Showing posts with label art practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art practice. Show all posts
Monday, October 1, 2018
Saturday, February 28, 2015
State of the Arts: Fort Collins
Alternate title: Still Nothing There. (Part Two)
Naming no names.
My lack of interest in this blog is a good indicator of my opinions of the current state of the arts in ole Fort Collins. All too often, the community's lack luster reception of contemporary art makes it a frustrating and unrewarding experience for the artist. (At least for this artist - I speak for myself only.) The avant-garde is shunned, any artwork that is too unusual, too challenging, or different, is scoffed at, or worse, ignored. There is a serious lack of critical thinking on art, and a total lack of good dialogue going on in this town. Luckily, there IS some great work coming out of the region, there are many great artists in this town, and a few fabulous galleries. It's the reception of the art works, the faked interest, that undermines my efforts to expand my communications with my local audience. Why bother? There is nothing, or rather, no one there.
Further proving my point was the hype around the hiring of a new 'arts and entertainment' writer at our local paper. This has again proven to be a disappointment. This writer's youth, (evidenced by her twitter TL) and her lack of knowledge in the arts, (probably due to a lack of education in the area) is obvious in her writing. It is a lack of respect for the discipline, knowing what it is to be an artist, how art is made and what makes a good gallery/museum/exhibition. The in-ability to articulate well to the reading public, to contribute meaningful dialogue to the discourse of contemporary art, is a dis-service to the reading public, and has only managed to maintain the "blah", status quo of Fort Collins' art scene.
I have not completely lost hope, however. Nothing motivates me more than a challenge. I do have high hopes for the Fort Collins Museum of Art with the hiring of a new executive director. Patience will be needed however, as it will take several years to see the changes in the exhibitions. Other bright spots in our local art scene include the growing group of artists active in promoting a vibrant art scene. It is not an over intellectualized state of mind that I am craving, rather a curious disposition, a mind full of wonder and a spirit engaged in raising the bar, expanding ideas, and through these interactions gaining a greater understanding of one's self, one's community and the world.
To see the previous post regarding my ongoing struggle with the local art scene,
please click here.
Naming no names.
 |
| Flying over a flyover state. |
Further proving my point was the hype around the hiring of a new 'arts and entertainment' writer at our local paper. This has again proven to be a disappointment. This writer's youth, (evidenced by her twitter TL) and her lack of knowledge in the arts, (probably due to a lack of education in the area) is obvious in her writing. It is a lack of respect for the discipline, knowing what it is to be an artist, how art is made and what makes a good gallery/museum/exhibition. The in-ability to articulate well to the reading public, to contribute meaningful dialogue to the discourse of contemporary art, is a dis-service to the reading public, and has only managed to maintain the "blah", status quo of Fort Collins' art scene.
 |
| Photo by Alex Kuznetsov, http://www.calgarygemshow.com/2012/02/nothing-rock-shop/ |
I have not completely lost hope, however. Nothing motivates me more than a challenge. I do have high hopes for the Fort Collins Museum of Art with the hiring of a new executive director. Patience will be needed however, as it will take several years to see the changes in the exhibitions. Other bright spots in our local art scene include the growing group of artists active in promoting a vibrant art scene. It is not an over intellectualized state of mind that I am craving, rather a curious disposition, a mind full of wonder and a spirit engaged in raising the bar, expanding ideas, and through these interactions gaining a greater understanding of one's self, one's community and the world.
 |
| "Somewhere over the Rainbow" photo by Laura Cofrin, 2014 |
please click here.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sketchbook Project with Art House Co-op
When I first received my official book for the Sketchbook Project 2012, an Art House Co-op inspiring project, I was surprised at how small it was, it is just a small 5x7" Scout book, 
with only 8 leafs or 32 pages. I was also amazed at how large the project was, an inspiring international project with tens of thousands of other artists participating. How could my measly drawings ever stand up to those pressures? The immensity of the project was intimidating, and I spent a long time meditating on how to create my book, what parts of my art making practice to include, and what ideas I wanted to portray. I wanted to make it unique, find a way to stand out in the Brooklyn Library, the permanent home of the collection, (when it was not out on its national tour). I was lacking confidence in my drawing abilities and wondering if signing up had been a mistake. But, a sketchbook is a place an artist explores ideas, a sanctuary, where one can 'mess up' without any real consequences, (beyond lacking beauty). Most artist's sketchbooks are private visions into the inner workings of the artist, something held close to the chest, and rarely, if ever shown to anyone. This project threw those notions all away, it was a glorious adventure, and a great way to expose these private bits to the public, an offering of sorts, a gift to the audience; the mind, materials and praxis of the artist, all laid bare for their enjoyment. This project engages the audience in new and profound ways, offering insight into art making, and a better overall understanding of the art world.
My process was long, and involved many experimental techniques, with new media. As a photographer, it was important to me to bring the camera into the project. To integrate the photograph with the act of sketching. I used liquid photo emulsions,
and the capturing of light as a form of mark making, as well as more traditional drawing or painting. I have put this, and the following posts, together to document my process, to share my adventures (or mis-adventures) encountered along the making of my sketchbook.
with only 8 leafs or 32 pages. I was also amazed at how large the project was, an inspiring international project with tens of thousands of other artists participating. How could my measly drawings ever stand up to those pressures? The immensity of the project was intimidating, and I spent a long time meditating on how to create my book, what parts of my art making practice to include, and what ideas I wanted to portray. I wanted to make it unique, find a way to stand out in the Brooklyn Library, the permanent home of the collection, (when it was not out on its national tour). I was lacking confidence in my drawing abilities and wondering if signing up had been a mistake. But, a sketchbook is a place an artist explores ideas, a sanctuary, where one can 'mess up' without any real consequences, (beyond lacking beauty). Most artist's sketchbooks are private visions into the inner workings of the artist, something held close to the chest, and rarely, if ever shown to anyone. This project threw those notions all away, it was a glorious adventure, and a great way to expose these private bits to the public, an offering of sorts, a gift to the audience; the mind, materials and praxis of the artist, all laid bare for their enjoyment. This project engages the audience in new and profound ways, offering insight into art making, and a better overall understanding of the art world.My process was long, and involved many experimental techniques, with new media. As a photographer, it was important to me to bring the camera into the project. To integrate the photograph with the act of sketching. I used liquid photo emulsions,
and the capturing of light as a form of mark making, as well as more traditional drawing or painting. I have put this, and the following posts, together to document my process, to share my adventures (or mis-adventures) encountered along the making of my sketchbook.
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