face value

what is the face value of art? i dont feel like people take into the same consideration the handmanship of fine arts as they do graphic arts. why is this? you are sure to make more money sitting behind a computer "making art" than using a paintbrush and paint on canvas. this baffles me. the digital age has desensitized peoples ideas of art. art is no longer skill and technique but rather advertising. who can sell an image faster and more efficiently. this saddens me

sculpting

when i was NYU getting my filling fixed by a dental student, i talked to the dentist, as i am sure most people do when they get work done on their mouth. for that matter, i think talking in general is common with any doctor. the doctor upon hearing that i went to school for art, said he wanted to see my art. i gave this no mind as most people say this in passing once they hear that your an artist. its normal. the difference here is, he brought this up multiple times while working on my teeth. sometimes at points where i could not respond because my mouth was pried open so he could reach the molar in the far back.... not fun. my mouth is tiny. amusingly he said 'i am a sort of artist as well. i sculpt'. staring at him, because there is no other place to look aside from maybe nostrils, i gave a perplexed look so he could elaborate.... 'i sculpt teeth, there is a sort of art to that no?'. even with my mouth ajar, i smiled and gave a slight nod. maybe he is right. maybe perception is a major part of art. society decides what is and what is not art just as much as the artist themselves.

to be an artist...

Do you have to be good at drawing to be a good artist? one of my sisters always tells me that she "can not draw". i always tell her that she doesnt need to draw well in order to be a good artist. aside from that fact, i think she can draw better than she claims she can. i think the idea behind the image is more important than the skill. yes, the skill is important and can be imperitive to the design but it is not the end all and be all of the artists vision. take picasso for instance. he paints woman with 3 breasts and eyes where their noses should be...his skill is not defined by how accurate he is able to paint the human form but rather the concept of the human anatomy. even an artist like Cy Twombly who is one of my personal favorites, paints with so called scribbly lines deceptively like a child...i can't tell you how many people i hear say, "i could do that". but i beg to differ. No you couldn't. Cecily brown is another artist with whom i love..her images are hidden behind smudged lines and scratched lines. these artists define art by execution and subject, and skill...no one more of an artist or less of one because they do not create art that looks like a photograph like Dega or Cassat, both of whose art i adore as well.
so what makes an artist an artist? is it merely a self proclaimed label one gives to themselves or is it one given by society. how important is it to be able to paint realistically. and if it is not important to know how to create on paper something that is visibly recognizable why do so many art schools put emphasis on this in the classroom?

Social Studies

As i was in class yesterday...(i am getting my masters to be an elementary school teacher)...i was thinking about how social studies has influenced my art. This would seem relatively normal except that the idea of social studies and how it applies to the classroom is broken down into skill, concept and content. I started to evaluate the way in which i broke down current events and past events (ie. history) and how i incorporated all these ideas into my paintings and my poetry. what skills did i use to break the ideas up. what correlations were fused together when i went through the file cabinet in my head. it is really something spectacular to think about.

Pantoum

I'm obsessed with writing pantoums. I can't really tell you wy but I am determined to write a good one. I have not been sucessful with this quest yet but I will be. It is only a matter of time.. here is my most recent one...



I speak of love like it’s my alibi
Accused of stealing hours as I stared straight into heavens gates
I tell you, good love is captured with immeasurable time spent wrapped in his arms
I whisper I love you’s in my head as we make love

Accused of stealing hours as I stared straight into heavens gates
Locked in a prison of failed relationships, unsure of how this one will end
I whisper I love you’s in my head as we make love
Treasonous words used against adulterous culprits

Locked in a prison of failed relationships, unsure of how this one will end
I tell you, good love is captured with immeasurable time spent wrapped in his arms
Treasonous words used against adulterous culprits
I speak of love like it’s my alibi

Van Duzer Literary Readings

I will be reading this Saturday July 17, 2010 at Van Duzer Days. Come out and listen to poetry !

1:30 p.m.: North Shore Reading Room– Sponsored by Staten Island Creative Hub with set supplied by Ira’s Curiosity Place and Silas.

Readers:
Thomas Fucaloro
John Casquerelli
Kyoko Heshiimu
Douglas Schwartz
Robin Locke Monda
Eric Alter
Mike Castellani
Keri English
Tejan Green
Followed by Open Mic
More readers to come.
Statenislandcreativehub.com

http://vanduzerdays.wordpress.com/

Van Duzer Street, between Beach and Wright streets, will be closed to driving traffic on Saturdays, July 3rd, 10th, 17th, & 24th 2010 from 12 noon until 8 at night allowing pedestrians to enjoy a range of summer activities on an open city street free from cars.
Live music featuring the best Stapleton-based acts will highlight the evenings from 4 p.m. until the event closes. Stay tuned for the exciting official announcements of lineups starting at the end of May 2010. In addition, the Island’s favorite DJs will spin earlier in the afternoons.
Large-scale participatory presentations are being planned for each of the Saturdays according to theme. More details will be announced soon.
Kids programs will also be offered thru out the day at Van Duzer Summer Streets. Artists are encouraged to email mailto:info@sicolab.org to participate and get more information.
The Van Duzer-Beach Street district in Stapleton is home to a thriving and growing community of more than a thousand artists. Recognized as the counter-cultural center of Staten Island, it has become a notable hub for live music and an incubator for new bands and innovative projects. The neighborhood attracts visual and performance artists, photographers, film makers, literati, and everything in between.
The district’s commerce is comprised mostly of independently owned small businesses that work hand in hand with the local artists. The main businesses include: Martini Red, The Cup, Vida Restaurant, Ira’s Curiosity Shop, Bent Pages Book Store, Mood Swings Vintage Shop, Glen Glass, Mi Jessa, Wine Life and Los Catcharachos.

If you would like to contact me, you can reach me at:

dragonmomi8@hotmail.com