MUTO by BLU
Posted: February 8th, 2010
at 9:00am by Black Ock
Categories: Contemporary, YouTube
Comments: No comments
Garfield Minus Garfield

Garfield Minus Garfield is a site dedicated to removing Garfield from the Garfield comic strips in order to reveal the existential angst of a certain young Mr. Jon Arbuckle. It is a journey deep into the mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness and depression in a quiet American suburb.
Fitting that I haven’t words to describe this site. It’s real.
Posted: January 21st, 2010
at 1:47pm by Black Ock
Categories: Contemporary, blogs
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A Dozen : Mark Dilks

Pile On Looking
We are back with a new edition of A Dozen, this time with the man himself, Mark Dilks. Dilks has provided his artist statements which can be read below this piece entitled Take Out My Eyes. Following this portion, you will then find the interview that MNP conducted with the artist. Enjoy.

ARTIST STATEMENTS by Mark Dilks
Stuff, piles up, gets lost in a pile.
Unknowingly, we point out the mass and not its parts.
The construction may not be the definition.
Why define?
What if the definitions we grow up learning are wrong?
Words
form to make sense
out of what?
I want my art to be free of definitions.? But, I wonder if that is even possible.? Painting, for example, is bound to art history and has set parameters and biases for creation attached to it.? To paint with no expectations must be liberating.? I study art and art history but art with different origins than mine inspires me.
In art history, DADA excites me because it playfully accepts chance collisions and the equality of all forms of creation.? A painting holds as much artistic weight as a collage, table, fork or engine and vice versa.? Prior to DADA, being an artist meant being in control of a particular medium or skill.? As embodied through their usage of collage, the Dadaists rationalized the benefits of learning from a lack of control.? No single medium, application or style defined DADA.? They ignored previous definitions in order to create their own.?? For me, an object can be moving and still, surface and space, beautiful and ugly all at the same time.? What do you call an image object that consists of both paint and video?? It is all in one, without hierarchy.
Aesthetic democracy was directly related to serious political, social and ideological reevaluations.? The Dadaist were from all over the world, all classes and practiced all artistic forms.? They were not limited by place, society, politics, or material.? DADA said it was everything and nothing at the same time.? It was thought that fought against the history of thought.? Through an intellectual rationalization of non or anti-intellectual behavior, DADA inherently denies the rationality it uses to define itself.? Still, it accepts itself for what it is DADA.
DADA inspires my outlook on art and on life.? But, could I make a DADA painting now?? Would it even be one?? No.
To reference DADA, I set up a Still Life with a wooden horse, dada is french for hobby horse, but quickly painted it into a bird which I called DODO.? A Dodo is an extinct bird which could not fly.
It is also a poo.? In my painting, a wooden bird attempts to fly out, of congealed ooze.
Parameters for perception are useful when trying to define but can get in the way when trying to create.? I enjoy looking into the muck to discover new beginnings, but I honor my teachings by using traditional genres, Still Life, Landscape, Portraiture, as a starting point for my paintings, a staged reality as ground for a departure.? Through painting I try to capture my experience of observation through dissecting the parts of the observed.? There is an archeological mining that gets played out in the application of paint and the scraping away of surface.? Digging through paint to find an experience of looking.? Reality is destroyed, reassembled and animated into a new life.
In a Still Life, I assemble inanimate objects that depict real live things, a wooden horse, a hand sown doll, a foam eyeball, a figure made out of clay, and paint them into a world that they inhabit.? The Still Life objects are usually quaint toys or innocent objects found around the house.? The world I paint often tears these kitsch objects apart.? The painting embodies a collision between the innocent and the violent, the clean and the tarnished, the trained and the untrained.? PEACE in pieces.
Within a painting rules are off.? A form is made out of ooze.? A line rests in space and surface.? A chair becomes a talking hippopotamus mouth.? A shadow becomes a ghost.
DADA helps me liberate my own theories of painting, my process, my paint.? It allows me to breathe life into objects never thought to be alive and to keep options open.
But I paint,
Dodododododododododo.

