an art quiz: man or ape?

February 9, 2008

Can you tell which was done by whom? I scored 100%, but then I’ve had the art training. Hint: It’s in the subtleties.

Louise Bourgeois: spider in SF

January 10, 2008

We were in the city during the holidays, got a glimpse of the spider at the Embarcadero. I’ve written about her before, and am very glad her works can be seen locally.

She is 95 years old.

Misako Inaoka

December 31, 2007

After enduring the ad, you will meet the artist, who creates her own world of hybrid animal creations.

the Hieronymus Bosch remix

December 27, 2007

I didn’t know what else to call it. Here’s the article from The Times, which links to the actual painting, or repainting by Lluis Barba of Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights.

an auction, stuffed squirrels and a lawsuit

December 18, 2007

There were 6,000 stuffed animals by a self-taught taxidermist, placed in domestic situations such as card playing and taking meals. The auction house sold it off in lots for 336,000 pounds, although an artist, Damien Hirst, offered a million pounds for it all. The owner of the collection is now suing the auction house.

You can see samples of the collection here.

Should any aspiring taxidermist, self-taught or professional, wish to recreate some of these scenes, he is welcome to begin trapping from nature’s bounty of small animals on my property. They are currently in their prime, fat and sleek of coat after a mast year in the oaks. Haste is urged, because they are reproducing at record rates.

art/photography: John O’Reilly

October 20, 2007

Images using polaroids and other photos, influenced by the likes of Corot, Titian, Vermeer, Caravaggio and Picasso.

photos: Chris Jordan

October 18, 2007

From his series: ‘Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of America’s Mass Consumption’: Cell Phones.

art/photos: Nina Levy

Some of her work can be seen here.

art: Morton Bartlett

October 1, 2007

He sculpted children in various poses - reading, crying, playing - and then he took photographs of the sculptures. When the works became public, the artist was overwhelmed by the praise and attention, and packed the sculptures away for 30 years.

Through the efforts of an art dealer, they were found again in 1993. But Bartlett was primarily a photographer. A dedicated collector set about trying to locate slides of the sculptures, and found them via eBay.

A NY Times article examines possible reasons why Bartlett chose to sculpt such lifelike children, and in the process, compares him to Lewis Carroll, Joseph Cornell and a group of photographers who specialized in setup photography.

art: Kent Rogowski

Stuffed works you probably don’t want your kids to see. But ones that family members and I appreciate.

art: John Isaacs

June 22, 2007

One of his sculptures was featured at various news sites’ picture galleries this week. Enough to pique my interest.

Be forewarned, some of his work can be described as grisly and disturbing.

Francis Bacon and David Lynch

March 6, 2007

The former is said to have influenced the latter, whose current exhibition of art and photographs contains disturbing images.

Which probably comes as no suprise to anyone familiar with Lynch’s films.

Sophia Loren and Francis Bacon

February 5, 2007

A painting in her husband’s collection from Bacon’s Pope series will be up for auction this week. Christie’s expects a tidy sum to be raised.

painting elephants: art or crime?

September 18, 2006

At Banksy’s LA exhibition, an elephant painted like wallpaper is angering animal rights activists, who have demanded that Tai (the elephant) be repainted with child-safe paint.

Elephants, some of them anyway, know a thing or two about art. So far, no report on what their thoughts on the Banksy business might be.

photography/art: Catherine Feric

June 14, 2006

Her works are a combination of photos and painting. You can see samples here. More can be seen here, click on ‘artists’, then on ‘Catherine Feric’.

art: Jason Davidson

June 7, 2006

An Aboriginal artist, Davidson combines drawings of Australian animals with computerized images. The juxtapositions can be striking indeed.

gallery-hopping in SF

February 20, 2006

paintings at Hang Art Gallery

The weather did not cooperate, and many galleries aren’t open on Sundays and Mondays. But we found a few on Post and Sutter, and even encountered a very informative owner, who took the time to explain the technique of a particular artist.

Hang Art, where the picture was taken, is one of our favorite spots.

another mask

February 19, 2006

another animal mask

From the deYoung Museum.

window at an art gallery

cherries sculpture

We knew many would be closed today, but found Cohen-Rese open.

art: Elisa Markes-Young

February 10, 2006

The main site is here, and a good place to start would be ‘mixed media’, then to ‘topography of an unknown land’.

art: Viktor Koen

February 9, 2006

The best approach is to lose yourself at his site. For starters, click on ‘portfolio’, from there, click on ‘(plug’. After that, you’re on your own.

the man, the museum stairs, the priceless vases

February 8, 2006

He tripped, and as he fell down the stairs at Fitzwilliam Museum, he broke three vases on a windowsill.

They were 300-year old Qing vases. Stars of the museum’s collection.

He doesn’t understand why they were so exposed. The museum head has asked him not to come back.

The police do not see a case. Speaking of which, why weren’t the vases in a protective one?

