Creativity and the importance of experience
In what field do you have a degree? I don’t have a diploma. I studied[…]
Read moreBringing You the Treasures of Today
In what field do you have a degree? I don’t have a diploma. I studied[…]
Read moreIn what field do you have a degree? I don’t have a diploma. I studied art at the University of Utah for 3 years, emphasizing sculpture.
After working in an advertising agency, Microsoft hired me as a web designer and I eventually became the artistic director of Xbox.com, high-tech video game marketing and arts management. Everything was rendered in 3D and well polished. All of our marketing has been very strategic. In such a hyper-business environment where return on investment is king, it is extremely important to find a way to measure the success of a campaign. We’ve done usability tests, held focus groups, looked at eye-tracking surveys, analyzed statistics, monitored macro / micro trends in youth, and more. It was very interesting. Still, I found that we place too much emphasis on things that are easy to measure and not enough on things that are less computable and more intuitive (living on an unconscious level).
Therefore, in response to this conscious environment, I started my own salt, Hola Amiga, to do exactly what I wanted, for whatever reason or absolutely no particular reason. And the thing was, I didn’t have to explain why I did what I wanted to do. It was about nurturing and exploring the realm of the subconscious, all with very low technology.
The first “paid job” wasn’t really paid work … it was more professional work. I wanted snowboarding in college, but I was completely destroyed. I thought to myself: how do I get a snowboard? What can I give a snowboard company in return for a snowboard? art! So a few snowboarding companies sent examples of my work and asked if any of them would be willing to exchange art for snowboarding equipment. Eventually one of them said “Yes” and I was gone.
Beautiful artist Andy Goldsworthy. I like the way he plays with nature. He appreciates what is around him; if you are careful, nature has the best inventions. Where do your best ideas come from? The best ideas come from your experiences. It is important to feed your subconscious well with information, history, nature, music, friends, family, conversations, emotions, exercise, good food. One day, all knowledge comes to the conscious mind as one idea
How to create a creative block? I go for a walk, listen to music, run, do ju jitsu, hang out with a friend, play with my son, wife or dog, watch a movie, take a bus, take a subway, relax, read a newspaper, drink coffee, do something fun, water plants. When I’m ready, I usually have a lot of ideas. If not, at least my plants will get water. In a nutshell, describe how you feel when you start a new task? Under pressure!
Enjoy what’s left of me, keep learning, be happy, be healthy, bring something positive, create things that inspire people and make them feel good, curious and motivated. Do you have any creative activity other than illustration? Brazilian Ju Jitsu / Sambo, comedy, programming, music, animation. What music are you listening to now? A song with a hissing sound … I don’t know who it is, but I whistle too. What is your favorite loan? Stephen Wright: “I will live forever. So far so good.
Successful artist, illustrator and designer Nate Williams has worked with many clients in various areas of the art industry. Nate, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, left the United States four years ago to travel and learn Spanish in South and Central America. Graphic illustrations for both adults and children live in a vibrant and exciting world created by him. Layers of organic shapes, ethnic references, intricate decorative elements, hand-drawn letters and unique characters form a rich and fascinating image. In addition to his illustrations and illustrations, Nate has managed to design, design, launch and maintain the Illustrations Society portal Illustr
In many areas, art has suffered for so long that turning shifts takes years and major investments. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has prioritized arts education in school reform plans, and the city has launched comprehensive initiatives to connect more students with the city’s vast resources for cultural activities. Almost all schools now offer at least some arts education and cultural programs, but between 2007 and 2008, only 45% of schools were in education. According to an analysis by the New York Department of Education, of 100 elementary schools and 33 pp. 90 percent of high schools provided education in all four required art forms, and only 34 percent. Eighty percent of high schools offered students the opportunity to exceed the minimum exam requirement.
In Dallas, for example, a coalition of arts advocates, charities, educators, and business leaders has worked for years to bring art to all schools and bring students into the city’s thriving arts community. Now, for the first time in 30 years, every elementary school student in the Dallas Independent School District receives 45 minutes of art and music instruction per week. In a February 2007 column for the Dallas Morning News, Gigi Antoni, CEO of Big Thought, a nonprofit working with the district, the Wallace Foundation, and more than 60 local arts and cultural institutions, explained the existence. The Da Dallas Arts Learning Initiative was mentioned. “DALI was born out of a shameless but carefully researched idealistic initiative. , a prerequisite – for students to succeed when creativity stimulates learning ”
The communities of Minneapolis and Chicago are also working with their vibrant arts and cultural resources to provide schools with rich, comprehensive, and sustainable programs — not the additions that come and go with this year’s budget or administrator.
