Vincent Alexander Finazzo

The Path and the Fork.

2010-03-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

When you select “Art” as a career path you put yourself in a position that most people do not have the strength to complete. Most people, start off when they are young and ignorant, filled with the pure guts to take it on. Along the way you become infused with many different perspectives form others and their experiences. All the positive and negative reinforcements start to seep into your skin and affect your current and future choices. Most people don’t make it through higher education. They either get burnt out, discouraged, reject it, cant afford it, are told they can’t afford it, or stray from the direct path of “ Traditional Artist” and take on a more tangible approach to the subject. Museum studies, curating, art administration, exhibition installers and the list goes on and on. In fact you could say that artist employ more people, that together make more money than the artist themselves will ever make as a whole. All of these positions are necessary for the whole system to work. This system is the glorious parallel dimension interconnected to real life titled, The Art World.

The gallery assistants entering all the address’s of potential art buyers so that a kiss ass post card for the opening can be sent to their office. (This is good for the artist, the gallery and the patrons)The chief comes in late and leaves early to get ready, leave unanswered phone calls and specific directions to be decoded and understood by the ill informed staff that is underpaid and in fact working for free to “better themselves” with experience. The wine must be served and the plexiglass spotless. Everyone get ready for the social event of the next 3 hours. Remember names and the faces that come with them. The big event happens, connections are made and deals are done. Pick up the little crystal cups, chill the white wines, turn of the lights and head home in a cheap chardonnay haze. Now don't get me wrong this is all fine and dandy and in fact a bit mandatory. This whole world revolves around The Artist, and if doing the right actions at the right moments, The Artist has control over the whole world.

As a young artist graduating from art school during the worst economical times since the great depression there are two main paths to take. The first one, embedded in your brain by your family and the news is to find a real job, something that pays well and can keep up above the ever rising water level. or, you can pursue your dreams, and what the fuck does that mean anymore?

As a fresh artist do you participate in the systematic art world? or not? Many think that in order to survive in the art world you need to have a full understanding of how it works. inside and out, and this is smart. Know who galleries are and how they work. Understand really what an “Art Fair” is. Know the big names and the freshest faces. Read the theory and buy the magazines. To participate in a system you need to understand it. It’s like driving a motorcycle from Alaska to the tip of South America without knowing what a spark plug is.

Once you become filled with all this knowledge you start to see a divide in the paths of the artist themselves. There is the Mathew Barney, Jeff Koons, Damien Hurst, and Takashi Murakami direction or there is the James Lee Byars, Chris burden, Joseph Beuys and Ray Johnson direction, Not to mention the Bob Ross and Thomas Kinkade way of life but I’ll touch on that soon. The first group which I will call group A was a product of the time. Big money and fast cars, with huge empty walls in large poorly constructed mansions. Big walls, big art. So its 2006 and I am studying studio art at Columbia College Chicago. I read the latest issues of Art Fourm and Freize and see the battle between Koons and Hurst. “Koons sells a big heart for 27 million dollars become the most expensive single piece of art ever sold. Then Hurst combats that with his international auction at Sotheby’s by bypassing the galleries, museums and curators and going directly to the top. Selling his artwork right to the collectors for a grand total of somewhere around 300 million dollars. Now, flash back to the student in art school, eating this up because, well you have to. Its like a baseball player reading the headlines of the sportscasters. SO, make millions, that's what you have to do.\, make lots of money. and the art, well is just art, but its about how much you persuade people, its what it’s worth. Worth. What its worth?

To be continued.......

World Warning.

2010-03-01T06:49:00.001-08:00

Everything should consist of a nice suit

covered in Xmas lights.

I like this.

2010-02-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

Play this.

Eat this.

And this.

Use this.

Cook with this.

Support this

Stick with this.

Listen to this.

And this

Drink this.

Onion Town.

2010-02-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

The time.

This man.

Fly kicks.

Look at this.

And this.

Philadelphia

2010-02-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

For me.

Sky Devic.

2010-02-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

Air to Power.

Mouth, February 10th.

2010-02-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

Year of the Tiger Collaborations

2010-02-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the year of the Tiger I contacted artist that I had a brief connection with in one way or another. I sent individual images that made me think of the person, or something I thought they would enjoy. Below is the email I sent and the responses I have received. The original images I sent fall on the left side and the artist's responses are on the right.

Dear (insert artist name)

I hope the year of the tiger is bringing your greatest wishes to a tangible reality. I am reaching out to you because I feel that in the past we have had a connection in a way. Selecting you was not random nor a mistake. For a moment, in between brief conversations our brains connected, creatively. I admire your magical talents and I wish to ask for your hand in collaboration.

