Dropping a line

Thought I would drop a line about more stuff going on.

Currently finishing up another painting titled Babble. This one is a bit different in both structure and content than my usual work (in a good way), though its a little bit more mild in message. In any case, that'll be making it's way to the internet soon, so when it's up feel free to have a look. Also, just started a painting that I have been planning for a couple of months now, and going to start yet another. Expect to see at least a couple of more works before January 15th (grad school apps deadline for my program of choice).

Anyway, also, if you can get out there- make sure you head to MoMA. Just went yesterday to see Monet's waterlillies, the Tim Burton exhibit, and Gabiel Orozco. It was a bit overwhelming, and there were A LOT of people there, so I may even have to go again. In any case- no disappointments here.

Until next time.

Getting out and about

Last night I went with my friend, and fellow artist Petros Pappalas to see whats going on out there in Soho. So we went to the Opera Gallery last night to see the Ron English show "Immortal Underground". It was a great showing, as he filled up the gallery space with all works he completed within the past year or so. It's always exciting to see his work- even more so to see it in person. I suggest some of ya'll get down there and have a look see (all though when you guys get there, there won't be any half naked cow girls or a big morbidly obece Ronald McDonald (in person anyway).

2 More

so I've gotten 2 more paintings under my belt-

The Grand Pecking Order II is a revisit on the Grand Pecking Order series.


Preachings of the Baron, has been, what I consider a huge step for me. It is one of the first true efforts in a long time in which I've created not just a multi-figural dynamic, but a full environment and context for the figures to act inside of.
the actual subject of piece is centered around religion. This piece is basically asking how the modern man would view the biblical prophets- if a man stumbled out of the desert with no food or water saying he had seen visions of God, what would your response to that man be? The truth is, we hear outlandish things every day of our lives and we choose to dismiss or accept information unquestioningly because of the source- verifiable or not.

Until Next Time

Learning Piece

So in the midst of all the other paintings I'm working on, I thought I would post one that was pretty much complete. for those of you that are curious, this is the first oil painting I've done in about 3 years, and it also has some added elements of mixed media (litho crayon, charcoal, and oil pastel).
I have no actual title for this, but it serves two main functions for me. 1- Having wanted to branch out into more dynamic, multi-figured compositions I thought a good start would be to execute a message I had been all along trying to communicate in a different way. 2- I specifically painted in monochrome so that I could cut out the complexities and possible distractions and complications color might have to offer in a situation where the most important focus is composition.
I titled this post "Learning Piece" because that is truly what this is- an image in which I can forget about "will someone want to buy this" or "will anyone get this" or "is this subtle enough". Through this I was able to remember the most important thing about creating a work of art- when you're alone with the paint and the canvas in the studio treat it as such- just you (or in this case, me) and the canvas.

The forthcoming work is somehing I am truly excited about. This learning piece has served itself as a very helpful launching point for me to be more daring, experivmental, and less rigid and anxious about how I execute my work. The next update (both to my blog, and my website) will undoubtedly include a small group of new paintings.

Until next time.

More work coming soon

So after a little bit of tough criticism I took some time off after the completion of Search For Sancho. Long story short, I heard some things I really didn't want to hear, but I now think were vital to my growth as an artist.

I don't want my work to come off as one liners- I really just thought I was being funny and clever. I'm not saying I wasn't, but maybe i made that too much of my focus at a certain point down the line, and I lost touch a little bit. In my state of vulnerability, after receiving a little verbal spank in the ass, I began to really search within myself and I think I've started to get to the root of the things that I really care about, and how to discuss it on a visual platform (having started to touch on that with Search for Sancho). The next bunch of pieces are aimed, this time, not just at what I believe the truth is but issues in which I find it difficult to find any sort of truth at all. They are about the huge blanket of gray in a world where so many people seem to see so much black and white.

I look forward to showing you all what I have in store.

Until next time...

New Painting

This latest painting is titled "Search For Sancho". This image of an old man, playing on a toy horse with a broom lance and paper hat on terrain made of crumpled and ruffled paper scraps, is a commentary on the handling of age and its implications. It is about the societal need to remain young for as long as possible, in this case at the cost of the acceptance of reality (as age denial often seems to be). While I am in no way opposed to keeping the child within us all alive, I would like to point out that much like substance use, its simply no good without use of moderation.

