Here is a Documentary about artist Richard Rossetto created by Brian Batista in 2000. I was conflicted for sometime about whether this work should be released as the idea expressed here although made in just are far different from the beliefs I hold know. Upon DEEP reflection I decided that it was an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY as it helps show the journey of how I came from THERE TO HERE. People often ask me whether all personal development stuff I do has any “REAL” EFFECT. ReWATCHING this work clearly shows me the BELIEFS I held as appose to the beliefs I hold now and why I lived through some of the experiences I lived. You see I was a FIRM believer in the “STARVING” ARTIST LIFE and due to that BELIEF found myself living AS SUCH. For over ten years I suffered through struggle and strife while I tried to make a basic living off my art, just like so many of my heroes. I share this with you cause if I can stop one person from living the life I BELIEVED I had to live in order to create it would make me very happy. PLEASE BELIEVE ME THERE is POWER in POSITIVE THINKING and your thoughts DO CREATE your REALITY. LIVE STRONG and ADMIT when your WRONG and change when you have to. THE WORLD IS YOURS!!!!!
Mr.Richard Rossetto

I think the video says it all. Here is a release of a publication that was a culmination of works created from 1999 to 2001. It was released in the fall 2001 sold out by December. Some of the original works where given as thanks for the publication other works have been given as presents , or as paid debts and that is why this work is a “lost” publication because most of the works revealed here are long gone in the hands of strangers or friends that have passed. The video syncing is off I haven’t quite figured out the eccentricities of Youtube uploading.

Here is my friend Tattoo Tony. He is a living legend here in Montreal . He has been tattooing since 1958 and been working in “The Point” since 76. Lord only knows the number of arms, legs and chests he has inked. The work he has done has left him recognized as a living legend.
I was pretty much done with tattoos when we met. None the less though I attracted to Tony, I was enamored by the fact he was as an artist well into his 70’s and still plying his trade. Years passed and I got to know Tony, always stopping by to say hello and pick his brain. He had started tattooing in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen as a “kid”. The first tat he created was with a needle and ink of a knife he gave to himself which has now been long covered over. He served in the Navy with Hurricane Squad when men where tougher than nails and you sure as hell didn’t cry over spilled milk. In 74 he moved to Montreal and in 76 he opened his first tattoo shop on Center Street. We met in about 2005. I wanted to know what made him tick. Being a stoic old timer he wasn’t an easy nut to crack. I wanted to know what kept him creating well after most people had retired, like I said though I was done with tattoos.

Tony back in the day

That was until a number of incidences lead to my mid-life crisis. I turned 38 last year. Do the math 38 +38+76, that’s a pretty good life. Therefore 38 in away is equal to mid-life. I found myself looking at all the things I accomplished and all the things I had failed to this point. IT WAS TERRIFYING. I found myself looking desperately for a way to somehow say I was still in control. Something that stated I still had youth and energy on my side. The solution I came to was one that would make most sensible men shiver and scoff. it made perfect sense to me though. The solution…. a new tattoo, one that would separate me from mortal men, a symbol that would also symbolize my new found maturity separating the boys form the men. Once the decision was made I knew exactly who I was going to see.
We had talked on a number of occasions about the idea of adding some ink on me, like I said though I was done with Tattoos. I had also struggling for some time financially so it seemed like an impossibility. Until I sold a small collection of art for 2000$. The highest price that had been paid to that date, as it was a cause for celebration I decided I was going under “THE GUN”.

Tony at the “office“

In away I had the tattoo planned out for some time. It was going to be a tattoo about the history of tattoos. A history hidden behind tough guys and macho vibrato shrouded by mystery and fear. Those who had never experienced it had no idea of what the action truly stood for , hell even many of those who had, where unaware of it’s true relevance. You see Tattoos are a symbol, a symbol of warriors. They represent battles both won and lost. Those battles engraved in skin represent emotional pain of both wins and losses because for every victory that needed to be honored there were a hundred defeats before. This piece was also about to be about fear and limiting beliefs. I was scared of spiders and equally scared of my father’s reaction. Being 38 it seemed a little silly. My father was a man I had always respected and always wanted to honor. A tattoo on the hand would have been seen as anything but that.
Even though I was a chip off the block, my life had been far different than the life he had forged. I knew the life I had was possible because of his journey. I knew I was the man I am because I came from my father’s loins. His wealth of influence guided me through many stormy waters. It was his words of wisdom that created the warrior before you. Then again so had ALICE COOPER’S. Coming from the old country my dad was a stoic realist with a day dreamers heart. He had always done “the right thing”. Being babied and nurtured by a loving mother on the other had left me floating some were beside “Lucy in the Sky”. A little too young to catch that ship the words from “the Coop” filled my imagination with Marshal Stacks and muscles cars. His ethereal prose spoke of surreal places just beyond my imagination. His anthems spoke of freedom and individuality. And so I grew using my father’s old school work ethic while floating with my head in the clouds. The combination left a driven artist committed to his trade.
Fast forward 20 plus years, to find a grown man who seen somethings and accomplished most of the creative endeavors he set out to do. Sure I have yet to drive a limo into a pool or blow up a building in the name of art, slowly my destructive tendencies are weening though. Living fast to die young in order to leave a good looking corpse isn’t so attractive when you have things to live for.
So what do you do when you find yourself at thirty something with a kid? Look for ways to make the next twenty years even better. The trials and tribulations of life can leave you in a serious state of wonderment. And that is where I found myself. Wondering how I could have accomplish my creative goals without falling in other areas and dreams. The quest for answers led to more questions. Those questions in turn led me into uncharted territory, the final frontier so to speak, the world known as personal development. And that is how I found Tony Robbins.
Strangely I fell immediately in love with the left brain solutions to my right brain “problems”. It was here that I realized the error of my ways. Limiting thoughts and self destructive thought patterns had trapped me in a cycle of disparity. Desperate to elevate the pain, I delved in deep, watching videos, listening to mp3, getting programs, and signing up for news letters. Most of the information I would have dismissed at one point. Now somehow it made sense. It got to the point where you were just as likely to hear Tony Robbins coming out of my speakers as OZZY. Even when I scoffed I was still listening intently. I realized I had created my reality, I had always believed in the starving artist and therefore I had become my belief. I found my thoughts changing, as such I found my experiences changing too.
Of course when the idea of studying success first came to mind it had dollars and cents attached. What I found was that through these principles my entire life was enriched. My relationship with my daughter flourished as I reacted more positively towards challenges. I became clearer about what I wanted and worked towards those results. I found myself accomplishing many things professionally I had only dreamed of before. Many times I felt like a fraud because of my new found love for personal development. These where the answers I had sought for a long time, they resonated in my core. Positive solutions to my negative rebellion. The idea of being a nice guy and being all that I could be resonated with me ever since Hulk Hogan told me to say my prayers, take my vitamins and believe in myself. And that is pretty much what all this information was telling me as well.
AS The piece was to be about fear, history and new life I decided the symbol of all these was to get a Black Widow tattooed on my hand. That was also one of my favorite Coop songs and if I could get over my fear of spiders that would be something. The work was done in two sessions over the period of a year. The was spider free hand drawn from a book. It had a very distinct look with heavy thick lines due to the fact Tony is one of the last guys to use a one needle gun. It also gives the work the quality that I may have gotten it while travelling the seven seas. The spider looked great I was happy with it. I felt like something was missing though. In ended up being pretty broke again and so a year passed.

