October 2009

  • Spookify Your Studio (Or Anything Else) with Art

    By sarajean on 10/30/09 3:11am
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    Halloween is only a day away, but there is still plenty of time to get decked out to celebrate. My own neighbors are just now hanging decorations to delight the trick-or-treaters we’ll be getting (of course, we’ve had our house decorated since the end of September, but that’s another story!). Here are a few quick ways to spookify your pad for your Halloween party, trick-or-treaters, or your own enjoyment.

    Enlarge a scary piece of art you’ve done. Or, blow up an image of Frankenstein, a ghost, whatever. Hang it somewhere prominent. If you prefer, splatter it with some red paint or fake blood—take out your rage and make something new all at once!

    Drape spider webs over everything. These are super cheap and super easy to come by. Make a few of your own spiders with construction paper, origami or clay, or simply buy some cheap spider rings to add.

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  • 10 Great Social Network Sites for Artists

    By Niki Fears on 10/28/09 11:47pm
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    ..Although our creative, right brained nature tends to dominate, that does not mean that we can not still be rather business savvy when it comes to networking and promoting our talents and art work. Social media is evolving to feature an array of specialized communities specifically designed for the needs of artists, art buyers and collectors, and students who are spreading their artistic wings. Even if you already have an existing web site, listing your profile on various art community sites and linking back to your own web site is also a great way to gain more exposure and draw more traffic to your existing site.

    To help you in this quest of self promotion and to connect with other like minded individuals in the art world, here are 10 great community sites for artists that you will not want to miss:

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  • Hope and Progress for Shepard Fairey

    By ecoscott on 10/18/09 9:46am
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    Shepard Fairey's Iconic PosterShepard Fairey's Iconic PosterThe Associated Press is suing artists now.

    Remember this iconic poster? Just one year ago they were plastered on walls across America- and though many of us recognize these posters, few of us would know the background story on one of the most recognizable visuals of the early 21st century.

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  • Eric Saeter

    By lafeeverte on 10/13/09 10:27am
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    I actually started writing about Eric Saeter yesterday but, gave up in disgust because its just not fair how some people have everything. And when I mean everything, I mean talent. Loads of it. Eric SaeterEric SaeterHe's pretty dang easy on the eyes, too... being the model that he is when he is not painting, photographing, sculpting clay, melting precious metals and making the most.... sincere jewlery you ever laid eyes on.

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  • Frank Kozik: An Artist in a Different Kitchen

    By cobwebsandstrange on 10/7/09 9:10pm
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    Moving beyond expectations, Frank Kozik sidled his way into the toy industry after becoming one of the lumpen masses functioning under the banner of ‘low brow’ art.

    “I always collected toys,” Kozik says in an interview from Babylon Falling. Travelling to Japan for leisure as well as to display his work in 2 dimensional formats, the artist found himself amidst the burgeoning vinyl toy market.  After realizing what his Japanese connections were interested in was making toys as well as recognizable, digestible characters, Kozik knew he wanted in.  The results of the artist’s latest work are displayed and consumable at the Rotofugi Gallery (1953-55 W. Chicago Ave.) with affixed price tags ranging from 5 dollars to upwards of five-hundred.

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  • Describing Dissemination

    By cobwebsandstrange on 10/7/09 2:45pm
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    The problem with genius in any medium is dissemination. Over the past three years, I’ve been privy to three separate Picasso exhibits in three distinct portions of the US. And while each one must have had a specific focus, I can’t recall any of them. The recollection of each though is stamped in me with a feeling, a sense of time and place. And to a certain extent, that’s what we should take away from a purposeful human creation whether it’s visual, musical or emotional.

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  • The Confluence of Art and Charity

    By cobwebsandstrange on 10/1/09 3:44pm
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    Rallying around a cause and working to solve it has long been a part of the arts community. The better known attempts included festivals like Live Aid, Farm Aid, George Harrison’s Concert for Bangledesh or Sally Struthers attempting to feed the children with donations (and yes, All in the Family is in fact art). One can even search the New York Times for instances dating back to the ‘20s of artists selling their work to help others. Today in Chicago, though, there are still those working for the betterment of society.

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