Plugged Art Collective

Field Recordings by Courtney Egan

2010-07-23T14:22:00.002-05:00

"Field Recordings" video still lifes by New Orleans artist Courtney Egan

MicroCinema rocks!

2010-05-28T08:15:00.002-05:00

I love Andrea Grover! Although she is no longer running the Aurora Picture Show she can be found here.

Oh Goodness, Excerpts from Robert Ashley's "Perfect Lives"

2010-05-18T17:27:00.005-05:00

While searching for interesting things out there in cyberspace, I stumbled on the art blog "Bloggy" who had Robert Ashley's work from the 1980's posted. It made me think fondly of Laurie Anderson, Allen Ginsberg, and all the possibilities that low tech offers.

AND the WINNER is...........

2010-03-24T16:15:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all of you who have posted and emailed us your comments about our new Hot Sauce and Magnolia short video festival. After a random selection, our winner of a HSM silkscreened t-shirt by Happy Camper Designs goes to Cheryl Fox of Perdido Bay Florida. Congratulations Cheryl! Again thanks to all of you for your support, without you there would be no point!

Stay Tuned!

2010-03-05T07:04:00.004-06:00

Thank yo u for all of your comments and for passing "Hot Sauce & Magnolias" along to other viewers. We will select a winner for a silk screened t-shirt in the coming weeks. Stay Tuned!

Hot Sauce & Magnolias-THROW ME SOMETHING MISTER

2010-01-10T08:19:00.016-06:00

The festival, Hot Sauce & Magnolias, can now be viewed in full on our website!

With the approach of Mardi Gras, we thought we'd throw some free stuff out there! Wanna win a litt'le somthin'!? Its as easy as
1) watching Hot Sauce & Magnolias (link below)
2) email us your thoughts or post a comment below
3) winning a silk screened t shirt, DEADLINE FEB. 28th 2010

Plugged will randomly select an email and will throw you a custom made silk screened t shirt made by Happy Camper designs. Please share with us your thoughts about the Hot Sauce Festival in general, your favorite artist, or why you dig it.

Click here to watch duration 20 mins.

Hot Sauce & Magnolias: A Southern Experience

2009-12-08T07:15:00.008-06:00

Well we have finally selected the videos for next year's touring festival. There was alot of diversity as well as student work submitted this go around. This was the first time that we focused on a region of the United States, rather than an international call, and so we had to get creative for how to put out our call.

Targeting Arts Councils, local art blogs, art reviewers, proved to be super time consuming and unfruitful to say the least. I found that many Arts councils either forgot or don't know the role they play to their local artists and rarely post opportunities for artists. And the art blogs for regional areas were few and far between. So we relied on the university network to spread the word. But hello, look out Recession, the university climate is pretty grim. Perhaps our art educators were too busy running around thinking "the Sky is Falling" or playing the role of 2 or 3 faculty members to think about their artwork or reviewing their students submissions. Times are serious!

Although disappointed in the overall numbers of submissions we received this year, we kept our heads focused and were determined to choose quality over quantity. Most of all I was excited by the generous suggestions made by the artists of where to show Hot Sauce in their hometowns.

Tune In

2009-11-10T07:38:00.011-06:00

This is a great site where you can view various art video channels. The channels are from various art institutions such as Los Angeles Hammer Museum or San Fransisco's MOMA. On view are various art talks held at the museums and galleries, interviews with artists and gallery directors.

Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus

2009-09-14T08:12:00.013-05:00

In light of our call to artists "HOT SAUCE & MAGNOLIAS: A Southern Experience", I found a unique documentary that comes pretty close to encapsulating a potent aspect of the mysterious American South. "Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus" (2003) combines many cinematic genres from documentary, drama, music video, to experimental narrative creating a surreal lens for the viewer. This combination of genres aids the viewer to remain present, relinquishing the voyeuristic tendencies that come with the "documentary genre". By the honest nature of the filmmakers and the overall tone of the film, judgment is checked at the door while experiencing this film. Also, a full experience is created not only visually but through the filmmakers creative use of sound. The narrative is weaved in and out layered over long stretches of farmland, swamps, trailers, abandoned cars and shots of local people. The soundtrack is often performed live by local musicians that become part of the storyline like the subjects of the film, bringing them from the hidden backyards of America to the forefront of our experience.

The filmmakers, director Andrew Douglas and writer Steve Haisman, are guided through the small towns of the South with musician Jim White who's poetic commentary sets a tone for reflection, spirit, good, evil, poverty, redemption & beauty. Douglas and Haisman's portrayal of the American South is a delicate piece of art that captures a unique glimpse of America's poorest people doing the best with what they have with a universal truth that we are all searching for something.