I ended up taking work in a bar down the street where I met a bunch of “OL’TIMERS”. Guys like Jackie Malcolm who went to war then sailed the world 3x. Or my friend Amanda who traveled across war ravaged Europe when she was only a child. These were a couple of old timers who were still going strong! Just like Tattoo Tony. Their stories filled my mind with the world they had seen and how it had changed. There was a certain beauty as well as certain sadness in that understanding. It was the same morose beauty I had looked at the past with. With that I knew how the Tat was to be finished.
It was to be finished as a love tattoo. A tattoo about the future a tattoo about limitless possibilities. The future I had dreamed of as a child. The ones Alice Cooper made me dream when he sung things like “I need a houseboat and I need a plane, I need a butler and a trip to Spain, I need everything the world owes me, I tell that to myself and I agree”, the dreams I believed that could be fulfilled when I heard the works of Tony Robbins. The limitless possibility of a fulfilled future I saw when I looked at my friends from the bar.

And that is how Alice married Tony in a fashion that Jackie Malcolm’s ship mates might have done. Similar to work Tony may have done in the past. With the names of two lovers engraved on skin for life. The 54 years of Tony’s work would also be commemorated by the year 2012. I went back under the gun with some of my first monies earned. The names where written above and below, the previous work, the daye added on each side. He then did touch ups red some red and black to bring out the form of the widow and with that the work was done.

old school flash tattoos

My first thought was “OH, MY F**KING GOD what did I just do?”. I got terrified as to how people might react. Thankfully in my primary profession it is liberal enough you could have certain flair. I wasn’t sure how my family might react though. It had also been one the most painful experiences of my life (please note you’re reading the writing of a man who had his tooth knocked while training and kept fighting and SMILING). It hurt so much because the word Tony started on my knuckle bone the word Alice ended under part of my wrist bone. Both parts where SUPER sensitive spots to get work done. The rest of my hand was also irritated from the touch up work. Seriously questioning whether I had made the right decision I got home and took off the bandaging. Even though it was a bloody mess it looked great. Now how would others react?
My daughter loved it, my boss at the bar said “no sweat”, his mom told me not to worry about it ether, hell my mom wasn’t worrying about either. As I had no urge to get a 9 to 5 I didn’t have worry about anyone else’s opinion. Except of course my DAD’S…. he lives in Taiwan and unless he reads this ARTicle we won’t know his reaction for a year or so.
AS for what I had to learn from Tony I think for men of his generation,”Actions Speak Louder Than Words” and “the “Proof in The Pudding”. In this case the pudding can clearly be seen anytime we meet or shake hands and I proudly wear my badge of HONOR which represents the lessons I learned. It is a constant reminder of the places I’ve been, the things I’ve learned and the people I met. Thanks for the lessons Boys.

http://psctattoo.com/

This is a video I made for Anthony Robbins “Honor and Inspire” contest. As it had been a while since I posted a “Welcome to the Artist’s Studio”(due to technical difficulties) I created it with the thought it would be fun to utilize as a post. So the video was produced and written as such. For those of you who don’t know I am a HUGE SELF DEVELOPMENT FAN. I got into it after being asked the question of what I thought about when I drew.
The Truth of the matter ended up being SELF LOATHING. After YEARS of feeling like an ALIEN and MISFIT(EVEN WITH the MISFITS)I realized that ART had always been my refuge. What I found was the thoughts of feeling like a LOSER and HATING MYSELF ECHOED VERY LOUDLY in my “escape”. Unfortunately those where the things I thought about as I drew. Which was far more damaging than I could have realized because when creating the mind reaches ALPHA state. In alpha state the thoughts we have embed deeply in our mind, therefore those thoughts ECHO LOUDLY and become our predominant thoughts. I still battle those thoughts regularly even though I have spent the past few years reprogramming my mind (do the math 2 years embedding positive thoughts as appose to 15 or 20, I came from a great family and figure kids have pretty positive thoughts).

Anyways this video is how I became an artist. Art flows through the soul so I was always an ARTIST, I just hung on to my ideals a little longer and continued studying after others stopped. When I was really younger I was involved in the performance aspects of art. I.E Acting, Drumming, and sing. To challenge myself I learned to draw(ask someone who knew me in the 80′s how long I could sit still for). My major creative influences where the writings of the Beatniks, Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Robbins and as I got older Rollins. My Musical preferences always laid on the heavier side thanks to my brother and sister. AS I grew into a teen I fell in love with what would have been called alternative music, which was anything that wasn’t being played on commercial radio and everything that predated Nirvana or Green Day(whom indecently sleep on one of my friends couches before they became who they are now).Around then I was digging the Pixies, Janes Addiction, Minor Threat, SNFU, and A little Tom Waits. Most of this was influenced by My CLOSE FRIEND JOHN MCCRANK who always was and still is one of my MAJOR influences. He taught me to think for myself , believe in myself and continues to push me in the direction of my goals. (for every great thing he accomplishes I try to match)

AS for the FIRST ART I RECALL influencing me the image below of me in front of a Van Gogh was the first image I recall seeing that made me want to create something that beautiful, all of Van Gogh’s art touched me as so. The next works I REALLY RECALL INFLUENCING ME where one of Claude Tousignant’s “Gong” that hung at the top of the stairs of the Edmonton Art Gallery, Then Attila Lukacs‘ exhibition I also at the E.A.G. Attila’s work influenced me greatly because the subject matter spoke to me and the skill with which it was created blew my mind. The fact he was a home town hero helped too. Tousignant’s colors speak for themselves. Of course going to an all ARTS SCHOOL I was immersed in creative minds and the influences there still linger in my soul(I guess I still am working for some of their approval).Add to that alot of missed opportunities to travel many lonely nights at a drawing table and more life juice sucked from life then could possibly be imagined and the rest is history. The key to developing my skill and practice was all determination. everything else has been evolution.