This painting, for those who don't already know, is inspired by Cervantes' Don Quixote. I felt it was perfect to tap into, given that Don Quixote, both as a book and a character, is one of the quintessential examples of a character who gets so caught up in revolving his life around the ideal that he becomes completely divorced from reality. So much so that he doesn't even physically see things for what they are anymore, even as they sit right in front of him. The title, also being an allusion to Don Quixote, is an implication of the desire for acceptance. It is the need to seek out someone who will be a supportive and unquestioning party who can stand by and watch as the individual continues to live in fantasy.

Facebook

Upon demand, I've made a facebook fan page. Become a fan by going to this link:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Aaron-Schraeter/239075270354?ref=mf

Thanks everyone for the support!

Update

So as of recently not too much to report:

Have been working on my studio space for painting, and in the mean time have been doing a lot of drawing (I've updated the drawing section of my website, so feel free to check that out). A lot of the work has been strict focus on values, as well as face work- next up will be more hand studies, but those will most likely end up here rather than on my actual website).
Additionally I have the following book recommendations for my fellow emerging artists out there-

Art/Work- a book that tells you everything college wouldn't about developing a career in art. it has great examples of things that many of us don't think about when we are on our road to becoming "legitimate professional" artists including invoice sheets, tax forms, gallery courting 'rules', work hanging methods, shipping agreements, artist and gallerist interviews and comments on all the issues covered in the book and all kinds of other incredibly valuable information. If you are an artist and want to sell work or are trying to achieve gallery representation, I have to say you should probably have this book.

Art & Fear- I'm almost done with this one. It's a great book, even if you don't agree with all the philosophies involved and it really allowed me to think about the creation, production, and business of art in more of a 3 dimensional way. They try to tackle a lot of hypotheticals- some for me were relevant and some not so much- but the most important thing about it is that most of it is actually just really advice coming from people who have "been there". This is an excellent book, and philosophically is a great tool.
And finally-
I'd Rather Be in the Studio- This book is very very similar to Art/Work, but is mostly with a "No Bullshit" approach or attitude toward the subject. It instills the age old idea of "If you want to do something, do it. If you're going to pussyfoot around, stop complaining, and just do something else. I recommend this book for those of us that need a little more of a kick in the ass, and even in conjunction with Art/Work though one might find the content to be a little repetitive. Additionally, though, you can also get a whole slew of downloadable goodies with tons more information than just the book has to offer, so the purchase does go a long way.

In other news, I will be visiting the city of brotherly love today and intend to check out what the Philadelphia art scene is up to lately. On a related note, I want to use this moment to say if you are in Philadelphia this Friday, go check out the Knapp gallery, where my friend and colleague Petros Pappalas will be participating in a group show- based on Petros' recent work and the Knapp's recent shows it should make for an excellent viewing.

Until next time.

NY Art Galleries

So, I've officially moved back to NYC this week. That said, first on my agenda (other than moving all of my crap) was to reintroduce myself to the NY gallery scene. My first stop was Chelsea... it was also my 2nd, and 3rd stop since there are upwards of 350 spaces there. I checked out probably about 10 places, including the Agora Gallery, and the Stricoff Gallery. At Stricoff I found some stuff I was really into- my personal favorites there were Paul Beliveau, Katelyn Alain, and Rimi Yang.
From there the next stop was Soho, where I saw some names I'm more used to seeing in Juxtapoz Magazine rather than a gallery space when I stopped at the Opera Gallery. I got to see some work by Banksy, Keith Haring, Basquiat, Shepard Fairey, and Damian Hirst to name a few. Just after I finished looking at a Ron English work (Abraham Obama), I look over and realize that Ron English himself is sitting at the front desk. I wanted to talk to him but 1) he was doing business, and 2) the part of my brain that is a coward was at the wheel. Even so, its an unbeleivably humbling experience to see such a big name. I think I sometimes forget that, even though a great work takes on a life of its own, someone made it and is that respectable. It made me reflect on my own budding life as an artist- almost to a scary degree. The only thing I can do is just persue as hard as I can and hope to make a dent in the art world before I'm dead. As unobtainable as success seems to be, now is the time to do anything I can to make it happen.

