Measuring your Art

Let's see if I can reconstruct this concept about success in being an artist which was shared with me years ago by my therapist Peter Demuth.

There are four levels of contentment with one's art going from worst to best:

1) You hate it and your audience hates it as well. 💔

2) You hate it and your audience loves it. 💓

3) You love it and your audience hates it. 💘

4) You love it and your audience loves it. ❤️

Artist With Alzheimer's Drew Self Portraits For Five Years Until He Could Barely Remember His Own Face

DISCLAIMER:

Difficult to see the progress of the artist's Alzheimer's

reflected in his artistic abilities.

Thanks to http://boredpanda.com for this.

I saw it a while ago and was quite moved by it.

Wanted to share with you.

After reading intro, scroll down through eight portraits.

The Art and Craft of Writing

I consider myself a writer and a poet. When reading about the "art/craft of writing" from other writers/poets, they will all tell you that you must be a voracious reader. I see one problem, however, with that. When I read I find myself jealous of other writers and how beautifully, creatively, intelligently, seemingly easily, etc, they accomplish their feat. In other words, I begin to compare my writing to theirs and I begin to doubt my own abilities.

I have also read a number of books by famous writers about writing. That creates more of a Doubt Dilemma! A few of such books I have read include:
- "The View From the Cheap Seats" by Neil Gaiman
- "Talking About Detective Fiction" by P.D. James
- "The Maeve Binchy Writers' Club" by Maeve Binchy
- "Zen in the Art of Writing" by Ray Bradbury
- "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" by Stephen King
- ... among others.

Granted I am comparing myself to writers who have been published by legitimate publishing houses and their books sit on shelves at bookstores around the world! I am self-published and have had a number of essays published here and there. One day I want to be signing autographs for you at the local bookstore!

I do think I write well and I do think I "have something to say!" What I do not have is the motivation to sell myself. You will hear this from many artists, "I love doing my art, I do not love having to promote myself and I do not enjoy trying to sell my art."

So my advice to myself is this: Be a voracious reader but do not judge yourself by comparing your writing to that of others. You are you and that is good enough. There is only one of you and that is probably enough. I so enjoy writing that it is the doing of it that counts and hopefully someday I will be published but that is not the point.

Meanwhile, I do have an audience here at my BLOG, I do receive KUDOS and standing ovations at the presentations I give (having spent a lot of time writing and fine-tuning them,) I have had four Guest Columns in The Windy City Times (the LGBTQ Newspaper of the Greater Chicago Area,) and mostly ... I love to write! In fact, I NEED to write almost every day or I feel a withdrawal of sorts.

Here a link to my website where you will find a quick link to various essays of mine that have been published:

http://www.horvich.com

Evanston's International Art Fair

This weekend Evanston held its annual International Art Fair. It is located on the lake about four blocks from my condo. I walked over and this is what I saw:

The Burn

Following is a series of Facebook posts that took place after I attended "The Burn" –Book launch reception and presentation by photographer Jane Fulton Alt.

The invitation:
Join award-winning, fine art photographer Jane Fulton Alt as she discusses her recently published book, The Burn. This series of arresting photographs, begun in 2007, captures the beauty, violence and regenerative power of controlled prairie burns – “the ephemeral moment when life and death are not opposed, but are harmonized as a single process to be embraced as a whole.” Light refreshments are provided and a book-signing will follow the artist talk. Museum exhibitions will be open for viewing.

Posted by Jane afterwards with some photographs: 
Thank you to the Ragdale Foundation, Jeffrey Meeuwsen, DePaul University Art Museum and Laura Fatemi for a wonderful night. It was so satisfying to do the presentation, realizing what a long trajectory I have been on that culminated in The Burn. Thank you, Jessica Tampas, for the visual record of tonight and to Michael Horvich who was the messenger (it took my breath away). 

(You can see the back of Gregory's and my head just under the screen.)

In a next post, the "messenger" was revealed: 
This was a gift given to me by a fellow artist minutes before my presentation of The Burn, which was dedicated to my sister who passed away last November. My sister collected cherry EVERYTHING. Needless to say, it took my breath away...