I realize now I made lots of mistakes. I wouldn’t give them up for Harrison Ford’s body at 70!!!! Nor Madonna’s pay check for her Proformance at the Super Bowl( a night of passionate love with her is another matter entirely). What was that book about Van Gogh called “the Agony and The ECSTASY” Well that’s the truth. There is a certain AGONY and ECSTASY that goes with the ECSTASY of ARTIST LIFE. Choose it wisely.

Someone recently cited that I had been missing posts about my recent work. It is not that I am not creating any documenting has been a bit of of a process as of late so I have been letting it slide. So here are some works created through the month of December. I have created more since and some works aren’t up this gives you an idea of what is on my plate these days. Above is “The King’s Castle” it is still available from the artist. The portrait on wood below has already been acquired into a private collection and not available for resale where as the Drawing at the bottom Clouds and Mountains has been acquired for the resale value Available at Rossettoresales.org. The price tag is pretty steep. That is the funny thing about art though sometimes it valued is determined by those who own it. For information contact rossettoink @gmail.

DISCLAIMER. I do not Claim to be an Art History Expert, I am a visual artist who deeply understands art on a kinetic and intrinsic level. These works are written to help people better understand modern art, how to look at art, how art became to be the beast it is now and what art is. This is especially true when I am taking about art rather than writing about it, as video is a new media for me. Videos are often shot in one take with out prior preparation. thereby giving the audience my automatic reaction to the artist’s work. Therefore mistakes can be made. I often know a period , a style or an image, although I may not know the exact date or it’s exact place in history. Such is the case in this video where I make a few mistakes such as mixing up the influence of George Baroque, one of the recognized creates of Cubism with the Barques period a mistake made not only due to the similarities in names, but also due to the fact of the image’s colors I am referring to which consist of muted Burgundies and Ochers, accentuated by a highlighted areas (14.42 mark). my brain also associates these aesthetics with the Barques period. I am also well aware Van Gogh was Expressionist (who were concerned with the reflection of light, color and the shape of form) not a Fauvist(which stood for WILD BEASTS due to the lack of use of perspective and formal rendering) my thought get lost as a sentence lingers while looking at other works. I am also more than a little nervous speaking about an artist I am seeing for the first time. The Video created was created to give the viewer an an over all IDEA of this ARTIST’S LEGACY and how that legacy sat in the space of history. That being said….

Lyonel Feininger was an American/European artist whose body of work span through out the period recognized as the period that created modern art. MODERNISM loosely defined is the period of art spanning from the Impressionist (from the 1880′s whose main concern was how light and color reflected off it’s subject) until sometime in the 50′s. He was born in Manhattan to parents of German descent who in 1887 sent their son to study music, the family “trade” in Germany. Upon his arrival he finds himself immersed in the cultural revolution known as Modernism that is sweeping Europe. Using the the temporary closing of the music school as an excuse he enrolls in art school and quickly gains recognition for his illustrative talents and creative talents. Being recognized for his caricatures he commences his career as an illustrator.

Finding himself among the German Expressionist (who are noted for their print making) Feininger gives up illustration for canvas and oil paints delving deeply into the creative arts.(Daumier was caricature illustrator who gained a reputation in the fine arts). Depicting modernity, life in the city, through color, form and division of space. He also explored sculpture through tiny Marquette created for his children. Works through out this period reference every movement of Modern art while continually maintaining a certain satirical illustrative feel. Figures are sometimes given a carnivalesque feeling through the use of elongation , disproportion, flatness of form and even the use of satirical attire or facial expression. With his discovery of cubism he delves into the division of space and form through geometric shape. In this period muted colors accentuated the vibrant and explosive ones from the last. figures used are still rendered in similar style as before remaining lighthearted and warm, the environments now seem to have a more foreboding feeling or a certain heaviness. Possibly influenced due to the heated political climate in Germany an being considered an enemy of the state.
In 1919 he was appointed as one of the head figures of The Bauhaus school and movement.(Here I am a little out of my league cause as far as I am aware Bauhaus was a goth band that recorded “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” snicker snicker)

Noted as a prominent figure in the school and movement, even being commissioned designing the cover of the groups Manifesto(above image) as commissioned by the founder Walter Gropius. He remained head of the school’s graphic component until 1933 at which time the NAZIS the school down. In 1937 his family flees Germany to avoid persecution. shortly after his departure his work has the HONOR of being hung in the NAZI’S infamous DEGENERATE ART Exhibition. HONOR stated as such that anyone who did such DESPICABLE hings as the Nazis did calling you a DEGENERATE is probably not a bad thing. His works hung side by side that of Otto Dix, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee as well as any other artist whose work did not conform to the new aesthetic of German “neoclassicism”.Which was based on the the IDEALS of the UBER HUMAN or an ARCHETYPAL view of the PERFECT ARYAN. Which just as neoclassicism in France took it’s aesthetics from Greek sculpture.
Upon his return to the United States after a brief “creative” pause(possibly due to a broken heart, seeing the ideals of his world shattered and having had to flee Europe, seeing so many persecuted) he continued to create until his passing in 1956.

