 The second day of My Portfolio week! Today is the second day of My Portfolio Day. The theme is about internal energy.     My flower shop is a place that doesn't sell real flowers but ones on paper. If you don't throw my flowers away on purpose, they won't wither instead and stay with you for a long time. My painting flower will retain many feelings and power compared to no energy anymore when the natural flower shrinks.   At the Jeju 4.3(Jeju uprising) incident, my father was eight years old. My grandfather was the principal of the elementary school in Jeju. On the 4.3th, 1948, armed men from the South Korean Labor Party gathered people from schools, city halls, and houses in one place and shot them. At the time, my grandfather passed away. Before he went to paradise, he held my father's little hand tightly and cried. In April, Jeju Island is a beautiful season when the camellia flowers blossom colorful and red. But the camellias of that days flew over and covered the blood of many innocent citizens who were executed for ideology.
One day, I wanted to capture the Hope that this little bird conveyed. With the most Korean colors, I drew it with only   When I was in Korea, I was taught that I must always be the same style as my affiliated group. Maybe that's why I felt freedom when I saw the colorfully various mailboxes on the streets of America. The diversity of life gives me tremendous freedom and broadens my view of the world.   It is a picture I drew after waking up from a dream in the morning. One day in my dream, I saw a baby horse running. It was a bright sunny day, but I could hear the thunder far away as if it seemed to start a storm. I was looking somewhere through a window. Surprisingly, I discovered a beautiful rainbow in the sky. In the blink of an eye, the rainbow was set like a jewel on the back of a calf running. At that moment, my heart was filled with hope, escaping from the anxiety brought by the thunder.
 At night, the bustling noises of the world disappear promptly, and only then can you entirely focus on yourself. Ironically, the truth is that the self that is wholly felt without all the trophies or accessories in the world is the true ego. Perhaps the loneliness and emptiness
0 Comments
 The fourth day of My Art Festival! Introduction to the most memorable exhibition. Today is the 4th day of My Art Festival. Today's topic is the most impressive exhibition of my ten years. What is an exhibition? An exhibition is an action and effect that reveals something for others to see, hear, and appreciate. The word comes from the Latin expositio, expositiōnis. For artists, an exhibition is an opportunity to open the paintings they have been drawing for a long time to the public, and it is a valuable place to help their works come out and be constantly exposed to the world. Artists regularly held or attend exhibitions to make their careers and introduce their works. And when these records accumulate over time, It become a personal art history and sometimes become a kind of life documentary that tells the artist's own life like a diary. For the artist himself, it is a career that shows his professionalism in artistic activities, and it is also a stepping stone for other attempts or challenges. Through this, artist will meet collectors, curators, art lover, colleagues, and mentors, allowing artists to work with these connections without being isolated actively.  There are many different routes for artists to create or participate in these exhibitions such as gallery open calls, Jurid Competition exhibition, interview with a curator, regular gallery events, exhibitions through art shows and art fairs, local festivals, etc. And the format of the exhibition is also diverse. Outdoor art shows, regular exhibitions, group exhibitions, solo exhibitions, online exhibitions, hybrid exhibitions, exhibitions through outreach programs linked with companies or companies, etc., you can compose your exhibition considering the type of exhibition. Personally, I mainly participated in online exhibitions in 2020 due to Covid-19. And since most of them are online, I realize the nostalgia and importance of offline exhibitions while being comfortable. When I see white empty walls, I feel good. In general, people get scared when they see a white canvas. What should I fill in here? So did I. However, if you continue to draw and receive comfort from painting, there will come a moment when the white wall and the white canvas are no longer a pain. Instead, if you look at space or canvas without anything, you will find pictures filled here, and you will be happy as ideas arise like me. At this stage when I could enjoy with paintings, while walking down the street, when I saw the empty white space in the store, I used to think of it as a space to hang the paintings. This offline space allows me to feel the ideas and pleasures that need to be filled. It's fun to look at the physical space and place the artwork, sometimes nailing it, and after hanging the picture, it's fun to see how well the artwork is laid out from a distance. Of course, when I came to New York, the curators took the place of hanging and arranging the pictures, so I didn't have many opportunities to have that kind of fun, but it's still gratifying to talk about pictures with the curators and put them together. That is why I feel a stronger sense of happiness not only at the moment of the exhibition, but also in the process of preparing for the exhibition. Memories of walking through the gallery while talking about paintings with a sculptor friend during the first exhibition, memories of making exhibition posters and designing postcards together, my husband was nailing nails to hang paintings on the wall, and playing and helping out for my exhibition. The exhibition is like a festival place where people can enjoy themselves together.  