Art & Inspiration Blog

On Twitter, which is it more important to follow others or be followed?

At the social networking site of Twitter, the question of whether it is more important to follow people or be followed is controversial. People try to look important by having a ratio of more followers that followers, just like the celebrities and Internet gurus on Twitter. But, does having more followers mean anything or predict success?

On Twitter messages known as Tweets are issued by members. Interesting or informative Tweets are forwarded. When someone with many followers RTs (Re Tweets) a comment, new people see it and a few decide the original person who made the comment is worth following. People also find others to follow through checking out who is following or being followed by others they know or would like to know, such as celebrities and the influencers.

Part of the conundrum is inherent in Twitters’ terminology of follow and followers. While this terminology is correct when understood in relationship to comments, it has an additional meaning in regards to leadership that does not necessarily pertain. Yet many, including Twitter’s own raking system, assume it does.

I used to write comedy professionally, and can be quick with a harmless quip. I have noticed that when I post something funny I pick up followers. Does this mean the people who enjoy my humor are actually ready to follow me into the real and new way of enhanced vision through Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art or through my inspirational self help e book, The Art of Seeing The Divine–Book 1 I doubt it, although who clicks on which links in Twitter comments is impossible to track.

If leadership means that people are eager to read what one writes or hear what one says then every journalist, correspondent, newscaster and TV host ought to be in the congress and run or run for some office. While these people may influence others, there is a difference between leadership and influence.

On Twitter one of the recognized Internet influencers is Guy Kawasaki, founding partner at Garage and co-founder of Alltop , a news aggregation site, author of business books and blogger. Kawasaki has followers who send tweets that link to popular or interesting articles on Alltop. These followers receive a free copy Kawasaki ’s latest book, plus usually more flooders as their tweets are full of interesting links. Since Twitter limits the number of posts that one can make during the day, this scheme seems to work well.

Unlike many of the other Internet and business influencers, Guy Kawasaki follows many people. He is accessible to his followers through DMs (direct messages) while anyone else can reply to his frequent messages. He comments on other people’s Twits, rather than remaining aloof in his own celebrity guru niche. In a recent blog article, How to Use Twitter as a Twool advises Internet marketers to follow and relate to people other than the influencers like him. In my short experience on Twitter I have found Guy Kawasaki to actually be one of the most influential people on Twitter because he is busy interacting and listening.

Another Twitter influencer who seems to follow almost all of his followers is Wayne Sutton. I have witnessed him also interacting with his followers who tweet him. I recognized his name and began to follow him on what was probably my first day and to my surprise he immediately followed me back.

Historically great leaders are good listeners who have open lines of communication to as many of their “followers” as is possible. Leaders who have closed themselves off with their cronies and flatterers are toppled. They lack information about what is happening in their domain. The more information a person is privy too, especially when confirmed by many reliable sources, the wiser and proactive that person’s decisions and plans can be.

About two weeks ago, when I first joined Twitter, I signed on to follow everyone I could from influencers to “nobodies” who lacked a web site and Twittered within small family and friends groups. It was great fun finding someone who seemed especially interesting and then following many of the people that they followed. I made sure to follow English speaking people from around the world so that I would have a real purview of the news in the world outside of the media. Whether anyone would follow me was not half as interesting as what I could possibly learn. I also found as many artists and art related people as I could, including museums.

I kept selecting to follow people until Twitter stopped me at 2000. Twitter suspects that people who quickly sign on to follow many people are spammers. This seemed unfair and frustrating until I was followed by such a spammer. Eventually I will be allowed to follow more people after acquiring more followers and sending many messages. This indicates a level of participation that is unusual for spammers.

There is spirituality –connection– in each personal one on one tweet, no matter how seemingly trivial. That people assume or hope that someone cares that they are having lunch, home from running errand, listening to a favorite song, coming down with a cold or feeling happy or sad is disarmingly trusting and genuine. On the other hand, I have learned much from links I followed, had tastes of life around the world and had first hand updates fro people in Mumbai during the terrorist attack.

In the past two weeks I have commiserated with two people with headaches, one who had indigestion, another non-spammer who has also been barred from following more people until she has more followers, been cheered on by new friends, had questions answered and answered some, found interesting blogs, posted at some, been featured in blogs about my work creating Twitter’s first Post Conceptual Performance Art, been inspired to create a new painting and best of all made new friends.

On the day this article was written I sent out a tweet that asked if it is better to follow or be followed on Twitter. Why. I let it be known that I would use the best replies and include the IDs of those selected. In the Twitter community having one’s ID broadcast and promoted means one gets more followers and friends.

The answers are diverse. I decided to use them all as having the freedom to express and see many thoughts and opinions are what makes Twitter unique, vital and splendid.

Twitter allows 140 spaces each update, which means many are written with texting abbreviations or code. They are basically just cut and pasted in the order they were received.