This week was the senior seminar show, and frankly I'm proud of it. I was very happy with the quality of most of the work and the placement of everything. Unfortunately, we break the show down on Monday, so if you haven;t seen it and you want to, hurry up. For those who won't have the chance to see me work, the following is what I put into the show (click to enlarge):

So today I got an update- I won honorable mention in the ArtistGrants.org Spring 2009 competition. What that basically entails is that I have a shot to show in one of their sponsored shows (in either Cincinnati or Columbumus). Recently I also entered competition with Artists Wanted as I mentioned in my last post- just wanted to remind all of you tuning in at home to visit http://artistwanted.org/aaronschraeter to rate my work (:-])

Ciao.

So I've entered a competition held by Artists Wanted, posting as my entries Giapetto's Bastard, My Nintendo, a drawing title Idiot Box, and a new untitled painting. Please show me some support by visiting my profile page at http://artistwanted.org/aaronschraeter (and no I didn't make a typo). I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those who have already gone and shown me some love in the short time that I have been entered into this contest.

New Painting

My Nintendo, 48" x 60", Acrylic on canvas

sometimes art makes my head hurt, too.

Lately I've been working really hard on putting together a bunch of work, since in my infinite wisdom I decided to take 4 studio courses this semester. Not that I don't love creating, just wish I could take a weekend to relax and regenerate. Anyway, I've completed a couple of new things, including a painting titled "Family Dinner", the largest non-mural painting I've ever completed (96" x 48"). I'll be adding a pic of it real soon hopefully, at least to this blog section of my site. I'm now working toward completing somewhere in the ball park of another 4 or so large scale works (48" x 60" is the largest of the upcoming group thus far). Not even 100% sure what they'll be yet, but thats 1/2 the fun. Also, I have been working on some printmaking stuff, so that has been pretty exciting as well (some dry point, and some photo-litho stuff as well).
Anyway, I was watching Ovation TV (ch. 157 on dish) and on came a special on Lowbrow art called "The Lowdown on Lowbrow". I watched it, really, because I was so prepared to hate lowbrow stuff but you can't hate what you don't know (I think). So mind wide open, I watched the special and found only that it just made me ask more questions. I understand the concept of going against this ridiculous nature of art that has come up through the decades- basically that for much of it, it either becomes entirely too complex ideologically for the laymen to understand or there is so little there that it actually means nothing (for lack of a better term, fucking minimalism). And, frankly, as someone with a background in graffiti, I also get the pop-art references with cartoons and what have you. What gets me though is what its supposed to be or do. I took some notes during the documentary on what questions I have about Lowbrow, and art in general. Does art require talent- honestly, I think so. Good art, anyway. Ready art is dead, and should have never lived past Duchamp's urinal. I think its like the word "Fuck"- use it too much and it loses punch. Pretty much all of the artsits the documentary showed definitely have picture producing and material using talent. There is absolutely no question about that. But one thing I can't seem to get my head around is the "what you see is what you get" attitude. Isn't that what representational art is for? Is it just supposed to be fun? (nothing wrong with that) I don't think art really needs to say anything. Abstract, pop, expressionist, representational... either the work says something about the artist, something the artist cares about, or nothing at all. What the documentary told me is that the lowbrow movement basically came together for those artsits that "wanted to play too, but had to build their own sandbox to do it". There is something to be said for that, I think. I think if art is too inaccessible, it becomes about status and class instead of a real message (if there is one). In any case, though, I feel that the function of art should be clear, whether its decorative, political, socially driven, or whatever. I'm just not sure what the function of lowbrow art is. I don't mean to put it down (though its not my cup of tea, at all). I'm just trying to understand how these artists answer the whats and whys.

First Friday aftermath

I just want to say thank you to everyone who came out last night to support me, as well as all the other local artists that were up on display at all the locations open to the public for First Friday. It means a lot to guys like me who are trying to break out and do well.

