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“Most of us deep down believe that a person who is creative will prevail regardless of the environment,” Csikszentmihalyi wrote. “But the reality appears to be different…. No matter how gifted a person is, he or she has no chance to achieve anything creative unless the right conditions are provided by the field.” Csikszentmihalyi identifies “seven major elements in the social milieu that help make creative contributions possible: training, expectations, resources, recognition, hope, opportunity, and reward. Some of these are direct…
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The Working in Series studio class with artist Pamela Lanza at the UC Berkeley Extension through the Art and Design program was one of the most wonderful experiences in 2010. It was a difficult year, to say the least. Yet, through the class, I learned so much about why I create art and why it is a huge part of my life. More to follow…
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Over the weekend, I went to Needles and Pens located in the Mission District of San Francisco, CA. It’s one of my favorite spots to get a an art pick-me-up. From doodles to zines, Needles and Pens reminds me that DIY is a wonderful and necessary art movement. It’s, certainly, an important one. There’s a lot of value in other people’s visual musings of this chaotic world. Sometimes, all I really need is something straight forward and inspires me to pick up my journal or…
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I’m tired and quite frankly I want to go to sleep. Now that I’ve got that thought out of the way, let me write a little something before I lay my head down. Who needs sleep anyway? I mean, really! I was painting as a young artist and mostly I was painting these clouds and one day, sitting and painting looking in the sky, I saw twelve military planes passing by and they made these incredible drawings in the sky.…
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It’s the end of the weekend and it’s been over a week since I first took on the WordPress postaday2011 challenge. I’m finding myself gaining some major writing momentum and finding new content. Obviously, there will be days I post formal and analytical write ups and other days where I’ll just want to tell you, dear friend, something that’s been on my mind. Or, something that’s happened to me. Good and bad. I’m hoping more good than bad stories will…
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I’ll write a little something today but not very long due to yesterday’s post on my impressions of the current exhibition, It’s All a Blur, at the SomArts Cultural Center. THAT, my friends, was A LOT. Instead, I’ll recommend reading my dear friend, L.J. Roberts, interview with the Social Media Management for Contemporary Art organization. It’s a fantastic interview. LJ discusses her art practice, a ‘love affair’ with New York, and her thoughts regarding censorship in the arts (specifically the work of David Wojnarowicz being removed from the Smithsonian)! Great interview!!! Please click here to…
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With the valiant effort of keeping with my “art diary” format and writing as much as possible in the new year (every day to be exact), I figured it would be nice to write about a Bay Area artist. I’m hoping to learn more about her work as well as her processes as the year progresses. There will be more, I can promise you that, dear reader. For now though, I’m just spinning my wheels and getting the juices flowing. So, let me…
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I’m a huge believer in seeing art everywhere. Many people believe art must be an object (i.e., painting, drawing, etc.) exhibited inside museum and/or gallery walls and reserved for some elite group’s viewing pleasure. The contemporary artist must be well-rounded though (i.e., staying apprised of the arts and technology). Look at Takashi Murakami. Fans of Hip Hop artist, Kanye West, are probably very familiar with Murakami’s art and design for album cover, Graduation. Yet, I’m wondering if these same individuals know…
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Hello Friends! Please check out 101 Conceptual Art Ideas. It’s a clever blog about, well, you guessed it, Conceptual Art Ideas. You can actually find the link under “art places/spaces” under the Links section! Some of you may ask, “Why do you love this blog, Dorothy?” Answer: It’s simple. It starts a dialogue. Please visit and talk to me or anyone you know. The conversation may last for 2 minutes or 2 hours. Regardless, you’ve been equipped with more art…
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Hot off the presses…Enjoy! ***************************** Is the imagination a mode of technology? What role does the imagination play in technological advancements such as sensor-laden homes, personal GPS devices, and televisions that can display four channels simultaneously? Artists for Retro-Tech, an exhibition at the San Jose Museum of Art, answer the question of how imagination operates in combination with technical knowledge, and ask the viewer to engage in re-working notions of technology quite imaginatively. The exhibition includes Katya Bonnenfant, Aleksandra Mir,…
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writer | artist | scholar
Dorothy R. Santos, Ph.D. 