Paul Ransfield’s Post

We started Compass North because we love making our community more art literate.  Ok, big term, homie. What does that even mean?  It’s the ability to engage critically with art and culture. It’s feeling comfortable and excited talking to your friend about the movie you saw together. It’s understanding how a piece of art created today relates to one from two hundred years ago. It’s being able to easily and clearly write about the concepts and intentions behind your own art.  Art can be weird and vague. Being art literate, you can view, process and contextualise it. It isn't about being a theory junkie. It's about moving toward a more fulfilling connection with art by being able to make meaning from it (and the larger world it connects us to). The more you do the following, the easier it gets: 1. Read more about art. Look up reviews after you visit a show. Subscribe to arts media newsletters for their latest articles (or to our sticky teeth reading lists!).  2. Practice sharing your thoughts and knowledge about art. Bring a journal to galleries and jot down notes, or chat with your friend describing what you do and don’t like about certain pieces.   To go a step further: book a consultation with us on how to build art literacy into your art space or art practice, whether for yourself, your team or your audiences. https://buff.ly/4eo81rN Image ID | A beige background with black text reading, "WHAT IS ART WORLD LITERACY?" above a photo of a stack of books. #ArtWorld #ArtistSupport

Super excited to be part of this special issue 📢📕 and can’t wait to read everyone’s contributions! For my paper, I have collected my thoughts and artworks that address #boundaries, #oceans and #rivers, the #postanthropocene and #microplastic. I reflect on what engaging with ecological watery entities can tell us about #identity and the self. From this foundation, I propose “The Constitution of the Sea” - a new way of conceiving of the self inspired for and by the seas.

Unfortunately, due to Covid, we have to postpone this weekend’s lecture and workshop by Jan Verwoert. New dates will be announced this week. Below you can find more details about this two-day event. On the first day, Verwoert will deliver a lecture and present the first chapter, titled "Don't force the cook to eat the food and say what it's like before you taste it!", of his upcoming book, "All of Me for a Piece of You". The day after guests are invited to participate in a workshop to provide feedback and peer review the chapter. This feedback will be integrated into the final version of the book co-edited by Brian Kuan Wood and Daniel Giles (@d_a_giles), published by Sternberg Press (@sternbergpress_official) in 2025. The book seeks to address what you put at stake when you say: “I am an artist, this is my art, can you relate?”. How does art education play into this? When does canonical teaching trap you in treacherous concepts of what validates art (as worthy of attention)? And what other modes of practice and thinking exist for attuning the making and teaching of art to the embodied emotional intelligence needed to make work work, move souls, and affect change? There will be four public talks, each focusing on a different chapter of the book, followed by four workshops where a dedicated community will engage in in-depth peer review. These events are kindly supported by Piet Zwart Instituut (@mfapietzwartinstitute) and WdKA (@wdka). 📍Practical information Reservations for the lecture are not required. For the workshop, we kindly ask you to RSVP with a brief motivation (one or two paragraphs max), as we would like to foster engaged dialogue. Reservations will be open on a first-come, first-served basis, please send an email to: communications@ribrib.nl to sign up.

All of Me for a Piece of You Lecture & Workshop with Jan Verwoert 25.10.2024, 20:00 26.10.2024, 11:00 Join us on for a two-day event by Jan Verwoert, part of an ongoing conversation with Rib. On 25 October at 20:00, Verwoert will deliver a lecture and present the first chapter, titled "Don't force the cook to eat the food and say what it's like before you taste it!", of his upcoming book, "All of Me for a Piece of You". On 26 October at 11:00, guests are invited to participate in a workshop to provide feedback and peer review the chapter. This feedback will be integrated into the final version of the book co-edited by Brian Kuan Wood and Daniel Giles, and published by Sternberg Press (@sternbergpress_official) in 2025. The book seeks to address what you put at stake when you say: “I am an artist, this is my art, can you relate?” How does art education play into this? When does canonical teaching trap you in treacherous concepts of what validates art (as worthy of attention)? And what other modes of practice and thinking exist for attuning the making and teaching of art to the embodied emotional intelligence needed to make work work, move souls, and affect change? These events are the first of four public talks, each focusing on a different chapter of the book, followed by four workshops where a dedicated community will engage in in-depth peer review. These events are kindly supported by Piet Zwart Instituut (@mfapietzwartinstitute) and WdKA (@wdka) ins. Reservations for the lecture are not required. For the workshop, we kindly ask you to RSVP with a brief motivation (one or two paragraphs max), as we would like to foster engaged dialogue. Please send an email to: communications@ribrib.nl to sign up. Photo: Anonymous, Drawing class at the Akademie van Beeldende Kunsten en Technische Wetenschappen at the Coolsingel, 1926. Courtesy Rotterdam Stadsarchief

