Just wasted an hour trying to deal with information from gmail's blogspot that I received in my e-mail.  I finally just gave up.  If I hadn't saved how to get to my blogger link in my "Favorites" section on Google, I wouldn't be able to get into the site.  The people who work in website design must be instructed to make them as difficult and complicated as possible for new users.

Artists and Galleries

One of the things that has been badly missing from my artistic education was instruction in the commercial side of being an artist.  I had always assumed that an artist could simply contact a gallery, show them a portfolio and, if the gallery liked what they saw, be able to exhibit their work in an exhibition.

What I didn't realize was how much one's sales determined being selected for an exhibition.  I remember gallery directors who repeatedly asked about my sales history.  A correspondent of mine on Linked-In, confirmed this for me.  He said that galleries wanted to be sure that their artists had established a sales record that would be comparable to what the other artists in the gallery had established. 

The result of all this is that it is very hard for an artist to get established.  You have to find a way to convince people to buy your work.  Then, when you can get a collector to recommend your work to a gallery, you may obtain an exhibition. 

 

    

de Kooning Show at MOMA

All the magazines this month are carrying reviews of the de Kooning show at MOMA.  Everyone agrees that it is a terrific show.  Some critics are saying that the show has caused them to re-evaluate de Kooning’s career.  They believe that de Kooning, not Pollack or Rothko, is the master of abstract expressionism.

I have always liked de Kooning’s early work.  What made me a fan was the series of women paintings of about 1959-1962.  But the series was just a small part of de Koonings many styles. 

What none of the wall texts had mentioned was how de Kooning constructed his paintings.  I once watched a documentary of  him at work; he would compose with tracing paper moving around various shapes on the canvas.  In the film, you could see shapes and lines being built up and other areas painted over or obscured.

The de Kooning show seems to have made quite an impact on me.  I am now beginning to work much more spontaneously and confidently.  We shall see how things work out.

Facebook Link -- CHECK IT OUT

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joseph-Lawrence-Studio/100702946703823?sk=wall

HERE is the Link for my Facebook Page

Since I am not an expert in computer programing, working with Facebook is a frustrating and time consuming ordeal.  As many of you know, designers of websites seem to do their utmost to hide any useful information from their users.  My fear is that this is done deliberately to increase profits by forcing people to buy training books and attend seminars.   Look how easy it was to edit and publish this blog, it only took me about six tries. 

Those damn celebrity artists!

Big Gripe of the Month:  Those damn celebrity artists.  Good old Robert Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan) now is getting a big build up for his "Drawn Blank" series.  If you didn't know the paintings were Dylan's work, you'd assume the portfolio was the work of a retired school teacher from Iowa.  Will anyone dare say the emperor has no clothes?

Wake Up - Debt Ceiling, Cuts and the Arts

Most of the recent news has been concentrating on the battle about increasing the debt ceiling and cuts in government spending.  There has been not been much talk in the press about what the future will hold for arts organizations.  I am not optimistic. 

President Obama said that he is going to make trillions of dollars of cuts to take effect in the next ten years, including entitlement programs.  It seems likely that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will be cut and/or restructured.  The unemployed, marginally employed, workers without medical insurance, the poor and retirees may have to fend for themselves.  Many theatres, museums, galleries and arts organizations will likely close.

Wealthy billionaires like Murdoch can distort and spin doctor the news.  They have convinced the working class that all problems are the result of big government and taxes.  The working class has come to believe that that eliminating the very programs that have kept them out of poverty since the depression is a great idea.  Of course, the millionaires tell us that everything will be fine if we just allow them more wealth, that somehow it will all "trickle down."

Listen people!  The alarm clock has rung and it's time to WAKE UP!. A class war is going on in this country, the wealthy against the poor.  With unregulated money now allowed to go into political campaigns, our political system will cease to be a democracy.  Instead of a debate between two political parties, our laws will be drafted according to what is in the best interest of competing corporations.  What can be done?  Defeat the T-Party! 

Art galleries and shows of note: June 2011

I have been meaning to try and keep my blog, Lawrence Letters, updated.  So, I plan to start with a few of observations of interesting shows and galleries. 

Denise Bibro has a really interesting show of work by Don Kimes, running until July 9th.  They are works on paper and on canvas based on pictures of work in his studio that was damaged from a flood.  He has mounted the photos and retouched them with Photoshop and painted over some areas.  The works are very colorful and organic abstractions, and they all appear to be painstakingly renderedThe show is a great example of what can be done combining traditional painting and Photoshop manipulation.  . 

Also worthy of mention is the Pavel Zoubok Gallery, a favorite of mine on West 23rd Street.  The gallery specializes in collage work and seems to also be interested in showing work influenced by Outsider Art, also one of my interests.