Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A New Body - "Faces of Evil"


Hey everyone!!!! Happy Holidays!!! As part of my recent obsession with postmodernism and pop art, I've decided to show off the first piece from a new body of work called "Faces of Evil." The intention of this project is to get my audience to consider the nature of evil, as well as its relation to genius. The subjects I have chosen range from leaders of industry, serial killers, legendary artists, groundbreaking scientists, as well as politicians. Every selection was based on several criterion, every individual has achieved notoriety as an immoral, or evil person. Every person illustrates extremely advanced levels of comprehension and analytical thinking. Some people may feel that some of my subjects do not belong in this body of work, but I assure you all, everyone I am exhibiting illustrates both positive and negative qualities. Im most excited to hear feedback prior to the first public exhibition of this body of work in spring 2011. Thanks for checking it out, and please comment freely!!!

-Stewart A.

Monday, December 13, 2010

And a Happy Holidays to you !!!

As the year draws to a close, I've been reflecting on some projects and ideas that I aim to complete in 2011... Since I have decided not to apply to graduate school this year, I must push ever forward in preparation for application next year. Anyone who knows me knows the, at times terrifyingly, passionate way I approach my work. Sometimes, this can be my hindrance. After such a long period of public inactivity, it is my most sincere and altruistic aim to make the first new work I show, simply outstanding. To those of you who know me well, that does not mean flashy or simply relying on shock value. I have been plagued with dreams of a renaissance... I've felt the winds of change, a calling if you will, from some unknowable corner of the cosmos... I think the factory is ready for its first group creation.... only some of you will know what that means..... I would like anyone who is interested in participating to submit one piece of work (single photo, group of photos, sketches, collage, painting, etc.) at web res. to my email. Stewartaphotography@yahoo.com with your contact info.... This is in preparation for a group show later in the year (2011). Make it your best, make it soulful, make it real!

The topic for this first submission is : "Humanity's Wake-Up Call"

Show the worst part of humanity. Illustrate one of our worst characteristics (war, hate, rape, apathy, drug abuse, poverty, etc) and illustrate your idea of hope surrounding that concept. If this is at all confusing, message me and I'll clarify... this idea just came to me in my sleep last evening... and I really feel moved to pursue this... I will contact those of you that I trust most... I hope my instincts are not wrong and everyone takes this seriously! I look forward to seeing your submissions!! I will also be submitting, and all submissions will go up on this blog for the group to see!!! The deadline for this first exercise is Valentine's Day! Feb 14 2011 !!!

Please invite all serious artists to get involved with this....

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Ghandi

-S.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

"And now, beware of rashness. Beware of rashness, but with energy, and sleepless vigilance, go forward, and give us victories. "- Abraham Lincoln in a Letter to Joseph Hooker

Published on Presidentialquotes.org

"That I am not a member of any Christian Church, is true; but I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of religion in general, or any denomination of Christians in particular." - Handbill Replying to Charges of Infidelity


"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free -- honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best, hope of earth." - Message to Congress

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Oh yeah... President says what?


George Washington (Official Presidential Portrait)


So im preparing to release some new work that, unlike my previous pieces, is heavily graphic in design, and very political. it should come as no surprise that this will be controversial, but i think i may still surprise some people.. please let me know what you think, i look forward to the criticism!!!! I will post when the first several pieces are completed.

-Stewart A.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

More, More, More.....



So.... these are some of the newest projections.... Please let me know what you guys think, as these images are being created for my applications to grad school. Feel free to make as detailed critiques as you wish. Thanks for your time!

-Stewart A.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

More Projections.....

When I asked him what came to mind when I said the word "Memory" he replied....

"Regret mostly. I wish i could have done things differently. I would have taken school more seriously, I would have tried to be better. I regret a lot of the stuff in my past."

Monday, June 28, 2010

New Work


Hey again! Ive been working on some new pieces of my projected memory series.... Please let me know what you think.... This body of work is intended to help me get into grad school, very soon I hope. I will be posting some of my writings on these pieces soon as well. More to come! Comments welcome.

I hope creativity finds you,
Stewart A.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Winds of Change, they are a-brewin'


Hey everyone! I have some exciting news to give you!!! I have several projects in the works and am in need of some advice from you!!!! I will be posting some surveys that will greatly aide in my next endeavors. Please tell your friends about me and my blog, as I will soon be needing a lot of feedback!!!!

Upcoming projects:

First and foremost, A very good friend and I are planning a joint exhibition in New York (hopefully Soho or the Village) in early fall. I am contributing several new pieces from my Memory Projections series. Some of you may be familiar with the work, I will be posting some new samples here shortly.

Several friends have discussed the idea of producing Adult media, and as many of you know, I'm very excited about the prospects. I have no interest in being IN the films, but I do love the behind the scenes work of all my projects. Any advice on the industry is welcome!

Third, I have decided that living in this tiny shit town is not going to last very long. I have begun exploring every option to move as soon as possible. Realistically, I will be out of here shortly after the winter holiday season, but only god knows how shit will work out. I can plan till im blue in the face, but we all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions....

Please feel free to message me here with any comments, questions, rants/raves, etc. I lvoe hearing from you guys!!!!

All My Love,
- S.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Ive been a bit gone....


Hey kids!
It's been a little while since I've written....and sadly not much has been happening in my world. I recently got laid off from my bullshit job at an industrial warehouse... which although menial, still provided a paycheck. Im currently waiting to hear back from a much bigger potential employer, but its been two weeks since the interview, so if I'd been holding my breath, I'd be long dead... I think im going to force myself to make some new work. The whole intent of this work is to exhibit it immediately.... so tame, calm, and way more boring than my usual endeavours.... we will see, please send me some creative tidbits to help get me started! I rarely ever ask for this kind of help, but my friends you are looking at a shell of a man. Hope to hear form some of you sons-a-bitches who inspire me so!

