A Bad Crit

And the winner is....

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:27:41 -0800

After much debate and for a variety of reasons, we have decided to have two winners!

Michelle:

www.littlelovesartist.com

and Alain:

http://www.alainnorte.com/

Congratulations to our two winners! If you like what you see, visit their websites, email them, buy art from them!

Happy Holidays from all of us at A Bad Crit!!

xox

-Monica

For Immediate Release:

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:08:00 -0800

Want a chance to have your work featured on A Bad Crit?

Enter our first ever Holiday Greeting Card Contest!

You can choose a specific holiday, make a general “Happy Holidays,” or “Seasons Greetings” card. It’s all up to you!

The winner’s design will be featured on the blog, sent out in an email blast, with more possibilities thereafter. A Bad Crit will also link your website/blog and contact info for all of your adoring fans to find you and your work.

The card design should be 300 dpi, 5”x7” RGB as a .jpg (for the purposes of the blog).

Everyone loves free publicity!

The deadline for entries is December 15th.

Email us at: abadcrit@gmail.com for more information!

xox

-A Bad Crit

The Wofflehouse Featurette

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:11:08 -0800

By: Magtotoart

Ever wonder what happens when your living space fills up with art that you’ve made and you don’t want it laying around collecting dust? Ever wonder what happens when an art teacher/artist needs to appease the bills-bills-bills beast? Looking for that special porta-potty watercolor to hang in your home? Got a thing for nurses?

Well, I’m here to bring to you the official Wofflehouse General Store Studio Sale.

Jenifer Wofford is a Bay Area based artist who has traveled the world and just so happens to be a good friend and mentor of mine

Go check her website out: http://wofflehouse.com/

When you’re done learning, laughing, and maybe crying a little, stop by the wofflehouse general store and check out the goods!

http://store.wofflehouse.com/

Have fun!

"Making a Music Video" with Andre 4k

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:47:00 -0800

By: Magtotoart

When I asked Andre 4k what it was like to direct a music video, I had no idea what I was in for. I knew that it was no piece of cake. My brief stint in the production industry taught me that. But I wasn’t aware of all of the prep work involved. I wasn’t aware of all of the setbacks involved in making a video on your own. The video I worked on was all set up by the time I got there, and all I had to do was stare at some monitors, help compose some shots, hold some cords, and adjust some clothes and chairs.

Andre gives us an inside look on his process. This is the story of a director on his way up:

“So the name of the first music video I’m presenting is titled “Heroes” from up and coming local artist Cahlaj (collage). I met him earlier this year in February through a mutual High School friend. I had to go through a lot of treatment such as finding extras, shooting locations, looking for props, networking with other filmmakers, borrowing equipment, and making at least five to six different shot lists every time the slightest thing was added or excluded. Right now I’m guessing, but coming up with the whole concept might have taken me two months. The next step was trying to find a day to shoot on. My schedule was pretty flexible but the artist Cahlaj was a fulltime student from Cal State Fullerton who also worked fulltime. So it was really hard for him to be open for a shoot while he juggled college classes, work part time, doing his music on the side, having a social life, and then shooting a video in two different locations in LA… So we met in February-April and had a few meetings to discuss what message we wanted to get across, made sure we had our locations secure, and his song was mastered and mixed. The artist wanted a view of downtown LA buildings in the background, and a little kid with a towel around his neck, which was just a visual look to a bar in the song.

In the month of April, I was ready to shoot the video, but he kept postponing and postponing because of his schoolwork load so we rescheduled until the end of the semester. Again, more delays because the artist was saving up to buy his own microphone and was going to mix the vocals and track by himself. Which didn’t turn out as great so he was recommend a engineer, who liked to take his time. In the meantime I was trying to confirm that I had a downtown loft location booked for the shoot but ended up going thru hell trying to confirm the date because the loft owner lost their phone. I included a scene at the high school we went to. The artist claimed he still talked to one of the teachers who still worked at the school and everything should be good…wrong he waited the last minute to contact her that added another few weeks pushed back.

This video was shot in August on two different days. Day one was shot in the industrial side of downtown LA filled with graffiti and street art, then we headed over to the top floor of a 6 story loft (no elevator) where we would had a view of some skyscrapers, and then end it off with a green screen setup. Day two was about 3 weeks later after we got authorization from the high school to shoot on their property, and also shot some more green screen footage in a friend’s house in Westchester while the rooms were clear from his family moving out.

After I had all the footage I went in nonstop trying to edit as fast as I could, prepping Photoshop pics to be animated, compositing the green screen footage, etc. A good week and a half goes by and once again his audio engineer still hasn’t mixed the song, or any of the songs for his whole entire mixtape. As irritated as I was I just took a break from the project and talked to more artists who was looking for a new director and respected my work ethics. On and off I would go back and tweak certain things until his engineer got his life together and now I can finally present his music video that took way to long to produce. It was a learning experience that didn’t make me want to quit but approach things differently since I’m up and coming.”