If you are intrigued, visit their website for more info about the film and musicians here. This film can be found on NetFlix. Here is a clip. There are more on Youtube.

Open Sailing Project

2009-09-10T07:32:00.010-05:00

Open Sailing's project revolves around a new vision of how humans can live without stressing the resources of the environment instead folding humans back into our origins, the ocean . In Open Sailing's model for living there is an art to everyday life. The studying of the ocean, the animals, the social element of living together, the designing of tools, a universal power cord, architecture, cooking, above all there is an art to the efficiency and reversal of the destructive nature of contemporary culture's residue. Here is a video by Open Sailing introducing their project and an exerpt of the project's creator Cesar Harada speaking about the concept, mission, and goals of Open Sailing.

Open_Sailing 4 minutes concept from cesar harada on Vimeo.

Open_sailing @ v2_ Rotterdam, 2009/07/09
Uploaded by cesarharada. - Explore more science and tech videos.

"Q & A Series: questions to an artist"

2009-08-19T18:26:00.014-05:00

Plugged Art Collective member Raina Benoit's
"Q & A" series: questions to an artist with Hilla Ben Ari
Image: Hilla Ben Ari, "The Left Shoulder", Gallery 39 for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv 2008

You have lived in Tel Aviv for your whole art career. What does Tel Aviv have that is unique for artists compared to other large cities?

Hilla Ben Ari-Tel Aviv's art scene is very small and quite provincial when you compare it to art scenes in big cities like NYC, London, and Berlin. Despite its size it is very energetic and active.
The positive issue about its size is the accessibility and the personal attitude that’s created in such a small place. The negative issue is that sometimes the feeling that everybody knows everybody can be quite irritating and suffocating, and it reminds you that Israel is just a little spot on the globe.
Anyway, I think that the Israeli art scene brings together local issues and global issues in very interesting way, and that is why you can see more and more Israeli artists in the art world scene.

Would you describe what kind of work is being created by your artistic peers? Is political work about Israelis and Palestinian relations a hot topic or one to be avoided amongst artists and the Tel Aviv art scene?

It's very varied, so it's hard to raise specific points, but I think that touching personal aspects within the mixture of local and global issues, is quite representative.
When I'm talking about local issues it is also refers to the political situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Some of the central artists in Israel deal with this conflict as their main issue. I think that you can find the influence of this conflict in many other works of Israeli artists, even though it's not distinct and declared.

You come from a background of studying literature and then later sculpture. How has your interest in the written word influenced your work? Do you think the process of building with words is somehow similar to building with materials (ideas)?

I come from a background of studying sculpture (BFA) and later on I did the MA studies in the comparative literature department. Anyway, literature and theoretical texts have a strong influence on my works. At the time of my literature studies I felt a big jealousy to writers, for their ability to tell a narrative which is very specific and personal and at the same time it has philosophical and metaphoric meaning. In the field of plastic art there is still ambivalence attitude to narrative. I think the media of Video Art and its closeness to cinema change this attitude a little bit.

In your work there is a recurrent figure or nameless female that appears to be more symbolism of the general rather than a characterization of an individual. Can you talk a little about this female figure and how you began to use her?

This figure appears in my works after a certain time I used to create abstract objects that talked about the body without using the representation of the body itself. These female figures represent the general and the individual at the same time. Actually, this figure is an individual that hides her individuality and I'm waiting untill she can tell her story.

Do you find men's reactions or interest in your work to be different from females? What about certain types of people?

It's really hard to tell, even though my general feeling is that women identify more with my works. Anyway, I always like to be surprised.

Has the recession affected Tel Aviv's economy in a noticeable way?

Yes it does. I think it's a lot to do also with the mental factor.
Unfortunately it doesn't stop the increase of the Tel Aviv's rent market

Does Israel provide many national or local grants for visual artists to help maintain the Arts? In your opinion how are artists viewed by the Israeli culture?

Israel provides some grants for visual artists but in general there is not much support in Arts, especially when you compare it to Europe. The museums and other art venues working with a very small budget and it directly influence the budget that provides to artists for making new projects. This situation occurs because the lack of awareness regarding the importance of culture.

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

Sometimes my inspiration flows from texts or from old pictures and strange images that I usually find in the library. Movies give me sometimes a great inspiration and of course life itself.

