I create lists that are too ambitious as I rarely ever complete the jobs on them. Which in some ways shows the masochist in me as I know I’m setting myself up to fail, but in other ways it gets me off my fanny (I have always wanted to use the word “fanny” in a sentence as it makes me laugh. In Australia the fanny is different to what a fanny is in the US).

Here’s my To Do List for Art News Blog this year. I figured if I published the list it would make me more likely to do it.

• Create or pay for a new blog design. Art News Blog has a pretty ordinary design and it hasn’t changed much in more than 5 years. I might even get a designer to create a new logo. I might even add a little color to the design.
• Move the blog to another blogging platform. Blogger is making some hosting changes so I figured now might be a good time to jump ship. Not because I don’t like Blogger but because I just want change.
• Post at least 5 times each week.
• Allow more guest posts by other bloggers and artists.
• Monetize the blog. I currently make about $0,000.00 on the blog so it shouldn’t be too difficult to increase that amount. I’m thinking, offer advertising spaces to artists, which might be a challenge as artists are TIGHT, like duck’s ass tight when it comes to spending money on marketing themselves. So I might look at approaching some art supply companies, galleries, art publications or just go the affiliate route.
• Post reviews on more products. Encourage companies to send products to me (I love receiving gifts in the post) and mention them. It could be win/win/win if done right. I get a surprise in the mail, the company gets exposure, and you learn about a wonderful new product! Competitions could be an option too, where I just tell the company to send the products to a reader of the blog.
• Respond to emails and comments!! Argh, sorry if I haven’t replied to you! Don’t take it personally, I suck. I do read everything, I just haven’t been replying to much lately.
• Keep up to date with what is happening and write about it! Pretty straight forward this one, I just have to look at my domain name to remind me; artnewsblog.com.
• Do more artist profiles. If I find an interesting artist online, I should do a post on them.

Anyone know of reasonably affordable blog designer that can make me a spiffy new blog and tranfer Art News Blog from Blogger to.. umm.. Wordpress or that other blogging platform that I can’t think of right now? Perhaps I should see a logo designer first.

Relax
Dion

The santa painting was stolen here.

Well, the idiots are evolving now and are starting to change their stories up a bit. Now they’re “art dealers” and “art exhibitors” looking to buy your work. Here’s an example by the scammer Hanks Thomas..

Hi Andrea,My name is hanks.I’m an art dealer/exhibitor based in bradford in the united kingdom.I deal in original artworks and also showcase them in exhibitions all over the world.I got to see your works via the search engine while looking for artworks of great impression and i’m willing to buy from you the artwork stated as the subject of this email.Kindly let me know if it’s available for sale.If yes,quote the price and let me know the method(s) of payment that is acceptable to you.I’m looking forward to reading from you.Have a wonderful day… Regards,Hanks

Lesson for today: Don’t accept checks/cheques online when selling artwork. Use Paypal.com or Escrow.com.

Thanks Andrea for sharing. There’s more of the email exchange with Hanks Thomas posted on a previous Art Scam post.

Well, the idiots are evolving now and are starting to change their stories up a bit. Now they’re “art dealers” and “art exhibitors” looking to buy your work. Here’s an example by the scammer Hanks Thomas..

Hi Andrea,My name is hanks.I’m an art dealer/exhibitor based in bradford in the united kingdom.I deal in original artworks and also showcase them in exhibitions all over the world.I got to see your works via the search engine while looking for artworks of great impression and i’m willing to buy from you the artwork stated as the subject of this email.Kindly let me know if it’s available for sale.If yes,quote the price and let me know the method(s) of payment that is acceptable to you.I’m looking forward to reading from you.Have a wonderful day… Regards,Hanks

Lesson for today: Don’t accept checks/cheques online when selling artwork. Use Paypal.com or Escrow.com.

Thanks Andrea for sharing. There’s more of the email exchange with Hanks Thomas posted on a previous Art Scam post.

It has been called the “most valuable collection of art ever to be exhibited in Australia.”

The works come from the Musee d’Orsay in Paris and will be on display at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra until April.

Vincent van Gogh – Starry Night Over the Rhone
I was surprised by how fresh this painting looks. For some reason I expected it to be smaller and duller than it really is. This painting was worth the 5 hour drive.

Vincent van Gogh – Bedroom at Arles
I thought this painting would be bigger. The Musée d’Orsay version of Vincent’s bedroom is a little smaller than the first two versions that he did. Still a great painting.

Vincent van Gogh – Portrait of the Artist
The man himself.

Paul Gauguin – Tahitian Women
I probably should like Gauguin more than I do. He did some really good paintings but I don’t think he comes close to Van Gogh or Cezanne. Having said that, I really liked seeing his paintings in the flesh.