You can watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPt9P-B1k58

Gnomon's Sketch Theatre Event

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:49:00 -0700

By: M.Song

As an artist, when people ask me to define what “art” is I am usually left speechless. Not because the question is insulting my intelligence or because of some deep seated trauma involving gauche. It’s because “art” is a loaded and ephemeral question that can’t be explained without a lot of time and cigarettes. There are many interpretations of what “art” is. Is it just a device to express the soul, or is it just another way to tantalize our eyes? Can art be defined by a tangible object, or is it a feeling that can be manipulated and molded at the creators choosing? Sketch Theatre is one of those venues that skirts that line of ambiguity.

Sketch Theatre was created by Alex Alvarez who also happens to be the founder of Gnomon, a school for visual effects and arts in Hollywood. Artists apply and come to their studio rig and sketch what ever they want. This work is then turned into a short video for everyone to view. It’s dictated in their mission statement that, “Aspiring artists are exposed to contemporary artists and the various career paths taken by these like-minded individuals who all began their careers by simply putting ideas and expressions down with a pencil & paper. The brilliant myriad of artists featured on Sketch Theatre strip down and expose raw sketches on camera, never failing to captivate and inspire” and they stay true to it. Giving opportunities to the younger audience and trying to break preconceived notions of art is the feeling that I got from this project. So it’s no surprise that Gnomon would have a gallery reception to showcase these artists.

Celebrating the release of their first book and using the Gnomon gallery space, Sketch Theater and Gnomon showed us how much class they have. Instead of the usual stuffy white walls of your typical gallery, Sketch Theater really made it all about the young people. Open bar, Dj, and elegantly dressed bar girls left the impression that it was a place to celebrate their creation together and share a little bit of what they wanted to portray with their project. The mood came across and, to a certain extent, I would also say that about the art work that lined the walls of the gallery.

Why a certain extent you ask? While I see what they were going for it was more of a celebration that it was an art show. If there was a need to actually analyze and compare against other art shows I would have to say that, while there are a lot of beautiful sketches created through spontaneous inspiration, it is hard to say that they are in their autonomy, completed pieces of art. As I asked for opinions of the show, each opinion was as different as their own definition of art was. While some said they had a hard time viewing the sketches as pieces, there were others that said that they loved the simplicity and unpolished feeling that it gave. Most just enjoyed their intoxication and saw it as an interesting experience. In the end, while it might not be what everyone defines as high art, I can confidently say that if anything, it was a great time. Whatever your definition of “art” may be, there is one thing that we can all agree on and that is that the experience always outweighs the label.

For more on this event, the book, and the video, go to:

www.gnomongallery.com

Want the Latest A Bad Crit News?

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 19:56:27 -0700

Hey all you fabulous readers,

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter for the latest updates, shows we’ll be attending, and other news: http://twitter.com/#!/abadcrit

And join our group on facebook to see our posts, post your own work, and share love in the community: http://www.facebook.com/groups/103974329648073?ap=1

Underdogs gotta stick together and spread the love!

xox

-The A Bad Crit Team

Opening of "When We Were Kids"

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 17:42:14 -0700

By: Magtotoart

I never know what to expect at gallery openings. Once you think you know the crowd, they switch it up. Since starting the blog, I have realized that depending on the body of work being shown, the people that come to the show will differ. You can count on the regulars: art appreciating folks who like to sit and sip wine (or in this case Pabst) and discuss color, movement, influences, and allusions in the work, the gallery regulars: people who are faithful to the gallery and are at the openings regardless of what is being shown, the randoms: people who you otherwise would not find in the high-toned fancy white cube setting of a gallery, and the people of the scene (not to be confused with scene-sters): folks who are well versed in the specific style and background of the work being shown. The latter will follow the artists of their particular scene from gallery to gallery, event to event, and show love and support. All of these people are the spice that makes each gallery opening unique and special for the artist, the gallery, and the usual patrons.

After working in a gallery setting for a year, I have studied these different groups and come to appreciate what each sector brings to the table. Each group, when mixed with others, makes the show into a show. You will always have the one drunk guy who wanders in off the street in a trench coat and no shirt to make the even entertaining and at times scary, but the eclectic, fluctuating groups are what really do it for me. I love seeing people who would otherwise not interact be thrown together in a gallery, all there for the same cause: to appreciate art. Attendees of a gallery show are there to support the artist and the gallery and to make it special. It’s like going to someone’s birthday party; the night is not about you, it’s about them and it’s your job to make it special.

The opening of 1:AM’s “When We Were Kids” featuring work by Minette Mangahas, Christopher De Leon, and James Garcia was a prime example of the demonstration of this love and support. I saw a lot of people hanging together, looking at art, hugging, and taking pictures. Perhaps my upbringing in a similar setting influenced the scope through which I saw the interactions at the show, but it seemed to me that the artists, for the most part, had some great support from family and friends. The show is a collection of work that speaks to being brought up in the Philippines and the US (for more see: 1:AM’s site) and there was a real sense of community happening at this opening.

Here are some of my favorite pieces:

For more on these artist’s, see the 1:AM website: http://1amsf.com/art/

Welcome!

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:20:28 -0700

Hey new followers, fellow art makers, appreciators, and enthusiasts!

