seduction tha<span style="font-size: large;">t makes one wonder about
possibilities.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">A n</span>umber of your
projects are located in remote and sparsely-populated regions—I’m thinking of
Utah (<a href="https://www.utehaus.org/" target="_blank">UTEHAUS</a> </b><b>
and <a href="http://www.awaitinginsaltlakecity.com/" target="_blank">Awaiting</a></b><b>), Kansas (<a href="http://www.salinaartcenter.org/press/view/2010/05/03/" target="_blank">Dreaming Kansas</a>),</b><b> and Hawaii (<a href="http://honolulumuseum.org/art/exhibitions/11616-ernesto_pujol_walking_ground" target="_blank">Walking Ground</a></b><b>). What is it about you<span style="font-size: large;">r imagination
that responds to these loc<span style="font-size: large;">ations?</span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Speaking
in Silence</i>, 12 hour performance, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2010.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I believe that everyone has the right
t</span>o culture. And I mean critical
culture rather than entertainment. Critical culture is a human right. I am fascinated by isolated peoples, particularly the
landlocked. I grew up in islands, locked by water, surrounded by deep dangerous
waters. When I finally travelled
to the Midwest, I fell in love with the prairie. I had finally found a safe ocean where one did not drown or
was torn apart by sharks. The
prairie has the same horizon and sky as the ocean, endless, dreamy. But returning to your question, I feel a
deep compassion. I work long at
having a generous practice. It is
about love. And there is no use in
preaching to the choir. That is
easy, intellectually lazy. I do
not care for artists showing to artists. What is the social gain in that? I prefer to face my fears and test my beliefs. I have sat down with hunters and
ranchers to dinners. When you dine
with conservatives, you get to know your true beliefs and yo<span style="font-size: large;">u might just find
your true strength in your vulnerability.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Inheriting
Salt</i>, Installation, New York, 2007.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">And ye</span>t, you work in
New York City! How do you me</span>rge these high-contrast environments into a
coherent lifestyle and art practice? I hear that you are even making
weekly trips to upstate New York.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I came to NYC to study, never planning
to stay “forever.”<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>I am still not
planning to stay forever, although it has been 27 years. New York is a crossroads. I live in Downtown Brooklyn. It is filled with immigrants,
expatriates, refugees.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>I live in a
very tight community and talk to my neighbors daily. I know my shopkeepers. I live in an urban village under the
shadow on New York. And I recently
acquired a very small old cottage by the river, upstate, so now I live in two
villages, an urban and a rural one. I negotiate the city dow<span style="font-size: large;">n to a human scale. I think that many shy people do.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">You</span> make concerted
efforts to promote community and a relationship with our environment; what
about contemplative meditation . . . do you see yourself as an advocate for
meditation in daily living? </b><b></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I was once a cloistered monk in a
monastery, a contemplative. I have
found that I have a remarkably strong, rigorous foundation in the combined
practice of study, meditation, contemplation, mysticism. I thought that everyone secretly had it
but it seems to be rare. I used to
meditate very consciously but now it is second nature. It is organic, fully integrated into my
days, like water flowing among rocks. My art work is imbued with it. But I define spirituality as something imbued with the human
spirit. So, everything is
spiritual. And everything is
silence. This conversation is part
of my silence, because it is “right speech,” so it comes from my silence and
feeds my silence. I live a
meditative day. Nothing is outside
the realm of meditati<span style="font-size: large;">on.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Meditatio</span>n is often
described as self-cultivation, self-reflection, self-help, etc. Isn’t
there a risk of cultivating so much of an individual’s notions of self that
concepts of the collective and the political can become neglected . . . or
ignored, altogether?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: The narcissism of our culture
appropriates everything.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>But
meditation is not narcissistic. I
think that that popular definition of meditation is a misunderstanding. Meditation is self-less. It is about the no-self. In other words, meditation is not about self
regard; true meditation is not related at all to what is commonly known as
self-help culture. So, there is no
war between it and social presence or social practice. In fact, I cannot conceive of having a
political life, individually or collectively, without a rich interior life,
without meditation.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Otherwise,
that political life is superficial, flat, reactionary.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>That is the problem with our political
space, it does not include time for silence and solitude, for meditating
complex situations. We should not
think that our 24-hour news culture is any better prepared to decide anything
if it never t<span style="font-size: large;">akes time to meditate the news. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">T</span>hese narcissistic
tendencies are precisely what prompt my questioning . . . meditation and
Eastern practices as they have come to be known in the US seemed to flourish
during a time of prosperity and a rampant commodification of our own
culture. Eastern philosophies, deities, and religious practices appeared
to be profitable "trends" for the privileged. I think mostly of
yoga and meditation retreats. How could the benefits of something quite
accessible—like meditation—reach a wider socioeconomic base, in order to help
people who could benefit immensely from releasing their own egocentric ways?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I think that you are showing your prejudices here. But that is okay. We have all had cartoonish experiences
with transplanted imported Eastern practices. Buddhism is the spiritual practice of millions of poor
citizens worldwide. In North
America, it may be currently associated with a cultural and intellectual elite,
with amazing figures such as John Cage, for example. But I do not sell meditation any more than I sell spiritual
practice. Spirituality is nothing
but whatever is imbued with the human spirit. Anything filled with the human spirit is spiritual. What is the so-called human spirit? It is the desire to transcend. How do we transcend? We transcend through creative thought
and the suspension of tired thought. We transcend through our intellect, our imagination, and the
wisdom of the body.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>However we
reach that interior life, through meditation, yoga, etc., it does not matter. The point is to achieve interiority. “The masses” do not need to meditate. The masses simply need to be less
distracted and more conscious, <span style="font-size: large;">however they achieve it<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4863033229656994486" name="_GoBack"></a>.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Baptism</i>,
work in progress, Maine, 2008-12.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Please tell us about
your upco</span>ming projects so that our readers across the US may experience your
work (wherever they may be?)</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EP: I am developing several new projects in
the US and abroad for 2013, but it is truly too early to announce them, as they
are all in their very early stages. So, please stay posted.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>In the meantime, I just published a book called “Sited Body,
Public Visions: silence, stillness & walking as performance practice.” It is available through McNally Jackson
Books, the independent publisher: <a href="http://www.mcnallyjackson.com/bookmachine/sited-body-public-visions"><span style="color: #003ec5;">http://www.mcnallyjackson.com/bookmachine/sited-body-public-visions</span></a>.
It was a labor of love, which I would like to share with your readers.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thank you. I hope that we may share
your upcoming projects with our readers when the time is right. For now, we have a few additional links
where people can find more your work:</b><b><span style="color: #ff6600;"><br />
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</span></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.ernestopujol.org/"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.ernestopujol.org/" target="_blank"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: #1155cc;">www.ernestopujol.org</span></span></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.abladeofgrass.org/blog/2012/mar/5/healing-arts/"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.abladeofgrass.org/blog/2012/mar/5/healing-arts/" target="_blank"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.abladeofgrass.org/blog/2012/mar/5/healing-arts/</span></span></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ernestopujol"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ernestopujol" target="_blank"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ernestopujol</span></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Two additional publications with
essays by the artist on American art education reform:</b><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">Buddha Mind in Contemporary
Art:</span></b><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Buddha-Mind-Contemporary-Jacquelynn-Baas/dp/0520243463"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.amazon.com/Buddha-Mind-Contemporary-Jacquelynn-Baas/dp/0520243463</span></span></a></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">Art School, Propositions for
the 21st Century:</span></b><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-School-Propositions-21st-Century/dp/0262134934/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349801959&sr=1-1&keywords=art+school+propositions+for+the+21st+century"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.amazon.com/Art-School-Propositions-21st-Century/dp/0262134934/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349801959&sr=1-1&keywords=art+school+propositions+for+the+21st+centu<span style="font-size: large;">ry</span></span></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-49815972075534217512012-11-16T21:21:00.003-08:002012-11-16T21:26:46.636-08:00Joshua Hagler: explores US history for lineage of the "decadent now"<style>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAcI5lC1MSmIgcnIZcp-NdHhQD7VOsfj_u2SMWcpHGi3Ia9NEDiGF8rk9bq_x8JfIzJhTyk3_xFOg6vsiYpebfK-CGMQo6cwlMKHh9EpDOX9uB3tUdJmNSZ2OWHskHzyMLvUoSU6zepRc/s1600/red-as-fever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAcI5lC1MSmIgcnIZcp-NdHhQD7VOsfj_u2SMWcpHGi3Ia9NEDiGF8rk9bq_x8JfIzJhTyk3_xFOg6vsiYpebfK-CGMQo6cwlMKHh9EpDOX9uB3tUdJmNSZ2OWHskHzyMLvUoSU6zepRc/s640/red-as-fever.jpg" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="hascaption">"Red as Fever and White as a
Ghost"</span><br /><span class="hascaption">(after The Death Struggle, 1845, Charles Deas)</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><span class="hascaption">oil on canvas</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="hascaption">, 83" x 60", </span><span class="hascaption">2012</span></span></span></b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="hascaption"></span></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">About Josh's r</span>ecent series, "The Unsurrendered"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Since receiving an invitation to join the political art
project <i>USSSA</i>, I've begun developing work informed by 18th- and 19th-century
American Western Expansion, the removal of Native Americans, and superheroes as
vehicle for conflict, transformation, and fantasy. Searching for a uniquely
American mythology in a rapidly changing world, I wonder whether globalization
is quite so new as we imagine it to be. I am reminded that the myth of
the American West would look strikingly different if not for the economic
depression in Europe that brought new immigrants here to paint it. The
work is self-conscious, ironic, and anachronistic with respect to the racially
awkward position and historically inaccurate tradition of American frontier
painting.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rslj2yvJMy3OtCWZKNOzt2SW3IZOzP8orxnZQkPBpR3uV-0HXL0r5GVxs-YjpoHcyDzeZ4A1faLFouvhaA929l4cBl5SnzCl2Fz0fgWrwVyqNcsuCMg8IPftJrPPd94HjzDm8y36Kmrw/s1600/red-as-fever-detail1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rslj2yvJMy3OtCWZKNOzt2SW3IZOzP8orxnZQkPBpR3uV-0HXL0r5GVxs-YjpoHcyDzeZ4A1faLFouvhaA929l4cBl5SnzCl2Fz0fgWrwVyqNcsuCMg8IPftJrPPd94HjzDm8y36Kmrw/s400/red-as-fever-detail1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="hascaption">Det<span style="font-size: large;">ail from </span>"Red as Fever and White as a
Ghost"</span></span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">My new paintings find levity in willed amnesia and pop culture
diversion, both at once nostalgic and irreverent toward lost or misunderstood
cultural traditions. I am fascinated by the value-laden implication of
progress as virtue both then and now. As a sensibility of the “decadent
now” emerges from the perceived sexiness of a newer, hipper globalization, I
want to turn the same sensibility toward an older form of globalization as a
strategy for satire.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhP3ssRHkSC7TeH5_J_jST6f1xCsECvCD4Ig0yTJXrV4Ufz7g-GHYv0w543lTGDDhN6wAe_bcOq2vvugX-0NEWEp-7B7L5zHUALod1rbqiRvLhwHq5BUEjqhx2tC_WySynTAY4NnmU3SeV/s1600/dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhP3ssRHkSC7TeH5_J_jST6f1xCsECvCD4Ig0yTJXrV4Ufz7g-GHYv0w543lTGDDhN6wAe_bcOq2vvugX-0NEWEp-7B7L5zHUALod1rbqiRvLhwHq5BUEjqhx2tC_WySynTAY4NnmU3SeV/s640/dance.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="hascaption"><span style="font-size: large;">"We Go</span>t a Brand New Dance and
there ain't no Shelter from the Rain"</span><br /><span class="hascaption">83" x 60<span style="font-size: large;">", </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="hascaption">oil on canvas</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="hascaption">2012</span></span></span></b>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Questions arise about what we conveniently omit from
the frame in favor of a more triumphant n</span>arrative of progress and what we
idealize and fantasize about once we become overwhelmed by its day-to-day
workings.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-15177662509766313252012-11-06T20:38:00.000-08:002012-11-07T22:07:57.646-08:00Where Labor Kneels, Gardens Grow: an Interview with Christy Roberts<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y8LQUgy1TEljc_oalMcXOzoPlSBRIFqn-AL1yVZrWrbxBU6C5Dl1_s4Ds37-2Nu-tJ2QPHbCMNIa5RH39xV3GAuC2y0hJ5XtA2WskYXWinwiJxdTWNszT4OG_TGH8IBMH-L0XRLwBpFw/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y8LQUgy1TEljc_oalMcXOzoPlSBRIFqn-AL1yVZrWrbxBU6C5Dl1_s4Ds37-2Nu-tJ2QPHbCMNIa5RH39xV3GAuC2y0hJ5XtA2WskYXWinwiJxdTWNszT4OG_TGH8IBMH-L0XRLwBpFw/s320/Picture+9.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Artist and educator,
Christy Roberts, creates experiences, interventions, and objects that
explore the tension between humans and their physical, social, and
psychological environments and power structures. A native of Southern
California, and the daughter of retired police officers, Roberts holds
Bachelors Degrees in Philosophy and Religion, a BFA in Studio Art, and an
MFA from Claremont Graduate University, acquired in 2011. </i></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>She has participated and
organized at/with The California Poppy Collective, The LA Art Union,
Occupy LA, Occupy Riverside, The College Art Association, Pacific Standard Time
Performance Festival (with Mark Di Suvero, Leslie Labowitz Starus, and
Suzanne Lacy), The Girl Scouts of the USA, The Foundation for Art
Resources, The Craft and Folk Art Museum, The Los Angeles Municipal Gallery,
