Maybe I'm just dumb but what the hell does this question mean??

I'm doing a (seemingly stupid) thing and applying for an MFA without having gotten an art degree, so I don't have a ton of art world jargin knowledge. I have my first interview with an MFA program and I know they might ask me this question and I still have no idea what it means.

Please help.

Hi all!! I recently got accepted into the printmaking masters program at RCA and the Contemporary art practice masters program at Edinburgh college of art and im looking for anyone who can share their experiences at these unis. Im an international student (u.s) and wasnt able to get as in depth of a tour while i was there.

Curious to hear any info you have on either of these so i can make a more informed choice. For additional info:

-Money isnt an issue -im looking to emigrate to the UK -im more printmaking focused

At some point there should be a class action lawsuit against art programs that put people into debt with absolutely single digit percentage of graduates being placed into actual jobs. The problem with such a lawsuit is MFA programs font actually even claim to help place young artists in galleries or teaching jobs etc. Of course art has value beyond the financial but at this point I can't advise anyone who isn't from a family with intergenerational wealth that it makes any sense. It seems these programs essentially extract capital from students and their families to finance middle class lifestyle for a handful of lottery winners that end up teaching.

If you are teaching in this context, how are you not an extractive ghoul?

If you are a student and not rich already or poised to inheret 1M+ or your folks bought you an apartment after undergrad etc. What do you think you're getting for your 200k? Connections? Access to a cool email list? A phrase dictionary?

There needs to be accountability taken but it's still elusive how to bring the hammer down.

I'm beyond stuck and I need help. I'm very interdisciplinary with my work, I overthink details' meaning and allow different mediums to inspire each other. To me it all makes sense, and I can perfectly back up my choices with arguments, but it seems like people mostly just get confused by my work and hardly get the feeling I want out of it. I hate work that's direct and on the nose, so I work with metaphors, but it seems I'm so stuck in my bubble that not even the feeling I want my work to emitt is present... Making is my whole being, and I hate to call this devastating but I keep hearing this feedback from people and it leaves me confused and helpless. I wonder if; anyone is up for seeing some of my work and giving me feedback? anyone that knows how to navigate around this? anyone experiences similar things?

I have a question on professional/ experienced contemporary artists if possible please. I work on my project related to consumerism. ( overwhelmingness, overload, too much ..) in digital work, collages, photographs….my lecturer told me the work should have same theme ( overload , too much etc) but how is it possible for all work having same theme when my work is about not just bringing the awareness about consumption, but also point on alternatives of consumerism, finding solution, which would be, in my opinion the exact opposite - minimalism, black and white colours to make people think….cos they dont think seriously when their senses will be ‘ overloaded’ looking on vivid colours etc, plus i work with photography, sculpture as well, and the photography is about capturing consumers identities, souls while shopping etc. or just some metaphoric picture. I cant just have work full of vidid colours that screams ‘ look at me and have a headache’ , but variety of work, its gonna be ‘ exhibited on website’, and i want it to be balanced and just show varieties if you know what i mean, plus it has to be something experimental, come up with something new, and i dont even know where to start, i just cant make a picture of whole thing in my head being everything ‘ same theme’. There is limited time to speak to my lector, and they only provide feedback on work 3x per module.

What the hell is going on at SAIC?

I am honestly in shock right now. SAIC's Art Therapy and Counseling department has been one of the leading programs in the country and is also one of the very first Art Therapy programs in the United States.

However, now it seems like the program is facing serious problems. The majority of the full-time faculty are either unable to teach courses or are unable to participate in planning for the upcoming 2025–26 admissions cycle. This is leaving the program in a state of disarray, and as a result, the decision has been made to pause new admissions for the MA in Art Therapy and Counseling program for the 2025–26 academic year.

This is a huge blow not only to prospective students who have spent months preparing their applications but also to the legacy of the program itself. How can a program that has been so foundational in the field be left in such a precarious position? I

Yeah, I’m thinking specifically of this:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degenerate_art

Is “high art” culturally significant enough today to be of any consequence to those who want to censor

I have to say I was kind of surprised to see this - any thoughts?

https://hyperallergic.com/986456/spring-break-art-show-cancels-upcoming-la-edition/

Hi all- been recently trying to asses what open calls are worth a fee and which aren't. In a time where I am not getting many opportunities organically, it can be hard not the feel like these sorts of bigger exposure open calls are my only shot at moving things forwards. The fee for NADA is $50 which feels crazy for an online exhibition, but maybe it's worth for the potential opportunities to come out of showing with them? I know many of you guys are anti fees but would love your opinions.