You were invited to participate in the 2009 Asian Art Biennial in Taiwan for which you are in process of preparing an installation. Can you explain your process about preparing your work?

On the 2009 Asian Biennial I'm going to exhibit "Diana"- an installation I originally exhibited in 2004, in the Herzilya Museum of Contemporary Art (Israel). In the last 2 months, I prepared the installation for the show in Taiwan, including recreating and repairing some of the installation's details. The process is also including an intensive correspondence with the project coordinator from Taiwan regarding the new site they are going to build for the installation, the shipment of work, timetable etc. "Diana" is a very complex installation which is composed of many units, so I'm trying to follow "my head" from 2004 and at the same time to be open-minded toward the new site-specific version at the Biennial.

You work in many materials ranging from bronze, vinyl, paper, cloth, to video. How do you choose your materials to work with? Do you have a favorite?

My works deal with the tension between strength and weakness, and this conceptual frame has a strong connection with my material choice. Anyway, I don’t have one way to choose the materials. Sometimes I'm starting with an idea or an image and then I search for a material that fits the conceptual and the technical issues, and sometimes a certain material gives me an inspiration and this can be the starting point of the installation. The materials are very important element within my process because they always carry a meaning. I like the challenge of working with new materials, or find a new ways to work with known materials. It is always about pushing my limits or learning how to work differently within my limitation.

Do you think of video as a material? Does it offer something that other materials don't?

My motivation to create my videos was to express a very delicate movement which is almost invisible. My images in general are dealing with movement and its limitation, so the video gave me the option to increase this tension. For me, using video is one of the ways to expand my artistic language.

To find out more about Hilla Ben Ari and view more of her past work visit www.HillabenAri.com

Q & A series :questions to an artist

2009-08-19T15:41:00.035-05:00

Plugged Art Collective member Raina Benoit's "Q & A" series: questions to an artist with
Felecia Chizuko Carlisle

Carlisle's current work combines traditional analog musical instrumentation, digitally manipulated renderings of musical sound and found sound. Her interests in architectural space, virtual space, social/psychological space,and collaboration unfold an array of media and experimentation.
Image: Felecia Carlisle, "Copy, Paste, Return", at the Golden Pudel Club, 2007

Your work incorporates various media that ranges from sound, video, digital photography, to object fabrication. What is the underlining thread that weaves these creative tools together in your work?

(Felecia Carlisle) At times, I would say that I'm really dealing with forms of representation, questioning how images, information and stimuli are transformed by current media like the internet or the digital camera. Engaging the body, activating the senses, drawing from real life, are all important to my practice. How are digital forms affecting our language, our self image, our collective cultural interests, possibly even our belief systems?

Many of your projects focus on collaboration. What are the benefits and pitfalls of artists collaborating?

(Carlisle) Collaboration and cooperation come naturally to me. I like the social aspect of working with other people and I also like the end result, its unpredictability, and the challenge that it presents for the viewer and the artist. All collaborations are problematic, when questions of authorship and ownership are brought into the equation. It can be twice as difficult, especially with long distances and different time zones to consider logistically. I may be generalizing in this next statement, but I believe that all art is a collaboration. No one has a unique idea. I believe in a collective consciousness and that art is bigger than one person and their ego. A common pitfall for any studio practice is when someone brings in strict preconceptions, a vision of the end product that remains rigid, planned, pretentious. It is most important to get into the process and let it lead you where it wants to go. Artists are mediums for the work. An artist makes stuff, but the work has a life of its own. Collaboration only fails when people are motivated by power rather than a sincere passion for their research. That doesn't mean that the work is a failure. I think it's better to give up the power and take the term "mine" out of the vocabulary list. Unfortunately, that leaves me vulnerable to greed and opportunism. I am always working hard to let go and when I do, it's orgasmic.

Have you ever collaborated with the general public?

(Carlisle) I think performance is definitely a collaboration with the public. Creating an

audience is social sculpture. Making a space for people to inhabit is manipulating them. It brings them into the work, not only as a material form, but they have their own mind, they respond in uncontrollable ways. When working in the public sphere especially, the audience makes the work, it's for them. The artist, again, plays the role of the medium, not the sole creator. I don't believe in fascistic art. I think that public art, especially that which is funded by public money should include its audience as first priority, not just an afterthought.

What are some of your favorite sources of inspiration?

(Carlisle) My friends inspire me. I have really good and exceptionally creative and smart people in my life who teach me things every day.

I also love the internet. It's a great source for material. I don't have to tool around in junk yards to find stuff to work with.

