Youth and Enthusiasm

            One of the forces driving our local art scene today is the energy of the artist youth population. Previous generations in LA followed the way of the lone wolf. As soon as wisdom was gained, the intrepid artist would seek his own path, establish a lair and attempt to find the ultimate answer, or at least a steady paycheck, through artistic production. Sometimes the artist would create a personal ashram and impart his hard won wisdom to followers attempting to set themselves up to seek their own path in the future. This was the American Way of Art. Developed after the examples laid down by Pollock and Newman (among others) and reflecting our nationalistic obsession with individuality, this mindset has served us well although it has done more for inflating the heroic image of an artist than it has for the art market as a concerted business segment. The present brave new art world is a diverse mix of styles, gallerists and consumers. The old maxim of big LA collectors not buying at home has not been disproved so new art purveyors sought out new customers- actors, movie bigwigs, new media mavens and the like. More galleries showing more art in LA than at any other time has created a climate of can do for young artists. The proliferation of underground and guerilla art (graffiti, wheat paste posters, stencils and decals) adds to the cultural atmosphere. Couple all this with the Southland’s long acceptance of new technology and media (such as hotrods and television as real profession) and you end up with all sorts of aspiring dabblers.

            A new twist on this new school is the broad-based camaraderie of these people. There is a level of communication among them that far outstrips the gaggle of elbow benders at the old Cedar Bar. MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and similar venues connects them. Images get passed around without a slide projector anywhere in sight. Techniques have slipped from the grasp of the old masters and now are subverted by this irreverent gang. Art has become a communal endeavor.

Handmade book workshop at CS Fine Art:

Andy Stickar instructing.