“If we all follow, then we are all followed!– thehotiron

“Following but not being followed is like unrequited love or stalking, depending. Best case is to follow and be followed.”– edgizmo

“Depends. Personally, I’d rather follow the funny/insightful/interesting posts of others. My updates are pretty bland sometimes.”– missmarsh

“Depends on if you want to put on or follow the show…” — GRAIN4YOURBRAIN

“Better to be even steven… otherwise you get complaints… got some real stick n the muds here” — FiveDecades

“ For me depends on what yr lking for. Ppl with stuff to sell will want lots of followers for marketing push. I follow fewer than follow me b/c I value conversation…”– robynmcintyre

“It is better to be followed - so your voice is heard.”– ConchRaider

“Got to follow & be followed IMO. Twitter is a conversation and talking to yourself is the 1st sign of madness :)”– CanDoCanBe

“I have always been a big fan of Lead rather than be led :D”– artbyskym

“It is better to follow, listen, learn from others, and reply when relevant. Result: Ntwrk growth (followers) happen automatically”– jenuinejen

“Its better for my ego when I get followed. But I tweet A LOT so I get followed a lot. When I see someone interesting I follow first”– ImSleepDeprived

“Re Twitter: Better to follow or be followed? Sounds like The Tao of Twitter : )”– realtortweet

“I think both - of course depends upon your use of Twitter; if business, follow and be followed”– LindaCSmith

“You follow and be followed -this is about building relationships - every person comes in ur life for a season, a reason or lifetime… there are of course exceptions to every rule - bottomline is you follow someone if your heart and gut says its the right thing”– scenic_drive

“Neither. Both. Depends on what you are trying to get out of Twitter”.– purplepopple

This week in my email was a notification that Jack Canfield, of bestselling author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and The Secret, is following me. Wow! Jack Canfield is one of my spiritual contemporary heroes. I logged into Twitter where many tweets indicated that he had just become a member. Since I actually do have an inspirational and unique way to visually transform lives, which compliments Mr. Canfield’s work it would make sense for us to follow each other. Except, I am really just emerging, how he or a staff member found and selected me to follow delights and amazes me.

I immediately followed Jack Canfield right back. I follow all of my followers. I joke that I seem to be following me, since everywhere I go I find me. Thus I have something in common with anyone else who follows me.

The thing about Jack Canfield is that he immediately followed his entire initial allotment of 2000 people. I suspect he would have followed everyone on Twitter if it was allowed. He left one post, and now, I believe he is wisely watching, listening and learning.

It has been asked, “Who is wise?”

The answer, which was part of the Jewish oral tradition known to Jesus and the disciples is, “The person who can learn from anyone is wise.”

Please add your comments and leave your Twitter ID at the bottom if you want.

Despite the difficult financial times we live in, Hamptons based galleries are bullishly moving into the international art scene. This new trend involves participating in international fairs and opening branches in Manhattan.

This year two galleries will have booths at Scope Miami, another dealer partners in a booth to raise funds for a charity, as other dealers, artists and collectors from the Hamptons head to the fairs.

The Keszler Gallery of Southampton’s booth at Scope Miami is a direct result of their success as one of the top selling galleries at Scope Hamptons this summer. One of the hits of the summer season for the gallery was a live show by artist Russell Young who created large silkscreens of the famous and infamous using his own blood as ink. This performance will be repeated in two shows in the Keszler Gallery booth, both scheduled for 2 PM, the first privately for the press and VIP reception and the second on Saturday, December 6, 2008.

The Silas Marder Gallery of Bridgehampton also has a booth at Scope Miami. This is a first move out of the Hamptons for this gallery that features young local artists.

The McNeill Art Group is partnering with non-profit organization RxArt at the Red Dot Fair in Miami. Their booth will include an interactive installation created by local artists Jeff Muhs and Tapp Francke.

Also at the fairs this year is gallerist Peter Marcelle of the Hamptons Road Gallery and Peter Marcelle Contemporary. Peter’s gallery was one of the top selling galleries at the ArtHamptons. Is Peter scouting out fairs to participate in next year or looking for art for his collection?

The Charles Cowles Gallery is located in Chelsea, not the Hamptons. However,  the splendid gift of the Charles Cowles Collection of photography to the Parrish Museum certainly establishes the gallerist’s footprint in the Hamptons, beyond his ongoing generous support of arts groups here. The Charles Cowles gallery will be retuning to Pulse Miami this year.

Last year, Glenn Horowitz Bookseller took the unprecedented and bold step of opening the John McWinnie@Glenn Horowitz Bookseller Gallery in Manhattan. Prior to that galleries such as Mark Borghi and Spanierman opened branches here, or Hamptons gallerists used their apartments in the city as private places to show work to their collectors.