For Your Art, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, RAID Projects, Autonomie,
Summer Camp's ProjectProject, 18<sup>th</sup> Street Arts Center,
Greene Park Gallery, CSU Long Beach, and Track 16. Roberts has been reviewed
by </i>Another Righteous
Transfer<i>, </i>Artillery Magazine<i>, and was one of </i>LA Weekly’s<i> “Best of LA People”, 2012. She was also a
guest blogger for </i>Art 21 Blog<i>,
writing on Occupy and the forming of an art workers' union.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Christy, I’m reaching out to you as one
of the artists living in this Los Angeles art environment. Art and politics are not a crossroads
that can be avoided, here. It’s
evident in the streets, on the blogs, and inside (or outside) the exhibition spaces;
it’s evident in the art of Occupy LA, the “Chalk Massacre” at the Downtown LA
Art Walk, and the work of such artists as Suzanne Lacey and Olga Koumoundouros. Describe your role in the LA art
community.</b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> As far as my role in the
community, I feel like I’m an observer and advocate. I feel that I best serve the community by trying to be a
better me and that includes making art. I don’t claim my work to have any kind of transformative
power other than for me. If I
become part of the solution, that’s something. I do, however, know for a fact that art is powerful and does
possess transgressive and transformative properties. There is immense power in the absurd. The “Gnome Strike” in Poland, also known
as the “Orange Alternative,” is a great example. <br /><br />
I was disappointed by the initial backlash Occupy LA</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span>received
for the first Chalk Walk. What
people didn’t realize is that it was always meant to be peaceful. There were children participating too. The police honestly did escalate things
by using excessive force with a tired crowd that had been pushed to the limits
with the previous chalk arrests. </span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tell us more about
that . . .</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
CR: My parents are both retired
police officers. Whenever the
subject of police conduct is brought up, I’m the first to try to look at the
situation from all angles because I’m intimately familiar with the human side
of policing. However, everything I
know about law enforcement has been changed. They are not leaving avenues for escape, the way they treat
people—once in custody (especially after the OLA eviction)—is questionable, and
with what happened in Anaheim and Fullerton . . . for the first time in my
(obviously privileged and slightly removed) life I’m afraid of what seems like
vigilante mob actions performed in the name of public safety.<br /><br />
And we haven’t even gotten to MOCA and the problems with the ever so celebrated
Pacific Standard Time Festival and its attempt to commodify the ephemeral.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Right. I plan to interview a few more artists
from LA so don’t feel th</span>e need to address it all at once!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">CR: . . . some of it started to feel “Hard <i>Performance</i> Café.” The next step would be you could order some
chicken alfredo and eat under a photo of Abramovic performances and every 15 minutes
there’s a reenactment of Chris Burden’s “Shoot.” Some of the most powerful art has to be experienced in-person
and so much of performance is about presence. It’s just about being there and immediate; being immediately
accessible to the moment. A performance document is not necessarily the same as
a finished art object. One of the things that I love about performance art is
that as a community we ache for it—we, in turn, decide what is seen.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Commodifying performance takes away from the act itself in addition to creating
a market conversation; oftentimes the market determines what is seen and I
don’t want to see that happen to performance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Besides, performance is more alive in the mythology of
storytelling about “what happened” than it is in a document.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>I’m glad the LA
art community had the chance to celebrate its own history, and I even
participated in some of the projects, but we have to “be careful with the
present [we] create because it should look like the future [we] dream<span style="font-size: large;">."</span> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOaaBJdfYp0m9Y7c6RIjrwPgTp5xYXka_sWiOhh0myC9QGz5h2As93d6CHcTtF3WkeyqVXIBUBGaYFcLQOb4ofUjfD1DYLNzpfCO5LWYH3ic9Pa3xicuV1WC47Dgop-Mj5Q6FGaMB0VWE/s1600/Autonomie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOaaBJdfYp0m9Y7c6RIjrwPgTp5xYXka_sWiOhh0myC9QGz5h2As93d6CHcTtF3WkeyqVXIBUBGaYFcLQOb4ofUjfD1DYLNzpfCO5LWYH3ic9Pa3xicuV1WC47Dgop-Mj5Q6FGaMB0VWE/s400/Autonomie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Make-In" at Autonomie Gallery, 2011</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Artists and gu<span style="font-size: large;">ests made blankets for people <span style="font-size: large;">living in the</span> Occupy camps in anticipati<span style="font-size: large;">on of</span> the winter nights.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Is there</span> some way
that art communities from across the nation can help?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">CR: If the art
communities and/or activist communities in other locations want to “help” LA,
I’m sure they are all already aware that the best strategy (be it cliché or
not) is always to think globally, act locally. Orange County Law Enforcement and LAPD,
the CCA (the agency responsible for the gentrification of Downtown LA and the
media backlash against the Chalk Walk), MOCA, etc. are not regional problems. I think we have to continue to demand
accountability from ourselves, our communities, our elected and non-elected
representatives, and the institutions that were created to serve us. Demand accountability and organize and
never doubt the power of process. As
they say, Utopia is a jo<span style="font-size: large;">urney, not a destination. </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I think tha</span>t is such
valuable advice as art communities across the nation continue to struggle. Artists are such an ambiguous yet
eclectic demographic that solidarity can easily be confused for nepotism, trending,
or just glomming along for another show.
The bottom line is that the degree of resistance to—and devaluation
of—the arts in this country is relentless on so many fronts: economic,
cultural, social, ecological. Am I
off-base? Can the deep-seeded traditions
of capitalism and self-interest in the arts be transgressed?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">CR: Well, art
is older than capitalism so I’m going to say “yes.” Anarchism is a belief that values the individual and holds
the individual accountable for their role in the community. I believe in multiple intelligences,
people enacting within their own distinct way of life. I think it’s unethical
to expect the same contribution from everyone, but it’s <span style="font-size: large;">just as unethical to
give no contribution. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">I fi</span>rst became familiar with your work
through your writings (see “<a href="http://blog.art21.org/2012/01/11/occupy-a-living-wage/">Occupy a Living Wage</a>” on the Art21 Blog) and features
such as LA Weekly’s “<a href="http://blogs.laweekly.com/arts/2012/05/christy_roberts_people_2012.php">Christy Roberts, The Guerilla Johnny Apple Seed - Best ofLA People</a>” and on Carol Cheh’s “<a href="http://anotherrighteoustransfer.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/christy-roberts-association-developed-for-glamfa-2011-california-state-university-long-beach-september-4%E2%80%938-2011/">Another Righteous Transfer</a>.” How is it that online publications are
playing out to be viable forums for contemporary artists?</b></span></span>
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CR: A huge component of
contemporary culture, and thus contemporary art, is interface. A lot of important discussions happen
in facebook groups and google groups (resulting from posted articles) and those
discussions can often provide the momentum for panels, exhibitions, critical
essays and even movements. Of
course the interpersonal connections made in the physical vs. over social
networking is complicated and thus they are supplemental, not substitutional. Online forums are important for me,
personally, because I don’t live in the city and can’t be physically present at
every event. <br /><br />
I don’t think information that we get from blogs/online publications vs.
information from printed publications is better or worse, but the interface for
the online publication is just so accessible and often free. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> It’s difficult to decipher credible
information sometimes (I see so many brilliant people surprisingly mistaking an
opinion piece for objective “just the facts” journalism), but that skill can be
partially developed through reading what kind of ads the publication targets
its readers with. Are they selling
you gold and survival kits and claiming that Obama is a Socialist? Then the agenda of the whole site is
obviously questionable. <br /><br />
What I think is most valuable about the progression of online publications is
that it shows how competition for accountability and legitimacy is just as
mobilizing as competition for economic gain. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I think that interface and process are so integral for humans
and obviously I think it’s good for artists to have a presence in the interface
and process of the digital machi<span style="font-size: large;">ne<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmaF89KhEwRxkwyzGwOHrAcvvpAXHYJ_6NbCtSnQaVerNG8VxS5y1tWMfEDuyX9Np7CHDGQtO_DaQCq9roUasFZJ7lcSKW_okiOuDZO6cA2aHi-YWVRfEiF_XGHPJxCLAtmc5BvGdvzG7/s1600/Roberts_Deforested_Defrosted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmaF89KhEwRxkwyzGwOHrAcvvpAXHYJ_6NbCtSnQaVerNG8VxS5y1tWMfEDuyX9Np7CHDGQtO_DaQCq9roUasFZJ7lcSKW_okiOuDZO6cA2aHi-YWVRfEiF_XGHPJxCLAtmc5BvGdvzG7/s400/Roberts_Deforested_Defrosted.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Deforested, Defrosted" 2-hour performance <span style="font-size: large;">for <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.track16.com/exhibitions/2011-04-16-ie8/pr.php">I</a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.track16.com/exhibitions/2011-04-16-ie8/pr.php">rrat</a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.track16.com/exhibitions/2011-04-16-ie8/pr.php">io</a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.track16.com/exhibitions/2011-04-16-ie8/pr.php">nal Exhibit</a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.track16.com/exhibitions/2011-04-16-ie8/pr.php">s 8</a>, curated by Deborah Oliver for Track 16 Gallery</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2011</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">He</span>lp us understand your art practice. You’re a self-proclaimed conceptual
artist—do you have experience with traditional media, as well?<br />
</b><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Well, on facebook I’m a
“conceptual artist.” I think that alludes<span style="color: red;"> </span>to the humor in trying to quantify or qualify one’s
practice. I think just “Artist” is
most appropriate, although I don’t mind when I’m described as and artist and
activist. <br /><br />
“You’re a Conceptual Artist, not a painter,” is also what a previous art
professor told me in my second crit. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> While it is clearly a slightly antiquated and
compartmentalized term, I do think it describes my process: I start with an
idea and use whatever will best serve the idea . . . except a painting (but no
promises.)<br /><br />
Around 1993 I started to make really bad paintings and that continued until I
received an art education and became free of the parameters my middle class
upbringing had set upon “art.” </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> The
first critique of my paintings was enough to make me reconsider the medium. I threw myself into mediums I excelled
at: drawing, sculpture, installation. After a trip to New York in 2008 exposed me to a wider
conversation than I had known before, I became interested in video and
performance. By the time I was
entering grad school I was heavily committed to everything but painting. Now I would say that I’m committed to
all art mediums, but not to using them, myself.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Art sc</span>hools have fairly strong, on-going debates<span style="font-size: large;"> about including traditional media in their curric<span style="font-size: large;">ulum. As a 2011 grad, what's you<span style="font-size: large;">r t<span style="font-size: large;">ake?</span></span></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">CR</span>: I don’t paint. But some paintings are really great. Some sculpture is really great. Some of everything is really great. I think we need more, not less. Meaning that I think more schools should
include post-studio education. As
I was saying earlier, interface is crucial to our culture. Post-studio and New Genres practices
often encourage the kind of critical thinking that helps navigate interfaces. I don’t think traditional media
education should diminish, but I do think that if New Genres and post-studio
were as widely taught as traditional media, you’d have mechanical engineers who
not only like Kandinksy, but who think like video editors and are familiar with
the Situationists and that just seems like the more holistic pedagogical
approach. <br />
</span></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How is it that colored
chalk has become such a volati</span>le medium (as exemplified by art activists in
LA?)</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I think the chalk is
interesting. I don’t want to limit
anyone’s free speech, but certain messages and expletives . . . I think that
parents have the right to walk down the street without their kid reading “fuck
police, fuck state, fuck this/that” all over. And logically, I think that may be the reason for the initial
chalk arrests. On the other hand,
I think parents having to do a little bit of “parenting” in exchange for free
speech is crucial for our civil liberties. The legal precedents for chalk show that it is not considered
vandalism to use the chalk. The
LAPD themselves seemed unclear of the charges whenever they responded in the
media. The most recent “Chalk
Walk” saw peace and fun and no arrests for chalking. I don’t know what the future of the chalk issue holds. It looks like it’s being diffused
through the de-escalation of enf<span style="font-size: large;">orc</span>ement, but I can tell you why it was
potentially powerful.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
Absurdity has a tremendous amount of power to inspire direct action. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> “The Gnome Strike” (a.k.a. “Orange
Alternative”) in Poland was a gathering of students, marching in gnome outfits
for gnome rights, that prompted the beginning of the Polish Revolution. In the words of Waldemar Fydrych: </span>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<i> </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span>The
Western World will find out much more about<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>the<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>situation in Poland from</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> hearing
that I was se<span style="font-size: large;">nt </span>to jail for handing out sanitary pads to women, than</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> from
reading books and articles written by other<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>members of the<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>opposition.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> Can
you treat a police<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>officer seriously, when he is asking you: "Why did</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> you<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>participate
in an illegal meeting of dwarfs?"<span style="color: red;"> </span></i><br /><br />
The chalk is absurd. It’s something that people buy for children to play with.
