apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I believe that using this competition as a means to further one's artistic career is shameless, and artists trying to showcase their own art, which they create for a living, should not be allowed to be participants. This competition is about design and art enthusiasts, about people wanting to showcase their private collections and tastes, not to promote their own artwork for sale.

Hey, are these the same Staten Island artists that had their apartment featured in the New York Times a little while ago? The space was beautiful, especially from the perspective of having room to create BIG ART. Love their dog.

Oh - didn't read to the bottom. I guess they are the ones.

The self-promotion doesn't bother me at all. I'm just looking.

What are those things on the floor, though?

I bet they are stacks of coffee filters. When our office orders a box of coffee, we always have a package of them. As of now we must have a dozen filter stacks in the back room. MAybe I should get creative, too...

Doesn't their dog just want to rip them apart? Must be a very well-behaved dog.

is this Mike from D.C. all over again, but this time in staten island? hmmm...here we go again with self promotion. self promotion has it's place, but that's not what this contest is all about.

Why are there tribbles on the floor?

My cats would love that design decision... maybe they'd finally find a common hobby in rearranging the art.

uhm.... didn't the original explanation of the contest invite gallery owners to use this as a platform?

That said, i think you should all vote for my apartment.

LOVE
KRISTIAN

What's a tribble?

But my dogs would love them too; the action would make for an interesting performance art piece.

Sheesh, all this whining about the rules. Falls in line with the whining in last year's smallest coolest apartment contest - "but he has more money to decorate" - so? I want to be inspired. I want to see a mix of apartments, art and furniture. I don't care if someone submits an extra picture or shows their own art. Bring it on. This is contesttherapy so why be so freakin' rigid about the rules?

Beautiful space - but not so sure of the stacks of coffee filters left on the floor.

Wonderful! I think that the art works beautifully within the space and I find the art to be compelling and evocative.

In terms of the self promotion issue...I don't really mind...As long as the works themselves show some originality! (I found Mike's work to be so derivative...sorry!)

Tribbles: http://www.modnet.com.au/~firefrog/wtribbles/

If the contest is about art working as part of a larger home design, then it shouldn't make much difference who originally made the art. Being able to create art that someone will buy/admire/display is not the same skill set as being able to place art effectively in relation to a whole room of furniture. Some people have both skills; most don't.

Interior designers enter the design contests. (They don't necessarily win, either.)

Many of us do mild self-promotion of some sort in our little blue name links. We're interested in design, so we do something about it. Self-promotion is not necessarily a bad thing, if it's kept tasteful and within reasonable bounds.

just read the ny times piece about this couple, so if it was self-promotion, it worked.

that dog is seriously cute.

I don't understand the not wanting artists to show their space. Though I didn't enter, most of my apartment is full of my art and other art I've collected. We collect art too and live with art as a necessity (storage). I like the apartment and the pieces on the floor. Very cool.

Okay, I know I'm going to regret posting this later and possibly starting a series of flames; but this has been bugging me since this contest started...

Barbara, I really feel the need to call you out on your posts. I'm all for a free and open exchange of ideas and having a dialogue. And I certainly respect your opinion as one who works professionally as an art dealer. But, jeez, can you lighten up a little? Let artists post their work and self-promote--as long as their entries fit the parameters of the contest. And, honestly, your elitist attitude towards art (mostly on some of the other threads) is a bit off-putting. Not everyone who visits the AT sites has the access to or knowledge of the established art world like you do. Maybe we don't all agree on what defines art; but you are not the only authority. Please don't talk down to us… Apologies if I've misinterpreted what you've posted.

Alright. I'm shutting up now. And counting down to the end of Art Month, which has been a bit of a buzzkill for me.

enrique - no apologies necessary, and no offense taken. my intention is not to talk down to anyone, though i do take this art "thing" seriously. it's my business. i was just agreeing with keren on this one since i didn't think linking to one's own gallery site is a cool thing to do for this contest. otherwise, i'm all for seeing what others are doing in their spaces. it what makes us all think more about what art is. i have opinions. i'm certainly not the authority for anyone else.

i'm glad this month is over too. phew...i'm staying out of it from this point on.

I agree with Barbara, this is Mike in DC all over again!

