ChromOrgasm Abstract/Intro: Color Sortie: Multiple Color Vectors

The following ChromOrgasm Blog Series will house approximately twenty short color "sortie" excerpts from my two recent papers entitled, ChromOrgasm: ChRomancing w/Hues: Color & Its Interlocutors, and ChromOrgasm: Chromancing the Color Moshpit/Toward a Definition of ChromOrgasm, given at the 2004 MACAA Interplay Conference and 2006 SECAA Conference respectively.  The writing in the ChromOrgasm Blog Series will be in my "speaking short version" from the conferences,  and is further combined with excerpted roughs from my forthcoming self-published book entitled, ChromOrgasm.  pd 2/2011.

Abstract:  “Toward a Definition of ChromOrgasm”

  

            The artists romance with color has long been a seductive one.  From the sensual shape-shifting  quality of color to its  adaptive and assimilative properties, color often seduces the visual culture producer into a dangerous relationship.  Frequently, as an artist   flirts with his/her desire to manipulate color he/she begins to develop  a  power struggle with  the hidden hierarchical structure of color and its interlocutors.  Yet the deception of traditional theoretical primary systems, arbitrary linguistical associations,  and curatorial coding frequently restrain the artistic use of color. 

             Recently academics  and artists in many fields have begun to question the homogenous visual distribution systems  and manipulated marketing strategies of color.  Just how can a decentralized, feminine,  and nonlinear notion of color subvert the dominant  paradigms often controlled by  color corporations, pigment manufacturers, and color organizations?   What preconditions, preconceptions and prejudices in our personal environs mold the spatiality of our color creations?  What new provocative production strategies, teaching territories and artistic dialectics can be bridged from today's metamerism movement beyond the spent art historical two dimensional matrix?  

             For color to exist it must occupy multiple interdisciplinary vectors moving at multiple interdisciplinary velocities. This paper transgresses foundational myths, crosses technical boundaries, fashions interdisciplinary relationships, and open new hybridic conduits beyond the formal artistic and educational processes of color.  Sociopolitical issues such as globalization, human rights, war,  gender, and the “other”  are considered in connection with color accessibility, color reproduction  and  color (MIS)management.  With the wide array of contemporary polychromatic visual stimuli, does the continued  engagement of color with  artists have a flirtatious future or is color destined to become mere fleeting romance?

            This paper introduces, outlines, and defines  a theoretical and  philosophical working model of ChromOrgasm.   The term ChromOrgasm was coined by the author over a period of five years while teaching foundational color theory.  It begins with the age old question: What colors do we see during orgasm?, and expands from Barthes semiotic “stroke of bliss.”  ChromOrgasm can be interpreted as the need to compare and comprehend color via the biological want of the sex drive:  the obsessive need to see color and to have more of it--similar to our American  drives for money, material, and power.

               ChromOrgasm encompasses certain sociopolitical and holistic constructs and aligns itself with systems thinking, Bohm’s holographic paradigm,  and Varela's biological embodiment of color.  Included are that romantic  color must fall within the accepted social fabric to continue,  otherwise it ceases to be visible.   Color follows certain social codes and norms,  and that these access and marginalization codes must be broken.    Color  is most often defined and categorized by a small group of humans in order for its organizational usage to take place in an capitalist society.   These groups occupy and control the historical development and the institutional memory of  our biochromatic conditioning.   Color is defined as geographic, inherent in the choices made by  local and global situations,  and is  a  biologically embodied  phenomenon closely linked to our creative and reproductive capabilities.   

            Finally, ChromOrgasm defines color as a power distributor and  power  as a  distributor of color.   This paper questions color’s innate connection to power and highlights  ongoing problems inherent with teaching and creating color  as they are broken down into interdisciplinary categories. Each category is a  color sortie--where color is juxtaposed with power and looked at through comparative lens.

• Outline:  Topic/Category   Image A  Image B
• Intro:   Multiple Color Vectors 

Introduction:  Color Sortie:   Multiple Color Vectors          

            The artist’s romance with color has long been a seductive one.  From the sensual shape-shifting  quality of color to its  adaptive and assimilative properties, color often seduces the visual culture producer into a dangerous relationship.  Frequently, as an artist flirts with his desire to manipulate color,  he begins to develop  a  power struggle with  the hidden hierarchical structure of color and its interlocutors.  Yet the deception of traditional theoretical primary systems, arbitrary linguistical associations, curatorial coding,  and egotistical career decisions frequently restrain  artistic use of color. 

