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Sad songs of cicadas drift on the hot Santa Ana-like wind. Undulating water softly rocks the boat atop which I sleep under stars of the southern skies. It’s the wee hours of what will become the hottest day on record in New South Wales. Dew has gathered on the flybridge, but the dampness did not deter when faced with the heat and still air of the cabin below. I have been on a boat for five days now with the Hard family living what we jokingly refer to as The Hard ... more -
Twenty some odd hours in transit and no shower in my immediate future, our first official stop after the Nelson airport was an icy river apparently fed from caves in the mountain above. A quick roadside change into what would become my uniform for the next three weeks, and I was jumping into a breathtakingly cold lagoon. I'd like to enhance the story a bit by pretending I had jumped off a substantial cliff, but alas, those daring feats will be left to Juanita (more on that in Aus ... more -
Three weeks ago I set off on a flight to New Zealand flanked by a specific group of travelers; tittering teens on their first unchaperoned adventure, elderly couples with an innate knowledge of sheepherding and its obvious correlation to international air travel, and a slew of middle class quarterlifers, predominately male, many of whom would return with a regrettable Maori tattoo around his thigh. A prison of politeness, economics and engineering, our 747-400 lumbered across the Pacific - 13 hours to Auckland. California law protects poultry against similar confinement. I sat ... more -
The end of an era is coming. Timely, exciting, laced with nostalgia. As promised, the Mayan calendar ushers in the new. Moving out of my beloved 5th floor studio in the Mission and throwing it all in storage for a few months. Following my Holiday travels, I'm embarking on an adventure in honor of my 27th birthday (here's to you stupid curse!). Off to Australia and New Zealand to see some old friends and get my Hobbit on. As a former movie theatre employee (circa LOTR) and eternal geek, New ... more -
A month has now elapsed since opening National Anthem. With the election just 2 days away, the debate over healthcare is at a stalemate. Political allegiances aside, I’ll be grateful to anyone who can bring permanent reform to an ailing industry. As a relatively healthy young woman, self employed and of moderate means, I’m reluctant to cash in on the civic programs San Francisco offers. I’m compelled to pull my own weight, and believe those programs should be reserved for those who really need them. A little chronology to catch ... more -
Interesting how one reacts to the trial by fire that is putting on an installation in the matter of a week. Save a few donated hours by dear friends, I found myself working alone, hours on end to make National Anthem come together. Gallery time intermixed with day job totaled 2 weeks consecutive of 10 hours or more. I had forgotten what it felt like to work for a living. Called my sister Tayler, who works on the ranch, to complain of my physical ailments each night. All things considered, ... more -
Signs procured on the streets of San Francisco, encased in resin as pop art jewels. Teichert's 2011 series Spare Any Change shifts the underground economy of panhandling into new context. The signs, some painstakingly crafted by the original draftsmen, display a gamut of emotions. From pride [I Hate to Ask & U Hate to Give], to desire [Hungry for My Wife in Shanghai], to the old classic, humor [Why Lie I Want Beer]. Despite being one of the wealthiest cities in America, San Francisco hosts between 7-10,000 urban campers each ... more -
A few days of serious manual labor behind me, a few more to go. I'm self producing my show, National Anthem, which will open (and close) this Wed, Sept 26. I guess growing up on a ranch prepared me for a bit of this from time to time, but man, I'm tired. Thankfully, I have a few friends lending their assistance. Tomorrow I'll be up in the rafters so some spotters are definitely a apropos. Bet you didn't know that when you rent scaffolding you have to build it ... more -
Visual narrative on the state of the American medical system takes form in the installation National Anthem. Emerging conceptual artist Gina Teichert repurposes her health insurance bills in a stunning display of systematic corruption and disproportionate premium inflation. A recent study by the Institute of Medicine pinpoints roughly thirty percent of medical costs as the result of waste and unchecked inefficiencies within the system. The artist’s own insurance premiums increased more than 250% over the course of five years. Teichert brings a human element to the heated healthcare debate, one that ... more -
