Still on the edge
I’ve finished one of my sketchbooks, I’ve been sketching so much. I have some plans for paintings but I really need to make some changes to my studio before I really get going again. in a way it is exciting knowing that there are paintings lurking in my mind, beating down walls to get out, it is a kind of ecstasy to draw it out, but it is frustrating too, I want to go crazy painting them but I really do need to make these alterations.
I am taking a bit of a vacation this week, Liam and I are going to do holiday type things so my posting may be a little sporadic. We were going to go away, but it’s too complicated with all my needs so we are going to act like we are on holiday instead.
Website Update
I have been working on re-developing my website, tuning it for further SEO and accessibility. It’s very web 2.0 and has incorporated some additions I wanted to make. I’ve been noticing the different patterns that have been made by visitors to my site and have adjusted accordingly. I hope this works a bit better.
I guess the weirdest bit is that this is the first website I have done that I haven’t coded myself. I like the control of programming and designing my sites but these days I find I have less time for development and tweaking so I have given in to greater convenience. Don’t get mad at me, I checked the code generated and it is actually very nice and clean. this site is half the size of my old one and is set up better (and with less stress!)
I am using iWeb, which originally I was just playing with but it won me over (like so many other mac products!) I can add new works easily through iPhoto and update my news simply and easily. I only need to load one program and it really does save time.
Anyway, let me know what you think, I’ve tested it as much as I can from here, it’s time to set it free.
Visit my website here at www.jennierosenbaum.com
Tags: Art, online sales, web 2.0, SEO, website
Warcrimes highlighted by Nudity
Mr. Botero, 73, who lives in Paris and New York, has taken on an even more explosive topic: the torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Forty-eight paintings and sketches – of naked prisoners attacked by dogs, dangling from ropes, beaten by guards, in a mangled heap of bodies – will be exhibited in Rome at the Palazzo Venezia museum on June 16. “These works are a result of the indignation that the violations in Iraq produced in me and the rest of the world,” Mr. Botero said by telephone from his Paris studio. “I began to do some very fluid drawings, and then I began to paint and the results are 50 works inspired by this great crime.”
‘Great Crime’ at Abu Ghraib Enrages and Inspires an Artist – New York Times:
This is a fascinating look at how an artist can be taken over by an idea and reinvent themselves, pushing through to a completely original series. you may recall that I touched on war art last week, asking why there isn’t more art surrounding the latest war. I am glad to see that there is some art being created, questioning the war and the futility of it, and bringing atrocities to the public eye.
I think art is harder to ignore than photographs or news stories. it can push the boundaries of censorship and can incite further emotional responses. This may sound weird but I think art can have more of a presence and has the ability to touch people in a very powerful way. These paintings by Botero are so striking and real, I think it took great strength to paint them and present them in such a light.
are we trying to be the brand?
So Hirst has his glass boxes, medical stuff and ridiculous spot paintings (no one want his swirl pictures, it seems…), Emin recycles her biography ad nauseam, Rachel Whiteread populates galleries with mouldings, Anthony Gormley populates the world with mouldings of himself, and so on… There was a time when artists used to try different things and be, you know, creative. But too much variety doesn’t sell as well as one solid brand, as any ad man will tell you, and art practice now has been poisoned by money. Ironic that so many artists consider themselves above the grubby world of commerical art, isn’t it? As Germaine Greer argued earlier this week, art of the future needs to be more than an exclusive commodity for the rich.
Fresh out of ideas | | Guardian Unlimited Arts:
The article in question is about Damien Hirst plagiarizing himself and the debate as to whether he has any original ideas left, but the thing that caught my eye was this comment at the end of the article. It hit me because I have been told that having a recognizable style and cohesion between works is crucial. In marketing you want a recognizable brand to help your customers recognize your name.
I think many of us have gotten so caught up in the business of being artists that we frequently get caught in a style (a technique in my case) and we possibly wall ourselves off from trying new things. I know I have to, I am working on some new things in my sketchbook and will have to expand my key techniques to explore them and maybe work out from there. Style is what we have intrinsically that shows in our work, our overall brand will come out no matter what. at least, I have to keep telling myself that, it is easy to get set in a rhythm.
I am quite looking forward to it really. I am also looking small scale for some upcoming shows, and while I was thinking of doing some of my key technique work to have a solid presence, now I am thinking of moving on a little and trying some new things. I still feel like I am on the edge of some new works, I look at my sketchbook and I wonder where they come from!
Notice anything different?