In Arizona, State Education Attorney General Tom Horne is committed to providing all kindergarten students through Class 12 with comprehensive and high-quality art education. Horne, a classically trained pianist and founder of the Phoenix Baroque Ensemble, has not yet achieved his goal, but he has made progress: He has higher levels in arts education, has appointed an art expert to the State Department of Education and directed $ 4 million to NCLB federal funds to support art integration across schools lie. Some have restored art and music after a decade without them.
“When you think about education goals, there are three,” Horne says. “We prepare children for work. We are preparing them as civilians. And we teach them to be people who can enjoy deeper forms of beauty. The third is as important as the other two.
Connecting as a community throughout the school is even more important in distance learning today. Here are some specific things I do with the whole school.
Hold all school meetings: I regularly hold all zoom meetings at a school with pre-recorded, organized class lessons and personal song and story performances. Popular school song singing in Zoom can tie us together and cheer us up. The most popular song among distance learners is “Hail Symonds School. It is important that teachers and class administrators agree on an open time for the virtual meeting in all schools, as well as regular announcements about it. There are many teachers in my school present at our event who want real-time contact.
Participate in the morning class meetings: My goal is to visit as many virtual class meeting, so that students can see that I am a part of their classroom and kouluyhteisöään. This means I go where it is not necessary and ask the teachers if I can get five minutes from their morning meeting.
Encourage children to record songs, perform dances, and perform drawings: I give dances, hand-beat challenges, acrobatic rap exercises, and choir writing.
Encourage children to record songs, perform dances, and perform drawings: I give dances, hand-beat challenges, acrobatic rap exercises, and songwriting activities that are performed on videos, and I give children ownership. A class lesson with simple activities such as writing and reading a two-line rhyme for a song can be an opportunity for voluntary sharing or performance. Sharing students ’short clips externally to the school school community (with permission, of course) through meetings is another way to connect.
I support the curriculum with artistic activities and songs. For example, I created a songbook where each student can sing throughout the school group using Crossword puzzles and included customized videos of students who appear in all of the school’s online meetings. Our reading and media experts launched the “All School Read” remote, which was very successful.
“Art doesn’t solve problems, but it makes us aware of their existence,” says sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz. Art education, on the other hand, solves problems. Years of research show that it is closely related to almost everything the nation thinks we want for our children and the demand for our school: academic achievement, social and emotional development, community participation, and equal opportunities.
Participation in art is related to the achievement of mathematics, reading, cognitive abilities, critical thinking, and verbal skills. Learning art can also improve motivation, concentration, self-confidence, and teamwork. A 2005 report by Rand Corporation on Fine Arts says that the inherent pleasures and encouragement of artistic experiences do more than make individual lives more enjoyable – the report says they can ” connect people deeper into the world and open them up to new ways. to see, ”lays the foundation for creating social bonds and cohesion in society. And strong artistic programming in schools is helping to bridge the gap that has left many children: from Mozart to babies to tutors for toddlers to family trips to the museum, from children to wealthy parents and children. Grasses usually occur in art or are not provided by public schools. Low-income children often do not. “Art education gives children in financial difficulty a more level playing field for children who have had these enriching experiences,” said Eric Cooper, president and founder of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education.
It has become an educational mantra that no child who has not been pressured to increase test scores has reduced the time for the arts (and science, social sciences, and all that reading and math). The evidence supports this claim – we get the statistics in an instant – but the reality is more complex. Art education has declined for more than three decades, due to a tight budget, an ever-growing list of government assignments that have filled the curriculum, and public perceptions that art is beautiful but not essential.
This erosion destroyed constituencies that have been able to defend art in the NCLB days – children who didn’t have music and art classes in the 1970s and 1980s may not understand their value now. “We have a whole generation of teachers and parents who haven’t benefited from the arts in their own education,” said Sandra Ruppert, director of the National Coalition for Arts, Business and Education’s Partnership for the Arts Education (PEA). , charities and public organizations.
