Episode 5: Futurist Vibes
Peek into episode five of The Exhibit
This week they wanted us to create a piece about the future. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, not so much. They asked us to take a piece of work we created ten years ago and reimagine it in the future. Honestly, I was still learning how to paint ten years ago, so I chose my first commissioned painting. This freeform painting of a screaming face was supposed to be an album cover for a band I knew while living in Seattle. However, the band members had conflicting opinions on the piece and decided not to use it. The screaming face has stayed with me ever since – and it gains more significance as my career continues to evolve.
At first, I had considered turning it into an NFT; however, it soon became apparent that this was nearly impossible to achieve on the reality show. The difficulties primarily centered around the copyright laws and complex code involved in creating an NFT. Also, when this show was filmed a year ago, NFTs had begun a downward spiral. Thinking through those challenges caused me to reflect more on how technology influences art and culture and how quickly new things crop up and then fade into the abyss, sucking away people's hope and money like a black hole. (I won't say that NFTs are doomed, but maybe they aren't the end all be all of art. If we've learned anything from the NFT boom, it's not to put all your eggs in one basket thinking this will be your big break – only to realize it could become your big breakdown instead.)
I will be the first to admit that oil painting is an ancient medium that has mostly stayed the same in the past 100 years; however, I deeply believe it will always find its place in modern art. The process of oil painting is pure and healing, and it possesses the power to move people and tell intricate stories. While there are many new tools and techniques for creating art, it's hard to say that I will ever stop using oil paint. I am open to learning and incorporating new technology into my practice – because like I said above, it’s wise to not put all your eggs into one basket – but I don't ever see myself using something like VR to create my work.
I genuinely admire Misha and his practice. As cool as his final pieces looked and much as they wowed the judges, I didn’t see those as paintings. From my perspective, he created digital art; a great form of art in itself but not exactly painting. I respect technology's role in art, but in my practice, I won’t ever want to dilute the purity of oil painting with pixels and printers.
At this point in the show, I had a good idea of what the judges wanted to see and their affinity toward conceptual sculpture. That's nice. And to Frank's point, their comments and crit are their opinions. Sure, their opinions might be rooted in academia, but no one, regardless of how "high" or “low" they are in the art world, has the power to convince me that my art isn't worthy or purposeful. I felt that way when the band in Seattle didn't choose my art for their album, and I feel that today when people judge my work. People can make suggestions or observations that I may want to consider or cause me to change my thought process, but ultimately I can take it or leave it. (Whatever your art is, never let others' opinions knock your confidence in your creation.)
I call this piece Above Water, and it's something I've wanted to paint for a long time. I saw this as my opportunity to step away from the constraints of what the judges wanted and give them something they weren't expecting or asking for, knowing it wouldn't be their choice. It didn't resonate with most of them – and that's fine. A lot of conceptual artwork that I see doesn't resonate with me either. Keith Rivers liked my painting, and the piece looked sweet on camera, so I'm content! There was a clear message within it, and I somehow was able to see my way through a formal presentation that was coherent and palpable. I love this piece and will likely create a limited edition print run for it so all of you can have this silent primordial scream in your homes with you every day if you so choose.