books on tape. Artist's blog: Stephen W. Evans

INLIQUID

2012-01-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

I will be participating in this year's INLIQUID benefit show. For more information, click on the image above.

NEW COLLAGE

2012-01-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

Upon The Page

15x22"

Mixed media on paper

WORK IN PROGRESS: THE SPIRIT IN THE MINIMAL

2012-01-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

As I mentionedin an earlier post, that I would be doing a bit of writing, and this would be thestart of it. I feel as though I owe explanation and brief description: The gistof all this is that I had sat down with Justin Rubich (my studio mate) to talkabout my current work, and though I had been scribbling in my notebook, andthinking, and reading for days and months on end, I had nothing to say. Thistroubled me, so I thought it was time to get it all out there, polish mythoughts, and write a new thesis. So I am now in the process of collecting mythoughts, notes, and sources for this writing below, which is the first part,and will be followed by multiple others with other focal points. This firstpart is, I suppose, the introduction, the core of my statement, and equally,the direction of my thoughts in relation to my own work. I chose work by DonaldJudd that I had seen in person on a trip to southwest Texas (seen in the image above)as a focal point for this discussion, and as a premises to base mythesis. It serves as a good model I feel.

So as I continueto research, write in my notebook, and collect material, I will be adding tothis thesis over time, hopefully within a reasonable time span (as I would like to be articulate, I’mtrying not to rush it too much.)

Thank you to anyonewho is reading.

*******

I may have mentioned it here orthere before, but I find that the attraction and meditative quality that natureholds is quite possibly because it is closer to the origin of things—closer tothe purity of existence—a beautiful simplicity. Perhaps this is also where purecolor fits in to the mix as well. Like staring into the sky, or sitting in anopen field. It almost seems like there is no wonder why God and spirituality issought after so often in nature, and can be felt through pure abstraction andcolor. Not only that, but itevokes something eternal in us, like staring out at the horizon, seeminglycontinuing forever. There is a stillness that speaks to us on another level. Itis a sound or feeling that is, like thought itself, everywhere and nowhere atthe same time, it’s intangible. There is a stillness that frees us from theworld and worldly things, and makes us feel more human. Anyone who may know athing or two about these matters might think of Agnes Martin, contributing the“wordlessness of landscape” to her paintings: “Anyone who can sit on a stone ina field for awhile can see my paintings.”Nature being in the purestform, the same as it was since the beginning, harkens back to somethingprimeval. Perhaps it is the purity of creation that is what arouses our souls,and why pure color, abstract form, and nature (embodying the same boundlessessence) speaks to us in an unexplainable way. Perhaps it is in abstraction,the indefinable, and the “shapeless”, that we find familiarity to that of thespirit of God.

In an article written in 1961 byRobert Rosenblum titled The Abstract Sublime, he quotes Immanuel Kant from his Critique of Judgment (1790) stating, “the Beautiful in nature isconnected with the form of the object, which consists in having boundaries, thesublime is to be found in a formless object, so far as in it, or by occasion ofit, doundlessness isrepresented.” Rosenblum further points out in the same article that, “As theRomantics discovered, all the sublimity of God can be found in the simplestnatural phenomena...” When faced with quotations like these I can’t help butremember standing on the red-brown soil of the desert in Marfa, Texas beforeDonald Judd’s huge concrete sculptures. The herd of large objects stationary intheir tracks, like boulders, or large trees, as if the pieces grew up from outof the ground. Out here the art exists without museums, the white gallerywalls, devoid of utility or commoditization, becoming part of the landscapeitself; taken from any social concepts, and free from paradigms. It has become,like Agnes Martin’s paintings, an object of “wordlessness.” There is nodescription of any event outside of itself, but rather it is the event. In away, the site specific instillation makes the site itself readymade. In turnthis leads to a negation: a negation of all things worldly. In fact, it is asif they were pre-existing, or a priori if you will.

The impact ofviewing such objects is like seeing the natural wonders of our universe, orthe pre-existing models of our rhetoric and understanding (like mathematics.) It's like something that is discovered or reveled or unearthed, but alwaysexisted. It relates to how Barnett Newman spoke of his paintings: “My paintingsphysically declare the area as a whole from the very beginning. They are not aconstruction.” As such a blank slate, an objective form, the subjectivity ofthe viewer is overwhelming, and the natural phenomenon of the object is now atwork. It is from the object of form and boundaries that the formless andboundless appears: like water flowing from the rock: it is at this point thatit goes beyond its natural self, almost demanding the question: “why is there somethingrather than nothing?” Perhaps it is for this reason I find minimalism soinherently spiritual. On the contrary, one could argue that the work of"minimalist" artists (though it is understood that “minimalist” was a loose termthat not all labeled as such necessarily prescribed to) like Judd are devoid ofany content or meaning, being sole material, making declaration that it is anobject (beautiful at that,) and it exists in this world alone. As if to have amaterial awakening is to resolve any conjecture about things transcendental. Asthe work “pulls no punches” and has no “tricks”, it is this sole materialitythat gives it such life and spirit.

So it would seem contradictory or illusorygiven the information above that such a claim would hold true, or solely atleast. Because to emphasize on something’s essence is to raise assumptionsabout its core being, its “thingness.” It’s in this state of natural phenomena,as scientist and mathematician, John Lennox points out, to assert “the words ‘nothing but’,the statements go beyond science and become expressions of materialist ornatural belief.” So it would seemthat it is drawing nearer to something more existential, and, subsequently, something moretranscendental. One of the pinpoints of the transcendental in minimalism isthe mere feet it aims to achieve (knowingly or not,) and that is what is called“Total Transcendence”. This is to have utter and total transcendence over allsubjectivity, seeing solely objectively, “Pure Objectivity.” But perhaps it ishere that we catch a snag in passage, because in usual terms, we deal with theobjective and subjective as a means of understanding, and I’m not so sure that,from the “minimalist” prospective, this work is meant to be understood (orfully at least.) Furthermore, anything that would acquire the objectivityneeded for “Total Transcendence” would hence require total autonomy, which byvirtue of its having been created by a mind, and thus relating to that mind,renders the object in question anything but autonomous. In fact, it speaks ofrelation. It is the presents of the “why”, the subjectivity, which leaves us tothe algorithmic method, to test the material and any belief in conjunction.“Total Transcendence” would seem to be out of the picture for these reasons,and it would seem that it is better fit that it relate to what would then becalled “Semi-Transcendence”. AsChristian Apologist Ravi Zacharias puts it: ‘We can trust our findings withcertainty, but we are not so “outside the box” that the box is nothing morethan an object of study.’ So the material is not merely the material isit? Though we may have the “what”and the “how,” the “why” is much less easy to attain. Since we are very much“inside the box,” that leaves only the assertion that there is an “outside.”This “outside” is what can be attributed to the “why,” and from our prospective, we must determine for ourselves that "why" as well as the in-between.

To be continued...

STUDIO: NEW PAINTINGS

2011-12-06T13:07:00.001-08:00

These aren’t the best images (I plan on getting better ones in the near future,) but just to give an idea as to what I have been working on, I have posted some pictures of some new works below. I have had a few things going at once: the large painting, and the smaller ones as well. Not only have these things been in the works, but I am doing some writing as well—a new thesis so to speak—which I will be sharing in segments shortly.

As for these works, there is both the exploration of ideas and material (go figure) going on. With these works, and in my writing, I am more or less focusing on how we look at art, understand it, make it, and what it all says, or means. The question at hand, I feel, is why is there something rather than nothing? This question goes beyond art making to the very core of our existence, but it does not, however, exclude it. So my investigation is to the heart of that matter of why we do make art, and how it may further still mirror something else entirely. This is what fascinates me: One of the most interesting things about art in general is that you are looking at something that has been brought into the world, and you are trying to figure out why. Art relates to creation in this very way, and the quarry of our existence. But it’s not just one sided, for the artist too, as the creator, makes something and asks his or herself “what have I made and why?”

It’s every artist’s dilemma, task, chore, duty, or what-have-you, and with any luck I hope to cover some ground in coming up with something that helps me to better understand my own work, as well as the said question raised. Mainly, my focus has been on minimalism, where it has come from, how I find myself relating to it, and how it relates to other things in general. So that is all to come, and hopefully it will shine more light on the things I have been working on, and give more explanation to these paintings.

Blue Cross

12x12"

Latex on canvas

12x12"

Latex and graphite on canvas

Latex on canvas

73x72"

not yet titled

UARTS' MAKING IT RECEPTION

2011-10-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

The UARTS Making IT reception had a decent crowd, and it was nice to sort of roam around unnoticed noticing people looking at my piece, talking about it, getting close, pointing, analyzing it, and taking it in. It was a nice night.

Here are some images from the event below.

(These are uploaded from an iphone, so they are a little fuzzy.)