The most compelling thing about this artist’s work was not the time line in which he created nor the artists whom he rubbed shoulders with, who influenced him or whom he may have influenced. It’s not even the body of work for which he is celebrated today. What is truly enthralling is his dedication to art itself. Which can be clearly seen through out the studies he created from the beginning to the end of his creative legacy. Captivating renderings of subject matters as simple as; still life drawings, portraits, and architectural studies show his decisive hand creating meticulous compositions of life like objects describing the world in which he lived and the things that surrounded him. The playfulness of his painting stand unto their own also. Dreamlike images in an ethereal world that speak to us on a physiological level of what the word “humanity” means. Through out all his work regardless of the medium a certain quality flows giving reference to the artist’s own history as a creator while also referencing the changing world around him. There by giving us insight of what it meant to be human what it means to be human and how we survive the trials and tribulations of art. Which is what art is truly meant to do. Describe the world in which we live and how we as a species continue persevere and evolve.

So it’s been a little over a year since we last sat down with my second favorite Canadian artist to see what’s up, so I thought I would take a few minutes sit down and chat with the man himself and see what’s been going on to get it straight from the horses mouth. Here is what he had to say.

1) What has been going on since we last spoke? Last I remember it was just before your first solo show whats happened since then?

A) Well first and foremost I guess the biggest thing is I have retired . I guess the truth is I have semi retired cause as far as I am aware a true artist never retires. My mind is always busy creating SOMETHING regardless of what I say. I guess mostly the method has just changed . It use to be my biggest concern was gaining recognition for my endeavors . Over the past little bit it seems my artistic legacy has been set in stone. Already at a “young age I created a body of work I could have never imagined which now allows me to pursue other goals.

2) You say your legacy is “set in stone” . What gives you the AUDACITY to make such a statement as you are not represented by ANY gallery nor have you ever had recognition from ANY ESTABLISHED ART INSTITUTION?

A) WELL,through my efforts over the past number of years my work has been brought to the attention of a great number of people. Many of whom are are public figures. Once you get to a certain level of recognition in something like art , especially when your body of work is unique, there is a certain momentum that just continues to build. Even if I was to never create another physical work ALL the previous creations rests in time. That especially holds true when people own your work in collections, and my work is owned in a large handful of private collections. After people have invested a certain amount in you it becomes in their best interest you get recognized. That is the position I seem to find my self in now.
It’s funny cause in the beginning I was so DESPERATE to be recognized from the establishment and no matter what I did I found I couldn’t get it. My hair was too long , I was a little WILD, I didn’t have credentials or maybe it was the fact I had a tooth punched out. It gave people in “authority” positions the ability to WRITE ME OFF because I didn’t fit the present norm. Because of all this I had to look for other venues. That was when I discovered the POWER of the BEAST known as the INTERNET. IT SET ME FREE .
Yah see even though someone might make great work , the art industry is just that an INDUSTRY and there fore has an agenda all to it’s own which filters all the way down to the lowest level. The industry can’t just promote anyone art , regardless of how good it is. If it did that it would eliminate a HUGE PORTION of how the industry creates PROFIT.
Here is the part where my statements will rub a lot of people the wrong way. Don’t get me wrong I see the importance of the structure and the roles peoples play in it. In art these days what is created is often irrelevant. Regardless of how great a persons work might be the weeding out process wipes out a lot of great creators.
You have to go through the HOOPS. You can’t be allowed to skip them because if you do certain hoops are no longer needed. Therefore things like Art School(which I do believe in) and masters programs become the STANDARD. If a step as such is skipped , then it is no longer deemed as necessary. If things as such are no longer necessary. Then ANYONE is applicable which then upsets the structure.
The History of art has proven ORIGINALITY is probably the worst attribute an artist can have and long gone are the days of the BOHEMIAN ARTIST, they where buried after 9/11. Even Cezanne the “GODFATHER” of Modernism was was left to starve for 40 years. The internet CHANGES that. With proper usage an artist can now use this space to address their audience directly.

3) Last I remember you where really big on goal setting and personal development, can you tell us how that has changed things? I mean I still don’t see you driving your Mercedes Benz, and your economic level doesn’t seem to have changed that much.

A)Goal setting and personal development is probably the greatest things I ever discovered. I have always been a “right brain” thinker so even though I have been satisfied with my creative mind for years I felt my life lacked in MANY other areas. When I first got in to the study of all this it really was a DOLLARS and CENTS thing. NOW that I have studied it I have come to understand that TRUE WEALTH is a LIFESTYLE THING. In TRUTH I live on FAR LESS than I did 5 years ago as a waiter. The appreciation for what I have is FAR GREATER though, I also use resources far more wisely.

4) YEAH RIGHT!!!!…. SO “SUCCESS” is about “OTHER” things other than FINACIAL gain….

A) YES, If I had made the millions I planed on making before(and I have ALWAYS planned on making millions), I could have had it all and still been unhappy. NOW I live with exactly what I am GIVEN and in general my days are surrounded by BLISS. Even when needs are not met I handle ANY GIVEN SITUATION MUCH BETTER than I had previously.

5) So then what are some other goals you are currently working on?

A)I don’t even know where to begin. I started taking art SERIOUSLY at a VERY EARLY AGE. That meant the sacrifice of a lot of things. Now I am working backwards. As things are stabilizing I would like to take some trips and see somethings I’ve never seen. I would like to buy some property for my mother to help ensure her comfort , I would also like to buy property for my daughter and her mother as well. That is a lot of money right there.
I would love to make first appearance in a ring within the next year or so. I love the idea of doing an Ultimate Fighter Type fight. Pro wrestling has been a boyhood dream since I can remember though and once I heard that George Saint Pierre was in my weight division I became a little hesitant , really that guy is a MUTANT. Those who know me well though will tell you I can take a chair shot to the head pretty well though. So I have been spending lots of time at the gym. I have also under gone some profound spiritual changes.

6)Hmmmm. UFC and SPIRITUAL CHANGES ????? What makes you think your good enough to get in the ring.