The Couple and You
Are you in Boston?
No, I went to college in Western Mass, at Hampshire and moved back to my home town, Philly, after I graduated five years ago.
Please describe your professional background and aspirations.
Over the last few years I worked part time for a variety of art institutions in Philly doing whatever I could get work in. ?Then I got a job as the Arts Coordinator at Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia’s Childrens Museum. ?The job consisted of designing and implementing open ended process driven activities for our visitors. ?After doing a residency at Vermont Studio Center this past April,? I decided to focus more on art and get back to VSC as quickly as possible.? I left my job and went back to Vermont in September.
Now, unemployment is the rage and I am raging away.? Working on projects. Grad school apps. ?Looking for part time work. ?All that fun stuff. ?I have a studio with some buddies who are starting a website, A United Front, which intends to unite local creative communities from a variety of cities.? The website goes live mid January 2010,? www.aufphilladelphia.com, check it out!? We are in the process of working on a video documenting a large painting and some public readings of collage books, I’ll be doing.
I’m also in a band, Deep Possum.? If anyone wants a loud rock band for a show or party, holler.?? http://www.myspace.com/deeppossum
On the road to making it big or being happy, never forget to do you. ?Stay true.
Can you tell us a little about your relationship to Dadaism?
It fucked and birthed you, me and everyone. ?It is everything and nothing. ?It is political and it is full of shit. ?It is about never being right because it is impossible and you’re wrong. ?You need to except life for what it is, uncontrollable, lived. ?Besides that, I’m not really sure. ?I’m not a Dadaist and this is all wrong.
What categories do you mesh in your work?
I paint a lot and am trying to get better at it. ?I do collage and am trying to destroy it. ?Sometimes these two things overlap in the same piece. ?Collage books mesh a lot of elements; text, paint, printed matter, illustration. ?I want to do performances, public readings, of these books and document them. ?At Hampshire College, I projected live video streams of the studio, the painting, me and the audience onto my painting surface and painted on top of it.? This process has stopped because I don’t have the equipment any more. ?Bummer. ?I think it is very important to mesh categories, and I will continue to push possibilities.
Some other factors of my work… thoughts upon the original and the copy, texture, touch, image and object.

Equation
Which artists have influenced you the most?
Friends, strangers, plumbers, machinists, contractors, city planners, etc. ?Everything and everyone I encounter, it is hard to pick.? Here is a few: Tristan Tzara, Dana Schutz, James Castle, Dubuffet, Diebenkorn, Forrest Bess, David Hockney, Duchamp, CF, Jay DeFeo, Peter Doig, Lynda Barry and Ryan Trecartin.? The list goes on and I didn’t even include musicians.
Is the Dodo bird really extinct?
Yes.? It was last spotted in 1690.? The bird couldn’t fly.? The name Dodo comes from the Portuguese word for simpleton.
Where are you trying to travel through your chosen artistic mediums?
I’m not sure; although I know I’ve only scratched the service.? I once said I wanted to make paintings that engaged the viewer like video games do.? I don’t think my paintings do that, but it is an interesting idea to strive for.
How do you view collectives/operatives/groups in contrast to art non-profits/foundations?
I like them both.? It is important to have a group for support as well as pressure.? But, all groups can start to be insular or shut off.? It is good to be public and be seen by people who don’t go to galleries.

Dodo Head
Do you believe that once you reach a certain skill level in the arts, the chances of your “success” are seemingly random?
I think it is hard.? I don’t know what “skill” level means because it is subjective.? Of course “talent” has something to do with it but maybe drive is most important.? In the end it may come down to being in the right place at the right time.? So, make yourself visible and seize opportunities as they arise.
Where would you like to see new or emerging art to come out of next in the world?
Any place I’ve never heard of, or somewhere I’d never expect.
How do you think most artists have reacted to transitioning from the Bush era to the Obama doctrinocity?
Kept working.? I think the recession is important though.? There is less money for the arts but art quality is up.? Also, when people aren’t buying as much, artists feel more comfortable experimenting (Or, so I’ve heard).?? Times are tough all around though.
What makes memorable art stand out and why does some art reach out to more consumers than others (is pop art dead?)?

Dodo Grin Face
Pop art will never be dead in a consumer society (which? America certainly is).? This question is tough.? What’s memorable to me is different for you.? Do we like an image or do we like hype and how it snow balls?? We like both snow balls and art with ballz too.? For what it’s worth, a challenge is exciting.
How do you view the traditional roles that galleries, critics, agents and fairs have held in the past with the convergence of digital new media and commerce?
Galleries, critics, etc. are as strong as ever and they wont go away, just change slowly.? They are trying to catch up to the speed of digital media and commerce.? It is important to realize that although you can see tons of images on the internet, it is far from the experience of the event or object.? That is why galleries, fairs, etc. will always be around.? Go see art and music live!? But don’t forget to check in on My Ninja Please and be well.
::Images courtesy of Mark Dilks::
Posted: January 12th, 2010
at 3:58pm by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: A Dozen, Contemporary
Comments: No comments
Netherland and Chad Kouri

Artist David “Netherland” van Alphen’s collage paintings appear with works by Post Family member Kouri at rotofugi. Opens Fri, Jan 8, 7-10pm. Through Jan 24.
Posted: January 11th, 2010
at 11:37pm by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: Contemporary, events
Comments: No comments
A Dozen : Robert Bermingham
This week A Dozen visits British artist, Robert Bermingham. He currently works in collaboration with Rich Robinson- you can see more of their work here.

Bull
What led you to become an artist?
An inability to do much else with my life. I made the decision at a young age, and my plan to be a rock star was failing due to my singing voice, my lack of friends and the scorn of girls.
Who were your best teacher/s in guiding your evolution?
Two of the best teachers were Bernard Hodgkin, drama teacher at Archway Comp. who inspired me to enjoy life, and Vivian Luxton at Stroud College, who recognized my abilities and helped me to evolve them and apply to art school (I think she even filled out my form!)
How have you seen your art change over the years?
Art to me used to be bits of paper and canvas with pictures on them, of objects that you bumped into when you stood back to look at a painting. Now I see art as anything that excites the imagination or makes the world a more interesting place.

