Programs based on work?

[polyethylene]

Well here's the umpteenth topic on this. I didn't major in studio art so I never really got anything in the way of program suggestions from faculty regarding where to apply for an MFA. I'm interested in cathartic work that can go either way as far as being labor intensive or minimalism is concerned. I majored in philosophy and I know for a lot of people in their practice, it's essential for them to ask and challenge that conception of what art is, or to make inquiries about relationships between institutions and art and so on. Personally I'm more concerned with questions like beauty, motion, the sublime etc. and in that way I consider myself to be relatively traditional in terms of practice and philosophy.

Tumblr/blog of work that's most recent: http://charlienewton.tumblr.com/

Flickr that has everything from the last few years: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33330903@N07/

[michaelwebster]

Definitely apply to SAIC because their focus is in contemporary abstraction in the painting dept and your interests seem relevant. Other than that I don't really follow painting closely, so I am not sure.

and I just can't help myself I have to put these in here:

I know about 1 artist who maybe challenges what art is.

and minimalism is not an antonym for labor intensive, its more like a synonym.

[polyethylene]

Well I figured minimalism in relation to maximalism would probably put minimalistic work on the less-labor-intensive side of things. Fewer marks, fewer actions and so on. Minimalist architecture and highly geometric painting as per the minimalism movement, sure, I can see preparation being a highly demanding and labor intensive aspect of the process.

So let's just pretend I used primitive and simplistic in exchange for my use literal use of minimalism.

[sympatico]

A couple things: learn to light your photos, as that'll kill you in a heart beat when they're looking at thousands of artists a day. Get rid of the quotes, everyone in art school reads as much as you and it is cringe inducing to see those quotes placed like that. If you really feel they need to be there, figure out a stronger way to incorporate them. Those drawings should be taking about 5 minutes a piece, so there should be a thousand of them on your website. The more the merrier, just create a separate section for them and post all of them forever (except the truly awful ones).

Also about the quotes, maybe those are just for your tumblr and if so that is fine, just don't post them with your work.

[sympatico]

Also I think it's impossible to know what programs want your or are relevant. Go somewhere you can stand to live for a couple years (or would like to live, ideally). Check out other people's work. If you see stuff you love or stuff that scares you and inspires you, try that place!

[paintbikedraw]

I agree with sympatico. I am also empathetic in your plight of recommendations. What I have been doing in order to expedite this process is researching MFA programs that I see other forum users have or have not been accepted to, and looking at the work of past/current students and more importantly, faculty.

[michaelwebster]

Well I figured minimalism in relation to maximalism would probably put minimalistic work on the less-labor-intensive side of things. Fewer marks, fewer actions and so on. Minimalist architecture and highly geometric painting as per the minimalism movement, sure, I can see preparation being a highly demanding and labor intensive aspect of the process.

So let's just pretend I used primitive and simplistic in exchange for my use literal use of minimalism.

I just meant that the question of labor was one of the major discussions happening with minimalism, and recent art history continues to come out with more about that relationship, such as this book http://www.amazon.com/Art-Workers-Radical-Practice-Vietnam/dp/0520269756/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338908208&sr=8-1

We can't adequately talk about minimalism without bringing up labor because of the repetition, industrial construction methods and materials, "theatricality" (objects relationship to the body) and group process in fabrication with artists like Judd, Andre, Serra, Le Witt, Flavin, and the attempt to highlight "intellectual labor" with artists like Cage and Raushenberg's white paintings.

And younger artists still delve into that discussion as well, almost every writing about Santiago Sierra simultaneously evokes histories of minimalism and labor.