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I’ve been a Twitter user since April, as I have mentioned in some of my earlier posts. Initially, I followed all of the Fakers I could; Twitter tops you out at 2000 unless you have a proportionate number of followers yourself. For four months I monitored the feed of the 2000 most vapid people I could find. Real celebrities, reality celebrities, fake real celebrities, fake reality celebrities, unknown actors and models trying to establish some kind of cult following, perpetual pluggers of people and products to follow that ... more -
Came across some vintage how-to books for artists and decided they were just too hilarious not to incorporate into a snarky collage. Thus, Idiot's Guide to Artmaking was born: a dynamic combination of suicide puns, politically incorrect quips on sex and race, and the promise of self esteem, pride and eternal exaltation by becoming the best hobby artist one can be. Self help success its just around the corner! Throw in some cowboys, Indians, clowns and naked girls with cats and you've got the perfect primer for any aspiring artist. Some gems ... more -
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I'm decidedly in the midst of the dullest phase of my career, absorbed by the necessary evil of fundraising for my first major installation, The Emperor Project. 501(c)3 purgatory aside, I'm excited for the actual hands on portion of the process. My fiscal sponsor, NYFA offers some great feedback on proposal writing et al, but that doesn't seem to ease the infinite boredom of the research. -
Pop culture. Peep culture. One and the same as of late. If I hear Piers Morgan’s British accent try to make Twitter sound sophisticated one more time I’m going to croak. “So, Tangential Celebrity Guest, are you as crazy about Twittah as I am? Isn’t Twittah wonderful? I’m betting you have more Followers than I do. Attention Followers of my Tangential Celebrity Guest, stop what you’re doing immediately and follow me @PiersMorgan. . .” Is following back the peep equivalent of the proverbial reacharound? Are followers the new currency? I see ... more -
MTV crashed onto the scene in 1981. Music without video had existed in pure form for eons, meeting its mate only in the last 30 years. What is it about music videos in all their charades-worthy glory that we love so much? Given, the special effects and production have improved greatly over the years, the literal dance moves and hammy theatre at best have remained the same. Music videos are an opportunity for musicians to indulge in fantasies visually and dabble in “acting.” Thigh spreading, ass slapping, oiled up dance ... more -
It's 2007 and the age of the web star is in full swing. Girls like Tila Tequila have managed to turn massive Myspace followings into a landslide of exposure and some incarnation of a career. Her resume is peppered with nudie magazine and car show appearances, a doomed music career, a record label, a book deal and, of course, reality TV. She has proven to unknown American girls everywhere that releasing an arsenal of sexy pics on the internet is the fastest way out of obscurity. A washed up, wig wearing ... more -
I am setting out on this journey in hopes of demystifying the secret world of celebrity, the Chinese telephone game played with the public as information trickles down from tastemakers via social media, television, magazines and music. Though I am not pointing a finger exclusively at advertisers, I feel a responsibility to set the record straight about the smoke and mirrors that are used industry wide to create unrealistic expectations. We, as women, are comparative self-evaluators. It is in our nature to find value in ourselves only as measured next to ... more -
I am seeking an intern to be part of an upcoming project examining the intersection between art, fashion and media. Duties include social media managing, assisting on photo shoots, styling and creative input. Scheduling is flexible and we have fun work environment. Interested applicants send a CV to info@ginateichert.com Cheers, Gina -
Open Studios weekend is fast approaching for us Mission artists. Myself and many of my neighbors will be opening our doors to the public (and providing food, bev + art viewing) April 14 + 15. In years passed it started at ten, though to be frank, not a lot of people around here are up by then on a weekend. I'm pleased to inform you that it will take place from NOON to 6pm this year. I've got a lot of work mid progress, and if anyone's interested in ... more -
The first of many hurdles in my path to completion of The Emperor Project has been passed with the acceptance of my proposal by Artspire/New York Foundation for the Arts. The fiscal sponsorship of NYFA enables me to fundraise with greater ease and access their grantwriting insight and infrastructure. The Emperor Project will be a site specific installation on San Francisco's northern waterfront, coinciding with the 34th America's Cup. Quite a big undertaking considering that one does not piddle with installations in their apartment in their free time. ... more -