Keszler gallery is the first Hamptons based gallery to show and represent contemporary art at international fairs and open a branch in Manhattan. Late October, over 250 guests celebrated the opening of the new gallery space on the Upper East Side , which included works by gallery artists David Gamble and Russell Young, plus works by the artist known as Banksy. The Keszler Gallery has the largest collection of works by Bansky in the USA.

Stephan Keszler says, “We love to work with our artists. Our prices are more affordable so we are positive that we will do well.” This optimism founded in continuing success even in difficult times, has Keszler moving forward by “…increasing our engagement as a dealer in the USA and world wide.”

Twitter’s first Post Conceptual Performance Art Event by artist Judy Rey Wasserman on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, was groundbreaking. Actually creating a temporary art event where people the world over could watch all at the same time and then through the same identical media immediately respond is a new use for social media and technology.

The Post Conceptual Performance on Twitter was strongly linked to an article that was published on the day of the performance on Post Conceptual UnGraven Image’s Art & Inspiration blog. Judy Rey Wasserman is the founding artist of Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art Theory and the author of the manifesto booklet available as a free download through the web site.

While millions of people may tune into an internet or TV or radio broadcast, their immediate ability to communicate their response via the same visual medium is limited. On Twitter, any viewer can join in with a reply almost immediately, which broadens and enriches the collective event and experience.

On the day before the event notice and invitation was Twittered several times and announced on Facebook. Here is an example of an early Tweet:“Pass it on: Tues., Dec 2 at 4:35 EST Rembrandt (Psalm 22) becomes Vincent van Gogh (Psalm 113) Here. Live. Only on Twitter 9:29 PM Dec 1st”

The day of the event the invitations included a link to her newly posted article. Judy Rey’s followers who she knew personally, were in the art world or interested in uses of social media were privately emailed through Twitter.

“Twitter can be seen as a canvas shared by a whole community,” says Judy Rey Wasserman. “Just as each viewer sees a work of art differently, each member of Twitter follows a different group of people and logs in at different moments. Each person’s Twitter experience is unique and impossible to repeat as the twits are transitory and ever changing.”

Social media sites such as Twitter, where people meet to share ideas and collaborate, offer goods and services, and socialize are fast becoming the piazzas or town squares of the world. Historically, communities have always placed art in their social and commerce centers.

This enhances the immediacy of interaction between artist and viewer, plus allows for viewer to viewer interaction on a world wide basis. This interaction is a part of the artistic event.

The event itself, as reported in an Comments Article at Art Fag City by Paddy Johnson, involved simply exchanging one avatar (one of Vincent van Gogh for another (Rembrandt). However, as Paddy Johnson sagely noted the information contained in Judy Rey’s article about the event, including the immediacy of interaction and response is what made the event pertinent and unique.

Judy Rey’s act of exchanging her avatar of Rembrandt created with strokes that are the original letters of Psalm 22 for one of Vincent van Gogh created with symbol-strokes from the text of Psalm 113 has significance in art history. From his early works it is evident that van Gogh was influenced by the work of the earlier Dutch Painter. Rembrandt’s religious ideas, although controversial in his time were more accepted by the time young Vincent was growing up listening to his father’s sermons. Vincent van Gogh became an evangelist for a while, followed Rembrandt’s concern for the poor, and made his first remarkable painting is The Potato Eaters, where Rembrandt’s influence is clearly seen. Both artists considered themselves to be religious painters.

In less than two weeks of active participation on Twitter, Judy Rey had drawn a following that was just over 475 people. Only a portion of these people could or would be online and logged into Twitter factors into how to judge the success of this first event. The number grew to over 500 within two hours of the event.

“I  seem to follow myself as I find me wherever I do. So I follow all of my followers as at least t we have following me in common,” says Judy Rey. Anyone with a Twitter account can follow her at http://twitter.com/judyrey

The artistic and spiritual roots Judy Rey Wasserman’s idea for the event stems from the sand paintings of the Buddhists and Navajo artists. Recently, The Parrish Art Museum, in Judy Rey’s town of Southampton, NY, presented a sand painting event by Buddhist monks. These paintings are created as temporary experience where the making of the work is as significant as the work itself. Twitter, where the messaging and interactions are instantaneous but transient and shared by a community, is an online replication of a gathering place where Performance Art or the making of a sand painting fits right in.

One of the lessons learned from the event is that Twitter’s coding automatically edits former Twit comments changing newer avatars for older ones. This adds to the transient nature of the performance, as the record of the previous avatar is missing from its previous posts with the new one substituted. History is revised by code.

This is best shown in the screen capture in another article written by Hrag Vartanian, Performing on Twitter . This screen capture also shows the presence of Barry Hoggard on Twitter at that time. Hoggard also writes on art.

Other visual artists who follow “judyrey” were leaving posts advertising their work both before and after the Judy Rey Wasserman’s first Post Conceptual Performance Art Event on Twitter. For Judy Rey this is all a part of the event and  is appreciated, even encouraged.

