August 2004, 47 posts, 889 lines
Dear Othergroup,
Hi! How are you? I am fine.
Well, it's been a while so I thought I'd write and check in. Been busy, working. I'm trying to find time to make art, but it's a struggle. Since the show, things have been really different. I was so burned out from the strain of putting together a gallery show that I was a little traumatized. I had a stomach ache for a month before the show, and I can't bring myself to take on any big projects now. That big Fluxus-inspired thing, I just can't. It's like the world won. I was trying to make art against all the odds and I the odds have me beat for the moment. I'm not saying I've given up, but I just, I don't know, I can't do much now. I can write, sketch. Someday things will get better, but for now, I can only do little things here and there.
But I didn't write to rattle on about myself. I just feel like, I mean, I know it's a clich , but like we don't talk any more. Before, it always seemed like we were fighting about money, arguing about why our lives weren't going anywhere, legal troubles, why we felt unappreciated. But you never talked about how you really feel, what is really going on with you. Maybe if we can't talk about how we really are, how we're really doing, then the conversation is always doomed to fall flat, or be about superfluous things.
The truth is, I've just been ok. I feel like 2004 is the year I've learned to admit defeat. And there is some good in that. Admitting defeat means you stop fighting, stop rationalizing, you make a new plan. But what about you? What ever happened to you? You're so quiet lately. What happened to your big dreams? Did you ever do that show? How did it go? What kinds of projects are you working on? Do you ever think about what making art means? Do you ever think about why you're driven to make art?
Just know that you can talk to me. I promise I won't make fun of you. I believe that if we're honest and speak the truth as we know it, then things will work out. If we can talk about how we really are, instead of trying to keep up appearances, we'll actually find we have a lot to say to each other. Anyway, just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you, and wondering how you are.
Oh, as an aside, there's that thing at Mess Hall on Friday that sounds good. They're showing Superstar, the banned movie about Karen Carpenter, done with Barbie dolls. Maybe I'll see you there.
Your friend, Kathryn
On Tue, 3 Aug 2004, Kathryn Born wrote:
To answer a few questions and add comments:
You dont _have_ to make art. Not making art is an instance of making "not making art" -- and since as an artist you can do anything you want, you cannot be faulted for not making art. Just think of it as investigating "not making art."
Or maybe it is time to change directions. Do plumbing instead, or water the lawn.
I dont know about the 80 Other Groupies, but I am spending most of my time writing a history of everything. It is a large task.
Just a thought, but it seems like an exercise of consciousness.
No - it is just like being alive. I would probably make more objects if I had a full-time job. But right now the gutters are clogged (that is not a metaphor), and wiring beckons, and ... oh, yeah, dinner, vacume the house, rebuild the porch steps.
Anyone wanna help with the roof?
/jno
Since no one is posting, let's have a contest (the winner probably won't get anything but it might be fun anyway)
Who can give the best answer to the question: "Why does 95% of the art world go into a coma in the Summer and hardly do a damn thing for three months?"
Immediately disqualified is the clich old chestnut "Because the collectors are all at their summer homes and they aren't coming around to buy stuff." I know most of you people hardly bother to try selling your art so that response is out.
Also disqualified is the response: "Because it's too hot in my studio." It could be worse. You could live in Puerto Rico or Georgia or Texas. Think of something else. It's not even that hot right now.
Also disqualified is "Because there are so many great summer movies." Half true - Michael Haneke's new film "Time of the Wolf" at the Film Center is excellent. I haven't seen Spiderman 2, The Corporation or the Metallica documentary yet but I'm sure they're great. Still, Catwoman? Dodgeball? White Chicks?
C'mon people, be creative. Oh yeah, and props to all the people who have been organizing stuff this summer. Marc
Wow!! So nobody was posting anything all that time?!?!?!? I thought I had been removed from the OG list since nothing had happened for so long. Christ. That's not to say that there isn't anything going on in Chicago...