And if I do an exhibition, I surely get the fruits of that exhibition. Some exhibitions allow me to meet good mentors, and some exhibitions make good connections to open other exhibitions. Sometimes a painting sells well, and sometimes not a single painting sells. However, even if it was an exhibition where not a single piece of work was sold, there must be some unseen fruit. I will meet good people and sometimes lead to a promising career. So I learned a good lesson that no exhibition could be neglected. I have held or attended 40 exhibitions over the past ten years. On average, four exhibitions were prepared and held every year. It's a small-scaled statistic compared to prolific and famous painters, but personally, it's a number I'm very proud of, given that I did my best when I couldn't afford it. How could an artist who had no time, money, or diploma in art like me have done to open 40 exhibitions for free? The answer is clear as always. It is because angels who help are always there. If I can't meet such people hadn't had such opportunities, it would have been difficult for them to continue to work for ten years. Looking back in this sense, the most impressive exhibition I have held so far was the solo exhibition I held before I came to the United States, that is before I left Germany. The event is organized by Artists networks, the Künstlernetzwerke-SW, the Karlsruhe . I have exhibited support from this organization for exhibition space and performance costs. I thought this exhibition was a better opportunity because it was able to organize paintings and assorted art related events. When I announced this plan, my artists' friends actively supported me. Among them were a singer, a pianist, and a Korean language school principal. He played, sang, and read poetry to me for my exhibition. Since the exhibition's theme was Korea, all performances were based on Korean sentiments.   Through that exhibition, I discovered that the exhibition is not a space to hang up and look at paintings physically but to share and experience invisible pleasures and artistic depths. When painting, music, and literature come together, you can experience art and the depth and joy of art in a more three-dimensional way. And you come to realize that painting, music, and literature all have one root, one origin. I hope that the power of consolation of art will do an excellent job when everyone feels tired from Corona and feels stuffy with unfamiliar restrictions and regulations.  Introducing my favorite piece of work I've sold. Today is the 3rd day of My Art Festival. Today's topic is my personal favorite story among the paintings sold during my ten years of work. Actually, all the paintings I've drawn until now are precious and meaningful. There is an apparent reason why the picture was drawn, and it has its own story and concepts. Since 2021, I've been blogging about the process and story of them. In that sense, the blog is a useful virtual space where I work or present the results of my work, and I think it is a valuable stage to talk about the story of the painting that I have not been able to talk about that. Above all, the stories about the paintings that have been accumulated are very adjuvant when making a portfolio and planning the next work. Like a blog, life experiences are accumulated in this way, and the piles make another challenge to jump up. My first challenge started in 2006. For the first time in my life, I left Korea with my own will. In a nutshell, it is the starting point of independence. And in 2006, I left Korea, and I have been living abroad for 15 years. In the meantime, my sense of values was changed and got many opportunities to broaden my perspectives surroundings. I could learn how to build tight-knit friendships and face to solve problems with strong confidence. Those the internal product is the result of patience against the loneliness and poverties when I've been experienced in a foreign country. As a peak at the fruits of endurance, I had gotten a good chance to change my direction. As a result, I made my debut as a painter, and I am making a living by painting and selling my works. In the meantime, When I draw something, I often update them on Artflakes. A total of 235 points have been raised so far. Some of them cannot be classified as artworks. Digital images created as illustrations or as simple tutorials should be subtracted. If I do that, I estimate I drew about 200 pieces. If I calculate it again, it means that I have been drawing steadily at 20 points per year. But these records are very scarce. In the case of an American artist named Grandma Moses, whom I introduced earlier in my post, she made her debut at 76, and she painted 40 paintings each year. Comparing that there was such energy at the age, I am ashamed to dare publish statistics to the public. But it's just my blog, so I'll report it comfortably. Among them, I sold 60 paintings. So 30% of the drawings (including acrylic and digital) were filled out. Almost 100% of the paintings are sold while painting, which is insignificant compared to painters. However, I am personally proud of myself when I think of the results I made by splitting up time and squeezing out resources in my environment. Compared to the artists, who sold their works almost 100% even while painting, which is insignificant as a statistics. However, compared to my situation myself, I am personally proud of the work-out when I think of the results I made by splitting up time and squeezing out resources in my environment. Wouldn't it be great if someone gave a lot of support and interest to artists who do their best? I think about it as others. I set up an easel next to the kitchen early and painted it. It was not easy to fulfill my dream while doing housework in an unfamiliar land, taking care of a child, and supporting my husband, who