Hey!
So I’ve been working on a few projects and this was just a small side project I’ve been working on. Just a small piece documenting my brother’s latest piece. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – Create
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com
Hey Guys,
I’ve got a lot of messages about where the weekly vlogs are, or ANY blogs really. I’ve been keeping myself busy and working on a few different projects that have taken a lot of time out of my day. I promise I will keep the Vlogs going, but honestly, don’t have any good footage to even use. So I’d rather get some good material that will be entertaining, rather than me sitting at my desk, picking my nose, and eating DOTS all day. 
The project isn’t personal stuff, it’s work stuff; so you guys will end up seeing/viewing it some time or another. So just stick with me little ones!
BTW, green dots suck balls.
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – Create
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com
I completely forgot to post the new (well, now old) vlogs here:
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – Create
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com
*Pardon my language, please!
I love and hate the photography forums. I find great information that definitely helps me become a better photographer, since I always consider myself as a student. On the other hand, it’s filled with rich, over-hyped, and uncreative douches that have no business being in photography. They brag and boast about there $2000 rig and think they are the gods of photography. When I look at their profile, it looks like a 10 year old shooting with a camera made out if Legos.
First, they sit there and say how much better Nikon is than Canon or how much better Canon is than Nikon. When in reality, there is little difference for the price. In a business sense, they are both still in business and making millions and billions hand over fist. If one was truly better than the other, why are they not out of business? Because they have support behind them!
Secondly, they have this relationship of money and quality. They assume a $1400 camera is 2x better than a $700 when indeed it isn’t. I recently just got a T2I and and can say it does NOT shoot better photographs than my XSi. The REASON I bought it was not because it was 2x better than my XSi, but rather a RELEVANT reason, and that reason was to shoot video.
Lastly, your gear means shit if your mind and emotion isn’t along for the ride. These “professionals” claim themselves as “professionals” because their gear is worth more than some cars. Fancy. Despite how “professional” they are, and how much their gear cost, their portfolios look like shit. And when others need advice on buying new bodies, lenses, accessories, they do their best to get them to buy THEIR gear, just because they own it and think its God’s own personal body, lens, etc. For example, I was looking for an affordable tripod the other day and while looking at others’ threads, they recommended spending at LEAST $400. Lol. Instead, I bought a $50 tripod that shoots just fine, and most importantly, I’m happy with it.
In conclusion, some photographers just have the wrong mentality. Stop thinking you’re the world’s great photographer and start giving real advice to young, upcoming photographers. My advice: (1) lens > body, which is a FACT, (2) Canon haters and Nikon haters can die – there’s no substantial difference, (3) don’t listen to asshole photographers, and most important (4) photography is 95% creativity, 5% equipment.
If that means you can go out and shoot with your point and shoot. Do it. If that means you can go out and shoot with your 35mm (shout outs to my cousin who’s doing that now), then do it. By the way, her shit will tear some pro’s shit up all day every day.
Stop being a fucking “pro” obstacle and actually support photography, douche!
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – Create
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com
Stop…please please please stop defining yourself as an artist when you’re no more than a 3 year old throwing dog poop at a sketchpad and then calling it art.
I know people say, “You can be anything you want to be!” But that’s not true. Please stop giving our children false hope. I wanted to be an NBA basketball player. No matter how hard I played or how many hours I practiced, I couldn’t grow any taller or jump any higher. Genes matter! Stop acting like it doesn’t. That applies to artists that are defining themselves as artists when they, clearly, have no supported right to say so.
I was watching a Food Network challenge with Angela the other night, and this lady named “Stevie” was on the show. She continues to say she’s an artist and complains when she doesn’t win. “If this challenge was based on creativity, artistry, and innovation, we would have won, but it’s not,” she argues. “I’m an artist, and they can’t see that!” she cries. All of this after creating some piece of shit she calls art. Honestly, I rather have that 3-year old poop sketch. In the end, it was a pile of shit that doesn’t fly in the art world, food world, or even in the realm of “creativity.”
Look, I’m not the best artist in the world, nor do I claim to be, but art is something that means a lot to me. I’m not arguing this topic on my behalf, but moreso the art form itself. I’m NOT saying, “That’s ugly, you can never do art.” I’m saying, “Stop calling yourself an artist just because your…”creation” is like nothing we’ve ever seen before.” Different doesn’t automatically mean art. For those who claim that (Stevie, every bad garage band, rappers that say poetry is gay, and every douchebag that thinks he/she is God’s personal creation on American Idol), you are ruining what real artists have accomplished. It hurts the community when you associate yourself with the community. Stop doing it or jump off a bridge, please.
Now to address the kiddies. Please continue to do art because it’s fun and you like doing it. I am a supporter and promoter of art and want everyone I encounter to do some form of art or another. Whether it be music, art, theater, etc. Please continue to do it! You are support the community dramatically. However, I’m also a believer and promoter of constructive criticism. If someone gives you advice or tells you that you’re doing something wrong (yes, you can do plenty of things wrong in art), please listen and don’t be a bitch like Stevie. Take that criticism and go out and work on it. Keep in mind I used the words “constructive critics” and not “haters.” There’s a big difference. Haters say, “Your art looks like ass.” Constructive criticism is, “You need to work on this because I believe it’s your greatest weakness.”
