Artist’s Blog for Lauren Odell Usher

Looks like we’ve got ourselves a reader

I was reading today–a book entitled, “The Art of the Everyday: The Quotidian in Post War France,” and had to kind of laugh at myself. So, I tend to buy anything that has the words ordinary, mundane, everyday, boring, whatever on it. Anything relating to the everyday lives people lead. I am aware that my life is different and similar in so many ways to other people. I don’t live in a hut and hunt my own food, but I do wake up every morning, breath, feel, wash dishes, clean my house, etc. Anyway, for some time I have been obsessed with those everyday actions connecting us all. That explains my fascination with reading about it.

So, I found a couple of artists that I know I would totally have been friends with if A. I were French B. I were in my 2o’s in the late 1990’s and C. If I were making the work I make now in the late 1990’s. I happened to be in high school at the time, obsessed with the weather and photographing it as it was occurring. (That was my senior year final project–sounds interesting I know! But not really if you live in Arizona, where the weather doesn’t really happen.)

Onto the essay I read where I found my new friends. Written by Lynn Gumpert, entitled, “Beyond the Banal: An Introduction to the Art of the Everyday.” If you have seen any of my work, you know I should be in this club. Anyway, most of the artists seem to be documenting the everyday. Lots of photographers using their own lives and own families as subject matter. Photographing everyday events like putting on make up and the like. They also named an artist, Claude Closky, who makes assemblage pieces from grocery ads and magazines. So, I was sitting there and thinking, “Alright, some cohorts!” And then a little voice replied, “You are not unique.” And for the most part I would agree.

I have to go on a bit of a tangent to explain this part of my discussion with myself. A while back my family and I had an AWESOME discussion in regards to original ideas. I argued, and was the only one at the table that was on my side, that there was only one original thought. Believing that one thing leads to the next and that we are all connected, how could I not? My father pointed to my art and my ideas and told me I was selling myself short. I told him that it makes my art and my job so much more beautiful. It is made up of all of me and all of everyone else (past and present) all at the same moment. What could be better than that?

So, the thoughts I had today, after wondering if I would find my present day cohorts, was, “do I want to find my present day cohorts?” Artists survive on being original. It takes a great deal of effort to impress a viewer and even more to get them to stay a while or come back later. What would happen to my psyche if I found someone who did art exactly like me? I think I might be shattered. I know she/he is out there. But, for now, I don’t want to find them. That is so against everything I believe! I’m such a hypocrite sometimes.

A side project.

Something I have been interested in for as long as I’ve been interested in art, is the connections between particular artworks and the goings ons inside the artist’s world. An example might be the story behind the painting of the Sistene Chapel. There are styles within that room that set up the art world of the future. But, were there other artists who were painting in a similar fashion? What was going on in Michelangelo’s personal and social life at the time? How did that influence the way he painted? What was going on in Italy at the time and how did that change the shape of the art?

These questions I have and the connections I want to figure out stem from my philosophical belief that absolutely everything and everyone is connected. Every event influences the next (sort of a rippling effect). Every person’s actions today set up the world we will all experience tomorrow. So on and so forth. So, I am on a mission to write a sort of art history book that includes the connections and influences of the society that existed during the time the work was created and the culture the artist was experiencing at the time he/she completed the piece.

I have already attempted to do this on another blog, but decided I was focusing too much on the facts. I was listing the time and place that each work was made and the artists birth and death–important facts there’s no doubt, but I want to dig deeper. I want to trust myself to make inferences. I will record them and hopefully someday be able to map out all of the connections I come up with.

The question I have now is, should I pick an event in history that shaped and changed the world and go from there or should I pick a century and learn all I can from it? I started with the 15th century for my last blog and found some interesting books, but not many. Perhaps I will pick an event and go from there. I’ll keep you all posted.