The absurdity that a “toy” could bring on riot police is a powerful statement
about the current climate of free speech regulation.</span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tV6pkyBTIqw-PZrYAnvzfp_kTOcgbIPK0YP3Y7pzPK3ZrHY4Mvcwk8PHiaKHMCUFRNn-G8GbogRNlOnqPXxlPwhBS9mpFjaSnuEqZBGzUDbsmaRgfg6y6Yi2xW8rSBEG-V14LfMRm1h2/s1600/6reflection_USSSA_2012LArallyPS_06CRB_jb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tV6pkyBTIqw-PZrYAnvzfp_kTOcgbIPK0YP3Y7pzPK3ZrHY4Mvcwk8PHiaKHMCUFRNn-G8GbogRNlOnqPXxlPwhBS9mpFjaSnuEqZBGzUDbsmaRgfg6y6Yi2xW8rSBEG-V14LfMRm1h2/s400/6reflection_USSSA_2012LArallyPS_06CRB_jb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintxbvWokETbYLxU8LtOqY6hg7Y5yW1aBYHesQVtG5u3YsqyaKrcxcva48J5QrpI-qiEgWiUykMgcnNBkX9vYYped99U8L24hWw1WpNLhRiR96lK58Qnsg24ORX-Y3MJGSEphlaj8FulK8/s1600/6reflection_USSSA_2012LArallyPS_085CRB_jb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintxbvWokETbYLxU8LtOqY6hg7Y5yW1aBYHesQVtG5u3YsqyaKrcxcva48J5QrpI-qiEgWiUykMgcnNBkX9vYYped99U8L24hWw1WpNLhRiR96lK58Qnsg24ORX-Y3MJGSEphlaj8FulK8/s400/6reflection_USSSA_2012LArallyPS_085CRB_jb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafR0QH6CHw7lZpP_OBQ5KQLkHWHbFyYq2Dmniq8My9ggl9huan6PKUGbPkUqhf_ylwDbmeN1RqVH1kgHwCHTwBGnbDw5ULY85Xycwq6Oq-ouSjQIhrbcX0VcBXEkFZGSzX0iZCdrZfQvq/s1600/6reflection_USSSA_2012LArallyPS_08CRB_jb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafR0QH6CHw7lZpP_OBQ5KQLkHWHbFyYq2Dmniq8My9ggl9huan6PKUGbPkUqhf_ylwDbmeN1RqVH1kgHwCHTwBGnbDw5ULY85Xycwq6Oq-ouSjQIhrbcX0VcBXEkFZGSzX0iZCdrZfQvq/s640/6reflection_USSSA_2012LArallyPS_08CRB_jb.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sequence from Christy's untitled performance for <i>USSSA</i>'s "artist-organized rally" in Pershing Square, 201<span style="font-size: large;">2</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><b><span style="font-size: large;">. . . and so y</span>ou chose to perform with chalk for the <i>USSSA</i> rally in Pershing Square. How did you muster the emotional
resolve to take that risk?</b></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">CR: First of
all I had spoken to my family about what I was and was not willing to be
arrested for and talked to them about my investment in the movement because
with my investment there’s something additional: it may become my parents
baggage more than it might be for the average parents, due to that fact that
they are both retired cops. It’s really because I love and care about them and
they often see the idea of being a dissident as hurtful and offensive and I
needed them to understand what I was willing to risk; our freedoms are not
about <span style="font-size: large;">a</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
“smash the state” mentality—our basic freedom of expression was up for
debate and it had just gone too far.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I stood up there it was almost like I had their blessing, if you
will. I know that sounds ridiculous to care about your parents’ blessing. I
would’ve done it without their blessing, but knowing they understood and
supported m<span style="font-size: large;">y conviction gave me a little more courage. </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tell us abo</span>ut the “<a href="http://uptheartunion.tumblr.com/">LA Art Union</a>” [<a href="http://uptheartunion.tumblr.com/">UptheArtUnion.tumblr.com</a>] and your role within the group and its activities.</b></span></span>
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CR: Last November the infamous
MOCA had it’s annual gala. The
“entertainment” for the evening was Marina Abramovic and Debbie Harry. What ensued was a giant
labor/class/gender/race/generational mess that prompted essays, publications,
panels, and protests. After the
protest of the gala itself, a group of artists got together and began
discussing unionizing. The
conversation spilled onto the google group and facebook group for AAAAAA (a
loose affiliation of LA-based artists and culture workers interested in
Occupy). A meeting was desired and
I decided to attend the first one, which was held at Human Resources. We’ve met monthly (and sometimes
bi-monthly) since. We’re currently
working with other LA labor groups, conducting design workshops in solidarity,
and we’re looking forward to a possible campaign on unpaid internships this
fall. <br /><br />
The “LA Art World” is a very different beast than in other locations. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> We are breaking new ground here, so it’s
a complicated process, but I think we’re doing it right for us. Right now, we’re focusing on
solidarity, information, and mutual aid. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><b>Was there a single moment that prompted
you to become “an activist”?</b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I suppose “struggle” was
engrained in me through my mother, who was the first female police officer to
be granted the use of a gun in our area. She faced all of the misogyny and gender discrimination one
would face as a pioneering female in her field (combined with anti-Semitism,
which she talked about less) and I think I began absorbing the Labor and
Womyn’s Movement in the womb. <br /><br />
Subsequently, when the first Rio conference was happening in <span style="font-size: large;">'</span>92 my class did a
lesson on the rainforest. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I wrote
to President Bush Sr., urging him to sign the treaty and in reply I received a
letter telling me not to do drugs and to stay in school. I promptly subscribed to Greenpeace’s
kids program. Later, in 8<sup>th</sup>
grade, I was sent to a summer camp called Sierra Service Project. My counselors were human rights
lobbyists a<span style="font-size: large;">nd activists.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><style><!--
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mso-paper-source</style>It just kind of grew from there, watered by the usual—suburbia, punk
rock, authoritarian household, etc.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Poppies seem to have a steady presence
in your life, writing, and art works.
How did that transpire?</b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Quite mundanely, considering
how much room they take up in my life. The Poppy Project is really about the loss and reclamation of
the commons. My father was
diagnosed with pretty advanced bladder cancer a few weeks before I started grad
school. A lot of major things in
my life were changing and I was trying to deal with what felt like tremendous
loss and vacancy. I started
noticing vacant lots around my house and that developed into a project of
documenting the lots. I grew so
fond of them that I felt like I had to save them from the inevitable
development that would occur as the economy picked up. I was causally talking to a good friend
about guerilla gardening and how I didn’t like the idea that the garden would
be vulnerable. It just clicked
somehow, rather quickly, that it is illegal to pick California Poppies in California
because it’s the State Flower. As
a child they teach you never to pick them<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I </span>began researching the legalities of the poppies and decided they would be the
perfect tool to wage an environmental and aesthetic reframing of property and
potential, which in turn resulted in the “California Poppy Collective.” Since then, they have had a dominant
presence in my art practice and my personal life<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Please tell us about
any political events (less art-based) that you have organized, prior to 2012.</b><br /><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I’ve worked both inside and
outside the system. I started
organizing in middle school and high school, was Vice President of Advocacy in
undergrad (and worked with PETA, Sierra Club, Blood Bank, time banking, Amnesty
International, and Oxfam) and participated with various political organizations
since. After graduating with a
Philosophy and Religion degree in 2005 I, believe it or not, worked as an
events coordinator for a local chamber of commerce while looking at law schools
to apply to. It was a nightmare
for my political integrity. That experience was enough to prompt me to go in
the absolute opposite direction. <br /><br />
After that and prior to starting grad school, I work with a homeless advocacy
organization, setting up donations at Warped Tou<span style="font-size: large;">r</span>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do yo</span>u have any
“words of wisdom” for artists looking for work?</b><br /><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I think everyone has different
limitations. I don’t know if I have
anything universal to offer. I’ve
learned to be aggressive. I send
CV’s and cover letters to places I want to work at, regardless of whether or
not they have posted openings. As
far as teaching is concerned (I love teaching, personally, and really want to
teach), there are a lot of private schools and community colleges that don’t
post available positions. Get to
know the communities you want to work with. Unfortunately, it’s still a lot of who you know. <br /><br />
DON’T work for free. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I repeat, DO
NOT work for free. There is always
something available to trade, whether that’s resources, access, or economic
compensation. When you work for
free you affect everyone by saturating institutions with free labor. We’re all in this together. GET COMPENSATED<span style="font-size: large;">.</span><b> </b></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What are you
currently reading?</b><br /><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> <i>Failure</i>, edited by Lisa Lefeuvre about the concept of . . . (surprise!)
failure in contemporary art. I
hate to be a cliché, but I am very much dealing with feeling like I am not
where I wanted to be by this age. I’m
still very much dependent on the help of others (namely, my parents) and while
I feel exceedingly capable in some areas, I seem to have epic fails with
everyday tasks. A new series is
developing as a result. <br /><br />
I’m also reading </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>No Trespassing</i> by
Anders Corr for research on squatting for the Poppy Project. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Well then! Tell us more . . . do you have any
upcoming shows that we can attend? Art projects that we can follow?</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">CR: I’m included in a really
exciting group exhibition at the Begovich Gallery at Cal State Fullerton,
entitled <a href="http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/art/Begovich%202012-13/2012_Interstice.html">Interstice: New Economies for Creative Communities</a>, which opens November 10th. It
focuses on socially engaged work that has politically radical undertones. Also on Election Day, November 6th, I
participated in the <a href="http://eternaltelethon.com/">Eternal Telethon</a>, sponsored by
BESHT at the Pomona College Museum of Art. The Eternal Telethon is an online, artist-run telethon whose
goal is to raise funds to build a convalescent home for retired artists located
at the Salton Sea. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Early in this interview we spoke about
the merit of online resources: what are your favorite ways to keep informed of
what’s current in LA art and politics?</b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />
CR:</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Some great blogs/outlets are: <br /><a href="http://www.eastofborneo.org/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://www.eastofborneo.org/</span></a></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.e-flux.com/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://www.e-flux.com/</span></a><br /><a href="http://notesonlooking.com/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://notesonlooking.com/</span></a></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://hyperallergic.com/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://hyperallergic.com/</span></a><br /><a href="http://artsandlabor.org/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://artsandlabor.org/</span></a></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><a href="http://www.alternet.org/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://www.alternet.org/</span></a></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><a href="http://la.indymedia.org/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://la.indymedia.org/</span></a></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
My friend, Cliff just started writing for <a href="http://www.laimyours.com/contributors/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://www.laimyours.com/contributors/</span></a></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Carol Cheh’s blog: <a href="http://anotherrighteoustransfer.wordpress.com/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://anotherrighteoustransfer.wordpress.com/</span></a></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">LA Weekly has great Art writers:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.laweekly.com/arts/?ref=navigation"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://www.laweekly.com/arts/?ref=navigation</span></a></span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Listen to:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.kchungradio.org/"><span class="MsoHyperlink">http://www.kchungradio.org/</span></a></span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Thank
you for such personal and vigorous re</span>sponses. You are definitely an artist to watch!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More about Christy Roberts can be found here:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://christyrobertsart.com/">http://christyrobertsart.com</a><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thecpc.tumblr.com/">TheCPC.Tumblr.com</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://cargocollective.com/TheCPC">cargocollective.com/TheCPC</a></span></span></div>
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usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-84968154285380555152012-10-10T19:37:00.001-07:002012-10-16T20:34:22.423-07:00New Heroes Rising: an Interview with Homo Riot<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia;">Homo Riot was first spotted on the
streets of Los Angeles in 2008. The work was that of an angry artist
making a public statement about the passage of Prop 8, a California initiative
which stated that only marriages between men and women would be recognized by
the State. The highly charged and occasionally sexually explicit imagery,
quickly penetrated the mainstream in Los Angeles and became a rallying cry for
gays, lesbians and their supporters. Almost immediately, the street art
community embraced the work and Homo Riot the artist became part of an
ascending group of artists considered to be at the forefront of the street art
movement in America. He continues to make his mark on the streets and
create works of art that propel ideas of equality, challenge existing ideas of
what it is to be gay and empower young gays and lesbians.</span></i><span style="color: #480e4f; font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><i>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia;">The initial intent to offend and
lash out at the supporters of Prop 8 has now morphed into something more
profound and far reaching. The work is now an emblem of pride and
strength, not only in California but around the World thanks to the internet,
social media and artistic outreach through a project launched last year by the
artist called The Global Homo Riot.</span></i></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Thank you for joining us to talk about
the politics of your life and work. First off: why make art by an
alternate identity?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: It started out as a necessity to avoid
any hassle from the cops but as I continued making and showing art under the
alias I realized that it works for me on many levels. The moniker gives
the work a layer of mystery. It serves as a placeholder for people’s
ideas about who makes the art. By working under the moniker I can imbue
the work with a “vigilante” quality that I don’t think would be as successful
under my given name. Also, there’s a historical reference to the frequent
anonymity of gay men in society and a modern cultural reference to the “ANON”
sexual encounters of gay men. As a street artist, I’m working in dark
alleys at night, trying to avoid being seen, doing the deed quickly and getting
an adrenaline rush. In this way, the work parallels the cruising habits
and hook ups of gay men throughout history.
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">I understand you were compelled to take
art to the streets when Prop. 8 was passed. Has <i>Homo Riot</i>
generated any advance for this cause over the last 4 years?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: I doubt it. But my intention was
never to “advance” the cause. My expression was one of outrage. I
didn’t want to build bridges and appease anyone. I wanted to spit in
their faces. I didn’t want to convince Mormons and Evangelicals that I
should be allowed to marry my partner. I wanted to manifest their
greatest fear about gay marriage on their streets and in their
neighborhoods. I wanted to let loose leather boys fucking in public,
bearded bears making out on street corners, and masked muscle bound queers
threatening them with sodomy. That anger propelled my work in the streets
early on. Now my motivation has evolved. Today it’s as much about
communicating a strong positive presence to young gays and lesbians as it is
about pissing off puritans.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dsnFTALrVfkEKihDZGdibyj74YkwjpXHFYK_XTRZGU36urhDIUgUju_7LLY3amY8uNc1UMWK0L0j2Lt6eX4RwVhkNzEow8Qv8TD902xOiabyQC4osS6fAO29qDjisLh3qWXuKmDuMf9H/s1600/homoriotDOMALATaco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dsnFTALrVfkEKihDZGdibyj74YkwjpXHFYK_XTRZGU36urhDIUgUju_7LLY3amY8uNc1UMWK0L0j2Lt6eX4RwVhkNzEow8Qv8TD902xOiabyQC4osS6fAO29qDjisLh3qWXuKmDuMf9H/s400/homoriotDOMALATaco.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Do you continue to be directly involved
in any organizational or grassroots support of gay rights?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: While I support groups fighting for
equality and gay rights in my personal life and I’ve donated artwork to GLAAD
auctions and AIDS charities, I’m not active with any groups currently through
my art. I do have an interest in starting an organization that would seek
political asylum for gays and lesbians who are persecuted in countries around
the world. We grant asylum to those persecuted for their religion.
