Da-Da go Bye-Bye (Part Deux)

Wildly roaming about the hallowed grounds of various galleries and museums during this here Art Basel season in Miami, one thing is quite clear... The amount of art is overwhelming. Perhaps that is why the Bakehouse Art Complex (BAC) came up with the idea to do a show entitled "Sensory Overload." In this show, artists were asked to do conceptual art dealing with the five senses in any medium, so long as it was of installation size (large.)

As I had written before, I had an aversion to conceptual art, because there really is no concept that has not been explored and it just wasn't for me. However, I contradicted myself and collaboratively created a space that is so conceptual, it is apart from art all together.

The motive, for most of us artists, is to put their shit out there and let it be noticed, allowing the artists to get noticed. We decided to put a piece of art out there that only few will notice, if any at all...

What you see when you walk into the main gallery at the BAC is lots of color, explosion of imagery, large textile pieces hanging about, shock art photos of medical instruments, petri dishes with shocking pastel colored candy and what you hear is fast music and noise from video installations. All of these pieces scream to get noticed and do it well, amidst the tens of thousands of other art pieces all across the city...

Yet, tucked away in the corner of this gallery, with little marking but a 4" x 4" title card, is this dark, closed off space that very few people noticed, and that was the point. When one walks up to it, it looks like an ordinary wall that was strewn together to block off a space. The wall has these intentional spaces in between the panels that one can peak through and view what appears to be a shadow of a woman walking about the space as if it was an ordinary day... reading a book, painting a painting, drinking tea, etc.. Only the truly inquisitivewill peak in and find it. Very few will get it. That is pretty conceptual isn't it?

For information on the show, Sensory Overload and the Bakehouse, go to: http://www.Bacfl.org

Da-Da go Bye-Bye

My partner and I are working on a very thought-provoking project for Art Basel this year. We were asked to do an installation that deals with the five senses and to be conceptual about it. Our art is typically figurative and biomorphic in nature and not usually conceptual, so my brain actually is hurting while thinking of what to do.

My idea of conceptualism rests with the Dadaists in the 1910 and 20's, which sparked the postmodern movement that began in the 50-60's. It gave birth to the 70's & 80's pop-art and punk-rock movements and fizzled from there. It all had to do with the political movements and anti-art/anti-everything way of thinking. It had real meaning then, in a time of world wars and political heat.

Today, whilst we are still at war, the movement has little meaning anymore as we are not confined with the societal restrictions of early 20th century. Yet, most every gallery in town plasters their walls with art that still speaks of prior thought; surreal, messy paintings done with gobs of colors and objects, some devoid of hue, video installations flashing non-sensical imagery and sounds, and performance art that no longer stretches the imagination. I am not moved by it.

It is not that we have seen it all, folks. It is simply that conceptual art has lost it's "wow!" factor. When Duchamp put his urinal out and called it a "Fountain", and Stravinsky played his first "Rite of Spring" it surprised people. It pissed people off. It said something to the masses. It was a big F**k you to art and society. It shouted a great statement then, thus the history books concurred. Even when Warhol painted soup cans and new icons, and Basquiat had all eyes on graffiti, there was something to be said. Of late, there is much being said, but little taking notice.

Artists today have to compete with the commercialism of conceptual art. To make money we must fight up the ranks with the likes of Britto and Chihuly. These artists don't even touch their work. Performing artists have to commercialize themselves to eat as well. Conceptualism doesn't play a part anymore. It is about getting REAL... Anti-anti-art!

A deconstruction is again taking place behind the scenes, where all the good art seems to crawl. The system is swelling from the underground, but it is not conceptual. It is real; real thoughts, real ideas, recognizable forms. That is what I want to put out there and will, (with a little thinking, so concept still plays a tiny role...darn!) New movements need new thinking. There will be real thought coming out, pouring through crevices, taking down commercialists, one by one. It is mathematical, scientific, philosophic and philanthropic. From the underground, we will unite and take back reality. I may remain obscure, but at least I do not have to B.S. my way through it. So why not put out the concept of reality?

*("Artifice" Video installation to be installed at the Bakehouse Art Complex December 2009)