STUDIO

2011-10-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

Getting some new things rolling at the studio (my friend Justin and I moved in at the beginning of September, and we are sharing a space on the 6th floor of the VOX Populi building.) There are some larger paintings in the works, as well as some smaller works on paper. In addition, I posted some pages from my sketchbook as of recently (some are sketches for the larger paintings.)

Watercolor

Ball point pen on Posted Notes

Graphite

Colored pencil on paper

MAKING IT: UARTS ALUMNI SHOW

2011-10-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

I will be participating in the UARTS alumni show Making IT, taking place on Saturday, October 22^nd, 2011. I have one piece in the show called Graced, a newer collage that was made over this past summer. Come out if you can, and enjoy the fruits of some UARTS “post-gratitude.”

SKETCHBOOK

2011-08-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some sketckes from my book that I have been working on on-and-off for a few months now. The images aren't the best, but I'm afraid it's all I can produce for the time being. I'm hoping to post more in the near future.

Watercolor

Graphite and watercolor

PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR AMBITIONS

2011-08-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

These are some artists that have been sort of in the back of my mind/pulled up on my browser lately.

Joe Bradley

Ann Edholm

Blinky Palermo

Also just finished this book on Barnett Newman not too long ago. It has been helping me to refine my thoughts, and realize how much I have in common with him.

SCHOOLED RECEPTION

2011-07-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some images of the show SCHOOLED while it was up, as well as some reception photos.

Works by Ben Weaver

Works by Douglas Witmer

2011-05-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

The latest painting that I posted, which did not have a title, now has a title.

Here Comes The Son
48x17x3 1/2”
Latex on canvas
2011

NEW PAINTING: RELATIONSHIP

2011-05-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

I just got some decent images of a new painting I did about a month ago. The images are not very high res, but I believe they convey an alright display of the painting. In this piece I’m dealing with the subject of relationship: relation between the wall and the painting, and relation between the painting and the viewer. What once was an object viewed on the wall, has now entered, and shares, the space of the viewer (a band of light pink highlights where this relationship between artwork and viewer’s space takes place. A relationship that is taking place on ground level). This sends the painting into a realm of teetering identity I believe, between its objecthood and being a painting at the same time. This is a piece I would like to be seen as both object and painting; something that is indeed material and object, but is still capable of transcending its materiality through its being a painting: material with a soul. As well, it is somewhat of a declaration of its (painting) ability to exist on or off the wall. This is not to say that it has been liberated in this act, because I believe the piece’s freedom comes from its silence, but rather it is more of a display of versatility: that this isn’t what painting should be, but what it is capable of. This piece is, as I believe the rest of my work is, a transmitter for something beyond material: a silence, an “articulation of spiritual meaning,” and in this case it stands on its own, but is not autonomous.

(piece not yet titled)

STILL COLLAGING: FOUND AND REFUSED

2011-05-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Graced

12x15"

Mixed media

2011

(detail)

I'm still working on my collages made from scrap and refuse material. The experience is always different from painting, and the outcome is much similar. With collage I am able to move pieces around to see if they fit, which enables me to be more strategic, and helps me to make the strongest composition possible. In using these materials, I am dealing with the issue of things that have had a different life at one point, but have since been discarded, left over, abandoned, rediscovered, and given new purpose and being. What once was simply utilitarian material is now made into something more purposeful in an artistic, spiritual, and transcending sense. They are now transmitters of a message and discourse, they are objects of worth, and they have since lost any reputation of utility.

I hope to post more about the things I’m working on and thinking about in the near future, as well as some images of new work.

SCHOOLED

2011-05-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

I will be participating in another three person show this month at Second Space in Philadelphia, along side Ben Weaver and Douglas Witmer. This will also be Second Space's 1st year anniversary at the reception on June 10th, from 6-9 PM. I am really looking forward to seeing all the work up (as well as my own work beside the other two men’s work), and the affect in which it might have collectively. I think it will be a strong show and a great experience. Please come out if you can, and enjoy refreshments and good work.

Here’s where to find it: Second Space Arts at OCMC, 900 E. Howell Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA.

For more information, check out the Second Space Facbook page HERE.

POSTCARDS

2011-05-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

Nostalgic Fantasies

4x6"

Collage and latex paint

2011

Pink & Blue

4x6"

Collage

2011

Deep Blue

4x6"

Graphite and latex paint on cardboard

2011

Here are three 4x6" pieces that I made for submission to The Postcard Show At the Halsey. Only one was in the show: "Pink & Blue". The turnout was massive, and there were a many a postcard. It was an interesting event.

2011-05-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a drawing/collage that I made to send to a friend of mine studying in France. It was a suprise, so now since she has recived it, I thought I would post it.

Water color and graphite on graph paper.

7x7"

FURTHER STILL

2011-04-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

Things are coming along. I have been since using my porch as my studio (can't say I dislike it), working out side on my larger paintings, and doing my smaller things—collages and all the rest—in my room. I have a few things going right now ranging from collages to larger paintings, while toying with some new concepts and material ideas. I have a lot to flush out still, but I am very anxious about where this is all going. I hope to have some decent images soon.

Also, I will be participating in a rather large group show at The Halsey come May, called "The Postcard Show: Wish you were here!" Every Artist has made one to several 4x6” pieces (postcard size) to be on display. Without knowing who’s piece is who’s, upon purchase the artist is then revealed to the buyer, keeping it secret throughout this one night exhibition. It should be a very fun and interesting experience. I will post my “postcards” after the show, as to not spoil anything.

LOCK IN OPENING

2011-04-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots I found on Flickr from the Artist Lock In reception. More can be seen HERE.

NEW COMPLETED WORKS

2011-03-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the artist lock in and EYE LEVEL ART, where all 25 artists, including myself, were locked in at 7 pm on Friday night until 3pm the next day. Everyone work very hard throughout the nigh/morning, and I was thoroughly pleased with all the work on display. It was a great experience to be working next to all these artists and getting to know some people, and overall having accomplished something together. The night of the opening, Saturday the 19th, when all the artists had left and the work was hung, the turn out was tremendous and drew a large crowd that stayed consistent throughout the night. Though I must say I was very exhausted throughout the night while working, and into the next day, the work accomplished was well worth it. Collectively I left the lock in having made five pieces—two on canvas, and three on paper. Below I have posted some images of the work I made during the lock in, as well as some links to check out some video and images from the event.

VIDEOS

PICTURES

Peter And The Sea

2011

30x36"

Latex house paint on canvas

Who's Who?

2011

12x30"

Latex house paint on canvas

Pink Moon

2011

15x22"

Latex house paint on paper

Crux Beyond The Deep

2011

15x22"

Latex house paint on paper

I've Got Stripes

2011

15x22"

Latex house paint and graphite on canvas

2011-03-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a "teaser" video for the artist lock in at EYE LEVEL ART that I will be participating in:

http://vimeo.com/20945008

SCAD OUTING

2011-02-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Last night a group of us took an evening trip to Savannah, Georgia to check out some of the de Fine Art exhibitions at SCAD. The two things we got to see, with time in little abundance, was "The Spirituality of Place", featuring artists like Do Ho Suh, Mark Bradford, Andy Goldsworthy, and Yoko Ono, as well as a Marina Abramovic exhibit and lecture.

I must say it was pretty neat to see such a prolific/renowned artist speak in person. I had seen her at the MoMA last fall, as she sat at a table where guests were invited to sit across from her to simply do exactly that. It was an overall mystical experience, which is the persona and essence I took of the woman; so, to see her in person, out of character, if you will, was also somewhat refreshing. As an artist that works in such a heavy way, and by that I mean in terms of concept and content, to realize she was a real person like anyone else, trying to say something, was something intriguing all on its own. I was also interested to find out what the thoughts were beneath that head of thick, flowing, black hair, and the things that fueled her work for years. Not that I can get behind most of what she says and does perhaps, but I definitely took away excellent insight and food for thought from the entire experience. While most artwork may be, indirectly, or by default perhaps, about being human, Abramovic’s work is quite the image of seeking, finding, losing, hurting, living, and dying: a cry of the soul and the effect in which the space around us receives, rejects, and have it penetrate back into our skin.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

2011-02-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have been furthering my development on these color field painting sketches, and have been having fun with it at that. I am highly anticipating getting these things made, and hopefully my funds will catch up with my ambitions soon enough (though I tend to think this will be a pay check to pay check sort of thing.) These will most likely be painted on 24x24 wood panels with house paint.

As I have always been more interested in the experiential as a main focus for my work, the depth of the soul and its ability to respond in such experiences, and what this says about God, exploring color as a conductor is my goal with this body of work; and as I’ve said before, these paintings are not merely ‘influential’ color, but ‘representational’ as well. While trying to use color to evoke, I am still trying to lend some narrative to ‘chew on’, if you will. The human condition, I believe, is at the heart of the matter with these works, and I aim to express them, and further more, attempt to arouse the feeling in the viewer as well. As a person who is highly introspective, I am also in attempts to become more outwardly spiritual, outwardly Christian, to try and experience instead of merely thinking about things (God in particular). My thinking is, that I can think about my work, Christ, and the world as much as I’d like, but I’ll never experience it that way. To take a Barnett Newman approach, I need to experience painting, drawing, art making, by doing it. Externalizing what is in the soul, and opening it for the discourse of other souls as well.

