Visual Inspiration: On Art Resources

May I Offer You Some Visual Inspiration?

One question that people frequently ask me about The Storialist is where and how I find the images that help to inspire the poems. I wanted to share my resources and strategies. Looking at art and allowing it to feed my poems is a very natural process for me. I was already doing many of things I list below---now, there is just a bit more intention behind these actions.

Recon Missions (a.k.a. Going to Art Galleries and Exhibits A Lot)
Anytime I travel to a new city, I make sure to visit the museum (or known galleries) there. Here in Columbus, I go to openings and shows (including student shows). A few venues for seeing art I’ve loved, in no particular order: The Getty Museum, Obsolete, The Vancouver Art Gallery, Thinkspace Gallery, Rivet, OSU Urban Arts Space, The Wexner Center, The Hammer, The Museum of Jurassic Technology, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, The Museum of Photographic Arts, Yokohama Doll Museum.

Following Galleries and Artists Online
I let these galleries introduce me to artists I might like. I am especially interested in contemporary art, so I like to use galleries like record labels; when there is one I trust, I often like many artists that they feature. For example, a lot of the artists I love have shown work at Thinkspace Gallery. I am still on their mailing lists, and when they alert me to new shows, I have new artists to research.

Following artists online has been so helpful for me. I love noticing how artists structure their sites and arrange their work. I constantly bookmark artists’ sites that look intriguing (Right now, in my bookmark lists called “Artists to Check Out,” there are 64 links). When I find an artist whose work I respond to, I mine their “Links” section. This has really helped introduce me to new work, and to contextualize contemporary art a bit for me (for example, I know if a group of artists graduated from Art Center College together, or if artists identify with those working in similar styles).

Publications and Blogs
Ah, the vast universe of art blogs. When I first began linking to art on The Storialist (in 2009), I almost exclusively relied on these sites. Originally, I used sites like Booooooom!, Design for Mankind, Notcot, Artistaday, and Ffffound (although this one is trickier for finding the right credits for who made what).

I still visit those sites, but have also discovered others that really speak to me and my preferences. I am always adding to this list--right now, in my “Recurring Art Publications and Sites” bookmark, I have 37 links. Some of my favorites include Unless You Will, Lenscratch, Brown Paper Bag, NotPaper, 50 Watts, Art Lies, The Jealous Curator, and Squidface and the Meddler (there are many, many more--visit my new Art Sites and Publications links on the right side of the site, at the bottom, for more).

Asking and Learning From Other People
So. I’m always on the lookout for artists and resources to follow. If you are an art lover, how do you tend to learn about new work? Who should I know about?