Top Eleven of the 2000s

Everybody is doing a top ten list... so here is mine.

This is my top ten list of art shows that I have seen over the last decade. This is just my opinion and has a lot to do with geography. Here we go!

1. Andy Warhol at MOCA in Los Angeles in 2002

I saw this show in the middle of graduate school. To see Andy's development was really phenomenal. His work was so new and groundbreaking. It is also nice to see the relatively conventional work he made early on. And then you see the shift into entirely new stuff.

Every original idea I thought I had- Andy thought of it 40 years ago.


2. Laura Owens at MOCA in 2003. I saw this show at the end of graduate school. Laura Owens make sweet girly paintings that challenge the current canon of painting as big, muscular, and self-important. Laura's paintings are big, but certainly not serious. There is a whimsy and visual language typically seen in women's craft but not in the scale of big American painting. Her paintings are silly, however the questions her work poses stay with me. I can't look at a Stella or Rothko in the same way.


3. Jasper Johns to Jeff Koons: Four Decades of Art from the Broad Collections at LACMA and the Broad Foundation in Santa Monica in 2001-2002

I saw the LACMA show in 2001 when I first arrived in California. I saw the show with my Art Theory professor, Christopher Miles. This was my introduction to art of the 1980s and 1990s.

The visit to the Broad Foundation in Santa Monica was definitely eye-opening. Chris Miles scheduled the visit which is only open to educators, researchers, and students. They have 75% of Cindy Sherman's work. It was amazing to see something so comprehensive and not open to the public. It was like having a private tour of the Sistine Chapel. I also was very influenced by the scale of Phillip Taffe and Charles Ray.

4. Santa Monica Museum- Cavepainting- Peter Doig, Laura Owens and Chris Ofili in 2002

I actually went to the opening of this show. It was my first time at such a high profile opening and I felt like a nobody. There were thousands of people there. However, the energy and glamour of the event was intoxicating. One of my favorite memories from the show was the glow in the dark painting by Chris Ofili. The lights would go completely out every 5 minutes and then you would see a completely different piece. I love the theater of the experience.

5. Rural Studio at the Birmingham Museum of Art in 2004. Organized by David Moos

I saw the Rural Studio show when I moved back to Alabama after grad school. I love the show and especially the concept of the Rural Studio. One of the most important things I got out of the show- you can make interesting, dynamic, and contemporary work and live in the South. I needed that at the time.
Honorable mention- Joan Mitchell in 2002

6. David Smith at Guggenheim in 2006

I saw this show when I took my art history class from Tusculum on a trip to NYC. It was such a good fit between space and artists. I wasn't a big David Smith fan before- but the show, the curation, and especially the design of the Guggenheim- it all made sense. The Guggenheim functions the best when it shows work from the 1950s (when the Guggenheim was built).

7. Tara Donavon at ICA in 2008.

I saw this show with my friend Tim McDonald from Framingham State College. We went on my way back to the airport and it was a great surprise. I had seen Donavon's work at the Biennial and was underwhelmed. This show was amazing! Check out the slide show in the link.



8. Critz Campbell at Knoxville Museum of Art in 2005

Kevin and I went to see this show when we were first dating. Critz was a former CORE student at Penland and so was Kevin... The show was strong- great shapes,beautiful craftsmanship, nice sense of color, surface, and decoration. In many ways, it is the perfect hybrid between my work and Kevin's.

9. Christian Marclay in Seattle Museum of Art in 2004

I saw this show in my first and only visit to Seattle. I went to the CAA convention in 2004. The show blew my mind. His video work (see youtube) is so smart, grand, and interesting. It makes a great case for the potential of video work. He also used cassette tape (knitted and crochet) to make large sculptures- such a cool show.

10. Tim Hawkinson at the Whitney in 2005

I saw this show on my first solo trip to NYC in 2005. I have been back every year since....

Tim Hawkinson's work in so strong. I still remember the clocks made out of unusual materials (a Manila folder).

11. William Christenberry at the University Museum, Oxford, MS in 2008

I really like William Christenberry. He is from Hale County, Alabama and attended the University of Alabama. I actually met Mr. Christenberry during his talks at the University Museum. He seemed like a man you would meet at any southern protestant church, however some of his insights about art are still with me. One of my favorite lines- "I am much more knowledgeable about athletics that aesthetics." He is a big Alabama football fan- Roll tide! They were filming a documentary during his talks at Ole Miss. I can't wait to see it.

Honorable mention- Black Mountain College show in Asheville Museum of Art in 2006.

PBS's Art 21- all seasons

toys r us

I started a new painting today. This painting is 40" x 50" and is based on a photograph I took in NYC.
Kevin is having a bit a of a Santa's workshop over here. A lady at work received the above toy.... however she wanted to give it to her daughter.
Kevin did all of the painting. He did such a professional job. My contribution was to the nose guard on the front and the streamers! There is nothing more fun than taking something so masculine and painting it pink!

I might be done...in record time!

phase 1
Phase 2
here we go! I need to look at this at greater length to see if it is done- I am close.

This painting is based on some photography and jello making I did last summer. I got some large prints made from Walgreens.

I think of this painting as a color theory exercise. My palette was very limited. I used cadmium yellow, cadmium red, phythlo green (blue shade) and white. It reminds of the 2 color palette I have my students do in Art 102.

I also used gloss medium for the glass and matte medium for the background. I want to try and replicate the actual textures of the glass and fabric as much as possible. Since I work so photographically, one of the things I ponder in my studio is why these images need to be a painting. Paint can treat surfaces very different than a photo. The pigment load in my beloved Golden acrylic paint has a saturation level that photography just can't replicate. I don't think every photo should be a painting- in many cases it should not. However, I think if you use paint in a deliberate manner, some photographs warrant a painting.