Thanks for being a part of our experience here at A Bad Crit.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/abadcrit

and join our group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/103974329648073?ap=1

Stay tuned for more loveliness!

xox

-The A Bad Crit Team

Opening of "That Was Then, This is Now"

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:10:37 -0700

By: Magtotoart

Last Thursday, I attended the opening of “That Was Then, This is Now” featuring collaborations by RISK and COOZ.

COOZ was one of my instructors in college and I consider him somewhat of a mentor and idol, so this was a fun show for me to go to. It was a humbling experience because it reminded me how far I have to go and how much I have to prove as an artist. It was both motivating and exciting.

111 Minna is a great venue for these kinds of shows because it showcases the work nicely. The space is open and they have good furniture for pontificating. The downside to having an art opening with a full bar is that sooner or later, there is going to be some drunk dude/chick touching the paintings. Regardless, it was a beautiful show, in a nice space. If you’re in the area, check it out!

Here are a few of my faves:

To see more of the work, (and way better photos) visit:

http://www.111minnagallery.com/2011/that-was-then-this-is-now/

For more of COOZ (Nathan Ota)’s work go to:

http://www.nathanota.com/

For more of RISK’s work go to:

http://riskrock.com/

Under Maintenance

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:33:11 -0700

Hello loyal lovely readers!

Please excuse our absence. We are making some changes and filling our brains up with awesome things to share with you!

Stay tuned and see you all soon!

xox

-The A Bad Crit Team

Glass, Paint, Metal

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:40:15 -0700

By: Magtotoart

This weekend, my art adventures took me back to Drip Studios for the opening of “Silica Candy: Glass Infused Paintings”

If you recall, the last show I went to at this studio was a large group show with artwork of all genres by a bunch of different artists. It was a fabulous show, but this time, they’ve really outdone themselves. The space had transformed from the last time I was there, and it felt a lot different. In a sexy, shiny, reflective way. With art by Adam Mostow, and John Park, the confident brush strokes of Park and the elegant glasswork by Mostow made for a completely different experience. (most pieces I will show are paint and glass, collabs by both artists, glass work by Adam Mostow)

It’s hard to say what I enjoyed more, the calligraphy-like paintings by Park, or the giant glass elephant head (you know I’m a sucker for elephants).

I will not bore you anymore, but instead, present images of the work:

(front and side view)

So many images! Email me for more. Or go to:

http://dripstudios.weebly.com/

An Interview With Thuraya Lynn

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:23:00 -0700

By: A Bad Crit

ABC: Tell us a little bit about what you do.

TL: I’m a person who draws and paints dark comedy on the side. I can read dreams, pretty neat.

ABC: What inspires you to do your work?

TL: It’s pretty hard to pinpoint out the reasons why I do what I do, for the most of it, I do it because I’m infatuated with the stillness images in my head. It’s a combination of matters and experiences bond together with ideas typical to me.

I utilize concepts in my works, focusing mostly on portrayal of young children as they “develop” and converse themselves into this world. I can never understand the link between childhood and innocence. Mind you, I’m not trying to create some creepy uncensored ideals about them tiny feet. I can’t help but feel excited by the haunting setting when children inhabit in matter that wouldn’t fit their social label. Zero politics in this, the way I was brought up made me realize kids abuse their status. What I do pokes fun of them. I try to create images that are still and momentary build-up for my watchers curiosity and my own. It’s my way of manipulating time and expectations. Playing around with concepts isn’t a bad pass time.

ABC: What are your influences?

TL: I’m a typical 90’s Asian kid who enjoyed her manga, anime and music. Even when I would declare myself picky about my choices.. I was heavily influenced by horror mangas and old Japanese horror flicks. Would spend afternoons watching tons, ending up behind the sofa sweating my brains out half of the time, the other half laughing so bad my chips would stain my shirts. This never made mother happy. Dry humor plays a role in the whole package.

On a personal note, I have an increased interest in mixing my sense of isolation and alienation in my work. I’m biracial and where I legally live, it’s a matter that isn’t taken seriously and often pushed into the margins. Ironically, my desire to become an artist of some sort came about so I’d have a place to fit into. That hasn’t worked really. My works made some people find me externally strange and inwardly weirder. It’s a sensitive and aggressive subject that proves -so far- to be a handy tool in the representation of my works.

ABC: What are you trying to say to the world with your work? (and anything else you’d like to say about it.)

TL: I’m not sure if I draw to announce any public statement, directly or indirectly, what I know is that my work, from my perspective, a pure representation of my mental state, though it’d be neat to be able to change the mind set of low brow art as being some sort of underdog art. I don’t think my work speaks to conduct morals or an organized thought, lemmi put it in this way - better yet, compare this to competitions.

Growing up I was never the competition type. A competitive person would always be running to be the first in something, there’s gonna be that rival they’d always try to get a head-first start and win. I can’t rely on my opponent to be a fierce hardheaded bad guy forever, what if he decides changing careers or even worse, turn into a good guy. That’d hurt me tremedously since I’d would be fueling energy towards beating that person without realizing the inner potential I’m neglecting.

In other words, I’m experimenting my own limits regardless of the subliminal messages I’m sending out to those who look at my work.

ABC: What was the worst critique you ever received?

