Intention, chance, construction
You Should Own Art, Edition 20
Oh hey, wow! We’re at edition number twenty. That’s . . . a number. It’s divisible by ten, it’s got a zero. It suggests that perhaps some retrospection is in order, some reflection on a journey traveled and on the insights hard-won along the way. You might even expect a declaration of a reinvigorated mission, or a new trail to be blazed.
And I promise you, those are all at the very top of my to-do list. For now, let’s talk about collage.
I learned very (very!) recently that collage as an art form was invented. Not only invented, but invented in the twentieth century! This, I did not know. Maybe it’s because collage is very often the first art form we learn in school. Who doesn’t have memories from earliest childhood, of sitting with those blunt little scissors, construction paper and some glue? I have had the tacit assumption that, like drawing and sculpture, collage was just something humans have just always done. Surely, at the dawn of time, proto-humans were laminating bits of leaves and fur together with whatever adhesive could be got from masticated animal guts.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that collage is in fact a machine age invention. And, invented by two of the most prolific and influential artists in the past several hundred years; George Braque and Pablo Picasso. Thunderstruck, I tell you. I was thunderstruck.
Ignorance of the basic facts of art history aside, this invention unlocked a universe of possibilities for artists. The eloquence of the found object, the profundity of juxtaposition, the poetry of serendipity, all became part of the artist’s vocabulary. Since the time of Braque and Picasso, the medium has flourished. Digital tools have brought new breadth of possibility. So, in the pulling together the following works, I’ve tried to show as much diversity within the medium as possible, and to show how it’s been stretched.
One quick digression: I recently completed a small body of work that I’m selling to support Lifeworks Austin, an organization that works to prevent youth homelessness. They do important work, please consider supporting them.
All works are oil on paper, 9 x 12 inches and are USD$100. All proceeds go to Lifeworks.
You can find them here.
Behold
Irie Wata
From €14.00
Print, multiple sizes available
This artist comes to us via longtime friend of Y.S.O.A., Lauren Serota. It shows just how eerie and unsettling it can be when incongruous images meet in composition.
You can buy this work here.
Irie’s website
Irie’s Instagram
Classic Cosmetic
Deborah Stevenson
USD$530
I really love the surprising sense of depth and volume in this one.
You can buy this work here.
Deborah’s website
Deborah on Saatchi Art
Title unknown
Wayne Cunningham
USD$225
I feel the resonance of Jean-Michel Basquiat here. And, I like the combination of original drawing and found images.
You can buy this work here.
Wayne’s Instagram (looks dormant)
Aether
Delilah Ray Miske
USD$80
This is intriguing in a way that is cosmically enigmatic.
You can buy this work here. Be sure to check out Delilah’s other works - they’re equally compelling.
And, take a look at the Tarot Deck she’s created. Pretty great.
The Sentinel
Naomi Vona
USD$150
There’s some magical process that takes an image decades old and makes it entirely contemporary.
You can buy this work here.
Naomi’s Instagram
You can see more of Naomi’s HUGE body of work here.
Untitled Collage
Emiliano Baiocchi
USD$250
As simple as it gets, but shoot, this is a endlessly interesting image.
You can buy this work here.
Emiliano’s Instagram
Why I Built the Moon
Beya Khalifa
USD$275
This is another digital composition that just draws me in. Incidentally, I discovered this on Emergeast, a site devoted to artists and artworks from the Middle East and North Africa. There’s some really great stuff there.
You can buy this work here.
Beya’s Instagram
Downsized Dicot
Phillip Hua
USD$750.00 framed
This is super great. Most work that overlays our quantified, digitized life onto, well, real life just seems forced. In contrast, this is considered and thoughtfully constructed.
You can buy this work here.
Phillip’s website
Phillip’s Instagram
Untitled, (pinch & squeeze)
William Luz
USD$340
Oh, this is just great. More wit in art, please.
You can buy this work here.
William’s Instagram
More wonderful work by William here.
Ok! Thank you, as always, for your attention and time. I hope you’ve met some art and artists that you will get to know further.
And, I’ll be forever grateful if you would spread the word to friends, family, and even the direst of your enemies about You Should Own Art. I hear social media posts are great for that.
See you in a month!