Nevertheless, a new image emerges in this context. Extensive and innovative art initiatives are taking root in more and more school districts. Many of these models are based on new findings in the study of brain and cognitive development, and have different approaches: Using art as a learning tool (e.g., sheet music for learning verses); integrating art into other basic lessons (for example, writing and presenting a work related to slavery); create a school environment rich in art and culture (in the Mozart Hall every day) and practical art teaching. While most of these initiatives are still in their infancy, some have begun to produce impressive results. This trend can send a message to schools that are manic and perhaps harmful in reading and math.
“If they’re worried about their test scores and want a way to increase them, they need to give kids more art, not less,” said Tom Horne, Arizona’s head of public education. “There’s a lot of evidence that children immersed in art do better in their experiments.
The value of the arts is almost universally recognized in education policy.
According to Basin’s 2007-2008 state PEA policy data, 47 states have assignments for arts education, 48 have arts education standards, and 40 have reading requirements.
According to Basin’s 2007-2008 state PEA policy data, 47 states have assignments for arts education, 48 states have arts education standards, and 40 have reading requirements. The 1994 Goals 2000 Educate America Act, which set out the Clinton and Bush governments ’school reform program, stated that art is part of what all schools must teach. public education academic subjects, the appointment of a qualified arts program for a selection of federal scholarships
In a 2003 report, ” A Complete Curriculum: Securing the Place of Art and Foreign Languages in American Schools, ” a research team from the National State Board of Education found that a major research unit has demonstrated benefits in art curricula and requires more art and foreign languages.
Do you see art in a messy children’s play time? Or are you aware that it is much more? Art can be good for children in many ways. While a child must learn science, math, and reading, art is also key to their development. At home, this is a great time to connect with your child and encourage his or her creativity. At school, it’s their way of communicating and building self-confidence.
As art education declines in schools around the world, it is up to parents to inspire, introduce, and raise little Piccaso in every child. Let’s see what art is, its benefits, and how you can help get your child involved.
Artistic expression opens the heart to new learning for many children, allowing them to master powerful emotions and transform emotions into new and creative energies.
Give your child paint, clay, and collage materials to create fine art. Give him simple, solid instruments that allow him to express himself melodic and rhythmic.
Keep a room in your home designed for creative play with a puppet theater, playhouse, or simply an open space that can be used for dancing, theater, or other imaginative expressions.
Then follow these steps:
Drawing is one of the most important things you and your student can do. Drawing is not only the basis of other creative activities – such as painting, sculpture and graphics – but it also provides a direct connection to reading, writing and, in particular, calculation. The connection between the drawing and the geometric shapes and dimensions simply cannot be denied. And do you know what else? Drawing is the easiest art form available. All you need is a pen and paper.
As one of the creators of I often receive letters from teachers working in public school systems where art is not a priority. School leaders have to draw difficult conclusions, such as increasing test scores and raising budgets as much as possible.
It is always worrying to hear that another group of district decision makers are lying about arts education in schools. The problem is that many have a misconception that art is an unnecessary and isolated subject when nothing can be further from the truth.
Susan Weiler, FASLA, OLIN, made a successful appeal at the 2012 Aslas Annual Meeting on Landscape Art and Architecture that “public art matters”. In a review that stretched from the early history of American public art in Philadelphia, from imaginative examples around the country and then back to an exciting modern project in Philadelphia, Penny Balkin Bach, Fairmount Park Art Association; Marc Pally, public art consultant; Janet Echelman, one of the most interesting public artists working today; and Weiler has traveled to audiences where public art has been, where it can be directed, and why it is always important.
For Bach, public art has a unique place in the art world. Compared to large gallery exhibitions, public art is often underestimated, as is landscaping. But there’s a lot of popularity: “It’s free. There are no tickets. People don’t have to dress. You can watch it alone or in a group. It is open to everyone.
Community art can also be connected to other communities. According to Bach, studies have examined the economic developmental benefits of art, but only recently have more extensive studies been conducted on the effects of art on the spatial knowledge of society. The soul of the Knights Foundation’s community initiative explored approx. 43,000 people in 43 cities and stated that ‘social supply, openness and hospitality’ and, above all, ‘the aesthetics of the place – art, parks and green spaces’ are higher than the ‘engine’ uniting education, security and the local economy. In fact, the same story can happen locally in Philly: According to a study of locals, public art was the city’s second most popular activity before walking and biking.
