Sorry I’ve been quiet of late, everybody. Still catching up in life after the whole Oranje thing. There’ll be more work soon, but, in the meanwhile, here are some badass photos from a session I had with local photo dynamo Jennifer Spurgin (nee Jennifer Parker) recently. You can tell she’s good, because I actually look like a people person in them.
Also, the Central Branch library here in Indianapolis is an absolutely gorgeous choice of location, amirite?
Alright, it’s been a little while since I’ve had time to sit down and crunch out a proper article reflecting on happening things in a timely manner. Been equally as long since I had time to sit and review some artist I’ve just discovered I like, although that has as much to do with not having time to go looking for them as it does with not having the time to review them. Bollocks.
So, before I head off here to help my good friend Jennifer with a photo shoot this dreary Sunday, here are some links and things from the art world this week, should you have missed them.
Let’s start with Why We Love Bad Photography, an idea from A Photo Editor expanding on a Salon article about why we love bad writing. Don’t forget to read the excellent follow-up from Joerg Colberg over at my favorite art blog (photography, in this case, but you’ll find a lot of insightful and broad philosophy about what art is woven in there), Conscientious.
For my own thoughts on the matter, the idea of good art vs bad art is one that’s been bandied about a lot by my friends and I over the years, especially in the context of Grimey Studios. With their help, I’ve settled into viewing things as divided roughly into two categories: pulp art and fine art. Pulp art is art done using very low-brow means, highly colloquial or based in pop culture, and designed for easy mass consumption. Fine art is art that sets out with ideas and purpose, and might require a background in several ideas or mediums before it gives up its depths to you. I have a deep love for both, and there’s a lot of work done in both styles that I find awful. Other people love that same work. Which eventually forces the idea that there’s no such thing as bad, however often we all will shorthand things we don’t care for as being “bad.” I’m as guilty of it as anyone else, it’s a quick, one-syllable way to convey the idea that “I’m either poorly equipped to understand and appreciate this, or it works using tropes or styles that I simply don’t care for, and that’s fine because there’s plenty enough in this world to accomodate for taste.” Bad is just plain shorter.
That said, don’t get lazy because you don’t have to ever consume anything you don’t like. Trying to figure out why other people like something you don’t and giving it an intent, critical assessment where you honestly try to like it is one of the more rewarding experiences in life. And, sometimes you still won’t like it, and that’s still fine. But see if you don’t walk away with a better appreciation for it regardless, I dare you.
The other thing of note this week is the most sensationally, offensively titled article I’ve seen in a while, Artist Kills Himself (No Big Surprise… Once You See His Paintings). I don’t even know where to start with that, from its crass implications about artist stability to its astounding insensitivity to the plight of the individual it’s about to the implication that you must be deeply messed up to do such off-kilter work. It’s the sort of article that makes me want to side with the old fogeys decrying web journalism because of its lack of standards.
That said, it did introduce me to the work of artist Tetsuya Ishida, who last week threw himself in front of a train, ending 32 years on this ball of molecules. For the introduction, I’m glad. For the death, I’m sad. Ishida used a very illustratorial style for his works, but the subject matter and presentation were all bizarrely surreal, equal parts post-Hiroshima Japan existentialism combined with that surrealist feel of Kafka. It was gorgeous, and while I’m saddened there won’t be any more, what there is will remain favorites of mine.
OK, I’m off to a shoot. Check out Tetsuya Ishida, ponder over the articles on why we love bad art. Get back to me in the comments, or hit me up on Twitter at @zedmartinez.
by Jennifer Parker
FOR EVENT SUMMARY AND ALL REVIEWED ARTISTS CLICK HERE
Jennifer Parker, who was running the Kitsch booth at Oranje 2009, is an old(er) acquaintance of mine. She used to be my coworker back when I was just getting back into photography, and we just never could manage to see eye-to-eye about things, especially the website I was trying to design for her (back when I was young, cocky, and stupid. Well, younger, cockier, and stupider anyway.)
Actually, jParker Pictures (as it was at the time) started the seed that would eventually become Sparkle, after a couple frustrating years with failed Flash implentations and some heartfelt time finding a better way to do what should be simple.
But I digress. Her new website looks gorgeous (Chris Spurgin, this hat tips for you, although I’ll probably remain a bit more fond of jQuery than Mootools I can’t argue with the splendid results.) Which is good, because her work is gorgeous. The gal has a way with light that really kinda captures what art photography is even about, and I’m seeing a lot more humor creep into her newer works. Her Kitsch booth was a pleasant and almost Dada-esque experience, at once saying it was about nothing and at the same time probably make more of a statement than it meant to.
Her portfolio remains as eclectic as ever, but there’re quite a few gems in there. Check it out over at http://jparkerpictures.com/
[EDIT]: View the pictures from Oranje 2009 here: http://zedmartinez.com/2009/09/pictures-from-oranje-2009/
So, my thoughts on Oranje 2009 you (don’t) ask? Well, let’s see here:
Venue: Let’s start with the venue first, because it’s what makes the first impression. An old, empty warehouse in the not-so-hot-but-not-really-awful fringe of downtown? Nice ambiance. It’s safe enough to merit attendance, edgy enough to give things that feel the organizers were clearly going for. Plus, the driving ramp as a way to get to the second floor was awesome.
The Art: So, safe to say, the art was kind of a big deal at Oranje. I know, I know, “Derek!”, you say, “That’s crazy talk!” I know, right? But so it was. I count 33 artists/galleries/groups on the map, not counting the bands. I count 40 bands on here. i spent too much time hitting the art booths, so i didn’t catch many of the bands, so I don’t have as much to say about them as I would like. I do, at least, have a list of artists and groups I’m going to discuss over the course of the week. They are (drumroll, please):
So, keep your eyes peeled here.
All that said, I agree with Aud that it sounded like it would be bigger. Mind you, it was two stories of art and 40 friggin’ bands, but it still seems like they could cram more into it if they wanted. But ti was certainly enough to kill four hours on the weeknd.
Refreshments: I’m going to come right out and say it: anyplace that charges me $3 bucks a pop for PBR has some concession-related issues I’d like to see worked out. Profit is nice, but yowza. Can I get something… better, for those prices? Please?