I would show some more works but the NGA website was down. In short, Masterpieces from Paris is a must see if you’re an Australian. They’re easily the best paintings in the country at the moment.

Here’s my self portrait entry..

Here’s their blurb..
“Entrants will have the chance to win one of three great prizes. Our first place winner will receive a $500 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials and have their artwork featured on the cover of the March issue of the magazine! They will also be interviewed by one of the Art Calendar editors for a one-page profile, where we’ll feature a picture of the winner and their winning work. Our second place winner will receive a $150 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials and our third place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials. Both our second and third place finalists will have a half-page profile with an image of their work and a short biography about them inside the magazine.”

Find out more about the art competition on the Art Calendar website.

1) First of all can you tell me a little bit about your work? What themes do you explore in your art and why? What do you strive to achieve through it?

I basically just paint what I want, how I want. I have no social or moral message to give. I stopped selling paintings 18 months or more ago, with no intention to start selling again until I can no longer fit in my house, which has brought about a change in how I see painting. I’m now thinking more about conceptual art and looking at ideas more than thinking about who would buy a work.

2) Recently the Tate Modern was forced to remove Richard Prince’s piece ‘Spiritual America’ from its Pop Life: Art in a Material World exhibition due to a public protest. What is your opinion on the matter? Do you think the piece was justly removed?

I don’t know. We live in a sick world, so we have to draw the line somewhere with images of young people. Having said that, I wish we lived in a world that could see the images as innocent and beautiful. So, as much as I hate censorship, I’m not really sure how I feel about cases like this. The Australian photographer Bill Henson has dealt with similar issues.

3) Do you think art institutions should have the freedom to display boundary-pushing art that may offend certain members of the public? Why?

I think it’s their job to push the boundaries. People that are easily offended shouldn’t visit galleries. They should stay home in their safe, comfortable home and drink tea quietly. Art is either going to look good hanging on your wall or is trying to tell you something. Both forms are equally valid for me.

4) What do you think pushes an artist to create pieces that can cause possible public backlash? Is this a reaction to modern reality or just a means of getting publicity?

It’s both. Most artists by nature are outsiders and like poking sticks at insiders, it amuses them to no end. You could also say it is a sign of the times we live in where you are nothing unless you are the biggest, loudest or most annoying. Many shock artists probably just needed more hugs growing up. Damien Hirst has made a career out of it. His career has been so filled with “shock” that when he paints a relatively normal looking exhibition (like his current one) it is looked at as shocking.

5) What do you think is the social role of art?

I believe there are two kinds of art: an art that should hang well on the wall and an art that has something to say. The latter should use any means possible to speak its message.

6) What do you think are the major changes in the public’s attitude towards art? Do you think our modern society is quick at judging and finding offence in everything?

I don’t know. I don’t think art is really that important to the general public. Nobody really takes much notice of art unless an artist is doing something outrageous. Being an artist or being involved in the art industry tricks you into thinking that art is everything and everyone must appreciate it as it’s so important to you, but the average guy on the street couldn’t care less about art.

Artists like the fact that society is quick to judge and easily offended. Many rely on these facts and play to them.

7) Do you think that by challenging conventional views art can truly make a change in the public‘s perception?

No, I don’t think art has the fire power to affect change in any meaningful way. It will always touch the minority that actually takes notice of art, but art won’t change society unless you include movies, the internet, and music. Things like painting, sculpture, installations, prints, and video art will never change much of society.

It seems that contemporary art is increasingly aimed to disturb and art which is made purely for aesthetic pleasure seems idealistic and secondary (beauty is often considered kitsch). What do you think caused this? Why qualities like disruptiveness and the shock value became marks of success?

It’s the media age. It takes something loud, colourful and shocking to get our attention. A Giorgio Morandi still life would bore most people to death these days. Most people have forgotten how to sit still for any length of time. Silent stillness forces you to look at yourself and that scares most people.

9) In the Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie wrote “What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist”. Do you think freedom of expression truly exists in our modern society?

Of course it doesn’t exist. We’re silly little immature beings that wouldn’t know what freedom of expression was if it punched us in the face. It’s nothing that a few hundred thousand years of evolution won’t fix though. Let’s just hope the earth will put up with us long enough to see us grow up.

It’s hard to make a good artist look interesting as they’re usually just working.

This month the art news site Art Daily turned 13! In internet years thirteen is almost ancient.. well done Art Daily.

Here’s to another 13 years!

Five years no longer sounds old to me.

Luna Roslyn is also on Facebook.

“If the Earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital” – Napoleon Bonaparte