MidbrowArt Endless Babble

MidbrowArt - Endless Babble

This page contains my very small Exhibition List, my rants on artist statements, list of available services, etc., etc. Hence the very appropriate title of Endless Babble.

Exhibition List

I haven't really attempted to exhibit much. The list below is pretty much it:

Icebox Gallery	Minneapolis, MN	20:20 Vision (juried group show)
Seattle Erotic Art Festival 2007	Seattle, WA	Seattle Erotic Art Festival (juried group show)
Seattle Erotic Art Festival 2006	Seattle, WA	Seattle Erotic Art Festival (juried group show)
Seattle Erotic Art Festival 2005	Seattle, WA	Seattle Erotic Art Festival (juried group show)
Icebox Gallery	Minneapolis, MN	The Surprise Show (juried group show)
Icebox Gallery	Minneapolis, MN	Skin 2003, Part 1 (juried group show)
Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts	Fridley, MN	Members Juried Show	First Prize in Photography Category
Gallery Shmallery	Minneapolis, MN	Group Show

Publications

The Naked and the Lens: A Guide to Nude Photography by Louis Benjamin, Focal Press 2009

NY Arts Magazine, May-June 2006

Artist's Statement No. 1

I have no single artistic statement. Some of the galleries or individual images have statements as to why I did the shots. The big question is whether you find something in them to enjoy. If yes, then who really cares why I do them? If no, then you really shouldn't care why I do them.

Artist's Statement No. 2 - Fear

Everything I do is motivated by fear. Fear of dying, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of flying, fear of Erica Jong, fear of bees, fear of convention, fear of having my dick fall off (don't laugh, I read it on the Internet so it must be true), fear of the NRA, fear of authority, fear of tall blond guys named Hans, fear of snakes, fear of cancer, fear of poodles, fear of success, fear of being wrong, fear of antonyms, fear of tornadoes, and fear itself. And I'm afraid I may have forgotten something.

I Hate Artist's Statements

I generally hate artist's statements because the worst ones are symbolic of the part of art that can be absolutely maddening to the average person. "Gaston's strong commitment to the well-being of Estonian snapping turtles can be seen in his brilliant minimalist macro photographs of Craftsman tools." "I use chiaroscuro to underscore the black and white in man's soul. Behind the shadows lurks danger. The pink highlights presage hope for mankind and little puppies everywhere." If the viewer sees that in your work without an explanation, great! If not, then perhaps it's the art that needs expanding, not your explanation of it.

Put whatever you want into your work and then let the viewer take it from there. If it has a simple message that's simply stated, most people will get it. If the message is more complex, some may get it, most will not. And if there is no message, if it's merely to let the viewer have a little viewing pleasure, that's okay. Basically, if someone is affected by the work, then it's good, regardless of whether they "understood" it.

I rarely see a need for a general artist's statement. Obviously, background information is valuable if the work is documentary in nature. In that case you want to know whatever social, historical, biographical, or geographical information that's necessary to understand what you're seeing.

Otherwise artist's statements generally seem pretty worthless. I suppose they can be used as toilet paper in a pinch.

Services

Besides the Basic Services listed, if you fall into one of the following categories, click the link to find additional information that may or may not be of interest to you.

Art Collector Gallery Representative

Artist Just Curious

Celebrity Model

Corpse Stock Photo Agency

Exhibitionist Webmaster

Fire-eating Midget Flasher

Basic Services

Currently, I offer one option: Custom portraits

And I truly mean Custom. You can have your portrait done here, in front of the traditional backdrop, or you can choose to have it done in your home or office. You can wear formal clothes, informal clothes, slices of cheese, a deep-sea diver's suit (you provide your own suit, sorry!), a layer of anchovies, or nothing at all. It's your call.

I'm willing to work with singles, couples, trios, rooms full of presidential look-alikes, whatever. Just don't ask me to work with a jazz combo. I've got to draw the line somewhere.

NOTE: No photos of you will ever be used or exhibited without your express WRITTEN permission.

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Art Collectors

All of my work is available for sale. You can see the entire catalog of work by appointment. Ha ha ha, I really crack myself up sometimes.

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Artists

If you think you would like to do a project together, contact me. I'm open to hearing any proposals. Especially indecent ones. Do you have a web site? Wanna exchange links? Wanna see my double-jointed fingers? Wanna have a cup o' Joe and talk about the old times when art was art and real men used chiaroscuro?

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Celebrities

Hey, wanna ruin your career? Or, if your career is already in the toilet, want to do something for some new publicity? Then come on down and get naked! I'd gladly set up a 50-50 split on net profits. Go on, what's a career worth, anyway? Check out the model page.

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Corpses

This may come as a shock to you, but, if you're reading this, you're not dead. Of course, depending on your political/social point of view you might be considered brain dead, but that's merely an insult and burying you at this point would be tough to justify in a court of law. Since that's the case, you'll just have to look at the other options.

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Exhibitionists

Hey, here's your chance to show off to the world! Why settle for showing yourself to just a few people when the world could view you in all your glory? Check out the model page.

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Fire-eating Midget Flasher

Contact me. Now! I can't believe you aren't on the web already! Go to the model page.

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Gallery Representative

If you've seen anything that you think would work in your gallery, contact me. Even if you haven't seen anything that would work, contact me. I'm lonely. I've spent a year holed up in this stupid basement room scanning and printing and waiting to hear from like-minded people just like you.

Art Collector	Gallery Representative
Artist	Just Curious
Celebrity	Model
Corpse	Stock Photo Agency
Exhibitionist	Webmaster
Fire-eating Midget Flasher