2011 was a strong year for the ever-resilient medium of painting as artists continued to push the idea of just what a painting can be in terms of materials, scale and subject. I expect that 2012 will be no different. Over the past twelve months I visited hundreds of gallery exhibitions and did dozens of studio visits. Because of New American Paintings, I was also privileged to review the work of the more than 5,000 artists who applied to our competitions in 2011. In short, I looked at a lot of painting, and still, I regularly came across artists whose work took me somewhere completely new.
I could have easily expanded the following list of Artists to Watch in 2012, but these artists--for various reasons--made a particularly strong impression upon me in 2011. Among them is one deceased artist, Forrest Bess, whose quiet influence on a new generation of painters is just beginning to be understood. Also on the list is Dona Nelson, a mid-career painter whose work I have long admired; in my mind, she is one of the most underrated mid-career artists working today, with the possible exception of Jessica Stockholder and a handful of others. As of yesterday, the cat is out of the bag, as someone leaked the 2012 Whitney Biennial's artist roster. Only six painters are included this time around, including the already mentioned Forrest Bess, and another of my other picks, Andrew Masullo, whose intimate, hard-won paintings have made him someone to watch for more than two decades. Dave Miko was a new, late year discovery for me. I came across a lone painting by him at the NADA Art Fair in Miami only three weeks ago and was riveted; only ten feet away at Eleven Rivington's booth I was pleased to see a room of extraordinary video collaborations by Miko and Tom Thayer. These works effectively bridged the seemingly unbridgeable gap between painting and video, and were one of the highlights of the entire Miami art fair circuit this year.
New American Paintings magazine is a juried exhibition-in-print and the largest series of artist competitions in the United States. Working with experienced curators, New American Paintings reviews the work of thousands of emerging artists each year. Forty artists are selected to appear in each bi-monthly edition, many of whom go on to receive substantial critical and commercial success. Additional content focuses on the medium of painting, those who influence its direction, and the role contemporary painting plays within the art world.Visit New American Paintings for more information or to subscribe.
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Yes, some works out there are commercialized and made for a quick buck but can you seriously tell me that even in that work, no commentary can be made on the artist's culture? Can you tell me that the monetary desperation of an artist can't create something unique and inspired? Guess what... even the "greats" did paid, commissioned work.
Look at each of those images again (and yes, they would possibly be better in person) and be open to the experience of art. Do they resonate with you? Do they invoke an emotional response? Do any of them cause you to reminisce on something in the back of your mind? That's art. Live with it, breathe it in and enjoy it. Not every piece will resonate with every individual but every piece of art, as a product of the experience of art, is valuable to our culture.
So the question arises should art be only for those who went to art school? Should the public be left out in the cold? I think not but it's been happening for years and the public resentment toward it is growing by the hour. Something has to give or the divide will continue and ultimately public resentment for the current art that is being produced will kill what's left of funding for the arts and public art. IMO that something should be the art world in terms of outreach and education and bringing people into the world of art. Remaining too insular will be the death of art in so many ways and that doesn't need to happen.
outreach.. Good... But a great artist builds bridges between said public and said art world. (In a lot of ways art=bridge)
The world's experiencing an abundance of vacuums, and culturally the vacuum is great.
What does that mean... In this deconstructed space we find ourselves in...
Definitions and our signifiers seem to be floating independently and contradictory from eachother. We're losing discourse so we're losing definitions. It's community and culture that allows our quilt of self definition to be sewn, but we've been in a deep cycle of fear, anger, and hate, so it's all gettin sucked up to hell.
So...
We need outreach, but also need compassion and imagination, to allow us the ability to accept the bridges and helping hands that art extends. As much as the bottom needs education the top needs to opened up. We at the bottom can stand to be educated more, but the top could also stand to open their mind... But again, the world seems to be in a state of PTSDO, so open-mindedness is gonna be a cultural challenge.
But i say, "patience"
...at some point, from the ashes of all this americon-a-confusion, a bridge'll be built between the people who need resources desperately and those who've so much but lack humanity.
So yes outreach!
But inner-reach too!
Cheers
I am willing to bet that not one of the commenters below have seen the work of any of these artists in the flesh, whereas I have seen all of their work multiple times and in disparate contexts. How can you comment without having seen the work? I am by no means suggesting that my list, or any such list, should be viewed as gospel; as should be obvious, these lists are meant to be fun and should be taken as such. If your issue is with contemporary art in general, then your comments are coming from a platform that is inherently biased and, to be blunt, not relevant; if you have specific issues with the artists that have been presented, then do some research and offer some constructive feedback. I am waiting eagerly and patiently.
Like them or not, it IS a fun discussion and worth talking about, I hope you don't give up.
Cheers,
I am willing to bet that not one of the commenters below have seen the work of any of these artists in the flesh, whereas I have seen all of their work multiple times and in disparate contexts. How can you comment without having seen the work? I am by no means suggesting that my list, or any such list, should be viewed as gospel; as should be obvious, these lists are meant to be fun and should be taken as such. If your issue is with contemporary art in general, then your comments are coming from a platform that is inherently biased and, to be blunt, not relevant; if you have specific issues with the artists that have been presented, then do some research and offer some constructive feedback. I am waiting eagerly and patiently.
1) Negative comments are de-riguer here, these are not nearly as bad as the polit. sections or the celebrity-hair-styles stories! I and I'm guessing my fellow posters are art lovers, but not a part of the 'In-the-know' art world 'dialogue' that gmancini speaks of below; probably people from all levels of sophistication and tastes/preferences. So, respectfully speaking: Grow a thicker skin and be prepared to defend your choices on their own merits.
2) gmancini makes a poor case by saying 'this is what the "art world establishment likes and if you don't like it, you're simply ignent of the current 'relevance". You need to be told what to like". A Thom@ K!nkade collector with garden gnomes on their lawn will never like these, but there is a huge array of levels between them and the art world inner-circle who dictate 'relevance'. IMHO this attitude is what rankles people most.
I looked up some of them and yes, it's impossible to evaluate accurately from a web-photo, but that's all we have to go on.
3) that post did make it to you above.
Happy New Year.
There are about 1200 similar artists just as inconsequential. Most all so called modern artists are a business creation. The only way any of these guys will get anyplace is if the art business decides to give them high marks and the rich decide to go along.
I question the level of series study and critique going on with those below (yes, I check out some of your websites...). I suggest all of you visit New York, go to an Art Fair, or at least buy a couple of contemporary art books.
Bravo Mr. Zevitas, I support you. ;)
I really can't take it anymore. There has to be a line where something quits being an art and becomes "whatever".