Will Bryant - MFA Candidate

drawdownbooks: No more critiques. #yale mfa #graphic design...

willbryantplz — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:02:52 -0400

No more critiques. #yale mfa #graphic design show/s (at Yale School of Art)

"It’s a completely different situation when you get in with people who are serious and..."

willbryantplz — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:43:00 -0400

““It’s a completely different situation when you get in with people who are serious and ambitious, agressive and competitive.””

- Richard Jackson (interview)

2013, Powder coated steel, styrofoam insulation, bondo, high...

willbryantplz — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:44:38 -0400

2013, Powder coated steel, styrofoam insulation, bondo, high gloss latex paint, MDF, plastic bags, house plants, safety blankets, balloons, archival pigment prints, dimensions variable.

Exhibition on view April 8—April 19, 2013
AB Lobby Gallery, Portland State University

Installation images by Worksighted

Eric Hu: Could This Simply Just Be a Conflict in Syntax?

willbryantplz — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:40:20 -0400

Eric Hu: Could This Simply Just Be a Conflict in Syntax?:

e-r-h:

I’m starting to think the term graphic design is used to describe two separate ideas that often get mixed together. One use of the phrase refers to set of formal qualities and the process of arriving at them. The other use of the phrase refers to an encompassing practice that describes not only…

The studio is looking good these days.

willbryantplz — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:14:08 -0400

The studio is looking good these days.

After much planning, many hours of work, and tons of help from...

willbryantplz — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 03:30:00 -0400

After much planning, many hours of work, and tons of help from amazing people—my show is up! It wasn’t easy, but I did have some fun. This is merely a peek, more to come.

The talented and generous Evan La Londe stopped by the gallery this evening to take install photos. I am currently editing those and working on my lecture.

There is much left to do, but I’m riding the wave.

Pieces are piling up! I dropped off 17 steel pieces off at the...

willbryantplz — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 02:23:30 -0400

Pieces are piling up!

I dropped off 17 steel pieces off at the powder coaters this morning. I’m cranking away on several sculptural pieces made from styrofoam and bondo. Rene is building me a wall and two plinths. I’m working on getting some pedestals built and still need to print some wallpaper.

I’m bleeding money, but the end is near!

Saying Wavy - process Fabricating new pieces from drawings and...

willbryantplz — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:16:11 -0400

Saying Wavy - process

Fabricating new pieces from drawings and I’ve been re-researching material I read in the first year.

Alex De Corte Really into the work of Alex De Corte. He holds an...

willbryantplz — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:12:00 -0400

Alex De Corte

Really into the work of Alex De Corte. He holds an MFA from Yale, 2010 and a BFA from the University of the Arts, 2004.

His weirdo tumblr.

Photo

willbryantplz — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:05:16 -0400

Saying Wavy - MFA Candidate Graduate Exhibition Charles Eames...

willbryantplz — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:59:24 -0400

Saying Wavy - MFA Candidate Graduate Exhibition

Charles Eames stated that design is, “…a plan for arranging elements in such a way as to best accomplish a particular purpose. The design is an expression of the purpose. It may (if it is good enough) later be judged as art.”

Excerpt from Eames Design; The Work of the Office of Charles and Ray Eames.

From my understanding art has always been viewed in higher regard than design, and this is due mostly to the freedom of expression, exploration, and limitlessness of an artist.

Mathias Augustyniak (M/M Paris) writes, “Art has simply become more and more detached from the economy of everyday life; artists seem to insist on positioning themselves outside of the real world in this exclusive space called art.” What does this mean for designers using their creations as a vehicle for the kinds of personal expression and commentary that are usually seen as art’s preserve? What seems crucial to this investigation is that some sort of slippage occurs between where art is, how it looks, and what it does.

Exhibition Dates: Monday, April 8, 2013 – Friday, April, 19, 2013

Public Lecture: Wednesday, April 10, 2013. 6-7 PM, Shattuck Annex.

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 11, 2013. 5-8 PM, AB Lobby Gallery.

PSU Campus: Shattuck Hall Annex is located at SW Broadway & Hall, AB Lobby Gallery is located at 2000 SW 5th Avenue.

