working working working
Drawing by Chloe Piene
Print/Street art by Swoon
I’ve been sketching a lot to figure out a different way to draw my figures, mostly in pen to break my perfectionist needs. I’m too embarrass to show anything now, but here’s two artists I’ve been looking at for inspiration. Chloe Piene just had a lecture at my school, which I missed it because of work. Sad. I’m kind of surprised nobody’s mention her name in critiques for me to research. Her work would have been helpful for me. I’m going to go research her drawings more at the library. Hopefully this will set off inspiring drawing ideas.
Creo Magazine
Creo Magazine is an online quarterly magazine that promotes student artists and visual culture. I got asked to be featured in their spring issue, “Nature vs. Nurture” along with a grouping of other artists from around the country. This is a preview of a page with my work. There’s another page with an interview included. I’m pretty impress with the flashy online magazine viewer. I got caught up in reading and forgot that I couldn’t physically move the pages except with my mouse.
Back to the studio/library/printshop/runningwithmyheadcutoff!
Website Overhaul
The entire website has been cleaned up. Art page is updated with the artwork shown throughout last semester. Since I have a nice camera now, the last five prints I made are finally represented better digitally. The About page is entirely new with information on my exhibitions and other info and I re-added the “contact” page again. I also cleared up almost a hundred blog posts. I review my blog entries from a 1-2 years ago and the cheery optimism mixed with extreme naivete became a little embarrassing to archive. I kept shaking my head and felt the desire to figure out time travel so I could shut up 2008-9 version of me.
Anyway, it’s squeaky clean and ready for a whole new semester!
-Megan
Water!
What would be my first hardcore studio day of the semester is starting off badly. There’s currently four trashcans set up to keep the leaky roof from flooding my studio floor. I probably need to put away any prints in the flat files for safe measure. Apparently, this will happen every time it rains. Bah.
Gallery 148 Exhibition
“Master of Fine Art candidates Thomas Boyer, Galen David, Megan Frauenhoffer, Graham Judd, and Levi Murphy will be exhibiting their work in the inaugural show in Gallery 148 from January 20th to the 29th. This, an exhibition of current MFA work, marks the first showcase, in recent memory, of MFA opus done at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. This show was organized to bring awareness to MCAD’s MFA program to both the undergraduates and patrons alike through the aid of a public and professional space that is Gallery 148.”
I spent yesterday setting up for the school exhibition. Tomorrow is the reception, along with two or three other school sponsored shows.
Here’s photos of setting up and a sample of the work being exhibited:
Galen David’s paintings, mostly installed.
Levi Murphy’s furniture, installed.
A sample of Thomas Boyer’s photographs.
Graham Judd’s woodblock prints. Printmakers! Yay!
I put three of the collage/prints I made last semester. I’m itching to make new art. I’ve grown tired of constantly displaying/photographing this body of work. I want new prints to show! Hopefully this weekend will be the start of that.
Altered Esthetics Calendar
The calendars came in for the Altered Esthetics Featured Artist Contest:
The print quality is top notch and my image looks snazzy for the month of March:
Since I’m one of the featured artists, I received 10 copies for free. Now maybe I can keep track of my semester and deadlines… key word being “maybe.”
School starts the 19th, the last semester of graduate school. Scary! I still don’t feel quite ready, but maybe the start of the semester will get me out of my creative slump. It’s now or never I suppose.
-Megan
Cameras and Catalogs
After a whole semester of whining about my camera, my parents decided to get me a new camera for Christmas. Huzzah! Now I have to learn how to use it properly. I’m going to re-shoot recent artwork for an application I’m working on this vacation. I need to have my images look top notch so I don’t mess up my chances.
I took a nice long break from art making, but now I need to kick my butt into gear and prep for shows. Buy frames, print, make new art, hang stuff, and of course, the thesis paper/exhibition for graduating school. SO MUCH! AH!
Expect more posting here in the near future. I want to document as much as possible for the upcoming thesis show. I might do a “photo-a-day” posting schedule or something similar to motivate my blogging.
Upcoming shows:
MFA group show @ Gallery 148 (MCAD/MPLS, MN)
Gender Show @ Altered Esthetics (NE MPLS, MN)
Glass, Cinder & Thorns @ 323 East Gallery (Royal Oak, MI)
Feminality Traveling Exhibition Round 3 @ Manhattan venue (haven’t learned much more than that)
MFA 2010 Thesis Exhibition @ Soap Factory (MPLS, MN)
Those are the main shows so far. I might keep my eye out for more shows that follow the thesis exhibition, but this should do for the semester. I’m starting my print for the Glass, Cinder & Thorn show. I’ll have a print in-progress for next week, maybe?