Art: Ned Kahn

His palette is made up of the stuff of nature - fog, wind, tornadoes, turbulent fluids - and frequently involve the viewer’s participation. Fog works can be seen here. Click on ‘Portfolio’ for lots more.

Santiago Calatrave

February 1, 2006

Architect, engineer, artist. His work can be seen at his site.

art: Maggie Taylor

January 30, 2006

The human subjects seem to be from another era, and the situations to be from a parallel universe that collided with ours.

art: Gus Fink

A series of old-time portraits gone horribly wrong can be seen here. To get the full effect, click for the larger size.

His website, which includes sculpture, is here.

Kerstin Schulz: pencil sculptures

January 29, 2006

Last year, faber-castell turned 100. At this site, you can see sculptures made from sharpened castell 9000 pencils. Chairs, tables, and lamps bristling with extremely well-sharpened pencils.

Rachel Spring

January 13, 2006

rachel spring head

A gallery of her work can be seen here, and in the section on research, she discusses the intriguing process through which she arrives at a finished piece.

the path to greatness is paved with illness

January 6, 2006

Such notables as Newton, Einstein, Berlioz, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Michelangelo, Turner, and Warhol all exhibited signs of disease such as autism, gout, stroke, myopia, depression, cataracts, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, and dementia.

Researchers say that the work of certain famous authors, artists, composers, and scientists have been influenced by their conditions and their adaptations to these disorders.

Tom Hunter: a fresh eye on old masters

December 14, 2005

In his photographs, contemporary figures occupy a space eerily like those in old paintings.

Daniel Lee’s Origin

December 7, 2005

Evolution (Quicktime required) as seen through the eyes of the artist who created Manimals.

the tangle and the ipod

November 3, 2005

ipod + tangle

My kids left some interesting toys behind when they went off to college. The Tangle is based on a work called the Infinite Sculpture by Richard Zawitz.

Sam Easterson: web cams on animals and plants

October 13, 2005

Strapping a helmet web cam on a tarantula, a scorpion, a sheep, an armadillo, and a buffalo yields a perspective most of us have never seen.

I heartily recommend the armadillo, and in the plant category, the dizzying worldview of a tumbleweed. Quicktime required.

Ted Saupe: works in ceramics

October 7, 2005

He is an associate professor of art at the University of Georgia, and is influenced by early storage pottery from the southeast U.S. and country pottery of Japan.

Click on his name at this site, and you will jump to some of his works.

da Vinci: old master teaches heart surgeon new tricks

September 28, 2005

After studying da Vinci’s complex drawings of the workings of the heart, a surgeon devises an improved approach to mitral valve operations.

Louise Bourgeois: spiders

September 16, 2005

Some of her work appeared in New York in 2001. Here is another view of spiders and a fly.

Evan Lewis: kinetic sculpture

September 6, 2005

Some of his graceful weather vanes and other works can be seen here.

anatomical art: bread dough carried to an extreme

September 4, 2005

A Thai art student creates realistic body parts from bread dough, then paints them with lifelike colors. His parents own a bakery.

Either they are very proud, or very appalled, or a mixture of both.

art: Larissa Brown

September 3, 2005

She takes ordinary supplies like pencils, day planner pages, photo corners, and envelope clasps, and turns them into something else entirely.

art: Pat de Groot

September 1, 2005

The sea, the shore, the mist, the glare.

Don Bonham: aviation sculpture

Many of his works are half human, half machine. Be sure and check the ‘Sculptures’ and ‘New Work’ links.

art: Ben Aronson

A few of his street scenes.

Burning Man art

August 22, 2005

The Sta-Puft Lady, The Piano Bell, The Nebulous Entity, Temporal Composition, Das Ammoniten Projekt, and others.

if you have a sausage chair

August 18, 2005

You will no doubt have a very happy dog. Cats wouldn’t mind either. But a sofa made of jam strains the imagination.

However, Jello furniture might be doable, if you could forego heating. Very colorful too, if they could eliminate the stickiness. What’s that? Sugar-free Jello?

Moscow: art cows arrive

August 11, 2005

One is painted to look like a black stretch limousine. Unfortunately, no picture is available.

artist offers views behind Israeli wall

August 5, 2005

Banksy braved gunfire to create views of a beach scene, a mountain landscape, and a horse on the Palestinian side of the wall. A prank-loving artist, he’s the guy who smuggled paintings into the Tate and the Metropolitan Museum.

the quilt at the hospital

July 30, 2005

quilt

On the 4th floor of El Camino Hospital, this is the quilt seen as you step off the elevator. One of my sons took the shot, because at my angle, ceiling lights were reflected in the glass. I’ll find out the artist’s name tomorrow.

moerenuma: sculpture that is a playground

July 29, 2005

The unique playspace located in Sapporo is the vision of sculptor Isamu Noguchi. It must be great fun to go down his Black Slide Mantra.

images from oyonale

July 27, 2005

The Cool Cows. More here from Gilles Tran.

a history of falconry

July 26, 2005

Very comprehensive, illustrated with examples of falconry in art.

art: Gregory Crewdson

July 25, 2005

Some of his works have an unsettling quality. Frankly, feeling a bit unsettled is kind of fun.