Ready for the panel review tomorrow. (?)

willbryantplz — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:44:25 -0500

Ready for the panel review tomorrow. (?)

Help Me I’m An Artist! Working on new installations to be...

willbryantplz — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:43:13 -0500

Help Me I’m An Artist!

Working on new installations to be photographed. Experimenting with materials - wishing I was a painter - entertaining myself with form.

I really need to replace my stolen camera :(

Alley-Oop Collaborative exhibition with Eric Trine (2nd year...

willbryantplz — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:40:00 -0500

Alley-Oop

Collaborative exhibition with Eric Trine (2nd year student at PNCA + OCAC).

“It has always seemed to me that the most natural thing in the world to draw and make things. I don’t think I have ever made any great difference between drawing a thing, making it and using it or even between making things by myself or with others.” –ES

The maker Ettore Sottasass articulates a youthful desire to make for the sake of making in an essay called When I Was a Very Small Boy.

I recently collaborated with industrial designer Eric Trine to create an expansive body of dimensional work, shown in the context of Poketo, a home-goods retail shop in the downtown arts district of Los Angeles. Eric and I shared our processes and approach to materials, and learned endless new tricks.

The pleasure that drove this collaborative process was a reflection of the sincerity that is a major force in my work process. I wanted to work with Eric because we shared an approach to making that can best be described as an innate impulse to create, an instinctive desire to make for the sake of making. It is almost childlike.

Unlike a child, we are somewhat informed and educated, but like a child we were uncertain of what we were doing. And that uncertainty was liberating.

This project allowed Eric and I to make with no art directors, no clients, no audience, just the thrill of discovery and “everything we did was entirely absorbed in the act of doing it, in wanting to it…”

The pieces in the collection displayed a truly accurate combination of our different vibes and practices. I painted zany pattern work onto leather strips that Eric then wove onto a rehabbed metal lawn chair frame. Eric welded metal forms derived from my drawings, and we powder-coated them in jewel-tones and pastels straight from our combined color palettes.

This piece was a deeply rewarding investigation into the role of collaboration, authorship and process in my work. Does it matter who made it or posted it on Instagram? Maybe. But the back and forth and the energy in the room is what gets me excited. Seeing drawings become tangible objects, sharing ideas and jumping into each others’ process is what this piece was all about.

In basketball, an Alley-Oop is pretty a spectacular move, and often the player completing the move — the dunk — gets the bulk of the credit. But the player who makes the assist, who essentially sets up the play, is just as crucial as the dunker. In Alley-Oop, those roles were constantly in flux — we made moves that pushed each other to make more spectacular dunks, tossing the metaphorical art ball up just out of reach. Our collaboration was a series of moves, passes and dunks, calls and responses.

—

Photos by Poketo (more on flickr).

additional press/interviews:

"People often asked how I’m able to entice random strangers into working with me on art projects..."

willbryantplz — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:11:08 -0500

“People often asked how I’m able to entice random strangers into working with me on art projects about their own lives. The answer is that I appear to actually be interested in the person and his or her activities. And what is the best strategy for appearing interested? The answer is to sincerely be interested in fact nothing else will work. This is not difficult for me, because I actually think that people are interesting. I would even go so far as to say that I have a great fondness for the human race.”

- Towards a tender society of thoughtful questions and answers, 2002 | Harrell Fletcher (via nicolelavelle)

Make Your Own Damn Art - Bob and Roberta Smith

willbryantplz — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:07:29 -0500

Make Your Own Damn Art - Bob and Roberta Smith

Laundry List

willbryantplz — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:05:00 -0500

THEMES

Humor

Positivity/Negativity

Collaboration/Inclusion

Colorful

Playful

Pointing

PERSONAL CANON / INFLUENCES

Wayne White

John Baldessari

Sol LeWitt

Claes Oldenburg

Franz West

Ettore Sottsass

Andy Warhol

Maurizio Cattelan

Keith Haring

Corita Kent

Hennessey Youngman

Matt Connors

David Shrigley

Daniel Eatock

Steve Powers

Geoff McFetridge

Cody Hudson

Amos Kennedy

Chad Kouri

Breanne Trammell

Marc Horowitz

Olaf Breuning

Bob and Roberta Smith - make your own rules

Walker Art Center

RESEARCHED

Art history / Contemporary Art in general

Art & Social Practice / Socially Engaged Art Practices

Pee Wee’s Playhouse

Humor

Celebration

Success

Failure

Recognition

Fun

Language (documenting conversations/quotes)