Since I haven't been purged for the list yet like a black voter in Florida I might as well have a few lines.
Just saw the movie "Control Room". Damm that's good stuff. Highly recommended if it makes it into the midwest. Some views of Rumsfeld that are so infuriating, especially so since some time has passed since the movie was first released.
Oh I heard that Mike Ditka might be running for office over there. Should be a shoe-in. It was reported that he will run as a Republican, even though he isn't even a registered voter. Good luck to you all.
Anybody remember Free Basin? We rebuilt it a few weeks ago at the Yerba. Great piece and good exercise at the same time.
Anyone going to the Lumpen events? Ed usually does it right and might be one of the strongest underground/political voices in town (your town that is).
Did anyone respond to the earlier question of whether spit is archival? Are there any working art professionals in this group? Any registrars out there? Conservationists that will use a little saliva to clean off a spot from a painting? Is this just a group of people trying to sell stuff??
inspad
On Wed, 4 Aug 2004, Adam Mikos wrote:
You _would_ ask!
Saliva is a saline water solution with enzymes designed to break down anything organic, and a few other things like the end of ballpoint pens. If you cough it up from your lungs or nose it will include mucus which, BTW, because it is a complex longchain polymer makes an excellent adhesive. Mucus is reasonably stable, but will dry out like all adhesives, and I doubt if it is waterproof.
One drop of spit is also estimated to contain 100,000 to 1,000,000 bacteria, mostly native to your mouth. The enzymes, however, make it largely anticeptic. Good for cuts and abrasions as a preventative to bacterial and viral infections, but not guaranteed to neutralize them all. Dog spit, on the other hand, seems to contain hydroscopic compounds designed to remove the last molecule of food from dinner plates (also known as "dog slime", it may be archival).
Spit, unlike shit, has no archeological value.
Does that answer your question?
/jno
Marc Fisher wrote:
I can answer this. A well kept secret in the art world is that most art collectors are actually construction workers, not lawyers and real estate barons. Its true. The other day I was driving home on the Dan Ryan, blatantly ignoring the caution signs, when I nearly hit Lewis Manilow who was operating a jack hammer. This is a fact; what do you think your toll money goes to? New roads? Nope, new works for the MCA and Art Institute collections. They got into art collecting because they realized that if there were more reasons for suburbanites to drive downtown, they would have to build more roads. Its a simple strategy of job security.
And no, Ditka is not running for senate, Alan Keyes is. Keyes is from Maryland, and a few years ago criticized Hillary Clinton for moving to New York to run for senate, but then he's a Republican so I guess he can flip-flop and go back on his word without catching any flak from the media.
--------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
Re: spit
If you swallow a gallon of acrylic polymer and it causes you to vomit, you will then make fake vomit that is largely composed of real vomit. This will then give philosophers like Baudrillard something to worry about. Marc
"Who can give the best answer to the question: "Why does 95% of the art world go into a coma in the Summer and hardly do a damn thing for three months?"
You had a good answer Michael, but so far my friend Brennan - who does not post on OG - might be ahead. His answer?: "It would be better if it was more like 98%"
Any other contestants? Marc
Michael Beyer wrote: "I can answer this. A well kept secret in the art world is that most art collectors are actually construction workers, not lawyers and real estate barons. Its true. The other day I was driving home on the Dan Ryan, blatantly ignoring the caution signs, when I nearly hit Lewis Manilow who was operating a jack hammer. This is a fact; what do you think your toll money goes to? New roads? Nope, new works for the MCA and Art Institute collections. They got into art collecting because they realized that if there were more reasons for suburbanites to drive downtown, they would have to build more roads. Its a simple strategy of job security."
Most artists and their institutional counterparts, having spent the first thirty seven years of their lives in various educational institutions acquiring useless degrees, have never actually grown up and gotten a real job. Thus, they haven't recognized that the rest of the world works all year round, and they automatically presume that summer is still for "vacation".