TL: Since I was a part of the art club, I took liberty to use their studio whenever I have time between classes. This one time, I decided to try out the art club in another faculty different than my usual spot, just to get the feel out of it. The instructor came up to me while I was sketching and criticized my use of unrealistic images and said I should be attentive to what is going on in reality. “You should be aware by now that you’re a college level student and these things should be for children. You’re an adult.” you could say he burnt shades over my imagination. It wasn’t the sort of constructive critique you’d learn from. I doubted myself and refused to draw for over a week.

This wasn’t the first time I ran with my pants on over this issue, another fellow was scrolling through my artworks only to end with “you should keep to reality,”

ABC: How did it make you feel?

TL: The first time, frustrated and felt cheated on. I was a freshman so, had an unusual sensitive mind-set. Haha, I have no idea why. The experience did make me doubt my own abilities. I started of believing that going realistic in my lining would make people understand or pay attention to me. To think I’d go on a path just to prove to others I can draw… How sad it’d be if I ended up believing their words.

ABC: What did you do about it?

TL: I remember bickering about it. For a long while, I was trying to prove to others that I can draw. I wasted a lot of time doing that instead of toning my own abilities and listening to myself. Took me 3 years to actually understand this point and just go for it.

ABC: Where else can we see your work? Do you have any upcoming shows?

TL: As of now, I do provide scans preview of my drawings on my webblog for all to look at and comment.

I’ll be participating in a group exhibition in mid-spring in Kuwait University showcasing my new collection series and loads of pretty goodies. Also, I participated in this year’s Artscoop Sketchbook Exhibition in New York (The library’s been open for a couple of weeks now) do as I say and go find it!

ABC: What would you like to say to the Underdogs out there?

TL: Don’t let words bring you down, study them, ultilize and develop ideas you see fit and believe in. Know when to draw the line, for yourself and others, you better not accept rubbish strangers tell you. Go for it and enjoy the parody of being underdogs.

To see more of Thuraya’s work go to:

www.thurayalynn.com

First Saturday

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:31:37 -0700

By: Magtotoart

(very old post, but i thought i’d put it up. sorry for the delay)

My First Weekend adventure continues with First Saturday at Gallery Hijinks for their opening of “The Letter Collector”. With over 100 separate pieces in the show, it’s hard to choose which images to show you. The crowd was a bit more congested than Friday night, with a lot more elbows thrown, so I apologize for any blurry or crooked pictures. I did my best. Hopefully, as I get more practice maneuvering around engrossed art enthusiasts, I can get a steadier hand in low light situations.

This show reminded me a lot of going to a concert. I felt the need to push and shove my way to the front so that I could get a good view of the show. With the help of my trusty accomplice, I was able to snap more pics than I believe are necessary, so feel free to check out the show online for more.

There were a number of artists that I was excited to see, many names that I recognized, and a lot of people that I had never heard of before on the roster. It’s a huge show, so if you’re in the area, carve out a chunk of time to go see it.

So without further delay, here are my highlights:

“A” by: Beau Stanton

“O” by: Erik Otto

“V” Seth Neefus

“A” Andrea Wan

“H” Fernando Pizarro

“M” Uri Korn

“E” Molly Bosley

A note about my last article:

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:40:57 -0800

Every artist needs to know how to take criticism. Even me. So after
receiving some friendly constructive criticism about my article on Big
Umbrella Studios’ show last Friday, I would like to clear a few things
up.

Firstly, our mission at A Bad Crit is to present artwork. We are here
to bring you, as readers, work that you may not otherwise be able to
see. We know that our readers are all over the world and we appreciate
the opportunity to bring you new and exciting things from up and
coming artists.

So, I would like to formally apologize if I made it seem as though I
did not enjoy the opening of Bestiarum Vocabulum, because I thoroughly
did. I have been to many shows that were overly crowded which can make
it hard to really absorb the work. I liked that this vibe was
different. So by “caliber” I simply meant “hype”. Maybe because Big
Umbrella doesn’t present itself as a snobby, overly hyped up gallery,
which I liked, I used the wrong language. I appreciate the work that
all of our local galleries do to support artists and I meant no
disrespect to the gallery or the artists or their work. I got so
excited about putting the images up that I did not take the time to
re-read what I wrote and consider how it may have come off to the
readers. I made some assumptions about the crowd there, noticing that
everyone was enjoying themselves and engaging in deep conversations
about the artwork, that everyone knew each other, and for that I
apologize as well.

That being said, I hope that you, the readers, enjoyed seeing the
images, as they were enjoyable in person, for me and I look forward to
bringing you more of what San Francisco’s finest has to offer.

Monica

First Friday

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:04:00 -0800

By: Magtotoart

After being separated from the art world for several months, I am attempting to make my triumphant return in small pieces. It is not as simple as making a big bang entrance like, “Hey all you m-effers! I’m back!”. A lot can change in the art world in that amount of time. I had to slowly scope out my options and have a few practice rounds before showing up at an art show that I was really pumped about and blowing up the scene.

I figured that the First Thursday/Friday/Saturday weekend would be a good opportunity to check a few shows out and snap some pictures. There were sure to be lots of events with lots of people which would allow me to hang in the background before I started asking questions, handing out business cards, and chatting up artists. A warm up round if you were.