Shouldn’t we do the same for people who are threatened with imprisonment and
death for their sexual orientation? </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Absolutely. That would be an
incredible service. As for your more recent projects, Jeremy Novy curated
a "<a href="http://www.sfweekly.com/2011-06-15/news/jeremy-novy-pixelstud-homo-riot-queer-street-art-jonathan-curiel/" target="_blank">A History of Queer Street Art</a>" for <i>SOMArts</i> in San Francisco. Please
explain your role in helping to bring that <a href="http://thehomoriot.tumblr.com/post/16746605604/a-history-of-queer-street-art-opens-for-a-limited" target="_blank">exhibition to LA</a>.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: I knew that Los Angeles would be a very
welcoming and supportive city for the show. I contacted Jeremy and
described what I had in mind, which was to take the show from an academic and
traditional gallery setting to a more authentic raw street venue. I
contacted all of the participating artists, recruited some new artists to the
show and had new work sent in to be included. In addition, we had
merchandise including t-shirts, a limited edition book and sticker packs
available for sale, which is something that wasn’t possible in the previous
show. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">I installed the show in a small gallery a block
off Hollywood Blvd, in the heart of Hollywood. It’s a gritty spot (a half
block from the notorious gay dive bar The Spot Light Room—which has since been
closed down) where tourists from all over the world, teenage runaways and drunk
hipsters converge. It seemed an appropriate place for the work. The
show ran for a month and had incredible attendance. I’m hopeful that the
show will make it to other cities. It’s an impressive collection and
deserves to be seen more widely.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxO4pfxqX1IXf8Jn0FSxU3840RBP2lr8sTEyn1Ik0XtKMqCBWGsGAp0uL2bYtojpy7kE1WG2E8g6U6ZKuI6Wd2BvZw7PWz04wwZ3gPQUHWTal6-CsuImic4fIlzYTGRFIwzCogR0F7O-K/s1600/hr-d12011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxO4pfxqX1IXf8Jn0FSxU3840RBP2lr8sTEyn1Ik0XtKMqCBWGsGAp0uL2bYtojpy7kE1WG2E8g6U6ZKuI6Wd2BvZw7PWz04wwZ3gPQUHWTal6-CsuImic4fIlzYTGRFIwzCogR0F7O-K/s400/hr-d12011.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">It’s funny—I </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">think that, when seen on the
street, images are frequently perceived as more explicit and confrontational
than they would be in a gallery setting.</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">HR: I understand the point. When
you walk into a gallery most people know that they may be faced with something
unexpected or disturbing. On the other hand, there’s an expectation when
you’re in the car with your kids or your grandmother that you won’t be
subjected to questionable images plastered on bus stops. But I’m working
outside of the norm and I want to challenge people. Maybe a conversation
about two men kissing is one that wouldn’t happen without my imagery.
Maybe the kid in the car is gay and would benefit from a conversation like that
with his father.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">That image of two men kissing is my most
recognized work and whether in a gallery or on a billboard, I don’t see it is
as explicit or particularly confrontational, unless you are a puritan.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Right, and in the case of “two men
kissing” there <i>is </i>evidence of ignorance among us. However, when
you intensify the content of your images—say, with a man
ejaculating/urinating?—you do give it a pretty strong push. Are you as
brash in conversation as you are with your prints?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: Ultimately, I’m an artist. My
street work can be confrontational and message driven but my fine art is not
about activism or making a point. In person, I’m a fairly innocuous
and soft-spoken man.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">So tell us more about your fine art projects.
Do you intend to continue with gallery exhibitions? How do you translate
your work for this forum?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: As long as galleries are interested in
showing my work I will gladly supply them with it. My street work and my
gallery work share imagery and are definitely related to one another. But
where my urban art is aggressive and message driven, my fine art is completely
personal. It’s pure self-expression and exploration. I think
art that’s simply pushing an agenda is boring and has little sustained
value. The work I create for galleries comes from my subconscious
and is a reflection of my life experiences, my idiosyncrasies, my culture and
my obsessions.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Homo Riot's gallery works for an upcoming show at</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bert Green Fine Art.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Nov. 3rd - Dec. 22nd #losangelesqueer</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">And you have a show coming up for <a href="http://bgfa.us/artists/homoriot/" target="_blank">Bert Green’s gallery</a>, correct?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: Yes, it opens November 3</span><sup><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">rd</span></sup><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> and
runs until the end of the month at Bert Green Fine Art. The name of
the show is <b><a href="http://bgfa.us/artists/homoriot" target="_blank">#losangelesqueer</a></b>. The title is a
reference to the modern importance of the digital “tag”. There are
a dozen or so pieces in the show and they take inspiration from LA’s
“gay”borhoods and notorious cruising spots. The works themselves are
meditations on “old” gay and “new” gay. They are full of vintage
gay imagery, much of it shot in Los Angeles, and the interplay of that with
graffiti.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvU_vMLcD_ayTPJOFdyA9Ds5qdbnqR8Z5qTY_r3mip7hYp38oP2zTW6irbU7jsZ4H7WvLyBi27UdXV31mVGXpwosFrqzLTWXPzntUU1VdKS4sXiQss7rLGlgH5TaFU56HKnmtCIDQQPpM/s1600/HRchicago10+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvU_vMLcD_ayTPJOFdyA9Ds5qdbnqR8Z5qTY_r3mip7hYp38oP2zTW6irbU7jsZ4H7WvLyBi27UdXV31mVGXpwosFrqzLTWXPzntUU1VdKS4sXiQss7rLGlgH5TaFU56HKnmtCIDQQPpM/s400/HRchicago10+copy.jpg" width="400" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsISGYNYn41QUI-OV48gXBjv4mhKeqLOTBZXjxPLw0OxRbU82mSFlwZzoc8GIJidM00edfdPjMpaJz3eEdAwwHXZHfL3e-JSKWtG0VODjIp5o7Omoq2A66ikQiabxZGXmrD-uGsoNJadGQ/s1600/HRchicago8+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsISGYNYn41QUI-OV48gXBjv4mhKeqLOTBZXjxPLw0OxRbU82mSFlwZzoc8GIJidM00edfdPjMpaJz3eEdAwwHXZHfL3e-JSKWtG0VODjIp5o7Omoq2A66ikQiabxZGXmrD-uGsoNJadGQ/s400/HRchicago8+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Homo Riot in the streets of Chicago . . . 2012</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">I remember a time when people thought “we
won’t see a Black president in our lifetime.” What needs to happen for us
to see someone other than a heteronormative figurehead in the Oval Office?</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: I’m not sure what it would take.
I doubt it will happen in my lifetime. Maybe the Rapture is the
answer. Not that I’m waiting for that to happen, but it doesn’t sound so
bad all things considered. In that scenario the “righteous”
Christians are sucked off the planet to parts unknown leaving the rest of us
heathens to sort it out for a thousand years or so. We might have a
chance that way. Hopefully, our fortunes don’t ride on the eventuality of
the Rapture. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">I’ve more than once wondered what it would be
like if a well known and prolific male porn star became a national hero either
by preventing a terrorist’s attack, or saving the life of the first lady or
disarming a gunman at a televised sporting event. The media would
celebrate him. Every minute of television coverage for days would recount
the events and glorify his heroism until some journalist in Topeka uncovers his
past. (Can you imagine hundreds of thousands of straight people in
America Google-ing a gay porn star for images?) We would all be
fascinated by the size of his dick or the measure to which he could
bottom. It would force our nation to think about gay sex and gays as
heroes. Assuming that this imagined gay porn star were well spoken,
intelligent, unashamed of his past and without other foibles, who’s to say that
he couldn’t run for the White House and win. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">You mentioned in the <a href="http://www.boymeetsboyblog.com/2011/12/homo-riot-rise-of-outcry-begins-from.html" target="_blank"><i>boy meets boy blog</i> interview</a> that “I wish there were queer street artists in
every city, in every neighborhood. The world would be a better place.”
What do queer individuals have to teach the people of our national public?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: I believe visibility is critical and
not just gays on Glee and Project Runway but locally. I think realizing
that there are gays all around us helps to do away with some of the fear
straight uneducated people have. That kind of visibility also serves to
empower young gays and encourage the closeted gay to come out and join the
crowd. We are not served by blending in and being homogenized. We
are unique and our story is yet to be written. That a predominate number
of people in our country still believe that we have chosen to be gay and
lesbian proves that we have a long way to go in educating our people. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The denotations of an “America culture”
are very loaded. Do you consider yourself an “American” and, if so, by
what terms?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: I love my country. I am 100%
American. I may one day choose to live outside of this country but I will
always consider myself American. I have a decidedly Western take on
logic, science and life in general. I am a child of free speech,
exploration, experimentation, and rock and roll and in those ways I believe I
am very American. That said, I’m frequently disappointed in my country
and my countrymen. I am disillusioned by our government and its
leaders. The tenets that this country were founded on have been so
perverted by historical rewriting and political expediency that liberty and the
pursuit of happiness are now viewed as limited rights while the rights of the
wealthy and powerful mock the idea of equality and democracy.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4AUUNTc0II2vDoQ7IZj6aDP4C1fJ-VWFopGtUwCpyml5W6i_LIdtX5Aj7xBo4yQfL1oFJqPksMyyKzU_W__jhQ0YJikgRwQDgddOjHp6XjzGst6_QVMZY6zLeh1tAMo_mP6aDgs0wmuZ/s1600/blkprint3+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4AUUNTc0II2vDoQ7IZj6aDP4C1fJ-VWFopGtUwCpyml5W6i_LIdtX5Aj7xBo4yQfL1oFJqPksMyyKzU_W__jhQ0YJikgRwQDgddOjHp6XjzGst6_QVMZY6zLeh1tAMo_mP6aDgs0wmuZ/s400/blkprint3+copy.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Homo Riot's early work, block print</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Can you tell us about your art work pre-<i>Homo
Riot</i>?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: I’ve been creating art almost all of my
life so my body of work is varied and covers the gamut from sculpture to works
on paper. Most of my early work was collage and mixed media. In
school, I considered myself a painter but as I get older I realize how much I
love printmaking. Part of my artistic life for the past two decades has
been street art. I didn’t even have a name for it when I started.
It was just intuitive that I make my mark on the streets in a public,
non-traditional setting. Now I combine all of these elements,
collage, painting, printmaking and street art to create my current work.
But without doubt, my work has always had a strong sexual component to it.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Last year, you organized the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/globalhomoriot/global-homo-riot" target="_blank">GLOBAL HOMO RIOT initiative</a>—even going so far as to distribute “kits”
across the world! How do you delineate <i>Homo Riot</i> authorship when
the hand of another person has grafted one of your images onto the street?</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">HR: When it comes to the street work, I
don’t really worry about “authorship”. Over the past few years, I’ve
disseminated so many stickers and pasters that it becomes a moot
point. I would happily share credit for any Homo Riot street work
with the person who took the initiative to put it up and spread the word.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Homo Riot, thank you so much. More
on <i>Homo Riot </i>can be found here:</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">website </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.homoriot.com/">www.homoriot.com</a></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">facebook </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOMO-RIOT/153806304661625">http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOMO-RIOT/153806304661625</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">twitter </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/thehomoriot">http://twitter.com/#!/thehomoriot</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">tumblr <span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://thehomoriot.tumblr.com/">http://thehomoriot.tumblr.com/</a></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mo<span style="font-size: large;">re artwork, <span style="font-size: large;">press</span><span style="font-size: large;">, and information</span> <span style="font-size: large;">about</span></span></span> Homo Riot’s upcoming show at
<i>Bert Green Fine Art</i>: <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://bgfa.us/artists/homoriot" target="_blank">http://bgfa.us/artists/<wbr></wbr>homoriot</a></span></span></b> <span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-39841598523201219572012-09-20T05:33:00.000-07:002012-09-20T20:31:46.590-07:00Pervasive Sensibilities: an Interview with Julia Morrisroe<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Julia Morrisroe is an artist and Associate Professor in painting and drawing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Morrisroe holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Fine Arts from University of Washington. Exploring the role of painting in the 21<sup>st</sup> century through popular culture, Morrisroe has exhibited her work throughout the United States and abroad.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Her work was included in the national traveling exhibition “Comic Release: Negotiating Identity for the New Generation” which originated at Carnegie Mellon University, (PA). Morrisroe’s paintings, drawings, prints and installations have been included in exhibitions at Purdue University (IN), Bakehouse (Miami), SPACES (OH), United States Embassy Bulgaria, First Street Gallery (NY), Ronnebaeksholm Arts and Culture Center, Denmark, Kyoto City Museum, Japan, Mobile Museum of Art, (AL) University of Arkansas, Acme Art Company (OH), Harn Museum of Art (FL) and Boca Raton Museum of Art (FL).