Yesterday, I got a catalog in the mail for the Los Angeles Printmaking Society 20th National Exhibition from last semester. This book is huge and full of lovely black and white images of prints from the show. For some reason, I didn’t include any artist statement with my image.
Bummer. It kind of makes me look like a goof, I’m the only one that doesn’t have a blurb by my image in the catalog. I must have been a space case when I sent all the information into the mail. I can’t seem to think of a better reason why I forgot. Still, it’s nice to see my artwork along with other printmakers in the field.
That’s all for now. I’m going to update the website later this week. The Art section will receive its usual overhaul, but I might also add my resume and tinker with the About page.
Later.
-Megan
Graduate School: 3/4 completed
The last month or so of the semester was exhausting. It is sad to say, but I don’t have new art to show. The last month was spent entirely on writing my thesis rough draft. With that said, I am 75% done with Graduate School.
Woohoo.
It’s a very unenthusiastic “woohoo,” because I still feel like I’m recovering. I’ve been on break for a week already and I’ve mostly spent it on resting and organizing. I’m spending the break absorbing feedback, sketching and reading. I’ll also print some projects for people and and get some art ready for some 2010 shows starting up next month. It seems like whenever I just want to “be done” with art, I get sucked into shows and projects. I’m glad for this, it keeps me going and reminds me that there’s a life outside of graduate school.
I also wanted to make a public thank you. This past week I received an anonymous check meant to supplement my art making. I am immensely grateful for this extremely generous gift and plan to use it for my thesis work next semester. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you (thousand times over).
The next few weeks, I’m going to update and organize the website/blog. I’m getting a camera for Christmas, which means I can re-shoot recent work that didn’t photograph well the first time around.
And to end this post, here’s some books I’ve been using towards my thesis draft:
And books that I read for fun… or try to, because I start them on vacation and then take four months off to do school. This winter break I plan on finishing these books:
New art part 2
That’s it. I’ve been taking in the review comments and figuring out my next steps. I have to catch up in paper writing though, which is not so fun. One more semester left, one more semester left…
New Art part 1
I think I’m going to start adding color again to the new pieces. Somehow. I think I might send one of these for a show in March. I’m going to try and figure out a cheaper way to frame the work. Maybe put it on mounted board or something? I don’t know. I’m going to revert to modest sized pieces after school is over, that’s for sure. Waaaaay easier to send to shows.
New Art Preview
I’m trying to catch up on life and school (sad face). Here’s a preview of art I had up for a recent review. Some of the pieces are familiar, but there’s also the ones that I had shown in the previous post too. Individual photos will surface soon.
-Megan
Studio Photos
I’m starting to back my artwork on board today. I took some quick photobooth pics to document the composition on the floating collage pieces. I miss having a reliable camera. I’m going to photograph these later with a school camera when all the work is up in the critique space.
I have 6 of these printed: one left alone and another collage (below), which I guess I used two for the final product. I’m working towards new approaches for the rest. It’s my twin sister, which I’m sure she just loves that I have her infested with bees below.
This piece has been in the planning stages since summer. I haven’t gotten around to it, but every time somebody visits my studio, they mistake it for one of the finished pieces. I’m not sure what to take of that, but I’ve been told to include this with the rest of the work. I need to finish it though. Maybe draw it on the wall? I’m not sure. I got a weird comment that the unfinished aspect of the work is what makes it successful, but I don’t think it refers to presenting the piece “as is” so I’m left to figure out a new way to complete it.
That’s me all disheveled and tired looking, which is how I roll 98% of my time at school. I don’t usually put pictures of myself up, but I figure this one is for the folks. When I first toured MCAD, my mother was appalled at the undergraduate students’ general appearance. Grandma glasses, leopard print leggings as pants, unwashed hair, and ill-fitted thrift store wear offended her fashion sensibilities. “Why are these girls looking ugly on purpose?” she asked me loudly enough so that the surrounding perpetrators would overhear. “I don’t know Mom, it’s an art school thing,” I told her in order to get her off my back. Then she grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me, repeated the entire time, “DON’T EVER CHANGE MEGAN! DON’T COME HOME LOOKING HOMELESS AND DIRTY! I MEAN IT!”
Oh the memories. Maybe I’ll find an obnoxious outfit at a thrift store to wear the first day home for Christmas break. Our secret, shhhhh.