My first official first Friday turned out to be a bit of a bust. A decent show overall, but not necessarily up to the caliber I was once used to. The work was good, but the gallery was small, which made it hard to get around. The crowd came and went, but it was more of a social event than an art show. I got the feeling that a lot of people that were there knew each other. Here are a few highlights of the Big Umbrella Studios show, “Bestiarum Vocabulum: The Book of Beasts” which featured art by Grant Gilliland, Rick Katagawa, Raymond Sanchez, and a few more. A show all about monsters from all over the world.

“Teen Wolf” by Raymond Sanchez

“Dawn of the Dead” - Raymond Sanchez

“Frank (Donnie Darko Rabbit)” - Raymond Sanchez

Above are the three paintings closest to the entrance. Each using a movie monster theme. I admire the choice. Zombie movies are always a hit, as is Donnie Darko. And Teen Wolf is a good choice if you’re going to use a werewolf. I was glad to see that there were no Twilight or True Blood References.

Here’s a few more of my faves from the night:

“European Dragon” by Grant Gilliland

“Kraken” also by Grant Gilliland

“Tsukumogami” by Rick Kitagawa

“Water Leaper” by Grant Gilliland (I really want this painting)

“Skinwalker” by Rick Kitagawa

“Bigfoot”, Grant Gilliland

“The Grim Reaper”, Gilliland

“Hydra” by Rick Kitagawa

“Trolls”, Gilliland

“Eastern Japanese Dragon”, Kitagawa

and Finally,

“Cyclops”, Gilliland

To see more work by these artists, head on over to:

Rick Kitagawa

Grant Gilliland

Raymond Sanchez (co-owner of Big Umbrella Studios)

Stay Tuned for my review of First Saturday!!

Art Extravaganza 2/11

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:18:00 -0800

By: Magtotoart

This is a very late post, but I think it’s worth it.

Two weeks ago, I made appearances at the opening of two shows that are worth talking about. The opening of “Outside In” at 1:AM gallery, and the opening of an all female show, “Yin” at Drip Studios Gallery.

“Outside In” featured local talents such as Buter, Jurne, UFO, Wand, Keb, and a few others.

Everything from a classic 90’s street piece, to a combination of found art, paint, and letters were found at this evening’s packed event. There was such a wide array of styles that it was hard to absorb everything all at once. It took me a few laps around the gallery to take it all in.

The atmosphere was a little like a house party, but slightly more organized. There were familiar faces, new faces, and of course, party faces. The choices in style, color, and composition were unique to the artist’s taste, flair, and placement in the gallery. Being a graffiti show, one expects nothing but spray paint, but these artists really took it a step further.

Above is a mixture of found and created art. It looks like the artist literally cut this wall out of an alley and posted it in the gallery. To bring something indoors that we are so used to seeing outdoors is a bold move. The color and placement choices for each of the panel provided a large statement without being overwhelming.The work overlapped, built on, and separated the panels. The letters were in the background, on the panels, underneath them, around them, and hidden inside them. If you were not looking closely, you would miss some of the hidden messages in the piece.

Because of the foot traffic, most of these pictures are only pieces of the work. To see more images, go to the 1:AM website. Above, the use of complimentary colors against a white and black background caught my eye. this piece is a little busy, but it kept me intrigued for quite a while, noticing more small details, the longer I stood there. Five separate pieces came together to make one very busy piece. I could go on and on about variations in can use, but I’ll let you linger on that one on your own.

Jurne’s piece used overlapping positive and negative stencils. The color choices caused parts of the piece to vibrate. The use of a blurred background with sharp clean edges in the foreground made the work pop off the wall. I really enjoyed looking at this huge series of panels.

Here are a few highlights from the 1:AM show, including a surprise guest appearance by Lousy Right!!!

nice use of overlapping type here :) see if how much of it you can read.

All of the artists showcased above on the show’s title piece “Outside In”.

Surprise visit from LOUSY RIGHT!!!

Nice use of stencils and can control!

Overall this was a great show!

On to Drip Studios’ opening, “Yin”, featuring ten kick ass women. This show was much different from the 1:AM show, but was a necessary stop on my list because of the theme. Hope you enjoy:

There were many styles, aesthetics, and choices of subject matter to choose from at this show.

Below are some of my favorites from a huge wall piece by Susan Wu:

The juxtaposition of old world and new world, east and west, past and present, make this piece into a comforting and yet still provocative pastiche of the artist’s cultures. The different mediums used in this piece: paint, pencil, collage, etc. make the work that much more meaningful. The artist’s fearlessness in showing her family’s heritage and her own culture now are exciting for me personally as well.

Here are some close up shots of another piece by Susan Wu. These faces are so tiny in real life!!

Some work by LAurus Myth with themes of nature laced with technology:

Two psychedelic pieces by Jessica Perlstein:

Some interesting and curious pieces by Adriana Sparkuhl:

The lighting in the one below caused some massive out-of-focusedness but I had to show it:

And last but not least, at the end of the night I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful Miss Winifred. An amazing printmaker and jewelry designer. Here are a few of her beautiful pieces:

The night was filled with free (or semi-free) beer, friends, surprises and a lot of meeting new people. An eclectic mixture of work, old and new styles.

