Archive for February 2012

model: Vaunt
hair & makeup: Jennifer Kraack

You can’t go wrong with fishnets on black and white.

Purchase prints of Vicarious 1, 2, and 3

Being an artist is a career like any other, albeit a very unconventional one. It’s not unlike someone involved in a traditional business or company. Compared to many other careers there really isn’t a set path and being successful is different for everyone.

Artists have to pay their dues if they want to get somewhere. When you’re starting out, you have to take every opportunity you can before you can figure out what works best for you. I’ve shown artwork in an incredibly diverse number of venues. I’ve had artwork in major arts institutions, galleries, art fairs, alternative/DIY spaces, restaurants, coffee houses, hair salons, and bars. I’ve participated in small local events to big events with an international scope. There have even been some I’ve forgotten about until something triggers my memory.

One of those memory triggers happened recently when I was reading during a flight. A section of the book Art/Work was discussing artists at the early stages of their careers and how they shouldn’t say “No” to anything. I suddenly remembered about this one event where the night ended with a friend and I rescuing several paintings from an after-hours party and carrying them several blocks to my car in downtown Austin at 4 a.m. I don’t remember all the details but I somehow got involved in showing some art at the home of the editor and publisher of one of the Austin entertainment/culture magazines (which is no longer around). I’m sure the night was nice enough. That is, until the bars closed and his home began to fill with people who weren’t ready to quit partying. I didn’t like what it was turning into and I decided to get my work off the walls and leave.

It’s hard for me to believe I almost forgot about that. It was many years ago (maybe in 2004 or 2005) and I have a whiskey-muddled memory. Coincidentally though, I still have a strong memory of a girl serving me a large glass of whiskey and coke that was nothing but whiskey that night.

So that was the event that scratched off underground parties thrown by shady magazine publishers from the list of things I’ll do. I don’t think I’ve been involved in anything else quite like that I wouldn’t do again. A few years later I discovered I don’t like participating in weekend outdoor art festivals, but it’s for an entirely different reason (sitting around all day and hardly making any money). Although, one of those nights involved me passing out on my apartment’s floor when I drank a bottle of wine (maybe more) during the festival’s after party. The next day was hell.

model: Vaunt
hair & makeup: Jennifer Kraack

Buy a custom print of “Bloodletting the Accused”

model: Vaunt
hair & makeup: Jennifer Kraack

Buy a custom print of “Portrait on Vixen Red”

As I write this, I’m looking out my hotel room’s window at Detroit’s gloomy, snowy skyline on Valentine’s Day. I’m here for the thirteenth annual Dirty Show and its Valentine’s Night event. The past few days I was in Orlando for Nude Nite. Both of these shows have become pretty big and display the work of hundreds of artists from everywhere in the nation. They’re not your usual art exhibit. Besides the art hanging on the walls, both have a carnival-like atmosphere with a stage show and models/performers set up or wandering all over. The sizes of the audiences are impressive too. They’re major events and I’m glad to be a small part of them.

I haven’t had much on my agenda other than attending the events. I didn’t actively pursue scheduling any photo shoots on this trip. So that’s left me with plenty of downtime to relax or think. One thing I’ve been thinking about is what I’d like to do next.

I didn’t want to book any work on this trip because I’m realizing photography keeps eating up more of my time. I have several ideas for artwork that I’m antsy to work on. The way I schedule my day into blocks of time, having a backlog of photography will keep cannibalizing the time I set aside for creating work. Sorting through and editing photographs is a much easier and quicker process for me. So I get that out of the way first. Without a lot of photography to work on, I can streamline my focus into creating work that has more of my core ideas and intentions behind them.

Working with models and taking their picture is something I enjoy but it needs to be scaled back. (Maybe you’ve noticed that I have already been posting photography less frequently in my blog) I’ve always regarded a majority of my photography as more of a side project. That’s because, for me personally, the images don’t have much to them beyond the surface.

On one hand photography is something I’ve been recognized for. It’s helped me make new connections and reach new audiences. In fact, the work in the Dirty Show and Nude Nite was photography. On the other hand, I don’t want to be pigeon holed as a naughty photographer. The attention I get for that is not always something I want. Nude photography will always get more attention on the internet. In the end all those visitors don’t do me much good since I merely regard them as window shoppers. They aren’t necessarily people who will be back and continue to follow my art.

I’m not done taking pictures. What may end up happening is there will be less photography in its pure form coming from me. It will have a tighter integration with my artwork, there may be more photo manipulations, and more photo shoots will be done strictly for reference purposes. A couple of paintings I have planned will be based on or built upon photos.

Some of you might be disappointed. Maybe it’s because you won’t see new imagery from me as often or you really like looking at photos of women who are often nude. If you’re the latter, I don’t need to cater to you. What I don’t want to do is sell myself short or remain stagnant. Isn’t the desire to push oneself further and explore creativity the mark of a true artist?

Note: This doesn’t meant I’m not scheduling photography sessions. I am merely referring to my personal work, which is separate from client work.

Also, I still have several photos that I haven’t finished yet that you will be seeing in the weeks to come.