Not Real Art

Did you know that the US government spends just $5 per person per year on the arts? Or that over 50 countries have a Department or Ministry of Culture, but the US doesn’t? 

In fact, the US has less government support for the arts per person than any other developed nation. These uncomfortable truths surface in The Art of Making It (2021), a fascinating documentary that follows a diverse group of young artists as they navigate an increasingly fraught art-world ecosystem. Directed by Kelcey Edwards, The Art of Making It includes interviews with six artists—Jenna Gribbon, Gisela McDaniel, Chris Watts, Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, Sebastian Errazuriz, and Felipe Baeza—at pivotal points in their careers. 

On today’s podcast episode, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power discusses The Art of Making It, unpacking what the film gets right, where it flounders, and how it could’ve done better. “[The film] did a fabulous job of celebrating the world we love, some of the artists, and the art that we love,” says Scott on the documentary’s high points. “It did a great job of level setting, and being relatable and relevant to those of us who sometimes might think we're crazy that we're in this business. But nope, everybody is feeling the same pain. Everybody’s dealing with the same problems and challenges. It was a wonderful movie in terms of watching very fashionable, presumably smart, and successful people talk about something that we all love: art, artists, the art world, and all the problems that vex us and stress us out.”

Scott goes on to discuss his main criticism of The Art of Making It: “It did a horrible job of offering any viable, real solutions to the problem or innovations for the problem,” he says. “That is where this movie fails miserably. It does a fantastic job of bringing the problems, identifying the problems, [and] clarifying the problems. It does a horrible job of offering any possible solutions whatsoever.” 

Still, the film has valuable art-world insights for those in need of a refresher. “If you haven't seen The Art of Making It, you need to see it,” says Scott in his final verdict. “It should be required watching for anybody that works in the art world.”

Key Points From This Episode:

• A look at some of the amazing cast and crew behind The Art of Making It.
• What The Art of Making It did incredibly well (and what it didn’t do so well).
• Scott unpacks his main critique of the film: many problems, no solutions!
• The reason why there tends to be very little disruption in the art world.
• Why the art world needs to evolve, innovate, and become more accessible.
• How The Art of Making It could have done a better job of inspiring change.

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/the-art-of-making-it

It’s been said one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Today’s podcast guest, emerging artist Tex Hammond, transforms discarded items like wood, glass, Styrofoam, and cardboard into stunning works of art. 

“I want to learn how to [make my own canvas and paper] and repurpose things like that because it’s less wasteful and there is no downside to it,” says the LA-based artist, who uses unconventional surfaces in his colorful, eco-conscious work. Bursting with scribbles, doodles, and blobs of paint, Tex’s work is heavily influenced by artists like Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, who took a childlike approach to artmaking. 

In today’s podcast episode, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Tex to chat about the young artist’s brief but prolific career. At just 16 years old, Tex boasts an impressive resume that would make any professional artist envious. He is the youngest artist ever to exhibit at the LA Art Show, where his entire inventory sold out two years in a row. Over three years, he’s held three solo shows, donating the proceeds to charitable organizations like The Tree Academy, Miles 4 Migrants, and PS ART. His work has also been featured on HBO’s The Hype.

Inspired by graffiti, music, and video games, Tex incorporates elements of pop and youth culture into his eco-conscious work. A doodler as a child, Tex fell in love with portraiture at 10 years old after he drew his mother eating pizza at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. While his current work is abstract, it clings to the contours of figuration, of portraiture. In the interview, Tex shares insight into his practice, the trajectory of his career, and what it means to find your purpose. “[If I knew that] I could be happy, live comfortably for the rest of my life, and paint whenever I needed to, I would choose that,” he says. “All of the other stuff is just [an illusion].”

