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December 2001: Eroticism and Beauty in Art
Is the erotic, beautiful or aesthetic in art disappearing as our daily lives become
more saturated by once-forbidden images and, in general, beautiful
things? Is there a correlation between the disappearances of the
beautiful nudes in the galleries and the emergence of Calvin Klein
billboards of naked, strapping boy-toys? How about in the non-visual
art forms?
November 2001: Politically (in)correct?
How do you reconcile your attraction to things un-feminist, anti-woman or just stereotypically not-feminine?
October 2001: Is art/music/literature relevant during a crisis?
After being drunk for the first two days after the 11th of September,
I [Fay] was suddenly panicked to find myself alone
with my emotions. I automatically went into my studio — unsure how
it would feel to pick up a paintbrush (as nothing else felt right or
appropriate). Turns out, painting has been my one consolation
through all of this. And that's all I've been doing, hiding in my
cocoon-studio, painting. Although I've been comforted by my art, I haven't presumed that
it has been helping the world or the city. Yet, as an
artist, I continue to wonder how relevant, if at all, art is in times of
crisis. Is the public comforted by art, music and literature or in need of it, or does it all
depend? What function should art play when there is tragedy?
September 2001: How does ART influence the world?
The Venice Biennale is considered one of the most important
international exhibitions worldwide. It highlights visual arts,
music, dance, architecture, cinema and theatre and promotes freedom and
open-mindedness in art while striving to make contemporary art
accessible to the general public. This year's theme is "The Plateau of
Humankind." The exhibition is expected to "observe and capture the
feelings and stories that are narrated in and through the works of
young artists; there are social problems, environmental themes, the
rhythms of everyday life, new technology and the World Wide Web of
information, work and sport, happiness and tragedy."
Giant international arts exhibits offer one way to leave your
artist's mark on the world, but there are other alternative
organizations, such as RTMARK and the Guerilla
Girls that are more extreme in their
artistic pursuits to influence the world (even the art world) socially,
environmentally and politically.
August 2001: Informational Meeting for upcoming Body in Motion, Bedlam in Mind event
July 2001: Independence Day; No meeting
June 2001: On Being an Artist
Our June special guest host, Lani Iacovelli, is a videographer, graphic designer and creative person extraordinaire
currently based in Washington D.C. This year, she has been producing a traveling art show collective called "The Hub." For this project, she
asks artists questions about their influences, inspirations and passions, and then requests that they respond in their favored mediums.
The Hub premiered in D.C. on March 6th and is expected to travel to Boston, NYC, Portland, LA & San Francisco. She is now creating a video
intallation piece about the development of artists' personal philosophies to accompany The Hub. Lani will be leading our discussion
based on a framework of questions exploring the fleeting moments of truth in which we leave ourselves open to knowing and being known.
May 2001: Finding Inspiration for the Creative Process
Adrienne Rich was quoted as saying, "There is the falsely mystical view of art that assumes a kind of supernatural inspiration,
a possession by universal forces unrelated to questions of power and privilege or the artist's
relation to bread and blood." What happens when you need to work but divine inspiration is nowhere to be found?
Do you revert to exercises, or a still life, or do you stare at your canvas/computer screen/score
until *CREATIVITY* speaks to you?
April 2001: Manifesto
Creation of the Exhibitionist's Manifesto
March 2001: What Doesn't Kill You Should Make You Stronger, Right?
John Berryman suggests, "The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him. At that point, he's in business." How do your negative experiences, your obsessions & neuroses, your self-involvement play into your work? Do you believe these aspects influence you favorably or hinder your creative process? What are your ideal creative circumstances? How does the competitive edge affect your relationships with other artists?
February 2001: Love & Relationships
It is February, the month to honor - ahem - LOVE. We'll be getting in deep with talk about relationships and love or lack thereof. Bring your best sex tips and party tricks!
January 2001: Family: Black Sheep or One of the Herd?
We figured since it is the holiday season, most of us have family on our minds and it would be interesting to talk about our relationships with our families, how we fit into the group dynamic, how they influence us (or how we react against their influence), and do we express any of this in our art?
December 2000: The Impact of Technology on the Arts
Modern technology is contributing to a new cultural psychology. It influences our relationships, communication skills, the way we view the world and more. How do you think it is affecting your work or the way you look at other people's art?
November 2000: Genius or Mental Illness?
It's an age-old discussion on the coattails of which hang names like Vincent Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway and Frida Kahlo. If most artists are not mentally ill, and most mentally ill are not artists, then why are the two terms seemingly synonymous? What is it that makes one artist a genius and the other just an artist? Do you have mood swings that affect your work? What is it that makes us "special" or "creative"? How do we deal with these issues throughout the course of a lifetime?
October 2000: The Challenge of Integrating Life & Art
There is a public-personality and an alone-personality. Both are true and valid. How do you achieve the right balance? Does this sound familiar to anyone?
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