What ever it takes...

I have heard many artists say to not take on a full time job in order to pursue art post graduate school. Call me old fashioned, but I firmly believe that artists need to find a way to financially support their practice (we can't rely on government funding alone), and a full time job is a good option for some. There is no magic trust fund or sugar daddy in my life, as I'm sure there isn't in yours, and if you want to make it in New York City, well, then it better be "by any means necessary" to support this endeavor. It should be that important, and artists shouldn't be above any methods of supporting themselves (within reason).

I personally feel that a full time job gives me security, and allows me to afford a studio space. Now, the great balance will be in finding the time to physically make the work, and to maintain a healthy level of networking within the arts community. And for some artists, this can be done! For myself, art is not separate from life, and whatever situation I am in work-wise or in life, I believe that art has a place within it. Isn't this the great challenge of the artist, to be a part of the world and also ask questions of it, and create from their own experiences? It is the ability to traverse between both the physical world and the metaphysical which makes us visual philosophers.

Here is a link to the MADE HERE Project featuring a video of artists discussing their day jobs, and what it takes to make their practice a reality. I find myself eye rolling at the last guy in the piece, because if it were just that simple, everyone would be an artist.

Installation Days: Parsons MFA Thesis Exhibition

Here are some photos from installation days 1 & 2 of the Parsons MFA Thesis exhibition, opening tomorrow, Thursday May 13th 6-8pm at The Kitchen in New York City:

Participating Artists: Nana Asante, Josh Bricker,Daniel Carlson, Yen-Ting Chung, Casey James Diskin, Morgan Ersery, Danielle Goldsmith, Mona Kamal, John Lee, Loretta Lomanto, Bojan Mitrevski, Tom Pnini, Rayna Savrosa, Nicholas Shifrin, Alexandria Smith, Tomoe Tsutsumi, John Wanzel, Mary Younkin, andMichelle Yu.

Video: Wandering the Space Within 2010

Here's a special preview of my newest video,

collaborating with Oakland musician Flynn Gleason.

Footage taken with a Flip cam, various locations in New York, Jersey, Brooklyn, and California. 2010.

Parsons MFA Thesis Exhibition May 13th!

I am happy to announce the MFA Thesis exhibition for the Parsons class of 2010 at The Kitchen gallery!

MFA Thesis Show

The Kitchen

512 W 19th Street, New York NY

May 13-22

Opening reception: May 13, 6-8pm

Open Studios Preview: May 7th 6-8pm

Parsons Fine Arts Building

25 East 13th Street

New York, NY

Participating Artists: Nana Asante, Josh Bricker, Daniel Carlson, Yen-Ting Chung, Casey James Diskin, Morgan Ersery, Danielle Goldsmith, Mona Kamal, John Lee, Loretta Lomanto, Bojan Mitrevski, Tom Pnini, Rayna Savrosa, Nicholas Shifrin, Alexandria Smith, Tomoe Tsutsumi, John Wanzel, Mary Younkin, and Michelle Yu.

Here are a few recent works in my studio:

Untitled_Trash Cans. Oil on canvas, 4'x3'. 2010

Play with Me, Ink and Acrylic on wood panel, 7"x5", 2010.

Tracing Utopia Wall Drawing #3: Parsons 5th Floor Stairwell

Another wall drawing completed, this time in response to the 5th floor stairwell in the Parsons Fine Arts department. I used the existing architecture, and responded to it with the choice of projection, as well as incorporating outlines of the shadows of the existing objects.

installation view, south wall

detail of drawing with response to fire hose

installation view, north wall at top of stairs

Tracing Utopia: Wall Drawing #2

This second drawing was created in Presentation Space 1 in the Parsons Fine Arts department the first week of March. The installation space is approximately 10' x 20'. This image is a composite of 5 different photographs, altered and fit together to create the feeling of walking down a street in a suburban neighborhood. The horizon line is above the line of sight, providing a floating oasis of dissolving imagery.

Above is a detail of the car from the left side of the piece, using myself to show the scale.

This is a overall shot of the back wall horizon line. It was very difficult to get full photographs of the space.

Wide shot of the right side wall

detail of right side wall

Tracing Utopia: Wall Drawing #1

One of my recent projects has been a series of wall drawings, which take place in various locations throughout the Parsons Fine Arts building. Here is the first one, featured in the 25 East Gallery exhibition "In Response to Fundamentalism" in February. The drawings are created with water-based ink applied directly on the wall. The images of suburban neighborhoods are both appearing and dissolving into the space, creating an impermanence and fragility.

full view of installation in 25 East Gallery, NYC

detail of Tracing Utopia