bravo to freakish success and to falling short of it

Being an artist:

Even though I did not like the book, Eat, Pray, Love, I respect Elizabeth Gilbert's voice, especially when so many women my age connected so deeply with it. In this 2009 TED video, she delivers a wonderful pep talk on nurturing creativity.  The TED blurb: 

"Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk."

artist Collette calls out Lady Gaga for being a rip off

In a previous post on the Lady Gaga phenomenon, I claimed "My only complaint about Gaga so far is that she seems to model herself after others so much." I wondered when, or if, Lady Gaga would find her own voice rather than borrow so heavily from other artists - pop and performance.  Apparently Gaga's really done it now. Her current window installation at Barney's in New York has insulted multimedia artist, Colette, because Gaga's window heavily replicates one of Colette's installations from the 1970s.

Gaga's recent television bits at the Times Square New Years event reinforced my  unease with her lack of authenticity.  I recognize that everything she does is a performance.  She's playing a persona at all times. Like Bowie, like Marilyn Monroe, like Madonna and so on and so on.  I get it.  I haven't done a blow by blow analysis of her costumes compared with artists through out art history, but I can discern the notes of Dadaism and camp 'influence'. Of course, a huge red flag shot up over her appropriation of Jana Sterbak's Meat Dress from 1987 for me.  Even so, I tried giving her the benefit of the doubt.  She's young and will mature, right? 

Looking for Lady Gaga by Josh Gilbert.

I've been hoping that Gaga's imitation of avant-garde artists throughout history would eventually shape her into one.  It's a standard art student task, like copying Degas paintings until you can paint as well on your own. Artistic influence is one thing, but eventually an artist must stand on their own. I appreciate how Gaga has pushed the ideas of performance art further into the main stream as mostly Pop seems to do in our culture, but it's time Gaga found a clearer way to recognize the artists she borrows from plus do something of her own.   In Camille Paglia's critique, "Lady Gaga the Death of Sex," she gives Gaga a righteous spanking that reduces her back to her schoolgirl self, Stefani Germanotta (Gaga's real name).   

It's time for Stefani to try something new. Step back from the artificial identity persona far enough to own something of your own.  She is overdue.  

  

Watch videos of Colette's early performances on the Colette Maison Lumiere YouTube channel and decide for yourself (click here).

Learn more about Colette:
Colette the artist website
Review by Edward Rubin in Sculpture magazine 2008.

My previous posts on Gaga.
Camille Paglia's, Lady Gaga the Death of Sex, The Sunday Times, 2010.
Lady Gaga, meat Jana Sterbak, Christopher Knight, LA Times, 2010.

i love ME says Yayoi Kusama

Being an artist:

Refreshingly secure with herself and with a strong unique vision, it only makes sense that apparently there are two feature documentary films about Yayoi Kusama.  "Princess of Dots" by Heather Lenz is slated to finish this year.

!! If you only have time to watch one of these, I recommend the first one for its tone and insight if you are unfamiliar with her work.

This is the trailer for the 2008 Japanese (with English subtitles) movie "I love ME" about Yayoi Kusama by Director Takako Matsumoto.  You can rent this film to watch online for 48 hours through New People Artist Series. Or buy it of course. For more information on this film, visit www.NewPeopleArtistSeries.com or www.viz-pictures.com

For another post with my story of seeing a retrospective of Kusama in Paris, see "conquering the Pompidou."

steve albini on artist's mistake

Being an artist:

Steve Albini in an interview by D.I.Y. or Die.