SPARKPLUG 2/10/08 minutes (taken by Karen) There were 7 people in attendance :
Jenny, Kathryn, Philip, Mike, Deborah, Peter & Karen
Agenda items were covered as follows:
1-presentations
Mike Matason & Peter Gordon presented their work. (Disclaimer: I am going to sum it up in just 1-3 sentences - (if anyone thinks I have severely misrepresented email me at karenjoan@gmail with what you want fixed or what you thought.)
Mike Matason works in the medium that he describes as “visual light painting photography” using a black and white film camera he investigates how film is capable of arresting how sensory perception makes the intangibility of light tangible. Capturing bursts of light in abstract patterns and “painting” in the features of his portrait sitters with a focused beam of light by using the ‘bulb’ shutter setting, Mike is also finding that he catches many intangible qualities of time and motion and the personalities.
Peter Gordon is painter that does very heavily textured oil paintings inspired by the varied micro and macrocosmic visual shape and masses found by looking at landscapes. In the process of translating a seemingly horizon less landscape the process of laying down the media of paint or drawing materials strongly reflects his viewpoint that circumstance of both art and life are driven by uncontrollable interruptions and respect for what cannot be controlled.
2-The Party
We talked about the impending inaugural Sparkplug party on Saturday, 2/23/08. Details on the party were posted to the list and the blog on Feb. 3 Feel free to ask me questions, coordinate rides or potluck thru me and please RSVP to karenjoan@gmail.com by 2/18/08 so I know we will have enough soda & pretzels.
3-Shelfari
I have set up a book group for SPARKPLUG on Shelfari. http://www.shelfari.com/
The group is called SPARKPLUG. You will need to create a personal login to use the website. You can search for SPARKPLUG in a field in the top margin of the home page (but make sure to switch the search parameter from books to groups.)
http://www.shelfari.com/clubsearch.aspx?keywords=sparkplug
We can use the group to write responses specific to the discussions we are having in meetings. I encourage you to set up and account and write down your responses regarding the books that you have read and recommended at the last meeting or add books you have thought of since then.
3-goals for goals
Possible project to think about…In planning the party Kathryn & I began talking about a good possible fist project of putting together a ‘curated’ slide show in earnest for a call for projects found here : http://e32.hitart.com/
Pre-screening the web site and thinking about how to approach this project is something we hope getting informally discussed at the party in addition to more people getting to know each other better as we start thinking about working collectively on something.
3-ideas about ideas-in no particular order
~Philip has suggested doing critiques of how we might present our work as individuals if we were sending images to a jury panel. We had an extensive discussion about how these panels resemble“cattle call” type actor’s auditions – if 100 people send 20 slides - each that is 2000 (!) slides that need to be viewed in one sitting. With that many slides to view, artworks (and the artists that paid $20 to be reviewed) are quickly cut out of the jury process for reasons such as:
*unfocused slides
*slides of 2-d work where the work is photographed crooked
*using jpgs that were watermarked for use on the web
*not sending a ‘slide list’ with your jpgs or pdfs listing the medium, size, title of the works
*sending slides of work that show too many different ideas
*sending useless details that don’t show any more content then the picture of the whole work
*not sending details when you really need to – esp. for installation & sculpture
The first 4 items apply to everyone. The last 3 items need to be handled differently by everyone. There are many subtle things that you may not think about because you are so intimate with your own work. A jury that has never seen it does not take anything for granted. Re-doing our slide presentations and running a jury panel on OURSELVES is the suggestion that is on the table. Think about how much time you need to prepare and if this is something of interest, we can pick a deadline for SUBMISSION to our ‘fake’ jury.
~Jenny has started working for International Arts & Artists and can get you information about getting group insurance coverage from them.
~Lisa McCarthy (who many of you have already met at Sparkplug meetings) is having an opening of a solo show called Astral Bodies at …..Tada……DCAC! The opening on Friday, 2/22/08. Please come out and support her and see her paintings in the ‘flesh’.
Info: http://dcartscenter.org/event.htm#Gallery
(Aside: In general it would be great to see more Sparkplug people at each & every DCAC opening, not just those of Sparkplug members. It’s a convenient ‘extra’ collective building time. I am at almost all of them and it would be great to dialogue about what people think about the shows that are being put on at DCAC and meet more of the DCAC staff & board.)
4~ACTION!
~COME TO LISA’s OPENING (2/22/08) & THE PARTY AT KATHRYN’S (2/23/08)
5-Agenda Items for next meeting
The next meeting is tentatively planned for Monday March 10 at 7:30 PM at the DCAC gallery
~talk about the party, Astral Bodies and curated slide show idea
~set possible deadline for ‘fake’ jury panel
~Ideas about ideas
~Goals for goals
keep forging ahead towards "Meatier Discussion"
(ALWAYS ALWAYS feel free to email me anything else you want to talk about or think needs to be added to the next meetings agenda)
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