A) This year marked my 10th anniversary having studied SENSHIDO. Senshido is a style of self defense that involves REALITY BASED TRAINING that incorporates MANY DIFFERENT STYLES of fighting. The word translates into “the style of 1000 masters”. The basic premise is ANY PERSON of ANY SIZE can defend themselves against another or OTHERS. This involves learning to do the MOST DAMAGE to your attacker with the least amount of energy. I believe that this style could be easily altered for the cage. Sure lots of the tactics would be considered illegal if toned down though I believe it’s principles would ensure victory.
Senshido also involves a lot of OVERKILL TRAINING which in turn also creates an immense amount of mental toughness. Really, when you are trained to DEFEND against multiple opponents with weapons stepping in to a cage or ring to fight doesn’t seem that implausible. I realize that there are all sorts of other factors involved, I am pretty sure I have the “basics”covered and I would love to fight a guy like Nick Diaz. If nothing else it is getting me back into some TREMENDOUS SHAPE.

Automatic Word Painting

7) What about this NEW FOUND SPIRITUALITY?

A)First off it’s not NEW FOUND I have ALWAYS been a spiritual being, art was part of that which is why I have always been so dedicated. I always believed it was my LIFE’S MISSION. Art is also MEDITATIVE IN NATURE. Lets say I have come to a greater understanding of what spirituality is. Before when I thought of things I use to think in terms of destroying what I saw in order to start a new. Now I can see that everything around me is all part of the plan. So it is our duty to utilize it, help it evolve and help others understand what needs to be done. It sortta came to head this past Christmas as I was watching it all go down. Just like everyone else this season I had a little extra this season so I got to enjoy some extra things. What I noticed was that even though I had less than many others I seemed to be enjoying more of what I had. I would see people with bags and bags of things they just bought and a look of quiet desperation in their eyes. Nothing they bought had fulfilled them. I realized that I felt fulfilled almost everyday. Regardless of the money I had in my pocket or the value of the things I owned.

8)Any other goals?

A) Well I have been thinking about publishing some books. Maybe releasing some of my early journals , that would take an immense amount of editing though. Most recently the thought of releasing a coffee table book of images is at the forefront of my mind. After receiving a copy of Attila Richard Lukcas’ latest catalog “Attila Richard Lukacs from the Collection of Salah J. Bachir”. The book and Mr. Bachir’s collection is a COMPLETE retrospective of the artist’s work spanning throughout his career to. With image quality so high you can see brush strokes and the fact the works are from throughout the artist’s development is also compelling. As it eludes to the artist’s thought process and life. I though it might give some great insight to those who enjoy my work.

9) So where does this all lead you Artistically?

A) I guess the big difference is I use to be an ARTIST WHO DABBLED in BUSINESS , now I see myself as a BUSINESS MAN who DABBLES IN ART. Many of my current works are private. Recently I have also developed a keen interest and understanding of Instillation art. The ideas steam from the more performance side of me. The ideas are extensions of my other interests. Maybe that has something to do with my desire to get in the ring. In order to have that happen though I would have to be involved in a showing at a major institution.
AS fer showing art publicly I have very little interest in gallery exhibitions or shows, not with out a check first at least….It cost an arm and a leg to set up a show, my work gets damaged and there are no guarantees. Setting up a show also puts me short on other resources which I am then criticized for lacking, which then creates resentment on my part, then leading to a lack of art production.
I like my art where it is. In private collections. I also do what I can to share it online for the public. Another way I am working on sharing it is by further expanding it’s availability through editions. This allows access to old works or works that are already held in private collections.

10) What is your opinion of the current market trend of editions?

A) At first I was VERY HESITANT of such an idea. After being approached and having sold out of my first editions, I can clearly see clearly see how it can benefit everyone involved. Buyers can get unique images printed in limited numbers they may not have had access to before. For the artists it creates an extra stream of income which helps solves one of the oldest problems in the market. PRODUCTION vs VALUE. As the creative process is NURTURED, it takes time to create quality ART. In many cases if that process is rushed , the art then becomes a diluted version of what it was. We see it in Music all the time. Music has also proven you can’t always write a number one hit. So what is the ARTIST to do in between time. Editions give the artist a little more breathing space and elbow room.
BUYER BEWARE THOUGH. If you are INVESTING in EDITIONS , they should be SIGNED and NUMBERED (or at least come with a number and signed certificate).ANYTHING ELSE is just A POSTER. The idea behind editions is that the lower the number the higher the value. The works should also come from a REPUTABLE COMPANY or the ARTIST THEMSELVES, if you are purchasing them off the artist ask for a signed receipt it helps further prove providence.

11) Do you believe that having Editions created DEVALUES the original work?

A) NO. There are MILLIONS of reproductions created from the images of artists such as Hokusai and Picasso. Does that mean you can buy one of the “36 view of Mount Fuji” for 28 bucks? No, it’s a reproduction we all know that. It’s VALUE stems from the fact the image speaks to us intrinsically as humans, as such it’s VALUED is based upon the image rather than the VALUE. Therefore we are are willing to buy a reproduction regardless of it’s monetary value.

12) What are some words of advice you might pass on to a younger artist or someone struggling to accomplish their dreams?

A) HMMMM……..The person you are is not the person you be in five years. If they are the same then you have stagnated. That being said, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, do something that takes you out of the comfort zone of the person you believe yourself to be. For me that was studying personal development, that was taken a step further when I did some construction(or was that deconstruction) for my landlord.
All those things that are holding you back now won’t be there in five years. That includes your own limiting belief as well as the opinions of your friends and the ones you love. Use that to your advantage. CHANGE NOW!!!!

Every year around this time people seem to extra stressed about the upcoming year , what they would like to accomplish and the direction they would like to see their lives take. Here are 12 simple suggestions from achievement experts to help make the process a little less excruciating.

1) SET GOALS MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR – I posted this ARTicle late so if you felt guilty about being late this lets you off the hook. It also breaks the idea goal setting is a once a year thing. You can write your goals anytime of the year. I am continually goal setting and every 4 months or so I review them to see what’s been accomplished. I also have different goal lists for different things. Some experts like Brian Tracy will even tell you to rewrite your goals daily. Even at 68 that guy is a machine though. The idea being the more you right them down the more clearly what you want becomes.

2) WRITE THEM DOWN – I have often heard that writing down goals helps solidify them and allows your subconscious mind to help find solutions in working towards a goals. When I first heard this I like many others was skeptical to say the least. That was until a recent review of my “Little Book of Knowledge” (a small journal I keep for recording ideas and the such) going through the book I check marked all things I had accomplished that had been written down. Much to my surprise 90 %( a guesstimation) of the projects I had written down where complete or had lead to another project. This includes articles I had written, people I had hoped to meet, and games plans I meant to follow.