Hello fellows artists, English is not my first language so I apologize in advance. I'm from Latin America emerging artists/career. Traditionally I have the age (30) to start a master, for many reasons I can't migrate so study abroad is not an option, here the semester is a bit expensive and honestly is not as rewarding as it used to be, or I think is unbalanced the investment for a degree. My question is... is it worth it? How is it in another places? Should I use that money for residencies instead? Thanks for reading.

Especially in the context of work that hasn't been exhibited before. And I mean a photography series in the more "traditional" sense, so not a specific installation or photos printed on other materials and so on.

Just copying the file seems... cheap, somehow. A curator I know always suggests to print them out even on regular paper, put them on some random white walls and document them like that.

This makes sense to me in the context of an exhibition plan or proposal for example, to show how you would like to exhibit them. But what about in the context of putting together a sample of works, just to show past work or your overall practice? What do you think?

Have you ever asked an artist this question, and what was the motivation behind the question? Has someone asked you this question and how did it make you feel? How did you reply?

Yours sincerely, Annoyed by a collector

Hello there!

So got accepted into the RCA Painting program and wanted to reach out for some advice before making my final decision. I’d love to hear about anyone who has had an experience there. what was the environment like in terms of studio spaces, contact hours, and overall support?

One of my main goals, apart from developing my practice, is to advance my career and build strong connections. My only worry is that RCA is a one year program and I’m not sure if that will be enough time, that being said it is also bloody expensive but I have been saving for my masters and if it’s worth it then I’ll give it a shot. I have applied to other places as well but and I’ll definitely weigh in my options once and if I get selected.

I want to send an A4 canvas painting from US to a client in Singapore. Which shipping service would you recommend? Is DHL good? Do I need to declare the value of artwork? Are there are other formalities?

I thought about a friend and fellow photographer for a while, and asked if she'd like an introduction to a gallery that I know in New York. Who knows what the response will be, but I why not connect them.

I didn't quite know where else to share this except here, but it made me feel really good, and it's a reminder that I get as much out of the introduction as they do, at least almost.

It also had me think about my process and my approach to reaching out to galleries, and encourages ME to ask others for help and introductions.

So, the bottom line for me is to be helpful if I can and it helps me--directly or indirectly--in return.

I teach a lot of adult students some of whom are semi professional and have instagram pages. Some will mention me in their posts when I teach them. I wish they wouldn’t because I use Instagram to promote my art work, not my teaching.

However recently I had a considered critique of a student whose work I found a little problematic. He went and wrote about it on social media, saying I’d upset him! Thankfully he didn’t mention me by name but it occurred to me that I’m pretty exposed here. My main income is from my art work, I teach on the side and can’t afford to have that derailed by a social media spat.

Should art tutors just stick to flattering students from here on?

I’m writing a paper on political artworks - can be any medium and would love some inspiration. The more recent the better

Hi, guys. I've been looking for a site to showcase my portfolio, but can't decide which one is the best.

My art practice consists of making thermal paper receipts with altered information, like inserting poetry and statements inside the receipt's structure.

So the final artwork is small and has many little details. A zoom tool for photos would be useful, so the viewer can examine thoroughly.

Can anyone recommend a site that has this feature and isn't too expensive?

Hello, I’m looking for suggestions for any recent-ish thesis or exegesis where the major work was a 3d object (or objects/installation) that had a decolonial/reindigenisation or anti-capitalist lens specifically linked to settler colonialism.

Or book/exhibition catalogue with detailed analysis.

…. or barring that just anyone’s work to check out but I am specifically interested in the research and references and how they were used to develop the work and the work is craft/object or sculpture.

All advice appreciated!

Note: B2 German level (I could provide a C1 certificate after a year). I checked UDK and Weißensee but didn’t find any relevant programs. Perhaps the program is called something else? I’m not particularly interested in Ausbildung or pedagogical programs—there are plenty of those at UDK. Did I overlook something? Thank you!

