Wednesday, March 31, 2010

the Nest Egg/Journey to the East

2005: the first time I attempted to "build" an object from coins.
The methods were crude; I simply drilled holes and poked wires through them.
The imagery was simple: a nest and an egg. I created it upon returning from a trip to Japan.
The nest is American Pennies, the egg Japanese Yen.
I think it's a metaphor for our relationship with Japan...
...the specific details of which are open for individual interpretation.
Not long ago, our countries were sworn enemies, determined to destroy or conquer one another at any expense.
After we leveled Tokyo, they rebuilt it in the image of our own metropolis, but with one major difference:
they're much better at cooperating with each other than we will ever be.
The decades following the war saw Japan providing us with an accelerated advancement of electronic technology, sown from the seeds of our impressive atomic bombardment.
What I could never figure out was if America built the nest and Japan was the egg, who would the bird be?
China? Russia? Iran? Venus?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Itadakimasu!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Game Goes On/ Playing for Keeps

Holding all the cards in one's life is obviously not possible.
Making artwork requires freedom, and that can only come from funding.
Rising to the top of any circle involves a certain amount of persistence, as well as talent and luck.
It seems these days so many artists have achieved glory simply by learning to bluff.
In the artworld, the dealers seem to hold all the cards, while the artists are offered as ante.
This Card project represents for me more than anything an idea about how to escape the traditional method of selling art, to set up a steady income over a set period of time, and to broaden my exposure to a larger group of people than the gallery world would allow me to reach.
In addition, I wanted to make buying and selling artwork fun, by turning collectors into competitors.
We all have been dealt a different hand in life, and the art card is not one we all draw.
Making art for me is no longer a choice, but rather an inescapable inevitability.
I enjoy the patterns I see unfolding, in art as in life.
And I figure it's only a matter of time before somehow the choices I've made suddenly make sense.
Look to see a massive surge in the promotion of this monumental project in the coming months.
Check this blog often to see progress updates.
And be sure to visit the weekly auctions on Ebay to see how I'm doing.
My eventual goal? Some years from now, if "Name a Famous Artist" is a survey question on Family Feud, I want to beat Picasso by 20 or more votes.
Survey Says!?!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

COMPLETION of Card Making Torrent: King of Hearts & 8 of Clubs

A 2 week Card Making Marathon concludes with the highest facecard of the Deck: The King of Hearts.
I used George Washington's Face from a couple of Dollar Coins. This brings my epic, one year CardGame project to Auction 13, a quarter of the way towards the finish.
The Collector who won the King of Hearts also won the eight of Clubs.
Both Cards will be going to California.
My next mission is to make the rest of the deck over the next couple of months, so I can avoid falling behind as the auctions continue.
With proper promotion, I have very high hopes for this project, and would like to thank everyone who's playing along.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

5 of Diamonds

My 10 day card making marathon continues.
Guess who won this one?
My Mother!
So far, she's the closest of all to winning the game.
The card will ship to Wisconsin.
The current auction has begun, and although I won't reveal the card until the auction is complete, this week's is a good one....
Visit the current card auction to cash in on the next great thing!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

8 of Spades

Another day, another card completed!
This one is going to Texas.
One of the true perks of having a name like TED STANKE is that when you chop up coins, you often nearly create an accidental signature.

Monday, March 22, 2010

5 of Hearts

This week I will be posting images from the 5 cards I've been working on since last Sunday.
This one is going to California.
The auctions have restarted, and should continue uninterrupted until the last one is sold.
Please help me spread the word about this ambitious project by sharing it on Facebook.
I am looking forward to seeing this project grow to it's full potential.