There were some totally different styles, but all are styles that are absolutely crucial to our San Francisco art culture. We are a city that thrives because of our diversity. And these two shows are only a tiny snapshot.

Hello New Followers!

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:26:00 -0700

Hey there everyone!

Thanks so much for following us! We are so excited that we can continue to bring you amazing content week after week! If you would like to be featured on our blog, please email all inquiries to:

abadcrit@gmail.com

There are a few ways to be featured:

-get interviewed by a friend

-interview yourself

-interview a friend

The guidelines are on our main page: www.abadcrit.com

Please note that the first few questions and the very last question of each interview is usually the same. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to write!

You can also keep in touch with us on facebook and twitter!

Thanks again for your continued support!

-Monica + Daniel and the A Bad Crit Team

An Interview with Leontine Greenberg

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 17:05:00 -0700

Interviewer: Saki Waki

SW: Tell us a little bit about what you do.

LG: I make watercolor paintings of the beasties that live in my head. There’s a desolate but cheerful post-human landscape in there, populated mostly by birds and rabbits and oddly functioning technology.

SW: What was the worst critique/review/feedback you were ever given and how did it make you feel?

LG: It happened in art school. I was a sculpture major, and I was trying to make objects that told fictional and fantastical stories…not so different from the kind of paintings I do now. I was absolutely delighted with these things I had put together for the crit - sort of a melodramatic chapel of improvised saints made out of found objects and butcher paper and plaster casts of my roommate’s beatific, madonna-like face. And I got smacked down SO hard. The head of the department said, basically, that if I was interested in using narrative and language, drawing and telling stories, then it was time to transfer to the illustration department. They thought there was a huge impermeable wall between ”commercial” art and “fine” art, and that I belonged on the commercial side of it.

SW: How did that experience change or not change the way you feel/felt about your art?

LG: It caused an enormous amount of angst, of course. But eventually I came around and realized that people who tell other people that they’re doing art wrong are evil assholes and must be ignored. And that illustration and fine art (and graffiti and design) all bleed into and inform each other, which is much more exciting than if they didn’t.

SW: What did you do about it?

LG: I tried really hard to stop agonizing about whether the kind of things I was making were the right kind of things or not. And I looked for people who were interested in what I was doing and who were able to help me do it better. I want to give a shout out to my friend Ahn Behrens, who has since passed away. She was endlessly supportive, and she gave me a job and let me show my paintings at her gallery in Jersey City.

SW: I read that you’ve only recently began your watercolor adventures. What did you do before this?

I’ve had a lot of different jobs, but I’ve always made art for money. When I was in my twenties, if someone was willing to pay me to draw or paint something, I’d do it. I did custom leather jackets, murals in people’s apartments, portraits, postcards for shows, wedding invitations, comics, editorial illustration…you name it. The most epic of my early works was a four-foot-long portrait of a Harley Davidson with a wall of flames behind it, gently parting to reveal the silhouette of the Verrazano Narrows bridge. I think it’s hanging over a fireplace on Staten Island now.

In retrospect, I think doing all those different kinds of work let me get a lot better at drawing and painting without angsting too much about content and concept and “meaning”. By the time I started making the things I’m making now, I didn’t have to worry too much about the technical stuff.

SW: With the previous question in mind, are you classically trained, or self-taught?

LG: I went to art school, but most of the technical skills I have are things I taught myself or picked up from other artists.

SW: Your characters are so whimsical and classy, where do you draw your inspiration from?

LG: I love the phrase “whimsical and classy”. Can I have it on my gravestone?

A lot of writers talk about reaching a point in a book or story where the characters kind of start writing themselves, and they almost become a conduit for the story rather than it’s creator. I think that’s started to happen with my paintings. I start out with a basic idea, like “a bird on a boat”, but once I start drawing it takes on it’s own internal logic, which I try to follow. What results is definitely informed by all the stuff I put in my head: books, photos, fashion, other artists’ work…but I try not to force it.

SW: Who are some of your favorite artists? Living and/or deceased.

LG: Ray Caesar is a genius and once sent me an extremely encouraging email. Tessa Farmer makes delightfully creepy installations with dead insects (and rats!). Judith Schaecter is an amazing stained-glass artist. Shaun Tan, Adam Rex, and Peter de Seve are incredible illustrators. Molly Crabapple is great, and plans wonderful, inspiring events that I love to go to. Miss Mindy’s drawings make me very happy. Allison Sommers’s paintings disturb me in a very good way. I could keep going forever. The world is full of excellent art.

SW: What other projects are you working on and where else can we see your works in the near future?

LG: I’ll have a few pieces in the upcoming Ladies’ Night show at myplasticheart NYC, and next summer I’ll have a solo show with Gallery 1988. I’ll also have work in a couple of pop up shows that Ally Takeuchi is planning in Los Angeles. I want to experiment with acrylics and with working in 3D, and I think her shows are going to give me a chance to do that. The best way to find out what I’m up to is to follow me on Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leontine-Greenberg/194847696362?ref=ts) or
Twitter (http://twitter.com/leontinemay)

SW: And the last question: What would you like to say to the other underdogs out there?

