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Welcome to ArtSpeaks Now, a blog by artist Mark Jesinoski.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Art Speaks Now at UCSD

                                                            Mural on UCSD Campus- by Mario Torero


On mornings when I need it most I find myself seeking out the nearest coffee stand on the UCSD campus, the location of my most recent post-doc rotation. I feel increasingly fortunate for this place. Beneath the establishment, the bureaucracy, the cynicism, which often sprinkles the impression of an organization this large, I find a place that has found a happy marriage, albeit a polygamous one, between science, technology, philosophy and, yes...art. Art on the walls, in random corners, even scattered throughout the trees. Art Speaks Now on UCSD campus.

To see some of the great art (open to the public), at UCSD follow the link below.  
http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/

Thanks, Art Speaks Now

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Urban Solace Mural Project-An Interview with Mark Jesinoski

“The manner in which I have chosen to approach the mural painting allows me to constantly interact with the people around me working and dining in the restaurant’s outdoor patio. This interaction colors and shapes my own thoughts and feelings which become a part of the mural painting.”


Working on skin tones so the painting represents diversity-Jesinoski Arts

You’ve spoken a lot in the prior posting about the time involved in creating the mural for Urban Solace, when do you expect to have the painting completed?…The mural should be completed by the end of August with the goal of an opening late September at Urban Solace.  I will share more details as I draw closer towards the completion of the mural.
How did the piece come to be?…I was referred by a close fried of mine, Jordan Blechertas, who wanted to give me the opportunity to do this type of project.
Why is the mural important for Urban Solace?…Urban Solace wanted to bring art into a space that was empty and what I really appreciate about them is that they completely gave me artistic license to do whatever I wanted.  They trusted my artistic vision without imposing their own fears and bias.  When you think about it this is an incredibly trusting thing to do…invite someone into your business with your customers and give that person complete freedom of expression.  So that really allowed me the freedom and challenge to think about what I really want to say through this fifty-feet piece.

Layering color over the black and white images to add depth-Jesinoski Arts

What are some of the things you wanted to say with this mural painting?…I found I wanted to say what has now become the common thread of my work which is to simply observe what I see occuring in our urban cultures in this day and age for better or worst.  So I literally meditated on this idea of “urban solace” (which is the name of the restaurant) and if you look at the overall feel of the painting, you can see where I begin with very feminine, soothing, and nurturing colors in the background and then overlaid this background with an overall masculine theme.
In the beginning...interplay of feminine and masculine elements with the use of color-Jesinoski Arts
  
So getting into the content, there are characters that capture these ideas in the form of characters that exemplify power, achievement, freedom, and relationships. Taking that a step further, you will see one part of the painting has a male figure literally standing on top of another male figure pointing forward. These figures are overpowering this narcissistic hero figure (a cowboy dressed in white). As you move over the painting, you also have this opposite or opposing idea of these three nude dancing figures.  The three nudes represent the part of culture that is either ignorantly blissful or enlightened beyond the point of attachment to the base ideals of society in which we are all, at some point in time, caught up in; either way, they are free.  
The two other major themes that emerge in the mural involve a focus on relationships in the form of the broken role of the traditional family (nuclear) in our culture and our neverending struggle with the idea of monogamy.  So regarding the monogamy piece, there is a female character that is clearly married running toward a male character, at the same time she is offering her hand to another male character for him to kiss while simulataneously that male character reaches back to another female character who could care less about his attentions because she is already partnered with a female love interest.

The red bow-tied dandy seducer-Jesinoski Arts
In the final component of the piece, I have painted a strong single mother who is at once trying to balance the demands of her adolescent daughter (who is trying to assert herself and therefore, blossoming beyond her control), her adolescent son who still needs her nurturing attention, and who is also someone that wants to have a life of her own.  She represents this idea of the mother in transition.  This idea of the mother represents both our need for security and nurturing in our lives and at the same time, the need to rebel and escape the confines and control that can be imposed by the  predictability of our lives.  Hence the dichotomy that plays out in the entire piece.
  