The Fairmount Parks Art Association – renamed the Association for Public Article because of its new broader national jurisdiction – was founded in 1872. At the time, along Benjamin Franklin Parkway, sculptor William Rush, possibly the original American public artist, was first hired to create art in public spaces in the United States. Then, as now, “public art was seen as a link to the collection” as people went around. In this case, this tie was a decorative fountain designed for the public. And so, as today, Bach said, public art is controversial. The statue’s marble striking nymphs ’striking dress caused a bit of a“ scandal ”.
Bach had a lot of kind words to Rush, now known as “the father of public art, the first artist to design and sell public spaces.” He understood that public spaces are the result of “collaboration between many fields of design and art that anticipates the future direction of public art.”
The Arts Association was founded before the great centenary of Philadelphia and has taken many artistic initiatives to make the event a success. Barthold’s arm in front of the Statue of Liberty was on display and served as one of the most important prints. The group has always worked with the best artists of all time to ensure they are contemporary in their missions. Bach said, “We are taking a leap with the artists and ordering the art of our time. In 1908, the group commissioned Remington’s largest bronze statue. Today, this site has written a site-specific poem on the Schuykill River. Another project called artist Ed Levinen’s Pennypack on the Pennsylvania Park Trail will help enliven this trail.
Bach also had to discuss “outside of public art,” what happens when he gets there. As an example, he cited Pepo’s Osorio, a pavilion at the Latin Cultural Center with historical images of the people of the community. Today, children in the neighborhood take pictures of themselves with their ancestors. Another project, Common Land, in the footsteps of a burnt church, held a wedding just a week after the opening. Although these works have become part of their community, Bach says the group still has a long way to go to ensure that all works remain relevant in their community and are not “orphans”. “We need to keep the stories of these works of art alive. This includes preservation – to ensure that the work remains in good condition – and an interpretation of the art for contemporary audiences.
Learning to understand, create, and appreciate art is important for the development of early childhood. Many schools leave art education in the curriculum in return for an emphasis on science and math. Art education is an effective way to increase critical thinking, innovation and visual learning skills for young children. These skills are practiced throughout a child’s life and can contribute to success in the job market. Plan your visit to find out how Calvary Lutheran School is embracing the importance of art education. Here’s how an art class is important for your child’s success:
The movements and techniques used to create the art require fine motor skills. Turning the brush, coloring between fine lines, and wiping small details in the design requires unique attention to detail and smooth hand movements. Artistic creation helps children develop and complete their motor skills in a fun and engaging way.
Drawing patterns and carving objects enhances overall dexterity. As children develop better dexterity, their writing improves, they can draw more complex lines and become more precise in drawings and paintings.
Art is inherently a form of decision making that does not occur in other subjects that your child experiences. Each brush they make has its own decision. Why did they choose yellow? Why did they make one object bigger than another? Your child will make these decisions in a second.
During your child’s art school, they will be given themed games. Your children can be asked to paint to emphasize the importance of recycling and the Earth Day, or to draw a cell for the natural sciences. Your child will use their critical thinking to convey images instead of words instead of words. They need to have a good understanding of the topic in order to effectively associate their image with the theme.
Modeling, drawing and customizing shapes develops spatial awareness skills that are important to your child. In a world of symbolism and visual images, your children are exposed to visual information that can interpret, understand, and make context-based choices. Young children are already using tablets and smartphones to learn. Children take visual information before they can read it completely.
Children are encouraged to take risks and express themselves through their art. They basically create something from scratch by using innovative parts of their brains to create, shape and complement the ideas and images in their heads. Art allows your child to come up with new perspectives and perspectives on many different topics.
Self-aviation is important for children to experience it at a young age, and it can be difficult if they have a limited vocabulary and understand what is going on around you. Art allows a child to remove ideas and prejudices by focusing on how they think things should look and feel. Self-aviation is good for mental health when you give your child some kind of freedom to control his or her tensions or negativity.
Calvary Lutheran School believes that art education is essential for the development of a healthy mind. We focus on educating children academically, spiritually, physically, mentally and socially. Contact us by calling 816-595-4020 or book a visit to learn more about our university program.