Back from NY and getting into my routine again. Working on some fun new projects at the studio. I'll leave you with a bevy of photos from the Armory Show once more. [caption id="attachment_666" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Ai Wei Wei on Duchamp. Ya. Enough said.[/caption] Didn't see a lot of painting at the fair, and even fewer paintings that I actually liked. Of all the contemporary painters gaining some momentum, Kenhide Wiley takes the cake with his hybrid of modern imagery with traditional techniques and motifs. [caption id="attachment_670" align="aligncenter" width="640"] ... more -
A whirlwind art trip in NY wouldn't have been complete without a little tourist action. A trip to the top of The Rock proved to be a strong choice. Views are pretty insane for those not plagued by vertigo. Out of general curiosity, I had to check out The Art Students League, where my great grandmother Minerva studied a century ago. The students happened to be having a show, and I drew the conclusion that the academic style of painting hasn't changed much in 100 years. ... more -
The dealers at The Armory Show reassured us once again that sex does indeed sell. In context with the work in his booth, one is forced to wonder what he's looking at on that laptop. . . I dug these empty arcade games- reminded me of a similar yet slightly more engaging work by Steve Lambert, Simmer Down Sprinter, where the player is supposed to do as little as possible to win the game. [caption id="attachment_630" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Mike Bouchet[/caption] [caption id="attachment_604" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Takashi Murakami[/caption] Tony Oursler's ... more -
After waiting in line in the cold for a Madison Avenue eternity, we finally made it in to see the Whitney Biennial. My apologies for the lack of photos, for I only realized that they were permissible toward the end of the exhibit. Don't worry, I did much better at the Armory Show. I was rather intrigued with the mysterious magnetic substance in Sam Lewitt's work called ferrofluid. Will definitely report back on my experiments with it. [caption id="attachment_592" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sam Lewitt, Fluid Employment[/caption] After seeing the esoteric works ... more -
My comrade in the arts Alex and I are headed to New York this week for the fabled Armory Show. Bracing myself for an inundation of excitement and visual stimuli. Will pop into the Whitney Biennial as well, so I will report back with lots of contemporary art chatter (read:gossip) and photos. On that note, I'll wish myself Bon Voyage! -
The men of CNBC posed the question this morning, "What actually is Victoria's Secret?" Well, first off, thank you for bringing to mind our favorite women to hate on our favorite day to hate them, gentlemen. Secondly, let me enlighten you. In addition to the bras' built in prostheses, these little babies may also have something to do with it. The Angels and most other figures in advertising are known to employ multiple pairs of Victoria's real secret- the jelly tit. Now imagine getting a little fresh with your sweetie and ... more -
I've been scanning and importing all of my health insurance bills from the past five years to make the templates for my next major project. I'm screenprinting the entire collection in an illustration of the disproportionate rate of inflation on insurance premiums. Just picked up my first screen to give it a test run before I order 15-20 of these babies. Excited to get this project going! -
[gallery] I've returned home from a holiday in Idaho with the family and my lovely studio assistant Juanita where we showed her an American Christmas before sending her off home to Australia. The snow was scarce; my suitcase full of ski clothes never saw the theatre of battle, but all in all it was a beautiful break from the sounds of the city and temperatures in the 60's. My father's menagerie of farm animals keep the dude ranch packed with city girls and other urban thrill seekers who want to hold a newborn ... more -
Tying up some loose ends before I depart for holiday in Idaho; polishing off half a dozen pieces I've been working on intermittently this winter. Mother Dearest (Credit For Time Served), sat idle for weeks while I regained my taste for tiny, deliberate brushwork- 37 Specimens cured me of desire for detail for quite some time. Casey Anthony's courtroom antics and multiple personalities were just too good to resist. Who's next on the docket? Jon Corzine maybe. . . ;) -
