I'm losing my edge (to better looking people, with better ideas, and more talent)

Yesterday, I spent the day at PS1 with a friend that just graduated from our art department. We talked a lot about what art we like, what we make, and the discrepancies between our work and current "trends". I think this is something that people often don't talk about--I know I feel uncomfortable with the topic at times-- but something that needs to be discussed. Some of the work I saw yesterday (I really thought) was awful. It was devoid of context, conversation, or interaction with the viewer.

The number of "Untitled" works was infinitely frustrating. Why should the viewer spend time with your piece if you don't give anything back? If you are going to line up some objects against a wall that have no apparent similarities or interactions the honest viewer will walk right by and lose interest. The dishonest viewer will tell their friends they love it, and refuse to give any reasons-- saying things like "isn't it obvious?" or "well clearly you just don't get it".

Maybe I just don't get it. 

But if they provided a title, however abstract, I would be much more willing to give my time to a piece and really interact with it, try and extract something from it, if they provided ANY sort of context.

Don't get me wrong, there were pieces I really liked and enjoyed, but I feel, for whatever reason, that I need to challenge and discuss things that bother me about "the art world", if only to selfishly work through my own feelings about it. However, as I discussed previously, I feel there is a lack of honesty or forthrightness that is troubling in our contemporary art society. It frustrates and alienates "the average (interested) viewer" and as someone who views art as a form of communication, I find it appalling.

On a brighter note: here are some contemporary works I like and think work successfully around these complaints. They're the ones, in my opinion, who do it right.

(thanks, wired.com)

Isabella Rossellini

Green Porno

(thanks, PBS)

Alfredo Jaar

Also check out the "Lights in the City" project from 1999 under Recent Projects

(thanks again, PBS)

Laylah Ali

Read her profile at Art21.

Sha la la

I can't stop painting, building canvases, sketching, and buying art supplies. Photo updates as soon as I have a camera again. In the mean time I've been meandering around the internet and found this:

photocredit heliotrope

I am color obsessed. This may explain my fascination with these Pantone chairs by Seletti. So cool!

It's business time

I was just sent some pictures from the conference I attended last week and forgot that I promised to spread this new craze:

Business Climbing! (he made it all the way to the top before loosening the tie)

Ready, set, go! On my list of fads: it's cooler than Jerkin' but less than Harem Pants: