It's morning, but it's not so early and it's not Monday anymore. I feel I can subject you with some highbrow/lowbrow T n' A and general nonsense.

The first thing is this video from Dennis Knopf's "Bootyclips" series, which are YouTube clips of the moment right before you get it (it being the girl who pops and locks it for the camera). You never see her. You think you might know something about her. In the end, you don't miss her. It's haunting. I can't remember where I found this - maybe C-Monster? I'm cruising through my Googlereader to retrieve my source. If it's you, please do speak up - this is the best link I've found in a long time. 

This next clip has nothing to do with anything - it's a discovery I made while dragging a "youtube" element from my toolbar down to the blog page. Apparently, Weebly just uploads a  video for you in case, you know, you don't actually have one to share. 

This here is one of my absolute fave-favourite things I've seen in ages. Wait, I just said the Bootyclips was... but this is GIF MAYHEM and I can't help but obsessively click on absolutely every single moving thing on the page. Hope you've  got a minute because I AM NOT AN ARTIST is going to take up the rest of your day. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Lastly, to fully complete this non sequitur lecture, allow me to introduce LAZERTITS. You didn't know you needed them in your life until you found out, just now. I for one, have my tee shirt in the mail and I'm planning on starting a badass lazertit bike gang. Share with your friends!

Running in a constant stream along the base of each gallery wall are a trail of postcards. They're snapshots of thoughts, moments, objects, ideas, models, portraits, and footnotes (appropriate then, their placement). In them you'll find teeth, shadows, animals, eggs, moss, fog, light spots, wax wings, studio floors, trees, animal tracks, casts, resin, runoff, waterfalls, and the rest of the world which surrounds artist Kiki Smith. 

I Myself Have Seen It: Photography & Kiki Smith is opening tomorrow at the Henry, but if you get a chance to go to their Open House you'll be able to see it tonight. In short, this is a show which highlights the artist's use of photography not just as a medium, but as a tool to record and document as part of her creative process. The tiny postcard-sized photos along the floor are a small part of what Elizabeth Brown estimates were over 80,000 works she and Smith combed through for this exhibition, and they depict nearly everything one might encounter over a period of daily life with the artist. Many of the larger photographs are hyper-closeups of sculptures or wax casts right before a pour, steps in the mold-making/refining/finishing process, or finished works at various angles of interest. Mixed in semi-Salon-style with the photography are lithographs, large-scale prints, and drawings; and of course featured throughout each room are her sculptures. Of particular delight are the Sirens, (scattered throughout one of the main galleries), and the White Mammals on boards with their likenesses in print above them. This is an important show for anyone, but it especially speaks to artists who might, like Smith, obsessively document or take any kind of notes in the studio. It says your observation and the finished work are not separate from one another. They are part of the same thing, and they come from the same place. These not-pieces will each, if not now, have a place somewhere someday.

Despite my fangirl-dom, I won't call her legendary. I have this idea she might either laugh at the title or her eyes might grow big as she defers to artists she admires such as Nancy Spero or Richard Tuttle. The reason I hesitate is because instead of some dusty legend on a shelf, Smith is a working artist who insists on using her own hands and leaving her own marks. In fact, she's using them and leaving them not only on the work she creates, but in the community she nurtures. She says she doesn't want her work to be politically didactic or about anything, but despite her best efforts and claims it is [clearly about something]. One look tells you it's about labour, being female, archetypes and reinventing them. When I look closer I see something about the work itself and about what it means to be an artist. Of her process she says: "I don't believe in being willful as an artist because the work goes in all different directions ... really my emphasis is in craft, material culture, homemade objects, and referring back to an agricultural society where people are more conscious of domestic life and, you know, making things. Politically I'm not a big fan of propaganda...we should all be citizens in any way we want..."

I get the sense from reading others' ideas about Kiki Smith that there's dissatisfaction with her style of artistic nonchalance; that it's irresponsible or lacking in some kind of meat we want to learn from. I disagree. Speaking as someone who overthinks and overspeaks my art on a consistent basis, I appreciate the idea that she "doesn't have much to say" and perhaps would (perhaps we should) rather be making. Why not think that way? She gives credit to talking where credit is due and when it counts. When asked what she thought about the idea of finding our own citizenship and battling propaganda which exists in the art world itself, and do we really need to churn out MFAs and feed ourselves back into academia she suddenly looked very serious and praised the benefits of such a system: "Education is so important! With it you gain access, you gain colleagues, and you become empowered by learning from an older generation ... your peers will hold you through your whole life...but it's important to engage with people in your community with all this talking" Not that she doesn't revert back to the dangers of talking too much. She mentioned she doesn't get too deeply involved with her students when talking about "why they make art", keeping it technical and focusing on helping them find their own voice. This dovetails beautifully with one of my favourite quotes from her lecture where she says "I hate all this junk they teach in art school, where you're supposed to know what you're doing. It's only in the unknown that we get to blossom."

So there we are, right next to the witch with the dark stars and the fruit. We eat from it, we gain some knowledge. It might not be everything we've hoped for, because we've held her so high aloft (if I had been there last night perhaps I would have been disappointed, too?). But she's a contradiction. She's an artist like me, and maybe like you, making things with her hands and leaving a mark. And again like me, and maybe like you, she's obsessively documenting and holding a thought, coming back to it when the idea fits or becomes something beautifully cannibalized in rebirth, blossoming in the unknown. 


*the title of this post comes from one of the photographs in the show, a series in which she depicts herself as a witch amidst the leaves

Yesterday I wrote a piece about 4Culture's impending doom, and spammed my email list and Facebook. If it seems like overkill, it's because it's extremely urgent.

4Culture funds working artists such as myself so that we may continue making art. Viewers benefit from this far more than you may realise. I know a lot of people say "I hate most public art, it's weird abstract shite that has nothing to do with me". What you might not realise is  you've seen and participated in events put on and funded by 4Culture without even realising it. And if you know anyone who's a working artist, an active member of the Burner community, dancers, musicians, writers, or anyone else in your friends group who participates in art events around town; chances are we've all been funded by 4Culture either directly or indirectly at some point. And as a case in point, I'm writing a grant right now alongside hundreds of other artists who will be submitting to 4Culture before 10 March, which might be our last chance to do so. 

Want to know more about how/where to find public art? See my December post about where it's at. (fyi the show that was over in December is actually ongoing and has been replaced with a new lineup) Here's an excerpt:

"I know a small but loud group of the population complain the public art they see is somehow beneath them, not good enough, vulgar, unapproachable, or an otherwise wasteful expense of tax dollars. Before you say that, think hard about where the larger percentage of your tax dollars go and tell me you aren't glad any part of it goes towards something more sustainable, enlightening, and important to our society and culture than our larger, more sinister contributions.

So I'm motivated to act. I demand you pack your lunch to go and walk over to the Municipal Tower to look at the art before the show ends on the 31st. And once that's over, I demand that you do your research and go find all the art that is just waiting to be discovered all over this small but abundant city. We have all these gifts, and a very tiny portion of your tax dollars fund these gifts, so the best way to say thanks and appreciate them is to find them."

Please please re-post on Livejournal/Facebook/MySpace/Twitter etc, and please please also write emails to those who oppose the bill. Spreading the word is critically important at this time, because the legislative session ends 11 March.

I'm embarrassed at how late I'm rallying the call but you need to know something important: 

4Culture, one of Seattle's most important sources for public art/individual artist funding is in grave trouble. The legislative session ends 11 March, and if they don't get a bill passed this year 4Culture will lose the majority of their funding. 2011 will be spent downsizing from roughly $15,000,000 to $1,500,000, they will have to close the office and the gallery, cut the staff, and suffer considerably reduced granting capability. Organizations and individual artists will be affected. Artist/advocate/activist Anna Callahan says in an email:

email your legislator and/or forward this on to people you think might be willing to email their legislator (I just emailed my representatives and it only took 10 minutes to do all three!) It is especially important to email legislators in other parts of the state so if you know of anyone outside of King County that would be willing to send an email it would be great if you could pass this information along.

All of the information on what to write and who to write to is below (and at advocate4culture.blogspot.com). It still helps even if you've written a letter before because the bills have changed.

I plead alongside her. Please, please, please -- if the arts mean anything to you at all no matter what your roll: artist, connoisseur, passerby, critic, wallflower, boisterous socialite, naysayer, collector, patron, friend-of-a-friend; please donate a small fraction of your day to either write your own letters or fill out one of these templates to save a critical piece of arts funding in Seattle. Even if you think it doesn't affect you, it does. This is important. This funding employs and pays living, working, local artists. YOU benefit from local public art, maybe even more than the artists do. This is a gift for everyone. Let's help it live on. Please scroll down the page to read about the impact and to copy/paste a letter to send to your legislator. 