People are so interested in showing the benefits of arts education to students that many don’t think about how it affects teachers as well. The report examined students from 12 schools in New York, Connecticut, Virginia and South Carolina to collect results. Not only did high school students get better scores on critical thinking tests, but teachers also looked happier. Part of the increase in their satisfaction is the result of their accusations, which tend to turn out to be more cooperative, expressive, and in relation to teachers. But that was not all, because teachers in schools that emphasized arts education had more job satisfaction, were more interested in their work, and were likely to be innovative and successful. This is not a trivial conclusion because what is good for teachers is often very good for their students. This is something that online school people need to keep in mind.
Looking at the role of arts education in New York public schools, this report found that schools with the lowest enrollment also had the highest dropout rates. On the contrary, those with the highest grades also had the best access to education and artistic resources. While there are undoubtedly a number of other factors relevant to graduation, in this study and other similar studies (particularly the role of the visual arts and performing arts in preventing high school dropouts, which you can read here), many vulnerable students cite participation in the arts as a reason to stay. Participation in these activities has a measurable impact on crime, absenteeism, and academic achievement.
Art teaching can help not only increase test scores but also the learning process itself, recent research shows. This report on the Maryland school system showed that the skills learned in the visual arts can help improve reading and that the privileged counterparts of the instrumental game can be used in mathematics. Researchers and school staff believe that arts education can be a valuable tool for reforming education, and incorporating creative opportunities into the classroom can be key to motivating students and improving standardized outcomes. For example, the opportunities for online education in Maryland to take post-secondary education take a step further for state students.
The Missouri Department of Education and the Missouri Arts Education Association compiled this report using information provided by public schools. They found that art education had a significant impact on the academic and social success of their students. Those with a greater artistic commitment were more likely to come to class, avoid firing, and graduating. In addition, they showed better skills in math and communication. Many have attended online colleges in Missouri or other states. Comparable studies of other education systems in the state have yielded almost similar results.
In “Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain,” Johns Hopkins researchers shared findings that showed that art education can help connect the brain in a positive way.
Proponents of art education have long argued that creative education can help develop skills that transfer to other academic fields, but little research has been done on composition.
Beaux Arts – the compromise between music, theater, design, painting or sculpture – the way to play the theater’s practice, the part of the program to complete the decorations – this is the case. Today, many schools reduce or abandon their art programs due to budgetary constraints. It is estimated that by the end of the year, more than 25% of the public high schools will be completely dismantled. These statistics are not just bad news for art teachers, such as traditional dance schools or online photography colleges. Numerous studies over the last decade have shown the incredible benefits of such integrated training. Students who do not have access to art courses may not only lose an important creative opportunity, but also find it more difficult to master core studies, higher dropout rates and more disciplinary difficulties.
While school districts may be tempted to see art as a junk part of the education system, this report suggests otherwise. It looked at more than 62 different studies from 100 researchers that covered the field of art from dance to art. In 2002, it was the first report of its kind to examine the impact of art on academic achievement. Using these data, the researchers found that students with more art education performed better on standardized tests, improved their social skills, and were more motivated than those with less or no access. While AEP researchers recognize that art is not a panacea for what causes difficulties in schools in difficulty, the study led them to believe that it could be a valuable resource in teaching. For students of all ages, especially those in poor communities or in need of remediation. With so many universities online for design opportunities, students from all walks of life can pursue higher education. The same researcher has prepared an updated report with consistent results for 2010.
The research is the result of a pilot program on the art of learning implemented through the Guggenheim, which sent artists to schools to teach students and help them create their own masterpieces. Children enrolled in the program did better in six different classes on reading skills and critical thinking than not. Although students did better in the oral exam, they did not take standardized, written reading tests – a difference that researchers say exists because they did not pass the test. Focus on written communication in the program. Program organizers believe that these improvements are the result of students learning valuable critical thinking skills when talking about art, which can then be used to understand and analyze written material. Students can even develop these skills in creative writing or journalism in online schools.
In 2007, Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland published a study that showed that art does not really improve academic performance, but it should have nothing.
The winner and Hetland run an art education program called Harvest School of Education at Harvard College, so they are really not opposed to creative expression. Yet, in their 2000 study, they found little academic improvement in mathematics, science, and reading in enrolled art studies. Although the response to the report was swift and relentless, the researchers remained in their conclusions. And with good reason. They believe that it does not matter whether art classes improve grades or test scores or not, and that art education should be supported by what it offers alone – and not in relation to anything else. Despite their research, art education has major benefits that cannot be easily measured by results.
Today, we take a look back upon the subject of an old interview that was conducted by Brian Appel. Join us as well look into one of the more controversial “artists” of our time: Richard Prince.First things first, though.