Set Design / Props

The Everyday

the Will Bryant Brand

PROCESS

a. Draw a lot - edit - put it on the wall - document (put it on the internet)

b. Draw something - scan - manipulate - produce it - share it

c. Idea strikes - draw - pretend to be a painter - build something - think too much - start over…

Hire someone to produce it - document
Collaborate with someone - document
Have a friend convince me that what I’m doing is art - react - revise - document

d. Idea strikes - list restraints or give directions - follow through - document

CORE QUESTIONS

What happens when I do this?

How do you have fun?

If art is made when no one is looking, is it art?

Is humor always simple? Or can it be intricate, complicated, confusing or indirect?

Untitled (Collaboration Station) Art making yourself senseless!...

willbryantplz — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:02:00 -0500

Rene Allen

Chad Kouri

Eric Trine

Sally Bryant

Jason Sturgill

Steve Brown

Jordan Domont

Will Bruno

Jeremy Pelley

Untitled (Collaboration Station)

Art making yourself senseless! During a 12 hour studio session I collaborated with 12 different select individuals for 1 hour each. It was long, but went by fast.

This collab-o-thon was an experiment about process, engagement, and working under constraints. Drawings, collages, internet explorations, material investigations, conversations, play doh sculptures, and sandwiches were produced as a result of these experiments. Different participants approached the directive of bringing 5 items with them. Some arrived with more developed plans while during other visits improvisation was the driving force. Social media also provided prompts for some of these experiences.

Collaborators:

Rene Allen, Chad Kouri (Skype), Sean Schumacher, Cody Haltom (Skype), Eric Trine, Sally Bryant, Jason Sturgill, Steven Brown, Adam Garcia, Jordan Domont, Will Bruno, and Jeremy Pelley (OMFGCO).

With my graduate exhibition in mind, I see this becoming an event for my two week gallery programming. Currently I am thinking about the gallery as an event space versus a place to showcase art objects I have made. The experience is the art, but also art objects will be produced and sold during the exhibition. This jam packed schedule will consist of curated collaborative projects (like this one), lectures, screenings, a coffee shop for a day, a storefront for a day, as well as a dance party. Documentation will be extremely important. I will likely hire employees/volunteers to help run the space, setup, breakdown, organize, and document. My current thought is to produce a well designed publication that documents the events that take place to give context to ideas in my graduate project statement. Books are neat and far more enjoyable to read than a paper.

jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk: ALL DAY LONG

willbryantplz — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:24:47 -0500

jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk:

ALL DAY LONG

I decided to skip my last critique and pay someone else to...

willbryantplz — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:58:17 -0500

I decided to skip my last critique and pay someone else to endure it for me!

On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 I hired an improv actor to impersonate me during my MFA studio critique. He was employed take my place, as I was not in the studio. The performance became a piece. We had very little time to hangout before the crit (20 min) but did exchange numerous emails so he could embody the “Will Bryant Brand”.

It was a piece created for a specific time, place, and audience. There is no documentation other than the essay below (which accompanied the performance) and a plotter print of the Craigslist ad I placed to find the actor.

There were no art objects in the room, just conceptual props to navigate conversation. One of these props included a laptop/projector showcasing a body of work from this summer. Above the projection, the plotter print was rolled up awaiting to be revealed at an opportune moment. The third and final prop was this essay, in printed form laying on my desk that had been instructed to be handed out at the end. This description is pretty boring, just read the essay.

…………………

This is a performance. This is an experiment. This is an exploration of ideas, placed into a form that is new to me. This is a piece that does not yet have a name.

1. This is a footnote.

The following is a list of ideas that are currently occupying my thinking. These ideas were fodder for the piece you experienced today.