In the latest stage of Agnes Martin’s career, she came to reject herself fully, and would only work off of what she called the ‘influence’, her soul, and an external force that would have led her step by step till the piece was through, thus finding herself by giving it up. Thinking of nothing while painting, and achieving everything in the end. This all reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ words as he ended Mere Christianity, referring to Luke 17:30, saying:

Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will really be yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.

While I do read, write, and think, of both my theology and art theory (and enjoy them very much,) I am at a point of limiting the amount of intellectual jargen that I allow in, and how much I think of myself. This is the attempt of pulling off the wet shirt that is false reality created by introspection and puffed-up intellect, that has no actual hold on the real world because it goes no further than our own brains. So, in a nut shell, I choose life!

ARTIST LOCK IN

2011-02-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

I will be participating in an 'Artist Lock In' at EYE LEVEL ART come March 19th with twenty-four other artists. We will be 'locked in' to the gallery for twenty-four hours to create a body of work, with the aims to sell as much as possible the following night. I'm hoping to maybe make some smaller mock-ups of the digital sketches I posted earlier on paper with acrylic. It should be a different and exciting experience. So, click on the image above to learn more.

COMPUTER SKETCHES: DARK BLUE & THE DEPTH OF THE SOUL

2011-02-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

I have been working on some sketches in Photoshop, sort of experimenting and configuring with flat color, proportion, and the effect in which these things speak visually concerning the soul. I'm diving into some color "theory" the likes of Kandinsky and Albers, while trying to hone in on my own sort of spiritual experience in dealing with these colors and where one might find oneself in his/her walk. I've been dealing primarily with a deep navy blue (some close to black), that, according to Kandinsky, is the color that provokes the deepest realm of the soul, and in some cases, is a realm of sorrow and grief to the extent of not being human. Kandinsky and Albers both used color as something more influential rather than representational, but I am in attempts to maintain a little of both; while at the same time, I would like these pieces just to be able to do their thing.

MATERIALITY, INTENTIONALITY

2011-01-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

Heaven to Me, 2007, oil on panel, 21in. x 14in

and detail of Mondo Mondo, 2008

This weekend I went to see the new exhibit at the Halsey, Leslie Wayne, and enjoyed it. It was definitely interesting to see, and mostly different than most things I have seen (then again, perhaps I don’t get out as much as others.) A few things resonated with me in seeing her work: One was the paint and how it reminded me of cleaning my glass pallet after finishing a painting, and throwing away the scraped-off paint that coated the surface; whereas, in her paintings, these “scraps” were the material. But in contrast to my way of getting to this material substance, she is producing it for the sole sake of using it, where mine is excess and refuse—a product of a process for means other than itself. The second, had my mind wondering if this would have been Gerhard Richter’s next step, had he the need to take it there (though, unlike Richter’s abstract work, Wayne’s intentionality is somewhat distanced from dealing with the crisis of contemporary painting, the gloryless, or banality, as Richter’s is far from being about anything other than itself, let alone would it be speaking to landscape or geology. So I tend to think that Richter would not proceed this way—as he obviously hasn't—nor would his cause lead him to such, though Wayne’s work is related regardless.)

Gerhard Richter

Thirdly, was the somewhat edible quality of the work. From the hot-pinks to the lime greens, bright oranges to strawberry reds, it began to provoke a mildly enticing feeling. With bulbous mounds of bubblegum-like consistency and molten-taffy-looking bands, the pieces aroused certain sensory feelings that I did not anticipate, bringing to mind the tastes and flavors of all the possible candidate candies and sweets that this paint seemed to mimic. Upon seeing this show, it reminded me of some of Justin Rubich’s paintings that, in contrast to Wayne’s work, were more cake-like than candyish, and were more fueled by seeing (both as a means of reading art, and interpreting one’s social surroundings and psychological inheritance as result of those surroundings) than making any comparison or homage to landscape or “Mother Earth” as it were. However, I hardly laid hung upon these sensory parallels. I did have some criticisms.

EVE II oil on canvas 2009
Justin Rubich

EVE studies 3-5 oil on canvas 2009

Justin Rubich

So far as I commend Wayne for her technique and innovation, not everything about her paintings sat well with me. For instance, there are some gaping spaces on her surfaces. Yes, I understand the relation to landscape, giving a ground, horizon, and the heavens above, but as a viewer, I just didn’t know what to do with that empty space, which in some ways, made me feel like she didn’t either; and furthermore, the sprawling texture-less surfaces seemed not to balance out or compensate for the abundant texture elsewhere. In some ways, I’m not even sure the panels, or surfaces that the “mountains” of paint are adhered to are even necessary. These pieces, however much they are representative of landscape, still are speaking very much to the issues of painting and materiality. The relation to landscape is more of a jumping point for these paintings rather than the actual or continual subject mater. As much as the artist has tried to create atmosphere and render imagery—no matter how figurative—the paintings are still very much about the technique of the texture, and the said space of indecision, feels just that way, and furthermore deludes the impact of the texture. The things that all three, Richter, Rubich, and Wayne have in common, is the dealing with these issues of painting on a material level (meaningfully or not.) This age-old open discourse of what painting is as material, and what it is capable of on multiple levels—but these are amateur statements on my part and are hardly profound. Nonetheless, the limits of painting are continuing to be pushed, as seen in Wayne’s new works, and ultimately excites me to anticipate what comes next.

NEW SKETCHES

2011-01-15T23:39:00.000-08:00

Here are some new drawings that I am working with in thinking of some larger paintings in the future. I've been trying to flush out my concepts, as well as the ideas I have about some materials. So, we'll see where it takes me; and I might post some writing soon on what I'm thinking about with these pieces (and just in general lately.)

PHOTOS FROM 'In3s'

2011-01-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

I have finally gotten my film developed from the In3s show at artspace liberti from back in September. I had my three big stripe paintings in the show, centered between Matthew Graham Sepielli and Timothy Gierschick. Unfortunately, I am just now getting these up here, and thanks to CVS, the photos came out a little grainy. But, the work looked great all-around, and it was a great turnout. Thanks again to Rob Matthews for putting on the show.

TEACHING CLASSES

2011-01-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

http://reduxstudios.org/

Come May of 2011through April, I will be teaching some classes a the local contemporary art center, REDUX, for an adult class and a children's class. Both classes are virtually the same, focusing on Abstract Expressionism, and making paintings in the manner of a different artist each class. I look forward to getting involved with these courses and having some fun with this stuff. Check out the links to learn more.

DRAWING PROJECT UPDATE

2011-01-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

THIS+THIS(repeat), the drawing project I'm working on, is still going, and quite nicely I should say. While the time frame seems to have been extended, and I am fine with it at that, from one day max and no less, to a few or a hand full of days, the progress is still quite satisfying. Anyhow, perfection must not be rushed. This project has been keeping me working and furthermore thinking and trying/discovering new and different things. As well, it has been equally interesting and satisfying to see the work that Chloe has been producing in response, which make wonderful pieces on their own. No doubt, this project has been a swell exercise for the both of us. I am still very excited about the project, how far we have come so far, and where it will go in the future.

Tim Hussey

2010-12-16T22:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went to an opening at The City Gallery to see a retrospective of a man named Tim Hussey (who, from what I gather, is the top-dog painter/photographer/artist here in Charleston.) I was pleased by most of it, and enjoyed it very much. It was nice to get out and see more work, and see some of the faces I'm starting to become formilar with. I was pretty taken in by the aesthetic, and perhaps some of it had to do with his work bringing to mind some older favorites (i.e. Philip Guston, Robert Rauschenberg, etc. ), which at some points made it hard for me to think of anything else. But, overall, I think it was a nice show, with good work, in a good space, and it was quite refreshing. Also, from what I heard, I had just missed Bill Murry's apprence by a hand full of minutes. Next time I guess.