Art is suppose to be fun, and for the most part EVERYONE can be a part of art. But if you want to be an artist, please listen to the ones that have traveled the road before you and even the ones that are traveling the road along side you. Don’t shut off all criticism just because you think you’re the cream of the crop. This applies to ALL art forms. Just because it’s called art, doesn’t mean it’s so subjective that you can’t get it wrong:
Good music vs. bad music: Can you suck at playing an instrument? Yes.
Good photography vs. good photography: Is a photograph that’s out of focus, completely overexposed, and has your big ass finger in the way art? Hopefully one day, I’ll be famous. 
Good theater vs. bad theater: Can someone write a play about a monkey using a toilet for 3 hours a valid artistic play? If so, give me a pen and paper.
Please take your egotistic, self-loving, and for the most part, douchey head out of your ass and pay attention to what others are telling you. Define yourself, perfect your trade, redefine yourself, re-perfect your trade, listen to constructive advice and criticisms, and then do it all over again. It’ll be fun, I promise.
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – Create
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com
I recently read a “published” piece that a photographer on Canon forums posted. He introduced it as: “Just a small published piece about how I became a professional photographer.” I was excited to read it since there isn’t much backtracking when it comes to this field. Secondly, there’s a thin line between professional and hobbyist. I consider myself as a “professional” only because I see it as an art form that I continue to learn from, not because of the rig I carry.
He basically wrote about the cameras he’s purchased through the last 4 years, eventually ending with some overpriced piece of hardware that wasn’t really worth anything if you don’t know how to use it. I admit, his photographs were above average, but weren’t amazing in any respect. But to define yourself as a professional because of the hardware you own is cocky ignorance. I know tons of people that are fortunate enough to afford 1D’s, but know shit about photography. They think just because they have the better rig, they can define themselves as professionals. Hell, I know people who shoot 393590135819358x better with an 35mm. That’s like saying you buy the most expensive paints and call yourself a renown artist. It’s ridiculous, but it happens all the damn time. To finish off the article, he suggested that he has made a wealthy living, therefore, he was a professional.
First off, I am no where near a “wealthy living” and again, I don’t do it for the money. But most importantly, I always consider myself as a student before anything else. I learn from professionals that consider themselves students, because students continue to learn and want to learn new techniques, technologies, and skills.
That brings me to my next point, why is everyone chasing money so damn hard? You can give me all the bullshit reasons you can think of, but in the end, I know I’m pretty much right. Cocky? Maybe, but more informed than anything else. I look through a few Facebook friends’ posts and see shit like “I’m going to be rich because I’m going to be a doctor”. Okay, maybe not that blatant, but fairly obvious. Hate all you want and say, “You’re just mad because you couldn’t be a doctor”. True, I couldn’t. I respect my peers who are becoming doctors, but I only respect those who want to be doctors because they want to help people. I love Facebook, because now I know which friends I want to stay away from when it comes to my health. Lol.
I have a friend named “Hannah” that is going to be an optometrist. She is damn smart with a great support system around her. After talking to her for a few hours, you will see exactly what I saw in her. She cared about life, and the people around her. She doesn’t let money define who she is. She only talks about her friendships, her family, and the sacredness of life and love. Call it cliche if you like, but Hannah is so much stronger and happier than a lot of my friends who posts Google-searched pictures of mansions and commenting, “This is my future house.”
Another friend of mine, “Natalie” is on the same medical route. She’ll be a doctor one day, and I know she will be. She values the same things: Life, love, family, and friends. Every time we talk, it’s always substantive conversation about contemporary philosophy (life, love, paths, true happiness, etc.) more than anything else. Most importantly, she’s her own worst critic. She pushes herself harder than anyone I know, and she does it because she wants to be a great doctor.
My brother is another great example. He is the prime example if anything. He inspired me to do what I love to do. 4 years ago, if you told me I could be a self-employed artist and sufficiently pay my mortgage, put non-college food on a dining room table (and not some tv tray), and have the love of my life hanging on my every spray can. I would have kicked you in the balls for giving me such a beautiful and unattainable dream scenario. But I had the drive to do it, because I love what I do. I might not be banking out of control, but I don’t do it for that, so I could care less about it.
In the end, I’m happy and those around me are happy. I love that.
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – “Create”
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com
Before you assume what this blog post is about, it’s not what you think. I actually don’t completely agree with the argument of more Asian Americans in the arts.
