"Art...as a way of intervening in the world...".. New Discoveries.. NEA Surveys Professional Artists.. Susan Hefuna and Vito Acconci at ALBION GALLERY..
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"Art...as a way of intervening in the world..."
I really want to start getting connected with more artists in my area. It has been wonderful to meet so many artists throughout the United States, and all over the world via the internet and my websites, but Wisconsin is my home and I want to be more involved in the art community here. I love face to face connections, after I have discovered that despite my fears of talking to people, that I'm actually not bad at expressing myself verbally.
There are so many wonderful artists, galleries, and organizations in Wisconsin devoted to art. I am lucky to know a handful of people. So anyway, today I was looking into what was going on in Wisconsin and I happened to come across a great article about one of those people I do know...it's an interesting read. Click here.
This is the professor that I am finishing my BFA in Gallery/Museum Practices with. Am I lucky or what?
That's all. I'm going to edit The Emergence Project website now. I know in my newsletter I said that I was going to be adding more artists this summer, but I've actually decided that I need to downsize. The reason is that I would like to be on a more personal level with the artists that I am working with now, and it will be easier for me to promote a smaller number of artists. I'm just one person and The Emergence Project is just one of my many projects. I have also been actively planning my gallery space, looking at buildings and figuring things out... in the future The Emergence Project website will be a starting point for artists that could be represented in my gallery. But if you think you are an amazing artist that should be an exception of my "no more submissions" rule then e-mail me anyway. Better yet, send me something in the mail. I look at things that come into my mailbox much more than my inbox.
Thanks, Sarah
PS: Check out the updates here and let me know what you think.
The National Endowment for the Arts has compiled the first national profile of professional artists. Among the eye-opening results drawn from the 2005 census is the fact that more Americans ticked off "artist" as their primary occupation than "lawyer," "doctor," "police officer," or "farm worker" — that's two million Americans in all, with a combined income of roughly $70 billion, or a median of $34,800 each.
I've been trying out some new printmaking techniques--my favorite has to be the wood block. I'm starting a HUGE woodblock print today. But here's what I've been experimenting with...
Tomorrow's Mutant, about 8" x 10", Woodblock
David's War, about 8" x 10", Copper Etching
I posted State One of this a few weeks ago. This is based off a photograph of my best friend's husband who served with the Marines in Iraq.
Race to Grow Up, about 8" x 10", Solarplate
For this I drew with Micron on frosted Mylar which I then burned onto the Solarplate.
I'm excited to get started on my huge woodblock (I'm talking 4 x 8 FEET), which I've already named Ecorche Croc...so I'll leave it up to your imagination.
I'm also working on some crazy embroidery that I'll be entering into a Fiberarts magazine contest. I almost done with one already so I'll post that soon. It's based off the Tomorrow's Mutant woodblock and uses lots of non-traditional materials. Yay!
A little announcement: I have the dates for the Mail Art Exhibition that I will be curating in the 407 Gallery at the UW-Green Bay. It will be held between 10/27 – 11/1 of 2008. Which means that this summer I will be focusing on Mail Art, especially 3-D pieces for the show. So if you want to be in this show, send me some Mail art, and I'll send you something back! And if you are lucky and I really love what you send you will get my hand-bound zine!!!
Also with your entry, let me know if you would be interested in sharing your address with a select group of other artists who want to get into Mail art. Thanks!
Mail entries to Sarah Elizabeth Condon 1717 Alfred Drive Luxemburg, WI 54217
The other day I got a phone call about an interview I had done about six months ago with Lee Rowley, whom has since written a book, "How to Market and Sell Your Art, Music, Photographs, and Handmade Crafts Online"
He let me know that my interview was included in this book and that he would be sending me a copy! What a pleasant surprise! It looks like a great book and a much needed updated resource. I'll tell you more after I read it!
Hi everybody, I just wanted to let you know why I haven't been posting anything--my internet is down at the moment at home..damn cable company...but I'll be dragging my laptop to the local coffee shop this weekend so you'll just have to wait until then.
Also I have a little announcement: I'll be at The Art Garage in Green Bay this Saturday from 6-8 as a featured artist and speaker. There will be several other artists featured and poetry readings from the artists that were recently published in the Sheepshead Review. If you live in the area, stop on by! There will be light refreshments.
This one fell behind my desk somehow and I just found it while I was cleaning yesterday. It was sent last October!! I really need to look behind my desk more often. I don't think I've posted it yet (or sent her something back)! Sorry Anne, I'll send you something special right away :)
I've wanted to do an art/personal Zine for a long time. Of course, I didn't feel that I had room in my life for yet another obsession. Zines are something I've always been interested in. So after a particularly compelling look at a collection of Zines I came across, I got inspired...and created The Wandering Uterus. Now I feel like I'm on zine crack.
This zine explores what I do in my life in order to stay sane. The Wandering Uterus refers to the Greek medical diagnoses that all of women's mental disturbances are caused by the wandering of her uterus. In the 21st century, we now have so many mood-altering drugs that are being prescribed, which are doing more harm than good. As a survivor of street drugs and psychopharmacological agents, I have to say, the drugs didn't do me any good. You have control of your own mind. Drugs are societal controls. Don't buy into it. Let art be your rehabilitation.