FOTO(SO)FIE - Question: But if I were to hold an exhibition, how would these so-called 'Photo(so)phies' be presented in a gallery? - First of all, we would need a curator of known cultural stature (though I'd say around 5'7" would suffice), followed by some rough grey walls, eager to be scribbled on. Essentially, here's a possible preview of the structure I would use for this artistic practice: we begin with the Fundamental Principles (close relatives of mathematical axioms). They represent the basic artistic vision, along with the fundamental aesthetic elements that guide the subsequent development of the work, and are recognizable by their smaller size. Alongside the Fundamental Principles, there is often also a didactic apparatus on the 'photo(so)phy'. This is followed by the Central Expression (in analogy with theorems): it is the key element with the distinctive techniques that manifest the artist's fundamental principles. The grey wall hosts a more lyrical text that complements it from a linguistic point of view. Finally, there is one or more Resonances (in analogy with corollaries) which represent the influences, subsequent interpretations, or broader cultural impact of the work. They may or may not have a text that characterizes, strengthens, and completes them. Specifically, the first 'Photo(so)phy' is dedicated to Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, the second opens a reflection on the theme of madness, the third returns to both the theme of the Meditations on First Philosophy and that of madness, hosting an important interpreter who is J. Derrida! And so it goes on for quite a while as long as there are empty walls to fill...

I recently completed the online course "Learning to Look at Modern Art" offered by University of Oxford The course covered the main modern art movements: Cubism, Futurism, Post-Impressionism, etc, key artists of each and historic context behind it. This course also provided me with a deeper understanding of the nuances and intentions behind modern art, teaching me to analyze it and recognize the ideas. My final work was 1,500-word essay on Marcel Duchamp’s influence. Duchamp’s approach to art challenged traditional notions of aesthetics, introducing concepts like the “ready-made” and emphasizing the importance of ideas over visual qualities of art. Through my research, I discovered how Duchamp’s influence extends beyond art galleries, shaping movements like Dada and conceptual art, and even inspiring modern creativity in marketing and design. His legacy is a powerful reminder that innovation often lies in challenging norms and thinking outside the box. As someone passionate about creativity and the intersection of art, marketing and business, this experience has broadened my perspective and further inspired me to explore art's role in storytelling and engagement. Looking forward to applying this knowledge in my journey within the art and creative industries! 🎨💡 Have you explored modern art recently? I'd love to hear your thoughts or recommendations!

My thesis research began as an attempt to understand what curating is and how it functions, outside of just placing objects in proximity to one another. The sprawling web of contemporary art has created an abundance of multifaceted roles where artists are also quasi-curators, directors, programers and vice versa. Under the current locale where contemporary art is being produced, considered, and disseminated, what is the need for curators? My thesis looks into the purpose of art spaces and curating as generative of community and a form of knowledge production. Using an open-source resource file, my research becomes a shared document for continuous growth and collaboration. You can find a link to download my resource file as well as read more on mine and the rest of the class' projects: https://lnkd.in/dWusRTee. Additionally, you can read more press about the show here: https://lnkd.in/dYckz_4V https://lnkd.in/d4eAgZg7 https://lnkd.in/dsbmM7KU

an interesting study about "the consistent annual increase in research interest in the art market. The focus of art market research has shifted from hedonic art prices to areas such as artist brand management, electronic art platforms, anti-money-laundering supervision, and art market efficiency": https://lnkd.in/dqqfvAy2

Call for Entries: THE MANUSCRIPT Send images, full caption, and price information of 2 drawings to hello@thejadeart.com Deadline: November 30 2024 Drawing has always been an intensely imaginative and exploratory medium, offering artists an infinite landscape of discovery. The act of drawing is more than creating lines and shapes—it is a journey into the unknown, where new forms emerge through experimentation with various materials and techniques. It is in this spirit of exploration that The Manuscript: A Drawing Exhibition was conceived in 2017, serving as a platform for artists to express themselves through this versatile medium. Since its inception, The Manuscript has grown, giving rise to two other exhibitions under its creative umbrella: Conformed Divergence and The Inner Form. Each exhibition pushed the boundaries of what drawing could represent, from the abstract to the deeply personal. As we now approach our fourth iteration, it feels fitting and vital to return to the exhibition’s original name, The Manuscript, as it encapsulates the raw, unfiltered process of artistic creation, much like the drafting of a manuscript itself. We welcome submissions that push boundaries of the medium, offering collectors the chance to experience-and acquire-extraordinary works of art that redefine drawing in the contemporary landscape. https://lnkd.in/ewh7mJH4

Conversation Pieces, the 2024-25 iteration of the Museum of Arts and Design's annual series Craft Front & Center, examines the relationships among artists in MAD's permanent collection. More than many art forms, craft is collaborative. Its techniques and traditions are passed from teacher to student and from generation to generation, and artists often work together. This exhibition showcases a range of artistic media, most prominently the five traditional craft materials- ceramic, glass, fiber, wood, and metal-and is organized into three overlapping thematic sections. The first section, "Teachers and Students," presents works by artist educators alongside works by their pupils, allowing viewers to see connections and differences between them. It includes artists who studied together at the same academies and workshops, many of whom went on to work together and influence one another throughout their careers. The second, "Collaborations," highlights artists who work collectively, from artist collectives and couples to artists and designers who collaborate with manufacturers. Finally, "Generational Dialogues" features work by many of the founders of studio craft, whose art has been a touchstone for generations of artists, including many younger contemporary artists. Conversation Pieces spans the breadth of MAD's historic and contemporary collections, offering an expansive view of how artists influence, collaborate with, and converse with one another.