Another Great Interview with an Art Writer: Natasha Marin

 

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I really loved this piece, so I thought I would share it with my classes. Read it. Think about it. Talk about it. Etc. 

It's more usual than not that art writers today no longer believe in objective arts journalism. Writers, like all creative workers, come from various places and have had various experiences and influences. Once upon a time, art writers would feign neutrality. Now, not so much. I think this is a good thing. It's better to hear all kinds of different voices rather than all kinds of voices trying to sound like the same voice. 

Every Cultural Product or Project Gets Reviewed

Sometimes art colleges (and art education in general) forget that art exists outside of museums, galleries, and traditional exhibition spaces. Check out this review of an animated film based on the famous medieval "Book of Kells" from Ireland.

Interview with an Arts Writer

 

Learn about BmoreArts! This interview will show you the human side of a real arts writer: Cara Ober.

Think about how your writing about art might influence and help your studio practice. Some artists always have notebooks with them so they can sketch and write. It's kind of like a visual diary. 

17 Ways of Looking at the "Mona Lisa"

 

This is also a form of art writing. It's not a review, it's not criticism, and it's not art history. It's something more like "art engagement." Notice the relentless first-person perspective. Storytelling.

Speaking of the "Mona Lisa," why would anyone want to vandalize it?

Starting New Unit on March 1: Writing about Other People's Art

We've now finished our first module. The focus was on writing about yourself, not others. You've written a narrative about your beginnings as an artist; you've written three professional documents (profile, statement, and resume); and you've used writing in conjunction with images to create art (zine).

Now, we're going to focus on writing about art made and exhibited by other people. Please read this short essay (5-10 minutes) for our next class meeting. this is required, not optional. 

Questions: csmith@dcad.edu

Much Needed Extension for Zine Project

 Hello Everyone,

One of my Writing for the Arts sections met today, and nearly every student expressed a desire (maybe more like a need) for additional time.

For students in my three sections that meet tomorrow, your goal should be to have a solid start on your mini-pages. Please pay close attention to details in class tomorrow. You might be a student who doesn't need more time. That's great. You won't have any homework for our next class meeting on Monday or Tuesday.

Please remember that your zine needs to feature some of your writing. I got the feeling in my section today that 90% of the energy was dedicated to making the images, and the text (your writing) was an afterthought. 

Here is the link to the blog: WftA. The two posts under this one have lots of great information, links, and examples that will really help.

For our first class next week (either M or T), you will need to bring 6-8 finished mini-pages to class. This is your assignment. If you don't know what a mini-page is, please consult the blog. All of the information is there. 

Feel free to write me with questions, but also don't forget to read the blog carefully and ask your classmates. 

csmith@dcad.edu

Zine Links

Here is a link to a great article with all of the basics: How to Make a Zine.

And here is a link to an article that sketches the brief history of the genre: Chapbooks to Zines.

Lastly, here's a link to eleven Cool Artist's Zines. 

The Wikipedia page on Zines has loads of great links.

If you find a great website about zines, please send me the link and I'll share it with the class. Thanks!

DCAD Zine-Fest: March 1, 12:30, in the library

 

This is a three-class project. On Monday/Tuesday of this week, we introduce the project, brainstorm, and make a plan. On Wednesday/Thursday we make the zine. Next Monday/Tuesday we read, enjoy, and critique each zine. Yeah!

So, you might be asking, "What is my zine going to be about?" Good question. The door is wide open. You just need to supply the text (your writing) and the images (your art). Your text and images should work together.

You can write a poem or a series of short poems. You can write a fictional (or real) diary. You can write a miniature biography of someone important in your life. You can write a love-letter, a short book of recipes or jokes. You can write ____________ (fill in the blank). The only thing you can't write for this assignment is fan-fiction. You also can't recycle old writing. 

As for the images, they can be drawn, photographed, collaged, etc. You can use color or you can leave it black and white. 

The word "zine" is an abbreviation of magazine, so it's pronounced zeen not zighn.

Why do people, especially young people, make zines? Sure, it's fun, it's cheap, and it's immediate. In this respect, zines are kind of like blogs: they are spaces of radical freedom. They give voice to marginalized and under-represented people. Check out this article to see what I mean. 

There are dozens of ways to make a basic zine, but we are following one particular format. All you need is copier paper, a copier, glue/tape, staple/thread.