An American painter but better known as a photograph, Richard Prince is believed to be one of the better artists of his generation.Prince has mentioned that he has always been attracted to art—specifically photography. He was inspired by the works of Jackson Pollock who had been at the height of his career when Prince was growing up. At the age of 18, Prince moved to Europe and later came back to attend college in Maine.
Prince credits the photo of Franz Kline as one of the reasons why he fell in love with the city of New York. After his move to the big apple, he immediately set to work with photography. His first ever solo exhibit followed shortly after.
Prince initially came to prominence when he made use of rephotography to revitalize old works. While vastly different from plagiarism, rephotography means to recapture the same image under the same conditions. However, it is rarely ever the same image. Time makes sure of that.
The ageing of the subject (whatever it may be) is a great way to add character to an already famous subject. However, this does not mean to say that this is without any controversy. A lot of photographers often spend days, weeks, and months looking for the perfect subject. Even when they do find the subject that they like, it takes several tries to get the “perfect” shot. This is why when someone does a session of rephotography on your subject; it can come off as a tad lazy.
It does not really help that Prince has always been skating thin ice regarding some of his rephotography subjects. His more recent debacle was his use of photos taken from public Instagram accounts. It wasn’t like he contacted the people whose photos he took a screenshot of and reprinted. Prince blew up the photos, altered some details—some no alterations at all—and proceeded to display the images. While it could have died off in obscurity, the images started to sell and even hit the whopping amount of $100,000.
Reactions were mixed but were mostly on the irate side. Some of the subjects were puzzled but otherwise were “honored” by being chosen as one of his pieces—the slightly sleazy captions included—however, there were those like the famous Suicide Girls who did not take this lying down.
They blew up their photos to roughly the same size and used the same materials that Prince used and started selling it or significantly less (the figure we got was around $90). This move effectively killed the market for Prince’s take on the Suicide Girls’ photos in his gallery. Prince has been the subject of other lawsuits regarding his derivative works. While so far he has been victorious in these legal battles there is much discourse and heated discussion over his identity as an artist.
While art is supposed to evoke emotion in its audience, there is a certain degree of originality and effort that is to be expected out of great works of art. Prince tends to see already established pieces and change them slightly then call it his own. While there are those that defend it as a commentary on the concept of Fair Use, for some, it is just plain odd.
It would be the same concept as you see your neighbor selling a spoon for $2 then you taking the same spoon, putting a ribbon on it and selling it for $200. Some argue that’s just good business but for an artistic point of view it’s rather disrespectful. At least, that’s how it goes sometimes.
While Prince will always somehow land himself in controversy, there is no denying his ability to illicit reactions from those who perceive his art. We at Rove TV have said time and time again that regardless of the emotion that is evoked from you, if art manages to do that then it has completed its job. However, where does the line of making art and using it as a money making machinery lie? Is there such a line to begin with? Artists get into art and do hope to make a profit from it.
It is, after all, a profession. However there is a fine line that all artists need to review. Are they willing to do their art for the sake of making a living and possibly eliciting reaction out of people? Do they aim to create enduring pieces that is clear from any smear of controversy?
Just what protects art from being copied and distributed without their knowledge? From what Prince has shown the world, a few changes will make the piece “transformative” and therefore no longer the original. Controversy can be useful in making you relevant but it cannot make you long-lived in the world of art. We cannot help but admire Prince and his gumption in trying out simple yet ripple-inducing ways to create his art.
Whether you like him or not, he is bringing a lot of thoughtful conversations to life. There is much discourse over the topics of Fair Use. There is now more awareness regarding the public social media pages and what people can do with them. Prince managed to simultaneously create his art and bring on gobs of reality checks across the board. People are generally inclined to dismiss and disrespect Richard Prince and his accomplishments. However, we think that is unfair.
While we won’t go out of our way to proclaim him as a “revered artist” like the New York Times did, we do believe that Richard Prince has his own part to play in the sphere of art and its evolution. Particularly since the digital revolution is continuously evolving. We’re certainly on the lookout for what Prince will have in store for everyone next.
In 2006, ROVE helped to put together an American’s first ever solo show on UK soil. The title of the exhibition was Notions and it was made by the very talented Sanford Biggers. The exhibit was held from the 10th of February to the 18th of March.
