BgArt News Blog
Monday, April 30, 2007
Art News Monday
I haven't posted much during the past week, so this Monday's art news round up might be a little longer.
- Coxsoft Art News points to a Banksy self portrait that set a record for the artist (£288,000).
- ArtInfo reports that the Chinese-French artist Huang Yong Ping has been accused of animal cruelty, while the gallery director argued for freedom of expression.
- Dipping into the Blogpond says that BgArt News Blog is number 61 on the list of Top 100 blogs in Australia.
- ArtDaily looks at the boom in contemporary Asian art and an upcoming auction at Christies.
- Guardian reports that an old couple were caught trying to offload a fake Egyptian statue to a council.
- ArtNewsOnline asks are you looking at art or the price of art?
- TimesOnline talks about the popularity of Andy Warhol at auction.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Rubbish of Francis Bacon Sold at Auction
The Francis Bacon rubbish that I mentioned earlier has sold at auction for almost 1 million pounds. The studio waste from the artist was kept for nearly 30 years by an electrician (Mac Robertson) that did some work for Bacon.
The trash quickly turned to treasure when the items made £965,490 at auction. The lots at auction included things like slashed paintings with no faces, a canvas with writing and paint spatter by Bacon, letters, journals, photos, and unused checks (cheques).
It's trash, but it's Bacon's trash - and it's sold for almost £1m
According to Mr Ewbank: "This stuff is a little bit of history. If it weren't here, it would be gone for ever. We have a little bit of extra insight into him." Does he have qualms about selling paintings that were rejected, indeed deliberately mutilated, by the artist? "The best judges of art are not the artists themselves," he said. "The fact that these paintings were discarded does not mean that they are not of value. And he did say he regretted destroying so much of his work." Guardian
>> Art Auctions, Famous Artists ¶ 7:58 PM 7 comments
The Francis Bacon rubbish that I mentioned earlier has sold at auction for almost 1 million pounds. The studio waste from the artist was kept for nearly 30 years by an electrician (Mac Robertson) that did some work for Bacon.The trash quickly turned to treasure when the items made £965,490 at auction. The lots at auction included things like slashed paintings with no faces, a canvas with writing and paint spatter by Bacon, letters, journals, photos, and unused checks (cheques).
It's trash, but it's Bacon's trash - and it's sold for almost £1m
According to Mr Ewbank: "This stuff is a little bit of history. If it weren't here, it would be gone for ever. We have a little bit of extra insight into him." Does he have qualms about selling paintings that were rejected, indeed deliberately mutilated, by the artist? "The best judges of art are not the artists themselves," he said. "The fact that these paintings were discarded does not mean that they are not of value. And he did say he regretted destroying so much of his work." Guardian
>> Art Auctions, Famous Artists ¶ 7:58 PM 7 comments
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Scream Thieves Jailed
The gang that stole paintings by the Norwegian master, Edvard Munch have been put behind bars. The three art thieves that were convicted received sentences that ranged from 5 and half, through to 9 and a half years each.
Petter Tharaldsen was the driver behind the theft. He received 9 and half years, but was also involved in another unrelated robbery. Bjoern Hoen planned the theft. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Stian Skjold was one of the masked gunmen that entered the museum (the other gunman died from a drug overdose last year). He received 5 years for his efforts.
Munch art thieves jailed in Oslo
"The paintings were somewhat damaged when the robbers pulled the pictures out of their frames, possibly fearing they held tracking devices. They are undergoing repairs." BBC
>> Edvard Munch News, Art Thefts ¶ 10:53 PM 6 comments
The gang that stole paintings by the Norwegian master, Edvard Munch have been put behind bars. The three art thieves that were convicted received sentences that ranged from 5 and half, through to 9 and a half years each.Petter Tharaldsen was the driver behind the theft. He received 9 and half years, but was also involved in another unrelated robbery. Bjoern Hoen planned the theft. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Stian Skjold was one of the masked gunmen that entered the museum (the other gunman died from a drug overdose last year). He received 5 years for his efforts.