Dave
Marc:
How about the question, "Why is 95% of the art world not compelled to speak out politically when they have the tools?"
An interesting comment (though not directly about this) can be found in Bruce Springsteen's editorial in the New York Times today. ( [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/05/opinion/05gates.html] ) Yes, Bruce Springsteen and yes, the New York Times!
Lorelei
On Thursday, August 5, 2004, at 07:15 AM, Dave Stull wrote:
Lorelei Stewart Director, Gallery 400
University of Illinois at Chicago 1240 West Harrison Street (MC034) Chicago, IL 60607 312-996-6114 tel 312-355-3444 fax [http://gallery400.aa.uic.edu]
Lorelei Stewart wrote: "Why is 95% of the art world not compelled to speak out politically when they have the tools?"
Good question Lorelei. In sticking to theme of the contest my answer is:
because it's Summer.
Marc
"Who can give the best answer to the question: "Why does 95% of the art world go into a coma in the Summer and hardly do a damn thing for three months?"
Cold beer taste better on a hot day
"Who can give the best answer to the question: "Why does 95% of the art world go into a coma in the Summer and hardly do a damn thing for three months?"
I always take on a lover in the summer, that eats up a lot of my time.
(typical Kathryn answer)
On Thu, 5 Aug 2004, Lorelei Stewart wrote:
Currently because of the dread that looms in the future: First: the weapons of mass destruction will soon be found in Iraq. That will sway the election. If the polls show otherwise, then a terrorist attack before November will cancel the elections. My final take: Marshall Law imposed in November. The army descends on Washington, and eventually organizes new elections in 8 years. In the interim period the profits are taken by those who would gain. And we will make art about survival.
/jno
On Thu, 5 Aug 2004, Dave Stull wrote:
I think that is seriously correct - the institutional ties, that is. No classes (to teach), vacation, do things that need to be done... art is forever, so it can wait.
IMHO /jno
Jno, your paranoia is making me paranoid...
-Steve
steve at cakewalkmag.com wrote: "Jno, your paranoia is making me paranoid..."
Jno wrote: "My final take: Marshall Law imposed in November."
Steve, the reason you are paranoid is not because it doesn't necessarily mean they're not after you, but because you misread Jno's email. Jno wasn't talking about Martial Law - which is the scariest kind, or Marital Law - which is something to be concerned about right now if you are gay and wanting to get married - but merely "Marshall Law"
Marshall Law only applies to rock 'n roll people - not publishers, artists, and designers like you and I. It means that if you don't play through Marshall Amps, Lemmy from Motorhead is going to come to your concert and scream "You know me! Evil Eye! You know me! Prepare to die!" and then he'll smash your face in with his "Iron Fist".
So basically things aren't that bad. (okay, actually they are fucked - but still we can laugh at Jno a little right?!). Marc
On Aug 5, 2004, at 4:20 PM, Marc Fischer wrote:
Maybe he meant the Marshall Plan.....
(By the way I love Motorhead and Bruce Springsteen.)
Also, has anyone here taken the "political compass" test at [http://www.politicalcompass.org/] ? You can compare your economic and authoritarian/libertarian leanings and compare yourself to the likes of Ghandi and Stalin.
I realize it's been around for a while, and it's an imperfect test in many ways, but if you haven't done it it's a kind of fun thing to do while you're not making art.
Katherine Chial
On Thu, 5 Aug 2004, Marc Fischer wrote:
LOL. Ok, so I kant spelll. And I should have added (to the paranoia) .. The military will take their job very seriously, and round up intellectuals, democrats, and artists. Another dip in the gene pool.
They will take bad spelllers out, too. /jno
On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 steve at cakewalkmag.com wrote:
Ask around among some friends in the National Guard, and find they are all sheduled for deployment in November. Weird.
jno wrote: "Ask around among some friends in the National Guard, and find they are all scheduled for deployment in November. Weird."
