@cjb3.bsky.social
Ultimately we make art for ourselves. open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
A Question of Audience: For Whom Do We Make Our Art?
Conventional wisdom says that we make art for our audience.
open.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Ultimately we make art for ourselves. open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
We all need to tune our aesthetics: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Direction, Aesthetics, and Post-Processing
For the last week, I have been lost in a sea of post-processing choices, and it has been a very educational experience.
open.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:08 AM
We all need to tune our aesthetics: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Sometimes artists need a little help. open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Thoughts on Artists' Assistants
A while back Hazel Dooney was trying to hire an assistant and someone evidently questioned her about it, as evidenced by two defensive tweets.
open.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Sometimes artists need a little help. open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Making art is not without difficulty: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
The Discomfort of Creativity
I remember several years ago a woman telling me how much she enjoyed the show that I had just directed.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Making art is not without difficulty: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Let the work speak for itself! open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Artist Statements, Program Notes, and Curtain Speeches
Several years ago, Bill Davenport posting on Glass Tire called the artist statement the “scourge of the contemporary art world” and encouraged other artists to not do them.
open.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Let the work speak for itself! open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Still thinking about art reproduction: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
More on Art Reproduction
A few days after I wrote about the potential deceptiveness of art reproductions (”The Real Thing,”), I ran across an article in a magazine that was touting an online photography contest.
open.substack.com
September 8, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Still thinking about art reproduction: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
No reproduction can rival the real thing. open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
The Real Thing
The other day I stumbled across a web site that consisted of a set of reproductions of da Vinci paintings—well, sort of.
open.substack.com
August 25, 2025 at 5:24 AM
No reproduction can rival the real thing. open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
How important are titles & captions? open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Titles and Captions
The other day I got an email with a photograph as an attachment and a note, “The caption makes the photo,” and, of course, it did.
open.substack.com
August 11, 2025 at 3:16 AM
How important are titles & captions? open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
It’s not just a matter of taste: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Likes, Dislikes, and Quality
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from an English professor when I was an undergraduate student.
open.substack.com
July 28, 2025 at 3:29 AM
It’s not just a matter of taste: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
An aspect of art not often discussed: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
The Appearance of Effortlessness
One of the things we have come to expect from good art is the appearance of effortlessness.
open.substack.com
July 14, 2025 at 3:28 AM
An aspect of art not often discussed: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
Art requires an audience: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
The Importance of the Audience
In graduate school, I read a book (the title of which is long gone) by Stephen C.
open.substack.com
June 30, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Art requires an audience: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
One of many problems for the visual artist: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...
The Visual Artist's Dilemma
One of the most daunting tasks facing the visual artist is selling their work.
open.substack.com
June 4, 2025 at 4:38 AM
One of many problems for the visual artist: open.substack.com/pub/unnatura...