The Neverbeendoneisance Period

Is this good art?   200 years ago, that question may have been answered so easily, but how come today it seems to be such a daunting question almost akin to asking, "what is the meaning of life?"  A whole lot of it has to do with how art progressed through the Modern then Post-Modern eras.  Previous standards of subject and judgment - realism, rendering, the human form, composition, etc. - were questioned then deconstructed.  Found objects could be art instead of made objects, primitive brush handling could be masterful, the process of making art was the art itself.  In other words, anything about art, from the function, the creation, the subject, and even the artist him/herself was analyzed, probed, and dissected. 

They were exciting times of artistic freedom, there were new untapped avenues for exploration, and the mantra seemed to be  "it shouldn't be done unless it hasn't been done!"   and for a while a whole lot hadn't been done, so we had Pop art, Dada, Photo-Realism, Performance art, Installation art, Conceptual art, art done by animals, and my personal favorite, art done by artificially intelligent computers - the deconstruction of the living artist himself! 

Today everything has been done, to put it bluntly.  There lies the dilemma.  It can't be good art if it's been done before right?  Perhaps an artist can rely on the value of shock, because there's always something new you can shock someone with right?  Perhaps create cynical nonsense and use the wizardry and sophistry of words to validate the visually unintelligible?  Indeed we have seen that, yet why does it feel as if the dead horse has been beating to a bloody stump?

                               We shall raise our white flags and proclaim Art is DEAD!

or is it?  Perhaps not if we think of it this way.  "Never has been done before"  is truly the movement that defined the last few decades.  Let's call it the Neverbeedonenisance Art Period.  When framed that way we shed some light on the contradiction it performs upon it's self -  "Never been done before"  has been done! 

                               End Chapter, We can now move on!

What excitement and hope one must feel to discover that it's now okay to do something without worrying whether or not someone else has done it before.  We can now look back at our rich history of art, of all the movements and traditions and take from it, learn from it, and use it without feeling shameful!  We have a gigantic arsenal of tools and knowledge to integrate into ART FOR TODAY!  An maybe most importantly, we can now, once again, judge whether that art hanging in that gallery, museum, or on our own easel, is good, mediocre, or bad.

Part II will go over a system that will empower one to make just those evaluations.

The night before the elections, Thomas, Steven, and I hit the studio for a art/music session.  Luke joined us later in the evening.

art session from funkroj on Vimeo.

So here's an idea for my next landscape.  It's from a location that I've been absorbing over the last couple months.  It's a composition rough, the hill shapes my change somewhat.  I think I'll also try to film some of the process.  Maybe in a few weeks I'll have an update on this piece.  I just got to get off my lazy ass and hit the studio.

Here's a piece that will be in the "Project 57" group show, taking place Aug9-Sept6 in San Diego. It will be a benefit show for the Lewy Body Dementia Association. There will be work by artists from all over the country.  The show will be done in a silent auction style where people will be able to bid in person, by phone, or email.  50% of the proceeds will go to the charity.

 5"x7", acylic on wood panel.  It's done in the same style as my Legends of Norrath art cards, but with real paints instead of the digital method.   The picture was taken with the painting about 90% complete, so the final is slightly more polished. 

Project 57 flyer:

 juxtapoz event calender:here

Check it out, "Play Dead" made it into Expose 6.  I had no idea my work was submitted until I found out it was accepted.  Expose is an annual publication showcasing work from the world's premier CG artists, so I'm totally  blown away and completely honored to be included.  Here's a link to a related article http://www.destructoid.com/everquest-artwork-featured-in-expose-6-89848.phtml

Link to the book: http://www.ballisticpublishing.com/books/expose/expose_6/index.php