Love.
S.A.

P.S. The photo kinda looks like an old school Perez, don't ya think?

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The job hunt continues...

In 2 days my parents will ostensibly shut off my cell. This is understandable considering that I have no job and no way to pay the bill... however, I think it's interesting to address the fact that they act as though jobs are easy to find.... especially for a recent college grad, with a degree in photography, in central pa. I do believe that they are delusional. This does not, however, detract from the plight of my current situation. I truly do want a job. I want just about anything to do, to get me out of this house, and to get me out of this depression. Here's hoping I find something soon!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The photographer as child - 1987

"...so it came as no surprise that their son was gay, for they had seen the signs for years..."

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Somebody turn the lights on...

I know that it's cliche to think that I'm one of few who muse on the meaning of existence... we are the poets... the artists....the writers... the great thinkers... I issue a challenge to all those of you out there who believe yourself to be a "great thinker" of any area of study, join me here.... share your thoughts and musings.... we together will impact the world... not easily... not overnight... not in solitary achievement.. .but by joining together in unison... we will change the world.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The House that Crazy Built

Once upon a time, nearly a half-century now, a faire maiden and a quiet young lad fell madly in love....
This, however, is the story of what happens after "Happily Ever After."

In short order, the fair-haired boy realized that his maiden was not your run-of-the-mill princess....she was every bit as selfish and pleasure seeking as any royalty, this was true, but she had another side. She was not simply bipolar, this little slice of heaven came with a complete altered ego... a separate personality. She was her own fairy god-mother, and wicked witch.

In any other story, this young lad would have run the other way the first time the witch showed up, but he was cursed at birth to stay forever devoted (either by pity, or just because the sex was too good....a clue of any wicked enchantment) to whomsoever he fell in love with first. This condition became known, much later, as extreme co-dependency. So right by her side he stood, hardly a knight, and too poor for armor, but he was there beside her nonetheless.

So, to say the least, this less than perfect couple had quite a life laid out ahead of them.... the maiden would end up devoured alive by the magic that split her into two personalities... and the young boy would give up his dream of fighting dragons, for tending to the tedious and boring business matters of a local lord.

Fast forward to 20 years after the couple met....

A very strong magician had taken notice of the couple, they were so damn adorable, and decided to lay upon them a terrible curse.... If she didn't conceive soon, the maiden would never bear children, and the good magic she held inside, would die with her. the twist to this spell was that the young man would never be able to understand his children, if he had them. Their shared native tongue would sound like ogre-speak to his ears, strange and frightening....

The couple, driven by the selfish maiden's desire to pass along her magic, soon gave birth to their first son. Well for all intents and purposes, he was their son, it wouldn't be long before they figured out that he walked a fine line between man and woman, a recently discovered condition, classifying him as a fag. This first-born was perfectly crafted, a balance of his father's devotion and his mother's good magic. This young baby would realize one day that he also shared in his mother's curse... he was doomed to always be at odds with the outside world.

As the years passed, and the couple gave birth to their second son, a runt in all reality, who'd fight his entire life trying to be more, the first-born discovered that he had a gift. He was able to see the world differently than others... and he soon learned a form of sorcery that would allow him to capture what he saw, and reproduce it on small bits of paper.

As the young man refined his craft, his parents, now aged and bitter, but still every bit as neurotically bound as ever, began to grow jealous and scared of their son's ability. They soon devised a plan to trap their son within a dungeon so he could not use his power to taunt and scare the outside world. They feared that he would anger the wrong duke or earl and be beaten or banished. So, at the end of his studies a the far-off academy in the strange land of Pittsburgh, the young man returned home to visit his parents, for a short while, so he could rest. The young man lit a cigarette and looked up at the stars, for the last time, for when he awoke the next morning he was imprisoned within the dungeon.

This young man now too scary to earn his parents' respect, and long-devoid of their understanding and love, sits.... in his dungeon....writing this blog.... where he awaits the day that he can break free.....

stay tuned....

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The stars may hold the answers...

As I stare up at the stars, I begin thinking about what the measure of success, in terms of longevity, really are. In the quiet calm of the evening, and under a clear sky, I realize, the planet has been looking up at similar stars for an unfathomable amount of time. I've been amazed by looking up at them for my entire adult life, not to mention, my childhood. But what does it all really mean? What accomplishments will really, truly stand the test of time? Was R. W. Emerson right when he defined success as ...

"To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded."

Was he right? Is it all in the experience and the personal impact? Or are there actually tangible evidence of our accomplishments that can be created in our all-to-short time on this planet? What will outlast the centuries? Our architecture? Our scientific research? Our stories (visual, literary, audio)? Our pain? How can any of us make absolutely certain that the ways that we have impacted those around us stay here, long after we are gone? Will a book that I write end up in someone's yardsale box in 65 years? Will Lady Gaga's next album be sampled, and re-sampled over and over until no originals can be found (even throgh bit torrent)? Will the photographs that my peers and I create even get to see all seven continents before they erode and decay with time? How do we young artists, we "...music-makers, we dreamers of dreams..." know which directions to cast our lines that they may stick longer than others? Is there a way to know? Or is the most important thing to keep making work until the bitter end? Is it better to die with unfinished work in your hand than to have retired from success? I leave these questions open...This is a beginning... My beginning... Our beginning, my dear friends... I wish us all well.... Come back soon, won't you, and share more of my musings?

Love Always,
Stewart A.

P.S. Ive attached the full poem Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy, from which Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) took the quote about music-makers and dreamers....its awesome! Share it with your friends!



from Ode
by Arthur O'Shaughnessy [1844-1881]

We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,

Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems.

With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.

We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.