A few days ago, a friend of mine shared this article on the current exhibition ‘Louise Bourgeois: Freud’s Daughter’ at the Jewish Museum in New York. I’ve admired Bourgeois’s work for some time and I’m particularly interested in the connection between her artistic practice and her personal history (so much so that I wrote about … More Freud’s Daughter and The Destruction of the Father
When I was in my first year of undergrad studies at Sydney College of the Arts one of my favourite classes was Studio Concepts. Studio Concepts was not a studio theory class where students learn about the conceptual history of their discipline, and it was not a studio practical class where students learn the specific … More Conceptual Limitations
When tumblr first became popular I didn’t see much need for it. Between my blog and my twitter account I was feeling pretty confident my needs were met. But then, after looking at a few image-based tumblr accounts, I realised they could be quite aesthetically pleasing. I was inspired by the arrangement of attractive and … More Black and White
As an honours student in the SPI studio at Sydney College of the Arts I was required to write a research paper to complement my artistic practice. The aim for this paper was to present the major themes of my work and to ground my practice in a larger conceptual framework. The main thrust of … More Research and Development
At the opening night of the National Tertiary Art Prize I had an interesting conversation about the current popularity of video art. One theory is that the invention and dissemination of LCD televisions has returned video to the pictorial realm. Wall mounted flat screen video is the new painting; framed, contained. One could argue that … More Tele-Vision
As an art student it is often necessary to talk and write about your work. I have heard this is also true for practicing artists. In my time at university I have never experienced significant trouble meeting these expectations. I have always particularly enjoyed talking about my work whether it be informally, with friends, family … More Heavy Criticism
I have had long hair for more than two years. On Saturday evening I shaved it all off. Personally I felt it was long past time for a change. I was tired of the effort and inconvenience of having thick, curly, long hair. But now that the hair is gone I feel the possible repercussions … More Cut and Dried
I read Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut recently. It is definitely a strange book, but still quite enjoyable. One particular passage struck me as worth quoting. It is Kurt’s response to his brother’s question, “Art or not?” There are many good people who are beneficially stimulated by some, but not all, manmade arrangements of colours and … More Art or not?
I am planning an exhibition with my good friend Sach. Our works have some visual and conceptual similarities but also many differences. We are both performance and video oriented and our practices share concerns at times about art and life. His latest work is an attempt to physicalise a visceral reaction to the work of … More Relational Being
Tom Isaacs 