Look up… no a bit more.. not that far! Look what the lovely people at WordPress have set up for us – Domain Mapping! The last piece is in place for my blog. I’m getting good traffic, I’m enjoying writing and exploring new ideas and I now have my domain in place! Don’t worry, none of you have to do anything. WordPress has made it all so simple. all of my links have been updated across and everything is working seamlessly. I exported my blog to back it up anyway (WP again, all comments, posts and categories backed up with the click of a button) but it all went according to plan.
It’s here: you can now use your own custom domain with your WordPress.com blog. For example, if your blog was currently at example.wordpress.com you could buy example.com from us and we would automatically move your blog over and redirect all your links and readers to the new domain.
Domain Registration and Mapping « WordPress.com:
Since moving to WP I think my blog has benefitted outrageously. They roll out new and exciting features all the time and it is easy to work with – not only that but it is very personal with a fantastic community feel. I heart WordPress.
Bared on the internet
New York, NY — Just two months after start-up and deep into the call for our third N*des-of-the-Month calendar (November 2006, deadline Wednesday), barebrush.com is delighted to welcome art from our first international member, Australian artist Jennie Rosenbaum
barebrush Events & News: barebrush.com Welcomes International Art:
I have the honor of being the first international artist on Barebrush.com! It’s very exciting. more of my work is up now and I will be adding some more over the next couple of days.
Actually everything online is going well, I sold another painting, My blog is going through the roof hitting the reddit and wordpress hotlists again. I want to say hi to all the wonderful people who have been reading my articles and leaving comments. it’s great to hear so many different views.
I’m so inspired right now, I could almost burst!
Tags: art sales, artist, blogging, creating art
Political Nudes Cut
Bown was held in connection with his attempt to export artworks by the Russian art collective Blue Noses. The artworks in question include photographic images depicting presidents Putin and Bush cavorting with Osama Bin Laden, and of a suicide bomber in a burqa flashing her (or his?) underwear. The works in question are intended for exhibition at the Matthew Bown gallery from 9th November 2006.
Matthew Bown Gallery – Richard Wilson:
Not all censorship issues are based in the US. Russia has a long history of censorship and repression but I wonder if the key issue is the politics, the nudity, or the fact that the politicians collaged bodies were all too realistic..
There has been a dearth of political artworks surrounding the current war. I wonder why? art is a classic way to voice opinions about war, “incursions”, “police actions”, and all political issues. It’s a central subject for artistic expression and it strikes me as healthy to explore these things through art. it’s a freedom, an opportunity for pure emotion, one of those subjects for art that can change the world. The fact that there has been little artwork exploring the current political issues really worries me. It’s as if we have lost the will to shake it up, to challenge the way political bodies want us to think.
Have we lost the freedom and basic liberties to express ourselves through art?
Tags: Art, art news, censorship, politics
I really do paint at times
During this current physical crash I have been relying on my sketch books to keep the withdrawal at bay. It’s not bad because drawing is instant gratification that I can do anytime, but sometimes I crave the feeling of paint, the texture, the smells, the mess. This is the first painting I have completed since my last show and is based on one of my recent sketches.
I really enjoy this technique, it’s so soft and sculptural and almost meditative. I will do each line several times to get the perfect shape and feeling from each one. It’s heavily inspired by Asian calligraphic works where each line has a purpose and each one goes into making a perfect form.
I don’t have a name for this one yet – if any of you have any suggestions for a title please share your thoughts!
The High Cost of Nudity
The proposed agreement calls for Sydney McGee to be paid for the rest of the school year and prevents her from suing the district. It also stops her from working in Frisco ISD in the future. Dr. Reedy said the deal would eliminate further interruptions for the district, which has been the subject of a national media firestorm in recent weeks.
Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas
| Local News:
The controversy and embittered battle between the Frisco School district and Sydney McGee may be coming to a close. The school is ready to settle, presenting a deal which will compensate McGee but will still, unfortunately, pander to the parents of the poor, traumatized child who caught a glimpse of a nude sculpture.
McGee’s records have been made public with excellent scores throughout until this recent year when a new principal joined the school. This battle has become petty with issues of clothing, field trip planning and more as the school has desperately tried to find legitimate reasons for firing McGee. What it has not considered is the social implications of ‘protecting’ this child. Will children be allowed to continue visiting art galleries? will nude art be vilified as a result? What is the cost of this deal?
Frisco ISD officials said Thursday they expect that the school board will accept some “minor” revisions proposed by Sydney McGee and her lawyer for a final settlement agreement that would sever her ties with the district.
Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas
| Frisco News:
Teachers are supposed to expand the minds and abilities of the children in their care. McGee clearly tried to do this by exposing them to art. Panse tried to do this by recommending life drawing for his students. Nudity is not evil, or inherently sexual. it won’t rot children’s brains or turn them into sociopaths. Maybe the real issue at stake is the fear that the minds of our young might be expanded, and then they might start questioning, creating, learning – and who knows where that might end?
Tags: art news, controversy, fired teacher, nudes
Inspiration – Puberty
This painting is an enormous source of inspiration for me. Painted by Munch, this is a stark and emotive piece that gives me chills. It is striking and powerful with slight distortions and a hard edge that makes it very empathic. The light lines and different tones create a sketcherly aspect with a soft flow that contrasts the heavy and dark aspects.
I can look at Puberty for Hours.
Top 5 Beauty Posts
I thought, given my post on The Body Beautiful Vs the Body Grotesque, This week I might highlight other posts I have made about beauty and appearance.
- The Nature of Beauty
- Beauty Revisited
- Discordance
- Is Nudity Still Tittilating?
- The body Beautiful Vs the Body Grotesque
Dare to Bare…
“I’m looking for artists who go beyond the academic. Many people can learn the skill of drawing. While an academic foundation is crucial, it’s the artist’s interpretation that makes it art, not the literal, figurative, academic classification. In the 21st century, we’re beyond the academic. What is the artist’s take on the nude? I want to see other ways to communicate otherwise, what’s the point? The academic works end up looking too similar – skill but no concept” explains Christopher Henry, Chelsea gallery owner and art dealer.
Barebrush are part of the new generation of art platforms that meld traditional gallery sensibilities with online technology. The internet has provided a liberating platform for artists to reach further markets, creating some controversies amongst dealers and gallery owners who worry about losing some of their responsibilities to new technology.
Sites like barebrush.com prove that there will always be a place for the traditional gallery relationship and dealer representation. this site presents an opportunity for artists like myself to present works and participate in a monthly competition curated by well known dealers and gallery owners like Christopher Henry all entirely online. Opportunities that exist online like this allow dealers to see new artists and for artists anywhere to gain exposure to dealers and markets they might never get the opportunity for. That adds up to win/win in my book!
BTW, a couple of my works are up there – feel free to take a look! I will probably add more as I go along.
Tags: art sales, artist, blogging, exhibition, nudes
Image uploading problems solved!.. for now
Due to uploading problems that are still plaguing me through wordpress and added features I want to add like captions I am going back to using flickr as my photo host and have set up a template in ecto using 1001 as the flickr agent. Both pieces of software are created by the same people and integrate nicely together. I love the way Ecto integrates with iPhoto, but there seem to be problems with the uploading to wordpress. you may have noticed that my thumbnails are doing the now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t trick, I don’t know why. I am investigating it with WP (who’s support is great) and team ecto but it is going to take a while and I like my images!
I also like Flickr, the community system, the printing options and the interface. I am thinking of investing in a pro account even so that I can use my full resolution images and put even more up – but we will see how this trial goes first! if any of you have pro accounts please let me know what you think!
Wot I Learnded II
Following on from the last show I thought I would do a ‘wot I learnded’ after each show, because learning is fun 
This one is a little late but still valid.
- Group Shows don’t have to be stressful. This one was great, very relaxed, wonderful people to work with and everything went really well.
- Exposure is king. I love a good exposure, having the festival, while damp, still served to highlight work.
- The opening is still most important. I think the opening was de-emphasized in favor of the festival, and turnouts were not as large as expected. Talking to people really makes a difference too – it’s hard but being shy won’t help!
- Sweat the small stuff. Little features like proper labels and writeups on the artists make such a difference. it isn’t expensive to stick them on foamcore and set it all up well and the immediate look is brilliant.
- People really do respond to color accents. and nice details – plus they are fun to do!
- Be inspired.
- Sorting out the edges as you go is much easier and neater and nicer..
- Hats rock.
- Take what you learn from past experiences but don’t discount previous ones. During preparation this show I bagged the last one a lot. I think that just brought myself down and made me feel crappy for no reason.
- Just because images may offend or disturb doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do them.
- Not everything has to be perfect – beauty is often in the imperfections.
- Don’t scrub out paintings!! I am incapable of judging my own work. once a painting is on the canvas it isn’t mine anymore – I need to make it live but it won’t always go exactly where it is supposed to – and that is part of the magic. painting is a journey not a destination.