All this talk and snarky banter about self-promo and who should or shoudn't be considered...

yet, still, my favorite thing about this place is the Eames Management chairs in the beige leather.

Go figure.

(I am happy to have been away to miss any previous flaming about people entering this for ANY reason... I'm with Enrique... anything but an open attitude about art-- and the people who are proud of what they do, or what they collect (amateur or otherwise)-- really kinda sucks.

Another response from those concerned about self-promo could have been: "The art is beautiful, but I'm most inspired by amateurs/collectors, so that's who I'll ultimately vote for. But thank you for sharing your (home/talent/husband's work/gallery's wares)."

See how easy that is?!?

Thank you Patrick.

New rule -- patrick (the other one) [aka P(too) or P2, none of which the new people would know since he's been gone so looooong] does NOT get to go away for so long with some heavy-duty blackberry thing so he can keep up in here.

I really don't see why an artist can't enter a contest with his/her own work, since it is displayed in a home. I don't understand why self-promotion is bad.

I immediately recognized this from the NY Times article I read a while ago. Stunning display of the art!

Enrique is one of the nicest, most polite posters here, so the fact that he got annoyed really says something, imo.

I think this place is gorgeous - loved it in the NYTimes too, but missed the coffee filters in the paper.

LOVE the coffee filters!

It's not Mike D.C. all over again at ALL - that place looked like it was all gallery, no home. This is clearly a place people live.

The initial posting encouraged galleries. I certainly don't have a problem with any art professionals, or sellers of apts for that matter, to show their stuff.
Au contraire, mon frere
I'm delighted to get a chance to see their work in situ.
I LIKE ARTISTS! And not just hobbists - people with gallery representation and fancy educations welcome!

Some people are being so bitchy, and not in a good way.

My first reaction was LOVE it! Then I saw that this cool place is on Staten Island! I grew up there and my Mom still lives there -- and it is not a place generally thought of as on the cutting edge of design, so I am even more pleased by this entry. And I like the things on the floor, which seem to me to be white roses.

JP in DC, but from Staten Island and not affiliated with Mike in DC in any way. Other than we are both in DC.

What a gorgeous space. The floor sculptures don't do a lot for me, but other than that ... can I move in? Pretty please?

Regarding self-promotion, who cares? Isn't that what the little URL box is for?

2 questions for tatfoo and enze: Do you ever trip over the coffee filters? Do you ever crave a more intimate space with such large ceilings and white walls?
My apartment is like this, and I can't decide whether to do the minimal take advantage of space thing, or break it up to create smaller spaces.

What is that URL box? I am sad about the recurrant criticism. The invitation to show art DID specify galleries. The professional artist who entered also represent other artists as well as themselves, not that it matters to this contest. I liked seeing their entries. P2, Guido, Enrique thanks for expressing such kind, open hearted/ open minded comments, I want to see as much a variety as I can, the more artists and links, the better. Thanks Ensze and Tatfoo for showing beautiful work and a beautiful home.

Mary, the coffee filters are temporary installtions in our space, is a way tattfoo experiment with his new creation as this is also his studio, everything make way for art. Now these filters are in Flushing Town Hall for the current exhibition and the Mayor is coming to see this show next week.

We love the big space, we always move around and create differrent small spaces with furnitures, if we divide the space up it will be permanant and it would not be so functional for us.

i really like this entry. and i'm entranced by the coffee filters. who knew they could be art? really cool.

Kate, I meant the URL form field when you post a comment

late poster here but Enrique and Patrick are absolutely right. Not only were they succinct but eloquent too. This is a fun and inspiring place to visit, lets keep it that way. I work in the arts too.

Some of us (artists) didn't bother entering because we (probably mainly me) were well aware it would be seen as self promotion. Kinda sad really. I began creating my own art because my living space was so unique and I couldn't find any other artist to to do what I wanted. All we've ever asked as artists is just to be supported and for our work to be seen as a viable medium and career. The art world does not begin or end with galleries or their directors and owners either. A lot of what makes art art is simply the people or audience who appreciates it. Please keep supporting your local aritsts. Cheers from down under.

This is an old post, but I think the filters are beautiful. It feels like you are in a coral reef and they are your little anemone friends at the bottom of the sea!