My Touch Lecture's Available from College Art Association

In February I had the pleasure of giving a talk on contemporary dis/ abled artists who explore the sense of touch in their work. I now have a copy of the panel discussion on cd for anyone interested in the topic. Maybe if I'm feeling ambitious I can figure out how to put it up on the blog. You'll get to hear me stammering away about the minor offenses of Derrida, the intrigues of Judith Butler and the awesomeness of artitsts Catheine Sherwood, Sandy Yi, Stepehn Lapthisophon and me. You might even be able to hear the old school chook- choocks of a slide projector in the background!

In Search of Vision's Body: the Role of Touch in the Practice of Painting and Architecture can be purchased online, along with the entire catalogue of events from the 2008 College Art Association Conference in Dallas. Be sure to check out my co- panelists and organizers Sanda Iliescu, Thomas Berding, Phoebe Crisman, Nathan Coleman and Derek Brueckner.

The Texture of Cyclops and Supernovas

I'm rereading a passage from James Elkins's chapter on blindness in The Object Stares Back. This piece was really important to me as an undergrad painter. It opens with this surprising observation.

Because we cannot see what we do not understand or use or identify with we see very little of the world- only the small pieces that are useful and harmless.

This statement had an odd impact on me at the time, perhaps it was the weight of 500 years of ocularcentricism lifting from my shoulders. Artists definitely pick and choose what themes will be central to their work though the single- mindedness of their choices aren't always harmless. In their own lifetimes, painterly obsessions are often treated as professional liabilites. I'm reminded of a 19th century critic's snippy comment about J. M. W. Turner's "cyclops-" those exuberant globs of yellow ochre and cadmium red suns stamped like a wax seal on his canvases.

When I was younger looking at reproductions of Turner's paintings I'd wonder, what's with all the seascapes? Turner's work isn't meant for remote viewing; standing in front of one of these paintings is the best way to explore physical evidence of the gestures that first ignited the chemical surf.

Painting has everything to do with residue, films, sheens, traces and other forms of pigmentary reffuse. Now that we're well into the second decade of digital imaging and with more than a century of photographic processes behind us, I'd argue that this textural alchemy is what makes painting great.

In Blindness Elkins' attention turns to the stars themselves when describing vision's remarkable exclusivity:

Perhaps ordinary vision is less like a brightly lit sky with one blinding spot in it than like the night sky filled with stars. He asserts that vision is immensely troubled. Sight is not merely partial blindness or selective seeing but a determinate trading of blindness and insights. I couldn't agree more, and I appreciate it when he positions blindness firmly in the physiological sense of the word. At least he recognizes that blindness exists on a continuum with vision; at one end is 20/20 vision, at the other, total blindness. Most of us (including most blind people) occupy a space on the bell curve falling somewhere between these two coordinates.

Jennifer Justice, Works on Paper on View Now in Denver

My work is on view at VSAC in Denver. Hope some of you will head on over to this unique exhibit.

It's All About Touch
A juried show of tactile artwork from across the country. This show is all about artwork that is accessible through the sense of touch. National and local artists have contributed pieces to make this a memorable show including Ann Cunningham, Paul Bouchard, Jennifer Justice, Tina Blatter, Pam Cooke, Naomi Marrow and special musical guest – Eddie Salcido.

Featured Artist: Michael Naranjo is a recipient of the Life Time Achievement Award from the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. Mr. Naranjo has pieces of work in the collections of the Vatican, the White House, and Phoenix’s Heard Museum.

Opening Night Reception, Friday, October 19: Close Your Eyes and Open Your Mind. The entire gallery will be darkened so patrons can experience the art tactually. Hosted by The National Federation of the Blind of Denver and the Colorado Center for the Blind with food provided by Little India.

Family Art Day, Saturday, October 27, 11am-1pm: Making your own tactile art, Ann Cunningham, author and nationally know tactile artist, and Pam Cooke will lead this workshop. Free and open to the public.

First Friday, November 2, 6-9pm: Hosted by The National Federation of the Blind of Denver and the Colorado Center for the Blind with food provided by Jose’s Restaurant. Special Musical Guest: Eddie Salcido.

Gallery Talk, Wednesday, November 7, 11:00am-1:00pm: A workshop for educators, arts administrators and designers facilitated by experts in the field Ann Cunningham and Buna Dahal on how to make shows more accessible for people who are blind or have visual impairment. Space is limited so please rsvp to vsaco@earthlink.net.

Moulin Rouge Meets The X-Men? Hell Yeah!!!

A truly great side note to promoting my zine was getting an email from body artist and longlost pal Vonetta Berry last week. We met as undergrads at an over- priced art school. We soon discovered that we'd each spent unsettling periods of our adolescence sharing a zip code with a chemical weapons facility run by the U.S. army in northeast Alabama. Now there's a bond that makes me feel positively ooey- gooey inside- though it could just be the radiation poisoning kicking in. Back then, Ms. B introduced my lilly white self to the joys of the Wiz and the X- Men- cultural icons that serve as influences in her work to this day.

Anyhoo, I can't wait to take in one of Vonetta's painterly burlesque "mutasias" the next time I'm in Houston.

Walker Hall of Fame #1

The best breakup story EVER Artists Marina Abromavic and Ulay walked the Great Wall of China, each journeying 2000 kilometers just to say goodbye.








More Marina!