- Don’t be afraid to mix it up, try new things and step outside the comfort zone – not every painting needs to be the same and not every exhibition needs to have matching pieces, techniques or styles. Don’t get locked into thinking it has to be a certain way.
- Rest rest and more rest - I would have coped better without both celebrations but planning for a collapse afterward really helped – pity it was worse than planned!
- Be confident in the works. I am ready to move my career forward, I am feeling very positive. I think my confidence building and goal work over the last few months really helped build my confidence and readiness.
- Take time to celebrate! Seeing the works up there, in a hip gallery in such a cool neighborhood made me feel truly like an artist. I was who I wanted to be, where I wanted to be and I could see my career unfolding in front of me.
Tags: artist, creating art, exhibition, post mortem
The Body Beautiful Vs The Body Grotesque
The other day I was discussing my latest exhibition over dinner with friends. Their comments fascinated me because it summed up some of the issues I am currently facing with my work. You see, I have two very disparate styles and visions with my work – the body beautiful and the body grotesque. The comments I have received from different people seem to fall within the two camps. some people enjoy the exploration that all women are beautiful and sensual while others love the heavily psychological works. Some have said that my work is too psychological and disturbing while others have said that it is too light and not deep enough.
The trick, with all paintings, is to find true inspiration and that special zone that takes control of the brush to release something special onto the canvas. Sometimes I am inspired by a challenge and opportunity to paint something I’ve never done before, sometimes it’s a fun pose I’ve thought up that I want to try or a concept I want to get across. But sometimes, something deep within me needs to get out. That is the hardest of all, because it requires absolute honesty and courage. The results are usually worth it, but coping with it is hard to do. I think those are the best paintings of all – but the cost is high. Most of them are grotesque, because there is a lot of grotesque in me. I like to think that the beautiful comes from me too, but sometimes I am afraid they come from who I want to be rather than who I am.
So, which is better? I think there is room for both, the grotesque works are less likely to sell, but more appealing to the art critics and museums (and, she whispers, posterity?), while the beautiful works are the opposite. ideally, merging the two would be the goal – creating something so wrong it’s right – but I don’t think I’m there yet. I think there is room for a show to have both beautiful and grotesque works, dark and uplifting. and perhaps achieving the correct balance is the key. I am continuing to work with what inspires me most, taking each work as it comes. I get so easily caught up in what I think people want, or what the theme of the show is, or a million other things – maybe what I really need to do is release my worries about being judged and just create.
That’s harder than it sounds.
Tags: Art, beauty, creating art, musing, nudes
What is the Difference Between Nude and Naked?
Naked can be more scrutinizing and offensive, where nude, as more of a concept, is usually not so. This brings me to my million-dollar question: If you had to decide between your child being confronted by a sexually explicit, media-mangled image or a nude figure in a work of art, which would you choose?
The subtle difference between nude and naked – Lifestyle:
I think this is quite a confronting but excellent article. given all the issues at the moment with nudity and specifically children seeing nude art, I think we need to establish our priorities and work out what the real issue is. For Centuries nudity has been one of the most common art subjects. I completely fail to understand how we live in one of the least puritanical times historically speaking but where nudity for arts sake is being reviled.
There seems to be an automatic association with nudity and sex. that nudity is inherently sexual in nature. It can be, but it can also be a great range of things. It doesn’t actually matter if the piece is nude – what is so wrong with the naked body? It does not need to be sexual. I think there is a culture being instilled in children that nudity is sexual only, and dirty and wrong.
It’s so wrong that everyone and anyone can view a veritable smorgasbord of sexuality and nudity with relative ease over the internet, TV or magazines and in advertising everywhere, but that classic nude art can be reviled for their tasteful displays – something that is sorely lacking in modern media. It drives me crazy. I completely fail to understand the point – can some one illuminate me?
Tags: controversy, education, nudes, nudity
Submission Guidelines for Our Refrigerator Door.
Our refrigerator door is currently accepting your artwork, personal essays, short fiction, and poetry for submission. Please know that we are careful about the work we publish on our refrigerator door. We want people to come away from our refrigerator door feeling invigorated and alive, as if they had just learned something about themselves and/or the world that heretofore they had not.
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: Submission Guidelines for Our Refrigerator Door.
This is hilarious, I’m reading through a lot of submission guidelines at the moment for different shows and this just came along at the right time to really make me laugh 
have a read through it, my fridge will be adorned with it soon as well I am sure..
I’m currently putting in submissions and proposals for a number of shows here and overseas. one is a charity function but I think it is worthwhile. I will post more details later on.