Wim Delvoye: tattooed pigs in China

July 22, 2005

These are live pigs, and they are also for sale, either live or (this is a bit hard to picture) after they have died, and have been separated from their skins. Hmm. And how would one frame these - on a special pig-shaped rack? Would there be an odor?

a gallery of art pigs

From the Beaufort County Public Library site. Don’t miss the Swinescraper and the Hamlich Maneuver (blue face).

five winners from the Big Pig Gig

What’s Big Pig Gig? Artists paint models of pigs, which bring tourists. Then the pigs are auctioned off for charity. Everyone wins.

Here are the five, including Pigtoria’s Secret and Phantom of the Slopera.

Patricia Piccinini

June 22, 2005

An artist presents a thought-provoking look at genetic engineering. Check the featured works ‘We are Family’ link . I’ve tried looking at some of the others, but Firefox keeps crashing.

Janine Antoni: chocolate, lard, soap, performance art

June 21, 2005

From the PBS series Art:21.

Gloria comments:

I would like to know about janine antoni’s thoughts on the non physical ties of rope, that is mental ties which I find interesting. ties to family, religion,friends all of which are included in mental ties. I would like to include her thoughts in my dissertation.

Raphael, his secret love, and a ruby ring

June 17, 2005

He was engaged to the niece of his powerful patron, but he loved Margherita, a baker’s daughter. In a portrait of her, he painted a ring on her finger. After his sudden death at 37, his students painted over the ring to avoid a scandal. Now, centuries later, the complex story begins to emerge.

David Kremers: art and science

June 11, 2005

Depending on your setup, this site may be slow to load, but be patient. It is well worth the effort, if you like the combination of science and art. Click on the image to begin.

artbots 2005 participants

June 7, 2005

Theremins inside cuddly, poufy, brightly colored objects (’Nervous’), ooooh .

wearable art contest winners

From the World of Wearable Art in NZ, winners in several categories, including one for children. My favorite is ‘All Buttoned Up’, which would make a great Halloween costume if you have three children of stair-step heights. But because only the tops of their hair (and lower legs and feet) are visible, you couldn’t let them out of the house.

music of the satellites

June 6, 2005

Taking the data from twenty-seven GPS satellites, and turning it into a kind of music .

I/O brush

June 4, 2005

An electronic brush by Kimiko Ryokai of MIT takes the colors and textures of everyday objects, such as fruit and plants, and puts them on a screen. It can copy movement (a blinking eye, for example) and make it part of the composition. Do I want one? I want one. Brief description and movie here .

MASS, the ensemble

June 3, 2005

Taking as inspiration a quote from Frank Lloyd Wright, ‘architecture is frozen music’, the group incorporates strings on a building-sized scale, video, dance, and vocals.

i see your true colors: Gutenberg Bible

May 30, 2005

A chemist and an artifact conservation specialist uncover the secrets behind its color illustrations.

Wainer Vaccari: uneasy imagery

May 23, 2005

His art has a disturbing quality, but it is this very edginess that makes it hard to stop looking.

Elizabeth Butterworth: birds

May 22, 2005

Wonderfully detailed macaws, cockatoos, and kites by a British artist.

a rock painting: wild boar attack

May 21, 2005

From Bhimabetaka, India, a depiction of a giant boar showing the bristly hair along its spine.

objects from heart, bone, gut, skin

May 20, 2005

From animals, of course. Baskets, bowls, teapots, and other works made from organic materials such as fish skin and fins, beef hearts, fruit peels, and kelp.

cobra hat

A selection of hats and shoes from Fiber Scene includes my favorite by Candace Kling, the cobra headwear.

more on shoes

May 19, 2005

Bruno Pelassy teamed up with Natacha Lesueur to produce this original concept for a unisex shoe.

Mona Hatoum

A sampling of her work can be seen here. She discusses her background in this interview .

artist anecdotes: Leonardo, Degas, O’Keefe

From Artdaily, glimpses into the artists’ sometimes quirky lives.

art cows

CowParade is a popular traveling exhibit of realistic cows adorned with paint and other finery. Funds raised from their sale to collectors and other admirers benefit a South African children’s cancer charity.

Made of fiberglass, the cows don’t leave a mess behind. An enterprising Chicago artist saw a need, and created piles of colorful dung designed to match their respective bovines.

Bruno Pelassy: python skins and silk

May 18, 2005

He makes creatures from unusual combinations of materials, and enlivens them with movement. In one work, a pale pink fish-like object of silk, crystal, and silicon glides about in an aquarium. Another is draped in sequins, glitter, and a python skin, and dances to jazz.

winners of art/science contest

May 12, 2005

In a contest open to students and faculty at Princeton, entrants were asked to submit images from research and related scientific pursuits.