She has received grants from the State of Florida, University of Florida, State of Michigan, Illinois State University and City of Chicago.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Morrisroe has also written exhibition reviews for Sculpture Magazine, New Art Examiner and Dialogue Magazine and has curated exhibitions including Painting!, Subverting the Market: Artwork on the Web. In addition to teaching at University of Florida, Morrisroe launched an artist press, NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds) Press in Gainesville that will offer short-term artist residencies for collaborative projects. </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Hi Julia. I’m grateful for this opportunity to discuss your views and engagements with the art world. But please bear with me. First, let’s pretend we’re at a picnic and someone asks, “so, what do you do?”</b><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ll say something like “ . . . landscape?” and that usually ends the conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The general public is frequently disinterested or perplexed by contemporary art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think there’s much difference in what I do from open-heart surgery or as a dog walker . . . it’s a job, but I love it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ok, so now you’re at an art gallery. Do you respond in the same way?</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well in the gallery the making aspect is then evident and the audience is typically sympathetic to those concerns but it is critical that making be fore fronted. I worry that our sense of touch, our understanding of the transformation of a material or materials into something else is becoming endangered. The making is also important because the combined presence of handmade-ness and digitally made-ness are central components of my work, so the work itself embodies the made-ness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am striving to make work that reflects what it means to be alive in this moment, a point in time in which marketing, corporations, and technologies are dominating our lives. I do this primarily through abstraction but also use appropriated images, creating systems of color, patterns and forms that capture the overload of data we're exposed to. I'm striving for simultaneity, to capture what it’s like to be in one moment of overwhelmed time in a visually compelling way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">You have a substantial body of work developed largely through 2-dimensional media. Often, you appropriate images and even objects (as with “All the Hot Wheels ® My Son Has“) which is perfectly sensible to anyone with an introductory knowledge of art media. How do you explain appropriation and the presence of “readymade” objects in your work, to someone with a more conventional understanding of art?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The use of an appropriated image in my work needs to be more than a ready-made; I need to transform its materiality so it can be seen in a new way. For example, for "Pooh" I used Winnie the Pooh because he is a beloved character in children's literature. He's familiar and adored but he is also an incredible money making machine for the Disney © Corporation. Pooh is used to sell plush toys, dvds, books, crib bedding, lamps, diaper bags, socks, diapers, water bottles, potty seats, foods, cell phone cases and on and on. Pooh is a cradle to grave consumer product. In order to represented his embeddedness in our lives I embroidered Pooh directly into the gallery wall. I wanted the viewer to question his presence in the wall, in the architecture. It is an appropriated image, but it engages the viewer beyond its mere representation. I did run into difficulty with this body of work. At the time, I was also carving into the gallery wall copyrighted Disney Pooh images, such as trees, bees, and clouds as a critique on the pervasive presence of copyrighted images and corporate branding in our lives. The Disney Corporation threatened a lawsuit against the publisher of an exhibition catalog for the national traveling exhibition, Comic Release: Negotiating Identity for a New Generation if they included reproductions of my work. This is the response from the curators and publisher about the "chilling effect" of this practice. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Chilling effect” is the legal term for self-censorship on the part of publishers faced with potential litigation. Unfortunately, our financial resources are not strong enough to defend the rights of artists whose interpretations of Disney characters and other corporately owned comic images might well lead to litigation if published. While we believe that the following images are clearly parodies or satires, we recognize that we do not have the financial means to sustain a legal defense if sued. We have therefore made the difficult decision not to reproduce this work. We are not proud of this decision: To create free of trademarks and corporate taste, to not have imagination controlled by corporations who think only of protecting their profit margin—this is crucial to the creation of art and to a free-thinking society. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The result was that Disney won; the Chilling Effect statement was published along with a black rectangle representing my work. What I learned is that corporate assets have better protection than free speech.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Is it important to have conversations about contemporary art with people who “just don’t get it”?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is critically important but I have to admit that at times it’s painful. Right after I moved to Gainesville I met someone from the medical school who informed me that she just "didn't understand, and didn't want to understand, contemporary art, she liked the old stuff" and I was floored. I wondered if could I shock this person into sensibility by saying "I don't understand blood transfusions, so I'll stick with Leeches!" The unwillingness to think and engage saddened me deeply. Right now there is a lot of hostility to new ideas and imagination, and a lot of nostalgia for a non-existent past and that’s hard to get around. I'm better at teaching, once students are in my classroom I know they're curious, its how they got there, so that’s always exciting and challenging for me. I guess I’m putting my energy into building the next generation, one that’s ready to engage.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In your article "<a href="http://florida.academia.edu/JuliaMorrisroe/Papers/742885/Subverting_the_Market_Artwork_on_the_Web" target="_blank">Subverting the Art Market</a>" (2001), you discussed how the internet has the ability to subvert ownership and collectible art practices, due in part to such influences as free agent collaborations and the plasticity of online structures. In your words: "the combination of interconnection, interactivity and interchange all coalesce into a dynamic new medium that is redefining the magnum opus." It was an illuminating article for its time, written with much enthusiasm. How would you follow-up on those ideas now that we are ten years into that era?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That exhibition and essay was a great labor of love and it’s interesting for me to look at it now and see how some of that thinking feeds into my own art practice today and the art works I love. The main crux of my interest was in the exchange between the artwork and the viewer. I felt, and still do, that passive looking at a computer screen was not engaging the medium of the Internet. I wasn’t interested in static images in this ‘new’ interconnected universe; I wanted the connection that this whole system was promoting. The whole genre of online video and performative video via YouTube hadn’t started yet, heck Facebook hadn’t even begun! Ten years is a long time in technological terms, I had to get the gallery wired for Ethernet for the show. We had been on dial-up! The projects that interest me most today are those that exist both on an interactive level online and in physical space. I think it satisfies my interest in materiality, that something can be both virtual and physical at the same time. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">You also mentioned “it takes a lot of web surfing to cut through the noise and get to the truly creative projects." This seems incongruent with your conclusion that an underlying value of the internet was "An art built not upon the myth of lone genius supported by private collectors, but for the first time in history, an art independent of bias . . . “ Can you elaborate more on these ideas of power/accessibility and the search for something "truly creative"?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You make a good point; there is definitely a value judgment in there. I do hold to an aesthetic relationship with art, but this aesthetic is always evolving. That said, Lolcat, while fun and funny, doesn’t strike me as truly creative, and although Lolcat hadn’t yet occurred online, there was plenty of similar noise out there. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">One of your paintings was selected for exhibition in the US Embassy of Sofia (<a href="http://art.state.gov/artistdetail.aspx?id=101484" target="_blank">"Simultaneity and the Nature of Data", 2008</a>). What was the value of this international exchange?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the second work to be selected for the Art in Embassies project. The first project collapsed because the Ambassador wasn't confirmed for his appointment, so I was thrilled that another Ambassador selected my work for the Sofia embassy. I think Art In Embassies is a great example of engaging and educating the public about the value of contemporary art. Art in Embassies was started under the Kennedy administration and is one of the few remaining federal programs in this country that supports visual arts. It’s not a financial support, but it does get art in front of people and that’s a good thing. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Speaking in more general terms, what sort of issues arise when the values and perspectives of art from the US are exhibited in another country--does the sharing of our nation's art production carry the risk of imposing US culture on the artists and people of another country?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think McDonald's and Coca-Cola are much more insidious with more lasting and unhealthy consequences. I don’t really see a monolithic “American” art; I see art made by artists who live all around the world. Art has transcended geography and has coalesced into more conceptual categories…identity, religions, politics, poetics, etc. Artists have traditionally been scavengers, borrowing ideas, materials and forms from any and everywhere to make work that expresses their ideas. I think of the influence of Japanese prints on Van Gogh’s paintings and of Andy Warhol on Takahashi Murakami’s and know that cultures have always been cross-pollinating. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And I imagine the internet would serve to complement these influences, or is there a higher risk of homogenizing world culture, given the mass accessibility?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see what you mean, again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the internet has sped up this influence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students can see gallery shows around the world before they’ve even opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if an artist’s goal is to make art d’jour then the internet makes it easier and more possible today. But as an educator I don’t teach to what’s “hot” right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want my students to know what’s out there, to engage with the dialogue of contemporary art, but also to make work that’s true to their ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To build a life-long sustainable engagement, artists need to look inside themselves as well as outside themselves – when you’re doing that in a meaningful way, it’s impossible to homogenize.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Is the way in which the internet presents an artist’s identity problematic--not so much in how it represents the work--but in how we come to know these artists by what exists of a CV, portfolio, interviews and even their social media pages, all online?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">JM: I've lately heard about the differences between American artists online and European artists online presences. In the US we're expected to have almost a transparent portfolio of existence online, with our cv, artwork, reviews, gallery links, etc. But I’ve learned in Europe it’s considered a problem. An artist friend was told by a European gallery that she was too overexposed because of her website! I think the truly problematic issue with the online presence is the failure of the camera and the computer screen to accurately represent physical work. I’m sure the web presence can give a general idea of someone’s work, but to see it you need to see it. That visceral relationship can’t be replaced.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">If I may share your case as an example: when I researched your work online I didn’t find an overtly “feminist” perspective in the discussion of your work. Have the dialogues on art become more inherently feminist or is something being neglected?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much as I don’t believe there is an American art, I also don’t believe there is a feminist art; there is art of influence. Disney products, Polly Pockets, Hot Wheels, Disney Princesses are all children’s products. It was the marketing of these products at my children that prompted the research that led to the work. While the manifestation of the work may not have evoked Judy Chicago or Mary Kelly they are certainly in the family tree. I might also point out that being a mother, painter, and tenured professor is inherently feminist - and rewarding. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Completely</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> understood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it doesn’t mean blindspots don’t exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of people are now learning about their world—and their artists—via the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly with the screens of internet censorship in place, our images are up against more a biased public and more wide-reaching filters.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This question has so many trajectories and raises so many questions for me. Does my public persona (webpage, facebook, etc.) speak to the breadth of who I am? Should it? Does that flattening, the placement of a life into a web design interface also flatten or simplify a person? Is it possible for an internet presence to provide a deeper experience with a person or artist rather than depth of her data? And if artists or any individual that wants that depth of experience, how do we go about it? And probably most importantly does the internet define who I am?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As an artist I welcome the amount of information available to me, but I know how flimsy the photographic reproduction of an artwork is. There is so much that reproduction can’t tell me. I physically need to be in the same space with artwork to know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is always a challenge as a teacher, how to help students understand that their computer screen, that light, that color, that scale are all mediating the artwork they’re looking at. Every year we take a group of students to New York for a week of gallery, museum, studio hopping. I love watching them experience a Ruben, a de Kooning, a Serra and Marclay’s Clock. Being with the art, at the same place and time, completely changes them. You can almost see all the art history and studio lectures clicking into a place of understanding. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">At my school there is pressure to teach online and I just can’t fathom it. This goes back to what I said about the Subverting the Market show, if the medium is the internet then the interactivity of the internet is critical, you can’t show that work if its not online. If the medium is paint or sculpture or performance, then the viewer’s physiological response is critical, they have to be there to know it. For this type of work the internet is only a placeholder, waiting to become a memory once the experience has occurred.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Florida is one of those states that carry some unfortunate stereotypes, particularly during Election season. What can you tell us about Florida as someone currently living there?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A visiting friend during the last presidential election observed that if Gainesville was the only place they visited Obama had Florida in his pocket, but the rest of the state is quite different. I’ve only lived here for eight years and had always lived above the Mason Dixon line, in a major city, so I am constantly trying to understand it. I struggle to understand what unites Floridians; a sense of unity or identity and it remains unclear. Florida is a heavily churched population, and a great deal of political and social information is disseminated through that community. Sadly a lot of idiocy is too.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">You recently chaired a public forum about "Artist Manifestos" at the College Art Association Conference. Can you describe the tension that exists between the manifesto and academic writings?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The panel came about because of a graduate seminar I taught the previous year Utopia, Dystopia and Manifestos. It was a cross-disciplinary seminar and part of the course focused on reading artist manifestos as well as religious cult manifestos and some of Osama Bin Laden’s writings. Eventually this study led to the artists writing their own manifestos. It is useful for the students to boil their ideas down into the declaratives needed for a manifesto and I thought that type of directness might be refreshing at an academic conference. Most academic papers are long in contextualization and objectivity, while manifestos can be robust pronouncements of intent or motive and passion is okay too. The panelists presented a range of ideas including the Fallen Fruit manifesto for functional landscaping and sharing of fruit, Holly Hanessian’s project Touch in Real Time promoting the value of physical contact and the SPURSE collective challenged artists to rethink their role and consider collaborations in which they’re “co-composers of meaning with the real.” The artists and artist groups participating tended to have their manifestos wrapped around a specific project or artistic practice, so it was exciting that their intent was already at work, they weren’t thinking about a manifesto so much as living one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Do you have a current manifesto?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, a couple!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But do I have a global manifesto?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really should . . . I have an “educator manifesto” and manifestos about my studio work, my philosophy of family and on an on. I compartmentalize my life so I guess I’ve compartmentalized my manifestos. This is something to think about, is it possible (for me) to create a unified manifesto, something that combines all of who I am? I’ll have to work on it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Thresholds" Julia Morrisroe, 26 x 30", Acrylic and Polymers on canvas, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Beginnings and Transitions" Julia Morrisroe, 42 x 24", Acrylic and Polymers on canvas, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What are you currently working on and how can we keep track of your work?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">JM:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continue to explore the metaphysical impact of visual information on our society as well as the perceptual and conceptual properties of color. I’m working on a series, Transitions and Thresholds, for a one-person exhibition in Alexandria VA next summer which I hope will travel. I’ll also have smaller works in<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4863033229656994486" name="_GoBack"></a> group shows in Malaysia and Japan. For this project I’ve been working with an etching press and using a laser cutter to make wood blocks. This allows me to use some images that appear machine made and others that are obviously hand made. I do update my web page, probably not as often as I should, but I try, so you can find what I’m up to at <a href="http://julia.morrisroe.com/">http://julia.morrisroe.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thank you, Julia. Your students are fortunate to have you!</span><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></b><br />