Munch art thieves jailed in Oslo
"The paintings were somewhat damaged when the robbers pulled the pictures out of their frames, possibly fearing they held tracking devices. They are undergoing repairs." BBC
>> Edvard Munch News, Art Thefts ¶ 10:53 PM 6 comments
Monday, April 23, 2007
Art News and Views
Here's some art news, reviews, and stuff happening around the world.
- Angela shares her struggle with life and how art has helped smooth her path.
- NY Sun looks at the possible conflicts of Christies owning commercial art galleries.
- Matt has a few galleries of Jesus online, including Aboriginal Jesus, African Jesus, Ancient Jesus, Anglo Jesus, Asian Jesus, Esoteric Jesus, and Native American Jesus.
- Hazel Dooney created a bit of a sex scandal in Melbourne, Australia.
- Regional Arts NSW has a bunch of April art news, reviews, and resources for those in New South Wales, Australia.
- Forbes talks about "tastemakers" or who tells us what good art is..
- ArtPaw has some funny dog portraits on offer, including Desi the Chihuahua.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Earth Day 2007
I know the environment doesn't have much to do with art, but you can't create art without an earth. So here's a poem for Earth Day (April 22) by John McConnell.
HOIST THE SAILS!
Four billion years ago
Our lonely Earth
Set sail on cosmic seas
Guided by an unseen hand
Of nature, God or chance.
As life evolved
Through endless eco-cycles
Man was born, destined
To destroy or enrich
the Precious Ship.
And now his hand
Has seized the tiller
But his ear has not
Yet caught the Captain's
Quiet command.
The sails are down, the ship becalmed,
Its fragile life at stake.
No longer do we ride the gentle swells of
Silent seas and breathe
The fragrant air.
Broken are the rhythms
Of our cyclic plants
And other living things.
But now the Captain speaks again
Our quiet thoughts at last reveal his voice.
"Hoist the sails, Earth Man.
Set them for celestial winds.
Hold the tiler firm,
The course ahead is clear."
Be He nature, God or chance
His voice is heard
And we shall heed
The Captain's quiet command.
Earth Day Site
See also the Earth Day Network website, a Wikipedia description of Earth Day, or some Google search results for more (Google has a great Earth Day logo on their homepage right now) ¶ 2:00 AM 1 comments
HOIST THE SAILS!
Four billion years ago
Our lonely Earth
Set sail on cosmic seas
Guided by an unseen hand
Of nature, God or chance.
As life evolved
Through endless eco-cycles
Man was born, destined
To destroy or enrich
the Precious Ship.
And now his hand
Has seized the tiller
But his ear has not
Yet caught the Captain's
Quiet command.
The sails are down, the ship becalmed,
Its fragile life at stake.
No longer do we ride the gentle swells of
Silent seas and breathe
The fragrant air.
Broken are the rhythms
Of our cyclic plants
And other living things.
But now the Captain speaks again
Our quiet thoughts at last reveal his voice.
"Hoist the sails, Earth Man.
Set them for celestial winds.
Hold the tiler firm,
The course ahead is clear."
Be He nature, God or chance
His voice is heard
And we shall heed
The Captain's quiet command.
Earth Day Site
See also the Earth Day Network website, a Wikipedia description of Earth Day, or some Google search results for more (Google has a great Earth Day logo on their homepage right now) ¶ 2:00 AM 1 comments
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Brett Whiteley Studio Free
Entry into the studio/museum of one Australia's most famous artists will now be free. A partnership with JPMorgan and the Art Gallery of NSW has allowed the door fee to be taken away from the Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney.
Wendy Whiteley said to the SMH "I think the fascination with his story brings a lot of people in and then they become fascinated by the work. In my view Brett still stands … as one of the finest artists of his generation."
Last time I made a trip to the Brett Whiteley studio was on a weekday, it took me about an hour of walking uphill to find the place, and then I found out that the place is only open on weekends! So, don't go without a map and don't assume that people walking around Surry Hills will know where the Brett Whiteley studio is!