came to study abroad. I had had an excellent opportunity to make my debut and get an atelier at a low price, but I missed out on an offer because I didn't have enough good affordance. At that time, the best efficient thing, which I can make my works do was draw while cooking. Even now, my resource hasn't changed much there. I still have the priority to do housework first. After that, I draw pictures in-between times. Still, my studio is close to the kitchen for saving my time. But even though I'm working on such a tight schedule, I'm not that desperate or depressed. I know mentors, I admire such as the German painter Hundertwasser, who explained that artists do not need a studio and that all-natural environments are studios. Considering his life, paintings, and philosophy, my small studio nicely arranged in the house feels like a kind of luxury. Above all things, my art lovers love my paintings and are the owner of them. Thanks to them, I can keep walking.  The sunflowers for wishes, 2015, Myungja Anna Koh
For Introducing my favorite sold painting, I was looking for past records. Of all the paintings that have been sold, my favorite painting is "The sunflowers for wishes". (The title was changed from that to sunflowers) Actually, this painting was made by someone's order. I wished her happiness, always bright light, and full of joy and laughter. So the title is "The sunflowers for wishes". But for some reason, she canceled to purchase the painting. I respect individual opinions. There must have been a good reason for that. And when that happens, I don't be disappointed because I know that person is not the owner. The painting has since been exhibited in several exhibitions to find its owner. Come back from the trips, it hung up on my studio wall. Because strangely, it gave me good energy and brightness like an energy booster. Looking at this picture gives me power and makes my heart happy. So, in other things, I was worried that someone would like to buy it. Then it met a nice owner. Looking back, it seems to be the fate and blessing of this painting. I hope that my paintings will reside together in the same way that people find their color and direction in life's countless life processes with bitterness and sweetness. And I want to continue drawing pictures that share good energy and comfort and deliver happiness while living together like that. And among the works sold, I will introduce another anecdote that touched me the most. That's the story of a piece called "In my Dream." This is a picture I drew for my first exhibition. It was about my dream story with acrylic on a long canvas. A Korean visitor who saw it recalled the famous Korean poem "Mom, sister, let's live by the river" by Yoon, Dong-Ju. Mama mine and sister sweet, Come live with me by the river. In the garden, a glow of golden sands in glitter And hums of reeds outside rear-gate. O, Mama mine and sister sweet, Come live with me by the river.  In my dream, 2012, Myungja Anna Koh. This painting did not sell at that time but was sold at another exhibition. The customer is a gentleman who had been a professor for a long time and then retired to become a full-time painter. He bought the painting and invited my family and me to his house to show us how the sold painting goes well. Sometimes I see a lot of sincerity and deep passion in art from German painters. The energy they offer me is becoming another mentor. Thanks again for his love and passion for art. Most of the interesting things, I could see the paintings that he drew in his spare time while teaching students. If there is a chance, I would like to introduce them here. At that time, I realized that there are many hidden masters in the world. And I was able to keep my humility in front of the painting. I learn a lot while drawing, but I know a lot through my relationships while selling like this. These lessons may be why I can walk steadily on this path, not just for success and fame.  Introduction of the most impressive debut film Today is the first day of my art festival. Festivals are a celebrating way to memory glorious heritage, culture, and traditions. In other words, it does not mean simply eating and drinking and having a party, but rest for new production activities and a monumental event for re-creation. Art festivals are held together with local festivals, mainly art and culture-related performances, exhibitions, and seminars at art galleries, museums, or other related organizations. An arts festival that is not limited to the visual arts but may feature a mixed program that includes music, literature, comedy, children's entertainment, science or street theater. They are usually offered at venues over a period ranging from a day or weekend to a month. Each event within the program is usually ticketed individually. I've decided to hold my art festival on my site for a week. And I created a timetable like below. Today's title is " Introduction of the most impressive debut film". I lived in the small suburban in Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany for about eight years. At that time, I made my debut in the Poly Gallery. Still thinking about that time, I think it was a turning point that changed my life, a brave and good decision, and a precious time. I put the pictures below in my portfolio bag and took the interview. I drew all of these paintings one by one to shake off the thoughts of hometown and loneliness that came to mind as I left Korea for the first time in my life and lived as a stranger and outsider in an unfamiliar land. Most of the above pictures were created between 2006 when I first arrived in Germany, and 2010 before I was interviewed. Mostly, I drew on A4 or B4 and Letter paper with watercolors or acrylics. There was no particular theme, and I drew many things right away as I remembered to overcome the difficulties