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Tex is constantly innovating and exploring new mediums as his practice matures.
• Ways that he upcycles and repurposes unconventional materials.
• When he first knew that he was an artist and the role his mom has played in his career.
• An understanding of what Tex means when he refers to his “spiritual hand.”
• Insight into the special, supportive relationship he has with his mom.
• The story of how Tex was first “discovered” after his first show in LA.
• Why Tex believes that being true to your vision is important.
• How his work takes inspiration from classic art genres.
• Whether or not Tex identifies with being an “old soul” or “mature for his age.”
• His opinion of AI, social media, trending content, and the state of the world.
• How Tex uses painting as a form of escape from the chaotic world around him.
• Reflecting on privacy versus fame in relation to success.
• What Tex believes it means to find your purpose and elicit an emotional response.
• His growing interests in travel, architecture, film, and more.

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/tex-hammond

What’s the best way to spark meaningful social transformation? Today’s guest, Dr. Ashfaq Ishaq, believes he has an answer: “If you are looking at social justice or equity or the environment, [creativity and empathy are important for all of these things],” he says. “Through the arts, we can cultivate creativity and grow mutual empathy.” 

On today’s podcast episode, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Dr. Ashfaq Ishaq to discuss his role as founder and executive chairman of the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF), an organization that fosters the imagination of children and infuses it with empathy. The ICAF organizes and produces several programs intended to create the next generation of empaths, including their flagship after-school program, Arts Olympiad, and the World Children’s Festival, a three-day celebration of creativity, diversity, and unity. 

“The [World Children’s Festival] should be such a positive experience that it becomes transformative for the children,” says Dr. Ishaq. “Only a positive, transformative experience can wash away the adverse childhood experiences that a child may have suffered from – These children see each other and they can co-imagine and co-create art and communicate with each other through the universal language of art so that they can become empowered to disrupt the generational transmission of trauma.”

In today’s episode, Dr. Ishaq shares the ICAF’s origin story, what it means to foster future generations of creative empaths, and how the universal language of art can empower children to disrupt generational trauma. Scott and Dr. Ishaq also discuss the role of sports and STEM programs in holistic education, why we should be a nation of creators rather than consumers, and what you can do to support “a brighter, more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future.”

Tune into today’s episode with Dr. Ashfaq Ishaq for a fascinating conversation about coloring outside the lines. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into Ashfaq’s vision and the work ICAF does to democratize creativity.
• How empathy makes creativity morally positive rather than morally neutral.
• Ways that ICAF seeks to address serious issues like transgenerational trauma.
• Why Ashfaq believes that we don’t value children’s creativity as a society.
• Capitalism as an outdated model and why we need to build a nation of empathic creators.
• What inspired Ashfaq’s interest in creativity and how ICAF counters the “fourth-grade slump.”
• The power of imagination and holistic STEAMS education that includes art and sports.
• What it means to develop a nation of creators rather than consumers.
• The need for imagination and creativity in order to use AI effectively.
• A look at why Ashfaq says that he is “disappointed in American artists.”
• An overview of his background in economics and what led him to create ICAF.
• How imagination enhances human discovery in a creative-empathic future.
• The importance of expanding on our overly simplistic definition of creativity.
• Benefits of cultivating design-thinking and collective creativity in corporations.
• Ways that you can support the International Child Art Foundation.

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/ashfaq-ishaq

Some artists are rebels at heart. Today’s guest, Jo-Ann Morgan, found her inner iconoclast as professor emeritus of African American studies and art history at Western Illinois University. Jo-Ann is also a professional fiber artist and one among six winners of NOT REAL ART’s 2022 artist grant. Established in 2019, the grant is awarded annually to six working artists who push the boundaries of what’s possible in the art world. Today, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Jo-Ann Morgan to discuss the evocative fiber work that netted her a spot as one of last year’s grant winners. 

“I usually don't like to talk about work until it's done,” says Jo-Ann, whose elaborate wall hangings are lovingly stitched in remembrance of violence victims. Works like “Daddy Changed the World” and “Elegy for Elijah” commemorate George Floyd and Elijah McClain, who both recently died at the hands of police in separate encounters. Similarly, "Lady Corona Comforts the Children" depicts a maternal apparition who watches over the children separated from their parents at the US/Mexico border. 