The mother struggles to maintain identity and balance-Jesinoski Arts
  

Urban Solace Mural Project


The act of making a piece of art has many stages. Typically when I am doing a painting, there are many different steps taking place simultaneously.  Some of these steps relate to the content of the painting, i.e., what the painting will look like and the other steps deal with the making of the painting and how I, as the artist, will get it to look like I envision…so you constantly have an interplay between content and process.
For me, traditionally, as an artist I am doing this on canvas…studio or live, either way it is still on a manageable canvas that is right in front of me.  This means I can literally experience the entire canvas at once as I engage in making the artwork.
Urban Solace Mural Project-Early Stages-Jesinoski Arts

Mural painting, for me, is different from creating a traditional piece of art in two distinct ways:
  1.  A mural is typically in a public forum and thus, I am forced to contemplate, in a more cognitive manner, and answer the questions of what I want to say about the art and where I want the creative process to go…this is the content side. Typically I do pieces that can be completed in the course of four to five hours as opposed to several weeks or months.  With the mural I am extending this process and therefore I am forced to slow down, be more deliberate, and more thoughtful.  In some ways, I am learning an entire new platform for creating art.
  2. At every stage of the mural painting as the days pass into weeks and then into months, there is a shift between the emotional relationship of the artist and the artwork.  As a process that would usually take place in the span of two to three hours now has stretched out to two to three months, so now there's an entirely different means of coping with the artist’s emotions, feelings, habits, etc. that are inherent within every work of art.  
I could have followed more traditional or more efficient means of creating the mural such as drawing the idea up in the studio, breaking it down in layers, and painting the mural on the wall in a week, but to me, the depth and quality of the art comes out through that process of creation.  
The manner in which I have chosen to approach the mural painting allows me to constantly interact with the people around me working and dining in the restaurant’s outdoor patio.  This interaction colors and shapes my own thoughts and feelings which become a part of the mural painting.
Urban Solace Mural Project-Day 21-Jesinoski Arts

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

NEW DOGS AND OLD TRICKS


To Reproduce or Not To Reproduce, That is the Question

I’ve often heard the debate recently about the relative merit of producing giclee prints for sale.  Opinions vary broadly but, in general I see three perspectives in this argument.  One, you have the ideal that to be truly respected by the higher-end collectors you must not make prints because it cheapens your name and product.  Two, making prints allows you to reach broader audiences, provide art to those who may not otherwise be able to afford it, and, heaven forbid, make some money.  Three, this is my own perspective and involves the idea that the art we see is simply a by-product of the demands and cultural tides that pervade our times.  The first two perspectives are both relevant and neither trumps the other.  In many ways they are born out of vastly differing cultures both within, and out of, the “art world."  The latter is simply an observation of the times and how we artists are, for better or worse, a part of it.  

Identity-Live Painting by Mark Jesinoski www.jesart.com

Don’t Do It

The ‘don’t do its’ seem to have some common factors.  They come from an old-school tradition, they come from money, they value the idea of one-of-a-kind, and/or their opinions are guided by a gallery system that is largely out of touch with the world of us common folk. 

There is a component to this perspective that I strongly agree with.  I think it is perfectly relevant that making only one of a certain thing makes it more exclusive and more relevant.  Simply put, the less of something there is the more we covet it as a collector's item and the more demand there is for the supply.  It’s good for novelty and good for business. 

The difficulty with this perspective comes in a few forms:

 For one, you have to know people who are willing to pay you the price of something so exclusive.  Many of us poor artists simply do not have connections with this type of culture.  Not to say one can’t nurture this, just saying your buyers are few and far between and you have to accept that you are not going to be able to sustain yourself without some form of support; a part-time job, a benefactor, a trust-fund perhaps.  In addition, these types of buyers are also not likely to buy from you directly, but through a broker or gallery.  This means becoming, over time, relevant to the brokers and galleries.  This also means long and exhaustive periods of relative poverty and diligence before you become recognized by such people.  This is an honorable, but often futile, path.  Sort of like going to Hollywood and thinking you’re the next Brad Pitt.  If you choose it you have to be deeply committed, have some connection with this type of culture, be extremely good, or some combination therein; many are born into it. 

In short, this is an honorable path but accept it for what it is; a very steep and very challenging climb, and you may never reach the top.  But if it fits, then go for it.  The glory is in the climb, not the summit. 


Print, Print, Print

The pros and cons of printing are many.  I will outline a few here. 