3) WRITE THEM IN THE POSITIVE – IE if you don’t want to work at the job you currently hold WRITE find employment at such and such a place rather than I don’t want to work the night shift at Denny’s.

4) MIND MAPS – As a visual artist I am a HUGE FAN of mind maps. I find them a great way to FIRE out ideas rapidly and take information down. It also makes it easier for the next step….

a little mind mapping with a friend

5) REVIEW THEM – review you goals on a regular basis. It helps keeps them at the fore front of your mind.

6) WRITE DOWN YOUR PERFECT DAY!!! – a simply MIND BLOWING EXERCISE that I believe was best demonstrated in this Frank Kern Video. By writing down your perfect day you become clearer on your values and what you want. Some say it even leads to miraculous things. Check this out.

7) WRITE DOWN 30 THING YOU WANT TO BE, 30 THINGS YOU WANT TO OWN AND 30 PLACES YOU WANT TO GO – I think the first time I ever heard this was by Anthony Robbins, I didn’t get the idea until I recently read Jack Canfield Success Principles. Do this exercise and you will be surprised by the time you get to the end of you lists. What you want and what you are working on achieving is far different than what you may have believed

8) VISUALIZE – as a day dreamer I think this is my favorite technique. All it takes is a few moments to close you eyes and dream. Can’t visualize you say well here is a hint from Anthony Robbins “If you can WORRY, you can VISUALIZE” before I heard this I never realized that worrying was just negative visualization.

9) WRITE 101 GOALS – the thing I likes about this it shows you how absolutely LIMITLESS we are as beings. My primary objective in life has been the creation of fine art. After doing this I realized I was limiting myself. I also love property development and pro wrestling. Who says in this lifetime I can’t make a million dollars off property, perform at WRESTLEMANIA, and still be recognized as one of this century’s greatest visual artist? 70 years is a lot of time on this earth and we have ALL already started on our worldly paths to some where.

10) THINK OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO ALREADY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED YOUR GOAL THEN WORK BACKWARDS – this is along the lines of visualization. When I did this I thought of what a day in the studio might be like for Attila Richard Lukacs. I imagined having an enormous space, with everything I needed all the supplies , a painting section and office section. I then imagined how I might feel and what I might do if all these needs where met. I then worked backwards to where I was in my studio in the bedroom of my apartment. I then thought of the first thing I need to do and sent him a letter.

(Attila in his studio)

11) VISUALIZE MORE – like I said I’m a day dreamer. Another great thing about visualization is you can do it ANYWHERE. On the bus, the beach, the plane it doesn’t matter as long as you are not operating a motorized vehicle, or walking a tight rope no ones gonna get hurt.

12) TAKE ACTION – I think Dana White said it best in this video. You see during the first year of the Ultimate Fighter show some of the guys heard that on Sylvester Stallone’s the Contender they where getting paid to compete and said they weren’t going to fight. At the time it was impossibility for UFC so Dana White gave this speech and said the door is that way if you don’t wanna fight. So now I ask you, what do you wanna do and why aren’t you doing? This leads to the question of “Are you a f**king fighter or what”. In a side note and my history could be a little off if you look at the faces of the guys he is speaking to you will see will notice TOP FIGHTERS from the UFC during the period where it became the international phenomenal it is now. So now I ask YOU ARE A(fill in blank) OR WHAT? DO SOMETHING NOW!!!!!

This list is a compilation of information I have come across the past number of years from studying the works of NAPOLEAN HILL, BRIAN TRACY, ANTHONY ROBBINS, FRANK KERN and most recently JACK CANFIELD. I started studying these ideas because I knew I was a MIND BLOWING ARTIST but was making very little head way in my career. It made no sense and so I wanted understanding.

My “MIND BLOWING WORK”

There are critics who know me may say “Why should we listen to you, you can barely afford to take the bus most of the time?” to which I reply that yes I have yet to achieve my monetary goals, even on a monthly basis, I have found backers that help support my practice and also looking at all I have accomplished since studying these works I can clearly see how these actions have created the ground work to me accomplishing the fiscal goals. I think it was best stated when Brian Tracy said “The best thing about becoming a millionaire is the person you become along the way.”
THESE PRINCIPLES WORK CLICK a LINK ABOVE and find out more

For those of you who may have just joined us, THIS is my ANNUAL HEAVY METAL CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. It’s a tradition that started many moons ago when I was living with my brother. While preparing for our day we kindda naturally just threw on what suited us best, the first year I remember doing this was the year my Grandmother passed and I clearly remember flipping on some Black Sabbath to try and lighten a somber mood. Heavy Metal and Christmas has been a tradition in my family since I was about eight though because even though my parents where pretty straight my once my brother and sister got the LED out the rest was history. So in honor of my families history here is my Christmas post. MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE and ALL!!!!

Here is some Sabbath to kick it off

And a little OZZY introducing….

ANTHRAX!!!!!

Some Soundgarden for some White Snow instead of

And if you trying to catch SANTA you may have too…

Sure it’s Christmas but here R SOME DIRTY DEEDS for YA!!!!

A LITTLE LARS ON DRUMS fer the year I got my first Drums set

KISS CHRISTMAS A CAPPELLA STYLE, then the REAL DEAL

and for all of those away for the holidays

and Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas these days at my house without a little Motivation for you From Mr. Anthony Robbins

And just like a high school dance we’ll end it all with a little ZEPPELIN. Find the one you love and hold em close. AS well as a reminder that when people REALLY NEED EACH OTHER We ARE USUALLY THERE for EACH OTHER!!!!

Last years Special
And the First

MERRY CHRISTMAS From ROSSETTOINK THANK YOU for YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!!!