I love a good work of art. I feel most present when I'm looking at something that changes me. You can't get that from a book or on the web.

Would you elaborate on how you begin, edit, and execute an idea? Is it a linear process for you? How do you know when its done?

(Carlisle) I usually see something that gives me a charge and I have to respond to it. It's compulsive. It's hardly ever done. I push around ideas and materials for a long time. I think it's done when I feel relaxed while I'm looking at it. If I feel anxiety, then it's not done.

You finished your MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute. Would you say there is one school of thought that defines the Art Institute? What are the advantages of attending a prestigious School of Art. What kind of work was being created amongst your peers? Do you maintain contact with your former colleges?

(Carlisle) I come from the New Genres department which was housed outside the main building in a leaky, dungeon. It used to be the studio of Diego Rivera and the building that housed painting and sculpture towered over us. One of my professors used to refer to the main building as "the ship" and our building was "the lifeboat". SFAI changed administrations the year I left and fell under a brand new regime that has since focussed itself on a global agenda, out with the old, and in with the new. This is a typical story and it will take time to know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. The positive for me to be there at the end of an era was that I discovered my lineage as an artist. I finally figured out where I came from. I couldn't relate to anyone else's traditions and I am grateful every day for finding myself there. New Genres may be sort of an off putting term, but it fit at the time it was coined. People who aren't painters, but may paint if necessary, or people who aren't photographers, yet take pictures, all fell into that place and it was very rich. It's not medium specific and I found it curious that so many painters, photographers, and sculptors wanted to come to my classes. It says something about the level of dialogue. We never talked about technique. We talked intentions, functions, ideas. It wasn't about the prestige. What was most beneficial for me was to be surrounded by professional artists that happened to love teaching. I have a handful of friends that I keep in touch with and we support each other. We love each other and we speak each other's language. We are bonded by that language and sometimes it makes us feel really special, other times it makes us feel alone.

Do you think female artists approach technology differently than their male peers? Please elaborate.

(Carlisle) Ok, this is an extremely loaded question and it requires me to buy into a strict dichotomy of the sexes of which I do not. That said, I'll give a cheeky answer.. Boys are tinkerers. They like to take things apart and put them back together. Girls are more personal, sensitive, emotional. More seriously, in terms of art history, I think that boy artists and girl artists do have particular sets of role models, BUT we are 40 years past the Marlboro Man genius type, and the "angry woman" type. We went through the 90's and the obsession with identity politics and activism. Women are taking the lead now, but I think there is a lot less focus on the personal. We are looking out at the world and identifying on a global scale. And if we wanted to go REALLY deep, I think technology has everything to do with it. Medical technology, for example, allows us to choose our biological sex. We can do anything we want with our bodies and that is more interesting. Also, if we look at Stelarc, the obsolete body, or the philosophy of post-humanism, the detached mind that floats around the internet.....we have a lot more to talk about than the difference between girls and boys.

You've taught Digital Arts classes for a number of years. What are some misconceptions that the general public and your intro students have had about the Digital Arts? How do you help guide them to a better understanding?

(Carlisle) In my experience, beginning digital students usually want to be shown "how-to". They want to make a pink elephant, put bunny ears on somebody's portrait, make a poster for their friends rock show or "pimp out" their myspace. They want to know all the tricks that you can do with Photoshop and they love pop-surrealism. It's irritating. I show them lots of art and I challenge their ideas. Sometimes I scare them and they hate me for it. I think when they are challenged to defend themselves then they figure out what's worth defending and what can be thrown out with the trash. I don't need them to like me, I need them to take a position. The concept of using the computer as an art tool is sort of hard to get used to for some people because it's still so new, and it's perceived as a tool for designers only, but it is so beneficial to all of us in our practice and in every day life.

Who are some of your favorite artists working today? Why? What do you look for in Art?

(Carlisle) Erwin Wurm--One Minute Sculptures--spontaneity and humor balanced with good form

DJ Spooky--Rhythm Science--tapping into art and philosophy through the side door

Pipilotti Rist--not being afraid of color or gooeyness

Marina Abromovic--not being afraid at all

Mel Chin--for being an environmentalist and an artist at the same time without ruining the art

Olafur Eliason--pure beauty and poetry

Sylvie Fluery--her command of space and love for shopping

It has to do something to me. It has to change me.

How would you describe "Bad Art" (meaning it stinks)?

(Carlisle) I'm tired of prankster art and theatricality for it's own sake. I'm tired of shock and awe. It's boring. I definitely don't like the sort of tech art or interactive art that justifies its existence through its own high level "techie--ness".. ooh ah look what I can do....hate it.

