Mark Jenkins always in the humour

Embed series Mark Jenkins


American mixed media sculptor Mark Jenkins' fascination for sculpture sprung up after seeing the 2001 Juan Muñoz exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC.

Since then Jenkins has been installing witty street art installations in urban and environmental settings.

His first street art piece was a giant sperm made out of tape at Copacabana beach in 2003. He soon began focussing on figurative self-cast sculptures.

His Embed series composed of dressed human figures installed in urban settings excite passers-by. He placed casts of urban objects as parking meters and fire hydrants in suburban parks and forests(Street Extracts series) to criticize urban expansion whilst his Storker Project consisting of plastic clear tape babies in bizarre locations emphasizes children's vulnerability.

More recent projects are Meterpops( 2005: parking meters converted into giant lollipops), Traffic-go-round, Flowersigns and Storker Twins.

His imaginative art projects are social experiments, acts of psychological self-projection in public space.

The city's his canvas, tape's his medium,  the artist is always in the humour for interactive work.


Article written by Ann Timmermans


Copyright Mark Jenkins, The Blah series,
infiltration Art Whino Gallery Washington DC 2008

Transcending the limits of thought



Creativity is not restricted to its artistic interpretation. Basically it is the mental activity of problem solving. When problems become challenges new effective solutions can result from an experimentally thinking creative mind. Creative behaviour requires a certain amount of intelligence. Knowledge broadens the creative mind's views, extends the possibilities to connect ideas and concepts in one's mind. 
Divergent thinking tests( as opposed to IQ tests) measure creativity. Divergent thinking is the ability to think along many paths to generate solutions to a problem.( Guilford & Hoepfner 1971)


Creativity surpasses that one great thought or view as thinking up new ideas is insufficient, ideas need to be reviewed, altered, tested, adapted. Remembering new ideas as soon as they arise and challenging ourselves with though problems to solve, essential skills for creative expression, leads to new behaviour and innovative ideas. 


The creative process is long and complex. With the utmost exertion, patience, hard work and perseverance one might succeed in inventing an exceptional previously unknown solution.


Theresa Amabile( Amabile 1989, Amabile, Hennessey & Grossman 1971) identified 3 components necessary for creativity: expertise in the field of endeavour, creative skills such as persistency at problem solving and the ability to break mental sets, taking risks and the motivation to pursue creative production for intrinsic( internal) rewards such as satisfaction. 
A genuine creator engages in the creative process without expecting tangible pay off for the undertaken actions, external rewards deter creativity! 


Creative people share traits of self-confidence, ambition and perseverance(inner concentration). Inquisitiveness( being susceptible to external stimuli) distinguishes creative people from others.
In addition they are less conforming to societal and other norms and are more likely to take risks( Martindale 1989) .
According to Carl Rogers fully functioning, self realized individuals are highly creative. Characterized by an openness to new experiences these flexible, spontaneous, non conformist personalities never cease to evolve, to grow. Not pending approval of others, they easily face traumatic changes.


Your potential is infinite, be wise, visualize, witness it. Why waste your time focussing your mind on limp shit? Do what you like!


Article written by Ann Timmermans

Lord Finesse The Art of Diggin: Blue Note State of Mind




Got to purchase this album( released January 27 2012)...

Wiley's Evolve or Be Extinct Album




Released on his birthday( January 19 2012) Wiley surpises us with his second EP in a year's time.


Tracklist:


1. Welcome to Zion
2. Evolve or be extinct
3. Link up
4. Boom Blast
5. I'm skanking
6. Weirdo
7. Scar
8. Can I have a taxi please
9. Miss you
10. Money man
11. Customs
12. Immigration
13. Only Human
14. This is just an album
15. Ya Win Some, Ya Lose Some
16. Fire
17. No love lost
18. Cheer up it's christmas
19. Life at sea
20. Daiquiris
21. Confused
22. Highs and lows

Raekwon Unexpected Victory



Raekwon released his newest mixtape entitled Unexpected Victory( January 1 2012)

Tracklist:
1. Intro Unexpected Victory( 9th Wonder)
2. Just a toast ft JD Era( Mark Henry)
3. The Brewery ft Ceazar-n-Reason( Scram Jones)
4. A Pinebox Story( 9th Wonder)
5. Goodfelles ft JD Era & Camoflauge( Pro Logic & Moss)
6. Silk ft Smooth, Sauce Money & Big B( Scram Jones)
7. That Good Good ft Altrina Renee( Scram Jones)
8. Luxury Rap ft Fred Da Godson & JD Era( DJ Semaj)
9. Chinese Marines ft Mobb Deep(Scram Jones)
10. This shit Hard ft L.E.P. Bogus Boys & Dion Primo(The Olympics)
11. Soldier Story ft JD Era(Pro Logic & Moss)
12. MTV Cribs ft Busta Rhymes( Vin Da Chin)
13.A few good men ft Vado & Tommy Nova( Bluerocks)
14. Chupa Cabra ft Capone-n-Noreaga( BT)
15. Facetime( Blockstars & amp; Mantic)
16. Gangsta Cazalls ft Styles P, JD Era, Camoflauge( Statik Selektah)
17. Black Dust ft Tommy Nova & Mean Doe Green( FR3shmen)