You Know What They Say About Assuming

Okay so I am assuming...that you all have heard what "they" say about assuming.  After being in our new location for the better part of a year now, I have come to realize that people make two assumption about art.  And that is that art is too expensive or impossible to understand.  I would like to clear up these assumptions.  There is art out there to fit every budget.  If you only want to spend $20 to if you want to spend $20,000.  If you cannot find originals that fit your budget, (they are out there trust me) you can look to less costly fine art prints.  Often these pieces are signed and numbered by the artist and are ready for standard framing.  There are tons of places to find the perfect piece of art to make you smile every day.  There are galleries all over the country, art shows, and art festivals, and independent artists.  If you find something you love and still cannot afford the price tag, ask the artist or art consultant about commissioning a smaller work of the same subject, or if fine art prints are available.  Never say never when it comes to art.  Remember, "art is for everyone!"

The other assumption people make is that art is impossible to understand.  What we all have to remember is that art is as complicated as the viewer makes it.  If you like something because of the color or subject, it is as simple as that.  If you feel happy when you look at something that is that!  Are there underlying meaning in art, usually.  But that doesn't mean that is all there is.  We have talked about in other blog posts artist intent and viewer interpretation, and how intent isn't always the most important part.  If you just let go and allow yourself to enjoy something than life will be a much happier place!  Don't think, just look and feel.   Let us know how that works out by posting a comment!

Where Is It Going?

As the art world advances through time many wonder where it is going.  To know where it is going it helps to know where it has been.  Too many people look at the contemporary art market and wonder what it is all about anymore.  Why are squiggles and squares considered art?  Since when is chocolate a viable medium in which to produce art?  Not all the art we see and appreciate as fine art was loved in its time.  We have all heard about how Van Gogh did not sell a painting during his life time.   But did you know that the impressionists (Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, etc.) were rejected from the Academy?  The academics hated impressionism.  The did not understand how it was art.  The colors were unrealistic and blotchy.  Ick!  And landscape paintings were totally hated.  Many landscapes contained tiny figurative scenes just be accepted.  But now, 200 years later, it is one of the most loved styles out there.  

To be noticed in the art world an artist must do something bold and new.  Impressionism was bold and new (avant-garde) but is now considered very traditional.  Art has been around for over 40,000 years, and artists are looking for more outrageous ways to gain acclaim.  One way to do this is to use a different medium to create art or use it in a different way.  Food, resin, plastics, cloth, wax, and even bodily fluids are being used to create artistic pieces.  The subject matter is changing too.  Ideas are the subjects of art.  Many pieces are social commentaries of our tumultuous times, and celebrity caricature are gaining in popularity.   So much has been done in the realm of art it is getting more and more difficult to find something that is inventive.  

As soon as Jackson Pollock abstracted abstract art in the 40's and Andres Serrano used his own blood in the 80's the question has been 'what can happen next?'  I have two thoughts.  

Technology is being used in all aspects of the art world: music, film, and fine art.  PhotoShop is very popular in creating works.  Many artists are using computer algorithms  to create abstract pieces.  I feel like a lot of the art in the next 100 years will be done by or with the use of computers and robotics.  

My other hypothesis is that artists will revert back to the more traditional styles.  Like different decades fashion coming back into style, I can see the comeback of Neo-Classicism and Romanticism.  It is difficult to gauge where art is headed, but one thing is for sure, it will always be there being both hated and LOVED!

You Call THAT Art!?

"You Call THAT Art!?" is a new workshop that we are introducing to our workshop schedule.  We launched our first one over the Mother's Day weekend and it was a huge success.  This workshop is free to the public and is a great way to learn about art if a fun and relaxed setting.  We have heard people say that they "don't get" art more times that we would like.  The public is often confused by the conundrum of contemporary art.  Our gallery's goal is to show people that art is for everyone.  They can learn how to talk about art (not like those pompous people we all see on T.V.) with out fear of making a mistake or being ridiculed for their opinions.  We encourage the asking of questions, any questions.  If someone would like to know why a painting is considered art we will tell them what we have learned while mastering our degrees in art history.  Does that mean that you have to like it?  No.  But after learning why something is considered important we can begin to build an appreciation for it.  We will discuss all types of art from Cave Art to Contemporary Art.  We will learn about the origins of art.  Snooze-fest?  Unlikely!  With two people as excited about art as we are it is hard to be bored by our "lecture-tainment."  AND we do our workshop as a High Tea, serving English teas and goodies provided by local businesses like Lord Ravenswood Hall.  So, if you have ever been confused in a museum or gallery, want to learn more about art, or just want something to do on the 3rd Saturday of every month come to LoPressionism Gallery for an educational and, more importantly, fun afternoon.  Seating is limited to please RSVP in advance to reserve your seat.  (321) 722-6000 or post a comment.  Click here to be navigated to our website's Workshop Page.