>> Brett Whiteley News, Art Museums ¶ 7:02 AM 2 comments
Entry into the studio/museum of one Australia's most famous artists will now be free. A partnership with JPMorgan and the Art Gallery of NSW has allowed the door fee to be taken away from the Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney.Wendy Whiteley said to the SMH "I think the fascination with his story brings a lot of people in and then they become fascinated by the work. In my view Brett still stands … as one of the finest artists of his generation."
Last time I made a trip to the Brett Whiteley studio was on a weekday, it took me about an hour of walking uphill to find the place, and then I found out that the place is only open on weekends! So, don't go without a map and don't assume that people walking around Surry Hills will know where the Brett Whiteley studio is!
>> Brett Whiteley News, Art Museums ¶ 7:02 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Running an Art Gallery
Last year I made a post about starting an art gallery, where I mentioned that I have a lot of respect for gallery owners and the hard work that they do. Here's part of what I said..
"I used to have a romantic notion of what it would be like to own an art gallery. To be surrounded with great art everyday, to work with artists I love, and to sell art to people that love art as much as me. But it's not as easy as it sounds.I haven't owned an art gallery or worked at one, but I have had an exhibition at an artist run gallery. Which took all of the romanticism out of the idea.
There's marketing, hanging, organizing the opening, smooching, and when it's all up and running, it's just like looking after a shop. I know an artist run gallery is a bit different to a commercial gallery, but setting up and looking after my own exhibition gave me a lot more respect for what gallery owners do. It almost justified the large percentage of the sale price they take from artists."
Anyway, occasionally a gallery owner or an artist makes a comment on the post, so I thought I would share a few interesting ones..
Paula says "I am a small art gallery owner in Columbia, SC - I am going on my 2nd year in business and it has been a "roller coaster ride" thus far! It does take more money than I ever dreamed - I can say, that without determination and a drive to survive in this business, it (the stress) can gobble you up. I am often quite surprised at the attitudes of artists that come in and think that what I do is so "easy" - their thoughts are that I am surrounded by art on the walls, I get to meet people (different artists), and I get to make all this money off of their art,,, that is not the way it goes! The business of it all is quite stressful if you let it get to you - how do you pay your bills month to month, taxes, advertising, etc, etc....I do not have a "financial backer", just my own savings - and as an artist myself, those savings were almost non-existant! All artists should have this experience at least once to know both sides of the gallery. It is not easy and it is definitley not cheap! Be kind to your gallery owners, especially if they have been good to you - it can be a thankless job with no paycheck for a long while!
Anonymous says "I am an artist that also runs my own studio and gallery. Because I am in the business of "selling" art, I do have to appeal to the masses if I want to make a sale. That is not to say that I don't do work that I have fun making. I sell a lot of the traditional "over the sofa" type stuff, but I sell quite a bit of the edgier stuff as well. It is just a matter of finding that niche. I have a client list that shows a picture of what that person has bought in the past. If another piece is completed that I think may appeal to that client, (based on their past purchase) I give them a call or drop them a note. Sometimes (more than not) it pays off. To be an artist for art's sake is one thing, but being an artist to make a living takes flexibility and smart tactics in marketing and salesmanship."
Arthur Browning says "Yes, it's tough to sell art to people that have no taste or no money. It takes a lot of money to do the real thing, and connections with wealthy buyers who also have taste. For the poor and the tasteless we have poster stores with "archival matting and framing" shticks. Online art, or the neighborhood artists' league are the only hope for people without real money. But, if it's any consolation, many of our museums show atrocities that will only be remembered in their own archives (blessed be the "deaccessioning")."
KJ says "My experience as a part time assistant in a commercial gallery many years ago really opened my eyes to what goes on behind the scenes. I even began to understand why artists checks were sometimes late (I understand, not approved.) All artists should strive for some little bit of experience like this... it's a real education not obtained elsewhere."
>> Being an Artist, Art Exhibitions ¶ 6:01 AM 12 comments
"I used to have a romantic notion of what it would be like to own an art gallery. To be surrounded with great art everyday, to work with artists I love, and to sell art to people that love art as much as me. But it's not as easy as it sounds.I haven't owned an art gallery or worked at one, but I have had an exhibition at an artist run gallery. Which took all of the romanticism out of the idea.
