Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Like Kickstarter!


Think of my listings on Ebay as a sort of home-made Kickstarter campaign. The print shown above, for example, is currently listed on Ebay at $13.61. That's like a gift for a donation of less than $20. There are original panels, too, often for under $100. And, for a $500 contribution, you can get an all-original first generation Map panel. 

Making this Map and showing it costs money, and we rely on you to help defray those costs.

Thanks for your help!


Sunday, May 15, 2016

Outsider/Insider


The term "outsider art" is a little worn out. Even the insiders acknowledge this. But the distinctions are still made- mostly in Manhattan and Basel galleries and auction rooms. The insiders are those whose work patrons are willing to bet their wallets on to increase in value over time. "Naive" seems be an appropriate way of describing many outsiders. But then it could be applied to some of the insidest artists, too. Look at many of David Hockney's paintings. Maybe they only look naive to an outsider, and an insider could explain their sophistication. For me the terms "accidental" and "intentional" have broader application. Certainly much of what is in the American Folkart Museum or the Museum of Everything was not intended by its maker to be fine art. And certainly most of what is created by people with MFAs or who are exhibited in major museums or galleries is intended to be labeled "art."

Inside or outside, I am happy just to be making my Map. I hope that viewers get some pleasure from it, too.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Invite me!






The show coming up later this year in Japan will be a big one. The Map installation there will be the biggest one since the Palais de Tokyo in Paris last year. The display above, from ArtPrize 1 in Grand Rapids in 2009, was small in comparison. The Aichi Triennale in Nagoya opens to the public on August 11 and closes on October 22.

After that I will be looking for a new host for my project. Know any curators? Contemporary museums with high walls (25 feet, at least)? Or big open floor spaces which can be viewed from above?

I really have my sights set on that five-story high North wall of the atrium at MOMA in New York, but they haven't invited me yet.

On the more down-to-earth end of my fantasies would be a high school gym in some small town in the Plains. With a little help from the students we could mount the entire Map in about three days. And it could be de-installed in time for Saturday's game. Just a thought....

Meantime go buy something on Ebay. I don't need it to pay the rent, but it helps defray the not insignificant cost of creating this thing. And it's a cheap way for you to start your art collection. Imagine your grandkids taking a panel to Antiques Road Show forty years from now!

Thanks!