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usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-59852686667751856362012-09-18T22:54:00.001-07:002012-10-06T22:00:46.530-07:00CALLING ALL ARTISTS, NEW YORK: rally your political cause in Union Square<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Previous “stationary” USSSA event: an artist-organized rally in LA (Pershing Square)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">L to R: m. ryan noble, Christy Roberts, Heather O’Brien, Thinh Nguyen and Marjan Vayghan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Photo by Jesse Booth</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>USSSA</i></b><b>’s “no platform”</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">A Special Event of this year's <i><a href="http://www.artinoddplaces.org/specialevents.php" target="_blank">Art in Odd Places</a></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">When: Sunday, Oct. 14<sup>th</sup> & Monday, Oct. 15<sup>th</sup> (both days 11:00-1:00pm)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Where: Union Square (14<sup>th</sup> St. @ Broadway) in NYC<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Deadline to apply: Tuesday, Oct. 9<sup>th</sup>, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no platform</i> is an initiative of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">USSSA</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Art in Odd Places” and “Occupy Wall Street” are clear indicators that platforms for public opinion are increasingly rare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This action is our response to the limited availability of public spaces and to the institutional censoring of political content.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Participating artists stand silently on the corners along 14<sup>th</sup> Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In unison, the artists begin declaring their cause <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*while walking*</i> to the next corner in 10-minute rotations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This initiative demonstrates how artists may serve to be well-informed citizens, and that unfiltered public opinions are available through individuals on the street . . . even when spaces are inaccessible.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">HOW TO PARTICIPATE:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email <a href="mailto:usssartists@gmail.com">usssartists[at]gmail[dot]com</a></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Include:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Your political cause (in 20 words or less)</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1-3 videos or images (no less than 300dpi) of </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">related work and a URL for us to promote your </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">work on our social media pages.</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Any additional considerations for your proposed </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">action (props, assistance, documentation, etc.) </b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Further discussion of identified risk/legality/ethics </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">may be requested.</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Specify one (or both) Sunday and Monday.</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rotations start promptly at 11:00am and run until </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1:00pm, on both days. Orientation starts at </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10:00am on both days.</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Please write "no platform, NYC" in the subject </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">header of your email.</b></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We don’t want to see your resume<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We don’t care where you went to school<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We don’t care about who you know<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We don’t care about how many shows you were in last year<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We definitely don’t want your money<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Let <i>USSSA</i> represent your cause!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We care that you are committed to your ideas and your actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We trust you to maintain and exceed your own standards of quality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6poADoedDFYhEsrk_phE8305lfUIXXz7XEibWj6lJVSJ5MgKFl46Mtg_XKG5yQBA3aH-yKmaabdR-k9hF6-nBUI8TWoIA9JMKdVIM1yoKI2fdJMu6k0F_KuaHgqiYK4nQBxHNztEE2eR/s1600/USSSA_AiOP_noplatform_14thStCourseUSSSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6poADoedDFYhEsrk_phE8305lfUIXXz7XEibWj6lJVSJ5MgKFl46Mtg_XKG5yQBA3aH-yKmaabdR-k9hF6-nBUI8TWoIA9JMKdVIM1yoKI2fdJMu6k0F_KuaHgqiYK4nQBxHNztEE2eR/s640/USSSA_AiOP_noplatform_14thStCourseUSSSA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Map of positions and rotations along 14th Street.</span></td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">HOW WILL THIS BE ORGANIZED?<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Each artist is assigned to stand—silently—on one corner at a time (see map, above.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Artists stand at their respective corners for 10 minutes of silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At each rotation (cues to be discussed) artists will walk to the next corner in a counterclockwise movement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It is important to the defiance of permit issues that participating artists declare their cause *<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">while walking*</i>—messages may be verbal, performative, or a visual statement, depending on your preference/strength of media.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Themes are completely open to your discretion but please make the message clear to best educate the public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Questions are welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Please inform us if you require additional props or if your presentation poses any evident risk.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Each artist will be credited by name in the documentation of the rally in all future exhibitions, and in online video documentation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Choose one, or both, Sunday and Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rotations start promptly at 11:00am and run until 1:00pm, on both days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please meet at Union Square at 10:00am for a briefing on safety and organized actions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">To meet everyone’s best interests, an email will be sent to all participating artists once all 24 spots are secured to best coordinate the actions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">For more information about this series of rallies taking place across the US (and other art-based initiatives of the <i>USSSA</i> campaign) please visit our <a href="http://usssartists.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">To learn more about our 2013 exhibition and current artists, including Wafaa Bilal, Roxy Farhat, and Dread Scott, visit: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/USSSartists">http://www.facebook.com/USSSartists</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-82033400962239948792012-08-14T04:00:00.000-07:002012-08-14T05:04:56.709-07:00One Citizen, Many Public Visions: an Interview with Ed Woodham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeekyhcsJYCm0oTs7EV2LufzQs6DSJGW_N9tLOh8vw0ePLSv_Pw63nMJFavp_9e7OMTAzY_y3l8lMjqWNV45imtaaJxHlVAtTEk6OxCA3UFbwnTy9yFfeyL2OgLGNfy2zCRdLgry3DHV_s/s1600/405168_2938145703922_797840385_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeekyhcsJYCm0oTs7EV2LufzQs6DSJGW_N9tLOh8vw0ePLSv_Pw63nMJFavp_9e7OMTAzY_y3l8lMjqWNV45imtaaJxHlVAtTEk6OxCA3UFbwnTy9yFfeyL2OgLGNfy2zCRdLgry3DHV_s/s320/405168_2938145703922_797840385_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ed Woodham </i><i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">is an artist, curator, producer, and activist whose work addresses communication in private space and in the public sphere questioning the relationship between art/viewer, performer/spectator. In Atlanta, he founded and directed the multi-disciplinary arts space, 800 East producing over 250 art events. He is the founder and director of Art in Odd Places (AiOP) presenting visual and performance art in unexpected public spaces. AiOP also produces an annual festival along 14th Street in Manhattan, NYC each October. AiOP aims to stretch the boundaries of communication in the public realm by presenting artworks in all disciplines outside the confines of traditional public space regulations.</span></i><i></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thank you, Ed, for agreeing to this interview. Your projects offer complex (yet enduring) alternatives for contemporary artists, arts professionals, and for the general public. I’d like to bring attention to the many ways in which you challenge art world conventions but let’s get some background, first: tell us about your work as an artist.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: I’m an interdisciplinary artist exploring many different media. I’d say I began first with writing, then theater, and then opened up with drawing, painting, sculpting, puppetry, television, and then public art. I think Linda Mary Montano says it best that as an artist, everything we do is art. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I think that idea of “everything is art” can be difficult for many people to grasp—is art an object, an activity, a special moment, . . . ?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: People do have a certain perspective of what art is and in a certain respect I find art also gives you away of looking at things in an unusual way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m exploring the ideas and practices of ‘defamiliarization’—looking at objects in a way that is fresh and new. I’m trying to explore the possibility that anything is possible; trying to rethink the world that I live in. There’s a quote on my blog from Viktor Shklovsky, a Russian writer and critical theorist. In brief, he states:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> “Art exists that one may recover the sensation of life;</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> it exists to make one feel things, to make the stone stony. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> The purpose of art is to impart the sensation of things</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> as they are perceived and not as they are known.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Was there a point at which you saw a significant shift from being an artist in your own right to becoming established as a curator/director of arts programming?</b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: I consider my work as a curator/director as a continuation of my work as an artist and approach each project as a work of art. It has been a natural shift since much of my work as an artist has often been collaborative.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmbjW1mY77VFWYgkNhneFKegQTja20RiB6bav90sn_TSpBZ3Wk1hB5MNNq65iVUgAi0GGtpYUbD1C3t9tpxygjdZj-5YxyyR3nFj654m_Mtm8l2yAmRyVqyeqPt28-n7DCg4kXaKC3CeS/s1600/'Useful+Tables%27+by+Ed+Woodham+%28photo+by+Richard+Termine%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmbjW1mY77VFWYgkNhneFKegQTja20RiB6bav90sn_TSpBZ3Wk1hB5MNNq65iVUgAi0GGtpYUbD1C3t9tpxygjdZj-5YxyyR3nFj654m_Mtm8l2yAmRyVqyeqPt28-n7DCg4kXaKC3CeS/s320/'Useful+Tables%27+by+Ed+Woodham+%28photo+by+Richard+Termine%29.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i><b></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Useful Tables</i> at St Ann's Warehouse</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">(photo by Richard Termine)</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You have an accomplished background in stage productions as well, specifically, as creator of the Bravo documentary series, <i>The It Factor</i>, and as a puppeteer in the Obie Award winning, <i>Symphonie Fantastique</i>. Have these experiences played any part in your more recent curatorial projects?</b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: Sure, I imagine most past experiences play off of one another right? I think that’s true for all artists. You naturally draw from the previous experiences. The theater/television experiences always require collaboration and teamwork—all vital in my current work with <i>Art in Odd Places</i> and other actions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Your bio indicates that your professional activities require a variety of roles: “artist, curator, producer, and activist.” Why can’t you just be an artist . . . or any one of these for that matter?</b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: Well, Ryan, if I had to pick just one it would be ‘artist’. It’s probably a better question to ask, “What kind of artist?” At this moment in time, it’s fundamental for me (as an artist) to be a communicator—of the importance of timely changes needed across the board. And that often requires wearing different hats and cleaning a toilet or two. I’m not alone. There’s a lot of us out there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You’ve received various honors and grants as an individual but <i>Art in Odd Places</i> <i>(AiOP)</i> appears<i> </i>to function without funding from government agencies or private foundations. How do you do it?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: It’s actually how do ‘we’ do it. Because each <i>AiOP</i> public action and every festival is a group effort, powered by the generosity of all of the participants involved: artists, curators, staff, volunteers, sponsors, donors, . . . oh, and me. No one is paid and it’s a labor of passion for engaging the discussion of ‘what is possible?’ . . . fyi the festival has been realized in all its splendor for the last eight years on a tiddlywink budget of a few thousand dollars . . . it’s a model of what can happen when passion and generosity—combined with humor, good aesthetics, and dash of bravado—can create. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Does this community-based approach risk portraying artists, performers and musicians as self-sustaining workers—possibly even reducing the availability of government or foundational support systems?</b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: I think the timeliness and importance of the work far outweighs any personal concerns of government/foundation support, as I’ve proven that much can be done with a little. However. Artists should be paid a living wage.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Artists are not paid for participating in <i>AiOP</i>. Why?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: [Long pause] I am on board with paying artists a living wage—and that catches me between a rock and a hard place, for now. Currently, I’m more concerned with the <i>message</i> as it may supercede any support systems—it’s a work of passion. I do wonder, if money comes into the equation, if it takes the purity of what’s going on right now. There’s a time for that . . . I have my own personal issues with money—I live on very little, I’m happy. My hope is by the time the foundation is strong enough, that there’s more that will be done. I am working again to find money for <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">artists at some point in </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">AiOP</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> projects.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3U7lReh3a2F_hHrZWnNpK4tbVFypsn_JIuDQEARHV_MlaGS3RR5EG9Y6LGmiydGGH4qDa0cNPRdtlfZUeyopdwQfb6GIEyBOwi54zASG4397Ab7ceexyMVn1_cFYxqUQQlQJCh8y0MnJ/s1600/Ed+Woodham_Wrestlers_Linoleum+Print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3U7lReh3a2F_hHrZWnNpK4tbVFypsn_JIuDQEARHV_MlaGS3RR5EG9Y6LGmiydGGH4qDa0cNPRdtlfZUeyopdwQfb6GIEyBOwi54zASG4397Ab7ceexyMVn1_cFYxqUQQlQJCh8y0MnJ/s320/Ed+Woodham_Wrestlers_Linoleum+Print.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Wrestlers” from the Homopropaganda series,</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ed Woodham, Linoluem-cut print, 2012</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> Let’s talk about “activism.” Were you initially compelled to act on behalf of a specific cause or did your role as an activist come about more organically?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: I’ve had many causes as an artist activist over the years. Each expression has been fueled by a personal event or series of events that called for a (re)action. I’m compelled to do something when I experience an injustice.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The “<a href="http://www.homopropaganda.com/" target="_blank">Homopropaganda</a>” series is my newest action and we are promoting a pro-queer agenda through performance actions and guerilla marketing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">I’m also compelled to nurture “artists as curators” and to help people curate projects, artistically. I’m doing this through classes and workshops that can be found on my “<a href="http://strangemakings.com/" target="_blank">Strangemakings</a>” blog.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQr0YsiCLz7ObKytsQoUoBSLoRv2XLgsIcz5385EkduPmRb4T7PXQ44xHEs4vn7mSFCGi8u4SsXZwAbNGONaOuumpd029GmTXCSsuB226cspMJB00N12mCqkw5MxT_06bxMB3s8RlmoUoA/s1600/Ed+Woodham_Homo+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQr0YsiCLz7ObKytsQoUoBSLoRv2XLgsIcz5385EkduPmRb4T7PXQ44xHEs4vn7mSFCGi8u4SsXZwAbNGONaOuumpd029GmTXCSsuB226cspMJB00N12mCqkw5MxT_06bxMB3s8RlmoUoA/s320/Ed+Woodham_Homo+.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Homo” from the Homopropaganda series</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ed Woodham, Linoluem-cut print, 2012</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Are artists an identifiable demographic?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: Hold on. I’ll be right back, I need to check my privacy settings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Haha! Right, then what do <i>artists</i> have to offer our present-day political structures?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: Artists can hold up a mirror in order for society to see the absurdity. It’s apparent that things can’t go on like this much longer. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We can offer a calling for new ideas, new ways of doing things, new ways of working in tandem with the ecosystem, . . . . Artists are on the frontline as communicators/instigators for change.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The origins of <i>Art in Odd Places </i>have some strong political connotations. Can you elaborate on the beginnings of <i>AiOP</i> in Atlanta and the move to NYC?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: It was an organic thing, I popped out of my mom’s womb as a ‘community organizer’—it’s who I am innately. So, I’m committed to the arts but I’m also aware of our visual context—watching the disappearance of public spaces (that don’t even really exist.) The crass marketing and incorporation that was evident in the 1996 Olympics was something that I noticed, the ways in which Homeland Security and surveillance have influenced our lives is something I notice.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But even aside from these influences, I’m reimaging where art could be outside of the white wall gallery space. In Atlanta <i>800 East</i> was a community art space of sorts where a novice could hang art next to a seasoned artist; it was a place where art was sacred and not a commodity. It was a reemphasizing process to have this place where art has a transformative effect—it’s more about the experience and the ritual of making art.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So what are the goals of <i>Art in Odd Places</i>?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">EW: To reclaim public space . . . which does not really exist. That’s why Occupy Wall Street went to a private space. Public space is where we will rally to discuss new possibilities . . . but first we have to discuss public spaces and how we must rally to take them back. <i>Art in Odd Places</i>’ goal is to explore this concept in a creative, imaginative method. Take back our public spaces! It’s the first step.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">’s up next for </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Art in Odd Places</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> and how can artists and supporters of the arts get involved?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">EW: </span>AiOP was selected for U.S. Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale . . .