In the early days of computer animation
in Los Angeles, the community was made up of people who were
interested in both technology and the visual arts. Among our community were people who
were interested in making a career in the complicated and challenging
world(s) of "fine art". Such people included Larry Cuba, Rebecca Allen, Jennifer Steinkamp, Lev
Manovich, Jim Shaw, Victor Acevedo, and Michael Naimark to name just
a few that come to mind, but there were others as well.
One thing that distinguished all the
people I know who are successful in that world, is their immense
dedication and single minded effort. Each of the people mentioned
above are notable in this way, they are some of the hardest working
people I know.
I found in my papers the other day, a handout from an exhibition curated by Jim Shaw on the topic of Thrift
Store Art. The year might have been 1990, and Jim was working with
us at deGraf/Wahrman as an art director on a huge and completely
incomprehensible Japanese motion platform based stereoscopic theme
park attraction. He was working with us for the money, while he
worked on his real career.
It was all typical Jim Shaw.
Unfortunately, now that the field has
matured, if that is what it has done, the artists are off in their own complicated world and I never see them.
Here is his listing on www.artnet.com
Google Books has "Thrift Store
Paintings" by Jim Shaw published in 1990.
Amazon.com has the same book, out of
print, with the subtitle "Paintings found in thrift stores"
A listing on Google Books has "A
Primer on Thrift Store Art" by Jim Shaw, ICA London, September
28 - 5 November 2000.
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