There's marketing, hanging, organizing the opening, smooching, and when it's all up and running, it's just like looking after a shop. I know an artist run gallery is a bit different to a commercial gallery, but setting up and looking after my own exhibition gave me a lot more respect for what gallery owners do. It almost justified the large percentage of the sale price they take from artists."
Anyway, occasionally a gallery owner or an artist makes a comment on the post, so I thought I would share a few interesting ones..
Paula says "I am a small art gallery owner in Columbia, SC - I am going on my 2nd year in business and it has been a "roller coaster ride" thus far! It does take more money than I ever dreamed - I can say, that without determination and a drive to survive in this business, it (the stress) can gobble you up. I am often quite surprised at the attitudes of artists that come in and think that what I do is so "easy" - their thoughts are that I am surrounded by art on the walls, I get to meet people (different artists), and I get to make all this money off of their art,,, that is not the way it goes! The business of it all is quite stressful if you let it get to you - how do you pay your bills month to month, taxes, advertising, etc, etc....I do not have a "financial backer", just my own savings - and as an artist myself, those savings were almost non-existant! All artists should have this experience at least once to know both sides of the gallery. It is not easy and it is definitley not cheap! Be kind to your gallery owners, especially if they have been good to you - it can be a thankless job with no paycheck for a long while!
Anonymous says "I am an artist that also runs my own studio and gallery. Because I am in the business of "selling" art, I do have to appeal to the masses if I want to make a sale. That is not to say that I don't do work that I have fun making. I sell a lot of the traditional "over the sofa" type stuff, but I sell quite a bit of the edgier stuff as well. It is just a matter of finding that niche. I have a client list that shows a picture of what that person has bought in the past. If another piece is completed that I think may appeal to that client, (based on their past purchase) I give them a call or drop them a note. Sometimes (more than not) it pays off. To be an artist for art's sake is one thing, but being an artist to make a living takes flexibility and smart tactics in marketing and salesmanship."
Arthur Browning says "Yes, it's tough to sell art to people that have no taste or no money. It takes a lot of money to do the real thing, and connections with wealthy buyers who also have taste. For the poor and the tasteless we have poster stores with "archival matting and framing" shticks. Online art, or the neighborhood artists' league are the only hope for people without real money. But, if it's any consolation, many of our museums show atrocities that will only be remembered in their own archives (blessed be the "deaccessioning")."
KJ says "My experience as a part time assistant in a commercial gallery many years ago really opened my eyes to what goes on behind the scenes. I even began to understand why artists checks were sometimes late (I understand, not approved.) All artists should strive for some little bit of experience like this... it's a real education not obtained elsewhere."
>> Being an Artist, Art Exhibitions ¶ 6:01 AM 12 comments
Monday, April 16, 2007
Art News Mondays
In an attempt to do less work than I should, I thought I might just link to others that are doing work. I'm thinking of something like an art news round up each Monday.
I'll link to posts on art blogs and articles from art publications, so feel free to send me any interesting stories. I probably won't link to you if you are just trying to sell something, unless it's a VERY interesting product and you are prepared to send me two truckloads of it (so that I can send them out to readers of buygazette of course!! ;-)
Monday Art News Round Up..
I'll link to posts on art blogs and articles from art publications, so feel free to send me any interesting stories. I probably won't link to you if you are just trying to sell something, unless it's a VERY interesting product and you are prepared to send me two truckloads of it (so that I can send them out to readers of buygazette of course!! ;-)
Monday Art News Round Up..
- Coxsoft points to an article at Fool.co.uk about scammers milking artists with the cash back scam.
- ArtDaily mentions Tracey Emin's flag which says "One Secret is to Save Everything"
- ArtInfo interviews the sculptor Richard Serra.
- BBC has a gallery of Banksy works submitted by readers.
- MordernArtNotes talks about the rich, taxes, and art.
- DesignBoom shows a fuit holder that could be art, almost (by Joung Myung Lee).
- The Guardian reports that Saatchi is buying Chinese artists like Zhang Dali.