Will there be more art events on Twitter? “Absolutely! Power is in the group – in us. Social media provides artists with new and unique ways to reach and inspire others. While a person might be able to afford to collect art by an artist represented by a top tier gallery, anyone can experience art events and communication with artists through the Internet. I intend to continue to explore how we can interact and use social media, including in an inspirational way.”

“Art is personal. Even in a crowded blockbuster exhibit, such as ‘Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night,’ which is currently at MoMA, the connection from artist to viewer, even in a crowded space is always personal, unique and therefore spiritual,” said Judy Rey Wasserman. “My purpose is to actually transform lives by changing how we see the world. So everyone who sees my work is special to me.”

Twitter will have its first Post Conceptual Performance Art Show on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, thanks to Judy Rey Wasserman, artist and founder of Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art theory.

All Twitter users are invited to watch as Rembrandt (Psalm 22) turns into Vincent Van Gogh (Psalm 133) at 4:35 PM EST at http://twitter.com/judyrey .

This is an innovative web event. Actually creating a temporary art event where people the world over can watch all at the same time and then through the same identical media immediately respond is groundbreaking in concept.

While millions of people may tune into an internet or TV or radio broadcast, their immediate ability to communicate their response via the same visual medium is limited. On Twitter, any viewer can join in with a reply almost immediately, which broadens and enriches the collective event and experience. “It is as if the canvas is shared by the community,” says Judy Rey Wasserman. “This enhances the immediacy of interaction between artist and viewer, plus allows for viewer to viewer interaction on a world wide basis. This interaction is a part of the artistic event.” Social media sites such as Twitter, where people meet to share ideas and collaborate, offer goods and services, and socialize are fast becoming the piazzas or town squares of the world. Historically, communities have always placed art in their social and commerce centers.

Artists are using social media to promote their work on sites such Etsy and Saatchi Online, joining in discussions and groups at ArtReview, Art Mesh, Facebook and My Space, and through blogs and their comments staging immediate and artistic shows and events is new for non-art sites.

The artistic and spiritual roots Judy Rey Wasserman’s idea is in the sand paintings of the Buddhists and Navajo artists. Recently, The Parrish Art Museum, in Judy Rey’s town of Southampton , NY, presented a sand painting event by Buddhist monks. These paintings are created as temporary experience where the making of the work is as significant as the work itself.

Twitter, where the messaging and interactions are instantaneous but temporary and shared by a community, is an online replication of a gathering place where Performance Art or the making of a sand painting fits right in.

Since this is Post Conceptual art, the meaning is intrinsic in the strokes, the actions of the event. Thus the influence of Rembrant’s that can easily be seen in van Gogh’s earlier works, and then his portraits and often troubled self portraits is referenced by the successtion of the artistic images.

And the significance of the time? It is five minutes after the Wall Street’s stock market closes. "Whatever happens in the financial sector, five minutes later, I want to focus on two great religious artists, on the spiritual and universal connection that we have. As an artist founding the first religious, inclusive and science-based theory of art, it is part of my work to present a greater vision that we can all share."

“Art is personal. Even in a crowded blockbuster exhibit, such as ‘V an Gogh and the Colors of the Night,’ which is currently at MoMA, the connection from artist to viewer, even in a crowded space is always personal, unique and therefore spiritual,” said Judy Rey Wasserman. “My purpose is to actually transform lives by changing how we see the world. So everyone who sees my work is special to me.”

This is the third year for what has become my annual Thanksgiving message. The other messages have proved to be popular.  People are viral marketing and reading them all year long according to my web site statistics.

Each year I sit at the keyboard having no idea what I will write, after prayerfully paving the way. Writing this message is always a leap of faith for me.

What I know as I write this is that this year, I give thanks for you.

You may know me well or you may be meeting me for the first time through this newsletter and blog post. I may know you well or perhaps I we have not yet met in any previous way. What I do know is that you are exceedingly special and important.

You have the power to change the world.

We are in a time when my country and the world have many needs that require inspired leaps of faith to solve. Some of these needs are obvious as our economies, wars, famines, water shortages, natural catastrophes and global warming are in the news daily.

One person, even a newly elected president of the world’s most powerful nation cannot create the hope, inspiration and change that we need. The needs are too great.

But, one person, a person like you can join with another person, and then another person to bring change and a new vision to the world. Power is in community. Together we are a community.

The Pilgrims and then the Founding Fathers of the USA, knew that power is in community. A community of individuals united by a shared vision can change the world.

Thanksgiving is about community – and expanding one’s community to be inclusive. When a community gathers together with intent the results are awesome, even miraculous. The Native Americans and Pilgrims gathered together to give thanks to “The Divine” – apparently they never bothered to quibble over the differences between the Names that their theologies used – they simply gave thanks together and share what they had.

