Fake Rocks and Botox II follow up.

Alumni Show September 15^th, 2011.

Listening and speaking with the four speakers from the Alumni Show was a great follow up to the start of our artist interviews, in particular- what are the practicalities of art practice after school? 

Things that stood out that were consistent with what we are learning from the artist interviews-

• Your workspace defines your work! The school environment gives great scope to size, materials, space, environment, multi media etc. Once out of this ‘studio’ work can significantly shrink in physical size. Work becomes practical to fit space needs.
•  Once out of school, how your creativity evolves or is practiced is varied- just with the four we talked to we saw community art and activism, curating, the struggle to find community and the act of just creating. (I really appreciated Brian’s comments and presence. He was unabashedly open about where and what he practices…he knits. He still creates. He is learning new skills. He also has moved from creating to collecting and, as a framer, is able to view art on a daily basis, whether good or bad.) His artistic life after school, for me,  has as much validity as someone pursuing a ‘fine art’ practice. If we struggle to define what an artist is then it is just as difficult to define what it is to be a practicing artist…..
• Everybody it seems (‘like’ everybody) has to support his or her artistic practice through working another job! Some are able to find work that has elements of art while others work at things that are completely different to their creative life.
• Whether you ‘network’, ‘develop relationships’ or seek like communities, today you have to, have to, have to make your own opportunities and consistently work at being your own PR person.