The Art of Mark Bryan

The New Normal - Mark Bryan

 I first came across Mark Bryan's work online a number of years ago. His work makes me laugh our loud, and I love that. It is funny, disturbing, thought provoking, and frankly, I think brilliant. His imaginative satirical  renderings cut to the quick, make you question ' normal,' and will set you on your ass when you first see his work, because it is are honest commentary about his observations of the crazy mixed up world we live in.


 Although the presentations and executions of his subject are very humourous, the subject matter under the surface are often not so funny, in that many of the topics are serious.

Mark Bryan has the talent and ability to express what I think many of us feel, about the state of the world and the many monkeys in it.

Mark Byran reminds me of Michael Moore, or maybe the Lewis Black of the art world, honest; real, with an intelligent social conscience, all wrapped up in satire and funny. God only knows we need more of this kind of individual in society.

Art Should Be Fun

Cindy Sherman As Mrs. Claus

Art can be a serious matter. But it doesn't have to be. I firmly believe in the importance of fun in all aspects of our lives.  Not doubt we all love to laugh, some of us laugh readily, others are more reserved. Humour is immeasurably necessary in so many ways, to lighten our load in the midst of our difficulties.

 There is something very attractive about an artist who incorporates a strong element of humour in their artwork, to convey a message whether it be lighthearted satire, a politically charged statement, or simply to present thought provoking questions.

A few artists come to mind; Suzanne Heintz, Cindy Sherman, and Mark Bryan are a few of my favourites. Those are just some of the visual multi-media artists, but there are many singers, actors and writers that I greatly admire for their satire, and ability to make us think, using humour as a tool for change.

Mark Bryan - Odalisque

" ART21: I think you have a tremendous amount of fun and there’s a lot of humor in your work yet people mostly take it very seriously. Tell me how you think about that.
SHERMAN: Well, I’m much more ignorant about Old Master paintings and art history than many people involved in the art world, so I’m not really taking it seriously. Like the tit in [Untitled (#216)] looks like a slice of half a grapefruit stuck onto someone's chest and the baby looks plastic because it is. But in Old Master paintings a lot of these figures’ breasts don’t even look real or the children look muscular, like miniature wrestlers. I guess I’m also commenting on how we think these things are masterful. Why do we think they’re so great? "

Here are a few examples of some art that is fun and might even make you laugh out loud 

Suzanne Heintz- from Life Once Removed

Suzanne Heintz - Life Once Removed

 I am always looking for interesting women artists to post about on my blog. Well have I got one for you today. Suzanne Heintz I think is brilliant. Finding artists who are both talented, creative and use humour to get their message across I particularly admire and love. Suzanne Heintz is just that kind of artist.

I am so looking forward to learning more about her tomorrow on Q CBC Radio, when Jian Gomeshi will be interviewing her. I am certain when you see her work and view the Vimeo and You Tube videos and photography she has on her site, you will agree with me.

 There is no better way to relay a message than through the use of humour and Suzanne Heintz certainly does that. Be prepared to laugh out loud.

Suzanne Heintz states in the Huff Post...

 " I thought it was high time to call this nonsense out publicly, because this notion of insufficiency is not just about me, nor exclusively about women in regards to marriage. It's about anyone whose life doesn't look the way it "should." Rarely does anyone's life turn out the way it was expected, and if by some miracle it does, what they expected isn't what they thought it was. I'm simply trying to get people to open up their minds, and quit clinging to outdated assumptions of what a successful life looks like. I want people to lighten up on each other, and themselves, and embrace their lives for who it's made them, with or without the Mrs., PhD. or Esq. attached to their name. "

                                                                                       - Suzanne Heintz

Eva Hesse, Sol Lewitt, Ideas, Great Art, Artists & Stories

I found a wonderful video today on line, concerning a letter from conceptual artist, Sol LeWitt,  which he wrote to his good artist friend, Eva Hesse. It employs a great sense of fun, play, and humour, considering the benefits of giving ourselves permission to have artistic expression, free from boundaries and preconceived notion or preoccupation with, what great art is, and what defines a great artist.

I am not a conceptual artist, though I attended one of the foremost Universities where conceptual art was the modus operandi. That said, I am always fascinated by the idea behind art work and the lives of artists themselves and how their ideas and lives inform their art practice.

One of my young Professors is a story teller and a visual artist. We sat down over the past week and we discussed his experiences with story telling. He serendipitously shared with me his opportunity to take some training with Gioia Timpnellia  who has been called, the Dean of American Story Telling. Gioia told him Eva Hesse was her best friend in art school. My Professor stated that he has also been a great fan of Eva Hesse. I first became a fan of  Eva Hesse,  in my Sculpture and Open Media classes and found her work and life very compelling. Tragically she died far too young
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