In
the summer of 2001, I released my first commerical art album, Am
I a Genius Yet? It features almost 100 paintings and drawings
of my work from 1998 to 2001. Included are works on paper, acrylics,
watercolors, model portraits, crayon drawings, and the first three
watercanvas paintings.
 In
addition to the pictures, over 30 pages of written material was
included. Info about the different works offered insights. Also
included were related articles, including "How to Write a Resignation
Letter," "Raves," and a review of Daytona
USA.
In
2002, I redesigned the album cover and layout, giving a more stylized
look. This is the album cover you see on this page. All my copies
of the original CD are long since sold.
I
wanted Genius to be easily accessible for everyone. The
paintings and writings were simply placed in their respective folders,
which could be opened and viewed with a simple mouse click. Very
basic, even for 2001, but that simplicity was also intended as an
inspiration for other visual artists..
The
album was also made available for sale in several music stores in
Minneapolis. A featured interview on Minnesota Public Radio's Word
of Mouth was warmly received.
I
wanted a way for artists to show their work, to get around the traditional
galleries and museums. That situation puts too much power into the
hands of middlemen; gatekeepers who decide whose work will be shown
and whose won't.
This
simply isn't fair. Visual artists should have the same resources
as indie rockers and self-published authors, and the greater public
should have access to the arts without paying excessive prices for
paintings and sculptures.
 Anyone
with a CDROM burner and label-making software can create their own
artist CD's. You can sell them at gallery shows, art fairs, and
local businesses, and take control of your own career, making ArtDisc
a simple alternative to hosting a website.
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