Saturday, February 23, 2013

We Did A Rain Dance & It's Raining Buckets...


We are exhausted and thirsty for more coffee from too many 
art delivery and art pick up trips in the rain.
And not enough sleeeeeeeeeeeeeep....
'Not complaining, 
just considering the predicament (with Rich )
over our morning cups o' Jo...
...while wishing for more morning zzzzz's, 
but having to walk our enormous Mo...
Moses and Petey

"Rain Dance"
by Richard Cutshall
11" x  14"
MM on Paper 2013
     We may be a little weary today, but the rain  in Portland seems to have blessed us, just as tulips push through the soaked ground we have many opportunities sprouting from seeds planted long ago.  And our version of the rain dance is the work we do in the studio.
         While we've missed the warmth of family and the sun in New Mexico (a hearty CAPS LOCK shout out to Beth, Adam, and Erin) the rain has been a secret driving force...driving us deeper into the cave of our work (thanks rain).  There's always unseen growth under a veil of rain.
"Lady Godiva's Veil"
by Jennifer Gillia Cutshall
pen, acrylic on paper
18" x  22"
We have so much to share, so I'll post updates more often...

Time flows quickly through buckets of rain.
On my way to see our neglected winter garden I glanced at many time markers...
 valentines roses with brown edges...
the unused bike still waits to join the hoards of pdx pedalers...
 remnants of my great artist hubby's toilings...

our upended Christmas tree begging birds to sing and vermin to burrough....

Lead to our neglected garden bed...
all pics taken LIVE for you
that is filled with strong memories...
and so many hidden promises...
     Life can be rugged here, but I try to remember that by stepping in the mud we get closer to the prettiest blooms...and everything seems to come up right as rain!
    I promise to post updates soon about all our excitiing art happenings as they germinate and bloom...thanks for reading!
with fondness from our rugged liitle outpost in PDX

Post by Jennifer Cutshall

Monday, February 18, 2013

MOMA or MOMP?

photo by Jessica
from suitcase and sippycups 
Reflections on MOMA's decision to include video games in their distinguished collection.

Is it the Museum of Modern Art or the Museum of Modern Product?

The Museum of Modern Art holds such power for me.  As a young girl (and budding artist) growing up in Park Slope I envied the distance it created for the viewer.  Its' walls seemed to chant this is greatness, this is a far off kingdom of riches as I slipped through the corridors.

After all it housed contemporary cutting edge creations.  The genesis of the art of the day initially created without dedicated corporate influence, without public relation meetings, and without statistical reports/ projections.  Sadly, we cannot say the same about video games.

Admittedly video games employ the creativity of many folks.  Artistic elements and design concerns are called upon in similar ways, but a great work of art is born first with singular inspiration. Van Gogh didn't compare the buying pattterns of various demographics to attract the right audience to his Starry Night, and Picasso did not let some kid pick the background colors for Demoiselles with the click of a mouse...
"Demoiselles"
Pablo Picasso

How can we as a culture allow product to contaminate everything that is sacred?  Why are more people not outraged by the idea? Why do we live for the product?
I beg you not to buy into it..a true art form is not a pre-fabbed product.  There  may be an art form at play here.  One that seduces our will and weakens our intention.  It is the art of our industrial machine...we are drawn to look at visual stimuli manufactured to get us to dig deep into our pockets...is it artistry, slight of hand? smoke and mirrors?   wizardry?

The studied professionals at MOMA know far more than I could ever dream of fitting into my world art view, but my opinion is drawn from an allegiance to the art maker in a world absolutely whirling with consumerism.

The Mona Lisa  has more reason to smirk at our tackiness and our ability to include everything. The cave paintings at Lascaux should be grateful for their dark position.   Outsider artists should run deeper into the hills...

Is product art?



Is product design?

What births product?

What births great art?

And if product is crowned as fine art of the modern age where will it end?  Twinkies are not served at the Corton...Coultraine didn't give listeners an option to double time or syncopate.

We receive art because we are intrinsicly drawn to moments of singular pointed inspiration...we are drawn to the drama of human greatness that lives ouside of marketing meetings and board rooms...art is born in an elemental place that cares not about buying patterns

A video game can be great, maybe even moving, but a video game is not and will never be fine art! It lost that chance the moment it affixed a bar code to it's box.

The images in this blog have become icons and products over time, but they began without the intention of ever being mass produced...they began singularly. Video games are created to be mass produced and sold as a product first.


Would Mona Lisa moan for MOMA's faux paus?

I moan, but I will continue to visit the MoMA with a mixture of awe and inspiration churning in my belly because as in art and in life no one hits the mark every time...
and in missing the mark we sometimes get a wake up call.

Post by Jennifer Gillia Cutshall

Saturday, February 9, 2013

A Great Start to 2013 (a quick update)

Richard and I are truly thrilled about present and upcoming projects...
Lost Trails
by Jennifer Gillia Cutshall
see now at the Oregon Showcase
The Oregon Artist Showcase at Chehalem Cultural Arts Center in Newberg was an absolutely stunning exhibit and I was proud to be a part of it.
Kudos to the jurors for bringing an outstanding line up to this showcase.  The jurors for this exhibit were Mary Lou Zeek of Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem, Oregon and Loni Parrish of Art Elements Gallery in Newberg, Oregon.
 http://www.chehalemculturalcenter.org/oas-2013-2

A view of 2 of Richard Cutshall's  pieces at Clatsop Community College
Richard had 6 pieces selected for inclusion in “Community Ground – Art Faculty from Linn-Benton and Mt. Hood Community Colleges” at Clatsop Community College.   This exhibit was curated by artist and CCC faculty member, Richard Rowland. 
https://www.clatsopcc.edu//about-ccc/press-releases/ccc-exhibit-presents-art-faculty-linn-benton-mt-hood-community-colleges  



We will be sending additional updates as shows open, so please check back often.    

Thanks for sharing in our journey...we couldn't do any of it without your continued gaze.



Post by Jennifer Gillia Cutshall