This zine has many images and a lot of humor. Each is hand-bound using the Japanese stab binding method and adorned with a glass bead. The image above is the cover image. (And yes, that's me)
If you're interested, you can mail me $5 cash (I also accept zine trades or significant mail art) to: Sarah Elizabeth Condon 1717 Alfred Drive Luxemburg, WI 54217
This will be an ever-evolving project that will be published periodically. If you would like to see sample pages or have any questions feel free to e-mail me at sarah@theemergenceproject.com
I've been busy updating The Emergence Project website--for those of you who aren't familiar, I'm an agent for a group of contemporary artists. The best new feature on the site is the interview page, featuring interviews with the artists I work with. I only have one posted but more will be coming soon. Plus I have a very interesting new artist, John Roof.
For anyone that is interested in being an artist featured on The Emergence Project, I will be accepting new submissions starting in June. In the meantime, you can always send me Mail Art!
I'm always happy to hear anyone's suggestions on how I could improve my website. Thanks, Sarah
I found this penny at the top of the little waterfall, it had been there for a long time it was all worn.
Maybe a raccoon?
There is no other season that inspires me like spring, especially in Wisconsin, and especially after this particular winter. I have come to appreciate snow much more than I used to, but still, the dark days and the lack of flowers and sun really gets to me. Last weekend was the first weekend that we went up the Door County peninsula to hike. We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday just walking all over the place. (We live just SW of Door Co.) It was perfect weather--between 55-65 degrees and sunny sunny sunny! As you can see from the pictures, there is still some ice on bay and some snow in the deep woods. It was quite sloshy but that's okay too. Our kids, who are four and five, are awesome at walking. It was the best!
Anyway, nature influences me a great deal in my art, as it has interested many artists. (Speaking of which, here is a great interview of Picasso speaking about various things including nature)
Nature is more of a backdrop though. Natural forms find their way into my work but I've never been intensely interested in simply painting landscapes or sketching flowers, for example. No plein air painting for me--it's too distracting. Too much space, noise, visuals--I can't concentrate.
I read about an artist that also thought of the landscape as more of a background to their art, not part of it, but I can't remember what book I read that out of or what artist it was...I think sort of the same way, except that I acknowledge the role of nature in my art, even if nature isn't the subject, nature is always there.
No, I need nature for different reasons--to cleanse myself--my mind, my body, and my soul. When I'm walking, hiking, climbing, playing, boating, whatever, I am happier than any other time. Art is work. Nature is my escape.
Okay, so I have two friends (they don't know each other) who both really like owls. (Which just made me realize that I've actually never seen an owl out in the wild--damn!) Anyway...Alexandra has them all over her house (not real ones of course) and Karissa just made a huge felted owl that's amazing. Since I just made some paper out of onion skins, which Alexandra donated some skins for, I thought I would thank her by doing this little drawing for her on the paper I made. I'll consider it Mail art since she lives far away from me and I'll be sending it to her :)
It's okay to do cute things once in a while, right? Why not.
Also I apologize for the picture quality but my scanner is not cooperating with me tonight, so the pic is from my very crappy camera. When my scanner starts cooperating I will be posting some more Mail art that I received :)
Some older work of mine I like to look at once in a while: Storm Two 8" x 10" Monotype
I know I haven't been posting much of my art lately, but I've been really busy/crazy lately. I think it's a combination of stress and the weather (I live in northern Wisconsin)--I really, really need sunny warmer weather!
But I'm working on a copperplate etching that is almost done and I've been making my own paper out of onions and thistles, and binding some books. Onions and thistles you say? Yes, you can make paper yourself out of almost any plant matter--I would recommend the cheap but awesome book The Art of Papermaking.
Also I've been doing a bunch of jewelry and redecorating my kid's bedrooms. Plus nobody is sending me any Mail art right now--I must be in a slump! I owe a few people Mail art back so I'll be doing that asap, along with some magnets, and then I'm sure I'll get a bunch of Mail art back again. Maybe I should start posting the Mail art I create and send to people?
I'm also adding more artists onto The Emergence Project website. And of course I have about 10,000 other things on my plate as well...
So what gets me through the day? What inspires me?
Well I just bought a Steve Keene painting--and you should too!
And for all those crappy records you find at garage sales...new life!
Now that I gave you a bunch of links to use up a bunch of your time, try not to neglect what you are currently doing, like I am right now. Hey, everybody needs a break--you might as well be doing something cool with your time! Like blogging...
I thought once in a while I would share some things that inspire me, and since I am feeling very uninspired today, maybe this will make me feel better.
from Keith Buchholz at the Fluxus Art Farm in St Louis, USA
This is the first 3-D piece sent to me, it will be displayed much differently than shown here. You hang this from the little ring in the skeleton's head. The other photo is the back side of the mobile. Isn't it great! I'll have an installation view for you asap.
I am organizing an Mail Art exhibition for a small gallery next fall, so I need more 3-D pieces!! If you send me something 3-D I will send you something 3-D back! I am also looking for more 2-D pieces, as always. Send all submissions to:
Sarah Elizabeth Condon 1717 Alfred Drive Luxemburg, WI 54217 USA
as always, feel free to e-mail me with any questions/comments at sarah@theemergenceproject.com