It's my birthday!

I have a new painting! It is a small one and hopefully will go relatively fast (middle of december?). It is 24" x 36" and is based on a vintage ad. I made the tilted jello myself and the background is one of the many vintage pillowcases I collect.
The flowers are from Katherine Fields and they are beautiful! She has amazing taste and called my all-time favorite florist, Oxford Floral. They did the flowers for my wedding and I love their work. Thanks Katherine!

cocktail dress capital of the world

I think this painting is finished. Yay! I had the hardest time taking a picture of it. I kept getting a glare from the overhead lights. This painting is in the museum show in Jan.- you'll just have to see it in person. I am thinking about calling it "Keep it Classy." It was the window display at the old Classy Creations store on the square next to Ajax. Most of you already know this... but Oxford is the cocktail dress capital of the world. We have at least 8 stores dedicated to semi-formal dressware (in a town of 20,000). Cocktail dresses are the most girly which appeal to our hyperfemine student body. Oh- this painting is 7 feet by 5 feet so the dresses are bigger than life size.

As the semester starts to wind down (I have 3 more classes on MW), hopefully I will be able to blog/make stuff more.... stay tuned! HB and I just back from New Orleans so we have some additions to the chicken bucket list. Check it out!

Solou Show

So, I designed a card for the university show. I am thinking of calling the show "Solou Show". What do y'all think of the title and/or card?

Mobile Mobile

I was in Mobile last weekend for the SECAC conference. We had a great time. I chaired a panel with Katherine Fields- "I love you now leave- Desire and Repulsion in the Visual Arts". I handled the concept side and Katherine talked about Materials. Here are some photos from the trip.


Sheri and Tom Lee's Show at Spring Hill College. What a great space!

Another view of Sheri's artist talk at the Eicholdt Gallery.

Here is a view of my piece, "Flamin' Painting" at the Art in Academia show at Space 301 in Mobile. Again, I love this exhibition space- it is huge. Below are some of the strong pieces that I saw.
Barb Bondy, Opelika, AL
Gallery view
detail of Clive King's piece. It won first prize.

Aurora Pope's painting- she is an old friend from Greeneville, TN. She just graduated from ETSU.


Misty Bennett, Montevallo, AL- I think really contemporary watercolor is very interesting.

Julia Morrisroe, Gainesville, FL

Well, I am back in Oxford. Here is a view of the drawing room last Tuesday. I have 1400 drawings to grade for my Drawing 2 students. I need to remember that I have grade what I assign.

Boo the bat!

I create the Boo the Bat for my godson's birthday. They are so cute- I might have to make one for myself.

My dining room table has been invaded by some drawings. I have been making these drawings for years. Most of them are just silly ideas that don't warrant a large painting. Seeing them all together makes me want to show them. Who knows....

Here is an update on the classy painting. It is coming along. It will definitely be done in the next month. I will be showing it at the University Museum in my solo show, January 12- March 6, 2010. The fall is so frustrating- there are so many things going on. Studio time is very precious this time of the year!

I am off to BFA interviews. I have several former students who are going up for it this year.

blue skies (for a minute)

Painting update...



As most of you know, it has been raining and raining. I went out to yard to document my "Pacific Northwest" yard. We have spider lilies and I wish I had many many more.... Check out the mushrooms.

Ole Misses'

I got the coolest thing last week. I am scheduled for a solo exhibit at the University Museum. At first, it was on the books for this fall, but we pushed it back until January. While I was there meeting with the director and installer, they mentioned that they had a scale model of the exhibition space. "Did I want to borrow it?" I grabbed that model and started setting up my show. The model is 1" to 1' scale. I printed out my paintings to scale. For example, a 5 foot by 7 foot painting is printed out at 5 inch by 7 inch. I love this! I may come up with pseudo exhibits as well.

What do you think about the title of the show, "Ole Misses'"? Any better suggestions?


Here is a detail of my scarf. The negative space relationships with lace are so fascinating!

Painting update soon.....

Busy Busy

On Thursday, HB and I headed to the Ole Miss Motel for the One Night Stand show. I love the concept! Each artist gets a room for one night only. I might even apply for this show next year. Here are some of my favorite rooms.
Dabbs Anderson
Annie Coggan
Michael Fenster



Here is my painting... in progress.

dog days...

So school is about to start, however I finished my syllabi today. Yay! I started a new painting. Here is a sneak peak. It is 7 x 5. All I am going to say- it is classy!

If you want to read about our trip to Pirate Cove in Josephine, AL. Check out the Chicken Bucket List!

Recovery

This small little painting (16" x 20") is based off a photo I took in NYC. Those toys in Central Park.... I find them sweet, cheap, and obnoxious. Of all the things you could buy in NYC- you have the best toys in the world. This is more at home in the Dollar General than next to the Upper West Side. However, I am going to raffle this painting off at the show (see below) for the Ole Miss Student Art Association. Brooke is going to do the same with one piece she created on the Tanzania trip. Hopefully, we will make lots of cash for the poor art department.


HB and I are headed to the beach for a quick trip. I am dropping off Flamin' Paintin' at the Space 301 in Mobile. It will be up for the Art in Academia Show for the SECAC conference.

HB and I are also starting an experimental blog. I have no idea how much we will post, but I think it will be a fun and yummy project.

see you next week!

nyc!

check out all the photos....

Central Perk

Here are some of my students on the Central Park Carousel.
This could be a painting.... Of all the toys in New York (FAO?)

Tomorrow- the Met