1000 “likes” on facebook

So, what’s all the hubbub about Facebook Fan Pages and what’s the deal with 1000 Fans? Well, if you don’t have a fan page you’d never know but it doesn’t work like your “standard” account. Until 1000 fans like you there are some less than stellar drawbacks. Currently you can’t tag N! in a photo and have it link to the N! fan page, and that’s just the start. Now if I had the budget to advertise on Facebook I could gain the number of fans to change this but I’d pay for each and every fan Facebook brought to my page. I don’t have the budget and to be quite honest I’m not in love with the idea of paying for fans. I do however like the idea of rewarding people for spreading the word about N! and this is why I’ve created this promotion.

In order to be treated by Facebook as “real” I need to have 1000 fans, this changes the status of the fan page and allows N! to operate the way most people can on Facebook. This is where I’m enlisting the help of my current fans. In order to reach my goal I need your help, but I don’t expect anyone to do so without potentially getting something in return so as incentive. In this case that just happens to be an original piece of artwork! (pretty cool eh?)

Now for the nitty gritty… in order to participate the first step is to promote the N! Satterfield fan page, you can do this any way you see fit via blog, website, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Digg, etc. This can simply be done by posting a link to my website and instructing folks to click on the “like” button. The second step is to let your friends know to send an email message to info@nsatterfield.com saying that you sent them. (Yup, one of the other drawbacks is that there is no N! Satterfield messaging on Facebook… yet) I simply need to know that you sent somebody my way so I can keep a tally of who is sending whom. After reaching my goal I will contact the person with the most referrals directly to let them know they’ve won! For privacy purposes I will let that person decide if they want to be noted publicly or remain anonymous.

Thanks! to all of my current fans and thanks in advance for those of you who chose to participate and bring the “Wonderful World of N!” to the rest of the universe.

Due to the litigious nature of Facebook I am forced to mention this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Understand that by providing your information to N! Satterfield and not to Facebook, the information you provide will only be used for consideration in winning the prize indicated in the promotion. All administering for this promotion will be dealt with by N! Satterfield through nsatterfield.com and associated web sites, all inquiries should be directed to: info@nsatterfield.com

“So, why do you do what you do?”

I get asked this question a lot and I generally give some sort of vague answer that what I do appeals to my tastes and that I simply love what I do. More often than not that’s satisfactory but occasionally the question is redirected to something like, “I mean, why do you copy stuff?”. Well, that’s a bit harder to answer… I was raised to believe that anything I saw or heard was part of a collection of ideas that contribute to the world as I understand it. I could draw, or color, or cut up, or collage and it was always met with encouragement regardless of where the source of my inspiration came from. I guess it had as much to do with being a product of the 70’s, creative thinking was all the rage and I was the child of creative professionals… I believe this kinda thing just sort of happens.
Now, nearly 40 years later we’ve become one of the most creatively hampered cultures on the planet… and I can only think this is the reason I get asked what seems to me to be a pretty ridiculous question. I mean it’s a shame to think that the whole idea of reinvention through manipulation of our cultural past is not seen as standard. It’s simply seen as copyright infringement… have we forgot history?

“That’s how society moves forward, it doesn’t just invent new things it evolves through taking old things and changing them.” -Tom Silverman (CEO Tommy Boy Records)

The quote is from “Copyright Criminals” a documentary primarily about sampling but that really hits the message home. We are constantly recombining the “cultural DNA” of our forefathers in order to move our culture forward. This is basically what I’m doing,  each time I’m asked this question I’m obligated to give a free lesson in art history. I’m simply making the best of what I have at my disposal and I think I’m pretty good at it. I should also mention “Rip!: A Remix Manifesto“, “Good Copy Bad Copy“, and Craig Baldwin’s seminal documentary “Sonic Outlaws“. Each of these examples deals with 20th/21st Century’s inability to allow for creative usage of appropriated materials. The latter delves into the story of Negativland and the lawsuit over their 1991 release “U2“. Some of you may not know but I studied film, video, and audio production while in college (I solely painted graffiti). I was a huge fan of Negativland and witnessed how devastating this lawsuit was to them, so I was acutely aware of Baldwin’s project exposing the story behind the story.

It was at this point I became aware of the issue of fair use and how it applies to making artwork in modern times. It’s fair use that protects (sometimes barely) what I do as an artist. I recombine elements of what I see as part of my history into something that is both commentary on the elements and the culture itself. It’s simply art making as a form of culture jamming and I’m continually explaining this when the “So, why do you do what you do?” question comes up. Oh yeah, and I really do love it too!

A Brilliant day of Painting

Needless to say, if I’m given the chance to do something artistic with my time I’m gonna do it… in a heartbeat. Today I got to spend yet another day helping some great friends paint a mural in the Wynwood arts district of Miami. Chaz & Bob a.k.a. The London Police as part of Primary Flight are working on a huge mural on 25th Street just off of 2nd Avenue. So I’m sore, tired, and content… nothing on earth beats a good day painting and throw in the ability to chip in and help out some friends you admire and it’s a “win-win” situation. It will be done before Saturday night’s art-walk, so if you’re in the area come check it out! I took some pic that I’ll post as soon as I can get ’em out of the camera. I’ll be back doing the same tomorrow! I’m just glad to have been able to chip-in and help make such an amazing piece of artwork a reality! I tell ya’ some days are just worth living…