Things getting in the way

What’s funny is that most artist’s want to show their work as often as possible. I am discovering that showing work is the thing that is getting in the way of my producing MORE work. Talk about a Catch 22. I think I’m using that reference correctly. I’m in the middle of curating a show and putting together a paired show with Heidi Forssell–you can see an interview Lisa Rasmussen and I did with her at Art is Moving. Anyway, organizing that has kept me so busy that I have no images for this blog–where I’m supposed to be recording my process.

Yes, I know the organizing and hanging of work IS part of the process, but man oh man can it get annoying sometimes. The pile of crap that I have to go through in my studio may be another reason I’m not producing art lately. But, that pile of junk is there because it is part of the administrative shit that goes along with curating and organizing shows.

On top of that, I need to apply to more shows in order to show more art. It never ends. I’m not complaining. Well, at this moment I am, but I do want to stress that I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. That’s the problem with choosing a career that can take a long while to pay off (monetarily) sometimes you feel guilty when you spend most of your time doing that thing–because at some point you want to be able to do it with out stressing about buying bread instead of ink. That’s a bit dramatic, but I’m trying to make a point.

Just wanted to say that I’m working, just not on visually attractive stuff. So, here’s the record of my process of being an artist, for all the world to see. I’m sitting at my kitchen table, just having finished editing a video, that will hopefully be up on my Art is Moving site next week (as it pertains to the subject of Political Art–and that is this month’s theme). And, I’m thinking about that pile of junk that I need to sort through to at least get the tiniest bit of space on my studio table to do a couple of carvings of the “Mothers of the Pill” as they are so lovingly referred to–I need to print them on about 6 cases of birth control pills for the show I’m in that opens next week.

So, there I go–off to hopefully make some more NEW art in order to get into more shows in order to make more NEW art.

Timing is everything

Just as I was throwing a stupid pity party for myself I read an awesome critique of a blog I started with Lisa Rasmussen about 4 or 5 months ago (Art is Moving). You can read the compliments here.

It was just what I needed. It reminded me why I have chosen to be an artist. Its not for the money, its not for the pain (I try to stay away from being a drama queen). I don’t like to tell people I’m a “starving artist.” Believe me, there are some artists out there who get off on that stuff. I am not one of them. I would happily get paid to do what I love to do, as would anyone I suspect. And someday that will happen.

Anyway, the timing for these comments were perfect. I needed that boost to get myself going today. Money has been tight and unfortunately it effects my art making. If I can’t afford supplies, I can’t make art. And it’s also emotionally trying at times. But, I’m not complaining because I’m still surviving and I’m doing what i love to do. And apparently, according to the lovely Alana who wrote Lisa and I, I’m doing something right.

So, here’s to doing something right.

The Red Door Gallery and Collective

This post is a bit late, but I wanted to put it out there anyway. The piece that is shown in the post below “Oh won’t you be my neighbor,” is currently hung at the Red Door Gallery in Oakland, CA.

Check out there blog here for a little bit of an inside look at what its like to start a collective. I’m a member, so I will probably be ranting and raving about it as time goes by.

October’s show is a paired show I’m planning with Heidi Forrsell. The title is “Look at me looking at you,” and studies the obsession with both the self and the other. The RDG is in a pretty big warehouse, so there is also what is called an Outer Space that Heidi and I will be curating and hanging work relating to the subject of “Self and Other.” Should be fun.

I was out of town for the sneak preview opening for the gallery (that’s what I hung Mister Rogers in), but will be there for the Grand Opening on October 3rd! I am learning just how much work goes into being part of a collaboration and running a gallery. I think, in the end, it will all be worth it. No matter what, I know I am learning so so so very much.

Oh won’t you be my neighbor

So, first and foremost I would like say that I am a total lame brain. I just received an awesome comment in my “comment box” here on my blog, but accidentally deleted it. If you are out there, person who commented on the Feminist bras and wanted to know if there was still time to be involved in the project—YES! I am still looking for some wonderful volunteers. Either leave me another comment, and this time I will make sure I don’t delete it. Or, if you don’t trust me, just send it via email to lauren@laurenusher.com and I will email you back with my address and bit more information on what I need from you.