Killers

2010-12-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

In thinking more about art making, I began to say to myself, perhaps the next step is not to think of what can now be done in this day and age, but maybe, what could be undone? Is it easier to just replace something rather than giving it new life? Just because something is new, does not, by any means, automatically make it better. Furniture today is hardly made as well as it used to be, and the same goes for a lot of homes and other things too. I think we fall into this trap, that the new is much more exciting and intelligent. After all, it is new, and to be new it must have surpassed whatever it’s replacing in a progressive, refined, and more sophisticated way, right? But this is hardly ever the case. As the saying goes, “they just don’t make them like they used to”. If time, effort, craft, and quality is now being boldly rationed or deducted, and the end product (whatever it may be: furniture, appliances, clothes, ideas, relationships etc.) is substantially poorer than before, why do we like it? Perhaps it’s one thing if the thought behind the thing is clever, challenging, and intelligent, but if its sole purpose is to be new, then I think it is simple and a waste of our time. Because, lets not fool ourselves, we as artists are asking ourselves a lot of times, what can I use, make, or think of that is just different, and then we work from there. But how genuine or intelligent is that? And do we have a choice? C.S. Lewis makes an interesting claim about originality, saying:

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

Lewis’ quote brings up a great and highly thought provoking point, and is somewhat reminiscent of the Bauhaus and their mode of teaching. When the Bauhaus started in 1919, there was no teaching of art history, so there was nothing to reference, nothing to compare to, and ultimately, nothing to compete with. There was only making, and with the mind set that you were making ‘art’ for the first time in history. It seems like people are racing all the time to try and take the next step for all of humanity, making their mark on history to be seen as a revolutionary. Even as far back as Malevich and up through art history, artists have been trying to make ‘the last painting’, so that nothing could be done after it. It seems more like this train of thought is trying to kill and destroy rather than to invent, create or give life, like the Bauhaus.

By now, in this art world, and in the world in general, old ideas or ways of thinking rapidly become taboo or obsolete. And it’s not that your idea is ultimately invalid it seems, but it is less legitimized in the eyes of the current time, only because some one else has thought up something different. In this age, we know that there is no just making something, and to be honest, I’m not sure where I stand on the subject just yet. Yes, I think you should think about what you do, and do with reason (whatever it is, and it obviously does not all depend on me), but then I suppose it is reason that is in question all of the time. Why has anything changed over time, including art: We get bored, if you ask me. It dose not matter how well you paint, or what you make, because if it doesn’t meet the standards and needs of the times then it is hence irrelevant. If I may be so bold, it seems that art, and the rest of the world, changes by default, regardless of the validity of the subject. We change our minds, and want something new, and so we try to change everything else, and in the name of Progress no less, claiming it to be better then before.

Jackson Pollock made it big because it was a show no one had yet seen, and now people are over it. Yes, he is still widely admired, and rightly so, but could Pollock himself make that work today? Absolutely not. Not even in the slightest. Andrew Wyeth, for example, is an artist that did not budge all through his career, spanning from the 1930s till his death in 2010, making the same paintings all the long, of the same old barns, cape cod homes, fields, and people. But over time, his work was no longer in ideologue with the rest of the art world. The times changed, the art world changed, but he did not; and why should he? Some people, similarly to Wyeth, like Giorgio Morandi, only painted still lives over his whole career (and in all honesty, I’d much rather go on looking at Morandi’s my whole life than, say, any of Damien Hirst’s work.) If the times, and the types of production of work are changing, do I have to as well?

With technology continuing to cast spells on us with its constant advancement, leaving us saying, “Well I’ve never had that before,” or “ I couldn’t do that with my old ‘x’” or “I’ve never seen a ‘y’ do that before.” It is a mere shallow trick of spectacle, that is, like Hirst’s work, tagged with a dollar sign in the end, and hardly much more. Worse of all, we think we need it all to survive, and the scary thing is, that the world is ‘progressing’ so that it will be true, and is for some already. In the end, our motives are the cause of most things in the world: the art world, the business world, all formed from and for ourselves and our desires (needless to say, some prevail more than others.) So what are we trying so hard to ‘progress’ toward anyhow? It seems more and more the saying changes from ‘Now you can do this’ to ‘Now you need this.’ Our liberties and freedoms slowly become mandates, as artists, and as people. Some say that the art world has no rules, yet we all know that the unspoken rule is, that it most certainly does. Perhaps that’s the catch to most things.

Fond Memory: Nick Cave

2010-12-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

Over the summer when I visited Charleston for a few days, I had the privilege of seeing a Nick Cave (no, not the musician) exhibit at the Halsey, and just now as I remembered seeing it, I thought about how much I enjoyed it and should share it. For anyone who doesn’t know Nick Cave, like I didn’t before I saw the show, he is an artist who’s background is sculpture and fashion design. At this show his work was paired with photographs of African suits and people wearing them in their originally crafted place. It was an interesting contrast to see Cave’s performative/decorative suits in comparison to that of the more ritual and cultural suits seen in the photographs. I must say, I was pretty taken to see these things in person, and was surprisingly hypnotized and relaxed to sit and watch a video on display of the artist (I believe) actually performing in these fury, clangy, rustley, chimey, soundful, and vociferous suits. Furthermore, I was pleased to have stumbled on some of his suits in the collection at PAFA in Philadelphia over the summer as well, not long after I returned from visiting Charleston. So if you are in Philly, you should try and check them out (and see PAFA’s collection anyhow if you haven’t seen it.) All-in-all, I find his work very fun, and I think that is his goal. So, well done Mr. Cave.

Open Studios

2010-12-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

Tonight was refreshing. Redux Contemporary Art Center held an open studio event where I got a chance to see what was being made here in Charleston, and put some faces to some of it as well. It was nice to get out and be around paint that wasn’t house paint for a change (being that I have been working at Sherwin Williams since I moved here.) Redux is the only establishment in Charleston, that I know of, that runs such a program(s). Not only does Redux have gallery space and studio space, but it also facilitates art classes as well, and a hand full at that. From what I have been noticing in Charleston, there are “galleries” that have the expected beach-paintings and kitschy-home-gear, and then there is Redux and the Halsey, both facilitating to contemporary art and artists. I have been enjoying getting to know the people that run these places (very awesome, helpful, and friendly people), and have been volunteering and helping out when I can. It has been a great way to meet people, get plugged in, and make new friends. I look forward to getting to know them further, and maybe even getting some of my own work on a wall or two while I’m down here.

In The Works

2010-12-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

Graphite and Scotch Tape

18x24

This is somewhat of a crummy image of a drawing I just started. I'm not sure that it's finished yet, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure where it's going. But, here it is.

Wheels Turning

2010-12-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

For the past month or so my studio has been my room, and, as I mentioned before, I have been working on making my new room here in Charleston a little more homey. So I have finally painted my walls, and already, it is starting to feel more cozy. Obviously I won't be making very large paintings in here like I have done before, but I hope to be productive nonetheless. While continuing on my drawing project with Chole, I am trying to read/write and tumble over some ideas in my head for other works that are more specific, a bit larger, and more central to my thought process. I do have some new ideas, with some new materials, and I hope to start in some way in the near future. God willing, it will be underway soon, if my funds prove stable enough.

Lauren's Instillation

2010-11-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

Last night I helped Lauren out with her instillation at the Tin Roof for a calender release/music show. I had been gathering cardboard boxes from work to give to her for this project, and I'd say the storing up was well worth it. The structures all ended up suiting the space really well, and though it was a new time frame and materials for Lauren, the work still looks very much like her own. It was a long day, and we busted our butts to get it done; but at the end of the day, we got the sadisfaction of completion, a pint of free beer, great food, good music, and instantainious sleep as soon as our heads it our pillows. To artmaking!

Check out the artists from last night: Here and Here.

2010-11-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

I helped to install the work for the Redux 8th Annual Art Auction today at The Charleston Center For Photography. There was a lot of work, and it took nearly all day, but in the end it all looked well. It felt good to be hanging and doing gallery work again. I'm sure it will be a good turn out, and I hope they raise all the money they need to keep their budget for the year. It's a really nice gallery, and they have good shows as well; it's a good place to have around.

2010-11-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

Still working on the drawing project, if anyone is following it, and working most of the time on my real job (which is not art unfortunately, but it makes some money). I'm just starting to get settled in at my new places, and collecting furniture and such, making it lived in, and will be painting the walls soon. But, thats not art either, though at least it's painting.

2010-10-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

I have recently moved to Charleston, SC for a little while, and I've been here for about two weeks. I've been busy working, but i am actually being productive and getting out to see some things. So I thought I would post some work I have seen as of recently here in Charleston.

Drawing Project

2010-10-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hey all. Just a heads up, that Chloe Crawford and myself have started an on going drawing project in the form of a blog, where we make work in response to one anothers work. Pretty cool. So check it out, and try and follow us! We just started, but we will post a drawing per day. So keep your eyes pealed!

http://thisplusthisrepeat.blogspot.com/

On The Horizon

2010-09-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece, that I just realized, I never posted.

ON THE HORIZON
2010
OIL PASTEL AND GOLD ACRYLIC ON CARDBOARD BOX

New Drawing Finished

2010-08-25T12:57:00.001-07:00

HE IS
2010
Ink, graphite, and collage on graph paper
6 1/2 x 6 1/2"

In3s Press

2010-08-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to an overview of the artists in the In3s show, including myself.

http://artspaceliberti.blogspot.com/

In3s

2010-08-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

I will be participating in a three person group show this September at artspace liberti, at 2424 E. York Street, Philadelphia, PA, along with Tim Gierschick, and Matthew Sepielli. I would encourage everyone to check out their work. I will be showing (and selling) my three big stripe paintings. Looking foward to it, and I hope you all (whoever you are) can come.

