With the Ferguson Grand Jury decision being released yesterday and Thanksgiving on the horizon, writing about art feels a little trivial at the moment. However, I am reminded of two things that make art relevant to both of these events. First, creating art can help process emotion and trauma, but it can also allow creative minds to distill and interpret complex social and political climates. Social justice art inspired by the tragic shooting of Michael Brown began popping up in August and will certainly continue to arise in the wake of this shameful decision. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for critical discourse brought about through art, which feels weird to say and may sound trite but art is an incredibly powerful that tells us a lot about ourselves as individuals as well as a whole society. One performance that particularly stuck with me was Keith Wallace's "Call Us by Our Names" in famous Love Park (Philadelphia).
Second, November is the 2nd anniversary of Beauty in Blood, something for which I am most grateful! Choosing to live life in the shoes of an artist has opened my mind and heart in ways I couldn't have imagined. BIG THANKS TO ALL OF YOU who have supported me in my journey over the passed years!! Without your encouragement and constructive feedback, I wouldn't be where I am today.
Wishing you and yours a delightful Thanksgiving!
PS. What comes after Thanksgiving? Black Friday. Before you rush off to the big box stores to stock up on cheaply-made, mass produced goods, consider shopping small and local to support artists, artisans and mom & pop shops.
Updates
November Blog. Lately I've been involved in a number of conversations about increasing the social value of art and artists. One of the most popular phrases I've heard so far is "art jobs are real jobs." Overwhelmingly, the opinion is that as a culture we're doing a terrible job educating people about the relevance and importance of visual art. Many people have no idea how to look at or digest contemporary art that does not represent a real world object. This is problematic because there can be a lot going on beyond the surface of a canvas. In addition to being an artist, I'm also an art history geek so I thought it might be fun (yes FUN!) to analyze one of our pieces. If you've always wanted to know more about looking at abstract contemporary art, you'll enjoy this month's blog post over on Tumblr.
November Cycle. As I mentioned earlier this fall, images from 2014 will be released in the new year. I can hardly wait to share these new, vibrant photos with you!