That's because you are asking the guard from Illinois, which is planning for race riots when Alan Keyes narrowly and questionably will beat Obama, since Karen Hughs will move to Chicago and somehow become an election official.
--------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
it doesn't really shut down at all our tastes simply change as we get older. As we become more entrenched in camps of familliar paradigms we lose touch with the actions happening beyond our personal spheres. Marc's gripe is little more than an ironic version of turn the music down I can't understand it. the young will do as young ones befit necessary without the concern of codgers, criers and hangers on.
Only money can afford to take a holiday. If marc is tired that real gallery's take holidays and don't throw parking lot biennials during the summer then marc deserves to be tired. Or perhaps Marc needs to open a gallery and put his money where his mouth should be.
MT/db
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE!
Have you stopped by Mess Hall yet Michael? The space that is co-run by 9 people so that one person doesn't have to shoulder all of the work and expenses all year-round? We have a different event or project at Mess Hall just about every week as well as sporadic exhibits. Dividing up the responsibility of keeping the space active works well. We all have our own art practices, the need to make money some other way and complicated lives to contend with. Forming a larger group of people to share programming and expenses is pretty good model for people with limited time and resources.
And apologies to Helidon: while the Parking lot Biennial that he put together a few years back wasn't too good - it was certainly a worthy experiment. At least he tried something new. There was a lot to be learned from which parts of that event were kind of interesting and which parts were lousy. It should be obvious at this point in history that "Real galleries" aren't the only people who can organize cultural events - anyone can, and creativity does not need to be seasonally limited. Marc
Dogmatic gallery wrote: "If marc is tired that real gallery's take holidays and don't throw parking lot biennials during the summer then marc deserves to be tired. Or perhaps Marc needs to open a gallery and put his money where his mouth should be."
Dogmatic gallery My wife and I attended the recent Chicago Vision reception and one of the speakers talked about how 10 years ago the gallery scence in Chicago was virtually non-exeistent, and the ones that did exist were usually on vacation by May. Now, due to the hard work and dedication of all the gallerists, they don't take vacation until....June. My point is that if there were a stronger market, I'm positive the galleries would stay open and throw more events during the summer.
Oh, and its not a good idea to put your money where your mouth is; money is filthy, and often laced with trace amounts of cocaine.
People are taking the summer off!!??!! Say it ain't so!
I'm getting ready to open my second show of the summer, and the projects are piling up.
Is everyone waiting til the snow drops 5 weeks (or so) from now?
Seriously, I realize that the shutdown is a bedrock tradition (friend urged me to avoid NYC in August, since galleries are closed, or just show substandard work in the summer), but having the point of view of a Facets employee, folks aren't cutting down on their cultural intake simply because the sun is shining. This year more than ever, the summer slump has evaporated.
erik
group at othergroup.net wrote:
Attention Bulka and other Cicada lovers,
I have just spotted One lone Cicada on the window screen of my kitchen
balcony. I live in Ukrainian Village/Humboldt area so it appears that
these fine creatures have finally found our neighborhood.
Bulka - I realize this is probably not enough for you to start cooking
so I'm not going to save him/her, but you might want to grab your bucket
and net and start huntin'. If they taste good fried and caramelized,
gimme a call.
Marc
I saw two this weekend near me (damen and armitage).
Curt
Saw one yesterday on Hermitage/near Division...
[http://inside.msj.edu/academics/faculty/cicada/report.html]
Sonia
At 11:15 AM -0500 8/10/04, Curt Alan Conklin wrote:
On Tue, 10 Aug 2004, Sonia Yoon wrote:
And I can report a choir of cycadas a week ago, Damen and Grace. But that
was it. They took off, and were never heard again. That has been the
problem all summer this year: there are no insects. What is happening? I
see a few flies on my back porch, but as they approach and fall down dead.
Havent seen a mesquito. Only a few lonely biting ladybugs. Saw only two
June bugs, saw no Mayflies this year. Are they spraying Chicago secretly?
