Saturday, August 25, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Wanna contribute to this piece?
Below are several images showing the process for the current piece that I am doing, this time doing a trompe l'oeil of a comic book panel featuring Heckle and Jeckle.
In the final image, you can see the current state of the work, which now has two blank text balloons where the dialogue between the two characters will take place. One is jumping up in joy, his turban flying off his head (changed from a top hat in the original comic book). He is saying something to the other guy, who in turns responds.
And here's where I need your collaboration and help...
I'd like suggestions for what Heckle and Jeckle are talking about, discussing or whatever. It can be something funny, something contemporary, whatever... just appropriate to the visual scene. Leave you suggestions in the comments section or email them to me.
Winning suggestion will get a free, one of a kind signed print of the above work.
In the final image, you can see the current state of the work, which now has two blank text balloons where the dialogue between the two characters will take place. One is jumping up in joy, his turban flying off his head (changed from a top hat in the original comic book). He is saying something to the other guy, who in turns responds.
And here's where I need your collaboration and help...
I'd like suggestions for what Heckle and Jeckle are talking about, discussing or whatever. It can be something funny, something contemporary, whatever... just appropriate to the visual scene. Leave you suggestions in the comments section or email them to me.
Winning suggestion will get a free, one of a kind signed print of the above work.
Job in the Arts
The
Smithsonian is looking to fill the position of Staff Assistant for the
Smithsonian Latino Center.
This is a rare opportunity to join the team that works hard at ensuring that Latino culture, achievement and contributions are celebrated and recognized nationwide.
They are looking for an individual to assist the Director and can serve as the point of contact to the public, the Smithsonian National Latino Board, and Hispanic-serving organizations; provide administrative support to the staff, and help advance the Center’s initiatives and educational/public programs.**NOTE: Applicants must have the ability to speak and write in English and Spanish in order to assist with translation of materials.GS 0301 05 or 07 DEU (open to all U.S Citizens or U.S Nationals):GS 0301 05 or 07 MPA (open to current or former Federal employees, peoples with disabilities, former Peace Corps volunteers, certain military spouses, veterans):
Thursday, August 23, 2012
History's worst restoration of a work of art... EVER!
(Via) I shit thee not... this is a "restoration" before and after...
Update: This "restoration" becomes a tourist attraction!
The 80-year-old Spanish woman responsible for what some are calling history's worst restoration of a work of art spoke out in the media on Wednesday to defend her actions.
Update: This "restoration" becomes a tourist attraction!
Newsweek covers
The power of the visual arts, specifically representational visual art,
is a powerful known quantity.
For decades now, artists have been marrying shock with representational art to gather attention to their work, and thus it is no surprise that a floundering dead tree media publication like Newsweek, which has perfected the art of the magazine cover over the decades, is now pulling all stops when it comes to a scary blend of photography, nuanced text and composition - all married to shock-producing stories - to pump up sales. I don't know if Tina Brown's strategy will work, but it is a fascinating study nonetheless.
Witness the recent Newsweek covers, all dealing with controversial subjects. In the first one, an attack piece on Republican Presidential candidate (and if he wins, the first "technically" Hispanic President), the font size of the word WIMP overwhelms the cover - and yet Romney is still presented in what I would describe as a positive image (dude's got some Osmond-sized chompers though...). The remaining text ("What triggers mass murderers" and "I was duped by...") also add a bit of subliminal vinegar to the cover.
Newsweek's portrait of Pres. Obama as "The First Gay President" is a brilliant graphic design coup. It is a modern icon with modernized ties to early Christian iconography. This is an interesting marriage (pun intended), as one could make the case that dogmatic Christians are essentially against gay marriage. Not to pick on Christians, most Muslim and orthodox Jews are also against gay marriage, perhaps reflecting the common root of all three major religions and a sad 6th century mentality when it comes to acceptance of the social realities of the 21st century. Thus, Newsweek has taken the battle to the heart of the iconography of the Christian religion and succeeded brilliantly. The surrounding text couldn't be any more vacuous ("Are you ready to eat jellyfish?") - all the focus is on the Christian icon.
Some have argued that the current issue of Newsweek is Tina Brown's response to all the criticism that Newsweek gathered from the vast right wing conspiracy from the Romney attack piece. What is the response? An equally caustic (and surprising) attack piece on the President. I say surprising because as it is clearly obvious to the most casual observer, Newsweek is easily generally described as a liberal magazine and part of the media arsenal of the even vaster leftwing nuthouse. But let's get back to the visual arts and away from politics before I start getting firebombed in the comments from both the nuts on the right and the nuts on the left.