>> Art News
¶ 11:08 AM 3 comments
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Damien Hirst Slaughterhouse
Neighbors of a proposed Damien Hirst studio in Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK are not happy about the artist's plans. He has already been given permission to build an "art gallery, workshop and center of excellence".
The problem is that he also plans to build an "abattoir rail" and "fish preparation area". So his neighbors are petitioning to have his plans stopped.
Fears over Hirst 'slaughterhouse'
Kim Trinder, who lives opposite the land in Dudbridge Road, said: "It's disgusting. I don't want a slaughterhouse and dead animals here. He kills them and then wants to put them in a showroom. Who would do that?" BBC
>> Damien Hirst News, Controversies ¶ 11:56 PM 6 comments
The problem is that he also plans to build an "abattoir rail" and "fish preparation area". So his neighbors are petitioning to have his plans stopped.
Fears over Hirst 'slaughterhouse'
Kim Trinder, who lives opposite the land in Dudbridge Road, said: "It's disgusting. I don't want a slaughterhouse and dead animals here. He kills them and then wants to put them in a showroom. Who would do that?" BBC
>> Damien Hirst News, Controversies ¶ 11:56 PM 6 comments
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Conceptual Artist Sol LeWitt Dies at 78
The American conceptional artist Sol LeWitt recently passed away at the age of 78. The artist died after a long struggle with cancer.
"He reduced art to a few of the most basic shapes (quadrilaterals, spheres, triangles), colors (red, yellow, blue, black) and types of lines, and organized them by guidelines he felt in the end free to bend. Much of what he devised came down to specific ideas or instructions: a thought you were meant to contemplate, or plans for drawings or actions that could be carried out by you, or not." NY Times
Sol LeWitt - born September 9, 1928 - died April 8, 2007
Here's some Sol LeWitt quotes about art..
- The artist is seen like a producer of commodities, like a factory that turns our refrigerators.
Sol LeWitt - The artist’s aim is not to instruct the viewer, but to give information, whether the viewer understands the information is incidental to the artist.
Sol LeWitt - Artists teach critics what to think. Critics repeat what the artists teach them.
Sol LeWitt - Artists are mystics rather than rationalists. They leap to conclusions that logic cannot reach.
Sol LeWitt
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Bank of America Pays for Museum Entry
I usually delete any emails that have "Bank of America" in the subject as they're usually just scammers phishing for my details (and I don't have a Bank of America account anyway!). But I opened one today (as it seemed legitimate) and found an interesting story.
Bank of America will be paying for your entry into 86 different museums throughout America during the month of May. The only catch is that you have to have a Bank of America credit or check card or MBNA credit card. According to the bank, there are potentially 74 million customers eligible to take advantage of this offer.
Here's a full list of the participating museums..
Museums in California
Asian Art Museum San Francisco
California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
de Young Museum
Legion of Honor
Riverside Art Museum
Riverside Metropolitan Museum
Autry National Center
California African American Museum
Skirball Cultural Center
Kidspace Museum
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Japanese American National Museum
Ocean Institute
Discovery Science Center
Orange County Museum of Art
Laguna Art Museum
Newport Sports Museum
Surfing Heritage Foundation
Newport Nautical Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum
California Center for the Arts, Escondido
San Diego Museum of Man
San Diego Museum of Art
Museums in Connecticut
Stamford Museum & Nature Center
The Children's Museum
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Bruce Museum
Mashantucket Pequot Museum
Museums in Delaware
Delaware Museum of Natural History
Winterthur Museum & Country Estate
Delaware Art Museum
Museums in Maine
Maine Discovery Museum
Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center
Portland Museum of Art
Museums in Massachusetts
The Old State House Museum (The Boston Historical Society)
Cape Cod Museum of Art
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Science, Boston
Museum of African American History
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Norman Rockwell Museum
Provincetown Art Association & Museum
Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle
Worcester Art Museum
American Textile History Museum
Museums in New Hampshire
Hood Museum of Art
Children's Museum of Portsmouth
Seacoast Science Center
Museums in New Jersey
Jersey City Museum
Montclair Art Museum
Morris Museum
The Newark Museum
The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
Museums in New York
Albany Institute of History and Art
The Hyde Collection
New York State Museum
Bronx Zoo
New York Aquarium
Historic Hudson Valley
Museum of the Moving Image
Whitney Museum of American Art
Museum of Modern Art
Studio Museum in Harlem
New York Hall of Science
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Museum of Television & Radio
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
South Street Seaport Museum
Old Westbury Gardens
Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum
Rosamond Gifford Zoo
George Eastman House
Buffalo Zoo
Museums in Pennsylvania
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Independence Seaport Museum
National Constitution Center
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Museums in Rhode Island
Providence Children's Museum
Museum of Work and Culture
Rhode Island School of Design Museum
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Museums in Vermont
Montshire Museum of Science
>> Art Museums ¶ 6:23 PM 5 comments
Bank of America will be paying for your entry into 86 different museums throughout America during the month of May. The only catch is that you have to have a Bank of America credit or check card or MBNA credit card. According to the bank, there are potentially 74 million customers eligible to take advantage of this offer.
