Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Would you buy sculpture online?

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Since starting my etsy shop last month, I’ve really enjoyed what its taught me about my work and my approach. Some of what I’ve learned has left me feeling a little lost in the studio which is typical of adding in a new perspective to making. It will take me time to work this new perspective into my process.

The community of etsy has been great. As a sculptor, I’ve had very little online community. I attribute this to the fact that sculptors are busy welding or that they have too much clay on their hands to use a computer. In short, online communities work best for people who are online a lot. On etsy I’ve seen many nice shops of sculpture and installation. I recently curated a “show” of wall sculpture and installation I found on etsy. I did this to see how my work will fit into the etsy community. I found twenty great examples of work I like, but it wasn’t really easy. Leaving me to believe that etsy and probably the internet isn’t a great marketplace of sculpture. I wonder why that it is.

Obviously, its hard to buy something by just looking at a few pictures, and its hard to really appreciate scale and volume by reading the dimensions. However, all but one of the pieces in my “show” are very affordable. Within the art world, these items are below impulse-buy range, and are really approachable for even non-collectors.

Check out my “show” of wall sculpture and installation on etsy and let me know what you think. Would buy you sculpture on the internet? Why or why not?

Functional

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

So as I posted yesterday, my conceptual work is currently lost in he gutter, however, I’ve started making some functional work for the market place on etsy, and I’m pretty excited.

My store is currently populated with vintage silver trays that I’ve converted into picture frames/clipboards. Even though this is functional work, I really enjoy the concept be hind them, and I’m excited for people to use them.

Frame of Mind – a wistful silver frame
An elegant place for momentary mentions. An elevated place to clip a newspaper article, photograph, card, or even grocery list. Admire every passing moment.

http://rdpuna.etsy.com

Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Have you ever been making something in your studio, day after day, even though you’ve become aware that its really not a good idea, and its really not going well?

I am currently casting picture frames in concrete and creating stencils to spray paint them with. I wanted these to work as graffiti and fine art while making a reference to the arts and crafts movement. It all seemed like a really great idea in my head. This was going to my big summer project for our new studio. But, boy am I frustrated now.

I know why this is happening: The vision of the project in my brain could not account for the realities of the materials, my lack of fluency with the materials and subjects, and my fear of color.

I know what I’m going to do about it: nothing. This is because I know that there are no dead ends in the making process. If I continue to diligently work at this project, something completely unexpected will emerge from the making process. This is how all my good work gets made, but its frustrating and wasteful (I make lots of experiments).

What do you do when you know you’re heading in the wrong direction?

bell hooks talks to Pema Chödrön

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

I’ve been feeling so busy and so rushed lately. I feel like I never have time to slow down, and this is effecting my art practice and meditation practice. I’m glad I took a moment to read this conversation between Pema Chödrön and bell hooks.

I feel inspired by and reafirmed by this quote from Pema Chödrön.

“Personally I feel that the role of the teacher is to wean the students from dependency, and from taking the parent/child view of life altogether. That’s what I think of as non-theism. Theism doesn’t just have to do with God; it has to do with always feeling that you’re incomplete and need something or someone outside to look to. It’s like never growing up.

“To me, theism is feeling that you can’t find out for yourself what’s true. You take the Buddhist teachings, or any teachings and you just try to fit yourself into them. But you’re not really finding out. You’re not grappling with it. You’re not really digging into it and letting it transform your being. You are just trying to live up to some ideal. You are still looking for the security of having someone else to praise or blame.

“So accountability is pretty groundless. There is no hand to hold. It’s like the lojong slogan that says, “Of the two judges, trust the principal one.” No matter what other people say, when it really comes down to it, you’re the only one who can answer your own questions.”

Now at Wordpress

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

So, I just moved everything over to a wordpress engine from blogger and I am trying to figure out how customize this page.

Neutrality

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Happy New Year! Sorry I’ve had such a long hiatus from writing. I would love to blame it on something like the end of the semester, the holidays, vacation, etc., but I don’t really believe it was any of those. I believe my silence is the result of and overwhelming feeling of neutrality I’ve had for a while. Its not quite a depression, but more like a type of boring contentment. I’ve had no inspiration to make work in my studio or apply for shows and its really becoming quite frustrating.

I’ve started some of what I need to do to turn this around.

