When Art Gets Annoying (Random Rant)

On Thursday after my art class, I went to an artist lecture of three sculptors. I left thinking that of the three artists that presented their work, I only like the first one. The other two artists did not have work that I would consider to art. I was disappointed enough not to go to the exhibit afterwards.

I thought about the the digital media classes I was enrolled in and realized that in this postmodern culture, anything can be art. I believe that after the abstract expressionist movement anyone can call anything art. On one had, this would leave me room to create anything and call it art, but on the other hand, it diminishes the definition of art. I do not believe that an everyday household item, like say a spray bottle should be displayed in The Getty's Museum or the Huntington Library.

I am somewhat on an artist block. In my artclasses I'm already feeling a burnout on drawing. Maybe if I go home this summer, I'll have space to create art. I plan on teaching classical techniques used by the Masters.

I know that when I get a studio, no one but students and those interested in displaying my work in their shows will be allowed, especially my mom and grandmother. I know that seems rather cruel, but I feel like everytime I make a nude piece, my mom always has something to say about it like it's a problem. She's say something like "oh, you and your nudes" and "you sure like your nudes". Had it been anyone else, I'd tell that person to shut his or her pie hole and if they didn't like it, then don't look. But because it's my mom, it's a little more difficult. I am very sensitive about art. If I can do anything differently about my early adult life, I'd go into art when I graduated from highschool. Now that I know that I want to instruct in art, I know better now. I'd probably only allow my mom and my sister to go to my gallery shows.

My mom and grandmother won't be allowed in my art studio, because if I had a show coming up, they will try to tell me what pieces I should and should not put into the gallery. My grandmother has very little experience in art. She believed and still does believe that I'm a "beginner" and that I should basically sell my work for crumbs. My grandmother annoys me when it comes to my work. She wants to buy every piece I make for like $20 when I need to build a portfolio. Hence, having a low expectation of my work. My mom on the other hand is the complete opposite. She believes that I should display every piece, no matter how crappy it is and that I should never throw away anything I make. I believe in throwing away pieces that do not work. It's the only way an artist can grow as an artist. Holding on to the past is not going to make someone a better person. It will only make that person worse, because of lack of growth.

Because I live in an apartment that does not allow me to keep oil paint and thinners, It does not allow anyone to use their apartment as any type of work space. Looking for another apartment is so hard, especially if I am only a student that does not have a job. The artists lofts are always full which is why I want to build a community of only visual artists. I rather paint and I don't know what to do. On one hand, I can break my lease and start buying the art supplies, but on the other hand, when I move to another apartment, I don't want the people here to say that I broke the lease and that I'm not a good tenant. This city is nothing like home. At least at home, it seems like I have more options. I can rent a studio in LA for about $500 a month and it would be in a grungy abandoned warehouse. Maybe someday when I go back home I can look for an abandon warehouse and turn it into an artist community.

I guess I can try to paint on paper here. When I do not have any space I usually draw, but I'm getting tired of only drawing. Maybe if I use a different medium it might workout. I don't really know anymore. I'm just completely annoyed.

Another thing I find annoying is that when I tell someone I'm not happy about something and I want to change my condition, they tell me that I need to see something beyond what I see. If I'm not happy in this city because it's not aesthetically inspiring, then I have every right to move. It's not my responsibility to make a place a better place. The people in this city are very small-minded, very redneck, they hate anyone who is different and it's nothing like living in a city like LA or Long Beach where at least everyone is different. I want to go home, but I do not want to move back home. I guess if I have to, then I rather live in my car. I like the idea of having my own space and the freedom to do what I want.

I also find it annoying when I tell someone that I do not like a particular kind of art and that person tries to convince me that it's the only art in the future. I HATE digital art, unless it's videogames. I don't think it should be called art at all. It should not even exist. Period. I am not even close to being convinced that it's the only art that will exist in the future. Without fine art such as drawing, painting sculpting and even ceramics, the digital medium would not be successful. I do not believe that a digital artist can really call him or herself an artist if he or she does not know the concept of movement, color, line or proper placement of object. In my digital media class last year, I knew kids who could work with a computer and can't draw worth crap. Maybe they won't be called artist when technology collapses.

Probably in the future I'll try not to get as annoyed or jealous of others when they say that they are going to paint in their studio, even when they have crappy work.