On the positive side printing allows you to reach broader audiences by making your work more affordable and prevalent.  More work, equals more contact with people, equals getting your message out and/or making your art career more sustainable.  For the individual who is more about making a statement, like Shephard Fairy used to be, or the artist who wants to have a sustainable career (while they are still alive) this is a good route. 

On the flip side making prints is expensive, there are no guarantees, and you may exclude yourself from the aforementioned group of collectors. 

Exclusion:
I have known artists who were on the brink of a big sale only to lose it once the buyer learned the image would be available to broader audiences via reproductions.  In some way there is a bit of an identity issue here.  There are artists who may produce the type of work that attracts the elitist few (and perhaps should therefore follow this path), but due to a number of factors they sabotage themselves and become sort of lost between worlds; the big collectors don’t want them and their work is too specific for broad appeal.  Sabotage usually takes the form of ego injury, shortsightedness, or poor self-management.  You may be doing everything right on the production side, but everything wrong in the, relating-to-the-world side.  For this type of artist I would advise finding a good rep. to find, and communicate to, your audiences for you. 

Overhead:
Making prints is expensive.  Early in my art career I learned the irony of selling and building my business was that I could produce and sell an original with much less energy and investment than selling a reproduction.  I wanted to make the prints, so I could sell them for the price I was selling my originals, but I simply could not afford to.  I made the mistake early on in believing that if I made prints the buyers would come.  I did and they didn’t.  I still have extra prints of some of my earlier works.  In my inexperienced narcissism I believed I was ready for this.  I was not and I temporarily disabled my progress. My advice, don’t make prints until people are consistently buying your originals, and only make prints in accordance with your demand.  The great thing about modern technology is we can print on demand; this reduces overhead costs significantly.   I would recommend, however, sacrificing a few meals so you can absorb the cost of imaging.  Once you sell an original it’s gone and if you didn’t get the high-res image, you won’t be able to make prints when you become the next big thing.  Think ahead. 


Balance:

Here’s my argument and here’s my point.  We live in a world with lots of buildings, lots of wall space, and therefor a higher demand for art than anytime in history.  While we whine about the economy and lack of collectorship buildings are popping up like tulips in springtime.  The opportunities are a-plenty and there’s no better time than the present to get a whole bunch of your work out there for people to appreciate.  But, with this type of demand it is ridiculous to assume that these types of projects could afford only originals.  We do live in tough economic times and contractor budgets are tight.  Tight budgets equal décor of the reproduced type. 

Balancing Act by Mark Jesinoski www.jesart.com


Although I recognize there are certain trends in the artistic choices of your run-of-the-mill business or hotel, I strongly believe there are places out there for every type of art.  Your job is to stop waiting for everyone to come to you, get out there, pound some pavement, and find a home for your work.  Work with a designer, contact some local contractors, make people aware of your work and your availability. 

AND, while you're at it make some pieces that are a specialized kind of your work.  Make them one-of-a-kind and make them with all the passion and savvy you can muster.  I personally reserve certain of my pieces to remain singular and without reproduction.  I also work closely with my collectors to create unique commissioned pieces, which will always and forever remain their exclusive piece. 


BUT, probably most important of all folks.  Think about who you are, what you want to say through your art and your career, and let that be your guide.  Accept the byproducts that come as a result.   

Take care out there, 
ART SPEAKS NOW








Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Art in Culture: San Diego

Mindful Malaise- by Mark Jesinoski www.jesart.com
There is some truth to the idea that to get people to pay attention to art in San Diego, you basically have to throw a party.  In the longest Facebook comment string I have ever seen, several people involved in the SD art scene took great offense to a City Beat "Sight on Scene" blurb that (in addition to other things) basically insinuated that the San Diego art scene is watered down with parties and feel-good events.  Although the blurb itself was irresponsible journalism, the point I want to focus on here was the defensiveness that emerged in reaction to the allusion that, to get people to pay attention to art in San Diego you must add the key ingredients of a DJ and a case of wine.  Based on private conversations I have had with my artist friends there seems to be some truth to this idea. 