            The relative nature of color has often titillated visual practitioners with its broad spectrum and wide array of scientific, psychological, historical, cultural and philosophic phenomena.  But the multiple functions and definitions of color and its interdisciplinary capacities  as a mode of expression often confuse both viewer and creator.  What preconditions, preconceptions and prejudices in our personal environs mold the spatiality of our color creations?

             For color to exist it must occupy multiple interdisciplinary vectors moving at multiple interdisciplinary velocities.  In opening our minds to a field as broad as color,  we must be willing to think  in multiple systems, which offer new ways of looking at color --beyond linear  planes to nonlinear vector potentials.     Similar to the writers Foucault, Chomsky,  Deleuze, or Said, who have described power historically, linguistically,  psychologically and politically--we must cross disciplines and compare  visual boundaries and literary territories to get to the multiple truths of color.

             Batchelor's  book  Chromophobia  reinvigorates some of the age old issues of color.  His main argument is based on the “fear or corruption of colour” within western culture, and  questions our prejudice and our need to control color and its control of us (Batchelor, inset cover).   This paper questions colors innate connection to power and highlights its ongoing problems inherent with teaching and creating color,  as they are broken down into interdisciplinary categories. Each grouping in this lecture is a  color sortie--where color is juxtaposed with power and looked at through comparative eyes. 

Run Video clip: Birdcage

Begin Slides. 

Works Cited (Presentation Order)

Barthes, Roland. In  Riley, Charles.  Color Codes, London: UP of New England, p. 60-61.

Batchelor, David.  Chromaphobia.  London:  Reaktion Books, 2000, inset cover.

Birdcage. Nichols, Mike (Director).  United Artists, 1996. (video)

Stay tuned for the next ChromOrgasm Blog Series color sortie!  
With a chromatically adaptive smile, pete

Artist Daddy-Mom List of Top 13 Process Helper Products of the Year

Artist Daddy-Mom!

List of  Top 13 Artist Daddy-Mom Process Helper Products of the Year.

Thank you Lynda!

There is a myth that artists are notorious for hiding there art, ideas and information--so as to not sabotage their career or so that it won't be stolen. This may true in the past--but there has risen in this false-fear culture a need to share so that we may all survive--whether emotionally, physically or financially.  Both WD-40 and KY Jelly can make everyones lives a tad bit more slippery and juicy in multiple ways.  The following Blist combines open thoughts of items that just might make the average Artist Daddy-Mom's daily grind a little easier. 

The Artist Daddy-Mom having a brief parenting moment!

As an actively engaged artist, painter, father, visual culture producer, school volunteer,  gallery curator, neighbor and worker bee I am constantly struggling to be more centered, balanced, empowered and productive.   With having to wear so many hats, we all could easily add to this list of helpers in numerous arenas.  Whether technical, medical or social--we all have nifty niches that ease our foible and frantic Artist Daddy-Mom lives--and knowing just when to use the cordless screwdriver might save time, money and energy.  Consider this list the start of an ongoing conversation-- one that allows Artist Daddy-Mom's to be more in tune with the present moment  during the multiple, daily,  art producing and  parenting juggling acts.  Imagine the artists Paul Klee, Leon Golub, Joseph Beuys, Kara Walker, Lynda Benglis and James Turrell  were all one gentle Artist Daddy-Mom.

Bags, Bags, Bags.