Then in an e-mail from Jane including an article from The New York Times written by her niece: 
My mom was a collector of cherries: cherry plates, cherry shoes, cherry scarves, anything with cherries on it. I am a photographer and early on I really wanted to create a portrait of her surrounded by her vast collections. She was reluctant to pose for me because she didn't want to look silly or feel like I was making fun of her. After some convincing, she finally agreed and loved the photo, hanging it in a place of honor in the kitchen amidst her cherry collections. She passed away in November and every time I see cherries I will think of her. Submitted by Emily Heller.

This was followed by a comment from Susan Page Tilett, (friend, fellow artist, mentor, and former executive director of the Ragdale Foundation, now executive director of the Mesa Refuge artist retreat center. 

Why does it not surprise me that the intuitive Michael Horvich, would deliver such a gift?!

• • •

Summed up by my thoughts:
I continue to be amazed at the web of interconnectedness in my life as well as my ability to do and say just the right things at the right times. Call it Devine Guidance?

Do NOT Touch

Today Gregory and I went to Northwestern with the intention of going to the Block Museum to see their new show. First we went to the student union, had a lovely lunch, and enjoyed some lovely "eye-candy."

After lunch we went to The Block and as we entered the weather entry before getting into the actual lobby and gift shop, the guard came out to tell us that the museum is closed on Mondays and "DO NOT touch. This is a museum. You are not supposed to touch things in museums."

What was he talking about you wonder? In the weather stop area there was a sculpture that consisted of approximately one dozen drums, of various colors and vintages, which were fastened one onto the other, in diminishing size and securely attached to a base. The bottom drums, for as high as you could reach, featured spring loaded hammers which could be pulled back, released, and cause the drum to be played. There was no sign, "Do not touch." We weren't even in the museum proper, just the weather entry area. And don't tell me that drums with spring loaded hammers ready to be played should merit a "DO NOT TOUCH!"

While the guard was pleasant enough, he was a little condescending and obviously I had to argue with him.

"There is no sign."

"This isn't even in the museum proper."

"How could one not play the drums the way they invite you to?"

"Your desk isn't even out here."

"You'll get laryngitis having to tell everyone not to touch."

"If you don't want people to touch the drums, there should be a sign."

His reply? "DO Not touch. This is a museum. You are not supposed to touch things in museums."

My finish? "Put a sign up." And we left.

"In The Table" & "On The Wall"

Last night Gregory and I were featured artists at Jan and Jake's "In The Table Gallery." Jan wrote a wonderful BLOG about the event and instead of trying to do the job as well as she did, I have posted the link to her entry:
Jan's BLOG: "Nexus"

Thoughts of Elaine and Buttons

Elaine, my creative accomplished friend. Ears burning? I have been thinking about you with an intense focus as I sit here at the counter that divides the kitchen from the main room of our condo, mending a shirt which has miraculously lost all eight of its buttons at the same time.


I am not complaining. At least I found all the buttons. One hour later, the shirt has all if its white, four holed buttons firmly reattached, at least for the time being. I guess it would have been worse to witness the buttons undo themselves one at a time, over time.


Next to me sits the completed shirt and an open basket with my scant sewing tools: a red tomato of a pin cushion with its green calix and attached red bud that I seem to remember is for sharpening needles, a yellow handled scissors which is probably too large for the job, a zip top bag full of miscellaneous buttons that somehow seem to collect me when I am not looking, and a wooden darning egg.


There is another zip top bag with assorted spools of various colored threads (mostly useless and matching some long forgotten piece of clothing) each end of which is wound and slotted where it belongs. There is a small box of various sized safety pins one of which is HUGE and a souvenir of one of my Lyric Opera costume temporary mends.


There are other assorted items like a tape measure, thimble, crochet needle, wooden box filled with extra needles, pencil, cardboard of straight pins, and a "thing-a-majig" that is used to take out seams and other erroneously left over bits of thread.