Here's a full list of the participating museums..
Museums in California
Asian Art Museum San Francisco
California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
de Young Museum
Legion of Honor
Riverside Art Museum
Riverside Metropolitan Museum
Autry National Center
California African American Museum
Skirball Cultural Center
Kidspace Museum
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Japanese American National Museum
Ocean Institute
Discovery Science Center
Orange County Museum of Art
Laguna Art Museum
Newport Sports Museum
Surfing Heritage Foundation
Newport Nautical Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum
California Center for the Arts, Escondido
San Diego Museum of Man
San Diego Museum of Art
Museums in Connecticut
Stamford Museum & Nature Center
The Children's Museum
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Bruce Museum
Mashantucket Pequot Museum
Museums in Delaware
Delaware Museum of Natural History
Winterthur Museum & Country Estate
Delaware Art Museum
Museums in Maine
Maine Discovery Museum
Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center
Portland Museum of Art
Museums in Massachusetts
The Old State House Museum (The Boston Historical Society)
Cape Cod Museum of Art
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Science, Boston
Museum of African American History
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Norman Rockwell Museum
Provincetown Art Association & Museum
Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle
Worcester Art Museum
American Textile History Museum
Museums in New Hampshire
Hood Museum of Art
Children's Museum of Portsmouth
Seacoast Science Center
Museums in New Jersey
Jersey City Museum
Montclair Art Museum
Morris Museum
The Newark Museum
The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
Museums in New York
Albany Institute of History and Art
The Hyde Collection
New York State Museum
Bronx Zoo
New York Aquarium
Historic Hudson Valley
Museum of the Moving Image
Whitney Museum of American Art
Museum of Modern Art
Studio Museum in Harlem
New York Hall of Science
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Museum of Television & Radio
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
South Street Seaport Museum
Old Westbury Gardens
Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum
Rosamond Gifford Zoo
George Eastman House
Buffalo Zoo
Museums in Pennsylvania
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Independence Seaport Museum
National Constitution Center
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Museums in Rhode Island
Providence Children's Museum
Museum of Work and Culture
Rhode Island School of Design Museum
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Museums in Vermont
Montshire Museum of Science
>> Art Museums ¶ 6:23 PM 5 comments
Monday, April 09, 2007
Link Love for Art Blogs
Here's a list of some art blogs and artist resources that I have visited recently. I put more time into an earlier post that I was writing, until my computer froze and I lost everything! So this list will be much shorter..
- Art Blogs For You - Blog about artists that blog, with artist biographies and paintings.
- Art and Perception - A bunch of artists and photographers writing about art and photography.
- Ghost School - Wil Freeborn's sketch book online.
- Edward Winkleman - A New York art dealer talking about art and politics.
- ArtsWom - UK based world arts news and reviews.
- WMMNA - Contemporary art news and exhibition reviews at We Make Money Not Art.
- Art Law Blog - Blog about all thing law, legal matters, and art.
- Guardian Art Blog - UK newspaper blogging about art.
- Moco Loco - Modern design news and reviews.