My geraniums are being pollenated at a particularly slow rate, compared to
other years. Have seen mo Monarchs, despite a stand of Milkweed in the
back yard. Something strange going on this summer. /jno
Has anyone seen the new ad billboard for the movie "Alien VS. Predator"?
I don't think it is deliberate but has a horror movie ad ever referred
so perfectly to an upcoming Presidential election?!
The billboard has pictures of two ugly looking creatures and the tag
line "Whoever Wins, We Lose"
Marc
I'm sure it is intentional.
I have bugs but they are all the wrong kind. My garden looks like swiss
cheese. I want fire flies.
Curt
Found one! 6", at a garage sale while walking the dog. Works like a charm.
Best pan among the 6 in use at this household. I've been looking for a
Griswold since 1964. That means it is already 40 years old.
/jno
You may have noticed that FYI has been standing still for a while.
Kerri wants to drop FYI -- too much work, other obligations.
I cant do it, for my filtering removes anything even suspected of being
spam, and most of the notices that go out _are_ spam.
Does anyone want to take it over? FYI has been the most interesting and
up-to-date listing of art in Chicago ... until the recent slackening.
FYI can be updated via an on-line editor, and saved or sent to the website
and automatically sent to a list of 300 subscribers. The subscription list
can be accessed on line also, and names added or removed.
Repeated bounces are automatically reported on, and the list updated.
We would have to rewrite a few scripts to add _your_ email address, and
give you a password. The format is fairly rigid, but can be adjusted.
Let me know.. /jno
Oh Jno, I'm so happy for you. Truly, I am.
K
Hi,
I just recently tried to join the othergroup, but did not receive a password. I am doing a bit of research for a class I am taking at the Art Institute regarding Chicago Art, Architecture and Design.
I don't know if you would be willing to do this, but I'd love to post the following letter and get some responses. Since I am not able to do this yet, (and am running short on time) is there a possibility you might post it?
Dear Fellow Chicago Artists,
I am currently enrolled in a class at the Art Institute entitled Art, Architecture and Design:Chicago and the World, taught by George Roeder. So far, it's an excellent class and I am interested in the idea of "place" in regards to artmaking.
For my first paper, I'd like to focus on the effects of the city on artists' work. By "the city", I mean the physical and visual aspects including the landscape, art, architecture and design, etc.
So, I'd appreciate any input you are willing to give. This could be a short phrase or two, a paragraph, or even an essay! If you could please also state the kind of media you mostly work in, that would be helpful.
What will you receive???? My generous thanks and an opportunity to win an all expenses paid vacation to the destination of your choice!!! Um, not really. Well, maybe I will be published someday and in turn, so will you! How about that? If you simply do not want to participate, no problem.
Thank you all in advance and I look forward to reading your responses!
Thanks,
Paula
Kathryn Born
On Wed, 11 Aug 2004, Paula Thum wrote:
YM city or Chicago? Actually, I think if I were on the slopes of mount
Helicon, I'd do better. /jno
Before I forget - today is the start of year 5119 of
the long-count Maya calendar. August 13, 3114 BC == year 1 (or zero?)
/jno
if anyone does want to take over the FYI emails, I
would also like them to change the title of the
emails. FYI has my name associated with it and if
someone else is doing it I would rather it take on a
different name. I would also send an email to the
list to tell them about the new owner/publisher.
Also, and I hope this is common sense - if someone is
interested, they should know that the email list used
for the fyi mailing should never be used to send out
other announcements. All of the people on this list
either requested to be on it or were suggested by
other people. They accept receiving weekly emails, but
they should not be sent additional mailings.
no takers on this? it's sooo much fun!