To make your zine, you will need 6 to 8 "mini-pages" measuring 4.5 inches by 5.25 inches. On these "mini-pages," you will tape or glue your art and your writing. You will then tape or glue your mini-pages into the book form. This is not as complicated as it seems, but it does require patience and concentration. Yes, you can choose to make your zine directly in digital format, but the old-fashioned way tends to work better. 

On Wednesday, March 1, at 12:30 you are invited to an informal zine launch program in the library. Your attendance is encouraged but not required. 

Optional workshop: Wednesday, February 23, in the library.

Questions:  csmith@dcad.edu

Use This Checklist Before You Upload Your Three Documents

 This module or unit ends this upcoming Monday, February 20, at 9:00 am. Upload your three PDF documents (bio, statement, and resume) to our Populi Assignments page.

Before uploading, go down this checklist. If you can answer "yes" to all of these items, you're probably in good shape.

Questions?  csmith@dcad.edu

1.  ____ Have I made PDF files and named them appropriately? (Example: csmithbio.pdf)

2.  ____ Have I proofread my documents carefully? Have I had someone else take a look?

3. ____  Are all of my documents aligned with the "me" of 2033?

4. ____ Have I eliminated references to my experiences before college? (No high school stuff.)

5.  ____ Have I written and sent a professional email message to the curator, Casey Smith, letting him know that my documents have been submitted? (csmith@dcad.edu)

That's it. Please spend enough time on revision and editing. Your documents should reflect the full quality of your work on this unit. 

Resume Scavenger Hunt

In groups of two (also called a pair), search the internet for an example of a wonderful and smart artist's resume and also an abysmal and dreadful example. Copy and paste the URLs into a discussion board box. Be prepared to comment briefly on both.

Please don't use any examples that have already been linked on this blog. This should be a fun and useful exercise. This should take about 20 minutes. 

Resume Week!

Hello Students!

This week you'll be working on your Artist Resume. Like the Artist Biography and the Artist Statement, your resume is an exercise in creative imagination. Remember: You are around 30 years old, the year is 2033, and you have experienced success in your chosen art and design field since you graduated from DCAD in May of 2024. 

Your resume in 2033 will not mention experiences you had when you were in high school. Time moves on.

I think these examples from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh are good, if not inspired, models of successful art-field resumes. 

Your resume needs to fit one page and it can't include a headshot or depiction of what you look like. This is for HR and diversity reasons.

Some people in creative fields use "creative resumes" that don't follow the basic look and feel of a traditional text-based resume. You should be aware of this approach, but for this assignment, it is probably smart to go the traditional route. These are very time-intensive design projects. Take a look.

Writing the Artist Resume: Guidelines

 

The College Art Association (CAA) is a professional group that represents college and university art and design professors. These guidelines are truly excellent, but I wish they would have included an example of what it actually looks like.  Here is a link to a website that does include actual examples, but feel free to explore the internet for a format that fits your proverbial vibe. When it comes to layout, remember that less is more. Don't clutter it up with inessential stuff. You want your resume to be like a snapshot of you as an artist or designer.

A finished draft of your artist resume is due next Wednesday or Thursday. You might want to get started early.

Remember that for this exercise you are ten years older and have had a successful career. The year is 2033. This means that you'll have to use your imagination to project this future "you".

Questions?  csmith@dcad.edu

Great Resource for the Business of Art

 

This is a wonderful and useful book. Highly recommended for young artists who want to know more about professional practices: Art/Work

You Have Been Nominated!

Congratulations! You have been nominated for the prestigious 2033 Brandywine Art and Design Prize. In addition to the 5 million dollar award, the winner will receive a free 2,800 sq ft studio and a staff of three. The deadline is Monday, February 20, at 9:00 am. 

Nominees must submit three PDF documents to Populi: an Artist Bio, an Artist Statement, and an Artist Resume. Each of these documents should be on a single and separate page. 

After uploading, send a brief email message to the curator, Casey Smith, at csmith@dcad.edu.

  

Resume and Cover Letter

Next week you'll be writing and formatting a resume and a cover letter (email message). I found a wonderful resource from RISD. These are actual resumes and cover letters written by undergraduate art and design students. Unlike the cover letters included here, yours will be a single paragraph. 

Some of you might be eager to get started. Remember that it's 2033 and you're a successful 30-ish artist or designer. Make sure your resume aligns with your short bio and artist statement. Have fun. Aim high.

 

Let's Critique!

