Live from Baltimore

I'd just about given up on blogging altogether, but here I am my second day in Baltimore, and I've been inspired to blog. Well not so much inspired but I figured it'd be a good way to occupy my time while I still get acquainted with the city. I'm eager to get to know Baltimore and the folks here and I'm sure that once classes begin next week, I'll be able to do so very easily. Until then in order to combat boredom I've decided to post some artwork. I plan on using these four images in a presentation I will be making on monday, as an introduction to my professors and classmates. It'll be one of those situations where I feel like I'm being judged, standing naked in a room of people that I don't know. Which, if you know me, really isn't that big of a deal since I enjoy taking my clothes off in front of people that I don't know. (I'm not really going to take my clothes off in front of these people. Not yet at least)

Grandma Death Chair

Nightmare 1

Nightmare 2

Mask

Academia or Bust!

As I eagerly anticipate my trip to MICA this weekend, for their Graduate program's open house, I am trying to avoid self analysis and criticism. I am also waiting to here back from the portfolio preview, so while I should be working on my official portfolio I decided to blog instead. PORTFOLIOFORTHEWIN!

Contemporaries

I have been a big fan of my fellow Tyler Alumnus Lisa Yuskavage for a long time. A contemporary American painter, her work focuses on distortion of the female form. She utilizes a delicious palette of candy and pastry colors.

 John Currin is another artist I love. His work also distorts figures and has a similar mid-late 20th century cartoonish quality. 

Deadlines

I found out that there is a pre application portfolio review for the grad program I am interested in. And it is to be submitted online by monday. Normally it's my own fault when I procrastinate, but I only found out about this yesterday. Here is some more Colby art and some other work, I hope it's up to snuff. I wish I had more time to do new work.

Happy Birthday Colby Keller!

If you've spent any time talking to me within the past year or so, I've probably told you about Colby Keller. Artist, anthropologist, porn star, sex god, and all around cool guy, he is everything I strive to be like. And he is an absolute sweetheart. About a year ago we began an internet correspondence after meeting at a bachelor auction fundraiser. Initially it was just me drooling and saying things like, "I think your cool" but I  eventually was able to channel my infatuation into a more productive outlet. I began drawing pictures of him from images I found on the internet, and he posted them on his blog bigshoediaries.blogspot.com. Which only fueled the flames of my desire, and increased my production of drawings.

A muse in the truest sense. My interest in Mr. Keller has facilitated a good body of work, and more so it has pushed me to go further. I've begun creating different kinds of art that I didn't know I was capable of before. It has also given me a focus that I've lacked artistically. A focus that shows no signs of letting up anytime soon. Today is Colby's birthday, interestingly he was born one day, one month and one year before I was. Happy birthday Colby Keller, you da best!

Artsy Fartsy

The variety of art that I like is as diverse as the variety of music that I listen to. In both cases I have interests spread across a variety of genres and distinctions. For instance I love comic books. To many people, comic books are not looked at as serious art, but I couldn't disagree more. Here is some work from one of my favorites, Paul Pope. http://pulphope.blogspot.com/

Paul Pope is a rock star as far as comic book artists go. His work is reminiscent of the great Jack Kirby (pioneer of american comic books). Pope's style has a controlled fluidity to it. His pen moves across the page in such a fashion that is altogether traditional and unconventional. 

Another one of my favorite comic book rock stars is Brandon Graham.  http://royalboiler.wordpress.com/

I actually discovered his work in a dream I had. I distinctly remember the cover to King City #1 (Image Comics) while dreaming, before I had ever heard of Graham or seen his work.

Graham's work is an amazing amalgamation beween graffiti and manga, that snap, crackle's and pop's all over the page. 

Sculptor Ron Mueck also rocks my world. His hyperrealist sculptures are arresting. They carry such presence in their construction and conception. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Mueck

Am I too sexy?

These days my artwork walks a fine line between shameless self indulgence, and career advancement. On the one hand, most of my work consists of drawing/painting illustrations depicting superheroes and porn stars. Because that is simply what I like, and what I want to make art of.  And on the other I'm an educator who has spent the last three years teaching art to small children. I love teaching and believe that it is itself a form of art that is entirely selfless.

I've recently begun the process of applying for a graduate program. Specifically for art education, but I'd also like the opportunity to continue making art academically. I believe I may have found the program that will fit my needs. And now I need to put together a portfolio that will be accepted into this program. So I need to begin making work that is more appropriate and less vulgar for audiences. To which the selfish artist within me wants to shout obscenities at.
I firmly believe that there is nothing wrong with sexuality and the exploration of it. I'm also curious about defining what is considered perverse. I will be examining these ideas as I begin to create this portfolio and chronicling them here in a section called Portfolio Crit. Input is greatly appreciated.