To be completely honest, I’ve never really looked at my race and said, “Man, there should be more Asian American (AA) artists out there.” I strongly believe that art is one of the few fields that is absolutely independent of who you are, where you came from, or what color you are. Do I feel like I have a responsibility to uphold my ethnicity when it comes to my profession? Absolutely, but not because I’m an AA. I was lucky enough to attend UT, which has a great business school and an amazing art program. I took a few AA courses, one being AA: The Moving Image, which discussed AA in the arts. But the business school is what really taught me the importance of my race, which is: it isn’t important at all. Professionalism, knowledge, and skill matter much more than the yellow on my face.
But as the century turned, we saw this AA uprising, if you will. We have names like Mike Shinoda, Wong Fu Productions, KevJumba, and David Choi completely change the world. But how? Linkin Park has single-handedly created their own genre. Wong Fu, not only put AA in a good light, but has changed the way people approach film. KevJumba uses clean, fun comedy. David Choi is a great artist. Granted, a portion of their fans love them because they’re AA. But I think if you look at it that way and only that way, it’s a failed idea. I enjoy what they do and inspired by their art, first. As a “bonus”, I appreciate the fact that they are changing the image and stereotype of AAs.
My junior year, I also took another course about AA in general: where they came from, the path they had to take, what opportunities were stripped away from them, etc. I can say the class was completely biased, uninformative, and borderline desperate for attention. The professor, who was an Asian American herself could do no more than harp on the wrongdoings towards AA. She resorted to AA models who do their best to look “white” in fashion shows to compete. Perhaps some do, but is it OUR fault that they do what they do? Are they not proud enough to be who they are? Is it really something that you can lecture about as a fact and not a personal choice? It’s this type of thinking that takes us a step back. This professor was fairly decorated when it came to teaching, and it isn’t my place to step on her toes (the same toes she probably got painted at an Asian nail salon). I just do not agree with her. Despite the number of books she’s written or the amount of speeches she has made.
In high school, there was a huge protest at a university, that I won’t name. The school was in the process of taking a south Vietnamese flag down from their version of the hall of nations. Politically, they had the right to do so. South Vietnam was no longer the South Vietnam. Yet hundreds, maybe even thousands of supporters came out to protest the act. Those same protesters were doing the same thing this aforementioned professor did: harp on the past. Why not use that same energy and change the future? Yet when I look back at those same protesters, some even being former friends and classmates, not many of them are supporting the new movement at all. If they are, they are not doing it nearly at the same rate as they were at that protest. Granted, some were fighting for Asians, and not Asian Americans, but I used this as support, rather than a defined example.
Now before you peg me as some kind of communist. I truly support the AA movement and I do my part to uphold a professional demeanor. I just believe there is a thin line when it comes to supporting this fairly new AA movement. You can either support those making a difference now purely for their artistic skill, or you can “support” them for the mere fact that they’re Asian Americans, which is completely ignorant.
A year ago, my brother just started to make his name in Austin. When my mother spread word back to Vietnam about it and a distance uncle of ours (which is also an artist), only had bad words of advice to share, critiquing every little thing about a very subjective field. My brother will always be 90% of my inspiration and he is a pro at what he does. I talked to my mom about what he said, and she said, “Just take the advice.” This “advice” has been no more than a speck on our radar, if that. His thinking has to come from how we (Generation Y and some X) were raised. “Be a doctor, be a lawyer!” “Math and science is all that matters!” “Money, money, money!” In the same light, “You are a not a good artist, be more like me!” Fortunately, we had the chance to see his art work as well. Reverting back to professionalism in business school, I composed myself and complimented his art, even thought I personally thought it was a pile of shit. (My tuition well spent.)
This isn’t a rant and this isn’t the only way to think about the subject. Like I said, there’s a thin line and I’m sure millions of people will disagree with me. But I honestly believe that you need to be good at what you do, continue to get better at it, and support others for their SKILL, rather than their race. It’s a bonus to see AA succeed and it should be left just as that: a bonus.
Are AA unrepresented in the field? Absolutely. Do I think there should be more? Not if they are horrible at what they do. There’s no question that AA are underrepresented in the arts. But shouldn’t art be just that: ART.
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – Create
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com
Hey!
So I heard my fans and collectors loud and clear about prints. As of right now, I’ve chose 4 pieces that I think deserve printing. 3 of those pieces are available in the blog post below this one. The last one is Desire (see attached image). I wanted prints to be affordable for everyone, so I priced them at a very low 35 bucks. Each print is 11″ x 14″ and will be signed and numbered. I wanted lots of people to have a chance to get them, so I made the series “limited” to 500. Shipping is available. Custom sizes are available on request.
From now on I’ll do my best to pick out some paintings I’d want to convert to prints. I won’t say all of my paintings will be available in prints, because I don’t want the pieces to be over-saturated. But I will choose a handful of paintings to convert. So no worries. Anyways, my art website has a new section for prints so, in the future, you can see which paintings I choose to have in print versions. (www.KevinCaoArt.com)
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – Create
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com
I had some time to work on my art. Not much for words for this post…kinda the point of art, huh? It’s all visual, right? Lol. Enjoy.
Sincerely,
Kevin Cao – Create
www.KevinCaoArt.com
www.KevinCaoPhotography.com