and struggles I face in the daily life of immigrants. I drew some paintings during the watercolor process at the art museum. Looking at these pictures, I can feel how much I missed Korea. And realise now the colors and tones are still Korean. The opinions of the artists who judged me during the interview felt like a message of encouragement and support. "Why did you draw on a small piece of paper? Draw bigger!" And also I remember they told me that it feels something with the creativity". Some painters offered to rent an atelier for as low a price. I still regret not responding to that offer at that time. The screening process was really fun. It was a gallery run as a cooperative of painters, and all of them were sincere and passionate artists. They placed each marble into a glass jar like a goldfish tank, which had to be above a certain level. A lot of marbles were put in, and I was able to get my first exhibition opportunity by passing a certain level.  Poly, Karlsruhe, source by http://www.poly-galerie.org/navi.html In the first exhibition, the following paintings were exhibited. I thought a lot about drawing a cool philosophical drawing with one tone and one theme. But there was a philosophy that the most honest is the best. So I drew what I wanted to draw. I like to capture the movement and energy of objects and draw them. When I was young, I tried to capture the movement of fish while looking at it. I wanted to capture the fluttering of wings and the birds' energy I feed them at home. I also wanted to capture the trees swaying whenever the wind blows. I tried to stuff the vividness and dynamism of that energy into the canvas. Like the wind, energy is invisible, but it exists. The emotion we speak of, love, has different visible results but is invisible. I wanted to draw this kind of energy. Currently, out of the 19 paintings above, I have only 3 paintings so far. 16 paintings found their owners. I love all the pictures, but there are some that I personally think are the best.  Tow fish, 2011, Myungja Anna Koh That's the picture of the two fish above. As time passes and I draw, I feel that the direction of what I am pursuing and what I want becomes clearer. In the beginning, there was a lot of fear. It's because I wanted to draw better than others, and I had wanted to draw a picture that would come and wonder when others saw it. And when I did the first exhibition, I thought that there was a visible path from then on, and I felt that I would go on that path vigorously. However, looking back, I realize that it was all an illusion and that, in the end, it was a way to walk like a monk with the sincerity of art. And, of course, there is no road, so I am well aware that I have to take a big shovel and dig up one step to make a way at a time. Perhaps what would have happened if I had known this in advance during the initial exhibition? I probably haven't been able to work for such a long time. I guess I gave up halfway and tried to find another way because it is much easier to walk a path someone has made than building a track from scratch. Still, I think it was fortunate that I didn't know anything. And I still go through trial and error, but I know very well that I will continue down this path in the end. In this sense, the picture of two fish is the world I want to draw in the future because I drew the fish in my dream and tried to capture its energy and movement. With this My Art Festival as an opportunity, I hope this year will be a year where I can go back to my first feeling and think about what kind of picture I should draw, and above all, I look forward to drawing a lot of images I like. Do I have to go to art school to become an artist? ACS data reveals that there are 1.4 million working artists in the world. The number of artists in the United States has increased to over two million, representing 1.4% of the population. U.S. consumers spend an average of $4 per month. It is estimated that about one-fourth of the U.S. labor force is composed of artists-only slightly less than all active duty and reserve personnel. (source by https://artradarjournal.com/art-education/what-percentage-of-the-world-is-artistic/) Above all else, the art market is fiercely competitive. Even if they survive this competition, there are only a few artists who succeed and live without worries. One factor to make it more competitive and leave only minor successful artists is the subjective attribute of the art market. Creativity works positively when you can pour out ideas and strategies that make anything successful. However, the meaning of the word creative is very subjective and sometimes improvised. Therefore, it is sometimes vague and fuzzy when viewed from the other point. Normally, we get confused and anxious when standing in front of a road where the route is not visible. If the course is clear, you can listen to the experiences of seniors or mentors who have gone ahead and followed them. Very simple! But, the subjective and creative path means that you have to pioneer and make it yourself in a word, nobody tells you the exact route.  