Classic Post no. 3--

Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Art, Intimacy, and Meaning

These are some quotes from an interview with Luis Jacob (at www.livewithculture.ca), an artist who I'm writing about this week. He has an installation piece at Plug In that he made in collaboration w/ Noam Gonick.

Your work as an artist spans a variety of media. Is there a particular medium that best conveys your messages?

--I don't define my work by medium. Being an artist is a life choice that encompasses all aspects of one's life--not only the moments when one is "making art".

Being an artist involves living one's life meaningfully --that is, as a meaning-generating act.
It also involves making one's life public, making it into something shared and open to others' judgement and influence.

Of course, what I have just said applies to all of us, not only to artists. As a result, many artists in the modern period have asserted that everyone is an artist!

If I were pressed to define my medium of interest, it would be "society".


When people view your installations or participate in your performances, what you do want them to learn, to take away with them?

--Here is my ideal scenario: that my work makes people feel engaged enough and free enough to give something of themselves to the project. There is a place within each of us that is our source of meaning, our power, our gift to the world.

Through my work, I would like to touch that place in other people, and in this way to create situations of contact and intimacy with others. Art withers without this intimacy, and so do individuals.
Posted by wolfBoy at 12:08 AM
9 comments:
wolfBoy said...
our posting stats for the THREE YEARS (that's right... 3!) that we've been at this blog thingy for...

* ► 2007 (864)
o ► December (65)
o ► November (67)
o ► October (54)
o ► September (116)
o ► August (116)
o ► July (70)
o ► June (38)
o ► May (69)
o ► April (67)
o ► March (62)
o ► February (69)
o ► January (71)

* ► 2006 (1302)
o ► December (102)
o ► November (81)
o ► October (102)
o ► September (125)
o ► August (118)
o ► July (102)
o ► June (53)
o ► May (112)
o ► April (100)
o ► March (146)
o ► February (145)
o ► January (116)

* ► 2005 (1123)

3:33 AM


cara said...
so if we follow from the Luis Jacob's description of art this blog would be certainly be a "situation of contact and intimacy with others".

So does the blog count as an installation? performance piece?
a installation in constant flux?

9:37 AM


jc said...
All very interesting....

I'd say the blog is a virtual installation or publication.

We seem to be down in our posts in 2007. I wonder why? About three a day the other years...

I like what Jacob says about art being different mediums. Is it really that creative to do the same thing over and over again? It becomes more like using a language you learn, rather than making art, which I like to think is about creating/sharing new ideas. Maybe that's where art and craft meet? Or maybe art and manufacturing.

Interesting...

Although I don't think good art has to be engaging(it can be quite the opposite) or that people need to give something of themselves for art.

Art,art,art,art,art,art,art.

1:13 PM


Sky Onosson said...
My partial definition of art:

- In order to qualify as art, a piece of art must be debatable as to whether it is art or not.

1:24 PM


Sky Onosson said...
As to the blog status, it has either plateaued down from a peak, or "real life" has gotten in the way - let's see how TWO little guys at home affects your posting rate, James! For me, family, job-hunting, and thesis work are all taking their toll... uh, not to mention that I discovered chess?

1:26 PM


wolfBoy said...
yep. chess is the culprit. :)

interesting, though, that in our "slow" year of 2007, we still averaged about 2.25 posts a day.

3:15 PM

c-science said...
It's too soon to draw any trends.

5:10 PM


wolfBoy said...
re: C-sci.

yes, yes. trends, charts, graphs, etc.

however, i would argue that 3,500 posts provides at least some indication of what we can expect over the next 3,500 posts, and then the 3,500 after that.

i base this on my experience working with random samples professionally, as a tree checker.

9 trees, in one small area, out of 9,000 trees, could tell you the whole story.

i like, though, that you say "it's too soon." b/c we need 10,000 more posts... :)

re Knack: i agree and disagree, sort of about not being repetitive. i'd say repetition has value because it helps one follow through on a disciplined, consistent practice, which is important. but as you can, it can get redundant.

12:42 PM


wolfBoy said...
p.s. C-Sci i know you're just itching to gimme a lecture now on probability, bell curves, etc. :)

there are interesting trends that seem to occur at times of the year, though. notice how early-mid summer is slow both years, and then late summer/fall is the busiest? (if 2 years can be said to be a trend...)

12:43 PM