Attached to this Electronic Letter is an image specifically selected by myself, for you. I ask you, please, to take the time and work this image in anyway you see fit, then return to me via an Electronic Letter. Some paths you may take in your alteration may be, to print it out, burn it, scan the ashes, and send it back to me. You may also put the image into photoshop and write the ingredients to the meal you last consumed. You have limitless possibilities and I encourage you let your mind go wild. Thank you and I look forward to receiving your response. Once a collection of images has been gathered they will be available for digital viewing in the internet.

Sincerely,

Vincent Alexander Finazzo

Amas Mesu

Chernobyl Cake

Free hand xerox collage

Manically

Anna Pamasa

Like the telephone game with an image through the computer and internet. january 8, 2010 flour sugar salami.jpeg downloaded and opened in microsoft paint, resized 50% smaller, resized 200% larger, saved (except jan24 when it was resized 25% smaller and 200% larger accidentally) e-mailed to myself, then re-downloaded. repeated once every day until now, jan29 because i was feeling iffy about a deadline even though there is no deadline, then flour sugar salami.jpeg e-mailed back to you but i'd like to keep this going for a bit.

Alyssa Hodes

The Brief History of Time

Hannah Weber

Annie Hobbs

David Jones

I think i should have used goggles

my work has taken a sharp left or perhaps a right i can't tell. I just hope i don't crash into a tree.

Maria Belan

I carried it around with me and noted important events, one of which was the day I put this image in my back pocket. I tried to keep it as close to my self as possible. This has been one of the most life-changing years I have known. The subsequent dates written above the image are life-changing dates and hold special significance for me. I will continue to add dates.

Feb 21st

2010-02-14T09:42:00.000-08:00

Poster- Vincent Finazzo

Feb 6th

2010-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

Poster- Vincent Finazzo

Science and Advice

2010-01-23T09:34:00.001-08:00

Science and Advice - The Armchairs

Cover Artwork by Vincent Finazzo

Revolving Ocelot Orchestra

2010-01-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

Anything but her herbalist

2010-01-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

anything but her herbalist, “hawaii”
there was no jump into action
not us, no greasy bolt until your
swoop of those knit slipper shoes
in your 1956 olympics hoodie}-{Stockholm
questioned geometric shapes, packaging
it tried to fuck everything up
with its inside-out clothing, like mine, yours
in which everyone is on the screen
nothing shakes it can’t squeeze, it goes on
like sprawl, flat with fattening clean
and white, a squeeze cat which behaves
and my bitch hangover, hair of the dog
can’t wait, behaves badly, is motionless
one pound, a half kilo
old and wise and cream
as the amber light rained down, we thought
time and oranges

A collaboration between Joe Bly and Vincent Finazzo

Year of the Metal Tiger

2010-01-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

2010 is the year of the Tiger according to the Chinese Zodiac’s 12 year cycle.
The year of the Tiger is traditionally associated with massive changes and social upheaval.
Tigers who thrive on chance and unpredictability are best suited to navigating the many upheavals predicted in the year ahead.

Being born in the year of the tiger, 1986, I look forward to 2010 with a high degree of positivity.
I wish everyone I meet delightful thoughts.
I hope to present myself as a peaceful person and continue forward.
May many storms of creativity be released into my world.
2010, i am ready for you.

Vincent Alexander Finazzo

Two Zero Zero Nine

2009-12-31T07:51:00.000-08:00

What will the new year bring? what has the past year provided?

2009 could have been one of the most life changing years I have lived. Many different formats of knowledge, an abundant amounts of wonderful and life changing people, all had a significant impact on me.

The period of time from 2000 to 2010 has provided an interesting outlook on what the future could bring. Technology has been increasing on more of a personal level than a global level. We have the iphone, and of the greatest pieces of hand held technology to be put into the consumers hand. But we don’t have strong enough batteries or capacitors to store energy from wind and solar energies. I find the line between the technology that makes humans feel good and the technology thats good for humans needs to be blurred.

As an artist I have a duty to reflected upon society. Personally I feel that the way I choose to work and everything related to my art practice should reflect a coherent ideal about what i am trying to provide. Reworking these problems and objects in different ways to try and question there purpose and what they have to offer. There are great similarities between the heart of the forest and the center of a dilapidated city. In 2010 I will continue to work toward unifying the conceptual aesthetics of obsolescence.

Vincent Alexander Finazzo

An apple pie with one of each apple.

2009-12-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

The paths of hard science’s has led to a one sided approach’s to the worlds environments. “Things” as in everything that happens anywhere anytime, occur naturally with out the aid of general human understanding. To put it more clearly, the world spins weather “we” are here or not. Instances happen without predictions and are carried out beyond our understandings.