Humor
“The jester’s role is to poke fun at power.” —Stanya Kahn
Recent visiting artist Stanya Kahn uses tropes of comedy in her work, as a way to negotiate the world. This led me to ask myself how I was implementing humor into my work. I like funny. But how does it come across in my art? Is humor always simple? Or can it be intricate, complicated, confusing or indirect? If the jester pokes fun at power, what power am I poking fun at? Kahn’s use of humor to navigate desolate and sometimes dangerous landscapes of Los Angeles led me to question the role of humor in my work. I suspect that this piece may be viewed by some as a joke. When I consider myself as a “performance artist,” it seems like a joke. I am trying on different hats, and some of them are silly. I am wearing other people’s pants, and some of them fit funny.

Objects
Typically my work is aesthetically driven and object based. It is visual, you look at it and you hold it sometimes. It most often takes form in stylized drawings, prints, sculptures, and I have been experimenting lately with installations. This action, performance, dance, movement, or whatever you want to call it, is an attempt to break that mold. I am attempting to communicate ideas without focusing too heavily on objects. Still, you’re holding this paper in your hand. There are big pieces of paper pinned up. But I see these as supplements to the piece. They’re playing a supporting role.

Institutional Critique
This piece is intended to question the role of graduate school in the life of a working artist. Is this the best system for all kinds of people who want an MFA degree? Are there ways to bend and stretch and customize the MFA experience for different realities? The realities of workload, finances, scheduling, and balancing priorities are things that are often not discussed in a grad school context, but these are things that I think about all the time. It is expected of me to be fully present and focused on my graduate studies, but in reality I am often occupied by my commercial client work. Also, I want to spend time with my wife. I am constantly thinking of ways to make work that integrates better into my life. This is one way, to hire someone to take my place. Because of the time I did not spend in the studio, making and considering my marks on paper or my colors of paint, I got to spend my wife’s birthday eating pizza, putting together a puzzle and watching movies.

I don’t want to be an artist.
Being an artist is supposed to be hard. Art is used to raise questions, and point at things that unveil tension between multiple layers of meaning. Okay. But currently, making art isn’t satisfying to me. Perhaps I’m not making art, and I’m merely trying to make art. As an attempt to navigate new territory I’m utilizing this experiment as a way to move beyond the typical means of production. By hiring an improv actor to communicate these ideas and writing this essay I am conducting an experiment, and your feedback is critical. Stanya Kahn said something like, “Sometimes you do things and you find out the reasons of why you did it afterwards.” Yeah. Totally.

As the viewer, did you need an object? Does this footnote, this annotation, help you understand the piece, or does it hinder your experience? What were you left wanting? With the removal of visual style, is the light-heartedness of my work still present? Did this piece offend you? (I’m sorry if it did, I didn’t mean it to!) This isn’t meant to be a “fuck you” to your time, the program, or any system. Does this piece go beyond a joke or is it a failed Ashton Kutcher Punk’d moment?

I hope it is understood that I could have applied the time and money spent on this piece to another body of work made in the studio. I know how to draw! But rather than do things the way I normally would, I decided to conduct an experiment. This piece is sort of confusing to me. This type of work feels weird. But weirdness is good, right? Discomfort is art, yes? I made this action for the sake of discovery. Like a kid touching a hot stove, like a cat eating lettuce, I’m doing this thing, and wondering “What happens when I do this?”

I hope I don’t get burned. Or accidentally eat slimy lettuce.

Resources, Inspiration and Further Reading
“Focus on the things that are most exciting. It’s a privilege to be in graduate school; at no other point in your life will there be a group of people that are this interested in your work and give you critical feedback.” —Stanya Kahn

“He teases the art world without ever falling into the naive trap of thinking he can subvert a system of which he is part.” —Maurizio Cattelan, DesignBoom

“The clown’s job, after all, is to hold up a mirror to our pomposities, foibles and fears, and this is something the artist does with aplomb, upping the comic ante with each new work he produces.” —Tom Morton, Frieze Magazine, 2005.

Maurizio Cattelan
David Shrigley
Breanne Trammell
Matthew Brannon (at David Kordansky Gallery)
John Baldessari