“There's always something going on that is worthy of remembering,” says Jo-Ann, who adopted her signature social justice art after becoming an art historian. “I learned a lot from researching the African American artists of the late sixties,” she says, explaining her urge to rebel against the dominant “Western traditions” typically taught in art school. The artists she studied as a historian made a concerted effort to avoid “Neoclassical art, to develop their own vocabulary, way of working, themes, subject matter that was germane to the African American experience.”

A full-time working artist, Jo-Ann is also the author of The Black Arts Movement and the Black Panther Party in American Visual Culture and Uncle Tom’s Cabin as Visual Culture. Tune into today’s episode with Jo-Ann Morgan to hear about the artist’s ongoing series of wall hangings intended to honor the 19 student victims at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing visual artist and NOT REAL ART grant winner, Jo-Ann Morgan.
• How Jo-Ann returned to artmaking during the pandemic.
• What drew her to apply for the NOT REAL ART Grant.
• Jo-Ann’s art background and why she feels compelled to rebel against Western art standards.
• What she learned from researching African American artists of the late sixties.
• How the art world has evolved since Jo-Ann studied fine art.
• Insight into Jo-Ann’s art-making process.
• What drew her to the world of academia and teaching art history.
• Her journey from artmaking to academia and back.
• How the Black Lives Matter movement inspired the content of her art.
• Jo-Ann describes her piece, Elegy for Elijah.
• Why she typically doesn’t like to talk about work until it's complete.
• The collection she’s working on in honor of the 19 child victims of the Uvalde school shooting.
• Jo-Ann elaborates on her creative process and workflow.
• An observation about her fellow art history students, who didn't appreciate art or artists.

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/jo-ann-morgan

Some people are problem-solvers by nature. With 15 years of experience in the tech industry and a background in art business, today’s guest, Badir McCleary, knows how to fix nearly any problem the art world throws at him.

On today’s podcast, host Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Badir—a longtime friend of NOT REAL ART—to discuss how the entrepreneur’s problem-solving skills helped him forge a unique, multifaceted career in the arts. Growing up, Badir was “really good at taking things apart and putting them back together,” a skill his parents cultivated at every opportunity. “That gave me the confidence that I could get into something and problem-solve,” he says early in the interview. “That’s where my creativity in tech and also my problem-solving in art comes from.”

Based in Los Angeles, Badir is the founder of Art Above Reality, a full-service art consulting and curatorial firm focused on “vision, history, and people.” In 2015 he co-founded Gallery 38, a contemporary gallery that catered to artists of color, along with the Gallery 38 Mural Program, which brought those same artists into the community. With a background in curating, consulting, and writing, Badir is uniquely positioned to face the challenges of a changing industry. Above all, he champions soft skills, like respect, leadership, and the ability to listen: “I pride myself on being that type of person,” he says. “Always being able to listen. Someone always has something to teach you.” 

In today’s episode, Badir elaborates on the skills he learned while earning his MA in art business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. He also shares his thoughts on the distinction between public art and “real art,” the importance of creating opportunities for artists to be seen, and how artist-run spaces allow artists to establish new definitions of art.

While Badir is already a near and dear friend, we’re excited to announce he’ll join us as a collaborator on the production of Video Stories, an upcoming new series from NOT REAL ART. Tune into the episode to find out more about Video Stories and hear our conversation with the always fascinating Badir McCleary.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The immense value of listening and continuous learning.
• How Badir’s tech background informs the way he serves those in the art world.
• Insight into his career journey and the story of when he first fell in love with art.
• Badir’s ability to appreciate, analyze, and provide solutions to problems in the art world.
• What the Sotheby’s Institute taught him about art history, business, and management.
• The importance of having a common language to truly communicate and connect.
• Reflecting on the role of etiquette, responsibility, and respect in the art world.
• What the words “create what you want to create” mean to Badir.
• Exploring the distinction between public art and so-called real art.
• A look at Video Stories, the collaborative project Badir is creating with Not Real Art.
• How Not Real Art and the Not Real Art Grant provide artists with “opportunities to be seen.”
• Why Badir is in favor of artist-run spaces that allow artists to define art for themselves.
• Bonding over our shared love for educating and enlightening art lovers.
• Why it’s important to check your prejudices at the door: not all collectors wear Gucci!
• What to expect from Video Stories, which showcases Badir’s love for public art.