As humans we have a need to understand every aspect of “why”. By asking why, we start to approach the subject from a human perspective. Using the tools we have gathered through our cultural experiences. There is nothing wrong with this way of coming about an understanding, but it is far from the only way to understand a subject. We use our human systems such as math to plunge into the depths of given subject, but, for a second, open up your mind and think about the other systems that have not been utilized by our race. Systems that have yet to be discovered or utilized by man.

Naturally, everything happens all the time, everywhere, all at once. Creativity is everywhere all the time, all at once. In the end, or should I say beginning everything is here, all the time, all at once.

Vincent Alexander Finazzo
December 30 2009

Meden Agan.

2009-11-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Meden Agan was one of three commands carved into the

ancient Greek temple of the Oracle at Delphi.

It means nothing in excess or everything in moderation.

Installation shot.

This was an installation using only found objects to address

what we leave behind as humans. The work begins as a tiny pebble and

works its way up the wall to a shelf so high

that its contents are un-viewable.

Text created with scrap paper and a found can of spray paint.

Combine of found objects 25" x 15" for each.

This piece used the dialectics of man made by-products and

natural by-products to question the idea of waste.

Detail: From left, Bag with fruit peels, rock salt, sugar,

seeds (various), leaves and flower bud.

Detail: From right, Bag with rubber band, razor blade, cigarette butt,

nail, paper scraps, dust from subway car.

Plastic bags fused together. 9' x 6'.

Meden Agan was a solo show

by Vincent Alexander Finazzo

at the Happy Collaborationist Exhibition Space

in March of 2009.

Night Sky.

2009-11-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

Night Sky is a performance about controlling a specific location,

in this case the dark, star filled sky.

Night Sky. By Vincent Alexander Finazzo, Fall 2008

As the simple but forceful action takes place,

slowly the image of the sky fades out. The environmental responses to human interactions is the drive behind this work.

Installation Kit #1

2009-11-21T20:15:00.001-08:00

Installation Kit #1 was a performative sculpture that

provided basic materials to the viewers to

be installed in the space provided.

A blank chart was attached to the back wall for participants to document

themselves and the time they interacted with the sculpture.

Every viewer was encourage to interact with the objects

provided in any way they wished.

Over the course of the night the sculpture evolved into an impromptu installation that provided more information about the participants, than the sculpture itself. Instead of people interacting with the materials provided in a Duchampion weaving of the space like manner, people were mostly destructive. Through out the night a digital camera was cut in half, a whole roll of tape was un-raveled and gathered into a ball, and a radio was disassembled. What does this say about people when they are given complete freedom to interact in any way they choose?

After understanding the energy of the crowed through out the

night I decided to end the sculpture with abrasive action.

Installation Kit #1 was performed

at "12". An exhibition at the Happy Collaborations

Exhibition Space in December of 2008

By Vincent Alexander Finazzo

Store.

2009-11-21T19:35:00.001-08:00

Store is a performative sculpture that addresses the idea of value

in obsolescent objects. In experimenting with

placement and the natural aesthetics of the found material,

different degrees of value become projected onto each item.

Store. panoramic view

By the use of shelf's to physically "lift" the objects off the ground and

up to eye level. Here they can be examined much like a

new watch or can of un-opened soup. After the investigation takes place

a viewer can determine a value they see appropriate for the object.

Then they pick up receipt and complete it.

Receipt: silkscreen on pages of found encyclopedia from 1968, Volume P.

Found jigsaw blade preserved in found mason jar.

East Shelf. various found materials

West Shelf. various found materials.

Front Desk with Receipts.

Store was executed in

March of 2009

by Vincent Alexander Finazzo

November 29th 2008

2009-01-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

November 29th 2008 is a performance,

which deals with deals with dead objects. Objects

that have lost their previous meaning. The

piece exercises the idea of RE:energizing detritus

by personal interaction

Eco System #2

2008-11-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

Live plants, Water, Live Organisms, Light,

Rubber Tube, Air Pump, Two rubber bands,

one fish, 4 snails, Glass Container.

-Vincent Finazzo

Composition with Cigarette Butts

2008-11-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

By Vincent Alexander Finazzo

2008-11-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

Motion Picture work

projected in space at Happy Collaborationist Exhibition Space.

by Vincent Alexander Finazzo

Once More

2008-11-09T09:17:00.000-08:00

"RE:Think" 11-3-2008

Vincent Alexander Finazzo

Future Farmer

2008-11-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

Out lining The direction of imagery.