You have just recently moved to the Art mecca of Miami. What are your first impressions of the city and the art scene? Do you think this will influence your practice?

(Carlisle) It already has influenced me. In fact, I think I was able to resolve some problems that started way back in grad school on a body of work that I wanted to do then, but just couldn't understand. Now I do. (more to come). It's not just Miami, it's the whole area of South Florida that is so rich and interesting. It's so diverse and WARM. People kiss when they meet. That's pretty wonderful. There's a lot of work to be done here. I think Miami has a great future and I hope to be a part of it. I'm tired of moving.

Would you describe some of your projects that you have cookin?

(Carlisle) I'm working on setting up a studio now at Artscene, an affiliate of New World School for the Arts. I'm finally building my first geodesic dome with my friend and fellow artist, Christy Gast. Everybody has wanted one at one time or another, right? It will evolve into a moving installation space/architectural project, and study for a living village and/or a hurricane proof artist residency. (laughs) I'm building some websites and working on a series of digital prints called "the madonnas". Lots to do. Lots to do......check you later.

Excerpts of Felecia's performances can be viewed on her website.
To find out more about Felecia Carlisle and her past work visit www.FeleciaCarlisle.com

Recession Creativity

2009-08-18T07:23:00.007-05:00

No Longer Empty is a growing project based in New York City that takes empty spaces and connects them with artists. One of the curators Manon Slome speaks about the process of working with artists in a non commercial space and the benefits of curating without knowing the outcome of the artwork. Listen here at Chicago based art radio BAD AT SPORTS as they sit down with Manon and talk about this exciting project.

Sound Artists & Video Artists Unite

2009-07-15T16:35:00.012-05:00

While researching what unretirees and postgrads do in my new abode, St. Petersburg Florida, where flip flops are uniform and shirtless bronze beer bellied men are WAY too common, I stumbled on a couple of out of the ordinary organizations that made me feel RIGHT at home. The first is EMIT Series a St. Pete non profit arts organization that supports "adventurous music" and brings musicians to collaborate in the Tampa bay area. The second is Miami's Subtropic New Media Festival Biennial (that I just missed). Although I really appreciate the concept of EMIT Series and what they are doing, most of the sound hosted on their website is New Age Jazz. What really blew me away (also hosted on EMIT's website) was "Cars & Fish" a collaboration between video artist Charles Recher and Gustavo Matamoros, artistic director of Subtropic Festival, including EMIT musicians performed at Art Basel. Gustavo Matamoros is a sound artist that teaches Fluxus sensibilities and responsible for the Subtropic festival that began over 20yrs ago in Miami, FL. The clip below is interesting on many levels from how live sound combined with large scale projection can reanimate both artforms to witnessing public interaction with the work when its hosted outside. In addition this clip is an excellent example of how to document live performances. Gosh this should happen more and everywhere. Anyone...everyone?! Well thanks Mr. Recher and Mr. Matamoros.

Visualizing Mass Consumption

2009-07-05T09:15:00.006-05:00

Photographer Chris Jordan at the "Greener Gadgets Conference 2008" speaks about his work and the challenges of depicting how much America consumes.

I found this link at www.inhabitat.com where more "green" thoughts can be found.

Media Artist Surabhi Saraf

2009-07-04T08:45:00.008-05:00

Artist Surabhi Saraf composes sound with video combining the ethereal with banal structured repetitive movements of the everyday. Her work "Peel" is exemplary of these harmonic compositions. She uses her own voice that layers and ads depth to the structured grid of movements. Over all her work is hypnotic and unique merging the human touch with infallible machine.

Peel from Surabhi Saraf on Vimeo.

Visit her website to view more works. www.surabhisaraf.net

The Fall by Tarsem

2009-06-26T08:08:00.004-05:00

It has been too long since I have been smitten by cinema. Now that its officially summer we can all get ready for the brainless droning produced by Hollywood. Thankfully to modern inventions like Netflix, Vimeo, Youtube, and wikipedia you can escape the crap traditionally flung in your face in the name of "summer escapism". I have long waited to discover a new love having to replace long overdue favorites such as "Amelie Poulain", "City of Lost Children" & "Delicatessen" by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. "The Fall", (2006) by Tarsem is my new best friend.