What was particularly interesting about this exhibit was the fact that it hailed from countless sources in the life of the artist. It wasn’t just one big thing. It was an amalgam of quietly steadfast Eastern spiritualism and the more coarse black form of vocal expressions. It was a surprisingly unique take on varying mediums of modern art: urban culture and technology. Somehow, Biggers had managed to create a harmonious situation between the wisdom of Buddhism and the more up to date expressions of Black music.
There were other installation pieces that were part of the exhibit as well. In the middle of the works in the show was the installation/video piece ‘Network: A Remix’. This was motivated by the 1976 film entitled ‘Network’. It was a satirical film about a fictional TV network named Union Broadcasting System (UBS) and their fight with meager ratings.
Biggers has reinvented three arrangements from the film and installed them to seem as if the observer is ‘backstage’ or in the TV studio where the accompanying video was shot. The audiovisual comprises re-enactments of significant acts from the film through which he converts a 20th Century artistic relic into a timeless note that resounds with our own present-day presence.
His piece entitled Calenda is something that is completely profound without being in your face about it. Structures of footprints or what the dance sphere calls ‘dance notation’ are scattered across the floor and walls of one of the corners of the gallery. These follow the patterns of the Hustle and Disco Tango.Altering and theorizing the footprints on the walls into swirling creations, Biggers moves to reorient their gist from frolicsome disco steps by illustrating them in constellation patterns.
Biggers’ works have always been called the right blend of meditation and improvisation. What makes him quite amazing as an artist is his drive to ensure that his audience would interact with his work. As such, he has often turned his sculptures into actual performances.
A lot of people back then didn’t really believe in the clashing of genres. It often seemed that hip hop had no place melding with anything else. The thing was, if it worked for the likes of DJ Monkey now, it would certainly work for Biggers. There was some criticism regarding Biggers and how legitimate his grasp of music was. It was quite unfortunate these critics did not realize that Biggers had spent a large fraction of his life playing the piano. This provided him with the ear and the knowledge of music that would allow him to push the boundaries of mixing genres.
Biggers, as a person, is highly determined in pursuing his craft. He knew that he had always wanted to do arts. This is why he attended the School of Art Institute of Chicago. Something he looks back fondly upon is the fact that his college, Morehouse College, had a severe lack in art major classes. As a consequence, Biggers had to take his classes at an all-girls university.
This certain helped to shape his wider view of life and his understanding of freestyle. This is something the world can certainly be thankful for. It is because of this unique perspective that he was able to build his own understanding and interest in melding cultures together.
The blending of cultures resonates with us particularly. The writers of Rove TV are a varied bunch. Some of us have long complicated histories that stem back from mixed marriages that came from different cultures. It can always be quite disconcerting when you’re born half and half. The cultural identity that the parents got to enjoy as children is not something that is generally experienced by the children of mixed race marriages.
Often, there is a prolonged state of confusion and a heck of a lot of soul-searching. While it is so easy to simply dismiss the concern as something that “they will eventually grow out of”—that does not mean that the struggle is any less poignant or real. Having an artist like Biggers to bring together cultures that are geographically so far apart is a great place of solace. Art is one of the ways in which people can grow. Art can inspire or frighten. Thankfully, Biggers’ blend of traditional and current culture is a fascinating way to allow those in the middle to form a bridge between varying pieces of themselves.
Representation always matters. So many of us would definitely want to thank Biggers for his part in helping others get though their troubles or issues through his art!
After his success with Notion, Biggers continued with other successes. In 2008, he went on to receive the Creative Capital Award. In the year after that, he earned the William H. Jonson Prize. In 2010, Biggers was bestowed the Greenfield Prize along with a two-year position and warrant of fresh work. This opportunity birthed the center of his 2012 solo exhibition which was put together by Matthew McLendon. It was also in the year 2010 that he became an assistant professor in the Visual Arts program in an Ivy League university.
When art and artists make an effort to unify otherwise far-reaching cultures, something more meaningful and profound occurs in the process. Much like how Paul Thek developed thoughtful commentary through his art, Biggers managed to take several things that he found interesting and create something new altogether. We continue to support Biggers’ thriving successes and we gladly await his future projects. We’re certainly vested in what he has in store for the world next.
If there was anything that anyone could take away from this, we hope it will be the fact that you don’t have to only be part of one culture. You can immerse yourself in others in a wholly positive and respectful way.