Enjoyed a beautiful post show dinner at Cut; dreaming of the uni once again tonight. Until next time Chef Hugo. . . A brief Sunset Boulevard stroll and back to the hotel for a celebratory nightcap. Last person awake gets the best photos of their friends. [caption id="attachment_427" align="aligncenter" width="640"] He smiles[/caption] Hangovers dulled at Nickel Diner and a stumble into the Last Bookstore for a few bargain reads. Dismayed pedestrians trying to navigate the inception course to MOCA- knew we should have gotten on that orange trolley ... more -
One short night's sleep after Alex's SF show, we loaded up the car and headed south once again. Unfortunately my friends from Oceania don't drive so the duty fell upon me. I actually enjoy driving, with a little more sleep under my belt of course. We arrived in time for a quick freshening and a stylishly late arrival; the gallery was already packed and in no time the temperature began to rise. Though I'm not a smoker I spent a large portion of the evening outside, gazing into the little ... more -
Friday night I had the pleasure of attending the opening of Alexander Philippe and a handful of other friends at San Francisco Design Center. Alex showed upwards of fifteen pieces; among my favorites were the screenplay and a perfume bearing my name. Oh the flattery! The show is up through January at SFDC Showplace, 2 Henry Adams in SF. [caption id="attachment_387" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Dan Luo, Hiroshi Sato, Alexander Philippe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_386" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Dan Luo[/caption] [caption id="attachment_383" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Marci Ann, Juanita Hard[/caption] [caption id="attachment_379" align="aligncenter" width="640"] I ... more -
Made a quick trip southbound this weekend with my charming studio assistant, copilot and photographer extraordinaire, Juanita. Dropped my babies in LA for the show and got a bit silly in the canyons, Laurel and Topanga, respectively. Driving into LA always fills me with seductive potential, and by the time I'm headed home, I usually sigh with a bit of relief. . . Only to turn around and drive back again on Saturday for the main event. Definitely excited for the road ahead (and no speeding tickets please). [caption id="attachment_367" align="aligncenter" ... more -
I'm pleased to announce my inclusion in Los Angeles Art Association's 2011 Open Show. A rather sweet birthday present to receive today. My co-conspirator Alexander Philippe will also be showing works. On December 10, 2011, Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA) will present the 2011 Open Show, LAAA's signature survey exhibition of the very best emerging contemporary artists of all media. Distinct by design, LAAA's annual Open Show has developed into one of the most potent survey exhibitions on the West Coast. The opening reception is 6 to 9p on December ... more -
Finally finished the commission I've been playing around with this summer, Intergalactic (Hubble's Bubbles for those of you who've been to Audium). Installation should be an adventure. -
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Waited out a lovely rainstorm today to get my lumber back to the studio (hanging out of my trunk of course). I've started two new pieces, HEALTH and CARE to be shown as a diptych. I'm not sure what kind of watchlists buying a couple thousand syringes online will land you on, but I'll find out soon enough. -
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My fellow artist Alexander Philippe and I stepped out on the town Thursday night for the SF 20/21 Preview Gala at Fort Mason. The evening raised money for our dear friends at SFMOMA, and included all the trappings of a party put on by Grey Goose and Christie's. Let's just say the canapés were washed down with many a martini by all. This farmgirl felt right at home along side of Hedge Gallery's haystack come booth; it's always interesting to see creative installation in lieu of four white walls. -
A little preview of the new series, Spare Any Change. Let's just say, the process of acquiring some of my art supplies was very interesting. My friends Alex + Nino were kind enough to accompany me on a few of the runs with a video camera; should expect to see some of the footage in the near future, in addition to more works from the series. And yes, the far right piece reads, "I hate to ask & u hate to give."
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I’m finishing up my submission for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition held triennially at the National Portrait Gallery. Thanks go out to my beautiful and brilliant model Maddie, who, as a molecular biology major, embodies the character she’s representing better than I could have ever hoped. My artist statement is about the role women are playing in the rebuilding of the Middle East during this era of Arab Spring. With increased access to higher education and freedom from the oppression of vicious dictatorships, women will prove to be assets to ... more
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