Stepping out in faith in the 1960’s, Rev. Martin Luther King spoke and led protest marches with clergy of many faiths, and people of all the colors of the earth.

According to James, who is reported to be the brother of Jesus, faith is demonstrated. We recognize a person’s faith by their actions, no by what the say they believe.

Gathering together in community involves action.

When I began the artistic experiment of using Torah font letters to represent the basic strings of elementary physics as well as the words of the Creator of the Judeo-Christian faiths, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I probably still do not comprehend where this will lead me – and can now lead you.

Early this summer, it led me to a new understanding that by founding a theory of creating art with symbol-strokes I am also directly helping to define and foster Post Conceptual Art. That surprised me and, although I am always open to a challenge, this is a stunning one. However, it was overshadowed by an even greater realization that began just a month or so before.

In the spring of ‘08 my eyesight, but not my eyeglass prescription changed. As some of you know I have better that average up close vision and am nearsighted. That remained the same. What changed is that I now see more energy everywhere I look. My vision has expanded and increased.

It was not until the early fall that I revealed this news to anyone. Although I was enjoying this new ability, which for me means seeing and experiencing being surrounded by the words of “The Divine” thought that it might “go away”. Who sees this way?

Research revealed that there is compelling new scientific evidence about the perception of vision, which explains my wonderful and actual new way of seeing the world. Happily for me, it will not be “going away.”

Through my paintings I had created and added many visual memories of energy that my brain now uses to decode the impressions of light received from my eyes. The science of this explained on the home page of The Art of Seeing The Divine web site, is updated in several of the blogs there and is further explained in the e book.

When difficult problems arose it became impossible to remain worried or upset down as everywhere I looked was filled with this new vision of energy, comforting me, inspiring me, and informing me of the nearness or presence of The Divine.

In the early winter of ‘08 I began writing a book. By late summer what I had needed to be revised to include this new vision that I knew anyone could attain and be blessed by.

In my twenties I was an awareness counselor, seminar creator and trainer. That professional experience came in handy as I prayerfully created a series of Visual Exercise/Experiences for the book that anyone who can read this text on a screen can easily and successfully accomplish to get results. These turn the book into a kind of personal visual seminar that id fun to do, rather than just a book that you read.

This Thanksgiving I am grateful for the experience of my new vision and the opportunity to bring and share this ongoing experience with you and other people.

My mission is to share a vision that reveals the invisible as visible. To change the way we see the world by showing it filled with the essences of creation and inspiration, potential, comfort and meaning.

This is not about me. It is about us . It is our vision. Your vision as you are an important part of the us .

Imagine how your life would change if your actual vision inspired you, wherever you looked – even at the pile of dirty laundry, the stack of unpaid bills, the traffic jam, or the beautiful sunset. What if everywhere you looked you also actually saw the essences which are for many, the words of The Divine? Not an imagined or understood concept – but that you ca actually see these essences – as obviously as you see this text?

Now imagine a world where other people see them too. How would actually seeing that the words of The Divine, the essences, which are everywhere, always and now affect people’s behavior?

Do you know that many believers – people of faith—are extra good in their place of worship because they figure that The Divine is watching them and present? That people who are less spiritually active are even more apt to think that they can hide things during daily life from The Divine?

Like most of the artists who I admire my purpose to inspire others outweighs my need to make a living, although the idea of making a good living appeals to most of us. The greatest artists usually considered their work to be spiritual or religious. You know many of their names such as, Fra Angelico, Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Monet, Rothko, Warhol, and so many more.

This message could be a great promotional money making except that one of the ways to obtain the e book is totally free of financial cost and only requires informing others that you will be doing the book and to check it out for themselves. See how here.

Through simple acts of forwarding this email or blog to people that you know, using social media like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, StumbleUpon and Digg, etc., to promote the blogs and site at The Art of Seeing The Divine you can help change the world by encouraging others to discover this new way of seeing.

Sharing that information takes community. It means joining together and sharing in faith so together we can make a new way and a new life for us all. How far will this bring us as a community, as a nation, as people of the world? Let’s be like the Pilgrims and Native Americans, taking steps of faith, sharing what we have and see how far our new vision can spread.

It takes you.

And so I am very thankful for you.

I am thankful that you took the time to read this message, consider and possibly learn something new.

I am thankful that you can change your vision easily.

I am thankful that you can change the way you see the world to change your life.

I am thankful that you can see more.

I am thankful that you can share the vision. I am thankful that you can change the world.

A blessed Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones,

Judy Rey

Judy Rey Wasserman

Thanksgiving 2008

Southampton , NY

For previous Thanksgiving articles visit Thanksgiving 2007 and Thanksgiving Blog 2006.

