Archive for January, 2010

Sunday Sidewalk Doodle: Ramen Delight by StephG & Mr. Brown

Posted in Art, Stephanie Gerolimatos with tags , , , , , , , , on January 31, 2010 by ssstephg


Mr. Brown showed up, quickly disappearing bowl of ramen in hand, while I was doodling this. I invited him to draw. He grabbed a stick of chalk and said, “draw a hand coming up here.” as he added the bowl of steaming ramen. The long legs and feet on the step were also Brown’s idea. As Martha would say, spontaneous collaboration: it’s a good thing.

And now, the weather:
Our yearly January thaw was as sweet as ever with temps soaring into the 50s this past week. “All the better to crush you with my dear” said New England in a quick, blistery tumult of wind, snow and ice that road in just as soon as we’d celebrated the short-lived spring-like-ness with another round of ornate concrete temporality. The atomic clock read 9 degrees the other morning when I went out to clear the walk for the shank’s pony crowd. If only climate crisis would respond half as well as the rest of us to the likes of Lithium, Depakote or Abilify. Al could team up with the good sports at Pfizer and Eli Lilly to save the planet or at least mask the symptoms so Earth could burn out quietly under the general public’s radar. Ah, who am I kidding? Despite my Adirondack roots, I prolly couldn’t survive a “real” winter at this point anyway. Luckily, my Catholic upbringing won’t let me appreciate the upside to global warming without an appropriate measure of guilt.

Chronically Conflicted,
-StephG

Stage 675, Metamorphosis of a WIP: Gilding the Lily

Posted in Art, Stephanie Gerolimatos with tags , , , , , , , , on January 30, 2010 by ssstephg

Miles to go but here are some more tight-cropped views of the same acrylic on metal piece I showed you last week. Now, who’ll be the first to tell me they liked it better before? There may be a prize involved! Line forms to the right. No pushing, no cutting!

Three more pics after the jump! Read more »

Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1939 Blue Danube* Sweeter than Frosted Sugar Sticks and now with MORE Cherub Cheeks aka Baby Butts!

Posted in Stephanie Gerolimatos, video with tags , , , , , , on January 30, 2010 by ssstephg

So sweet I may have to go eat a handful of dirt now. Enjoy!

Random Links

Posted in Art on January 29, 2010 by jdhastings

Here’s some stuff I’ve found throughout the week that you may find interesting. Or not.

  • Some remembrance of recently departed Howard Zinn
  • The New Yorker collected many of J. D. Salinger’s pieces for it in remembrance of him.
  • The Beautiful Brain wrote an overview of Brain Science that studies human interaction with art and aesthetics.
  • Behold the art of How to Report the News
  • I wrote earlier about UC Berkeley’s plans regarding its University Art Museum. Well, it turns out they are just going to renovate the existing printing press which is currently overrun with squatters. As has been the crawl space under my apartment for the last few weeks. Its a cosmic relationship we share, the museum and I.
  • Last night on Fringe they had a character who was an artist who took old books and colleged them into various forms of Nazi imagery to make a point about… I don’t know. It was a joke. I felt like they were specifically mocking me. You’re on notice, Fringe!
  • High Larity
  • Any number of McSweeny posts are easy to link to (such as their “Hit Singles from the 1990′s in Passive Voice”), but I personally loved the “Response by an aspiring screenwriter whose screenplay was turned down because it was exactly like Robocop.”
  • Finally, as an opportunity for local artists looking for display opportunities in family oriented automotive repair facilities I thought I’d pass this along. Welcome to the Craiglist artists section.
  • Now get back to work, damn it.
    -JD

    Hypnobation

    Posted in Art, art on paper, figurative, monotype, printmaking, sleep disorders, Tom Bennett, work on paper with tags , , , , , , on January 28, 2010 by Tom Bennett

    Another in a series of monotypes with the somnambulist as the metaphorical focus.

    Hypnobate , monotype, 12″ x 12″

    detail after the jump.

    Read more »

    2010 MICA Post-Bac Student Show

    Posted in Art, events, exhibits, Toni Tiller with tags , , , , , on January 27, 2010 by Toni Tiller

    I recently had the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at this Friday’s upcoming MICA show. Now I could spoil all the fun and post pictures of the work but that would blow the surprise of attending, something I encourage all of our Baltimore friends to do, so instead I am going to post some sneaky pics of the studio spaces. I’d also like to mention that we can look forward to some upcoming guest blog posts by presenting artists Meg Rorison and Ryan Soper.