The 3/50 Project

Okay, so as a person who works in an independent business I am a little biased, but whatever, this is a good topic to have a bias.  The 3/50 Project was created by Cinda Baxter.  This project was designed to help locally owned brick and mortar business.  I know that the media is saying all sorts of things about not spending any money and saving all that you can because times are so hard.  I know that there are a lot of people out there that scared they are going to lose their jobs, we understand completely.  BUT, what the 3/50 Projects suggests is a little way to help the economy.   Spending money anywhere at this point can only help business.  Baxter gives us a way to localize where this spent money ends up.  Pick 3 business that are independently owned that you really like and would hate to see gone.  Then spend $50 a month in those business (not $50 in each store but $50 all together.)  This is not very difficult at all.  Did you know that 68% of what you spend at an independent business goes back into the community when only 43% spent at a chain comes back.  The dollars you spend locally go a lot further than the one spent else where.  So, where can you go to support these business?  There are plenty of local grocers, merchants, restauranteurs, movie theaters, all over your community.  If you are unsure of it's ownership, just ask.  Do you think $50 is a lot to spend?  Just do what you can, remember, that 68% goes back to the community.  So instead of going to a coffee shop chain for your morning beverage try a local shop or bistro.  Go to lunch at a downtown deli and get groceries from a local grocer.  Pick up something small that makes you smile at a local gift store (like LoPressionism Gallery ;).  According to Baxter's research, if just half of the working community did this they would generate $42.6 billion in revenue.  What have you got to lose by trying it?  We CAN pull up the economy but we need people to help.  Every little bit counts!

The Melbourne Art Festival

This past weekend downtown Melbourne had a fantastic art fest. With over 250 artists this years art festival was a great success. There were tons of artists with a variety of styles and mediums there literally was something for everyone. It was wonderful to see all of the people out on the street supporting the arts! I know that I myself spent a good four hours wandering the booths, and I don't think I really "saw" everyone's exhibits. Having just moved to Melbourne, I was very excited about the art fest and had been looking forward to it since October's Masters of Art Festival. This fest surely did not disappoint. Most of the artists were offering smaller original pieces and small prints of their works for under $100 making the art works available for all socioeconomic backgrounds. I left with three small prints and some ceramics. Supporting the arts is something that we can all do, and art festivals across the country make it possible! Keep your eyes open for the Fall Master's of Art Fest downtown, and check out other art fests in your home towns.

Dark Dreams & Lighthearted Themes

We are very exited to hold our second show of the 2009 LoPressionism Gallery exhibition schedule.  This show will include the works of five very talent artists.  There is something for everyone in this show from the colorful cityscapes to the whimsical characters of to the darkened interiors.  In this group of artists we were looking for something that brought reality and the sublime together.  Escape.  That is something that all five of our "Dark Dreams..." artists have in common.  Escape into Sandra Bottinelli's world where giant purple ducks protect and watch over you.  That is a world I would love to live in!  Marina Koloeridi creates a mystical environments where the heavens and the terrestrial worlds swirl together in excitement and passion.  Escape to a land where the colors of the night are just as bright at the colors of the day in Luke Andrews' paintings.  Homes have a personality  of their own, they are as open and deep as the human soul.  Nicholas Bustamante's paintings make buildings come to life as they have minds of their own.  Then you can relax as you float down a river of the back of a bird, basking in the rays of the sun.  Laura Beatty's creations are full of fun and contemplative characters!  "Dark Dreams & Lighthearted Themes" is a fantastic show hung beautifully by the gallery staff.  It flows from one world to the next as if, perchance, you are dreaming. 

Cultural Stimulus

For ages the government has barely recognized the arts as a viable sector of the economy.  However, in February, congress managed to get a $50 million for the arts in the stimulus package.  According to an article  in Art in America, "despite years of economic impact studies showing how the arts stimulate local economies, from tourism dollars to construction industry jobs, arts groups still had to mount a feverish campaign to preserve a $50 million line that the House had passed but that the Senate eliminated."  Although 50 million is measly compared to what other industries have received it is wonderful that the arts were even included.  What many fail to realize is that not only do the arts employ artists and performers, but also art handlers, stage crews, accountants, cooks, security guards, maintenance people and more.  The arts provide over 6 million jobs nation wide!  The money will go to the National Endowment for the Arts to distribute in the form of grants only to non-profit groups whose projects focus on the preservation of jobs in the arts.  These groups must also have been awarded NEA grants within the last 4 years.  Not to fret for those groups who have not received grants, they still may be eligible to get a sub-grant from a state or regional arts organization.  

This is not a new idea.  In 1930's, as part of the New Deal, the Federal Art Project was created with a goal of employing out of work artists and to provide art for non federal buildings.  Not only did all of this new art boost morale in a depression era, but provided much needed jobs.  Could this new stimulus plan be similar to Roosevelt's F.A.P.?  We can only hope.    Your thoughts...