The recent opening for artist Dan Rizzie’s work at Spanierman Modern was packed with people. from the art world: collectors and fans from the Hamptons and New York City, other artists, all of whom feel that they are friends and want to support Dan Rizzie and his work, which he deserves.

Dan Rizzie has a lot of friends as he is as sincere, interesting and delightful as his art work. I have been to several openings, including group shows where Dan had works, and he is an artist that can be counted on to walk around shaking hands, kissing cheeks and making everyone feel welcome.

His art makes one feel welcome, too, which is a good thing. Although his work has depth and meaning, seriously references and symbolizes ideas and objects, it also kind of make one want to grin. There is just something slightly quirky about the works. Serious in a world that Dan knows is an illusion, at least according science and metaphysics.

The image to the right was specifically selected to show Rizzie at his quirky charming, abstracted and cool best. Yet, there is dark side here; the circles, which are frequently used in Rizzie’s work, seem to symbolize seeds spreading on a breeze, energy, sunbeams and perhaps even bubbles. While at first glance this seems joyous and delightful, most wild seeds do survive to become seedlings or plants, sunbeams are fleeting and bubbles burst. Good artists always show or at least hint at dichotomies, and Dan Rizzie accomplishes that, although at first glance this can be missed.

Accabonac , 2003-8

Although Dan Rizzie is originally from Texas , he migrated to the NY area, and then the Hamptons over twenty years ago. In local interviews on Plum TV, Dan Rizzie has spoken of the impact the beauty of the Hamptons ’s natural landscape has on his work. This can be seen in the nature motifs, which can include images of birds seen in Dan Rizzie’s backyard.

Manor 2008

The passion that is evident in each work is more readily seen when viewing many of them. This is best accomplished at a gallery, but it is possible to see the idea through Spanierman Modern’s, and  Dan Rizzie’s web sites. The spiritual basis that informs the works becomes apparent as chalices, bells, roses appear. These all feature or are constructed of half circles and slices of circles that are prominently featured. Rizzie’s abstracted minimalist approach has an almost Oriental feel, as if some of the simple cut out or painted shapes refer to elegant ancient Eastern ink or watercolor strokes.

Dan Rizzie is known as a collage artist. His works include antique prints or cut outs and backgrounds which are usually newspaper that has been painted over to look aged. The collage elements mixed with contemporary painted narrative elements give the works a timelessness that is simultaneously cutting edge contemporary and antique.

Images are courtesy of the Spanierman Modern Gallery

April Gornik is a landscape painter who creates large, vast uninhabited vistas of calm sumptuousness poised precariously on a fleeting moment.

April Gornik offers a visual respite through painterly integrity to the daily barrage we encounter of jangling images competing for attention from signs, billboards, web sites on computer monitors and hand held devices, TV, and print media, I had been looking forward to wring about April Gornik’s work for a while, and the new solo show at Danese gives me an opportunity as it features the new and larger works. I was looking forward to writing about April Gornik’s work and her recent solo show at the Danese gallery gives me that opportunity as it features many of the new and larger works. Those of you who are acquainted with my articles are aware that I believe larger paintings are not necessarily better; sometimes it’s just like a person who has little that is meaningful to say and so shouts trying to impress. However, April Gornik’s vision is large and deeply meaningful so it is well suited to larger works,

The paintings in the show are lush as if one could paint a landscape as velvet. For me these are spiritual works, as the land or seascapes are filled with the absence of humans and their industry or objects. This develops another dichotomy, as the human element may be missing from the narrative, but the painter’s hand is always present.

Field and Storm, 2004, Oil on linen, 74″ x 95″

The landscapes are of desert, woods, meadows and sea. Presented together in the show, they remind us of ecological problems as well as those of the invading sprawl of civilization that our remaining wild or vast areas face. Perhaps, the often depicted encroaching storms and brooding skies in many of the works point to these concerns.

One of my favorite paintings by April Gornik is Storm Sea, which is pictured here. Since April Gornik maintains a home on the East End of Long Island, I suspect it is of the Atlantic Ocean at a nearby beach, which makes it seem familiar to me. The sea here is brooding, powerful, and the atmosphere is misty gray. The perspective angleof the painting is somewhat low, more the perspective of a child, or someone sitting on a chair in the sand as the waves crash and spill onto the unseen sand.

Storm Sea, 2008, Oil on linen, 75” x 101” inches

In elementary physics a string presents as either energy or pre-matter, but is neither simultaneously. April Gornik paints the waves as they spend their remaining energy churning forward in random directions, pushing into one another to form peaks. The peaks look much like the small grottos in a piece of crumpled paper or wrinkled piece of crisp cloth. It is a moment of physical transformation in nature revealed in paint.

This past summer I was privileged to attend panel discussions where April Gornik was a member. April is thoughtful and passionate about art and how art can impact our lives. Her new and excellent web site is filled with many of her recent works, plus an excellent article that I also urge you to read.