  1. Get back on track with meditation. I tend to loose my momentum during the holidays and while traveling, something I’m embarrassed to admit, but I am getting back on track with my at home practice, and I am signed up for the next evening class, Contentment in Everyday Life at The Shambhala Center.
  2. Exercise. After our ski vacation I am really inspired to exercise outside nearly everyday even when it is cold, snowy and icy here in Chicago. I’ve been cross-country skiing once and have been urban hiking around town in my new yaktrax.
  3. Reading. I’ve started to dive into my new books starting with “The Critique Handbook, A Sourcebook and Survival Guide” Which will help me lead more rigorous critiques during this next semester.
  4. Going to my studio. This area still needs improvement. I just need to go there, even when there is seemingly nothing to do.
  5. Remain open. It seems like I’ve been short circuiting every idea. “Oh that won’t work.” or “Thats dumb.” Almost all my work is the result of making one thing and discovering something else unexpected. Without the making part, the discover will never come.
  6. Go to see art. This is also on the to-do list. I want to go to some openings and make use of my new Art Institute membership this week.
  7. Be Gentle. I am also reading “Start Where You Are,” and I need to remind myself of Pema’s gentle approach constantly. Beating myself up for perceived failures will not get me anywhere. Lately, even though I’ve been accomplishing things from my to do list, I only feel like I’ve done nothing.
  8. Sketchbook! Work in it. I am planning to cut out everything I found inspiring from last year’s Sculpture Magazines for my sketchbook, and review previous notes and ideas.
  9. Help someone. This is something I’ve been aware of since undergrad. Somehow helping someone else really gets things going. I don’t have any art friends I can help at the moment, but I will be helping my neighbor design some storage solutions for her condo.

Hope your new year is of to a more inspired start.

Art, Teaching and Meditation

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

I wrote an essay for Chicago Artist’s Resource on the relationship of art, teaching and meditation in my life. You can read it on their site.

Open Crit @ Hyde Park Art Center

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Last Thursday I was included in a new program at The Hyde Park Art Center: Open Crit. It was lead by photographer Daywoud Bey and curator Nathan Mason, both were so great. Three other artists were selected to present and the room was full of great people who contributed. I showed Orange Jelly and my ceramic fungi and received great observations and suggestions. The atmosphere was really great, all participants were motivated by being helpful and honest. I would recommend this program for anyone. I will be back as an audience member because I feel like I’m rusty in the art discourse.

Demoted/Downsized

Friday, August 14th, 2009
Recently, an employer of mine dramatically reduced my appointments and consequently my pay. This sadden me since I thought of this as may main employment, it not only provided me with the lions share of my income, but it was also a stimulating appointment for me and my students. I felt very invested in the program even though I was only part time. Since this reduction, my responsibilities have been ambiguous and greater then my remaining appointment would indicate. In short I have been demoted/downsized. In this economy many people are doing more work for less money, and are glad to be doing it, but it is frustrating and stings in very real and human ways, and is probably an excellent moment for practice.

Things I am not doing:

  • Recognizing the impermanence of everything, but namely jobs and associated responsibilities, or even that this demotion could be impermanent.
  • Recognizing that I have no self, and clinging to any identity (even one associated with employment) will bring suffering.
  • Recognizing habitual behavior as the creator of cocoons and other restrictive protective devises of the mind.
  • Answering the question my dad asked himself when he was demoted late in his career.
“If I didn’t have this job, and someone offered me this job, would I take it?”

This question is like a reset button. It is precise. It elegantly releases the past from dictating the future and brings the situation into the present moment. It reminds me that everyday is a new job and every moment is filled with the unexpected.

Hopefully soon, by applying effort, I will be doing the above.

The Path of Labor

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
From Franconia Iron 2009

This summer I had the great opportunity to participate in Franconia Sculpture Park’s Thirteenth Annual Iron Pour. This took the form of a week long residency living and working at the park with over seventeen other artists making our molds and preparing for the pour.

The process of making cast iron art is extremely labor intensive, and the process of making it out of doors, competing with the weather, and sometimes for working space is even more strenuous. All the steps needed to create the art, from making sand molds, to cracking iron radiators into small pieces and breaking coke into small pieces, to pouring the molten iron itself, is just so HEAVY! I had participated in many pours when I was younger and I remembered what hard work they were. In fact, I lifted weights in preparation for this residency to protect my back from what was coming. After the first two days of working I almost felt as if it was more than I could do. It was so much harder than I remembered. I worked almost from dawn to dusk most days, which was facilitated by sleeping in a tent. Most of my fellow artists kept the same schedule. As more days past, I was still so very tired, but my production did not decrease. I think this was mainly due to working with such friendly and dedicated artists. I fell into the river of momentum, which when it was white water was hard to keep my head above water, but was most often slow and steady. I began to love the intensity of working all day, never having to wonder what to do next because there was too much to do. I found that the intensity of the physical labor kept me in the moment almost the whole time. It was a one pointed labor. Only as I finished my projects did my mind have the space to wander and worry.

From Franconia Iron 2009

The pour was a spectacular culmination to the week. Many artists made very ambitious projects which were almost all successful and wonderful.

From Franconia Iron 2009

My modest project was not as successful as I’d hoped, but I left feeling completely inspired and happy, knowing that I would miss the hard work. After the pour many of the artists disappeared before I could say goodbye to them, and this seemed standard. When I left I was sad to leave, and felt myself foolishly clinging to the experience and happy to be coming home. I hope that I can carry that work ethic and one pointedness into my fractured practices of studio, and teaching.