 Artist Statement 

My work explores the potency, malleability, and mystery of memory. Through the prism of reminiscence and recollection, my paintings depict abstracted personal moments from my childhood experience. Figurative imagery, vibrant color, and abstract shapes mix together to reflect the complex nature of recalled scenes from my past. Collectively, these abstract painted scenes reflect my connection to and expression of my Haitian cultural heritage. 

I draw from my subconscious and dreams for the content of my paintings. Energetic scenes from my early childhood growing up in Haiti compose the core of my work. Moments like visits to the local market with my grandmother, festive parades and performances during Carnival, or folklore and stories shared by fireside serve as raw imagery for my work. These memories explode from the canvas in a swirl of references to my past and the collective experience of my fellow Haitians. My process reflects the sometimes deceptive and fluid nature of memory. 

My work is often constructed in layers, reacting to the imperfect and changing qualities of my recollection. I simultaneously build up and erase over time as I work. I sketch, paint, rub, expunge, and layer on the canvas until an image emerges from my subconscious mind’s eye. Never truly finished, these paintings are an evolving reflection on a moment in time, forever morphing in my mind.

Getting Started on Your 2033 Artist Statement

 

This guide has been compiled by our friends at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). You're free to consult other sources of information about artist statements, both online and in print. However, be careful. Remember our cautionary tale about the joke Michaelangelo artist statement. 

Last semester in FYE you wrote a version of an artist statement. This semester we're taking a closer look. Also, remember that your artist statement for this assignment is prospective: It looks forward to you as an art worker in the year 2033. You can't recycle language from your earlier document for this assignment. The information should be thematically and factually linked to the information in your Artist Bio. 

A polished draft of your freshly written (no recycled material please) artist statement is due an hour before your next class meeting. Cut-n-paste it into the Discussion board tab on our Populi page. 

This document is much more difficult to write than the Artist Profile or Bio that you wrote last week. You will need to dedicate at least a couple of hours to this. Pay close attention to the advice on the SAIC page. 

Here's another interesting article from a photography point of view.

I like David Kessler's no-nonsense approach, but he should emphasize more of the "why" questions rather than just the what and the how.

Questions:  csmith@dcad.edu

Looking Forward: The Artist Statement

Even though you have no formal homework to complete for next week's first class (Mon or Tue), you might want to start working on your Artist Statement. You will cut and paste your revised and edited text on the Discussion board for your class. It's exactly the same rhythm as our week with the Artist Profile. 

The year is still 2033. Your statement should go into detail with the motivations, meanings, and intentions of your artwork. It should be two long or three short paragraphs and have around 250 words. Try to address "why" questions. Yes, it might get a little bit philosophical. Remember that this is an exercise. Have fun. 

We will go deep into all of this next week.

Here are a couple of online resources:

500 Letters Artist Statement Generator. This generator, like the fake Michaelangelo statement, is meant to poke fun at the pretentious and BS language that some art writing can fall into. 

Three Hyperallergic Articles on Artist Statements.

Example of a Real-World Short Bio or Profile

A friend of mine, Lilla, is giving an academic talk (in this case, a lecture accompanied by digitally projected images) at the Library of Congress next week. Scholars are like artists: They need to support their work with what I'll call "service texts". Here are the abstract and biography for Lilla's talk. You'll notice that the biography text is very similar to the form you're using for this assignment. The abstract, however, isn't parallel to an artist's statement even though it goes into detail about particular research.

Abstract:

How Do Book Bindings Get to Sing? will discuss a group of Renaissance and Early Modern books that are bound in fragments of music manuscripts from the Middle Ages.  These “singing bindings” are hundreds of years older than the texts they cover.  Furthermore, the texts inside are on mathematics, physics, astronomy, and one even about the Devil itself, but absolutely none is on music.  Lilla Vekerdy will shed light on how and why these discrepancies happened.  The volumes examined are selected from the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology.

 

Biography

Lilla Vekerdy earned her two master’s degrees in Literature, Linguistics and Library Sciences in Budapest, Hungary in 1984, and completed her doctoral coursework in Medieval and Renaissance History at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri in 2005.  She has been the Head of Special Collections at the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives since 2008, where she oversees all rare materials in 16 library research centers, and also serves as the Curator of Physical Sciences Rare Books.  Her research interest and publications are in the history of science and medicine as well as in rare book studies, and often cover the overlay of these fields.