Artist Statement

[saxamo]

For school I was assigned to write an artist's statement in preparation for the media art i am to produce. I've just finished and I feel it represents a very personal side of who I am and what I do. I've decided to share the assignment and my response in hopes that others may answer, so we can all get a glimpse of others around the temp.
See the assignment below in quote and the spoiler tag below that for my response.

LENGTH: 200 Words

This short statement is to help your portfolio viewers get an initial glimpse of the media maker behind the work they will see on your site.
You should think about your motivation as a media artist, as well as the medium in which you work (or in which you hope to work!) and your background.
Where do your curiosities lie? Try to be specific. Questions of memory? Family relationships? Identity? Music? Theater? Politics? What have you studied that interests you?
What about influences? Are there certain films or film makers that you admire or appreciate? TV Shows? Websites? Games?
Most importantly, think not only about “what you’re interested in,” but about why something interests you, and about what you are trying to say with your work. What truths about the world or your life are you trying express in your work? In other words, it's not enough to say, “I’m interested in hip hop.” Rather, say something like, “I’m interested in showing that hip hop lies at the heart of understanding the deep inner inspirations of urban youth in the early 21st century.”
You should also find a picture that you would like to use to represent you on your site (preferably digital but hard copies are acceptable).

Spoiler

My creation of art in real world and electronic mediums is essentially a means of individual expression. From zine to audio, collage and web, I contend to blur the lines between real world and screen.

My interests in health and sustainability are carried into my work. Autonomy as well as open access is an essentiality and therefore incorporated into my production. Themes of myth and conspiracy are also present, in addition to overtones of surreal humor. Incorporating a lo-fi aesthetic, these properties allow me to engage my audience eclectically, straying from the one-dimensional and overused.

These elements lead to art that never takes itself too seriously, yet still accommodates a greater significance. I wish to expose the myriad of dominant cultural conceptions that are taken for granted as worldly truths. The drive to do this comes in from my belief that structures like empire and advertising, and leviathans such as science, state, and market are too trusted and detract from human capacity. Personal interaction is another issue I am to explore; how we interact has changed drastically in the past decade. I desire to enable others to experience and take note of conceptions they may not observe throughout their activities.

 

[Exaltys]

What if you just do art because you think it looks cool. How would you stretch "I think it looks cool" into 200 words. Haha.

 

[dan80315]

What if you just do art because you think it looks cool. How would you stretch "I think it looks cool" into 200 words. Haha.

lol'd.

 

[monkat]

What if you just do art because you think it looks cool. How would you stretch "I think it looks cool" into 200 words. Haha.

Then you're not making art, you're making drawings.

 

[_Chaz_]

What if you just do art because you think it looks cool. How would you stretch "I think it looks cool" into 200 words. Haha.

Then you're not making art, you're making drawings.

Drawings can be art.

Art can be anything.

 

[monkat]

What if you just do art because you think it looks cool. How would you stretch "I think it looks cool" into 200 words. Haha.

Then you're not making art, you're making drawings.

Drawings can be art.

Art can be anything.

Art can be anything - not anything can be art.

 

[referencer]

Then you're not making art, you're making drawings.

Yeah, it can only be art if you're wearing a beret and it's trying to be a metaphor for something.

 

[monkat]

Then you're not making art, you're making drawings.

Yeah, it can only be art if you're wearing a beret and it's trying to be a metaphor for something.

Art is something that is spawned from and incurs thoughts and emotions.

 

[referencer]

Art is something that is spawned from and incurs thoughts and emotions.

And his art is spawned from the emotions and thoughts brought about by looking at something that looks cool, and it incurs the same.

Or wait, is it only art if it's spawned from "smart" thoughts and emotions?

 

[Exaltys]

Who is to say the thoughts and emotions associated with seeing something aesthetically pleasing are "stupid"?

 

[Sterling]

Who is to say the thoughts and emotions associated with seeing something aesthetically pleasing are "stupid"?

It isn't stupid, just some people have pre defined conclusions of what art is and isn't. If I draw a square on a white paper. Someone is going to appreciate it. If I draw multiple squares in a specific pattern that is pleasing to the eye and provokes though, then chances are more people will appreciate it.

The definition of what is art should be: "Art can be anything that has shape, form, and structure." Art is based on the perception of people, and preconceptions define current art standards.