I won’t lie I’m an extremely critical or shall I say an “active” viewer. This goes for everything I “see” but like most Americans who are more exposed to the visual arts in the form of the moving picture, I try to avoid lethargy while partaking in the less participatory art of film. This is a round about way of saying "The Fall" fits the bill by combining escapism through painterly tableaux, fantastic settings, superb acting, and leaving the overtly theatrical that Hollywood so often does when trying to be “art”.

If you haven't heard about this film you aren't the only one. I found out about “The Fall” after being totally surprised by an accidental viewing Tarsem’s last directed film "The Cell" (2000) starring Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn. Tarsem is also the director of REM’s 1991 “Losing my Religion” video, a video that convinced me as a blossoming teenager that MTV was the career path for the creative. Well…things change.

Although there are similarities between “The Fall” by Tarsem and Guillermo Del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” I would argue the fact that Tarsem completely financed his film, shot the film in 28 countries, and searched four years until he found the perfect protagonist (Romanian 6 year old Catinca Untaru) produced an undeniable authentic quality that only an artist with a personal quest can fulfill. .

Tarsem when interviewed by Roger Ebert rehashes his past career as a commercial artist, saving money and favors from his worldly encounters allowed him to create “The Fall”. Not able to find financing from outside sources he threw all his savings into his vision. I found this extremely inspiring and although capitalism at its best offers opportunity, when it comes to the arts even those with recognition and the awards to prove it still struggle for financial support. Francis Coppola in his interview on CBS’s Sunday Morning describes his struggles and lack of support after his acclaimed “Apocalypse Now” and “ The Godfather”. If anything it’s a reminder for artists who are struggling daily to be recognized that having a personal goal and knowing when it has been achieved regardless of outside acceptance is the hardest lesson but one that will ensure personal success.
Here is the title sequence or you can watch the movie and be surprised.

Can't Afford to NOT be Creative

2009-06-04T12:55:00.058-05:00

When the economy is mentioned, deep sighs can be heard from around the world. Not me, I get a little excited about the new prospects that can only appear when we SLOW DOWN and have to think a little more about what the hell we are doing. And its not only the artists pulling together and getting creative, institutions and businesses are doing so as well.

Just Say No to Mausoleum

Some Museums are denouncing their long overdue "Mausoleum" or "untouchable" status renewing their vows to their community through new creative outreach programs. New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA.org) is taking bold steps in the right direction to reflect contemporary interests and concerns by supporting emerging artists or taking a pedagogical approach to art as a tool rather than merely lucrative relic.

Mnemonic Devices: with emerging artists Rachel Jones and David Webber are scheduled at NOMA June 6th-Aug. 23rd. Both these artists Jones (painter) and Webber (new media) are kick ass Louisiana based artists that show that the south can produce more than swamp paintings yet reflect and respond to the unique southern experience. NOMA's invitation to emerging artists is smart not only because it upholds a museums debt to the community it represents but its also reaching out to a rich community of younger art lovers who DO visit art shows. In a time where museums are hurting more than ever due to lack of government funding and dropping
numbers of visitors, why not support emerging artists? NOTE: emerging artists don't cost as much, they are WAY more appreciative, they work harder to make a better show, and they need representation. In addition, NOMA's creative outreach is going way beyond by hosting Yoga classes on their beautiful grounds formerly reserved as a sculpture garden only. WHY NOT! When just the word museum conjures up images of a cold space with voiceless labels instructing appropriate behavior around decontextualized objects, "Don't Touch", "Whisper Please", and "No Photos", the idea of inviting visitors to use their bodies amongst art (albeit its not inside) is fabulous.Image 1: Art by David Webber Image 2: Front of New Orleans Museum of Art & Sculpture Garden.

Chicago's Hyde Art Center , recently hosted an exhibition that surveys the past 70 yrs of Artist-run spaces in the Chicago area. Curators Allison Peters Quinn and Britton Bertran describe the motive behind the exhibition on Episode #196 of Chicago's awesomepodcasting radio BAD AT SPORTS. Although the interview is lacking in terms of describing the actual exhibition and the artists who participated I still think its a big step that Ms. Quinn and Mr. Bertran took to commemorate artist run spaces. Artists who organize are responsible for keeping art districts alive and above all giving giving cities a "unique" flavor that tourism bureaus and arts councils can so badly try to emulate. I recommend the interview (Episode #195) with Incubate, a creative arts administrator run collective responsible for supporting individual artists and artist discussions called "Soup" .

