Overload (Net Art Submissions)

Courtesy John Stidham

I am curating a Virtual Art show at A.T.H.I.C.A (Athens Institute for Contemporary Art). The show addresses the use of a Web page as a work of art, rather than a place for jpgs of paintings. These are the submission guidelines...

"The Web site (when considered with painting, drawing, and sculpture) is a precise tool. The viewer's incontrovertible submission to the work makes it an aggressive, quick, and daring opportunity to provoke, pacify, and subvert its audience. We are seeking work that antagonizes the space (both conceptually and aesthetically) of the "Web page." Focusing specifically on the way that we process and interact with information, submissions can be wide ranging instigating both the power and failure of the web site as a work of art."

If you or anyone you know is interested in being a part of this show, please leave the url of your submission in the comments section along with an email address. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 9 2008.

Fantasy Golf

It's been a while since I blogged regularly, so some things have changed. I started a new blog this weekend. It is by far the best blog I have ever made. It's fantasy golf league. You pick five golfers. Points are determined simply by the amount of money your golfers win. If you have the most money at the end of the segment, then the other fantasy-ers split the cost of a box of your favorite golf balls. We started a new segment this week kicking off the festivities with the US Open.

But this blog is a fantasy dream (is there a such thing as a fantasy dream?)! The leaderboard is updated in real time. I have the projected cut listed, youtube videos of whoever is atop the leaderboard, polling questions like "Will Tiger's knee be a factor?" I find myself, just starring at it. Everyone's picks are posted and you can measure how your matching up with your opponents thanks to the newly introduced feature called "free-time scoring." This refers to the updating of scores whenever I have free time. I even post a picture of the dude in last place to give us puttants (pedants? but replaced with putt? no?) hope. If you'd like to join our league, have your picks to me by Wednesday night next week. All are welcome. Check it out here...

Newman Fantasy Golf

WOW

You should go to A House Falling into the Sea and watch the 60 minutes video about the Doomsday vault. It is freaking incredible!

From Uga's to Aggies

Well, we are on our way to College Station. I have accepted a position as an Assistant professor at Texas A&M University in the Department of Visualization. I'll begin teaching in the Fall. This is an incredible opportunity to work in a department committed to being at the forefront of Technology (and for that matter Science). It's funny, it seems as though the cycle never ends. Graduating was task one, and getting a job was priority number one. I had 8 time changes in the course of 7 days while I was interviewing. It was trying and by the last interview (a school that had all but assigned me an office) I was basically speaking jumble. I couldn't remember what I had already said, what I said that was good and that I wanted to repeat, and what I said that wanted to make sure that I never repeated. For some reason, when asked what artists I liked, all I could come up with was Joseph Beuys, Matthew Barney and Douglas Gordon. I spend my life looking at Contemporary artists. I even feel that I have a certain capacity for remembering names and work after only one viewing. It just seems like everything you're good at goes out the window during this process.

In any case, I thought that I was done. I graduated (with distinction!) and landed a tenure-track position at a tier one research institution. This means that the 7 course teaching load that UNCA Asheville was offering is cut in half at A&M. Finally, I can sit back and enjoy the benefits of authentically executed hard work...

NOT! Dude, tenure at a big school like this is no joke! My plight for tenure began two days ago when I signed the contract. Within about 7 years, I have to prove that I belong here and that I deserve to stay. Certainly a challenge I am up to, and one I am eager to 'knock out of the park' as they say...

[aside]
Strange for me to "say knock it out of the park." To be perfectly honest, I was never a very good hitter. I was a good pitcher but unfortunately, for me to say, "I can't wait until I go up for tenure, I'll definitely strike them out" just doesn't seem right. I do my best to be honest, but the whole knock it out of the park thing just plain doesn't fit me. Replacing it with, "I'll totally score a touchdown" sounds hokey, and "I'm sure I'll par tenure if not better" is like WHAT? So knock it out of the park will have to do for now. I suppose I have 5-7 years to think about it...

We're staying in Athens for most of the summer. I'm teaching here at UGA through June and July. As soon as that is done we're off. Leaving this place will really be difficult, but I'm positive that it is a challenge we will go 40/Love on.

JOHN POWERS

The John Powers of John-Powers.com has just been awarded the Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Award! This is an incredible achievement and is certainly well deserved. John is a sculptor from the University of Georgia and is on his way to the University of Alabama Birmingham to teach sculpture, 3D Design and probably some digital stuff as well. He is an incredible artist, an incredible teacher and an incredible person and I am proud to know him. He has helped me in so many ways, so I'm trying to help him back.

Unfortunately for John Powers...well, his name is John Powers. He has just launched his Web site John-Powers.com but its getting all crammed up with the other "John Powers" Web sites, including John Powers (totally different dude!) the Artist/sculptor who won the Joan Mitchell in 2002. However, the real Shady Powers is, in my humble opinion, completely superior. So in an effort to "get the word out" about John Powers and his work, I am linking to his Web site. It's worth checking out, even if you aren't sure what the hell I'm talking about.

Go here
http://john-powers.com/

Don't go here...
John Powers Professional Speaker
John Powers Political Pundit
John Powers Acting and Modeling School
John Powers Memorial Golf Tournament
or
John Powers American Idol Star

Escape to New York

This is the single most wonderful thing anyone has ever written about me... and if you don't already check into Escape to New York regularly, you should start. Jen and Hooper both have MFA's in Painting and have moved to New York to brave the world of contemporary Art. Check it out...

"Why Are You So Cool"

The Girls...

The catalog from my show at Mercury Art Works is ready!



The Girls of Delta Zeta