I am a high school senior and now faced with the choice between Pratt and SAIC for a photography BFA. Any thoughts, suggestions, or insights? Any help welcome!

So I’m just barely what you’d call an appreciator of art so far. I’m very new to thinking about it in any depth.

One thing that I’ve found myself really drawn to is when a particular piece has a motive that feels… pure? Noncommercial, or not about notoriety? Or otherwise nontraditional?

I’m finding that if something has a story around its creation and purpose that I am much more open to being moved by it.

Two examples I’ve seen:

1. Montien Booma’s House of Hope - https://www.moma.org/calendar/galleries/5667 - created in response to his wife’s death from cancer.

Boonma created this installation after his wife died from cancer in 1995. Her diagnosis the year before led the artist to immerse himself in Buddhist rituals of devotion and healing. “I was asking for a lot,” he said. “I was asking for the world to stop.” Boonma’s “house” explored the possibility of hope in a time of environmental disaster, industrialization, and the rise of global epidemics—crises that persist in the present, and that the work allows us to confront in new ways today.

2. Hannah Baer’s Nude Deepfake - https://www.artforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/article02_large-9.jpg - described in her piece in Art Forum here: https://www.artforum.com/features/hannah-baer-on-mythologies-of-intelligence-252734/

Artist Hannah Baer's photograph Nude Deepfake was the first Al-generated image on the cover of ArtForum. To create the image, they used "a so-called deepfake generator that invited the user to upload any image of a clothed woman. Using Al, the program then redraws the same picture as a nude," says Baer. For the artist, this was the first time their body appeared and was documented as female.

Using new technologies, Baer's image introduces the notice of a created reality where Al produces a memory of a body that is yet to exist. Nude Deepfake stands within a historical line of manipulated photographs that produce, affix, create, and long for realities.

From a layman, I’m not sure how others feel about this: does it cheapen the art if it doesn’t “stand on its own”, in others’ eyes?

Do any of you all have particular pieces that come to mind that might have less traditional motives, however you’d describe that?

Curious to hear your thoughts!

Hi- I’m a 4th year art student in CA who works mostly in sculpture and paint. I would love to get an MFA but worry I will just go further into debt and end up working the same jobs without a graduate degree. Are there career opportunities that would open up with an MFA bs a BA? TIA!

I’m aiming for a perfectly flat, uniform appearance in my acrylic paintings something free of visible brushstrokes, which is common in contemporary art. While I’ve done some research, most advice feels overly simplistic, with suggestions like “just mix the right amount of water and pigment” or “apply multiple coats,” without really explaining how to implement those techniques effectively.

Currently, I work with soft body acrylics and use soft synthetic brushes, but I still see streaks or unevenness. I’m looking for more detailed guidance, including specific methods, tools, or materials to refine my process.

my work is very much a reflection of my feelings. when i feel negative i almost create nothing and don’t touch art. when i’m feeling positively i’m much more able to create work.

have you ever been driven to create or make work during bouts of negative feelings? what did you make?

https://www.artforum.com/features/steffani-jemison-on-the-stroke-the-glyph-and-the-mark-242656/

Thinking specifically about the intersection between art-making and language/writing, with potential emphasis on mark-making/the physical art of writing/translation. I'm trained in literary studies (English major), so I would appreciate some perspective from the artists' side!

In return, here's one of my favorite essays ("To Speak is to Blunder" by Yiyun Li) –– less on art-making but it's about writing in an adopted language. Hopefully, this could make it even. :)

I have a show at a non profit nature center in a big city coming up. My work relates to this specific nature center and the surrounding areas, so in my proposal I included information about how it has influenced my work. Though they have a gallery and rotating exhibitions, there is no curator at the center, and I have the go ahead to select any works I’d like and hang the show however I’d like.

They said if I want, I can bring an outside curator in to select works and write a statement about the show. I know some emerging curators who might be interested, but I’m not sure how to approach them and what to offer them in return. There is no budget from the nature center, and I have limited funds right now due to expensive medical treatments I’ve been doing.

How would you compensate an independent curator in a situation like this? Is it worth it, or should I just select the world and write about them myself?