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/badir-mccleary

Pablo Picasso once said, “Everything you can imagine is real.” While the imagination is a powerful—and necessary—tool for artists, today’s guest believes success takes more than simply having a dream; it requires a solid game plan to become a reality.

“The key to manifesting a dream is by daily actions,” says Los Angeles designer Mary Lai, who joins host Scott “Sourdough” Power on today’s podcast episode to discuss her two-decades-long career in the arts. A tireless source of positive energy, Mary creates colorful work—murals, sculptures, digital art, mixed media—that reflects her can-do attitude and sunny disposition. 

Prior to working as a fine artist, Mary built a decade-long career in NYC as a fashion accessories designer, even creating an award-winning namesake handbag collection. While the time she spent as a designer offered Mary invaluable insight into commercial art, she feels more at home with her current role in fine art. “I don’t think I would have felt as fulfilled doing handbags as I am now,” she tells Scott. “After all those years and experiences, I’m at a point where I can find that balance [between commercial and conceptual art].”

Mary also shares her experience as an artist-in-residence at the W Hotel in Westwood, LA, where she recently launched Unlock Your Dreams, a characteristically colorful installation that blends inspirational fantasy with elements of playful nostalgia. The installation celebrates the power of inclusivity, optimism, and individuality, encouraging viewers to follow their own path, in their own way. “I wanted the theme to be ‘unlock your dreams,’” says Mary, “because I wanted to [show] that dreams can come true by creating these doors and opportunities for yourself.”

Tune into our conversation with Mary Lai, who sheds light on the importance of community, collaboration, and failing your way to success.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How the opportunity to be an artist-in-residence at the W came about.
• Why artists need to learn to “wear multiple hats.”
• Finding a balance between commercial and conceptual art.
• Dispelling the misconceptions that many artists have about overnight success.
• Insight into Unlock Your Dreams, the theme for the body of work Mary created for the W.
• Why Mary believes it’s important to lift other artists up and showcase their work.
• A behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating work for this artist-in-residence program.
• The inspiration for Mary’s Dream Portal sculpture, which employs augmented reality.
• Benefits of collaborating with other artists to bring your vision to life.
• What it means to be an artist-in-residence (and whether it included a stay in the penthouse!).
• How Mary’s graphic design experience influences her artmaking practice.
• Artists as magicians and the emotion and soul it brings to their work.
• Why having journalist Lisa Ling at the opening night was so special for Mary.
• Art as an essential service that reflects the culture of the time it was created.
• A look at Mary’s high school experience and when she knew she was going to be an artist.
• What’s next for Mary, where you can see her work, her definition of success, and more!