    Sadly, I don’t think this piece will be making it to the show, so I can feel comfortable revealing it here.

    I thought this was a pretty clever way to keep an eye on your over all color palette choices.

    Thanks for sending me that image Meg Rorison.

    See a bit more and get the invite after the jump.

    Read more »

    Digging Up The Past

    Posted in Art, Toni Tiller with tags , , , , on January 27, 2010 by Toni Tiller

    As an occasional self-portrait artist this makes me giggle a little. Is it really so important to know if Leonardo was really the Mona Lisa or not? How, if at all, would that change the public perception? On the other hand, I love a good drag queen and if this is true then he’s the mother of them all.

    Fun Stuff!!

    Posted in awesome, Jason Gray with tags , , on January 26, 2010 by Jason Gray

    Mariah

    Posted in Art, Collage, J. D. Hastings with tags , , , , , on January 25, 2010 by jdhastings

    I started this portrait of my friend, Mariah, in August.  I nearly finished it within 3 days.  Then took 5 months to decide what to do with the hair.  I finally found a photo of a Native American woven basket that worked and called it a day.

    FinalMariah
    “Mariah” Mixed Media Collage, 13″ x 10″

    Part of me wants to add the outlines of glasses and some variation in the “windows” in the background. I’m unsure right now though.

    After the jump I’ll post the original photo. I didn’t actually ask her if I can post it yet. Hope she doesn’t mind!

    Read more »

    Walt Cassidy

    Posted in Art, Toni Tiller, video with tags , , , , on January 25, 2010 by Toni Tiller

    Walt’s an old friend from back in the club days, and I have always looked up to him for his seemingly effortless style and creativity. I say seemingly because I know how much craft he puts into everything he does, there are no half measures with Mister Cassidy and I am not surprised in the slightest at the success he has had. We’ve come a long way from the days of wigs and cha cha heels. Here is a video from Style Curator where he details his process.

    Exclusive Painting Preview, sneak peek here first!

    Posted in Art, Painting, Stephanie Gerolimatos with tags , , , , , , , on January 23, 2010 by ssstephg


    Today, I’m posting a few detail shots of something I’m working on now. This one is acrylic on metal. The whole piece is circular in format. It’s for a project being organized by someone else so I have an actual deadline for this one. That means there will definitely be a finished piece to post here soon. Really.

    As you can see, I’m still practicing crafting exciting, attention-grabbing headlines. Maybe I’ll move on to writing exciting posts some time in the near future, too. Ya never know. For now, all I can offer are these detail photos because frankly, I’m uncomfortable showing you what the overall piece looks like in it’s present state. To see two more photos, follow the jump… Read more »

    Saturday Morning Cartoon: A Log Driver’s Walz Pleases Girls Completely!

    Posted in Stephanie Gerolimatos, video with tags , , , , on January 23, 2010 by ssstephg

    Found this tonight…

    Posted in "But Is It Art?", Jason Gray with tags , , , on January 22, 2010 by Jason Gray

    Their statement: “White Flag Projects presents the Provincial Gallery Simulator. White Flag believes that negligent provincial art galleries operate with undue pretense, and abuse their inflated authority to routinely betray the good will of their patrons by exhibiting art they know to be compromised, by misrepresenting their motives and expertise, by effectively defrauding both their artists and clients, and by generally diminishing the environment for meaningful contemporary art as a result of their perverse curatorial behavior.

    This video documents those patrons abused by the provincial gallery system between February 14th and February 17th, 2008, in the Front Room of the Contemporary Art Museum-St. Louis.”

    White Flag Projects is a Contemporary Art Gallery in St. Louis. See more slaps here.

    Superstition

    Posted in Jason Gray with tags , , , on January 22, 2010 by Jason Gray

    I don’t know what else to call this one. Nothing new, but I like it.