Have you ever wondered who decides what works or exhibitions go into the Museum. Or what credentials works are chosen by. AS ART is such an ambiguous concept, lord knows I have. So I went to one of the leading experts in our field to find out. He is the man who has helped curate such BOLD exhibitions as the awe inspiring Marcel Dzama:Of Many Turns, Yannick Pouliot’s MONUMENTAL solo showing in 2008, and this years Innovative Québec Triennial. I had the opportunity to sit down with Mark Lanctôt a curator from the Musée D’art contemporain de Montréal and ask the ambiguous questions that lead to the answer of what is art. Here is a structured version of the organic conversation we had. His extreme knowledge, intelligence and passion for art flowed like poetry in a lover’s ear. This is how he addressed these direct questions on an indirect subject.

Dzama’s “Banks of the Red River” 2008 Collection of the Musee

1) How long have you been a curator and how did you become one?
ML) I started curating in about 2002. First, as an independent curator, which was near impossible being young and just out of school, with limited resources and limited tools VERY FEW PEOPLE can pull it off. Mainly I was working with friends, co-ordinating and collaborating with them in group shows. Most of my exhibitions where on paper rather than galleries at that point, it was mostly notebooks and taking ideas that sort of thing, I also worked professionally at a private gallery while still in school. I worked at the Bellefeuille gallery, then at the AGAC (the Montreal’s Contemporary Art Gallery association). I did more writing than I did curating. I had the opportunity to write for Montrealplus.ca which was a small gig that paid VERY WELL I wrote short reviews of exhibitions while working other jobs. I saw a lot of shows and met a lot of people
I got my Master of Arts in Art History at the University of Montreal. I stated here at the Musée as an exhibitions curator in 2006 on contract. When the person I had been hired to replace decided to retired I reapplied for my job and got it. My job here is to propose shows and curate shows – some are from me and others have been assigned to me by the chief curator Mdame. Fraser. We work as a team.

2) What influenced you to become a curator?
ML) You mean rather than going into literature or something like that? ART has a GREAT WAY of being OPEN. IT’S AN OPENNESS THAT I FIND INTERESTING. There is room for your mind to meander. Which non creative fields don’t really allow. I think that the idea that there is a place where ideas aren’t set in stone, that aren’t recycled, that aren’t appropriated in a pragmatic way is interesting. I think the MAIN DRAW is UNINSTERMENTALIZED THOUGHT. There is a GREAT FREEDOM AS ANYTHING CAN BE ART, BUT NOT EVERYTHING is ART. Which is an interesting and real nuance. I find that very empowering and stimulating intellectually and even maybe emotionally. It is also one of the places where it’s okay to be confused or not understand which can be a good place to be sometimes. To have one’s CERTAINTIES swept out from under them IS GOOD and ART probably DOES THAT MOST EFFECTIVELY because of the LACK OF DIRECT LANGUAGE. So that’s really appealing to me. I think I was also drawn to also working with artists, the IDEA of BEING IN TOUCH with the CREATIVE PROCESS and CONTRIBUTING TO IT.
I also wanted to work outside of academic circles. It was more interesting to me to work with the here and now, concretely with objects and showing. Participating in the artistic process as opposed to being more removed and more on the receiving end, in the analytical end that scholars tend to be. It’s sorta like being behind the scenes and pushing the work forward, as opposed to receiving it then taking stock and looking at it from a distance. IT’s a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

3) Do you or did you ever make art?
ML) No I never really made “ART”. I wouldn’t call what I’ve done making art. I participated in a collective show where I KINDDA made art.
I was also asked to show some found photographs of mine, I didn’t make those works I just showed them. It was a very hands-off thing. At one point I did do a lot of photography but I wouldn’t call it “ART” as it was photography for my own pleasure.

4) Do you own your own art collection?
ML) I wouldn’t call it a collection but I do own art. My wife and I both own works that we have amassed collectively. Once we got together we realized we owned quite a bit of art. It’s not thought of AS A COLLECTION, it is just work that struck us and we acquired. My wife, Susannah Wesley, is an artist so she traded for a lot of it. We also got presents from artists friends for our wedding and such. It is not an ACTIVE thing we go out and do. A lot of the art work is shown. We have about 20 works hanging in a small space and we do rotate the works on our walls. It’s almost like an exhibition when we DECORATE.

PIERRE DORION’s “Tie”, 2007 Oil on Linen

5) Who are some of your favorite Canadian Artists?
ML) I tend to not have favorites because it’s kindda unfair in a way. My favorite artists tend to change. IT’S LIKE WHAT EVER IS PLAYING ON YOUR I-POD. Right now I am working on a show with PIERRE DORION, so his work is very interesting to me. He’s the one I am reading most about right now. And of course there are always artists that I am discovering that become interesting to me. It changes depending on your mood. Artists who caught my interest in the past year? HMMM… Even that’s a tough one. One artist that surprised me this year was Sophie Bélair-Clément, who is in the triennial. I thought her work this year was really good. I also found Daniel Giroux and Christian Young who won the SOBEY AWARD this year interesting. I worked with them in February . AND whooo elsee did I think was stands out?… I also think Justin Stephens is another artist whose work stands out, he is a pretty straight forward painter , an abstract painter. John Knowles is very interesting to me also. I have been following him since the last triennial. Pretty much EVERYONE we SHOWED in THE TRIENNIAL this year I feel pretty comfortable with. Then there is Valérie Blass who has a show coming up in February who VERY STRONG and whose work is different from the other art we’ve discussed as it’s very organic and material based, intuitive, smart sculpture.


Valérie Blass’ “Femme panier”, 2010, permanent collection of Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art

6) What type of artistic qualities do YOU look for when looking to propose an artist to show at this level?
ML) A variety of things are considered AESTHETIC MERIT, TIMELESSNESS, how it CONNECTS with the LOCAL COMMUNITY. Not just the arts community, but the public at large. It really is a balance of those qualities. Really, it’s a balancing act. How it transcends its own thingness, by what the object is or isn’t. EVERYTHING THAT DRAWS ME to WORKING WITH ART DRAWS ME to THE ART WORKS. So it’s those things : the openness, the freedom, the experimental nature, the aesthetic qualities, the intelligence of an art work and how it how it goes beyond being what it is. All of that falls into play. All of that is important. So that can be applied to a wide range of styles of art: it could be VERY CONCEPTUAL or VERY EXPRESSIONISTIC, it doesn’t really matter. It’s about how the work responds to what it sets out to do and how it goes beyond that. When you look at an object it’s not just a passive thing; it is also emitting ideas, preconceptions, questions that in themselves and in what I am thinking about when looking at the work represent a journey. It’s not just about following an artist from point a to point b or the evolution of different art works during that journey. It goes beyond that. How telling is the work? How does it speak and what does it say? Does it have legs and HOW FAR CAN IT GO? These questions even make me question those questions. Does this work question our preconceived notion of what TIMELESS ART WORKS are?