So sorry that I totally approved your comment and then somehow deleted it. Wordpress can trick you sometimes if you aren’t careful.

On to another more happy subject. I am happy to say that I have finished another piece for my Significant Stranger Project. As you might have read earlier on my post Neighborhood Piece I have been painting images from found photographs onto old photographs from CalTrans. Anyway, I was struggling with the look of it and I didn’t feel like it was really delivering the concept I wanted it to. So I sat with it a while and came up with this.

Certainly a whole new idea. But, I am much more fond of it and believe it delivers a much stronger concept and, let’s face it, it is much cooler looking.

I grew up watching Mr. Rogers and have always had a strange relationship with the idea of neighbors. My whole artistic endeavor is about getting people more involved with one another, but I have to say, I still want a tall fence around my backyard. Does that make me a hypocrite–maybe so. But, I’m sure there are more people out there who feel the same. I appreciate privacy and believe it is a right, but I do think that we should attempt to cross our own boundaries once in a while and get to know those around us.

New Art–Feminist Bras

Here are just the beginnings of this piece. I still need to print more women on bras and figure out how to show them. I am leaning towards pinning them along a rope, but don’t know for sure yet. Also, I am considering using underpants as well, but don’t know that those really deliver the concept as well.

I’m torn between the above image and the first image as being my favorite thus far. I just love the look of this (above) piece. Susan B. Anthony looking so serious on a pink bra kind of gives me the giggles. But, on another note the mixing of sex and feminism that the first picture delivers is also powerful. But, there are more bras to come so I’m sure that my opinion may change. I’m actually surprising myself lately–I’ve started to use colored ink. This has hardly occurred over the past 4 years, so I’m anxious to see where I am taken.

I will keep you updated.

A New Idea

I wanted to write this down before I forget. I have a new project idea. So, because my concept involves really living moment to moment and cherishing everything you experience and everyone you meet I want to capture my attempts at becoming more conscious of my own life.

I have decided that at some point in the near future I will begin taking one photograph a day of something I have never noticed before. I don’t really know anymore details than that, but that’s that. So far that is what I have come up with.

It is interesting to me that I came up with this idea, as most of my ideas lately have involved other participants–this one will involve me and a camera and day to day life.

So, for now, that is it. I will add onto this idea as I decide to go for it and start collecting photographs.

Process–Original Owners Piece

So, another beginnings of a new work. I find these days that I am bouncing from one piece to the next every other second. I can’t seem to remain hooked on one work in order to finish it. Don’t know why that is, but I will share another piece I am in the middle of building on.

These two pieces will be combined with many many other pieces like them. I hope to fill a huge shelf with piles of containers holding products I have used. For now I am trying to print the original owners of the particular companies on the product containers. I may combine them with current workers, board of directors, etc. in the future, but I haven’t decided yet.

I also want to print larger faces on more than one container–make sort of a puzzle.

I will keep you updated on how this process goes and hope to get one of these done eventually.

–Lauren

The Shoe Piece

So, this is another piece that is in the works–It is as hard as I thought it would be! But, I think when I am finished with it in a few months it will look awesome.

This piece involves not only significant strangers, but a significant event. For this project as a whole I am attempting to use events that have occurred both before I was born and also during my lifetime in order to communicate the idea that the past has set up the world we live in today and we (as a collective whole) are, everyday, setting up the world future generations will reside in.

Photography has always been a significant art form and practice for me. I chose a particular photograph I remember being powerful for me the first time I saw it when I was younger. It was taken as Elizabeth Eckford entered Little Rock Central High in Arkansas in 1957.

I decided to use this photograph as my subject matter for my shoe piece. What I mean by “shoe piece” is I am painting on the bottoms of shoes that have been worn down by various individuals. I hope to conceptually deliver the message of “take a walk in my shoes.” Like most of my work this piece is about perspective and attempting to show the connections we all share.