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/mary-lai

If you’re a regular listener of the Not Real Art Podcast, you’ll likely agree that art has the ability to educate, entertain, provoke thought, and illicit a wide range of emotions. Today’s guest believes that, as long as you can make a viewer feel something, you’re on the right path! Joining us is Michael Massenburg, an African American teaching artist and community organizer. Born in San Diego, raised in South Central Los Angeles, and based in Inglewood, Micheal says that he began his career at the Watts Towers Arts Center in Los Angeles, influenced by the Watts Rebellion, the Black Art Movement of the 1960s, and the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising. His socially-informed practice speaks to historical, cultural, and personal narratives and incorporates a diverse range of materials, combining painting, collage, photography, and assemblage to explore the African diaspora experience in the Americas. Michael is also what you would call an “artivist” (or an art activist), devoting much of his time to art education, lectures, and community organizing. In today’s episode, Michael shares how travel helped shape his perspective, why he believes that he was called to be an artist, and why labels like “Black art” are important. We also discuss how his former arts organization, The Collective, carried the torch for Black artists, and why Michael believes that artists and educators can be a voice for those who have had their own voices suppressed. Tune in for all this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Memories from Michael’s childhood and how his upbringing inspired his love for travel.
• Some of the first journeys he made as an artist, including a life-changing trip to Haiti.
• The “three Americas:” Indigenous people, immigrants, and those brought over as property.
• How traveling shifted Michael’s perspective on what it means to be an African born in America.
• Spiritual Nature, Michael’s exhibition about the African diaspora experience in the Americas.
• Why he chooses to create work about community, family, sociopolitical issues, and history.
• Unpacking Michael’s belief that artists and educators are the voice of the people.
• The story of how he realized that he was called to be an artist.
• How Michael gained his knowledge of business and entrepreneurship.
• The influence that Charles White had on Michael’s decision to study at Otis.
• How The Collective carried the torch for Black artists who are no longer with us.
• Michael’s take on the significance of labels like “Black art.”
• An experience in Barcelona that made Michael recognize art as a common language. 
• A look at the Future of Dreams project that he created with a collaborator in Columbia.
• The importance of traveling “without entitlement.”
• Ways that Michael believes artists can minimize the problems of the world.

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/michael-massenburg

One essential trait that differentiates us from animals is creativity—you could say it’s what makes us human. Today’s podcast guest believes creativity not only cultivates connection, better health, and critical thinking but can also “help humanity save itself.” 

In today’s episode, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power introduces 2022 NOT REAL ART grant winner Ellamaria Foley-Ray, a visionary artist who combines ceramics, literature, anthropology, and quilt-making to magical effect. The annual grant, established in 2019, provides financial backing and creative support to working artists across the US who challenge the meaning of “real art.”

“[The phrase] ‘not real art’ has Western, colonial, oppressive tones that define some creatives as legitimate art-makers and the rest of us as imposters who fail at making ‘real art,’” says Ellamaria, whose work explores African culture across the continent and throughout the diaspora. Treating clay like cloth, the professor of African American studies and visual anthropology creates ceramic quilt sculptures that chronicle the rich history of African art, expression, and storytelling the world over. “When I carefully listen to my internal ancestral voices and consider ways to bring clay to cloth, I’m no longer interested in making ‘real art,’ but in creating ceramic quilts that touch viewers from the inside out,” she continues. 

As both a visual artist and anthropologist, Ellamaria strives to educate viewers on the complex cultural aesthetic of Africans across the globe in the 21st century. The Denver artist incorporates quilting into her practice “as a way to talk to ancestral women,” who were considered keepers of the domestic craft. Instead of traditional cloth, Ellamaria sculpts with clay because it speaks to her soul: “I am using clay because that is how I write the narratives I tell,” she says.

Viewing artmaking as a “portal to healing,” Ellamaria encourages adults to “come home” to their creativity: “Life is calling us to come back to that space where we are creating beauty, to come home to who we are as poets, novelists, playwrights, dancers, comedians, sculptors, and painters,” she says before adding, “Life is calling us to do this in an attempt to help humanity save itself.” 

Tune into today’s episode on the player below to hear our conversation with NOT REAL ART grant winner Ellamaria Foley-Ray.

In Today’s Episode

Ellamaria Foley-Ray discusses…

• Winning the NOT REAL ART grant and her subsequent plans for the award
• Her current body of work, which is inspired by civil rights leader Rachel Noel and writer Octavia Butler
• The power of ancestry, storytelling, and creativity for healing
• How her deep emotional connection to clay began
• How she balances teaching with studio time
• Why the pandemic brought so many people back to their creativity
• Her advice for staying healthy, safe, and curious
• How art and fiction offer opportunities to solve social justice problems
• The ceramic quilt she wants to make next

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/ellamaria-foley-ray

Is the term “artist” simply assigned to those who paint, draw, or cook? Or is there more to being an artist than owning a great easel or a luxe set of oil paints? 