What other people are saying:

slog.thestranger.com
joeyveltkamp.blogspot.com
gettingtoknowyoubetter.wordpress.com
chinookupdate.blogspot.com
main2seattle.wordpress.com
thesunbreak.com

LEGISLATOR INFO

Here’s how to find your legislator

Note: when you fill out the email form, leave the section asking for a bill number blank (the numbers often change)

Legislators who voted YES
Representatives Anderson, Appleton, Blake, Carlyle, Chase, Clibborn, Chopp, Cody, Conway, Darneille, Dickerson, Dunshee, Finn, Flannigan, Goodman, Haigh, Hasegawa, Hudgins, Hunt, Hunter, Jacks, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Kirby, Linville, Maxwell, McCoy, Miloscia, Moeller, Morrell, Nelson, O'Brien, Ormsby, Orwall, Pedersen, Pettigrew, Priest, Quall, Roberts, Rodne, Rolfes, Santos, Seaquist, Sells, Simpson, Springer, Sullivan, Takko, Upthegrove, White, Williams, Wood

Senators Benton, Berkey, Delvin, Eide, Fairley, Franklin, Fraser, Gordon, Hargrove, Hatfield, Haugen, Hobbs, Jacobsen, Kauffman, Keiser, Kilmer, King, Kline, Kohl-Welles, McAuliffe, McDermott, Murray, Oemig, Prentice, Pridemore, Ranker, Regala, and Shin


Legislators who voted NO
Representatives Alexander, Angel, Armstrong, Bailey, Campbell, Chandler, Condotta, Crouse, Dammeier, DeBolt, Driscoll, Eddy, Ericks, Ericksen, Fagan, Green, Haler, Herrera, Hinkle, Hope, Hurst, Johnson, Kelley, Klippert, Kretz, Kristiansen, Liias, McCune, Morris, Nealey, Orcutt, Parker, Pearson, Probst, Roach, Ross, Schmick, Shea, Short, Smith, Taylor, Van De Wege, Wallace, Walsh, and Warnick

Senators Becker, Brandland, Carrell, Hewitt, Holmquist, Honeyford, Kastama, Marr, Morton, Parlette, Pflug, Roach, Rockefeller, Schoesler, Sheldon, Stevens, Swecker, Tom, and Zarelli
(Brown and McCaslin were absent)


LETTER/EMAIL TEMPLATE


Dear (Senator or Representative) XLAST NAMEX,

(if your representative voted yes) XXXXAs a constituent living in your district, I am writing today to thank you for your support for legislation that continues funding for arts and heritage in King County through King County lodging taxes.XX
(if your representative voted no) XXXXAs a constituent living in your district, I am writing today to urge you to support legislation that continues funding for arts and heritage in King County through King County lodging taxes.XX

Add personal example of how your organization/self is served by 4Culture and what the loss of 4Culture would mean to you (see examples below or write your own)

The agency 4Culture has stewarded lodging taxes for cultural programs in King County for over 20 years. If a bill is not passed this year to secure their funding, they will begin planning to cut programs and services as early as January 2011. XXXX Personal note here about how this would have a negative impact on you, your organization, your family, etcXX.



Sincerely,
Xyour nameX
Xyour addressX


EXAMPLES OF IMPACT

As a XXARTIST, PATRON, MUSEUM EXECUTIVE, MUSICIANXX I have benefited from 4Culture in the following ways XXXXXXX. For example:


I’ve been gainfully employed in the arts/heritage industry since moving to King County seven years ago – having a strong cultural community is about job security for me and thousands other in King County. 4Culture’s support provides stabilizing support for over 200 organizations County-wide


I attend dozens of cultural events a year, and I see 4Culture’s logo on attached to most of these projects, not to mention on hundreds of posters and emails for events I can’t possibly make it to. If 4Culture funding goes away, many of these events will go away from our community. I can't imagine living in a neighborhood that didn't have vibrant social events to connect me to my neighbors


My museum received critical support from 4Culture in a difficult time when our rent was doubled and we were forced to move to a new facility. Were it not for 4Culture's facilities programs, we might not have made it through this difficult transition