You can do it every other week. or, you could limit
the listing to just a couple of suggested shows per
week...or, whatever!
keri
--- jno
Howdy all,
Yesterday I had a young artist who was busily editing an artist's statement
refuse to tell me what grant she was working on (I love stuff like this,
the art community is so frequently its own worst enemy) and one of her
compadre's told me afterwards, that it was some private grant out of NYC
due tomorrow, which is fine, but it leaves me to ask, as I have been out of
commission for a couple years in terms of seeking funding, do people have
suggestions on where to find good lists of funding opportunities for visual
artists? I'd love to get advice on web-sites one can go to that people have
found useful.
Thanks!
Richard
group at othergroup.net wrote:
[http://www.state.il.us/agency/iac/]
But I don't know of a nationwide resource...
And then there's:
[http://www.xensei.com/users/adl/]
which seems to only have calls-for-submissions right now, but maybe they do the other thing sometimes.
Erik
I usually go for:
www.theredproject.com/
or
www.instantcoffee.org/
both are, at times, on the techy side (well consider your source :)
both have quality submission calls and, at times, funding opportunities
d
On Aug 23, 2004, at 7:57 AM, Richard Holland wrote:
----------------------------------------------------------0
Dmitry (Dima) Strakovsky |
www.shiftingplanes.org |
www.tangetLab.org |
recent find (like 5 min ago)
[http://toolbox.creative] -capital.org/categories/grants.html
d
On Aug 23, 2004, at 7:57 AM, Richard Holland wrote:
----------------------------------------------------------0
Dmitry (Dima) Strakovsky |
www.shiftingplanes.org |
www.tangetLab.org |
Who: Chicagoland and regional artists
What: Call for artists, group show titled "End of the Line"
When: November - December 2004 (submissions due September 30)
Where: Johnsonese Gallery, Chicago, IL
Why: There's been much talk during this election cycle of red states
and blue states. Is conservative versus liberal the core cultural divide
in America? Or is the real divide where the commuter lines end and the
cul de sacs start? This show will examine the culture divide between
suburban and urban America.
How: Email images to info at johnsonese.com or mail CDs, slides or photos
to Johnsonese Gallery LLC, 867 W Buckingham Place, Chicago, IL 60657 by
September 30. (Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want
your submissions returned.) A brief description of the works of up to
150 words and a short biography of up to 50 words are also requested.
Please pass this notice on to your friends in the arts! For more
information about the gallery you can visit www.johnsonese.com
< [http://www.johnsonese.com/>] .
Hi Richard,
I've found the following to be pretty useful in this regard:
This is NOT the same list as www.artdeadlineslist.com/ which is not as
good (in my opinion), nor as well organized.
You have to subscribe (about $25 a year) , but I think it's worth it.
Katherine
On Aug 23, 2004, at 7:57 AM, Richard Holland wrote:
Thanks! I used to be subscribed to that one, I should renew.
At 09:51 AM 8/30/2004 -0500, Katherine Chial wrote:
Happened a few days ago. One of those thunderstorm crashboomers at 2 am.
Took out a transformer in the alley behind my house - we were in the dark
for 12 hours. Next day I find: modem fried (substituted an old USR 28800),
ethernet cards fried on 4 computers, dead ethernet repeater, screwed HD
partition and a drive with a wiped block zero. Who's got time.
So the following email never went out:
Dear group;
I got a preprinted letter in the mail a few days ago either from
Whitewalls or Baird and Warner or both.
Whitewalls is now in the real estate business. Or WW was bought by Baird
and Warner? Maybe WW bought B&W. Certainly this must be the current issue
of WW?
/jno
"Only money can afford to take a holiday. If marc is tired that real gallery's
take holidays and don't throw parking lot biennials during the summer then marc
deserves to be tired. Or perhaps Marc needs to open a gallery and put his money
where his mouth should be."
"Saw one yesterday on Hermitage/near Division...
"For my first paper, I'd like to focus on the effects of the city
on artists' work. By "the city", I mean the physical and visual
aspects including the landscape, art, architecture and design,
etc.
----------------------------------------------------------0
----------------------------------------------------------0