As I was sewing on the multitude of buttons I was trying to remember how I learned how these basic techniques of sewing, who taught me the skills? It may have been my mother but I do not remember any tender moments with me sitting by her side as she taught me. In elementary school, seventh or eighth grade I believe, I did take a class which in those days was called Home Economics and probably made an apron or some simple item. 


Gregory's mother, Helen, taught me how to thread a needle by licking it, pinching it between my fingers, and pushing the eye of the needle into the pinch as the thread like magic seemed to know what to do without my help. She also taught me to roll the end of the thread around a spit moistened finger as a way of tying an end knot in the thread.


Gregory taught me how to sew a coat button around a wooden match stick and then to wind the thread around the button a number of times, so there would be enough give in the button to get through the woolen thickness of the coat. 


So Elaine, my dear friend, to you who can run a sewing machine (and several other machines the names of which I am sure I do not know) I say, "Amazing." To you who can buy the right amount of material to make a blouse or a skirt or a jacket and have the blouse, skirt, or jacket actually look like a blouse, skirt, or jacket ... I salute you. 


To someone who can create unique looking items, be they clothes, quilts, or whatever; that have unique buttons in unexpected places and exciting unexpected lines and folds, I say "Hurrah!" To you who attends workshops and seminars to learn more and to share the creativity of other masters, I say, "KUDOS!"


With fond memories of your wonderful, huge sewing studio (organized, waiting to be organized, or just messy) with your private space to contemplate the nature and activity of creativity (I so yearn for a "Room of My Own") I say, "Here's to you!"


As for me, I have to go put some antiseptic on the many holes I have poked in my fingers. Maybe next time I will attempt to hem a cuff!

Confused on the Internet

I am so confused. Trying to create a larger presence on an already large internet is disconcerting. So far I have: 1) a website with my partner Gregory, 2) a me.com gallery, 3) a professional site, 4) a Michael's Museum site, 5) a writing BLOG, 6) an Alzheimer's BLOG, 7) a photography BLOG, and 8) a Michael's Museum BLOG. I will soon be linked to: 9) The Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier site, 10) am beginning to develop a Twitter visibility, 11) just opened a Twitpix account, 12) just remembered I have the Google Picasa picture site, and 13) want to do more on Linkedin. A baker's dozen. A good luck number. A lot of work. 


I wrote this BLOG after I tried to share a picture on my friend Jan's BLOG entry "Bookshelf Porn." First, I couldn't figure out how to do it. Then, I did it, but incorrectly. Next I figured it out. Finally, there is probably a better way to do so, but one of which I am still unaware. I am confused on the internet. 


So here is my answer. Here is my BLOG entry. Here is a picture of my contribution to Jan's BLOG "Bookshelf Porn." And here is a link to Jan's BLOG. (P.S. You can reach most of my active internet endeavors and those of my friends by clicking on the links to your right!)


CLICK HERE FOR
Jan's BLOG: "Bookshelf Porn"

MY ADDITION/COMMENT ON JAN'S BLOG:

Bedroom Books. Note two art pieces (left-"Me at My Wedding" and right-"Broom Lady") by Jan.

Art

Found this button at shop downtown and it spoke to me. Was wearing it on my jacket and a number of people at the Opera House read it out loud. It caught their attention as it did mine.

Not sure, however, what it means. Will have to think about this one and get back to you.

New Ways of Seeing

Thanks to my friend Jan for the motivation for this piece. Her Blog on Liu Bolin caused me to become sad, pensive, overwhelmed.


I am ALWAYS in awe of someone who can look at life, through their art, in a way that no one else has until that moment. To create new ways of seeing. It was there all along, s/he saw it, and now I can see it too.


I am always in awe of someone who can follow their vision, their passion and who dedicates their life to those beliefs.


Experiencing an artist's ability to cause me to see life differently makes me feel like my creativity is only a rehash of what is, not a view of what might be, could be, or should be. I yearn to live my life artistically and by doing so to bring joy and understanding to others. I'll keep trying. Why do I feel like I will never be that "Best Little Boy?"