Anyway, the show at Lucy's Hat Shop went very well. It was a packed house, some people sold some stuff, and it was an all around fun night. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Danielle Nutt, as well as the Lucy's managerial staff, for including me in their event and I hope I will get the opportunity again soon.

As far as the show at APW gallery, I had some correspondents go to the show to check things out. It was reported to me that it was a very full house (with 500 artists it better have been). Hopefully I will get pictures from both very soon to post for you guys to see.

Thanks again for the support.

First Friday

So this week is pretty busy for me, since i have 2 shows going on today. The first is at APW gallery in Queens, NY (LIC), and the other at Lucy's Top Hate in Philly (Old City).

The APW show is featuring a huge amount of artists- for more information, please visit apwarts.com. The work I have featured at APW is Stack and Pack.
The show at Lucy's Top Hat is actually my first First Friday show, so I'm actually pretty stoked about it. It's going to be a much more intimate type of environment with some decent drink specials, free appetizers, and the work of Danielle Nutt, Becky Reiser, and Kat Gun along with my own. So come out, get booze, and see some art.

I hope to see you there- enjoy the art openings all around Philly and NY.

Juxtapoz Strikes Again

So I was looking through Juxtapoz Magazine's website and stumbled upon some street art that strikes my fancy.

The first artist is Know Hope. He's a street artist from Tel-Aviv, Israel so already I'm intrigued, since I haven't seen to much Israeli street art, let alone any that made a fundamental difference to me.The next guy is a street artist named Word To Mother. He has recently been awarded with a solo show at Stolen Space Gallery in London.
The final artist I saw that struck my interest was Damian King. I would have to say that the particular painting I have been looking at pretty much speak for itself. Its called "Backstabber".

Research, Research, Research

So lately I have been getting back into focusing on faces (anyone who knows my work knows that faces are a big deal to me), and I seem to be caught between to thought processes and schools of thought: "Make it your own" and "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". That said, I decided to look at some work of the master of ugliness, Leonardo da Vinci. I thought I would share with you what I have been looking at, maybe to give a little bit about where some of my work comes from. Good old Leo reminds us all an important fact- Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Enjoy.

New work

Just thought I'd take a brief moment to say that my work that will be going into the APW Arts gallery show (World of Imagination Vol. II, March 6th) is complete. The work is called Stack andPack. I took 5 12"x12" canvases and put together this 5 panel piece. For more info on the show, check out APWarts.com. Enjoy.

Experimentation, Chapter 2: Back to the Stone Age

As outlined in the last article of this blog, I had decided to experiment a little bit with Microsoft Paint. Paint was the first two programs I was introduced to that at all encompassed any kind of artwork that could be done on the computer when I was a kid. I thought it would be interesting to explore the program that was truly down to the basics. I decided to try to draw in the program as similarly to my actual drawing style on paper as possible using Paint and the touch-pad mouse on my computer. It was not a very flexible process, by any means. However, so far I have to say the biggest redeeming quality of the digital age of art is one major tool: the Undo button. Apparently my pen drawing style isn't exactly conducive to Microsoft Paint unless I have a tablet. For the first, I used only the pencil tool. For the second I used the pencil tool with the paint brush tool, and with the fourth I used the pencil and the spray paint tool.

Experimentation, Chapter 1

Recently, through a class, I was put to a challenge: As a painter in the modern world who dabbles/has dabbled in digital media, can I personally make the two media and art forms coexist? The main thing to note about this project is that I'm really not sure if there is an answer for me. While the time table for this project has an end, I think i can say pretty safely that the search never really ends.

Phase 1 of my digital vs traditional experiment-

The first attempt I made at fulfilling the challenge was taking something I had painted and running it through Photoshop. So that I could add interesting photographic qualities, I chose to take a leap of faith and paint on human skin, rather than canvas. Not easy, or fun for that matter, with acrylic paints. I give enormous credit to people who can create a clean, crisp, nice image that way (especially those who do it with ease). After that I decided that I wanted to incorporate digital manipulation by separating the painting from the surface between color and black and white. My models were Sarah Trull and Trevor Heilman.

Next stop, Phase 2: Going back to the stone age with Microsoft Paint