Slowly But Surely

2010-08-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

So, my room at my Father's house has become my "workspace" for the time being, having no job, and hence no studio space, I am trying to make progress where I can. Needless to say, I am trying to think small for now, and have actually started a small drawing, as seen above. Not much making has been going on, but I have set aim at reading and writing for the most part; I feel like I need to take the time to do so and learn a new thing or two, and it has been helping to do just that--stirring up some ideas as well. I should hope to post some writing in correspondence with the drawing soon as to what I am thinking about here. Slowly but surely.

Paradise II

2010-07-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

I believe that in the last writing that I posted on “Paradise”, it may have become a little unclear at the end, and perhaps misleading. I am hoping that if anyone had read it, that they did not leave with the impression that heaven is not important, that you should not think about it, and that it is something not to be concerned with, because it is far from the case. The point that I was trying to make, and please excuse my failure to communicate, is that heaven is very important. In fact, the most important, and that in that importance, we aught not lose ourselves to construed motives—that we do not lose sight of the most important part about reaching heaven, and longing for it while we are still here on earth: To see Jesus Christ and dwell with Him for eternity. After all, it’s what we are all working towards. It’s what this life is all about, and it is why we do what we do. Every trial, every grief, every pain, every joy, every test of faith is all in preparation for not this life, but the next. In Matthew chapter 6 verses 19-21 Jesus says this:

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“…there your heart will be also.” I believe it’s safe to say God knows what he’s doing. There is a place that God has made for us, that transcends this world—a place that is perfect, and when we get there, we will be all that God had designed us to be. But what are we left with now? In a recent article on Relevant Magazine’s website, Donald Miller puts it in an interesting way, saying:

Ever meet a girl who just got engaged? She’s happy. She’s not happy because she’s married, she’s happy because she knows she’s going to get married. She has hope.
—“What We All Have in Common”

Hope. That is what we have here. We have hope in Jesus and His kingdom, and He is ultimately our treasure. That we might live our lives on this earth with heaven in our hearts, experiencing God’s Kingdom: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. To fix our hearts on God’s Kingdom is to store treasures in heaven, and to store treasures in heaven is to fix our hearts on God’s Kingdom. So how do I store up treasure there if I’m here? Well, for one, it’s not as though we are transferring physical, earthly goods to heaven, is it? No, of course not. In this book, Christ is saying that it isn’t about earthly possessions at all, that it is completely beyond that. At the end of this message Jesus continues to say:

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

To be divorced from the world, and be wed to the Kingdom of God, to place our hope in Jesus and His kingdom, and not the things of this earth (including make-believe heavens that do not include Jesus). We should not be distracted by all the falsehoods that the world may make heaven to be like, and that we would not place hope in those things, but Jesus and what He has told us alone. As to say as well, that we should also not try to create a heaven here on earth with worldly possessions, and become comfortable with whatever we have created here for ourselves. Experiencing the Kingdom of God is beyond material things, in fact, it is quite intangible. But, again, how do we store up? What are we storing up? Works. We store up, and store through, works. In Matthew 25, Jesus says:

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

How do we do that?

40 The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

This was Christ talking to His disciples about the end of the age, the interaction between us and Him, when heaven has actually come, telling them that, whatever they did for the poor, less fortunate, and needy, that in the end, they did for Him in turn.

To do good for those in need is to actually do it for Christ Himself.

As I said in the previous writing, lets not get overwhelmed by not having heaven, or eternity, right now. Because God has given us the gifts, blessings, and insight we need to sustain us, and ultimately experience heaven in our hearts. For starters, just because we are not in The New Jerusalem, doesn’t mean that we are apart from God. In Psalm 23:4, King David writes, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me...” (Emphasis mine). God is with us every step of the way, even in the un-godliest of places.

Not only is God with us, but He has given us His Word, His voice—the Bible. I know most of us probably have a Bartlett’s of sorts, or a book of quotations perhaps from some of the most distinguished theologians of our history, or Einstein, or Oprah Winfrey maybe, but have you ever stop to think about how the Bible is the greatest quotation book of all time? The God of the universe has spoken to us, and it is all written down for us to have at any given time. Not only is He with us, but he has also told us what to do, and how to do it. So don’t deceive yourself, as James 1:22 says, and merely listen to the word, but—this is my favorite part—“Do what it says.”

After all, we are all still here, and that means we are not finished. Might I suggest we be patient, and “…not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” And, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Let’s not treat heaven like a carrot dangling on a string before us, but as something we are steadfastly waiting for, keeping our eye on it, and taking each day as it comes with gratitude and awareness for the day He does come back. For as Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:11, “Give us today our daily bread”(Emphasis mine), and as it is written in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path,” that we would take one day at a time, and that God would light the way, as to see only what is in front us. And lastly, but not least, as Christ instructs us, we must keep watch for Him, because we do not know when He will be returning (Matthew 24:42). That said, I hope I am now more clear as to what I’m trying to say: That we shouldn’t put the Kingdom aside, that we should dwell on heaven, look forward to it, rejoice in it, and seek it before anything else, and that all things will be given to us in turn (Matthew 6:33).

In conclusion, lets not forget all that Christ has done for us, what He has achieved in dying for our sins, the awesomeness of our inheritance that awaits us for being faithful, and the amazing gift of God’s grace and love that is endlessly pored out on us each and every day.

I ended the last writing with some lyrics from a band called Thrice. So, in keeping with the spirit of things, and because I think they are befitting and encouraging, here is a snippet from a song called “In Exile”.

My heart is filled with songs of forever - Of a city that endures, where all is made new. I know I don’t belong here; I’ll never Call this place my home, I’m just passing through.

Light

2010-07-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

A new book that I ordered just came in today. It's call Stillness & Light, and it deals with the Shaker philosophy on architecture, and the way in which things were specifically designed in a very specific and spiritual way. The issue of light is one that I have been thinking about, in a much similar sense, and with this book to read over, perhaps it will lend more insight to the subject, and furthermore help me to flush these things out a bit.

Paradise

2010-05-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Paradise is something quite abstract to us here on earth, in the biblical sense at least. The Bible does not say what heaven will look like, but only that it will be new (The New Jerusalem). C.S. Lewis wrote in his book A Grief Observed, that most of our ideas about heaven are “pictured in entirely earthly terms” and are “all out of bad hymns and lithographs”, and that “The exact same thing is never taken away and given back.” This is true. Nothing is ever the way it once was at any given time. And what do we do about something so anticipated that we do not know its manner? The Bible gives such a spares overview of the final destination, lending imagery of the wall and the city in the center, it’s dimensions, materials, and that God and His Son, Jesus, are both the temple and the sun, illuminating the entire place. The passages for this particular text can be found here. This alone is an amazing picture, and perhaps it is vague for a reason. Kandinsky had a thought on this, (and though I know I have talked about it before, it has relevance here as well) that if something is not seen, but only heard, that we receive only an abstract vision of the thing, that is immediately set up in our hearts, and the thing itself dematerializes (Concerning The Spiritual In Art). In this case we project from our own inventory of utopian ideals that we have collected throughout our history. We do not know, therefore we project what we do know, constructing from imagination a mere essence of something fragmented, fabricated, and abstract. At least to think of your shore house, or your own home while you are away, is to imagine something you have experienced, but the thought is never the thing itself. It too is merely a generalization of a past experience that cannot be fully visualized, but only fabricated in the mind. So what do we make of something that is unlike anything on earth that anyone has ever seen? Perhaps we see only blank space and light, for that is virtually all that is given. A city is mentioned, but we only have our own ideas of what a city should look like from the cities we have built on earth. What of something made entirely from divine matter? I believe it is inconceivable. To say it were anything else could be blasphemous. Perhaps if we were meant to know all there is to know about heaven, we would know. Perhaps we were only given so little information, because God knows what is most important, that we would not be distracted by white beaches and the picture of the perfect dream vacation spot. So now, is it by design that we long for the utopian, the vacation, the next step or moment of achievement? Or is it strictly of selfish impulses for “self-time”, efforts of negating the reality of the human condition in which we are call to manage? Perhaps it is both, and that there must be a balance. However, the only way at achieving any such thing is by focusing on Christ, and Christ alone.