“Guess what? You don’t have to go to art school to be an artist,” says NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power in this month’s auditorial episode, which poses the question: “What does it really mean to be an artist?” along with its inevitable follow-up: “How do you know if you are one?” In today’s episode, Scott weighs in on the famously thorny topic, challenging preconceived notions (including his own) about the nature of art, creativity, empathy, and ego. 

“It strikes me that being an artist is not just a job; it’s a calling,” says Scott, reflecting on the artist’s innate compulsion to create, make, and express themselves. “It’s how we’re wired. It’s who we are,” he continues. Scott touches on the less common traits that characterize a “real artist,” including curiosity, open-mindedness, discernment, and compassion: “Whether we see [opportunities, problems, or injustices] that other people don’t see, [artists] are not myopic,” he says.

The standard industry definition of an artist celebrates a limited few while excluding others. But Scott suspects there might be more to being an artist than swanky gallery parties, high-end clients, or name recognition. Throughout the episode, he also touches on profit as a secondary motive, imposter syndrome among the creative classes, and suspicion surrounding tradition and the status quo. 

In today’s episode, you’ll discover why Scott is an artist (and you might be too!). Tune in to the episode on the player below to hear 10 uncommon traits, signs, and signals of an artist with a capital “A.”

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why even Sourdough’s view of what a “real artist” is can be seen as conservative.
• An artist’s complicated relationship with imposter syndrome.
• How artists see the world through a unique lens.
• Reasons that many artists dislike or distrust the status quo.
• Why profit is a secondary motivation for artists.
• What it might mean if you enjoy being around art and artists.
• The empathetic artist’s tendency to find human greed incomprehensible.
• An argument for why artists are global citizens.
• Why you don’t have to go to art school to be an artist!
• Artists as innately open-minded, curious, and discerning.
• The compulsion to create that drives many artists.

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/10-reasons-why-i-am-an-artist

“Anybody can be a collector of beautiful things,” says Michael Hawley, who heads the Getty Museum Photographs Council (GMPC), a donors’ group that helps the museum acquire work from underrepresented artists. The world of art collection and custodianship is historically elitist, so it’s no wonder many people find the idea of simply entering a gallery intimidating. An established collector himself, Michael reassures would-be collectors that art is for everyone and anyone can be a collector with the right mindset. 

On today’s podcast episode, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Michael to discuss the curator’s avid love of art and his mission to democratize ownership for collectors of all different incomes. “We're very interested in this democratization of art,” Michael says of the Photographic Arts Council Los Angeles, where he is also a sitting chairperson. To draw in a younger audience, the council recently instituted an affordable membership level for educators and students of all ages. “We don't want it to be or feel elitist,” he continues. 

Michael shares pieces of his personal story, describing how his growing art collection led to a position with the Getty: “Some of the curators from the Getty came and saw [my collection] and thought it was interesting, and the way that I collected was interesting, and what I collected was interesting, and asked me to be part of the Photographs Council,” he tells Scott. Michael also chats about the intersection of art and AI, the role of NFTs in democratizing art, and how to get a collection started on a budget.

This episode is dedicated to anyone who’s ever felt too intimidated to start an art collection. To start your collection with confidence, tune in to our fascinating conversation with Michael Hawley, who firmly believes “art is for everyone.”

In Today’s Episode

Michael Hawley discusses…

• The story behind the first piece in his collection
• His personal approach to art collecting
• Why philanthropy and support for the arts and are so important
• How to become a collector on whatever budget you’re working with
• His advice for collectors intimidated by high-end galleries 
• The premise and purpose behind the Photographic Arts Council Los Angeles
• The specific challenges that go along with democratizing art
• Why collecting art is really a form of self-care
• The contemporary artists he’s particularly excited about right now

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/michael-hawley