-Vincent Alexander Finazzo

UnSustainable

2008-11-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

Arranging can be a place where one can find great happiness and great despair. To put into proper order or into correct or suitable sequence. How can art, with in the borders of formalistic qualities, follow a suitable sequence of events? I feel that in order to understand the ideals behind the arranging of objects, thoughts or even processes one must be ready to dig from the bottom and surface. Now to cap it, how can art outside the borders of formalism be arranged? I think that once an "object" is arranged or thought to be, formal qualities immediately come into play. To arrange the Artist must impose her/his will onto the material. In a way by relating to or involving the outward form, structures, relationships, or arrangement of elements rather than content, you must accept the ways of formalism. Can you work out side it? I would like to say yes, but, how? In fact, here formalism is seeming to be the guidelines for art work at its essence. What about working with old materials hat had/ have formalist qualities? can you work with a ideal without being completely inside it?

Vincent Finazzo 11/1/08

Relativeness

2008-08-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

The posed questions here is how we are able to relate to the world that we inhabit.
different from another person. where do i belong? Maps give the visual of where we all are but they understanding the beginning is the only way to understand the end. We will die much like the we were born. Exiting the dark only to one day enter it again. I don't know where i really stand in the world. On land, yes. surrounded by water, yes. But how i relate to my surrounding's don't provide the context of each landmass. The true representation of the world we dwell in has yet to be created and i don't know if it ever will. Change is upon us at a faster rate that any other human has delt with. Why question it? because that's what humans do, or sadly did. more more people are starting to ride the wave. living in their own motion picture separate from real time and space. I ask you, reader, where do you live?

Vincent Alexander Finazzo

Navy

2008-08-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Content, to me, is the hardest ideology to break in art. Content, following after the medium selected, seems interconnected and unmovable form the work itself. To my knowledge most of all the work created is insepretable from content. As I think about conceptual art and the inner role that content plays, it seems to lay at the bases of thought. This could lead to talk about the formulation of the pure ideas but lets not let content get off easy. To put an idea to a test. i ask you, the reader, To think of a thought that is eliminated of content. When you reach your goal, please let me know.

Vincent alexander finazzo

Failure as a Farmer.

2008-07-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

i feel distant from citizenship. i feel my reflection has become global. Global in a way that is reactive of human interaction. How my actions carry out in essence. i feel that i am responcible for the earth, and should be aware of how i impact the planet. The earth is constintly shifting, swelling, and cracking. The way the earth impacts people VS the way people impact the earth. Existing in the space in time in between the transition of idea. Idea being the purest form a human can take.

Vincent Alexander Finazzo

2008-07-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

"I believe in the abstraction of life, objects, and reactions"

Can one object, in turn be considered as another? if so, why should our understanding of form limit this transition from one to the other? Trying to answer these questions that pertain to the essence of beginning I unfold deep layers all interconnected. How does the natural world remain pure and ours seems conflicted with over complications of capitalist consumers. we inhabit the same exact places but still remain apart due to our failure to relate. slowly over time we have separated ourselves enough from the natural world that it has now become distant from peoples lives. We shield our lives from the rain wile all other life enjoys it and uses it. we control it and send it away. We need to learn from the natural world because it has survived before us and will out live the human race. I feel that it is necessary to harness and reflect upon the experiences i share with the conflicting worlds. My work is a hybrid of natural crafting and industrialized processes .

Vincent Alexander Finazzo

Self Contained Eco-System

2008-05-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Details From Pougialis

2008-04-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

2008-04-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Pougialis is a competition held by the Art and Design department of Columbia College Chicago and judge by full time faculty. This year there were 26 students showing a wide range work, everything from the traditional, to new and innovative work pushing the ever-changing boundaries of art. The outcome of the event to much surprise showed a weakness in the decision-making by A&D faculty. If we as students are trying to push our works to new possibilities, the choices made do not reflect progression forward. In fact if the remaining 24 students were to reflect on the choices one would feel discouraged from stepping out of the safety of historically prominent mediums. I end this with inspirations that the subjectivity received by the institution does not reflect the true conceptions of our paths. –Vincent Alexander Finazzo.

Xerox Transfers 03.2008

2008-04-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait. 1 Color Xerox Transfer 04.15.08

Map 1. 4 Color Xerox Transfer on Paper 03.16.08

Placement: Ink on Paper

2008-02-19T16:21:00.000-08:00

Etchings 2007

2007-12-16T20:36:00.000-08:00

Stencil Work 2007

2007-12-16T20:20:00.000-08:00

Thought Process Maps of 2006-07

2007-12-16T20:08:00.000-08:00

2007-12-16T19:25:00.000-08:00