Thank you Mr Penn

Oct 9, 2009
Cartagena, Colombia
Elevation 2m

I had a moment this morning to read through the headlines from these last couple of days and to my surprise, I found out that Mr Irving Penn had passed away on Wednesday at the age of 92. He is one of my favorit photographers from that generation and also the last surviving one. Both Mr Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton passed away in these past couple of years.

I once asked my friend Jay Maisel if he has ever had a chance to meet Mr Penn, Jay being a famous photographer in his own right. Jay said that his path and Mr Penn has never really crossed but they both know of one another and have had several phone conversations. He said in one of his conversations with Mr Penn, Jay expressed a desire to meet. Mr Penn then told him that he was not recieving guests as there is still so much photographs that he wants to take and he has so little time left.

Mr Penn´s dedication made me speechless.

There is a nice article about Mr Iriving Penn´s life and works in the New York Times if you are interested.

This too, shall pass.

March 3, 2009
NYC

Helmut Newton said in his autobiography that no one wants to hear about how someone is successful, it is only the struggle to get there that is worth reading. I get his point. No one wants to hear about how wonderful it is to be adored by the world, its inelegant.

So, as I leave LA for a trip of indeterminate length to NYC, as I walk away from a 6 year relationship due to irreconcilable differences, I am broken. To add insult to injury, I have been rejected by 4 different galleries of late, did not win a particular grant that I thought I would be a great candid for and I feel stuck creatively.

I am supposed to be in NYC to pitch my commercial work, getting meetings with art buyers and etc etc, yet I have been here for two days now and I barely want to go outside. I feel broken.

As I try to catch up with news via blogsphere today, I learned that Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails has decided that they will do one last tour with Janes Addiction (in celebration of NIN's 20 year anniversary) and then Trent will put NIN to sleep, for a while, maybe for good. Ironically, the movie "Singles" is on TV as I type. Remeber alternative rock? Can't help but find the irony that some of my favorite bands will be celebrating their 20th anniversary this year or the next and that I am old enough to remember these things. I have always been a little damaged, but now, I feel old and broken.

All which really just reminds me that, "this too, shall pass." No matter how good times are, no matter how broken I feel, the good and the bad shall all pass in exchange for something new, something else. I just hope that I can summon the inner Asian overachiever here soon and get back to overachieving.

I shall end with this quote my fellow friend / brilliant artist Kesha Bruce posted on her blog today:
“Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it.”– William C. Durant

Fluctuating Value of Art and Artist

February 14, 2009
Los Angeles, CA

Last week I attend a lecture by Milton Estrow, Editor in Chief of ArtNews Magazine at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The title of the lecture was "How to Look at Art without Feeling Inferior." I was not particularly interested in the topic of the lecture, I was interested in seeing Mr Estrow speak in person.

Last year as I was sending out press packets in promotion for my exhibit for "Wok the Dog," I had received a hand written reply from Mr Estrow himself, that he received the press kit and would pass it along to the appropriate editor at the magazine. I was blown away! WOW! Mr Milton Estrow was impressed enough with my press kit that he personally wrote me a note in return. The note speaks volumes of him as a person.

The hour he spoke was filled with anecdotes and quotes from various artists and critics. The one thing that struck a note with me from the evening is the ever shifting "value" of the artist and the art. In essence, both artistic and monetary value of artist and the art we create will always be in flux. One minute we are eating cat food out of the tin can and the next we are fetching millions at auctions. Art is always subjective and tastes is ever shifting. Mr Estrow urged us to ignore the critics in some ways and ultimately judge for ourselves the value and greatness of the art and the artist. Does it speak to you? Does it make you feel? If so, then F*ck what the critics may have to say.

Its a nice reminder of REALITY. Its always encouraging the be reminded that you will not always be on top forever, nor will you always be in the slush pile forever either. This too shall pass. If you can stay passionate to your vision, then your day as the art world darling will come. But remember, that too shall pass.

At another event last night, June Newton made this remark about her late husband, Helmut, (who is one of my FAVORITE photographers), "I didn't used to think he was a genius, but now that he is gone, I do think he is a little bit of a genius." Even your stock price fluctuates with your own wife and muse, how could we expect anything less from everyone else?