Fuzziness, Aaron Kim The survey, “A study on the financial state of visual artists today,” was conducted by The Creative Independent, a publication funded by Kickstarter whose mission is to provide support for artists and other creators. More than 1000 self-identified artists took the survey. Of those, only 32 percent said they’d been pursuing art careers for more than ten years. Though people from 52 countries answered the survey, more than 75 percent of respondents are from the United States. The survey reveals how rare it is for artists to earn a living from their artwork alone. It also suggests that having gallery representation or an MFA has little impact on an artist’s financial stability. Just 12 percent of respondents listed gallery sales among their top three income sources, and “being represented by a gallery is usually not a helpful way for an artist to pursue financial stability,” the report said. Art school was seen as helpful in developing an artist’s work, but “earning an art degree does not set artists up for financial stability,” the survey concludes. The survey data also suggests that artists have learned how to make a living primarily on their own or from their peers, not from school or other educational opportunities. “Artists were most likely to credit their relationships and support network as top factors contributing to their financial stability,” according to the report. (Source by https://thecreativeindependent.com/artist-survey/) So, back to the beginning, do I have to graduate from art school to become an artist? Let's ask Does this mean that everyone becomes an artist after graduating from art school? If you ask again, it becomes clear. Can you become an artist just by graduating from art school? In a nutshell, being an artist is not a matter of skill or degree, or talent, it is a matter of identity. If the artist's identity is solid, skills, degrees, talents, and other external factors may all be perfect or one may be lacking. Conversely, no matter how excellent all external factors are, if you cannot continue creative activities, and sometimes copy other people's ideas or drawings, and cannot create your own world of work, you cannot be called an artist. It's like not everyone is an artist just because they make something good-looking. Recently, I read an interest article with the title, "Do You Know You Are an Artist? Or, Do You Decide to Be One?" The blogger interviewed five artists who work with their identity as artists on the assumption that artists are born or that they decide.  https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/do-you-know-you-are-an-artist-or-do-you-decide-to-be-one One of five interviews, the sentences of artist, Lordy Rodriguez was impressive. If you make art, you are an artist. It's not dictated by financial success or professional success. But if you don't make art, then you aren't an artist anymore. The challenging thing isn't how to be an artist. The challenging thing is how to keep being an artist. In other words, there is no formula that you can be an artist if you graduate from an art school. However, if you would like too strict with such a principle, you don't understand what is an art and real situation in the art market. In the report of significant statistics, it announces that most surprising was the lack of overlap between working artists and arts graduates. In the United States, 40 percent of working artists do not have bachelor’s degrees in any field. Only 16 percent of working artists have arts-related bachelor’s degrees. Though arts graduates may acquire additional opportunities and skills from attending art school, arts graduates are likely to graduate with significant student loan debt, which makes working as an artist difficult, if not impossible. We acknowledge that some arts graduates are satisfied with work in other fields, but the fantasy of arts graduates’ future earnings in the arts should be discredited. (Excerpt "A report by BFAMFAPhD, 2014") Instead, if you go to art school because you simply love to learn without expecting any output, your chances of success are high. It is a great opportunity to truly explore your world of work, broaden your horizons, learn professional skills, and expand your network.  Out of 2 million arts graduates nationally, only 10 percent, or 200,000 people, make their primary earnings as working artists. A report by BFAMFAPhD, 2014 Source by: A National Study on the Lives of Arts Graduates and Working Artists Go to the result of research If you go to art school, you have a high possibility of becoming an artist because of the excellent faculty, curriculum, and network. Even if you go to such a place, if you do not constantly find your identity as an artist on your own and create a world of art, you may graduate and be left with nothing. And the best thing about graduating from art school is that it's easier to prove yourself. Above all, if the university has a brand value, it becomes even easier. At some point people will recognize whatever you draw. In whatever way, there is also the paradoxical nonsense that the identity of an artist can be easily obtained because of the idea that a diploma is a certificate to be an artist. In short, it is a double-edged sword. Most important factor is that it is up to you to become an artist, to have an identity as an artist, to create your own art world, and to survive as a niche market in a highly competitive world. If you have a degree and want to teach or engage in education, it is a good idea to go to art school. In that regard, I also consider institutional education. One thing is for sure, there are many styles of artists in the world, and since the path of an artist is a way that must be thoroughly contested with works that do not require any documents, you must constantly create works. Like Monet, who painted only ponds in own garden for 46 years, like Cézanne, who one day quit the splendid Parisian life and went to Mont Sainte-Victoire to paint only mountains for a long time, it seems that the path of an artist is the way to sincerely pursue the authenticity of the world. In this passage, you can see why they could be great masters. In this way, pursuing the essence and authenticity of things, and creating my own world comes first. And next probably, according to the occasions, it needs another accessories. If you work hard to create art, build your own world, and communicate with people who recognize it, perhaps you will come across yourself as an artist all of a sudden someday. |
Myungja Anna KohArtist Categories
All
Archives
November 2022
|
RSS Feed