Snuggling Curators
New Museum "Younger than Jesus" The Generational Triennial
There has been much controversy over the New Museum's new location in downtown Bowery due to the oozing gentrification of SoHo into Lower Manhattan, hell its New York, money over matter, right?, and the museums "new" architecture, designed by Tokyo-based architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa/SANAA with Gensler, New York, as being well....ugly. http://www.berkshirefinearts.com article by Charles Giuliano. The recent New Museum exhibition choosing to go with the new and upcoming hipsters of today is a considerable brave move considering these 50 artists from 25 different countries are younger than Jesus. In addition, to the artists the curators are getting creative with how they are seeking out these fresh pups. As stated on their website, Yes, there are seemingly transparent on this one, curator Laura Cornell (Director of Rhizome) & others write their search was "an open curatorial model". In attempts to reach outside the curator's immediate realm they asked more than "150 other curators, writers, teachers, artists, critics, and bloggers worldwide, who were asked to recommend artists for the exhibition."

Buying Land is SOooo........2007
Rent too much in New York?! Build a Waterpod like artist Mary Mattingly. Although her motive is to create a self-efficient community on the water for an estimated price of $150,000, it sure is a tempting thought of how to stick it to the man. Read more about her project at the New York Times article here.

One of my favorite and more than creative floating collaborative projects was documented by Photographer Tod Seelie (see more photos and words about it www.suckapants.com.) They just sailed into the Venice Biennial. Boats designed by artist SWOON.

2009-06-02T13:59:00.001-05:00

Experimental Art, Considered.

2009-05-22T18:27:00.004-05:00

I was listening to NPR today (as usual) at work and I was interested in the All Things Considered Story: "In Tough Times, Artists Find Inspiration, Invention."

It's unusual to find a mainstream news story focusing on the microcosm of the contemporary art world and working artists, so I highly recommend reading it if you missed it. The story basically is suggesting that with the economic downturn, artists are now turning from commercially viable art to less marketable and more experimental art. And suggesting that recent MFA grads facing a "cold" art market are turning to social practice art and other more experimental genres.

First of all, I am sure that experimental art has been alive and well across America and supported by great non-profit galleries and groups like Plugged for as long as I have been making art. In fact, Michelle Blade's sunset stories which are featured in the NPR report remind me immensely of former Plugged member Laura Milkins' current project Walking Stories based in Mexico City.

Initially, when I heard the opening to the NPR story, I literally snorted in laughter. (fta: "Over the past decade, the notion of the "starving" young artist became a bit of a misnomer, as artists right out of school were snapped up by galleries, sometimes selling their work for hundreds of thousands of dollars.") Snapped up by galleries? Hundreds of thousands of dollars? Really? For the vast majority of MFA grads, especially those not living in New York or LA, that is the farthest thing from the truth.

Personally, I never expected my MFA to lead me to a life of fame or fortune and it's hard to imagine someone making art for any other purpose than just having to make art. I find that my most successful work is done in full knowledge that no one will ever want to buy it for their living room. I suspect that the same is true for most artists, in spite of ecomomic boons and busts.

Maybe the economic climate will inspire more artists to create more experimental art.... but will there be more opportunities for these artists? Unfortunately, just as the more commercial art market is hurting, non-profits are as well. The great non-profit galleries, university galleries, and groups that support experimental art are few and precious as it is. Hopefully, what we will see from this era is not only more experimental art, but new and creative ways to support experimental artists.

Selections of Her Shorts: the eccentric, the unconvential, the funny Ha Ha

2009-05-20T16:04:00.006-05:00

Plugged has gone through so many changes in the past five years as an artist collective from changing members to changing home bases. One thing that hasn’t changed is our mission to promote emerging artists. I thought the best way to start off our blog would be to give tribute to some of our past Her Shorts Festival artists. While selecting submissions for upcoming festivals we are deeply focused on the present work submitted and rarely have the time to visit websites or other credentials. So spending time to go back and rediscover past festival artists is a great pleasure for me.

Her Shorts never had a curatorial theme other than one guideline, 50% of each video submitted had to be made by a woman. After viewing our Selections of Her Shorts I became increasingly interested in the variety of voices and perceptions presented by these artists and began to draw parallels between their work. Although this is not a specific reflection on woman videographers and their impact on contemporary art, I would like to argue that gender does play a role in the uniqueness of the voices presented. If anything, these artists defy mainstream stereotypes and compartmentalized constraints so often applied when woman artists are grouped together. The strikingly humorous and surreal narratives constructed by video artist Shana Moulton are an excellent example. Moulton’s series, Whispering Pines #5, has the pastiche of shopping mall suburbia with details such as self-help books, electric blankets, peace signs, and smiley faces. Whispering Pines #5 captures a truthful snapshot of American culture set in a particular time not often revisited, a mixture of recycled 1970’s spiritualism with 1990’s consumerist banality. What Shana Moulton achieves in her vignettes is a rare combination of humor and honesty revealed through a Buster Keaton deadpan (Moulton is the main character)within an exaggerated curious landscape.
www.shanamoulton web.com Image Still from Whispering Pines #5, Shana Moulton