LG: Criticism is only worth listening to if it makes you excited to go out and make more art. If it fills you with despair or makes you question yourself, ignore it! Also, read Brigitte Coovert’s advice at the end of her A Bad Crit interview. She’s right on, no matter what kind of artist you are.

An Interview With Tikijay

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:46:04 -0700

Interviewer: Monica Magtoto

MM: Tell us a little bit about what you do.

TJ: I make your city look pretty….I am an Urban Landscape specialist. Which translates into an urban artist fluent in the major media of the city streets, i.e. freehand graffiti, Wheat-pasted poster art, stencils and 3D sculpture interwoven in the fabric of the urban landscape. I am also a college professor at the Art Institute of Las Vegas, and a commercial designer.

MM: What was the worst critique/review/feedback you were ever given and
how did it make you feel?

TJ: The worst critique I have ever had came from myself. I try not to suffer as a result of something that I feel is unacceptable. In fact at that point I do my best to remove emotion all together and replace it with problem solving. And besides I don’t care what most people think about my work…

MM: How did that experience change or not change the way you feel/felt
about your art?

TJ: I have always felt that if I didn’t like my work then no one would like my work. Really art is your own struggle; to be comfortable within your artistic skin, if you will. I don’t believe in the bad or negative attitude. To me attitude is everything when approaching a project. The attitude will dictate the energy and love being put into a particular piece of work.

MM: What did you do about it?

TJ: It was my mission to find everything and anything positive and constructive and put it into what I was doing…I spent time with my work….I became friendly with that which was foreign to me (successful art and design). Then after a while it was not foreign but a part of my inner mind. Art was like breathing after a while. Some people will do a piece and all they can focus on is the one thing they did bad (in their opinion). That opinion is like a “seed of perception” dropped by the artist and one day that seed will grow in the mind of the viewer who will in time think that the one imperfection the artist did ruins the work. Positive must always be the attitude.

MM: Where does the tiki in tikijay come from?

TJ: The tiki in Tiki Jay comes from my icon which represents an Urban Easter Island head.

MM: What is your favorite medium to work with?

TJ: Musashi was Japans greatest Samurai. He said that one should not be disciplined in one weapon but all of them. I believe the same thing with art to be a well rounded, an artist must be fluent in as many mediums as possible and master all of them.

MM: How has your life changed since Otis?

TJ: Since I have left Otis, life for me has taken on the reality of a dream I once had when I was a little spray paint can. I am making my living and living my life as a Full-Time artist. And I am helping to shape and change peoples lives. I really am enjoying my life as an Artist/Designer/Urban Artist Extraordinaire…

MM: What is it like teaching? Any teaching advice?

TJ: Teaching has been the most Rewarding experience of my life. Teaching advice: Watch Randall Wilson teach…

MM: What is your favorite part about living in Vegas (aside from scantly clad women, of course)?

TJ: The best part about being in Las Vegas is that now I am fully motivated move back to California. As soon as they’re not broke anymore. Thanks Governator. Oh yeah and I love that the bars are open 24 hours….LOVE IT!!!!

MM: What is the biggest challenge about the medium/industry/circle you work in?

TJ: The biggest problem in industry today, and the reason some people aren’t working is because there is no money in the economy to drive the businesses the way they should be. It certainly isn’t a lack of talent.

MM: What is it like working on both the legal and not so legal sides of art?

TJ: I enjoy the archetype of being the outlaw hero……

MM: What/where is your next show?

TJ: I will be painting a gourmet Ice cream sandwich truck soon, I also have a show in Vegas, and there are some new bombing and urban projects in LA upcoming. Oh yeah and there is the new film on some of my new work.

MM: What projects are you working on right now?

TJ: Currently like I said, I have a mural project for a company called Chunk-n-chip, I am working on designs for a band called Avenged Sevenfold. I am working on a designs for a pin-up series, interviews, and my peace of mind.

MM: Where can you find tikijay on a saturday afternoon?

TJ: Um will little kids be reading this? If they are you can find me at school (Art Institute) drawing nude models…or you may find me at the bar sitting with a young lovely, or you may find me Bombing your hood.

MM: What is next for tikijay?

TJ: I am actually work on some new street art personas that will be risky in the nature of their work. I won’t go into detail, but the work will be more interactive with other artists and with the general public pushing the limits of what is considered “street art” or “respect” in the city streets. I am hoping to achieve something that is beyond myself, per say. I want to move away from the self indulgence of the single artist and include viewer and other artists at large.

MM: What would you like to say to the underdogs?

TJ: Everyone loves the underdog!!!!!

To see more of tikijay’s work visit:

http://tikijay1.com/

An Interview with Alexa Dunham

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:44:11 -0700

Interviewer: Monica Magtoto

MM: Tell us a little bit about what you do.

AD: Honestly I’m still growing into my style, and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with my work. Right now I really enjoy portraiture. I see beauty in the subtleties of people’s faces that most people I know overlook, and I like to depict people in a blunt, colorful way that accentuates those.

