I wonder about the balance between arts influence on society vs. societies influence on art. Is there a general ebb and flow that we naturally get swept into? I am inclined to think that art has the crucial role as as other, or the alienation of society. Only as the outcast can we have this defining conversation with the world. If the innate nature of the relationship is argumentative, maybe the most important conversations are reconcilable ones?

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PEACE ATTACK

I have a troubled faith in the social function of art. It holds a deep appeal to me but despite this it seems that the true social function of art is aesthetic. It is a poetic not a political challenge. I am skeptical about the potential for art to directly bring about radical social improvements. But I do think that sincere poetic expression creates a space for mutual affection. It might be in this space that we find some ground for creative and collective reasoning.

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BARELY LEGAL

I was thinking about something Zizek said about love and duty. He said "the opposition of love and duty is surpassed when one feels duty itself to be the 'other name for love'. By means of reversal- the negation of love, coincides with supreme love which abolishes all other 'pathological loves, or, in order to express oneself in Lacanian terms, it functions as the point de capiton in relation to all other 'ordinary' loves. The tension between duty and love, between purity of duty and indecency (the pathalogical obsenity of love/passion), is resolved at the moment when one has experienced the radically obscene character of duty itself."

I kind of think there is a perverse nature in all of our art. Like, how we are juggling these invisible commodities and their personal worth. And that we weigh these with some of the most critical components in our lives? Not that I agree with everything that Zizek says. It seems to be relevant though. I know that I grapple with that void.

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LITTLE BY LITTLE

I chose this image for obvious reasons. Looking at it, I can't help thinking about the carnival game where you would try and shoot out the paper star with the air gun and it is practically impossible to do so.

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IGNORE THE ECHO

So, as some of you may know, I work in a hospital now. And I was transporting a 93 year old patient from his room for some minor surgery. He was sharp minded, but kind of bitter tongued. I asked him him what he used to do for a living and he told me that he was a lawyer. It impressed me because he was African American and I imagined the struggles he endured during his days of disputing cases amongst mostly white jurors and judges.

Anyways, he kept looking at me funny as if I did not fit in the hospital and finally he said exactly that. He asked me what I did before being at the hospital, and about my education. I don't generally tell patients, let alone my co-workers that I am an artist, but this guy was persistent. He asked why I was not pursuing my art career. I explained to him that it was very complex situation and that I needed to supplement my art career with a job. Besides, I told him to look at artists like Michelangelo and Rembrandt, that even they had to sweat and toil for little money for there work. He laughed and said "Those were not artists, they were social political figures."

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BEGINNERS LUCK

Ok, its March 26, 2009 and its economy, economy, economy, 24-7. We get it, we are fucked for a while. I think it is a good time to be in artist though. It is a good time to reflect on value or however you want to quantify the meaning in your work. For me, doing social or politically driven artwork is an endless puzzle with no concrete or specific answers. Yet, I am unable to separate the desire to make work that is somehow socially relevant, and responds to past and current histories.

That is why I have decided to start this blog. It is one artists response to current and ongoing conditions. I would like to invite artists to submit images to this site, which I will curate, and hopefully include 365 new works a year. I will try to be as inclusive as possible. My larger hope with this sight is to have a progressive discussion about Fine Arts role in society. My only criteria is that images submitted is somehow politically or socially motivated.

I am starting us off with an obvious drawing. I am not trying to be too literal, but maybe I am aiming to be low.

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