GRAPHIC ARTISTS DEFINED

I was asked in one of my college classes what I thought a quality graphic designer is and what they do. Since I do consider that to be one of my main artistic functions, I thought I should give it a serious response. Let me try to relay my point of view.

Our world is slathered with advertising as far as the eye can see. It infects every part of our daily lives, from the food we eat to the clothes on our backs. It is almost impossible to step in or out of our homes without seeing something tainted by a design. As disheartening as that might seem, take solace in knowing that there are talented graphic designers at the helm. Not all of them are worthy of course, but that can be found with any profession. The most savvy of these creative knights constantly battle with normalcy and banality. Their weapons are computers and tablets, sketchpads and pencils, all wielded by unbridled minds. Graphic designers are hybrids between artists and businessmen, held together by pure creativity and raw problem solving skills. So instead of seeing our culture as polluted by design, perceive it as a world made more interesting by art.

To some, graphics artists seem like sell outs, peddling their creative minds and artistic talents to anyone with a wad of cash. But instead of seeing them as imaginative whores, they should be revered as champions for modern art. They took a lifestyle that was synonymous with the odd who were always struggling to scrap together a living and adapted them into respected professionals that can make a steady and decent living. As a result, they are now heeded as creative authorities. Their talents are in high demand and their skills can now be honed in esteemed colleges across the globe. This essentially means that fresh minds are marching into society on a yearly basis, bringing new concepts and brightening our communities with visual refinement. Thus if I were asked what a good graphic designer does, I would declare with fervor that they make every inch of our world beautiful and do so with dignity and respect.

PALADIN SAYS DADDY

I know it's just another baby video and everyone thinks their baby needs to be recorded 24/7. I really don't buy into all that. But I had to be a little selfish, cash in a "proud father" token and capture this moment. My son Paladin has said dada a plethora of times but it has always been mainly chattering. This is the first time that he really said daddy, which is then followed by the standard growling that he does so often. Oh and this is just two weeks shy of his first birthday.

Sorry for the video quality. I didn't have the 7D on hand, just my crappy phone.

DEFUNCT JUDICIAL SYSTEM

We all seem to know that our judicial system is corrupt and defunct. For those that say otherwise at least have some sort of basic fear or distrust of the law. What's worse is that it's taught in colleges across the country that we live under a broken system. I say this because I've attended two different colleges, a community college in Virginia and a state university in Kansas, and each had multiple professors that championed it's ineffectiveness. 

What I don't understand is that if most people have issues with the law and professors are teaching that it's a broken system, then why hasn't something been done about it? We just keep passing on our crap from generation to generation. Has the peoples real rights and our power to keep our government in check been left that far by the wayside?

I have no real answers because I am but a peon in the grand scheme of things. Though that mentality right there is probably the real issue. We have been bred into weak mindless sheep. But my guess is that most people just simply don't care. Ignorance is bliss. Anyways, it was just a thought.

If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
-Louis D. Brandeis

DILDO BUSH

Last semester I had a basic intro art class, Foundation 3-D Design. In said class we worked with everything from wood to plaster. On one of our earlier projects we had a choice between 4 different concepts /mediums. Everyone in class, and I do mean everyone, chose to do these cute little figurines made of Sculpey. Now of course I always choose a different path so I picked an entirely different task. My project required that I take a flexible semi-enclosed object and fill it with something that changes its form. Like filling a shirt with sand and molding it into something odd. Now before you scoff, this project wasn't my best work by any means. I just thought it was funny. Let me jump right to the final product then I'll explain more.

Yep, that's a dildo bush alright, sitting on my stove. It's not an intricate piece so I won't even attempt to bore you with trivial details. I simply filled colorful condoms (flavored I might add) with ping pong balls and attached them to a red wooden block. How's that for art. Bah!

Filling the condoms sucked. You try taking a slimy, flaccid, hard to hold onto, easily tear-able tube and shove little smooth spheres into it. But it got a good laugh when I unveiled it in class and that's all that I really wanted. Poke fun at the art institution? Yes please!

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN

In my last post I said that I was going to flood my blog with all of the art related things that I have been up to from this Summer and beyond. Unfortunately, I forgot that I was headed to Michigan on Monday to visit Nicky's familly. Another side effect of the trip is that for the most part I am without regular internet access. Thus postings will be delayed until after Monday of next week when I'm back in hot ass Kansas. So stay tuned!

SUMMER BREAK MY ASS

For those of you that check back here regularly to read my odd ramblings and art post updates, you might have noticed that my post frequency has dropped considerably. I used to post 2-3 times per week but now I'm lucky to get even one up every two weeks. What can I say, I've been kind of slacking on the ole blog. The reason? Summer.

This Summer I had to continue my schooling at a full time pace. These are condensed or expedited courses meaning that they take a regular 16 week course and cram it into 4 and sometimes even two. That means more homework and less time to prepare for weekly tests. Some of my teachers accommodated the shortened time frame so you were still busy but not drowning by adjusting the syllabus so it would fit accordingly and still teach what you needed to know. But one of my teachers had us watching a full movie and reading 3-4 ten page stories every freaking night! Needless to say, WSU consumed a great deal of my free time and severely hampered my urge to create new art. Then factor in that I get custody of my daughter during the summer and the new addition of my infant son who both absorb an insane amount of time. First and foremost I gotta be a good father after all! But essentially, those three things pretty much mean that Summer is no longer a well deserved break.

But fret not my friends! I have in fact been creating new pieces and getting new commissions. I just haven't taken the time to post any of them. So stay tuned as I will be barfing up a ton of stuff on here within the next few weeks.