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ John 14:6

I think all too often we focus only on the goal of heaven, rather than the one who will get us there. We think of all we’ve heard in songs, and seen in movies and works of art (as Lewis is saying), and get lost in a long “Christless” daydream, where you wear all your favorite clothes, live where you’ve always wanted, eat whatever you want, and who knows, maybe you have a sail boat and you sleep all day in the sun. All the while, Christ is nowhere to be found, as if He just dropped you off, and all He did to get you there was just forgotten. In John Piper’s God Is The Gospel, he raises the question, that if you could have everything you’ve ever wanted, without any of the cares, concerns, or imperfections or flaws of this world, “could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?” We spend so much time and effort loving everything else but Jesus, and in the end we become content, and ultimately dead. I think it is relevant to that of a flight on an airplane, heading to a vacation destination. You get on the plane and you sit in your seat, probably already thinking that you are getting yourself where you need to go. You bought the tickets didn’t you? And then, while flying you probably enjoy yourself, daydreaming about where it is you are heading, maybe take a nap while you’re at it, that is until the flight gets a little bumpy. Then maybe some of your fellow passengers begin to annoy you, they don’t have the drink you want, so maybe then it’s time to complain a little about the service, and what a lousy job the pilot is doing because of all the turbulence he’s allowing. But sometime later you begin to chill out, because by now you’ve sort of forgotten about the drink, the turbulence subsides, and besides, you start to remember, “I’m going on vacation!” So not long after, you land, thinking, “Thank goodness, now I can get off this thing, and away from all these people.” You gather your belongings, and begin to make your way to the exit, and as you pass the captain, maybe you give one of those awkward in-passing-grins that last about a half a second, and you go about your own business. No “Thank you for getting me here in one piece,” but just a nod of reluctant and forced acknowledgment, and you walk on by. “What? It’s his job isn’t it?” Don’t we do the same thing with God? We claim to be Godly people, and we complain when things get rough, and if things don’t go our way, and then don't acknowledge Him when He delivers us from a trial. Sure maybe we will acknowledge Him during the trial, because we need His help, but when everything is better, we feel as if we got ourselves there on our own merit. How often do we concentrate on the destination and never the one that got us there safely. Whether you have been blessed with possessions, a family, good looks, a good education, or anything for that matter, how often do we thank God for giving it to us? Or maybe we are heaven crazed, but never thank God for sending His son to die that we might have the tremendous gift of eternity in heaven. We can get so wrapped up in worldly things, and say “Man, one day I wont have to pay bills” or “One day I wont have to work” or “One day I wont have to see people suffer.” We can get so lost in the anxiety of not having heaven that we completely miss the point: We are all still here for a reason. Not to spend all our time in wide eyed daydreaming, but going out and doing the Lord’s work; making disciples, preaching the Gospel, and tending to the poor. That plane to the ultimate destination? Don’t worry, you wont miss it. The tickets for the flight? Don’t worry about those either—it’s been paid for, with the blood of the Son of God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.

So it seems that heaven is something unfathomable, and in the mean time there are other more important things to concentrate on. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the desire for heaven, perhaps we ought focus on the abounding gifts of God here on earth, that His grace is absolutely everywhere (I dare say you could not escape it), and that it would be enough.

I thought I would end this by leaving it at some lyrics from a song called “Beggars” by Thrice. It really helps to conceptualize how much we are not in control of, and how everything we have and are surrounded by is a gift. And I for one, when I fly, now make it a point to thank the pilot.

Tell me what can you claim? Not a thing - not your name.

Tell me if you can recall just one thing,
That’s not a gift in this life?

Can you hear what’s been said?
Can you see now that everything’s grace after all?
If there’s one thing I know in this life: we are beggars all.

2010-05-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the closing reception of my thesis show that I said I would post. There aren't many, but you can get a slight idea of the space. the images are kind of low res, but they were sent to me through e-mail, and I, unfortunately, don't really have a camera to use. so, this was the best I could do for now.

2010-05-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a new drawing, and a look at somethings I'm kicking around now. This piece is dealing with the idea of heaven in terms of the contrast between the Biblical depiction and the picture perfect beach resort we all imagine. I hope to be posting some more flushed out and polished writings about it soon.

2010-05-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

The UARTS senior painting thesis shows have now gone up, had both receptions (open and closing), and will be soon taken down. I would have to say we had a fine turn out, and that everyone's work looked great. There are some fine painters graduating from the program this year. As well, I thought I would post my thesis essay that goes along with the body of work in my show, as well as the majority of work that I have posted on this blog, which you may find below. I hope to be posting some pictures from the event as soon as i can get my hands on some. Also, I came across a kind of small review of the senior thesis exhibition that was on Rob Matthews' blog. He came by to see the show and wrote a little about a few of us. Take a LOOK.

EAST OF ETERNITY
THESIS ESSAY
BY
STEPHEN EVANS

Time is the perpetual countdown to the end of all things, and is the ultimate signifier of our temporality. “In the beginning God…” as states the first verse of the book of Genesis, illustrates the start of all we know, and subsequently renders a picture of a beginning with a corresponding end. Whether it exists on the face of a clock, the grid of a calendar, or the streak of gray in one’s hair, we are all intimately familiar with time. We all move through time in our own way, and are in most cases dependent upon it. Enveloping all things, including past, present, and future, it stands to reveal its uncontrollable and ever fleeting manner. In my working I have brought myself to question the issue of time on a grand scale and what it means to me: The idea of time being given as a means of something expendable, as well as the idea of it being taken/spent as apposed to being used. I feel to emphasize the fleetingness of our time on this earth, is to amplify its preciousness, and to draw specific attention to how important it is that we make the best use of it while we can. My work is very much about the formal as it is the spiritual and emotional. In my work, I deal with symbolism through the means of minimal abstraction and collage. In some cases the pieces are more of an embodiment of a concept or ideal, and in other cases, they stand to represent something more narrative. I agree with Kandinsky, in the sense that I too feel that there is an initial, physical, and optical reaction to an image that takes place in the eye, but that it may also go further to touch on another level of a being: the emotional and spiritual level. I believe that the formal issues of art are perfect vehicles for the allegorical, and may further more leave the message to supersede the artwork itself.

If you picture Time as a straight line along which we have to travel… we have to leave A behind before we get to B, and cannot reach C until we leave B behind. –C. S. Lewis

Lewis writes about the timelessness of God, and about the time frame in which we live, with fleeting moments and intrusive futures, and how ultimately expendable it all really is for us.
To see time as a whole, or to understand that time exists as one thing, is to come to the realization of a start and a finish, a beginning and an end, or an ultimate sense of boundaries. If we were to hold an object in our hands, we would recognize the edges, the plains, and we would see where the object ends, and where the deep space that surrounds it begins.

All photographs are memento mori. –Susan Sontag

Not only does time’s having a beginning and an end exist on a grander scale, but it is also something that exists on an individual, as well as a personal level: there being a beginning and an end to everyone and everything—a lifetime. The photo, Sontag is saying, is the material proof that time does in fact pass, fade, deplete, and die; and that photos are not only a visual record or evidence of a specific event, but it is a depiction or caption of time that has withered and died. As Sontag says, a “memento mori”—a memorial to dead time. The present rapidly becomes past at every second, laying way for the future which remains ahead and out of sight at all times.

Abstract constructs have been devised as a way to feel as though we have a grip on such a thing as time, or as if we ourselves make the future. Calendars are one example, where we may look at time in advance only as an arrangement of squares, vacant of plans to be plotted on the grid, and to further make sense of something virtually abstract. These devices (calendars, clocks, date books etc.) are man’s attempt to contain something uncontainable, as a means of rationing, as well as merely conceiving. Like staring out across the Grand Canyon, the vastness of something so great nearly disables one’s ability to come to any full rationalization of it, unless it is captured in the frame of a photograph or seen through a lens. Either way, the vast and overwhelmingly pure essence of the thing is diluted in order to be constrained for the human mind. In a sense, the grid of the calendar helps to reiterate the theory that as each day, week, month, and year, begins and ends, just as the very object ends in space, so does the time itself; and like the calendar, each day is numbered. Time is not in the business of moving in any other direction but forward. Which is why we make plans in the future, and not the past. Not even the day just passed could you affect in anyway possible. For we say that calendars and such are for keeping track of affairs, arranging meetings, remembering dates, events, and all the rest, yet not one of them may be carried out if time has stopped for any one individual. What are we really keeping track of, and what does time actually stand to show us?

But if the object is not itself seen, but only heard, the mind of the hearer receives an abstract impression only…and a corresponding vibration is immediately set up in the HEART. –Wassily Kandinsky

We have not seen God, but we have His word (The Scriptures). And in the same way that Kandinsky speaks about objects, so too could this apply to the way in which we experience God—abstractly. We merely get a view of God, through His interactions and works, with and through human beings, but we do not see God Himself. Art, already being something experiential, stands to lend an affective way of experiencing God through a medium. But not just art, but the formal issues of art, through means of symbolism via minimal abstraction. In this mode of working, perhaps the essence of a thing is revealed without facades, in a pure and basic form. To stand and reflect on an actual object, and read the information given as something representative of something larger than itself. As God’s word and people are an embodiment of His presents on earth, so could artwork do the same. Furthermore representing God and His essence through a form that engages and provokes discourse, extending the works meaning beyond its formal and material being.

