Thursday, May 28, 2015
Tim McFarlane on the maggy thump show ep. 24 / june 2, 2015 / visual aide
Hey, catch me on the next episode of the Maggy Thump Show! It goes live on Tuesday, June 2nd, around lunchtime...
Maggy's Rooftop Aerial
TimMcFarlane.com
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Deer In The Headlights, 2013, acrylic on panel, 24" x 30"
Now on view in the Project Room at Gray Contemporary (Houston, TX)
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Throwback...
September, 2013-posing with Pink Mirror (2012) at the Bridgette Mayer Gallery during my solo exhibition, Presence.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Artist interview on 365Artists/365Days
There's a new interview with me published on 365Artists/365Days.com: Tim McFarlane-Philadelphia, PA
Monday, May 04, 2015
Friday, May 01, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Small Orange Mirror
Small Orange Mirror, 2013, acrylic on panel, 16 x 20 inches
SMO, one of my favorite paintings from 2013, has found a new home in Napa, California, thanks to Bridgette Mayer Art Advisors.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Art, business and exposure...
I became annoyed by a post on Tumblr this morning in which a young artist told her story of not having her work returned after a show at a tech firm. She was told that it was being 'rented' online at "GetUpArt.com", something that she had not agreed to as part of the original exhibition. She went on to say that while a couple of her works were returned, she was given some small sum for 'rentals' and then the money wasn't coming in at all. She didn't mention that she'd had the remaining works returned or not.
Then, I cam across a 'competition' sponsored by Asos.com, an online fashion outlet that caters mostly to 20-somethings, that has a call out for artists to design a t-shirt that and the winner would have their design printed. That was it, no compensation or other reciprocal value to the artists/illustrators was mentioned at all, other than the implied 'exposure' on the Asos brand t-shirt.
Issues such as these exist at every level and in almost every area of the creative arts, what I call the 'Exposure Trap': entering contests and competitions where there is next to no value for the artist. I'm not against ALL art-related competitions, I'm against the desperate mindset that they create in younger and sometimes, not- so-young artists. It's important to question these things and that's what I address in my post. The full text of my Tumblr entry is below:
THAT THING ABOUT BUSNIESSES, ARTISTS AND ‘EXPOSURE…
Not long after reposting and commenting on a post by Jenny Odell regarding her problems in dealing with GetArtUp.com, I see that Asos is calling on “Tumblr’s top artists and illustrators” to enter their “awesome competition…”.
What do the artists and illustrators get? Well, “Your artwork will be a placement print, in the centre of the tee”. That’s it. No financial compensation of any kind from a company that makes millions in profits every year.
“But they’ll get all sorts of EXPOSURE because we’re a top online fashion seller…”, they will inevitably say.
I say a company making millions can afford to pay the ‘winner’ of this competition at least a couple of hundred bucks for their time and work. Competitions of this sort are really disrespectful of artists’ talents and foster a mentality of being grateful for receiving next to nothing in return.
If you’re going to enter contests like this, at least be really discerning about it.
Take at least a few minutes to research the company/entity or individuals involved. Search to see if there have been any complaints about their contests in the past or to see if they are legit about their claims.
Questions to think about:
- Is there compensation involved?
- If there isn’t, what else of value are they offering to the artist entrants, i.e., purchase of artwork, share of sales of merchandise featuring your artwork, etc…?
- Will they post/tweet about the winner and link to the artist’s website (if they have one)?
- How much work and materials will I have to put into making the art for this? Ex: Is it going to take a couple of weeks or more to work out an image that might get chosen to be on a t-shirt (or other item) that you’re not getting paid for?
Just food for thought…
Friday, April 17, 2015
Website Updated!
I spent a good chunk of yesterday updating my artist website and even managed to revise my artist statement without giving myself a headache, lol!
There are two new sections on my site: ‘Installation Photos’ and ‘Studio Visit’.
The Installation Photos section contains shots of my work in various exhibition and other spaces. Studio Visit has photos of my studio space and works in progress. It gives visitors to my site a curated glimpse inside the studio and see a little of my process if they don’t visit or aren’t aware of my social media outlets, which is where I post most of those documentation shots.
Visit TimMcFarlane.com to see what’s new!
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Endings = Beginnings
A couple of years ago, I felt like I was on the verge of having to move my studio because of renovations going on in the building. The renovations were going to be starting right as my lease was going to be up. Luckily, I was able to keep the space. However, this year will see a big change because I found out this week that my lease won't be renewed at the end of the year. The short version is one of simple economics (as usual): someone else in the building is expanding their business, there's no more space and there's no way that I can match or beat what they will be willing and able to pay.
The good part of this is that my landlord has given me an eight month notice (my lease is up at the end of December) and I can leave beforehand with no consequences. So there's time to save a little and hopefully find a suitable work space option.
When my landlord texted me last week wanting to set up a meeting, having to leave the space was on the list of possible topics in my mind. I've been mentally preparing myself for this for the past 13 years, so it's not such a shock. I'm surprised that I was able to stay in Old City this long, considering the gentrification that took hold before I even moved my studio there.
Anyway, endings make for beginnings, and I have no choice but to embrace this change, so may as well get to it...
Thursday, April 02, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
'Philadelphia Freedom' continues
A shot from 'Philadelphia Freedom', on view at the Philip Slein Gallery in St. Louis for one more week. This show features works by Philadelphia-based painters and includes work by Charles Burwell, myself, Steve Riedell, Rebecca Rutstein and Erik Spehn. 'Philadelphia Freedom' closes on March 28th.
In the background is a painting by Rebecca Rutstein titled Caught in a Dream, 2012-13, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60 inches.
Foreground: Two of my paintings in the show: (left) Release, 2014, acrylic on panel, 30 x 24 inches
(right) An Adjustment of Means, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 inches
(photo courtesy of the Philip Slein Gallery)
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Studio Newsletter: February 2015
My latest studio newsletter is out. This one contains news about a new group exhibition that I'm taking part in, a show that recently closed, and a look at one of my earliest paintings. if you like, you can subscribe to receive periodic newsletters (4-5 per year) : Tim McFarlane Studio Newsletter-February 2015
Friday, February 06, 2015
An Adjustment of Means, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 inches
I'm pleased to announce that I will have works included in an upcoming group exhibition at the Philip Slein Gallery, located in St. Louis, MO. Titled Philadelphia Freedom, this show features abstract painting from Philadelphia-based artists including myself, Charles Burwell, Steve Riedell, Rebecca Rutstein, and Erik Spehn. Philadelphia Freedom opens on Friday, February 27th and continues through March 28th, 2015.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 29, 2014
Friday, December 26, 2014
Thursday, December 25, 2014
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