April told a story that I find useful since I am an emerging artist. It seems that at openings and shows, a fan will approach her speaking enthusiastically of a specific painting and how it moves him to feel joy. A few minutes later, another equally moved fan will approach and speaking of the same painting mention how he is moved to feel a far different emotion. For April, painting is the experience of visual communication, so she has learned not to explain herself or disagree but to simply say, “Thank you!”

So April Gornik, coming back at you: thanks for the beautiful work and your passion.

Images used courtesy of April Gornik

Michael Zansky is the artistic purveyor of the decay, debris and demise in an alternate universe of our civilization. His kinetic, symbolic and darkly playful work has some roots in more cheerful work of Alexander Calder.

Yet Calder also has a darker side, for while his elegant colorful mobiles may sway elegantly, his wire portrait sculptures, circus and other works indicate an ongoing struggle with balance through form and their more subdued colors and simplicity.

Clearly Calder was fascinated with movement, as is Zansky. Calder delved into movement and spatial relationships while Zansky’s movement seems usually related to time. Zansky’s works generally either involve movement or challenge the viewer to move along a gigantically scaled presentation, such as History as Ruin.

I was a fan of Michael Zansky’s work before even before he went to college. Michael is a schoolmate of mine from the High School of Music and Art. We were in various classes together, most notably for me, graphic arts with Mr. de Santos.

Back at M & A, I volunteered to work most of my lunchtimes in the guidance office as this allowed me to create my schedule each semester around my favorite art teacher, Mr. Bertram Katz.

Working in the guidance office also meant that I heard the teachers’ “gossip” about the students they thought would do well in various fields, or more likely my friend Karen did and she told me. By our senior year the word from the grapevine was that if any kids were going to make it and become professional artists it would be Michael Zansky and me.

Several years ago, after I had the notion to paint using symbols as strokes, that became the new Post Conceptual theory of art that I am founding, turned my life upside down changing careers to become a professional artist, one of the things I was suddenly curious about was, what happened to Michael Zansky?

I discovered that Michael is represented by the Nicholas Robinson Gallery. Recently he had a darkly delightful exhibition there entitled, The Western Lands. The title refers to both to the Western banks of the Nile, or the netherworld in ancient Egyptian belief, and the William S. Burroughs novel.

In this exhibit Michael Zansky continues his witty and disturbing exploration of a society in ruin and decay – a society that is very much like our own. Included in the works are classic books, dolls, busts of Plato, and other representative icons of our mass produced and a fantasized pop culture. Zansky’s work is always accessible and fascinating in its minutia as he depicts his decay in kinetic and luminous tableaux presentations.

In an article in NY Arts by D. Dominick Lombaridi, Michael Zansky speaks of his work, “Perception is fleeting. My work reflects the battle of the concrete and the ephemeral. It’s a comical situation without end.” Couldn’t that quote be applicable to Alexander Calder’s work, too?

Coincidentally, across Manhattan, The Whitney has a retrospective, Alexander Calder: The Paris Yeas 1926-1933.

One of the hallmarks of a great artist is the influence that artist has on other artists, even generations later. Calder is one of those artists whose influence can be seen in the work of many subsequent artists’ works. Among his pioneering influences are kinetic sculptures (including mobiles) and the use of line in sculpture.

Calder’s work is so accepted and well liked by people, including children as it can be fun and playful. The irony is that some of these children have grown up to become artists and Calder’s influence is sometimes overlooked as it occurred before art school.

Calder’s wire portraits, simplified and capturing the essential features and character of the pop figures of his time can be seen as the predecessors of Andy Warhol’s simplified silk screen Pop portraits capturing the people and pop icons of his time.

While Calder stresses the handmade quality (at that time) Warhol seeks to be mechanical. Yet, Calder’s later works, especially those large mobiles, are mechanically constructed in appearance.

Warhol’s focus on movement and time can be seen in his films. When he pointed his camera at a building or sleeping man and just let it film on, seemingly endlessly, the movement was not in what was depicted as much as in the machine that was depicting it, frame by frame.

Michael Zansky also uses the machinery, plus mirrors much like a camera to project onto large fresnel lenses images of a tableaux as it slowly turns in space. This is much the way that we are one step removed from the actual scene of a film or photograph (the camera being between us), except that it is possible to peek behind the lens to view the scene in reality.

Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol and Michael Zansky purposefully remind us that we are onlookers in their worlds of popular culture, audiences not participants. Each of these artists presents theatrical and unique views of our cultured skewered by their own views – and those views are not to be missed.

[Note: Michael Zansky’s kinetic works are rarely adequately captured by still photographs. To see more go to: www.michaelzansky.com and watch and listen to the video. Scroll down to the red “enter”, click on in and you’ll find another video and more about this artist.]

This week as work continued on setting up the new site and blog it became obvious that I could not come near the features offered by Word Press.