Yes the art scene’s growing, yes there’s a buzz in the air, all things I hear at art shows, in newsletters, etc.  But what there is a drastic shortage of are people who go to art shows to not just see art as a backdrop for a social gathering, but to observe it, critique it, support it, and recognize its cultural and sociological relevance.  It bears some attention when the enthusiasm of every single artist I know in San Diego seems lightly spread on the crust of cynicism that has grown out of our experiences as artists in San Diego.  I should note that perhaps my perception is such because most of my friends are “emerging artists” as it were, and thus have not yet emerged from the thick soup of B.S. one negotiates to become, at least financially, successful.  But, this caveat aside, there seems to be some truth to the idea that to get people to pay attention in San Diego, the art takes the back seat to the party. 

Being one who picks up the paint brush from time to time, and having done over two-hundred shows of various types over the past few years, I have pondered the idea of how art relates to the community around it.  Art never exists in a vacuum, and therefore I believe there is much to be said (for better or worse) about the relevance or irrelevance of art in the context of San Diego. 

As an attempt to have a more in-depth discussion on this topic.  I have asked several of my artist friends to share their uncensored opinions about the state of the arts community in San Diego.  Below is my attempt to offer an opinion on the matter.  


A perspective with Personality

Perhaps in San Diego art becomes a backdrop because we live in a city of extroverts who are more hungry for validation and social stimulation than they are for the art itself.  This is not bad or good, it simply is a truth of our city...And maybe that’s the way of it. As much as we artists want to be loved for what we do, we have to recognize at some point that our art in THIS social context may be reduced to a medium for bringing people together. 

This brings up an important observation about the role art takes in culture across time and context. Art over time is not necessarily the primary driving force, but it bobs on the waves of cultural currents.  Pollock was an instrument for the expression of his time.  Dali was an instrument for the expression of his time.  Picasso was an instrument for the expression of his time.  Each had their personal content, their style, their innovative approach.  But none of them would be known to us had they not somehow interacted with the needs of their time and place.  This in no way diminishes them, or us, it is simply a truth of the human and artistic experience.  


Personality Sprinkled with Politics

Another perspective is a socio-political one.  San Diego is overwhelmingly conservative; not just in politics but in personalities.  And, to offer a blanket generalization, conservative minded folks tend to see art as more or less, a decoration, a backdrop, an accessory, something that goes well with the drapes.  Conversely, take a culture like L.A.  The culture of Los Angeles is largely "industry" people and therefore comprised of a more liberal socio-political structure.  Now, politics aside, the fact is that liberal-minded people tend to value art from a much more personal and value-based perspective.  Art in this context is not just about how well it goes with the decor, but more about making a statement.  In short, art in this context is valued as a vital component of culture. 

Of course there are many ways to interpret the state of things in San Diego.  I would love to hear your opinions.  
The Best to You, Art Speaks Now 


Friday, June 24, 2011

Jesinoski Arts Summer With the Crime Victims Fund: Auctions, Parties, and Football?

The summer of 2011 has quickly filled up with events, barbecues, and several partnerships with local non-profit organizations I am very excited about (for more information about my non-profit partnerships go to www.jesart.com).

One partnership that is now in full swing is with the San Diego Crime Victim's Fund.  The CVF, true to it's name, helps people who are victims of crime and who may not have the financial means to cope.  For this particular partnership I will be featured on the CVF website (http://www.crimevictimsfund.org) throughout the summer, with the finale being the CVF annual gala in August where I will be the featured artist.

Although the details are in the finalizing process, the annual gala typically takes place in beautiful Rancho Santa Fe.  This is an event to honor those who have supported the CVF, as well as to help raise additional funds; not to mention the great spread of food, drink, and music throughout the evening. This year, we hope to offer some of my best works for auction during the annual gala.  To learn more about this event go to http://www.crimevictimsfund.org/events.html. 

Deep Blue by Mark Jesinoski www.jesart.com
 

Moving into the fall, one tasty caveat to this partnership I am very excited about is the possibility of working with the CVF at the season opener for the Chargers, where they will be taking on my very own Minnesota Vikings.  This would be meaningful for me personally as I grew up a Vikings fan in Minnesota, but the real meaning is that the season opener takes place on Sept. 11.  The significance of Sept. 11 has become an important time of mourning and reflection for our entire country.  Perhaps even moreso in the eyes of the friends and family who tragically became the victims of such a terrible crime on Sept. 11, 2001.  More to come...