Feminality show submission
The Trebling Effect, framed 32″ x 35″, silkscreen, relief print, and collage. (apologies for the horrible glare)
The work is framed, packaged and sent off. I spent a lot of money that I didn’t have, so maybe the karma fairies will grant my wish and the work will sell at the show. I have no clue if the work is appropriately priced for that area and my (for lack of a better word) rank as an artist. I’ve learned my lesson though, I’m not framing/mailing big works anymore. It just hurts my wallet too much. I’ll probably have to resort to eating ramen for the rest of the semester. (blah blah blah, I shouldn’t whine)
The show should be pretty exciting. I wish I could be there. Even if I could afford it, my schedule is so awful that it makes it impossible to go. On a more exciting note, I got my friend H. E. Croan to submit for Round two and she got in! Go networking…and karma fairies.
-Megan
Edit: Earlier version of the image, sans glare:
Feminality Press Release-Spread the Word!
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All Female Traveling Art Exhibition set to launch in Los Angeles
Portion of proceeds benefits Creative Visions Foundation (Los Angeles, CA) – October 12, 2009 For the past four years the Hive Gallery and Studios in Los Angeles has been the feeding ground for the burgeoning Los Angeles art scene. In that tradition, for the month of November, Hive will be hosting Feminality – a unique exhibition showcasing more than twenty of the most talented female artists of this generation. Then, on Saturday, November 21st, the exhibition’s benefit VIP event takes place including, amongst other featured artists, a live wall painting by the uber artiste Tara McPherson. Feminality is the brainchild of graphic artist and Wizard Sleeve Toys founder, Mike Franco. “I started my toy website (www.WizardSleeveToys.com) last November and simultaneously started developing the idea for this show,” says Franco. “I was drawn to the works of several female artists and wanted to enable them and create a showcase for their work.” Feminality will do just that. For the launch of Feminality, Franco was determined to have McPherson participate. “I heard that Tara was coming to the Kidrobot store in Miami to do a signing to promote her new toy, so I emailed her out of the blue to tell her that I was coming down to meet her to talk about painting a mural for our Los Angeles show. I met her and she was receptive to the idea. Once I had Tara on board, the rest of the artists were honored to be a part of the show.” A true mix of different art, Feminality will feature more than 20 top artists like Georgette Pressler (body art), Tara Hauck (fine art photography), as well as Amy Botello, Aunia Kahn and Jessica Sardas amongst others. Franco plans on bringing Feminality around the country. The next show is slated to coincide with Art Basel Miami (December 3rd-6th). A third show is already in the works for February 2010 (venue will be somewhere in NYC, NY). The Feminality gallery event begins on Sunday, November 1st. The VIP event takes place Saturday November 21st from 1 PM – 10:00 PM at the Hive Gallery 729 S. Spring Street in Los Angeles. Admission is $10. McPherson and several other artists will be on-hand for the event. All of the art created during the Feminality gallery will be available for sale to the public. Part of the exhibition proceeds will benefit the Creative Visions Foundation. For more info, please visit www.FeminalityArtShow.com or www.TheHiveGallery.com Press inquiries should be directed to Jessica Sardas (214.629.2364 or JessicaSardas@gmail.com) ### |
Artists Participating:
- Tara McPherson
- Elizabeth Siegel (TofuSquirrel)
- Georgette Pressler
- Amy Botello
- Aunia Kahn
- Jessica Sardas
- Tara Hauck
- Rudy Fig
- Natalie Shau
- Molly Crabapple
- Cate Rangel
- Edith Lebeau
- Arabella Proffer-Vendetta
- Ashleigh Fedo
- Sara Antoinette Martin
- Kelly McKernan
- Noir Nouar
- Elodie aka LostFish
- Megan Frauenhoffer
- Christen Kojnok
- Ritzy Periwinkle
- Zoe Lacchei
- Cassie Williams aka Kazilla
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This is the press release for the Feminality Show at The Hive Gallery. Feel free to use this info to promote! The more the word spreads the better!
Also, follow updates on their twitter page!
-Megan
Blog Repurposing
I’m probably the only one that keeps track of this, but last year the blog format was very much akin to journal.
The blog for the first few month documented the months proceeding and then the first semester of graduate school. I believe I even titled the entries into week by week labels to keep track how I progress emotionally and artistically. The blog was also heavy on process, documenting every step of the work and leaving no surprises to the work.
I’ve been moving away from this format for while, mostly because I think it only interested myself and perhaps really nerdy printmakers. The entries sometimes got long winded and maybe whiny. Now I’m focusing on making the blog appeal to a wider audience. I’m also trying to document a development of ideas and entries that focus on the ideas or inspiration behind the artwork since I never really discuss that part.
In short, this post indicates that future posts will be:
*shorter
*less whiny
*more variety
*art inspiration and idea development
*not as heavy on process, but still showing parts of art progress
Alright, that’s all from me. Just figured I let people know what’s up.
-Megan