So the new Art of Seeing The Divine blog was moved to Word Press.  The new address is: http://www.artofseeingthedivine.com/blog/

Or, This link should work, depending on your browser and permissions: Art of Seeing The Divine blog.

The recent posts to that blog, including one a couple of days ago, were all moved to the new Word Press   blog site. A post will be placed on the site announcing its new location, which will be the last post there.

This week I met a medical doctor at a party. You know the usual banter of what do you do , what do I do ? I said I am an artist, with a new theory of art that is Post Conceptual as it uses symbols for every stroke, and that I had just finished an e book that is kind of a Visual self help seminar that can help people see more and actually change the way they see the world.

The doctor knew a little about art, so the new Post Conceptual theory gained his attention, but he gave me one of those kinds of smile more knowing adults bestow on children or those who seem sweet but daft.

As I explained that 90% of vision happened in the brain not the eyes, he nodded along as he knew all about it. So I explained how seeing the images of my artwork, with the tiny strokes that represent the essences of the universe, simultaneously the strings of elementary physics and for many people also the words of the Creator, created visual memories.  Now I really had his interest, and even cautious respect.

So I explained just a bit about the exercises and how looking at my art creates a visual impression on the brain, which then begins to decode the impressions of light that it actually sees but now, thanks to the images recognizes.  Then I stopped speaking as the doctor looked at me in amazement for a moment, smiled genuinely and said, “you’ve got it!” That would work! It really world!” He took my card.

If you have not yet checked out the new Art Of Seeing The Divine site and discovered the exciting e book that can actually help you change the way you see the world — do it now!

For the past few weeks I have done little but work at writing a book, which is the first is a series– and then building a web site for it, the prints and other items that will be available.

A tad over a year ago, I began to sort thorough the blog articles using some of them as first drafts of parts of chapters for a book. Last winter, when I stumbled into portraiture and what became the Essence series, I realized I had a series of books, each dealing with a different series.

The books were meant to be visual and inspirational, using images of my art, plus inspirational writing. When the web site host and blog software became impossible, about the time of the spring art fairs in NYC 2008, I began the tedious task of creating unique pages for each of the former blog articles, since the old software that was giving me so much trouble would not allow me to migrate the blogs into Word Press.

As I converted the blogs, I edited many (more need it!) and began earnestly working on a book. I also began to include visual experiences into the book, using my art and works by artists such as Monet and Picasso to illustrate ideas about how we see and how art can influence vision.

The task of rebuilding the programming and moving the web site and blog was completed, along with the revised manifesto just slightly before the weekend of ArtHamptons in July 2008..[I seem to tell time by art events.]

Also during the time of the spring fairs I was becoming increasingly more aware of a change in my eyesight, actually in how I saw the world. I am nearsighted, and discovered that whether I was looking at objects close of far away, with or without corrective lenses, I was definitely seeing more energy.

Tiny points of vibrant energy were everywhere, sort of like a Pointillist painting, but much smaller, vibrant and well, it is visually clear to me that the world is really energy! I see more, and am aware of more detail, plus for me seeing energy everywhere relates to the spiritual understanding and Abrahamic theology that the Words (letters) of the Creator are the essences, the building blocks of the universe. Apparently, what happened is as I painted with all the tiny, tiny Torah font letters which form into a narrative image my brain was forming visual memories. 90% of the perception of vision happens in the brain as it decodes the impressions of light sent by the eyes. My brain had learned to decode impressions of light that my eyes were receiving throughout my life, but my brain had no experiential way of decoding.

When I began painting I said I wanted to change the way we see the world, but I had no idea how truly I was going to do that! Of course, it had to begin with me.

Once I realized that I was actually seeing more energy, basic energy that is spiritually the Words of The Creator,  I set about to write an introductory book so that other people could learn to do this too.  The Art of Seeing the Divine — Book 1: Introduction is  a kind of inspirational visual seminar in the format of an illustrated book, which would help other people to also see what I am now seeing. The idea that energy, the Words of the Creator is everywhere is no longer theoretical for me, I see it – even now as I keyboard this message. It is everywhere I look and it is real. It has changed my life and my outlook.

Earlier this week I completed The Art Of Seeing The Divine – Book 1: Introduction. The rest of the week was spent finishing the artofseeingthedivine.com website, including setting up a shopping cart, coding and writing the information and creating buttons and images, etc. in Photoshop. As I write this I am still working on a good way to have people sign up for a newsletter. At the moment, my forms are simply coming up as email, which will work if a person sends it. However, I am going to have to get a better form of newsletter system before I really announce the book and site widely, early next week.

However, if you are one of the people who frequent this Art & Inspiration blog, you can have a sneak peek. The book is available (that all works). Send me an email to sign up for the newsletter – links are provided, just place write sign up in the subject and fire it off.

Any feedback is appreciated!