Continuing our Artist Roundtable Series we bring the focus on Artist Expression, what it says about the artist, how it is limited by our current society and by the nature of expression itself.  There are so many ways for artists to express themselves, whether through style, content or media. Often more important than the question of what are you, as an artist, trying to say? is the question: What does your art say about you?

Can you define shock value?  What do you think of shock value for the sake of shock value?  Is it cheap?  Is it purposeful?  Does there need to be a greater reason or meaning when pushing boundaries?  Should such work be censored?  Should any work be censored?  Can we draw a line, or should judgment be based on a continuum, when censoring work?  Would it be acceptable to put an artist's depiction of rape on the wall of an elementary school?  The idea of what should and should not be censored is in large part due to the society, how, as artists, do you address delicate subjects to allow them to be addressed and discussed by society at large?  How have you, as an artist, used or eschewed shock value in your own work to accentuate an idea, an emotion or a moment?

Artists often choose to remain silent when it comes to social discussion, whether because they believe the art will speak for itself or for other reasons, they take a pass when called upon to raise their voices and address the important questions.  Because of this the amount of dialogue within the arts community suffers and a group of strong, passionate, creative individuals is broken into so many little pieces to be ineffective rather than a strong, informed community.

Artists often choose to remain silent when it comes to social discussion, whether because they believe the art will speak for itself or for other reasons, they take a pass when called upon to raise their voices and address the important questions.  Because of this the amount of dialogue within the arts community suffers and a group of strong, passionate, creative individuals is broken into so many little pieces to be ineffective rather than a strong, informed community.

We here at Empty Kingdom really believe that art can make the world better, and we intend to show that.  Because of this, we are naturally inclined to appreciate and want to work with those who have a similar mission.  Enter Overture Art Fair, a special gathering of artists from around the world with a mission.  We interviewed  Rod Kukurudz, the co-president about what they are all about.