Morning has not occurred!
That shall aurora be
East of eternity... —Emily Dickinson

Time, having a beginning and an end, therefore leaves the space between the two—our existence as we know it. Our everyday lives as humans wade in the temporal, vulnerable to the condition of our fragile and rationed existence. Time could stop for anyone at any moment. What it would be like to wake up every morning to the realization of this fact, and to adhere the very notion to our hearts at all times. Among the trials and troubles of our everyday lives, perhaps we would attempt to be more patient, and administer more love and kindness. Perhaps if we were to value every second of our lives on earth, we would weigh the worth of our own pride, to be less self-seeking, and more readily to forgive, protect, trust, hope, and preserve; that maybe even we ourselves could stand to represent something more than our material being. For now it is night, and though the sun has not yet risen, the dawn will be at the horizon of eternity, and all will be new.

2010-04-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

I will be participating in an art expo at UARTS to help raise money for tuition and scholarship money.

Learn more about it here!

2010-04-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the invite card to my senior thesis show.

2010-03-21T20:31:00.001-07:00

Here are some more images of my most recent work.

2010-03-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Things are awfully busy lately, so I have not been able to make as much posts as I would like. I am working on my senior exhibition and everything that goes with it: show cards, thesis writing (still in it’s earliest stage), and trying to finish up some pieces. So, to prove I have been working, here are just a few things that have been in production. Some of the pieces are going towards my show, and others are territories to be continued. I hope to be doing a bit more writing on here,God willing, and maybe even to talk about the pieces in this post.

2010-02-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

I haven’t posted in some time, so you’ll have to forgive me; I have been quite busy. I thought I would make a post I have been meaning to make, and it happens to relate to drawing/collage that I had posted a month or so ago, call Joseph and Nicodemus. In making this piece, I had been thinking about Christ’s wounds, His death, and His burial. In the book of John, chapter 19, verses 38-42, the claiming of Jesus’ body is described:

38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a] 40Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

In working on this piece, it aloud me to reflect on my own faith in Jesus, and the way in which I prescribe it to myself. In this passage, Joseph goes to claim Christ’s body, but he does it in secret. He is afraid of the Jews. He is afraid of being associated with Jesus. He is afraid of being persecuted because of his association. He is afraid of death. But not just Joseph, but Nicodemus as well, had gone in secrecy. Nicodemus had already visited Jesus in secret when he was alive out of fear also. These two men, disciples of Jesus, go to claim his body for burial. So here they are doing one thing; claiming Jesus (but in secret for fear of persecution), and disassociating themselves with him. Then after they claim him, the do something that seems somewhat contrary to their previous action. In private, the prepare and dress Jesus for burial. Rapping him in strips of linen, and applying spices to his body, and overall, taking such care, devotion, and lending intimate and loving care to the Lord’s body. What they did in private for the Lord, is quite different in comparison to what they did in public. This made me think of how it is related to our every day lives (if you are a Christian). Do you claim Christ in secret, but deny him in public? Do you fear being persecuted for your belief when in the world? Do you claim him in private? In your room? In your car? In your bathroom? And do you leave him there? I asked myself these things, and realized that I was claiming Christ in private; praying, worshiping, praising, reading God’s word, and devoting to Him in the comfort of my own room. I was afraid of what people would think, say, or do because of my belief in Jesus. Secretly a disciple, afraid of persecution. All my art work is centered on my faith in Jesus, yet when it came time to talk about it, I kept it secret. Then what was the point of making this work? What was the point in being a follower of Christ? What was the point of the work Christ did for me if I were to just deny him and do nothing? When I realized this, I came to the conclusion that this needed changing. John 16:33 says this:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Christ has overcome the world. On the cross, Christ said “it is finished” (John 19:30). All that could be done was done. We will be persecuted, but Christ is with us.
Matthew 28:20 say this:

“…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Christ did not die to makes us safe, but so that we might follow after him and be bold for a cause. To speak God’s truth, and have his guidance. I have decided to claim Christ in public as one of his followers, and to believe in Him as He believes in me. I decided to not be afraid. For if God is for me, who could be against me? (Romans 8:31)

What I've Been Working On

2009-12-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

“The Sands”
10x11 ¾”
Collage on paper bag.

“Blood and Water” 2009
32x64”
Oil and chalk snap line on raw vinyl.

“facing a certain future” 2009
9x12”
Collage on Hallmark bag.

“In Exile” 2009
16x20
Collage on graph paper

“The Great Escape” 2009
18x22”
Collage on craft paper.

“I AM” (I) 2009
18x22”
Pen and graphite on paper

"Out of The Silent Planet" I
18x22"
graphite on craft paper

"Out of The Silent Planet" II
18x22"
graphite on craft paper

"Out of The Silent Planet" III
18x22"
graphite on craft paper

"Out of The Silent Planet" IV
18x22"
graphite on craft paper

"Out of The Silent Planet" V
18x22"
graphite on craft paper

It Is Near
18x22"
graphite and charcoal on craft paper

Amendment I (Or Science Must Not Touch Religion)
18x22
graphite and charcoal on craft paper

“Out Of The Water” 2009
72x72”
Oil on raw canvas

“Won’t be the same” 2009
11x11”
Collage on box lid.

Here are the images I said I would be putting up. This is the work accumulating in my studio; what I've been working at, and there is more to be added to this. However, It Is Near, and Amendment I, are from the last spring, and are not apart of this body of work--I just thought I would put them up because they are relevant.

Also, I have formulated another sort of artists statement about this body of work, and it gives a little insight into what I'm keeping in mind as I work:

My abstract work is very much about the formal as it is the spiritual and emotional. In my work, I deal with symbolism through the means of minimal abstraction as a way to represent larger concepts in a simple way. In some cases the pieces are more of an embodiment of a concept or ideal, and in other cases, they stand to represent something more narrative. I agree with Kandinsky, in the sense that I too feel that there is an initial, physical, and optical reaction to an image that takes place in the eye, but that it may also go further to touch on another level of a being: the emotional and spiritual level. I believe that the formal issues of art are perfect vehicles for the allegorical, and may further more even stand to supersede the work itself. I am in concordance with Barnett Newman, in the way in which he would want people to view and see his paintings: all at once and up close. In this mode of showing or viewing, one gets the picture more immediately, and the image is presented with a more straightforward depiction of a concept or idea. Though my work is somewhat “quick look”, I try to lend a meditative quality to the pieces, so to provoke a contemplation that would extend beyond the optical and formal reading alone.

2009-12-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

Today, some friends/colleagues and I shot photos of some of our work, and for me, there were many things to shoot. I hope to get some of these images up within a day or so, and I will talk a little bit about them as well. We got some decent images, so I should have something worth showing.

Draft

2009-12-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

Draft for an up coming painting.
(White pencil on graph paper)

So, here is a sketch for an up coming painting that I will most likely be starting within the next month. This is a painting that will be coexisting with two other paintings (one finished, that I mentioned in a previous entry , and another that will be in production after this one). Just to touch briefly on the concept behind this trio, I have been thinking about transition, as I have also mentioned, and baptism. In this case, I am more or less considering three things: an idea, and ideal, and the living truth of it all. This is still something I am trying to grapple with and refine, so I apologize for the vague and ambiguous explanation. None-the-less, I am moving forward with the project, and learning as I go along. With these, I am trying to reconfigure how I go about making, especially in terms of my painting. I still believe in having a plan, but I'm starting to take the approach of Barnett Newman, in that I would start a painting by simply painting. And whats more, is that in the process of affecting the canvas, in turn it would have an effect on me. Thank you Mr. Newman.

Not a moment to lose!

2009-12-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

In the midst of all this talk of time, and it being my main subject as of late, something rather profound, yet ordinary had struck me. I had been thinking, as I was looking at some pictures of some people that I know, that are around my age, and thought: My God, one day I shall look back at times such as these when I am much older (if those days do come that is), and I shall say “look how young we all were then,” and how time had run such a game on us all. How we’d been tricked into thinking no time had past at all. That is, until we see the proof, and then we are taken through the loop, and we start to count the days, and even seconds perhaps, that we missed as it slipped out the back door, hardly letting a floorboard creek. And then we might even carry on to say how if it were only that way again, how much more we would have done and experienced, seized the moment, and made every second tamper and toil at that back door with the amount of locks and efforts put into containing them. And even still in this thought, I could almost awake as if from a dream, and take account of what took place in my mind and the actuality of my being: I am still young! To have thought of this made me think of what a gift it is to be at such a point in life. It helps one to think as to what they are doing about it as well, and to contemplate on the so very preciousness of each and every moment. There is not a moment to lose! Or perhaps it is quite the opposite, and that is what the saying suggests.

