An IMPORTANT [art-related] ISSUE to consider during Election '08

If you care about the arts and how it might survive in this dwindling economy, perhaps this article below will help you decide who to vote for...


Taken from: Shelley Esaak's blog on about.com/arthistory

Over the past week we've seen trading tickers and Presidential campaign tactics sink to new lows and, I have to be honest with you, both are very distracting. Sort of like a slow-motion train wreck playing in a seven-day loop--you (and here by "you" I totally mean "me") know it's bad to watch, and you know watching is not going to accomplish anything, yet it takes an almost superhuman effort to peel your eyes away. "He said," "She said," "They said," infinity, with ad nauseam commentary from talking heads, many of whom I don't believe capable of feeding my dog let alone telling me what to think. My brain feels like an overstimulated hamster running on its wheel, not knowing or caring why it's running in the first place.

As you yourself may have discovered, such 24/7 drama isn't conducive to writing or speaking English words and arranging them into coherent sentences. So it came as a relief to be jolted back to my senses by a post on MUSEUM-L, a listserv to which I subscribe and recommend to anyone in the museum community. The "$3 million (USD) overhead projector earmark" comment from the Tuesday, October 7, 2008 debate naturally came up on the list, which led to further discussion about the candidates' positions on arts funding in general. This in turn led to a lister posting the enormously helpful link to the Americans for the Arts Action Fund's page entitled ArtsVote2008. In alphabetical order and without further ado:

The Candidates' Positions on the Arts

Senator John McCain (Republican Party)
Senator Barack Obama (Democratic Party)

Yea! Political, but pertinent to this community. Before you say anything, I thought about including other political parties' positions on the arts, but didn't for two reasons. (1) I couldn't find them, though I *did* look, and (2) let's be realistic. One of the two Senators above will be the President-elect of the United States on November 5. All that's really up in the air is which of these two candidates best represents your interests.

Just some food for thought... in light of all the recent ugliness both campaigns are guilty of.

40x26.667

I used to think alternative exhibition space was a rarity in this town we call Washington DC; that is, until I made a pit stop at Caramel Boutique (16th and U Street) one chilly, Friday evening to attend the opening of 40x26.667. At this chic clothing store, I found an eclectic mix of photos ranging from the wild and rough terrain landscape of central Spain to the abstract, minimalist architecture of New York City, photos that were peeking out around racks of stylish, avant-garde party dresses and accessories. Local photographers Mark Parascandola (repped by the Nevin Kelly Gallery) and Stirling Elmendorf collaborated in this stunning photographic exhibition, which opened on 25 January, and is bound to leave lasting impression on those who view it.

After making my rounds and chatting with Mark about his photographic interests, I quickly realized that the eye is indeed the entrance to a photographer's creative soul. The challenge for every photographer is to find subjects and shoot in locations that are compelling not only for them, but for you, the viewer. In order to complete this task successfully, one needs to question the following: what has been done before? what can I do better or different from the rest? ... and ultimately, what subjects will force me to take a risk and please the viewers around me?


This day in age, with digital photography being the absolute norm (and a bunch of "wannabes" out there who think they make beautiful pictures), photographers need to constantly be aware of what is going on around them. They must have their camera + equipment by their side 24/7 in order to be at the right place at the right time to document interesting aspects of the subject that is commonly overlooked by the tourist taking a random snapshot of a famous monument in Europe. Good technique is not impossible to learn; it is simply a matter of practice and loads of patience. One must be able to see beauty in the mundane, and recreate it: exceedingly well. Thus is the life story of Mark and Stirling, who have traveled all over the globe to produce these amazing photographs.

I, of course, categorize myself in the "wannabe" section and did my own photographic capturing of the opening, which can be found here. Hope you enjoy them!

40x26.667 is on view from now until Leap Year Day, 29 February 2008. Stop by and see it if you haven't done so already.

forward to the future :: happy 2008

A new year, a new beginning - time to shred away the old you and embrace what is to come. 2007 was an amazing, whirlwind of a year filled with adventures that took my ARTISTIC career to the next level. Studying Asian art at Sotheby's Institute - London, attending art fairs such as MiArt in Milan and ArteFiera in Bologna, traveling to Istanbul to admire the art of the Islamic world and finally, finishing out my graduate studies with a BANG by taking on an internship at Le Case d'Arte in Milan! The latter part of 2007 turned out to be uneventful for the most part, besides my part-time collaboration with the Nevin Kelly Gallery and a desire to figure out where this passion is taking me in life. Nonetheless, I have high hopes for 2008 and look forward to whatever it throws in my face.


Some of my professional/artistic goals for 2008 include [but are not limited to]:

[x] Finding a full-time job with a decent salary I can live off, with an organization that is at least semi-involved with the arts and learn as much as possible
[x] Submit paper abstracts, get published and maybe even present my research
[x] Get some freelance digital photography & art criticism gigs
[x] Attend as many art fairs/exhibitions/festivals as possible - and blog about them
[x] Get my mojo back as far as creativity goes

In attempts to revive my creative side and get the juices flowin', I've taken on a huge challenge [as of this morning]:

I am now a participant of the 365 Days Project on Flickr. By taking self-portraits for a total of 365 consecutive days, I hope to awake the muse within and play around with the myriad of functions (some of which I didn't even know existed!) on my camera. Since some people consider me borderline narsasisstic due to my obsessiveness with taking random shots of myself, why not experiment in all directions and share my creations on the web? After all, this project, no matter what happens, is ultimately the celebration of my life! Isn't that what art is all about? Anyway, check back often for the updated set.

Cheers to life, and may 2008 be a memorable one!

a new conversation...

Welcome to Creatively Pensive, a blog dedicated to the critique of art, museums and culture from the views of a[n] Art & Museum Studies graduate student. I would like to initiate this new venue of communication with a quote from Take Oldenburg (1961), regarding his critique on pop art.

May this be a manifesto of sorts, for greater things to come.

"I am for an art that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum. I am for an art that grows up not knowing it is art at all, an art given the chance of having a starting point of zero. I am for an art that involves itself with the everyday crap and still comes out on top. I am for an art that imitates the human, that is comic if necessary, or violent, or whatever is necessary. I am for an art that takes its form from the lines of life, that twists and extends impossibly and accumulates and spits and drips, and is sweet and stupid as life itself.”

As a closet art critic, I am starting this blog as a creative outlet for a more profound "brain dump" of all the knowledge buzzing in my head during the candidancy for my Masters degree. I have many thoughts, and plan on developping them here. Through this blog, I hope to evoke discussion and debate regarding the past, present and future of the art world. This will include both the art world in the United States, and abroad. I encourage everyone to think outside the box, outside of conventional norms. The most effective solution is to toss off all pre-determined assumptions/mindsets and question what you know to be true. This is the opportune moment to be as open-minded as possible, ask questions and make mistakes. Otherwise, how else are you going to learn and grow?

More to come... stay tuned!