Random Musing No. 1

The human eye has a range of 120°, mostly peripheral vision, compared to the camera’s typical 200° or more. That is why the figures sometimes seem distorted at the edges of a photograph. We make up for this seeming deficit by moving our focus (in movements called “saccades”) around a scene to build up a gestalt awareness of its appearance.

A painting, curated by human intelligence, is superior in every respect to a photograph, except for how long it takes to make it. If cameras took three hours to create the exact same image as they do now in a split second, there would be no question as to which medium people would choose when they needed an image recorded.

Kickstarter Spam

The lesson I’m learning is that if you start a Kickstarter campaign, you get scads of spam offering to help you reach your goal for short money. Costs range from $49.99 to “we’ll discuss it.” Here’s a typical one:

“This is some interesting stuff Marc . I would like to reach out and offer my assistance in getting the word out the best way possible! Do you have a minute to talk about the strategies you’re using to get this thing funded? Let me know what you had in mind so far.

“I’d love to chat more! smile emoticon”

My response:

“Hi Joshua,

“Since I’ve posted this Kickstarter campaign, I’ve received a half a dozen emails from people offering to help me reach my goal, for a fee. You at least took the time to address me by name so I’m responding, but I have to tell you, your offer seems awfully similar to the others, and when I checked your link, it appears you just signed up with Kickstarter last month and haven’t started or backed any projects. I have to wonder what kind of experience you can bring to the table and what differentiates you from the other folks trying to get me to hire them. I’m just a poor, starving artist, I’m not trying to raise all that much money to begin with, and I’m afraid I have no free cash to invest in outside marketing services. If I’ve read you wrong, I apologize; still, you must admit your offer looks suspiciously like the others.

“Best wishes,

“Marc Clamage”

No response.

This is analogous to the “I want to buy your paintings, please deposit this check for more than you’re asking and mail me back the balance” emails I get occasionally. Is it just a matter of scammers targeting artists as vulnerable and needy victims? God knows we don’t have any spare money lying around for the taking.

Panhandlers Show at the Democracy Center

If you are in Cambridge on June 6th, please come to my showing of Panhandler portraits at the Democracy Center. The Democracy Center (45 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA) has very kindly offered to provide a venue for the paintings, on very short notice. The Democracy Center is engaged in an interesting project of its own—development of an urban farm to provide fresh organic produce for the homeless population of Cambridge.

The show will be up for only a few days–it’s a community center, not a gallery–and then the paintings will go to the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington on permanent loan, so this is your chance to see all the paintings in Massachusetts. The opening should be fun, and I’m hoping to put on a big feed for the local homeless folks.

I’m trying to raise the money to frame the paintings properly using Kickstarter, and every little bit helps. Please make a donation of as little as a dollar, and pass along this link to your friends:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/539195276/portraits-of-the-cambridge-homeless-community

Thanks, and I hope to see you there!