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://spontaneousinterventions.com/" target="_blank">Spontaneous Interventions</a>: design actions for the common good is the theme of the U.S. Pavilion at the 13<sup>th</sup> International Venice Architecture Biennale, August 29 to November 25, 2012. <a href="http://www.labiennale.org/it/architettura/index.html" target="_blank">The Venice Architecture Biennale</a> is the most prestigious architecture event in the world.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Art in Odd Places</i> will join forces with Global Arts Lab/CECArtsLink to create an <i>AiOP</i> style festival in Saint Petersburg, Russia, September 23-25, 2012.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And the annual festival, <i>Art in Odd Places</i> 2012: MODEL October 5-15 will take place across 14th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River with 100+ artists projects exploring the many different interpretations of “MODEL: Fashion. Prototype. Pose. Imitate. Plan. System.” Model citizen is also a very important aspect of the festival this year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Artists can sign up for open calls by joining our mailing list on the home page, <a href="http://www.artinoddplaces.org/">www.artinoddplaces.org</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Volunteers for this year’s festival can email: <a href="mailto:artinoddplaces@gmail.com">artinoddplaces@gmail.com</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thank you, Ed. Best wishes with all your creative endeavors!</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div>usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-68413305976856268912012-08-13T19:22:00.010-07:002012-10-06T22:04:04.010-07:00USSSA initiative: REDESIGN THE US FLAG! Deadline: Sept. 30th, 2012<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"Ideasign, USA" m. ryan noble, watercolor on paper, 2012</span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">USSSA initiative</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We need <i>you</i> to redesign the US flag!</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> ·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All contributions will be featured and credited in our</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> 2013 exhibition.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> ·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Contributions are requested in the format of .JPG files at</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> no less than 300dpi.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> ·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A description of no more than 50 words may</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> accompany your work, but it is not required.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> ·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All contributions must be received by November 30<sup>th</sup>, 2012.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> ·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Any fabricated works will be considered for display in</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> the exhibition through evaluating the terms of our</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> space and resources.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> ·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All images and descriptions will be included in a proposal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> to US Congress this October, 2012, requesting that the</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> US flag be revised for our contemporary era. Much</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> has changed since 1960 and our initiative will more</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> fully represent these developments in a</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> compelling collection of images.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> ·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Please write “redesign the US flag” in the subject header.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Email your contributions to:</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">usssartists[at]gmail[dot]com</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you,</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">m. ryan noble</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">USSSA</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, organizer</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br />usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-51254214922276162332012-08-07T20:03:00.032-07:002012-08-07T22:40:15.629-07:00The Art World is on Fire: an Interview with JD Siazon<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>JD Siazon is a New York City-based dharma artist & poet. A recent graduate of the MFA Fine Arts program at Parsons The New School for Design Siazon has helped to create large inner-city community murals working alongside all age groups from children to senior citizens. He aspires to one day be the best arts journalist in the world as well as a great teacher of art and literature.</i></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Please explain the phrase “dharma artist and poet” . . . w</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">hat did metamorphosing into a Buddha elucidate about human and artistic evolution?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: For me, being a dharma artist & poet has meant living through all of my worst nightmares to fundamentally know the great spectrum of human experience and thus be able to communicate true love. Most so-called artists and poets will forever say that they really do sympathize with the damned yet hardly any would ever volunteer to spend a significant time in Hell to actually feel to what extent people suffer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Is Hell even a real place or just a series of events? </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: Everyone has multiple definitions of Hell hidden deep in their subconscious mind. It is not nearly enough for a person to hear someone else's account of torture for them to know what being tortured feels like. This could also be said of the dharma artist & poet--that they have given up all hope of salvation in order to walk the broadest path. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Hell for me was the direct experience of phenomenological chaos.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Did walking through Hell help you to become a better and more complete person?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: I very strongly believe that it is always and fundamentally of the highest spiritual import for each one of the globe's despondent and sundry victims to inevitably discover--in a master artist or superlative bard of tremendous creative power--a kindred yet guiding voice as well as an inspirational hero who themselves have overcome the gravest of moral struggles and corporal hardships to now be eternally fulfilling their wildest and most sincere of dreams. We more than ever desperately yearn for and need beacons of hope in this technologically mutant and politically stagnant age. I keep looking back upon the life I've led and oftentimes find myself regretting way too much but it is with total honesty that I humbly state that lacking my experiences in Hell and subsequent miraculous redemption I would not be nearly as equipped as I am to succeed magnanimously in the New York art world and this you may definitely trust I witness more and more vividly each bright and sunny day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Do you find credence in the old aphorism that artists need to suffer in order for their work to be great?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: If an artist wishes to communicate the abysmal strata of pathos in their work then they must experience severe pain and grief ... </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">How can your eco-political activism intertwine with the buddhadharma?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: According to Vietnamese Zen monk and famed political activist Thich Nhat Hanh it is of utmost importance that everyone learns how to practice peace which entails breathing properly, keeping a calm and steady heartbeat, and being mindful of all you do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">People are so ready to fight for peace that most of the time their actions are in reality expressions of hate for a supposed enemy which is the reverse of love. But when we practice peace these enemies lose their power over us and our minds become liberated to dream with the cosmos.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eNetGgGiCc9n0CMdyeTqgUL2daT6jcYlXBv0kbjVaTIRRVP-CelJmdgH9X_llddmxjd4zzNelB5Yuz_DN9asfeZ02oSu7aE_5ebBHNTmI2p8b24cny1i4puHfpPDK4isDyhexVNiqbS1/s1600/Sierra+-+JD+Siazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eNetGgGiCc9n0CMdyeTqgUL2daT6jcYlXBv0kbjVaTIRRVP-CelJmdgH9X_llddmxjd4zzNelB5Yuz_DN9asfeZ02oSu7aE_5ebBHNTmI2p8b24cny1i4puHfpPDK4isDyhexVNiqbS1/s400/Sierra+-+JD+Siazon.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Sierra," JD Siazon, Pen on cut linen canvas paper</span></span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What must artists do to bring about revolutionary eco-political change?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">JD: Artists should not only address earthen politics but wed all action to the heavens for there are infinite realms and modes of existence humans must heed. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Can “artists” be identified as a demographic</b><b>?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: In modern society too many people believe themselves to be artists yet they don't even create things of any genuine cultural value. If artists were an identifiable demographic I would venture to say that their numbers would be quite low. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">What causes, if any, do you care about most?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: I've been told many times that I could be the key to rejuvenating contemporary art.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">What does a dharma artist & poet have to offer the art world, at large?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: The fallacious and dogmatic belief that all art is a subjective experience has caused the art world to become a discordant mess. Dharma artists know that true art comes to us from the future.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Why did you decide to attend art school in NYC?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: Getting the best all-around education possible--which doesn't necessarily mean attending expensive colleges--has always been a top priority of mine. Art school was very difficult for me though since both my classmates and teachers severely ostracized me for being the most talented amongst them. And that is a main reason why I want to be a professor so badly--to teach students everything that I never learned at either Pratt or Parsons. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Have you had any opportunities to teach art, yet?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: I am always teaching by virtue of my Life choices.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Did you make art as a child?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: Like most kids I really enjoyed drawing cartoon characters such as army men, vampires, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Was this period of your life a significant and lasting influence on the art you make now? </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: No. Dharma artists cannot create their own art but rather we do everything that the Universe commands of us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Where will people be able to glimpse JD Siazon in the future?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">JD: Hollywood sounds okay ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Thank you, JD. More of JD's writings, musings, and art works can be found at the following links:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><style>
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</style> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jdsiazon.com/"><span style="color: #2356c6;">www.jdsiazon.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jdsiazon.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: #2356c6;">www.jdsiazon.wordpress.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jdsiazon.podomatic.com/"><span style="color: #2356c6;">www.jdsiazon.podomatic.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/jdsiazon"><span style="color: #2356c6;">www.youtube.com/jdsiazon</span></a></span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b> </span></div>usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-12379816348522167432012-07-04T19:16:00.005-07:002012-07-04T20:19:58.130-07:00Barbara Horiuchi: A Rage Against Injustice<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In our household, the stories that dotted my youth were told in hushed tones with a hint of fear, and a whole lot of anger.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes, I could hear the tears falling.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #191919;">So I asked a whole lot of questions</span><span style="color: #191919;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">__________________<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My family were incarcerated in US concentration camps during WWII. Their crime? They were American citizens of Japanese ancestry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My artwork is rooted in a desire to unearth historical injustices and subsequent wounds victims may have experienced in the last century from exclusionary acts, immigration laws, marginalization, discrimination, prejudice, and loss. My work represents my own social conscience and an act of resistance against continued intolerance. The manner in which my work is conceived, constructed and created is a reflection of this resistance and a rage against injustice.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqTGth8-f6cox8b-B2xV9CtLe3WbMz9FYApLOrokCKJFLiOPEUrHn8Iz0sap28Zcf8Lh2HnFPV-RWFt8QRxsUEGxEAoDEbQlcPQIdVGCPEzeQ1nBB3KsR1-ZOSWNWF9xms1Y0tDxqI6Zd/s1600/Subjagated+No+7+Horiuchi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqTGth8-f6cox8b-B2xV9CtLe3WbMz9FYApLOrokCKJFLiOPEUrHn8Iz0sap28Zcf8Lh2HnFPV-RWFt8QRxsUEGxEAoDEbQlcPQIdVGCPEzeQ1nBB3KsR1-ZOSWNWF9xms1Y0tDxqI6Zd/s400/Subjagated+No+7+Horiuchi.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="172" /></a></span></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"Subjugated No. 7" Barbara Horiuchi,<br />
Sumi Ink on Aluminum, 2012</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIewH46Di0ztyK0XUeWspMjKfTAWQw5bsrGkWLPTz-XEBVGhhh0glE6LJr829gEtpLr_I6iuk5dl7ISEVWVTwV8RO4YexxbTSh7zDsFQ57g2Z51L9Z8qv4X1RbQJ4jrN8QgivC1Z121Q9Y/s1600/Subjagated+No+12++Horiuchi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIewH46Di0ztyK0XUeWspMjKfTAWQw5bsrGkWLPTz-XEBVGhhh0glE6LJr829gEtpLr_I6iuk5dl7ISEVWVTwV8RO4YexxbTSh7zDsFQ57g2Z51L9Z8qv4X1RbQJ4jrN8QgivC1Z121Q9Y/s400/Subjagated+No+12++Horiuchi.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="161" /></span></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"Subjugated No. 12" Barbara Horiuchi,<br />
Sumi Ink on Aluminum, 2012</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #191919;">Recent pictorial work on aluminum was made with sumi ink applied to the metal with a heavy chain. The forceful, violent manner of striking the metal with the chain leaves a </span>mark—evidence <span style="color: #191919;">of the action and indentation/scar on the metal from the act. Traumatic experiences ranging from a loss of one’s civil rights to acts of violence against others based on their ethnicity, orientation, or differing points of view can leave a mark on those who experienced or are witness to them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #191919; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbdIb9_m7X-3slJuSfJU66JFeubvXKR0dfPm8ikF6eU_k9ugk8yumBzhQzHNOaXGGv5Ym0n0Pdy2RpHy0au-W2WX1ai3CPbQ1c7LxnSNd1Ybx1RkzLebr6P1iEuojrK16qTUQxBRid9EX/s1600/Detail+No+12+Horiuchi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbdIb9_m7X-3slJuSfJU66JFeubvXKR0dfPm8ikF6eU_k9ugk8yumBzhQzHNOaXGGv5Ym0n0Pdy2RpHy0au-W2WX1ai3CPbQ1c7LxnSNd1Ybx1RkzLebr6P1iEuojrK16qTUQxBRid9EX/s640/Detail+No+12+Horiuchi.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Subjugated No. 12" [detail], Barbara Horiuchi, Sumi Ink on Aluminum, 2012</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My current project to be included in the USSSA exhibition,<span style="color: #e12d13;"> </span>‘I Am...’ was initiated by a photograph I saw after the recent murder of Trayvon Martin. In the photograph, a young man carried the sign ‘I Am Trayvon Martin.’ I plan to conceptually reflect the message of that sign: What happened to young Trayvon could happen to most anyone.<span style="color: #e12d13;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">His murder made me think of the poem by Langston Hughes, ‘Birmingham Sunday (September 15th, 1963)’ referencing the death of four young girls in 1963. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Four little girls<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Who went to Sunday School that day<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And never came back home at all--<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In 1963, four young girls were killed in a racially motivated bombing by the Ku Klux Klan at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Their ages ranged from 11-14 years old. This homegrown terrorist hate-crime was one of the last straws which helped spur President Kennedy to propose the<span style="color: #e12d13;"> </span>Civil Rights Act, which passed in 1964. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Thousands of murders motivated by hate occurred before the American Civil Rights Act of 1964 and continue to occur in our Land of the Free. In 2012, hatred and racism still kills innocent victims, spawns fear, and collectively traumatizes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Like...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, Raymond Yellow Thunder, Harvey Milk, Vincent Chin, Brandon Teena, James Byrd, Matthew Shepard, Arthur J.R. Warren, Ali Almansoop, Gwen Araujo, Raul & Brisenia Flores, James Craig Anderson, Trayvon Martin.... <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The battle continues...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Four little girls<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Might be awakened someday soon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">By songs upon the breeze<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> As yet unfelt among<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> Magnolia trees.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #31133c;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">______________________<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Everything that we inscribe in the living present of our relation to others already carries, always, the signature of the memories from beyond the grave."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">-Jacques Derrida<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></div>usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-84112369313238789552012-07-01T13:05:00.001-07:002012-07-01T13:09:47.776-07:00Addressing the political and economically-driven mechanics of the United States of America in a contemporary art context<div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">The</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><i>USSSA</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">is a national arts initiative—not just an exhibition. After a long era of artists working within the parameters of mainstream values, economies, and institutions, the artists of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><i>USSSA</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">are seeking to more directly and overtly influence political governance and social order.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLs0Zyye7wq4UZYViAuzoiq_PlO3mPJ3lW1ImzYcRyeTsb0WUprTuE2WDktw2VN5ytmXpnngKsEWxVYpN0MNWHks6UfVzzyQzWRty5rUgAd5Xi6rTmV7fyiHDunCR4hMKda33zibtWNIbw/s1600/USSSA_ORIGsupportarts300dpiWB_8in02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLs0Zyye7wq4UZYViAuzoiq_PlO3mPJ3lW1ImzYcRyeTsb0WUprTuE2WDktw2VN5ytmXpnngKsEWxVYpN0MNWHks6UfVzzyQzWRty5rUgAd5Xi6rTmV7fyiHDunCR4hMKda33zibtWNIbw/s640/USSSA_ORIGsupportarts300dpiWB_8in02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Sticker available through the USSSA fundraising page, starting July 4th.</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As a lifelong artist, I have been organizing the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">USSSA</i> project as an experiment; it is a cycle of critique and alternative methods with the intent to revise our current political complex.