Monday, September 19, 2011

Fake Rocks & Botox II

After the show on Thursday, I can honestly say I'm nervous, but relieved about post-undergrad art-making. The work that they have been producing was wonderful. Such a wide range of skill sets were shown. It was the talk that really got my brain going, though. It was nice to hear that the artists had gone in all different directions after graduation. I was intrigued to hear that a couple hadn't even made it to grad school, though they hoped to possibly. I go back and forth on whether or not to pursue grad school so I was relieved to hear that those artists hadn't yet gone back. One of the women who went to grad school was talking about not being able to attend her last month and how much the faculty worked with her to ensure she finished. I guess I always thought teachers cared less once you got to that level so it is reassuring to hear that they still do care.
The part of the talk that made me nervous was that they had trouble finding the time, energy, and money to keep making work.  There seemed to be varying answers for the four present artists. For one, she makes art during "nap-time" and teaches classes in her garage so it seemed as though she fits art in everyday. Babs, on the other hand, struggled to make work. She had only made one sculpture since she graduated in 2010. She also said she was primarily working digitally because  it's cheaper and quicker for her. It seems like it takes time to find that balance needed to make work on a regular basis. I suppose there is a lot more to consider than I realized for post-grad art life.