My summer theater program is an important part of the South King County community. We employ several South King County residents, and provide hundreds of youth opportunities to participate in the arts each summer. Living outside of Seattle, 4Culture is the only source we are able to turn for ongoing operations and facility support, if this funding we to go away, we'd have to cut our program significantly


4Culture's Site-Specific program has brought fun, family-friendly, free performances to our local park each summer the last several years -- my kids now look forward to our annual tradition and come home and enact the performances


I received a grant from 4Culture that helped me create a performance in Seattle that was so successful we were invited to tour to four different cities in the US. The tour enabled me to pay my company members for their performances. Our jobs as artists are real jobs, and touring and performing is how we create a livelihood and take care of our families. Our work also provides community benefit by allowing an opportunity for people to come together, express their ideas, learn, communicate and to be challenged. On my tour I felt like I was able to be an ambassador for King County and was able to garner contacts and support on a broader level through some national presenters and funders. As a professional artist, I am proud to come from a community that values art and who has an agency that is able to provide seed money for creative projects


As a board member of a small non-profit arts organization in King County I know the value of 4Culture's funding. Our organization is able to pay rent for a full year with funds received from 4Culture. The simple fact is that we would literally not be able to keep our doors open without 4Culture's support


4Culture's technical services enable our organization to reach beyond our local community, and make us competitive and respected on a national scale. Though our work, aided by 4Culture, we draw visitors from around the world to King County. As you know, these tourist dollars reach deeply into our community, supporting a range of businesses from local cafes to high-end hotels and restaurants


4Culture's support has helped me leverage funds not only from the very few offerings in King County, but from foundations and corporations around the country. The 4Culture "Seal of Approval" demonstrates to national funders that my organization is valued and encourages their investment in our programs.

Don't say you haven't had the chance for a Chelsea gallerist to view your work, because now you surely do.

In a refreshingly democratic (if not tongue in cheek) format, every artist who knows about it has the chance to upload one photo sans resume and rhetoric on a site called Shut Up Already...I'll Look At Your Art. From SUAILAYA's blog:

Gallerist Ed Winkleman and guests (persons to be recruited by Mr. Winkleman to join him, for different periods of time and varied group size) will spend a portion of his time in his gallery during #class reviewing digital images of work sent via the internet to #class by artists globally. Artists will be asked to submit a digital image of one piece of art to be reviewed by Mr. Winkleman and his guests.

While you shouldn't necessarily expect a call from Winkleman, this does eloquently prove a point that while artists are desperately clamoring for attention, Winkleman is willing to show us he can take time out of his day to look. In this post, he tells us about how it all got started as an anonymous proposal for #class, currently ongoing at Winkleman Gallery.

And lest ye still be cynical, lacking in hope via this lighthearted #class project, take note. Ed says:

OK, so what do you get out of this if you participate? It's hard to say. Kind of depends on what you submit or who volunteers to be my guest on any given day. I would hope other dealers would be willing to look as well from time to time (hint! hint!), so that even should certain work not be quite right for our program it might be just what another dealer is looking for.

In other words, the mantra for artists is and always will be: you never know, so it never hurts to try. Go get 'em tiger, submit your work here - you know you want it. (do it, I did!)

More info from the SUAILAYA site:

The Rules (roughly):

• Artists will submit one digital image to "Shut up already. I'll look at your art"
• Mr. Winkleman and guests will view the image for no less than 10 sec.
• Mr. Winkleman and guests will be monitored by a volunteer as they view the work to assure full compliance with the rules.
• Mr. Winkleman, his guests and the Monitor will sign a certificate of viewing stating the image has been viewed
• Mr. Winkleman and his guests will have no obligation to provide representation to any of the artists, make any comment about, or critique any of the images.
• Once an image is viewed by Mr. Winkleman and his guests the artist cannot complain that their work is not being considered by a professional gallery for one year from the date of viewing, Mr. Winkleman and his guests will be absolved of any further obligation to take complaints by artists that their work is not being considered by a professional gallery seriously for one year from the date of viewing,
• As Mr. Winkleman and his guests view the images, they wiil be available on the internet to be viewed.

#class is an exhibition in the form of a think tank organized by Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida. #class will feature over 50 events, discussions and performances presented in response to an open call for proposals on the topic of ambivalence about the commercial art market system.

... it's because I'm in the middle of switching over from my Blogger site to this one. Sorry for all the confusion and flurry of url craziness, but I promise it will all calm down sooner or later! :D