Justin Stephens “Cabin Fever” 2008

7) What other type qualities are considered when looking at an ARTIST?
ML)Well an artist needs too…. It’s funny because you try to work with an artist who is serious about what they are doing. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. It’s important they don’t take what they are doing lightly. That THEY ARE COMMITTED and PUSHING THEMSELVES, it’s not like : “OH WELL, they’re a REALLY NICE PERSON who WORKS HARD SO LETS GIVE THEM A SHOW if the work doesn’t go anywhere, then…”
It’s more about how that person engages the wilder world through his or her art. It can be at any level of a career. It can be someone just graduating from their M.F.A.; it could be someone who has gone back to school in their 40’s and 50’s; it could be a person who just started making art in their 50’s; it could be a person who has made art for thirty years and suddenly there is a new energy or maturity. It could be someone within or without the commercial system; it could be someone in the city, outside of Montréal, national, international; it could be anyone from anywhere. THERE ARE NO SOCIOLOGICAL PRECEPTS or PREJUDICES that are taken into consideration.
There are artists who show in commercial galleries where a lot of the roster has had some success but that artist in particular hasn’t. It happens. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES!!!! Like being with a “BIG” GALLERY is not a GUARANTEE TO FULL OUT INSTITUTIONAL VISIBILITY, SUCCESS and COLLECTIONS and all that. There isn’t even a GUARANTEE YOU WILL LIVE BETTER IF YOU SELL WORK. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES.

8)What is the difference between an art dealer or someone who sets up shows in commercial gallery setting as apposed to what you do?
ML) WELL AN ART GALLERY FEEDS THE MARKET. Their idea is to sell work, that is their goal. Whereas a curator is not interested in sales, they are not necessarily interested in drawing collectors to their shows. They are more interested in showing the PUBLIC things that are INTERESTING. That brings a different perspective. It’s a different audience. They overlap of course, as in we go to galleries to see shows and we are part of the market, in a way because we buy work. WHAT WE PUT OUT THERE, isn’t to feed the market. IT IS TO PARTICIPATE in the CULTURE. That would be the main difference.

9) What do you believe a curator’s role is when presenting an artist to the public?
ML) It’s to make sure the artist’s work is presented in the best light possible, the highest quality of presentation within the allowed context. Here, we have one context, other curators have other ones. It is also IMPORTANT TO RESPECT the ARTIST’S VISION. The idea is that you are mediating or acting as a throughway. You shouldn’t be blocking or have TOO MUCH INFLUENCE on what happens. Instrumentalising the work beyond recognition to one’s own ends is a BIG NO-NO. This is something, to me, that is to be avoided. It is almost an ethical question. And there is AN ETHICAL WAY TO WORK and an UNETHICAL WAY TO WORK. I feel comfortable saying that. There is always A NEGOTIATION as it is not set in stone. There are things that can be perceived as an instrumentalisation of the artist’s work but that could very CURATORIAL SAVVY or CURITORIALLY DARING, thereby making instrumentalisation of the work okay because it is bringing a new reading of the work that may not have been very evident from the get go. So it brings a new reading or direction that is actually fruitful, not just a whim. WE have to be careful of things done on a whim or superficially or decoratively.

10) How do curators influence modern art?
ML) A lot has been said about THE POWER OF THE CURATOR and HOW POWER HAS SHIFTED from the critic to the curator. So we have shifted from text to space and how our telling of what tomorrow’s art history will be. So that shift is there. The idea of the exhibition and how the methodology and ethics around the exhibition have REALLY been REFLECTED UPON a GREAT DEAL. It has been CRITICIZED, ANALYZED and DECONSTRUCTED. I am not sure that whether it’s because the curator is influential that all this idea of curation and the theories of curating have been analyzed to this degree OR if it’s vice versa. We have dedicated so much attention to understanding what CURATING IS, that it has created a lot of importance that probably was not there initially. So again, it’s a give and take, but I think curators’ impact WILL ALWAYS BE LESSENED OR TEMPERED BY ARTISTS because ARTISTS are the FUEL TO THE ENGINE. SO NO ART, NO NOTHING. Artists are always the ones that move things forward. There are also institutions that don’t work with curator, they are artists-run or committee based or artists themselves are the ones behind the decisions. The idea of selecting and pointing out and reorganizing and exhibiting is something that will always be around. Because you can write all you want, there can be websites with images, but really PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT TO SEE THE OBJECTS. And in the long term, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MODERN ART, THE HISTORICAL IMPACT OF what MODERN ART WAS and WHAT CONTEMPORARY ART IS, THE ART OF TOMORROW is GOING TO BE DETERMINED BY what the ACTUAL OBJECTS or the LACK of OBJECTS are, or what the experience is . SO in that regard, curators will continue to play a PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ROLE.

11) Why is art important to society?
ML) See the above article (jokingly)

Christian Giroux and Daniel Young some of their sculptural work made with ikea furniture

12) What is the BEST ADVICE you can give to an artist that dreams of seeing their work in a space like the Musee?
ML) Just to KEEP WORKING, BE INTERESTED, and not just be SHUT OFF working in their studio. Be interested, a least a little in the fact there is a WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE. Be interested in OTHER PEOPLES WORK, LEGITIMATELY; FIND A WAY to FIND SOMETHING INTERESTING OUT THERE. PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY. To participate in the community IS NOT the GOAL of a PRACTICE, but THE IDEA OF SHOWING SOME INTEREST AND BEING RECEPTIVE TO OTHERS is important. You can’t just wall yourself in and expect some one to ring your door-bell. You have to engage in others people’s ideas and it that will feed your art making as well. I have a friend in Vancouver who when asked this question often answers BE NICE! If someone has a choice to work with a nice person or an asshole they will always chose the nice person (laughs). So, that would be my advice

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