Materials Exchange, Oct 12 @ mini dutch

In keeping with the spirit of my show at mini dutch, it will close Oct. 12th with a materials exchange. Bring all that crap from the corners of your studio to swap for new crap from someone else's studio. It should be fun! Meet and network with other artists, get rid of old materials, get some new materials.

Take a moment to post what you'll be bring here, if you know.

http://www.minidutchgallery.org/materials-exchange/

Artxposium this weekend!

Hey Everybody! Its time for Artxposium, carnival like, festive, art exhibit in West Chicago. Its worth the drive! I am showing the second incarnation of The Prayer Wheel Project. Hope you can make it.

artXposium 2008

On its second edition this year, artXposium is a 3-day multimedia art experience with more than 80 participating artists. Local, national and international talent will come together from September 19th to the 21st to display a variety of art work ranging from traditional painting, sculpture, and photography to interactive, multimedia, and sound installations. This years event also include the inaugural month long international artist-in-residence program featuring Danish artist Gudrun Hasle at the West Chicago City Museum.

Showing and Selling at Mini Dutch

Thank you to everyone who came to the Mini Dutch show this past Saturday. I had such a great experience. It was really my first experience selling my work and I loved it. Not nearly so much for the money, which was nominal (prices from $1-$50), but because I saw my art making people happy and going to good homes! I learned so much from this show, lessons that will take years to manifest.

If you haven't seen it yet head on over, and no not ALL the good stuff is gone, but about 1/2 is.

Mini Dutch Gallery
3111 w. diversey first floor
chicago il, 60647
773.235.5687

open Sundays 11am-3pm or call/email for appointment

minidutchgallery [at] gmail [dot] com

Fungus & Ceramics

So, I haven't written yet about my new, and most likely temporary teaching position teaching hand building in ceramics at Loyola! Its going really well, even though I was given such short notice (three days). I owe much of my success to Vesna, who has helped me out tremendously!

One of the great things about teaching this class is not only the added experience I'll be gaining, the great students, and the money, but I will be making some ceramic art for the first time in a while.

I've been fooling around with some old ideas, but have been unhappy with them, feeling like an imitation of myself. But this weekend on the El platform there was a new idea- fungus. This orange folded delicate organism, peeking out from between the boards.
This new idea will hopefully continue another piece I made a while ago, but sold this weekend at the mini dutch show. "Mountain Stickers" are latex casts of small mountain ranges, each about one to two inches long, painted white, with double sided tape on the back. A woman bought all of them, and was so excited about them! I asked her what she would do with them and she started drawing in the air and explaining how she would make a mountain range somewhere in her apartment. I became so excited about this. She was going to go home and have a creative experience with the art she bought. I love this idea. Hopefully these new ceramic fungus pieces will work in the same way, but probably not at the same price point.

"Leftovers" show opening at MiniDutch Sept. 13th

Dear Friends,

I am excited to present this new show of old stuff:

Leftovers
Opening Reception: September 13th, 7-10pm

MiniDutch another apartment gallery
3111 W. Diversey
Chicago, IL 60647
773.235.5687
http://www.minidutchgallery.org/

In this show I've made work from the materials that have been in my studio, in some cases for over 10 years. I've been carting these leftover and never used materials around think that someday I would make art with them. The materials vary from found objects, felt, latex, fake eyes, orange powders....

I returned to the source of art making practice for this exhibit. The curious, adventurous, anything goes making from my youth created these many delightful, often curious objects. This making process was fun and immediate, creating new pieces rapidly and severing what had become an emotional tie to the promises of all these materials.

To further sever the tie, the work is for sale, and very affordable prices range from $1 to $50. Some work is available for cash and carry.

The show closes October 12th with a materials exchange. Artists and makers are invited bring leftover materials to swap and socialize.

I hope you can make it to this show and the opening event!

-Renee

Artist as Ronin - No Self (an essay for the local Shambhala news letter)

Artist as Ronin
No Self

A contemporary artist without self is lost without a master. Modern and contemporary Western art has relied on and fallen for the personality of the artist, the moody, or drunk, or demanding, or troubled being that is the artist. The artist’s personality often drives the consumption of the artwork, and is often used to create a linear interpretation of the work, rather than allowing the viewer space to experience the work. The artist in Western traditions has been associated with a myopic often near madness that compels them to create their work without regard to others. The artist has even been see as divine.

As a contemporary artist, I might be doing it all wrong. I will wear different clothes, different masks, and perform different tasks. I am for hire. My work will change from place to place, time to time, and to suit the audience. I have no plan for my body of work or my portfolio. My vision is no vision. The more I practice meditation the further I become from fulfilling my role as artist.

Like the ronin released from their master, there is shame in my practice. A ronin is a samurai with no lord or master. After losing his master to death or ruin, a samurai was expected to commit suicide. Those who didn’t lived a drifting life and were shamed from their samurai community. My art practice fails the contemporary art community because my work becomes like a mirror, a lens, a tool, for questioning what is around me, not a driving force of self-expression. My work explores the space of the gallery and the space of the viewer’s mind. My successful work creates space, a moment, and emptiness.

But really, being without self is the challenge and this is the goal for me as a mediator and an artist. My goal is never knowing about what I’m making, but rather to be in the studio making without knowing why. To be lost in the process of materials, ideas, and impulses is the joy. My art practice and meditation practice rely on being open to whatever comes up, to having no agenda, and to recognizing the unexpected as an opportunity.