My friend Jan causes these same emotions in me. I love her and am an avid fan of hers because: 1) She is good. 2) She is inventive. 3) She is one of a kind. 4) She is intense. 5) She doesn’t know how to settle for the ordinary. 6) I love her.


• • • • •

You can visit her blog at: Jan's Blog

The specific blog I am referring to here is at: Liu Bolin

More art by Liu Bolin can be seen here: Eli Klein Fine Art

Art or Soup?

Many years ago, a young girl named Amelia decided that she wanted to "do art" like  Jack, her father and Jane, her mother. So she set up a studio in the basement corner of her father's sculpture studio/workshop. Being a young person, the table she used was small and low and the chair she sat on was small and low.


On her work surface she arranged all of her art supplies including crayons, paper, glue, scissors, pencils and pens, and bits and scraps of this and that. The crayons were neatly arranged in their carefully opened box, the paper was stacked precisely and placed in the upper right hand corner of the table, the scissors and glue and pens and pencils were standing straight in a clean frozen juice can, the bits and pieces of this and that were safely stored in a wooden cigar box.


Amelia spent most of her art time arranging and rearranging her work space. The paper moved from the right corner to the left corner, the crayons were taken out of their box and filled the juice can, and the pens and pencils moved to the cigar box.


First, the table faced the wall, then came out sideways from the wall, and then faced the room with the chair between the table and the wall. The beads, thread, and pins started out in a shallow tuna can but were moved to a glass jar, and next were in placed a shallow plastic container. And then her supplies moved again. And again. And again.


While Amelia did some art, like drawing and also stringing beads on a large safety pin (one of which I still have in a drawer) it turned out that her art really embraced the concept of mixed-media time, space, and area movement. It included their layout management, arrangement, and rearrangement. If one had thought to photograph her work space over time, a wonderfully interesting pattern would be apparent and isn't that in itself art?


P.S. Amelia grew up, married, became Dr. Room Professor of Archeology, and has two lovely, well organized children. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

MM@CCM

Had an excellent meeting today with the 14 person management team of The Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier to discuss the installation of Michael's Museum during Spring of 2011. (MM@CCM)

CCM saw the potential and magic and joy in Michael’s Museum and in May of 2007 a mutual agreement was signed. A milk and cookie reception was held at the original Michael’s Museum with CCM people attending and seeing the magic in action for themselves.

At the beginning of June, five people from CCM took five days of eight hours each for the archival packing of the museum. That adds up to over 200 hours of work putting little things into little bags which in turn were put in little boxes and then into a big truck.

Finally, on July 7th, 2007 the museum was delivered to an environmentally controlled storage room of its own next door to the likes of collections from The Art Institute and the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art.

In storage now for three years, the over 100 collections of tens of thousands of small things (don't just call them miniatures) that make up Michael’s Museum have been eagerly awaiting their future at The Chicago Children's Museum and the chance to see the light of day again. Looks like that day is almost here!

Ladies, Gentlemen and Children of All Ages. Step Right Up. Come visit Michael’s Museum. Experience the Magic. Experience the Joy. Be amused. Be amazed. Be astounded.

If you haven't visited the museum's site, you are in for a treat with stories and pictures: Michael's Museum. (Click on this link.)

This was my horoscope for today: 

Aries (3/21-4/19)

Your instincts steer you in the right direction today, because you don't hesitate or question your judgment. In fact, your trust in your intuition can lead you to some big wins right now, so get involved in competitions you find in any realm. Your skills and talents are honed to a winning edge.

An Assembly of Assemblages

Very excited to share the news that I will be having a show of approximately 25 "Assemblages" at the Lincolnwood City Hall in June of 2011. For the last six years I have been working on Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) type art pieces using purchased, found, and/or created 3-D items mounted in various types of glass fronted boxes with collage, photos, patterned materials, or www images completing the projects. Each Assemblage is a visual treat for you to explore: some with life messages, some with humor, some with an interesting way to look at our world. Watch this blog for the "Opening Reception" notice and then plan on joining me to celebrate.


OTHER SITE YOU MIGHT WANT TO VISIT:
Joseph Cornell Web Museum, Paris