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As a trained art therapist, I have seen wide disparities in how the value of art is split within our institutions (from museums and corporations to hospitals and non-profits) and bears a striking resemblance to a more publicized, national crisis. Specifically, a split in economic and political values.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The following text outlines my theoretical basis for this revisionary project and introduces the first of many practical opportunities for our community of artists: a call to redesign the US flag! As a dynamic and reflexive project, I hope that you will comment, share and contribute to this new era for the arts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A premise for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">USSSA</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Currently, the art world operates largely on the same dynamics that are underlying most other industries. Artists compete with one another; we pay for superior training, we find a niche market (or specialization), we negotiate the commercial factors in our work including “supply and demand”, we build professional rapport, and (of course) we network in order to be featured in more prominent circles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The professional artist follows the trends and factors of industry very similar to how these standards serve professionals in any other field; to maximize these standards and achieve personal success. The problems with achieving “success” as an artist are two-fold:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> 1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A commercial artist—by definition—is employed in the service of someone or something, thus, limiting the creativity inherent to the concept and execution of the artist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> 2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The second problem with “success”, essentially stems from a set of stereotypes that compromise an artist’s autonomy or character: artists are reduced to a typecasting of insanity, suffering, and isolation, only further dramatized should an artist ever achieve fame and fortune. Public attention is funneled into these stereotypes, rather than the messages of the work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The artists of our first exhibition play a key role in reversing the dynamics of an industrial complex. The art world has a longstanding tradition of change, not just in updating the forms and media of art, but also in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">practice</i>. Certain practices within the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">USSSA</i> model can be found elsewhere among art communities (and gratefully so!) but altogether in one single project, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">USSSA</i> is a comprehensive revision that may exist as a model for a healthier, more equitable, system for artists in the 21<sup>st</sup> century.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The following are some of the principles that inform my approach:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Artists do not compete for inclusion.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> There are no open calls, fees, or applications to judge. The most appropriate artists for any given project are assessed and selected through a research process that includes word-of-mouth referrals, literature, and online sources. Quality is accounted for in becoming acquainted with an artist’s work and character. A wide range of experience is encouraged.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Artists are given 100% creative license.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> The artists become familiar with the work of others in the exhibition in order to achieve cohesion and accountability.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Redistributed commission structure.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Because artists curate the show as a collective, the “curator’s” portion of each work sold is divided equally among the remaining artists, in the additional hopes of subsidizing work that is not as commercially viable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Services are paid in fair amounts.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Services rendered from printers, members of film crew, performers , etc. are paid by a generous negotiation process that requires both parties start with sharing any ideas, services and compensation that would result in the best possible product. An anology here, serves well: imagine two people pouring water into one cup, it takes less time and more attention.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Community-based promotion.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Media technology is consistently assessed and updated to prioritize the most effective and least costly strategy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Public engagements.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Private receptions are replaced with community engagements (seminars, workshops, and yes, even parties.) Contemporary artists consider their role in a given community and self-regulate a balance of relevance and accessibility. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Art institutions are not static, they may provide an alliance. </span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Museums, galleries and art professionals play a critical role in sustaining art and culture. They’re authority within historical and theoretical structures may coordinate more diverse, organic, and nuanced realities with a broader context.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">An inclusive and dynamic art community.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Art collectives and organizations are recognized as contributors. Cross-representation is provided pro bono for the sake of promoting the arts as a cooperative industry. Finally, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">USSSA </i>exhibitions include projects that are designed to include as many artists as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> . . . and this is where you come in. As the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">USSSA</i> goes public we need more artists to make themselves known. Announcements for “community artists” will be made on this blog and it begins today with a very special announcement:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipy_9uwz5uyntJR9Xek_NrvrzGB-hSU6f9Vx133azDBCjEBBk_6fDPtidQBAT4R27JSVLcbyvlOfOWGcGW2X04SgDx9Qu4OVhwEHskjTPBhrZk_QMOFC2QNjaTdyzb5Y0hwBwkHcWdK9zj/s1600/3shape_USSSA_ideasignUSA_cropCC_300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipy_9uwz5uyntJR9Xek_NrvrzGB-hSU6f9Vx133azDBCjEBBk_6fDPtidQBAT4R27JSVLcbyvlOfOWGcGW2X04SgDx9Qu4OVhwEHskjTPBhrZk_QMOFC2QNjaTdyzb5Y0hwBwkHcWdK9zj/s640/3shape_USSSA_ideasignUSA_cropCC_300dpi.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="488" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Ideasign, USA" by m. ryan noble, watercolor on paper, 2012</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We need you to redesign the US flag!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">All contributions will be featured and credited in our October exhibition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Contributions are requested in the format of .JPG files at no less than 300dpi.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A description of no more than 50 words may accompany your work, but it is not required.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">All contributions must be received by August 15<sup>th</sup>, 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Any produced works of flag revision will be considered for inclusion in the exhibition, in negotiating the terms of our space and resources.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">All images and descriptions will be included in a proposal to US Congress this October, 2012, requesting that the US flag be revised for our contemporary era. Much has changed since 1960 and our initiative will more fully represent these developments in a compelling collection of images.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Please write “redesign the US flag” in the subject header.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Email your contributions to:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">usssartists[at]gmail[dot]com</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">m. ryan noble<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">USSSA</span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, organizer</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div></div>usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-83065970534077745062012-06-30T23:00:00.120-07:002012-07-08T15:47:42.410-07:00CALL to ARTISTS: performance and visual artists in LA. Present your cause, get paid.<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPHwtINQYbYJmlWVdFdTyyR82WmFOi1_-ZKEGTTleEUyAbzp7Nv9CLDRWzzg-tmk7kcqtGi39fR8QcCGyWcmuhaMVKuXPnfevVxHjEeYSNxyGTzUDv5AyUiwuhFRwR826DCiTGuZQQJTm/s1600/pershing_square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPHwtINQYbYJmlWVdFdTyyR82WmFOi1_-ZKEGTTleEUyAbzp7Nv9CLDRWzzg-tmk7kcqtGi39fR8QcCGyWcmuhaMVKuXPnfevVxHjEeYSNxyGTzUDv5AyUiwuhFRwR826DCiTGuZQQJTm/s640/pershing_square.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Pershing Square (Olive and 6th Streets).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Site of the upcoming <i>USSSA</i> rally on Sunday, July 15th.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">CALL to ARTISTS: Visual and performance artists with a political cause</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">USSSA’s revolution: an artist organized rally<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When: Sunday, July 15<sup>th</sup> (2:30 - 4:30pm)<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Where: Pershing Square (corner of Olive and 6<sup>th</sup> Streets)<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Deadline: July 11<sup>th</sup>, 2012<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who:</b> Any performance or visual artist who is committed to a political cause and is compelled to voice its relevance in a public forum. Suzanne Lacy, Sharon Hayes and William Pope.L are notable precedents for artists in the public forum and the richness and complexity of public discourse continues to proliferate among contemporary artists. Street art and protest art are especially potent forces among the LA arts community and all forms of speech (silent and visual, vocal and pedantic) are welcome.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why:</b> Artists represent a variety of causes that are often neglected by mainstream media. Documentation of this event will be included with subsequent rallies in Chicago and New York. It will be made available on YouTube and eventually be included in USSSA exhibitions (with name credits to all the artists.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What:</b> In response to authoritarian models of speech (one speaker, one platform, a large homogeneous audience, corporate/militant organization) this rally is set-up to be more accessible and to widely represent important causes that are often pushed to the margins.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Artists stand on level-ground in an oval-formation.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Each artist speaks/performs for one minute (cued by a bell.)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Each artist receives 50% of the proceeds from USSSA’s current fundraising page on Indiegogo.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Each artist will be credited by name in the documentation of the rally, in exhibition and online video formats.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">To register for one of our available slots, please email the following information to usssartists[at]gmail[dot]com:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 3pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Name</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 3pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A URL link to your work and/or at least three images at no less than 300dpi.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 3pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Tell us about the issue you will be performing/speaking about, in 1-20 words. Remember, everyone has one minute so it's best to be clear and concise.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 3pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A PA and mic will be furnished. Please inform us if you require additional props or if your presentation poses any evident risk.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 3pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> ·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Please write “Pershing Square artist rally” in the subject header.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">To learn more about our exhibition and current artists, including Wafaa Bilal, Sarah Sense and Dread Scott, visit: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/USSSartists">http://www.facebook.com/USSSartists</a></span></div><br />
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</span></div></div>usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4863033229656994486.post-61207517028709060492012-06-16T23:29:00.064-07:002012-07-01T12:56:56.439-07:00no agendas, no manifesto<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Life by meaning of the word has lost its value.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Agendas and manifestos of the 20</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> century have generated a boundary that—on one side—protects and represents the unique and dissenting qualities of specific individuals. On the other side of that same boundary, there is a majority that can confidently label said people as “other” to effectively exploit and corrale this group into their means.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Words that once meant “something of action” have either become hijacked epithets serving the ill judgments of a passive and neutralized status quo . . .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Radical”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Liberal”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Alternative”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Progressive”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> . . . or identifiers for a biased and blind-spotted extreme-cum-majority.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Patriot”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Democratic”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Activist”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Visionary”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">. . . we once had the value of potential and change; introducing something that was “different.” Now, these words carry visions of people as abstract entities; they represent and perpetuate a second-class norm. Whereas people were once judged for their physical appearance and cultural manifestation, they are now judged (and harmed, and exploited) in realities that are far less visually apparent; they are victims of institutional and psychological warfare.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">People are vilified and perpetuated as abstract entities . . . void of a rich personal history . . . void of generations of family dynamics (that very much overlap with any other person of this world) . . . void of an emotional present moment and void of a future that can be different.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Equality,” “sustainability,” and “transparency”—words that once described the vision of a better tomorrow—are in actuality tools of those in power, these Masters of the Word. The mighty words of the “Declaration of Independence,” of the “Constitution” and of the “Bill of Rights” once served as the foundation for a united nation. However, these ideals—and the words of their inaugural form—are at risk for being rendered obsolete by the powers of human nature and industry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoE7Ufk0FzTzeWNNtnY_foeobXx71e-U55P3YJjqQ2bpsc9QdCa-tqBeQBQbQncUcm8TiNdRMESVqk-_uucw2s9SNs5Vl2SktnQ2T4Hd8zlIDr3lDTR8I0EylRc3UO1i0q63RaeOysyIhk/s1600/2line_USSSA_fathingfounders_cropCC_300dpi_censor02_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHO0coN_QjOdspcojpIhKb9Ol9Gfk31V7QU9n4zGtObaV-SDoE2_CYQ7PqHr0H1fLW3taCEWGZKabg9FfL36pyEG-ptEm0c9b6a8EwbFBGYKcqmjzGO6WNUVbD9O3bJUZYkSyDogFBQ0o/s1600/2line_USSSA_fathingfounders_cropCC_300dpi_censor02_02cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHO0coN_QjOdspcojpIhKb9Ol9Gfk31V7QU9n4zGtObaV-SDoE2_CYQ7PqHr0H1fLW3taCEWGZKabg9FfL36pyEG-ptEm0c9b6a8EwbFBGYKcqmjzGO6WNUVbD9O3bJUZYkSyDogFBQ0o/s640/2line_USSSA_fathingfounders_cropCC_300dpi_censor02_02cc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"Fathing Founders" (censor 2)</i></b> by imagici, pen & watercolor, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I had a dream.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I asked Benjamin Franklin,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“What is a ‘loyalist’?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“What can I buy for a nickel?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Have you earned your PhD?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Can you sing the 'Star-Spangled Banner'?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Have you ever played baseball or made an apple pie?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Have you ever slept a summer’s night in Alabama with the windows open?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Are you homophobic?”</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Have you watched someone die?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Have you ever had tea with someone from Afghanistan?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">when our people . . .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">do our words change?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">when our industries . . .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">do our words change?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">All lost value of our “words” to be considered, the authorities of our social, cultural, and political realities are predictable because they thrive on statistics and projections. They thrive on an economy, religion, science and academia of their design; our media and technology are created and perpetuated by their own sky-like hand.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Psychology does not belong to the authorities—everyone has a mind.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Politics do not belong to the authorities—everyone has a part in this “social fabric.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Today, you may choose to not write your agenda.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You may even choose to not speak about your hopes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Live as you will and create as you must.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Find, seek and trust that which is deemed </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">intensely true </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for the people and situations that you encounter.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ask of their philosophies and credos.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Learn more about their ways of thinking.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Organize and disassemble, as needed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In a world where everyone is supposedly “free” or “in pursuit of happiness,” bring a personal (and possibly, a collective) sense of value to your actions. Write a new declaration of intrapersonal interdependence . . .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">. . . or not.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4xJT6CIrY-rwF-oPg0VxpsOO-AOgBP_MZAKBqf0GL8RAG_t7Az7UZVHFJ_yN8nxmeiWtyuYV4OMcfC8sjx8gIp3dvBCd93csjCUJs9IIFSVzKrd8MKTCsllKdTI6kdG-pbImFEZLkfW9/s1600/2line_USSSA_fathingfounders_cropCC_300dpi_censor01_02cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4xJT6CIrY-rwF-oPg0VxpsOO-AOgBP_MZAKBqf0GL8RAG_t7Az7UZVHFJ_yN8nxmeiWtyuYV4OMcfC8sjx8gIp3dvBCd93csjCUJs9IIFSVzKrd8MKTCsllKdTI6kdG-pbImFEZLkfW9/s640/2line_USSSA_fathingfounders_cropCC_300dpi_censor01_02cc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"Fathing Founders" (censor 1)</i></b> by imagici, pen & watercolor, 2012</span></td></tr>
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">* A full, uncensored version of the image "Fathing Founders" can be received by request at usssartists[at]gmail[dot]com and will be available for auction in July, 2012. Proceeds will go to the artists of USSSA in preparing for the October exhibition.</span><br />
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</span></div>usssartistshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906230817785656134noreply@blogger.com0