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“
Words Alone”
by artist and poet C. Mehrl Bennett
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
After a more than a decade and a half operating a virtual Museum of Computer Art and
after some 18 months of operating both a virtual and physical gallery at the same time,
we believe we have accumulated an enviable database of digital art statistics. Now
our information is not always complete, and putting facts together is sometimes a guessing game.
For instance, is artist Leslie Johns male or female? (An issue we don't pursue.) Moreover,
everybody knows that while statistics don't lie, there are really three kinds of statistics:
lies, damn lies, and statistics, as I think an English politician once reminded us of.
Nonetheless, we conclude from our maybe unreliable database of information
that the following is mostly true.
Some 32 percent of digital artists are women.
Sixty-five percent are American.
Twenty-eight percent are European.
Thirteen percent are German, by far the largest European component.
Four percent are Eastern European or Russian.
Less than one percent Japanese. We have had only a single Chinese submission.
Three percent are Hispanic.
As for the applications used to create the art, Photoshop is used, not always by itself,
but almost by everyone.
As for the kind of digital art produced, drawn art is the largest single category,
consisting of 28 percent of art submitted. (This area also includes the grey area
of "mixed media," a category usually associated with conventional art and a category
we don't often recognize, as perhaps we should, in digital art.)
The next single largest component is manipulated photography, occupying
17 percent of submitted digital art.
Fractal, algorithmic and mathematical art occupies only two percent.
3D or rendered art occupies about four percent of our museum.
New Media/Video is a growing component but overall it represents less than
one percent of submitted art.
We break Surreal Art into a separate category and are able to report that as many as
nine percent of our artists are comfortable with this designation.
In supplying these small bits or bytes of information our intention is to lend support and sustenance to the creative artist. Digital art in our view is a mansion of shifting
rooms and occupants and we hope the artist will find a home and balance within.
Don Archer
“
New Way”
by Claudia Alves
To Find…Or To Seek?
Conceptual artist Picasso once stated, “To search means nothing in painting. To find is the thing.” His approach to art would start with a clear idea of where he wanted to go and then he’d execute it. He never sought to be evolutional in his painting nor to create trials and or experiments before he began. Picasso was considered a prodigy, a youthful early-bloomer in the art world. He did not spend decades mastering his art.
Cézanne , on the other hand, was a late-bloomer known for researching subjects at length, painting then repainting them multiple times over the course of months. Often declaring upon completion that they were failures and starting again. “I seek in painting,” he would remark. Truth be told, Cézanne could not draw at a young age. With no illustrative training, nor inherent ability, he spent decades mastering his creative expression to satisfaction. For Cézanne it required a long period of practice and fermentation.
Whether you create with little preparation or study your subjects meticulously, both practices have merit. “To find” one must have a clear internal vision executable with deliberate skill. “To seek” is a quest, an extended process that leads to an ultimate conclusion.
Both approaches are a matter of personal preference and creative style. Through “finding” art, Picasso achieved instant gratification. For Cézanne , it was fulfillment in the process and in the refining of his craft that he treasured, the outcome of little importance.
What is clear is that it is an intense emotional experience, a journey, that artists choose (or are compelled) to undertake. It is so uniquely individualized that we often feel isolated and/or poorly understood.
Do you work to “Find” or “Seek?” Please share your experience with us.
Mary
Source: Excerpts from Malcolm Gladwell's Book - "What The Dog Saw"
What can I do to gain self confidence?
You develop confidence by making a habit of doing what is impossible for you. That's it in a nutshell. Yes, you can prepare better, you can visualize success and you can even read tons of books about gaining self confidence but none of that good work will amount to anything unless you get out in the real world and do what is impossible for you.
Be unreasonable, do the impossible and make a habit of going beyond your previous best and you'll discover something amazing about yourself. You are much more capable and much stronger than you can even imagine. It is only when you stretch beyond your self-imposed limits that you discover how powerful you really are.
Is it really that easy? Yes, it is as long as you have an attitude of always learning and improving. Sometimes you'll make mistakes. That is perfectly normal. Even the most successful and confident people have ups and downs. If you try and fail simply try something different next time and even better get advice from someone who has proven skill when it comes to what you are becoming more confident at.
People like and respect confident people. As you become more confident you'll find others are more attentive to what you say and more willingly to help you out. And that is one of the most important reasons to put an end to lacking confidence. Life is more enjoyable and its easier to get ahead when you get the respect you deserve. Its like walking with the wind at your back instead of walking headfirst into a gale.
Source: Peter Murphy, a peak performance expert.
A Call To Arms!
Why, when the rest of the world has governmental support of the Arts, is the US cutting art spending? Are we the only nation in the world that sees art as less than a vital component of societal and cultural relevance?? In NY State alone Governor Patterson has proposed a nearly $10 million dollar cut in spending on statewide art programs. (It goes to final vote on April 1, 2010.)
Battering artists of all disciplines already challenged by a struggling economy is simply ignorant and shameful.
Whether you live in NY state or another, write Congress TODAY! Stop these spending cuts nationwide.
What DO YOU WANT to read about on "MARY'S PAGE" this year? I need to hear from you.
CALL TO ARTISTS:
Creative GENIUS - 100 Contemporary Artists
Collectible, global art book
See application and more at: Masters Of Today
FACEBOOK SUPPORT WANTED
This page posted 25 January 2010
This page posted 25 January 2010
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