MM: What was the worst critique/review/feedback you were ever given and
how did it make you feel?

AD: At the 2009 Otis internship fair when I was showing my portfolio around I could tell when people were giving me the “that’s cute, but we can’t use someone like you” goodbye smile. I’d hear things along the lines of my work not being cohesive enough, my style not being what anyone was looking for. My work didn’t have enough broken buildings and zombies and wasn’t concept-y enough for any of the game companies to get excited about it, and it wasn’t cartoony or kid-friendly enough for any of the big childrens’ TV networks to take a second look. I just didn’t fit into what employers were looking for. With the economy tanking that year and Otis banging into my head every day that I needed to get a job, I already felt like a failure because I knew I’d never be able to cramp my style into what the movie or game industry wanted, and I didn’t have enough of a sense of self to keep my head above the water after basically being told that my work looked alright but wasn’t useful to anyone.

MM: How did that experience change or not change the way you feel/felt
about your art?

AD: It made me wonder if I even wanted to DO art for a living if what I was seeing was what the rest of my life would look like.

MM: What did you do about it?

AD: What I’d always wanted to do—I disappeared. Ran off, what have you. I just got away and pressed a big fat pause button on my art life and worked on myself and who I thought I was.

MM: What has your time at Otis taught you about yourself/ your work?

AD: Not a lot of people at Otis know this, but as I approached college, I struggled with choosing either art or academia, because both are dear to me. I spent my childhood reading encyclopedias, collecting and breeding bugs, going to nerd camp (Duke TIP represent!), studying space and animals and ecosystems, and just being a geeky little kid. Being at Otis was hard because there were not a lot of people I could identify with in that sense—it really is an art school. I had trouble getting along with people at first, and at times I truly wished that I gave more of a shit about badly recorded indie music or Halo 2 or America’s Next Top Model or whatever else people were talking about, just so I wouldn’t feel like such an island. Eventually, though, I did find like-minded people and teachers who put brainpower into their work and you could see how strong of an impact it made. I realized that my backdoor love affair with science and constant munchies for information would be my greatest assets as an artist. I became wildly interested in the physical properties of light, the anatomy of the eye, the structure of the human body, how people see other people, how facial recognition works in the brain, to name a few subjects. Science rules.

MM: What was it like going home? How did it affect your work? What did you learn?

AD: Home. That’s a funny word. I don’t really feel like I have one, truthfully. I left Otis after an overly exhausting sophomore year that left me not knowing who I was. I felt like Otis ate me. I lived at my grandma’s house until about September in a peaceful, tiny town in the Midwest, and it was nice in that it really made me stare myself down in every possible way and confront things I didn’t want to look at. However, I had nobody to relate to and the environment quickly became inhibiting and boring, so I ran away to a college town in Indiana that was home to a high profile engineering school and I lived with two computer engineering students and a bio-med for the rest of the year. Those people became my home. I was only there for eight months but for the first time in my life I didn’t feel like a giraffe in a pasture of horses. One of the students I lived with was a friend I had met at nerd camp in 2005 and we began dating. I drew him endlessly and after memorizing and drawing all of the subtleties in his face over and over again, I got a lot sharper with portraiture in general.
I couldn’t find a job, so I DJed at the school radio station for the last quarter and just enjoyed being under the radar and living my own life. The station got this fan letter from this prison nearby where Timothy McVeigh was executed(apparently the prison really enjoyed the station), and this guy named Edward who was serving life wrote my name in it and said that he liked my show. All I did was play songs I liked off of my laptop. I even let facebook and AIM noises slip over the air more than a few times. But this guy! I can’t explain it, but it changed how I looked at things. I also experienced my first real winter. I learned how to live off of NO money, how to stay warm, how to bake the tastiest bread ever for less than three bucks, and how to love everything from baby leaves to people better than I knew how to before.

MM: What are your plans now that you’re back in LA?

AD: I interned all summer with Columbia Records at Sony, which was a blast, and I might go back there in the fall. I’m also going back to Otis to finish my degree, so most of my life for the next two years will belong to the DGMD.

MM: What is your favorite medium?

AD: Oil paint, oil paint, oil paint forever. Give me my cancer right now!

MM: What is your favorite subject matter to paint/draw?

AD: Beautiful, interesting people that make you stop thinking about whatever you’re thinking about and just stare.

MM: What do you do when you’re not doing art?

AD: I read comic books and I internet. I also like looking for new music—I’m a sucker for house and drum and bass, and most things electronic. I also love nature and I love taking spontaneous trips into Santa Barbara or just into the mountains on random nights. I have also become a bit of a foodie in the last year so I really like looking for new things to cook and new restaurants to go to.

MM: What’s your next project? Any secret projects to look forward to??

AD: Yeeesssss. I’m doing a series of parody portraits, but I’m going to keep the theme a surprise!

MM: What would you like to say to the underdogs?

AD: Don’t waste time being too serious, be as raw as you can, and don’t limit your dreams by defining them as just dreams. They will happen if you make them happen and you will be blown away.

To see more of Alexa’s work visit:

http://zombiefawn.com

http://alexadunham.tumblr.com