Bear
What theme ties your works together?
Me, Rich (My collaborative partner) and a range of glues, tapes, screws etc. There is always the right thing to use…
What materials do you find yourself using?
I will use anything that i find surrounds me if it is interesting or relevant to the work. Notably wall paper, paint, wood, objects…
What styles do you employ in your art?
They say that contemporary art doesn’t have style anymore. by this I think they mean that artists find beauty in many things, but i believe when they look back at our time they will see a style. I guess my work uses the style of the everyday.
How do you view the art industry as an entity?
No.
What problems/strengths do you see in most galleries?
Problems are that most art is rubbish, and that puts people off returning. Also, there is a feeling that people have to intellectualize art, but whether this is the gallery or the public’s perception, I am not sure. Basically are is perceived as pretentious. I don’t know where that came from, I don’t know a higher percentage of pretentious people in the arts than any other walk of life- and there seems to be a barrier that stops people engaging with art. The strengths are that galleries are often free, at openings you get free wine, hot chicks, interesting banter and sometimes really interesting stuff.

Storm
How do you use technology to your advantage?
To email, store photos, what videos, same as everyone else. I do use a computer as a making tool, but have often found it problematic. Basically programs are designed to do a specific task and the nature of art is that you are often trying to do something different. For instance, a laser cutter gets confused by the textures of flock wall paper, and so in the end of the day, we often revert to hand-tools.
When do you feel that a piece is finished?
Rich and I are very specific about what the end result will be. When we have decided to leave something as it is, we have a system. If we both feel happy, we leave it, if either of us aren’t we continue.
How do you view the collaborative process?
democratic. our art is inevitably political because it is about a shared identity. This goes for any collaboration- artists often make work as reflection of the self, whereas collaborators make work about a group.

Studio
What advice can you give to the upcoming artist?
-Don’t be intimidated by anyone. Even Nicholas Serota would like to think he can listen to a new young artist, and is just as shy as you are.
-Whatever you make, make it well. The world does not need another shonky film and another badly painted painting, its a waste of materials. If you got a good idea, make it to the best of you ability.
-Probably get another trade. there is no money in art, and there are lots of useless people at art school. You may need to have a part-time job, but also the skills you get from doing a job can be used to help your art career.
::images are courtesy of Robert Bermingam ::
Posted: December 29th, 2009
at 4:32pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Robert Bermingham
Categories: A Dozen, Contemporary
Comments: No comments
Allen Vandever art post “Cave to Corcovado”

Cave to Corcovado Acrylic by Allen Vandever
She became so worn down from the unrelenting struggle; she could no longer fight against her tormentors. She finally succumbed to their hundreds of tugging and clasping hands, though she still had the weight of the living. It seemed almost a relief when they took her away. But though her lids expressed serenity, her vacant eyes revealed only a shell, a vessel empty of its purpose. Her soul was taken to a multitude of directions, and I was left, lost to their route.
Images of my ex-wife’s breakdown still haunt me to this day. This is the first, of a series of three, about this time period of our lives, which I began about 8 years ago. Shedding One’s Skin, is the third, and is the subject of the last posting.
Posted: December 12th, 2009
at 11:27am by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with acrylic, allen vandever, art, chicago, painting
Categories: Contemporary, art
Comments: 1 comment
Allen Vandever on Kickstarter
Posted: December 10th, 2009
at 11:04pm by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: Contemporary, art, myninjaplease, web
Comments: No comments
Pricasso Worlds Greatest Penile artist
World Famous Penile Artist Paints George Bush – Click here for more free videos
Looking for something new the newest trend well you found it. Soon to be one of the top selling artist in the world Pricasso! For all of you art collectors out there go to http://www.pricasso.com/index.html before you the prices are out of control.
Posted: December 6th, 2009
at 11:55am by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with art, culture, painting, penile, pricaso
Categories: Art Theory, Contemporary, art, celebrity, film, life
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Allen Vandever art post “Shedding One’s Skin”

Shedding One’s Skin Acrylic by Allen Vandever
This strange being convulses violently until her release, but once in the air of the world outside its shell, it writhes and shrinks from the sun too hot mercilessly scorching its translucent skin, too bright for the pupils in their first exposure to its rays. She has wrenched apart her soft underside from the hardened, weatherworn shell once donning her beautiful face. She is not the worm becoming moth; she is a detestable carrion bird emerging from timber not yet lit. A scavenger of her own body left on a pyre not aflame for ashes. She is saturated in all the secretions of a gapping wound, her body raw, tender, and vulnerable. My lady must walk in darkness; she must walk alone in the black of her despair until she brings herself to walk in the light once more. In these shadows I cannot reach her, she does not see my hand, does not see my face or even hear my voice. She has foregone her shell and with it everything of her life, including myself. Her shell reclines in a posture of malaise- a haunting reminder of how easily she slipped away from me.
Posted: November 28th, 2009
at 6:13pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with acrylic, allen vandever, art, change, chicago, painting
Categories: Art Theory, Contemporary, art, philosophy
Comments: No comments




