- Drawn - I'm not an illustrator but I still love this blog for illustrators and cartoonists.
The BgArt News Blog community at My Blog Log has also been a place where I spend too much time browsing other blogs (that often have nothing to do with art).
>> Art Blogs
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Chocolate Christ Crucified
Coxsoft art recently posted this article about a chocolate Christ. It's a six foot high sculpture of Jesus Christ, made from chocolate. "My Sweet Lord" by the artist Cosimo Cavallaro was meant to be exhibited at the Lab Gallery in Manhattan over the Easter period.
But, as you can see in the photo of the chocolate Christ to the left, it is much too F%*KIN% offensive to be exhibited! Or at least that's what the "Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights" thinks of the work.
The sculpture is obviously not offensive in any way, so what do radical groups like this gain from such irrational actions? I think they have been reading the quotes of Andy Warhol and believe that any publicity is good publicity, even if it makes them look like an out of touch, kooky organization that has nothing better to do than waste the time of art galleries.
"Don't pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches." Andy Warhol Quote
It seems that the gallery's artistic director has also offered his resignation over the incident, which makes me sad to think that backward thinking nuts still have this kind of power.
"The Lab gallery's artistic director, Matt Semler, has offered his resignation, saying the decision to cancel the exhibition was a result of "strong-arming from people who haven't seen the show, seen what we're doing.
"They jumped to conclusions completely contrary to our intentions," he said." BBC
>> Sculpture News, Controversies ¶ 12:54 AM 21 comments
Coxsoft art recently posted this article about a chocolate Christ. It's a six foot high sculpture of Jesus Christ, made from chocolate. "My Sweet Lord" by the artist Cosimo Cavallaro was meant to be exhibited at the Lab Gallery in Manhattan over the Easter period.But, as you can see in the photo of the chocolate Christ to the left, it is much too F%*KIN% offensive to be exhibited! Or at least that's what the "Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights" thinks of the work.
The sculpture is obviously not offensive in any way, so what do radical groups like this gain from such irrational actions? I think they have been reading the quotes of Andy Warhol and believe that any publicity is good publicity, even if it makes them look like an out of touch, kooky organization that has nothing better to do than waste the time of art galleries.
"Don't pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches." Andy Warhol Quote
It seems that the gallery's artistic director has also offered his resignation over the incident, which makes me sad to think that backward thinking nuts still have this kind of power.
"The Lab gallery's artistic director, Matt Semler, has offered his resignation, saying the decision to cancel the exhibition was a result of "strong-arming from people who haven't seen the show, seen what we're doing.
"They jumped to conclusions completely contrary to our intentions," he said." BBC
>> Sculpture News, Controversies ¶ 12:54 AM 21 comments
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Spencer Tunick in Mexico
The American photographer and outdoor installation artist Spencer Tunick is looking for Mexicans that are prepared to jump into their birthday suits for an hour or two on the 28th and 29th of April. The location has not been announced yet, but it will be in Mexico City.
Tunick says that there have been more than 3,700 people register to participate in the event already. He hopes that more than 4,000 people will turn up on the day.
To register for the Spencer Tunick experience in Mexico, volunteers are encouraged to sign up online here. Try a Google Image search if you have not seen Tunick's work before.
"I'm trying to create flesh architecture. I aim to get a sculptural feel for groups of bodies, as well as create performance art." Spencer Tunick quote
>> Spencer Tunick News ¶ 2:28 AM 2 comments
The American photographer and outdoor installation artist Spencer Tunick is looking for Mexicans that are prepared to jump into their birthday suits for an hour or two on the 28th and 29th of April. The location has not been announced yet, but it will be in Mexico City.Tunick says that there have been more than 3,700 people register to participate in the event already. He hopes that more than 4,000 people will turn up on the day.
To register for the Spencer Tunick experience in Mexico, volunteers are encouraged to sign up online here. Try a Google Image search if you have not seen Tunick's work before.
"I'm trying to create flesh architecture. I aim to get a sculptural feel for groups of bodies, as well as create performance art." Spencer Tunick quote
>> Spencer Tunick News ¶ 2:28 AM 2 comments