1. Tylenol Meltaways ==For those tempermental kiddy melt downs, tantrums, headaches, and crabbiness between 3-5:30 p.m.  Will ease your child's pain quickly and preemptively strikes your own meltdown.   I only wish these came in larger quantities and wider variety of  flavors.
2. Generic or Ziplock Snack Bags==For lunches, packing for trips, keeping treats, organizing doll shoes, delivering money to school, DIYprojects, hardwares, nuts/bolts, recycled art thingies, medicine, travel pouches, leaf collections, etc.  Wash them and reuse them.  Recycle when done.
3. Banana Cinnamon Pancakes==Home Made every Saturday.  Use up those spotted bananas, eggs, skim milk and add your own ingredients and toppings. Freeze extra pancakes and use as Frisbees later.  As a creative toss up, the kids love them at dinner time, too.
4. Water Parks Slides/Swimming Pools==Allow yourself to break free and let go from the tormenting pains of real life by screaming on the top of your lungs several times down one of the wild rides with names like Eagles Nest, Barnstormer, etc  When I was stressed, anxiety and fear driven at the start of my divorce—these exhilarating rides worked wonders in a very masculine-Neanderthal-self-cleansing sort of way.  And I enjoyed in-the-moment fun with the kids at the same time.
5. In Car DVD/Video Player==Artist Daddy-Mom's best friend on long trips. Memorize all the cool lines from Kung Foo Panda, Sponge Bob, or Tinker Bell over and over again. Kid’s stop fighting and shut up ASAP!  The quiet time in the car is my artistic idea generator time in overdrive. Often listening to what the kids are viewing can be a humbling creative spark.
6. 7/1, 10/1 or 14/1 Scraper Tool==Mr. Life Saver for painting, refinishing, window repair, and DIY home and studio projects. Keep several types and styles on hand and in different parts of home/studio/garage.  Metal, not plastic; the folding style often collapses--so choose wisely.



Don't forget the Old Bay Seasoning!

7. 6 Packs of Socks/Tshirts/Undies==Hanes, J.C.Penny, Fleet Farm, etc. As the old become rags, a few bucks goes along way.  Reuse the old grundies for painting, car washing, work rags and clothes for Barbie dolls and  G.I.Joe’s.  They also make great forts or theatrical sets and backdrops for the Barbies and kids puppet shows. 
8. Sloppy Joe Mix/Fajita-Taco Mix==Burger variations are a Dads and kids best friend. Done in less than 15 minutes and kids love’m.  Organic and grass fed meat and poultries are widely available. We have fun making faces with the accompanying  condiments and  accoutrement's.
9. Milk Crates==Fuck high design. Organize on the speedy and cheap, baby! Makes fast, practical shelves, storage units, carry totes, craft organizers, recycling, art bins, etc.  It's okay to look like you are still in college.  My former partner hated these--but imaginative Einstein knew different.  Don't waist money on those cheesy shelving units at Ikea, Target, Pottery Barn or Elements--they're generally poorly made and weaken or collapse within a few years.
10. Scoop Shovel==Massive volumes of snow, leaves, Polly Pockets, and Lego's cleaned up ASAP.  I keep a miniature scoop shovel in my car just in case I go off the road and get stuck in the snowy ditch out in the boon docks.  Or worse, when the snowplow buries your parked car with your new date--you can impress her with your mechanical preparation. 
11. Roof Rake==Always an adrenaline rush, prevent those Ice Damns and get top exercise. This is a must for a MN homeowner. Modify your roof rake with colorful tape like a hockey stick to prevent slipping.  Grunt the Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe "aaaaaghhghgh!" with each pull, and in an hour you'll be wanting a long hot bath with a generous cocktail.  When I do this I imagine myself pulling the ink on a gigantic ink press or paint across extremely large canvases.
12. Oscar Mayer Lunchables==Okay--I am Pro brown bagging it.  But, this is So EASY!  You SAVE Time! Especially on days when you are super stressed and rushed. And it’s all recyclable.  My children have a great school recycling plan so the waste all comes home.  This waste in turn is put into my Minneapolis recycling bins--and I get a financial credit on my utility bill.
13. Daily Shower Spray== Less grime, less time cleaning. In fact—the shower can be cleaned less often.  Until I recently moved I did not know how great I had it.  My former homes old spotless shower that I sprayed every other day is no match for my new homes moldy one with broken moldy grout.  I'd rather watch Star Trek reruns than clean the boogers and pubic hairs in shower.  

Delirious Drone/Green-Detail,   Pete Driessen © 2009,  108 x 144 Inches, Acrylic Mediums on Unstretched Canvas.  

Here's to a less stressful, more peaceful, highly productive, and successfully creative Artist Daddy-Mom year!  Cheers, pete