    I’d be very surprised if J.D. hasn’t already posted this song on here, but here’s something to ease into Friday night with:

    Friday Morning Cartoon: Marine Painter with a Death Wish

    Posted in "But Is It Art?", animation, Art, comic, Tom Bennett with tags , , , , , on January 22, 2010 by Tom Bennett

    A Micro-Review of Avatar

    Posted in Art with tags , , , on January 21, 2010 by jdhastings

    By “Micro-review” I mean that I am about to review approximately 1 second of the film Avatar, not that the post itself will be short.

    In the single shot in question, we see a character in a mechanical robot type vehicle that has appeared throughout the movie peer in a rear view mirror at a climactic moment. This was easily my favorite moment of a very long film.

    You can see in the image above the type of vehicle it was, and perhaps see the source of my delight. The domed windshield means that any mirror installed above the driver should be visible from the outside. After it appeared I spent the rest of the film trying to see if it was actually included in any further shots or if it was inserted for that shot alone as a plot device. I never did spot it again. I’m tempted to go back and rewatch the film just to see if ANY other shots in the film include a rearview mirror on that windshield.

    Even if they do establish this mirror in other shots the randomness doesn’t end though. Look at this vehicle. Does it look like it will be doing much parallel parking or lane merging? Does it even have a rear window to see through? Why does it need a rearview mirror?

    In this future technology is advanced enough for humans to travel to distant planets as well as interact with people’s nervous systems directly. They also make a big spectacle from the beginning of the film to show us what awesome display technology humans have. Interactive holograms and special tablets, etc.

    But in their spiffy robot car, they still use rearview mirrors. My sister’s car TODAY has video cameras and a screen to watch what’s going on behind her car.

    The only advancement this mirror seemed to have over a 1970s station wagon was that objects within it are NOT closer than they appear. I just wish they’d added a pair of fuzzy dice hanging from them.

    I obsessed over these things more than any other part of the film. That doesn’t say much about me as a movie watcher, sure, but it is actually relevant to a greater point about the film. (Click below to read about that) Read more »

    Kinky Nude: Symbol through Distortion

    Posted in andre kertesz, Art, gesture, monotype, nude, printmaking, Tom Bennett, work on paper with tags , , , , , , , on January 20, 2010 by Tom Bennett

    Here I revisit my torqued figure monotypes suggested by the early twentieth century photographer Andre Kertesz.
    I see the distortion as a symbolic response to the organic molecular liquidity of the form.

    I’d say “enjoy”, but that would be presumptuous. I, for one, am open to any criticism or mud-slinging.
    Or you can simply buy me dinner and a movie.

    Tom Bennett
    Elegy to Kertesz 4 1/10

    Elegy to Kertesz 4, 2010,  monotype, 12″ x 12″


    detail

    From The Archives

    Posted in Art, Collage, Toni Tiller with tags , , on January 20, 2010 by Toni Tiller

    This is some old collage stuff I did.

    Brian Eno on Stuff

    Posted in Art on January 19, 2010 by jdhastings

    I thought I’d pass around this interview with Brian Eno, which has a lot of great gems about art in general, nevermind just music or visual arts.

    Nice bit to block quote. It’s a little cheesy, but rings true to me. And we fetishize targets round these parts.

    “Instead of shooting arrows at someone else’s target, which I’ve never been very good at, I make my own target around wherever my arrow happens to have landed. You shoot your arrow and then you paint your bulls eye around it, and therefore you have hit the target dead centre.”

    -JD

    Art Birthdays 1/19/2010

    Posted in Art with tags , , , , on January 19, 2010 by jdhastings

    Today is the birthday for several notable artists, so I thought I’d take note.

    Edgar Allen Poe, the depressive author and, I suspect, model for the unmasked Darth Vader in return of the Jedi, was born in 1809.

    First off, Cezanne, one of the fathers of modernism, was born 171 years ago, though by golly he doesn’t look a day over 152.

    Next, photographer/model extraordinaire Cindy Sherman was born 1954.

    Finally, Dolly Parton was born in 1946.

    All of these artists are Capricorns, which Astrology.com defines as, “Few people are as practical and ambitious as Capricorn. Yours is the tenth sign, an earthy element, which makes you down to earth and matter-of-fact. Caution is your second name and this is due to Saturn, your ruling planet. You are sometimes shy and lack self confidence and self-esteem.”

    So there you go. I have no further analysis other to say, congratulations on having clawed your way out of the womb, everybody! Let me know if I forgot anybody.

    -JD

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