Tags: art humor, exhibition
I’m hot!
I made it to the reddit hotlist earlier this week and the wordpress hotlist over the weekend. So I want to say welcome and thanks to my new readers and to wordpress and reddit. it seems to be due to my coverage of the Nude scandals in New York and Texas. I’m way behind in responding to comments and emails – I will get to everyone I promise!
Tags: blogging, controversy, WordPress
Top 5 Nude Controversy posts
Given the current controversies surrounding nude art and whether it is traumatic or presents an issue for the greater public, I thought I would Post my top 5 favorite posts on Nudity.
Get your Nudity out on My face
Is Nudity Warping Children’s minds?
Tags: controversy, list, nudes, nudity
My Blog is Denuded!
I have had some problems lately with images randomly breaking. usually it isn’t an upload problem but some random theme issue where the images will sometimes appear and sometimes not. so I am experimenting with different themes at the moment to get one that doesn’t break as much. this may cause some random glitches but will hopefully be better in the long run – apologies for any problems!
Spot the difference
Investing in a new camera was very worth it. my pictures are far superior in color and detail, I spend less time trying to take good photos and manipulating them and more time for everything else. I am looking into different ways to get my work out there and having good photos is critical. Take a look at these two photos, one from my old camera and one from my new one – spot the difference?
I am feeling very comfortable in the direction my career is progressing. I still can’t work on painting at the moment but we are hoping that I am on the mend finally. I am sketching like crazy at the moment, it’s a great way to hold the withdrawal pains at bay and I am getting new ideas for paintings. I am undecided whether to share the contents of my sketchbook or not, it’s my platform for completely unfettered sketches and some of them are pretty raw.
Tags: camera, creating art, nudes, painting
the sculptr blog
The Sculptr Blog has presented a great review of my blog and work, go here to read it. Thanks guys!
The added bonus is that Jennie has also listed some great work on our site. the sculptr blog :
Is Nudity Warping Children’s Minds?
A story receiving less press than the Texas teacher scandal is another in New York of an art Teacher who is currently suspended and may be fired after recommending to some of his advanced students that they take life drawing classes. The image above is from one of the students involved.
PETE PANSE is a talented and popular high school art teacher in Middletown, NY who uses traditional techniques to to train his students. In December 2005 Mr. Panse was suspended from his job for recommending that some of his advanced students consider taking figure drawing courses that included nude figure drawings. Mr. Panse is suspended from his job pending hearings after which he may be permanently fired, ending a 25-year teaching career. In the meantime, his students are sitting in study hall learning nothing and failing to prepare the materials necessary for their receiving scholarships.
ARC ARTicles – The Case of Pete Panse – Brian Yoder – Page 1/1:
Has the entire world gone mad? I did life drawing from my early teens and modeled for life drawing in my mid teens. I don’t see it as a big deal personally. the most difficulty I had with it was my first male model when I was a little uncertain as to wether to draw the bits in or not. I think they were very worthwhile experiences. I certainly never had issue with the nudity and neither did my parents.
I think the problem a lot of people are having with this is not understanding the visual relationship between an artist and their model. This is not a sexual thing! no matter what relationship the artist and model may have outside the studio there is a magic that happens when the model adopts the pose that turns them into a breathing still life. They become the sum of their angles, curves and shadows.
There is a lot of controversy being thrown up from these debates I think it is sad that teachers are being blamed for daring to encourage children’s creativity. maybe is it the fault of artists throughout history for being fascinated by the human body – how dare they?
Tags: Art, art news, Children, controversy, nudes
Can art be fun?
The Tate Museum of Modern Art in London has a new installation that is creating a buzz. The Unilever system is a series of steel and glass tubes over 5 storeys. while they are very aesthetic they are also a sensory experience transcending the visual for a totally immersive experience.
For Carsten Höller, the experience of sliding is best summed up in a phrase by the French writer Roger Caillois as a ‘voluptuous panic upon an otherwise lucid mind’. The slides are impressive sculptures in their own right, and you don’t have to hurtle down them to appreciate this artwork. What interests Höller, however, is both the visual spectacle of watching people sliding and the ‘inner spectacle’ experienced by the sliders themselves, the state of simultaneous delight and anxiety that you enter as you descend.
for the full article, interviews, more photos and visiting information visit the Tate website here
It sounds like awesome fun, I’m sure it is a visual and sensory experience, but who says that art can’t be fun? It might help bring kids in as well – although heavens forbid they should see some nude works while experiencing this installation
Tags: art news, artist, gallery, installation
Recent Comments