2009-12-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

"I AM"
pen, graphite, water color, and gold acrylic on graph paper
7x7"

Joseph and Nicodemus
pen, graphite, stickers, and newspaper clipping on graph paper
7x7"

So these are the drawings I said I was going to post, and I hope to have more up soon to have proof of all this work I said I've been doing. Also, just as a note, there is some minor shmutz due to the surface of the scanner I used. I tried to remove as much as I could.

2009-11-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

So, Tuesday, December the 1st, is the opening of a senior run show (that I was apart of) at UARTS, which I will also have one piece in. I hope to have some images up from the show before long, as well as the piece that I had in it. As well, I will be posting some smaller drawings that I have been working shortly, and hopefully more...

Here is the press release from the Facebook page so you can get the gist of the show:

The senior painting/drawing majors present Pair Off, an exhibition curated by the senior seminar class featuring works by seniors and juniors in the Fine Arts, Crafts and Photo departments.

This exhibition brings together pairs of artists whose works seem to create a relating or contrasting dialog. Each individual artist speaks uniquely through his or her medium, however no artist exists in a vacuum. This exhibition pairs the trends and interests of young artists within the University of the Arts community, and when presented together, they form the larger conversation that drives the exploration and expansion of the contemporary art world.

Pair Off is on display from December 1st – December 10th in Gallery 224 on the second floor of Anderson Hall, 333 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia. An opening reception will be held on Tuesday, December 1st 5 pm. until 7 pm. The exhibition is open to the public and refreshments will be served.

2009-11-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

So work moves on, and still, it goes well. I have completed another piece (a painting), and it is helping me to segue into making larger works. As well, this newer piece is helping me to stand back and compare it to others, and how I might incorporate similar elements to them/tie up loose ends for some. During my making I am trying, as of late, to think more through the process then through sitting and thinking. As to say, I am learning about what I am doing, and thinking about the piece while I'm making it (through the materials).

As well, I had spent some good time in New York City the past two weekends, and saw a good deal of work (some good and some bad). The ones that I particularly enjoyed:

Anish Kapoor- http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/exhibitions/on-view-now/anish-kapoor-memory

Dan Flavin- http://www.davidzwirner.com/

Wassily Kandinksy- http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/exhibitions/on-view-now/kandinsky

Wayne Gonzales- http://www.paulacoopergallery.com/exhibitions/475

Dan Fischer- http://www.derekeller.com/exhibitions.html

Wolfgang Laib- http://www.skny.com/exhibitions/2009-10-29_wolfgang-laib/#

For the sake of posting

2009-11-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

I just wanted to post this for the sake of posting.

2009-11-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

Work is on the move, as it were, and the said painting is finished...for now. I still need to think more on this piece and whether or not I need to add another element or two. All together, I am pleased with the painting, and have been writing as much as I can about it. Still, further up and further in I go, exploring what possibilities present themselves to my mind's eye, and learning all I can. Through my working on this body of work, I discover more and more about who God is(as well as myself), just by finding my way through a drawing, or marking a canvas. More ideas are brewing for more works, and I am refining them in my mind to the best of my ability. Steady still, and productive, I believe things are coming along quite well.
Till next time---

2009-10-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

I started a painting, however, production has been somewhat slow. I suppose my schedule has not been as doting, if you will, in terms of allowing time to come in and work. Not to mention that I have recently fallen ill. None-the-less, I believe it is still up to me to make the time to work (as to say, I shouldn't make excuses). Anyway, work goes on--reading--writing--and so on. Unfortunately, I have no images, as well, most of the images I have been posting were posted for the sake of posting. Verywell-- Adieu.

2009-10-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

More work is still being made, and I have more ideas for more projects. As well, in some cases, I am working on more than one project at a time. Still, I have to think of tying everything together, though I much rather just make, get the work on the wall, and think broadly afterward. This is not to say that I am not thinking about what I am making and that it does not relate at all: it does relate in fact.

A current thought on my mind is transition. Of course, transition can be applied to many topics. Light to dark. Bright to dull. Bad to worse. It could even have a sort of transcending or ascending quality to it. It deals with separation as well as a gradation between two things that exist according to one another. Transition charts a distance between things as well: even time itself. This, I believe, is what makes it relevant. Transition in time. These are still just thoughts, and unrefined ones at that. However, though the thought it is still just a thought, a painting is underway.
C.S. Lewis, when writing about God and his being timeless wrote, that if a line on a page is the course of all time (past, present, and future) in which we are traveling, then God is the whole page that the line is drawn on. That is something to think about, as well I am.
More to come to be sure.

2009-10-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Older work I'm trying not to forget about.

2009-10-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

(Something I'm working on.)

Work is coming along, though it is somewhat slow. I find I am writing and reading more than anything, but all are a means to an end. Ideas are flowing, and I am gradually chipping away at the production. I must say, that I am particularly satisfied with the way things are going, and judging on the responses I have been receiving, others are too. However, I am still in the process of trying to make sense of some things. All in good time, I believe, everything should fit into place. I hope to be able to have images up on this page soon if all goes well.
As well, here is a snippet of thought from a artist statement I wrote recently that pertains to my current work. As they are thoughts, and it is still early on, I dear say things are subject to change or to be built upon.

"Time is something we are all familiar with, moving through, and in one way or another, are dependent upon. It envelops all things as we know them, as well as things past and not yet present, and is in every way uncontrollable. In my working I have raised these questions to myself about these issues and what they mean to me: The idea of time being given as a means of something expendable, as well as the idea of time being taken/spent as apposed to it being used. Could time have a limit? If so, where is the line drawn and could we see it if we tried?"

2009-10-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Images: courtesy of Photo Booth.

Progress is being made, though I dare say it will be some what difficult to upload images at this point, being that my card-reader has melted. Tragic to be sure, yet none-the-less, it does not hinder my making. Work is much under way, and progressive at that. Working with collage elements and found ground has been proving to be an enriching experience. I have been working with old photos, and, as I said, found ground with collage elements to create somewhat of a nostalgic yet foretelling vision of humanity as we (knew/know) it: including hopes, as well as fears. The future, and more importantly, Eternity, has been on my mind greatly and undoubtedly charges my thought towards these works. Reading, writing, music, meditation, and thought have been widely embraced in my way of working (not that it's ever been so different), and I find it crucial to what I do. Not all has come together to make perfect sense to me yet, nor do I ultimately expect it to. I am a tool in the hand of a far greater craftsman.

The workers are few.

2009-09-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

James Castle

Dan Flavin.

Two more people I'm thinking about.

2009-09-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

New work in the works. Trying to make sense of some of my thoughts. This image is some what of a rough draft, if you will. We"ll see where this goes.

2009-09-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight my Mom made some Akoshka soup (a cold Russian soup), passed down from my great grandmother from Ukraine, and flat bread pizzas. very good.

2009-09-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

I got some great steals at the yard sale in my home town today. A radio from the 50's (A.M. only, $10), and an old Schwinn Racer ($15). Not too shabby.

2009-09-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

The first book of a trilogy that I'm starting tomorrow. Don't judge me. C.S. Lewis is my favorite author/writer of all time.
To be continued...

2009-09-08T19:45:00.001-07:00

I'm also finding myself moving too far from some of these older yet still recent paintings and drawings. I'm trying to find a median, or a way to bring them together.

2009-09-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

Frank Stella

Agnes Martin

Peter Halley

Donald Judd

Caravaggio

These are some artist I'm currently thinking about in my work.

2009-09-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

Ok. Some of my summer reading. Yes, all Max Lucado. I don't care if you think it's corny. They did me well and I highly recommend them.

2009-09-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

There has been some construction going on for a year or so in the field (or once was) across the street from my Mom's house. I drive by it all the time and found it captivating, especially at sunset. I don't think people are supposed to be on the premise, but I couldn't help myself and needed exploration. When in/or among nature there is this quieting feeling you get, for lack of a better word. I can understand peoples reasoning in searching for spirituality in nature, as tacky as it sounds. From my mind's eye, I believe it could be because it is closer to God's original plan. Out there, there is no technology, business, art world, or other man made distraction. Just you and the Earth. Just simply existing for a moment. However, in this case there are machines, dug dirt, and tire tracks that have ravaged this plot of field. But no humans except for me. In being out in the field it felt to me as if the machines themselves had grown out of the dirt and claimed this land. Or as if they were like a herd of grazing buffalo that had settled down there. At the same time, it was witnessing the slow approach of mans hand and conquering of this space.

I think it is going to be a park.

2009-09-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

Thinking of where to go to from here. I feel like I'm still in this mode of working, yet in trying to make new work my thought process is less giving.

New to this...

2009-09-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I've never kept a blog before so needless to say this is all a bit new to me. You can probably tell from my first post (it being about how I've never had a Blog). I figured I had to post something to get this rolling, even though I hardley think anyone will be reading this...