The artist Rachelle Beaudoin’s Cheer! Shorts, is uncomfortably humorous induced by the video’s unscripted undercover reality tv style. Beaudoin’s piece is a direct parody of the Juicy Coulture’s in fad sweat shorts. The undercover hand held camera reveals more about the public as the camera follows a college aged girl through a shopping mall and other public places giving bad ass a whole new context. www.rachellebeaudoin.com
Still, Cheer! Shorts, Rachelle Beaudoin

Katri Walker,State of the he/art (sereneta), a video artist who works between Scotland and Mexico, offers a humorous glimpse into self-deprecation and embarrassment everyone goes through after a break up. Walker’s piece, is a clash between a romantic serenade with a Mariachi group as backdrop with a Karaoke hotel bar. With the main character as a saucy gringa singing her heartfelt sorrows in the foreground, State of the he/art (sereneta), offers the audience comic relief at what is all too commonly known as a stinkin broken heart. www.katriwalker.com.

Selections of Her Shorts is currently on Tour. Email Plugged at info@pluggedartcollective.com if you would like to find out how to help bring us to your community.

Selections of Her Shorts, Screening Tour

2009-02-16T13:33:00.007-06:00

Click here to view photos from event

Videos shown
1. Warning Woman, Alla Girik & Oksana Shatalova, 2006
2. Convulse, Cara Marisa Deleon, USA, 2007
3. Hot Air: Keep yourself alive, Angela Ellsworth,USA, 2007
4. Souffle sur le miroir, Sarah Friedland, USA/France, 2007
5. Prickle Britches, Jill Johnston-Price, Canada, 2007
6. Play with Me, Yuliya Lanina, Russia, 2007
7. Whispering Pines #5, Shana Moulton, USA, 2007
8. Cupcake, Rosie Percival, New Zealand, 2007
9. Portraits of Strangers, Liz Rodda, USA, 2007
10. Teddy Bear, Elena Tejada-Herrera, Peru, 2006
11. State of the he/art (sereneta),Katri Walker, Scotland, 2007
12. Smiles, Shi Ying Vicki Yang, USA, 2007
13. High Velocity Oblivion, Sonia Armaniaco, Italy, 2007
14. Through these Trackless Waters, Elizabeth Henry, USA, 2007
15. Coffee & Milk, Mary Magsamen & Stephan Hillerbrand, USA, 2008
16. Line Up, Florencia Guerberof, Argentina, 2008
17. Cheer! Shorts, Rachelle Beaudoin, USA, 2008
18. Alegrias, Arielle Falk, USA, 2008
19. Beauty and the Beast1, April Bergvik, Netherlands, 2008
20. Becoming Formless, Annie Heckman, USA, 2008
21. I Enjoy Being a Girl, Elizabeth White, USA, 2007
22. Do you Love your Breasts? Jill Wissmiller, USA, 2006
23. The Lift, Hyewon Kwon, England, 2007
24. Gay King, Risk Hazekamp, Netherlands, 2006

Her Shorts 2008 at UAB, Birmingham AL

2008-11-23T13:34:00.000-06:00

Plugged Art Collective and the UAB Visual Arts Gallery cordially invite you to attend

Her Shorts 2008
the 3nd annual Women's International Video festival.

The Hulsey Recital Hall
The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Tuesday December 9th, 6-8 pm

Plugged Art Collective presents: Her Shorts 2008: International Women's Video Festival. Women's short videos from 17 countries, such as Argentina, China, and Poland will be on tour in the US and internationally.

Please note: Not All Subject Matter is Suitable for all Ages

Plugged Art Collective is a volunteer grass roots organization founded in 2004 by a group of art lovers, object makers, critics, and go-doers. Plugged revolves around the desire to support and promote art that is free, thought provoking, stimulating, and unsettling. Why? Exactly.

Full details about this festival and Plugged Art Collective are also available at:

www.pluggedartcollective.com.

Her Shorts 2008 Slide Show!

2008-07-22T18:38:00.001-05:00

Her Shorts 2007 Slide Show!

2008-07-14T09:58:00.001-05:00