The image of the President (just like in the Romney WIMP issue) is pleasant-enough (dude's got some big fucking ears!). He is walking away from the camera, which fits the theme of the attack article ("Hit the Road, Barack"). The positioning of the President's head (covering part of the Newsweek banner and leaving "Neek") has even resulted in charges of racism from people who read that as a codeword for the N-word (see what I mean by leftwing nuthouse?).
The text above the President's head shouts [for him] to "END THE SYRIA SLAUGHTER NOW!" clearly tying the image of the President to the USA's failure to intervene in Syria for the same reasons that we did in Libya (never mind that the vast right wing conspiracy howled over that). Even the yellow sticker text box by his watch has a subliminal message dealing with Wall Street... harsh.
Behold the power of the image married to text in three examples of a magazine desperately seeking readers. I betcha that this issue will set new sales records for Newsweek, and I am sure that by now the author of the piece (Niall Ferguson) is hiding securely in his panic room at Harvard University (where he teaches), that well-known bastion of right wing thought.
But before I let go of this visual art exploration of these covers, let me destroy the theory from the "throw the race card no matter what" idiots from the nuthouse by giving the compositional example from perhaps the most unflattering Newsweek portrait ever:
Maybe the "Queen of Rage" is also a "Neeek"? Makes my head hurt...
In other important news: the Mitt Romney Cockroach Beats Barack Obama Bug In Presidential Cockroach Derby! See the video here!
For decades now, artists have been marrying shock with representational art to gather attention to their work, and thus it is no surprise that a floundering dead tree media publication like Newsweek, which has perfected the art of the magazine cover over the decades, is now pulling all stops when it comes to a scary blend of photography, nuanced text and composition - all married to shock-producing stories - to pump up sales. I don't know if Tina Brown's strategy will work, but it is a fascinating study nonetheless.
Witness the recent Newsweek covers, all dealing with controversial subjects. In the first one, an attack piece on Republican Presidential candidate (and if he wins, the first "technically" Hispanic President), the font size of the word WIMP overwhelms the cover - and yet Romney is still presented in what I would describe as a positive image (dude's got some Osmond-sized chompers though...). The remaining text ("What triggers mass murderers" and "I was duped by...") also add a bit of subliminal vinegar to the cover.
Newsweek's portrait of Pres. Obama as "The First Gay President" is a brilliant graphic design coup. It is a modern icon with modernized ties to early Christian iconography. This is an interesting marriage (pun intended), as one could make the case that dogmatic Christians are essentially against gay marriage. Not to pick on Christians, most Muslim and orthodox Jews are also against gay marriage, perhaps reflecting the common root of all three major religions and a sad 6th century mentality when it comes to acceptance of the social realities of the 21st century. Thus, Newsweek has taken the battle to the heart of the iconography of the Christian religion and succeeded brilliantly. The surrounding text couldn't be any more vacuous ("Are you ready to eat jellyfish?") - all the focus is on the Christian icon.
Some have argued that the current issue of Newsweek is Tina Brown's response to all the criticism that Newsweek gathered from the vast right wing conspiracy from the Romney attack piece. What is the response? An equally caustic (and surprising) attack piece on the President. I say surprising because as it is clearly obvious to the most casual observer, Newsweek is easily generally described as a liberal magazine and part of the media arsenal of the even vaster leftwing nuthouse. But let's get back to the visual arts and away from politics before I start getting firebombed in the comments from both the nuts on the right and the nuts on the left.
The image of the President (just like in the Romney WIMP issue) is pleasant-enough (dude's got some big fucking ears!). He is walking away from the camera, which fits the theme of the attack article ("Hit the Road, Barack"). The positioning of the President's head (covering part of the Newsweek banner and leaving "Neek") has even resulted in charges of racism from people who read that as a codeword for the N-word (see what I mean by leftwing nuthouse?).
The text above the President's head shouts [for him] to "END THE SYRIA SLAUGHTER NOW!" clearly tying the image of the President to the USA's failure to intervene in Syria for the same reasons that we did in Libya (never mind that the vast right wing conspiracy howled over that). Even the yellow sticker text box by his watch has a subliminal message dealing with Wall Street... harsh.
Behold the power of the image married to text in three examples of a magazine desperately seeking readers. I betcha that this issue will set new sales records for Newsweek, and I am sure that by now the author of the piece (Niall Ferguson) is hiding securely in his panic room at Harvard University (where he teaches), that well-known bastion of right wing thought.
But before I let go of this visual art exploration of these covers, let me destroy the theory from the "throw the race card no matter what" idiots from the nuthouse by giving the compositional example from perhaps the most unflattering Newsweek portrait ever:
Maybe the "Queen of Rage" is also a "Neeek"? Makes my head hurt...
In other important news: the Mitt Romney Cockroach Beats Barack Obama Bug In Presidential Cockroach Derby! See the video here!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The Amazing Spidergirl
I am almost finished with this piece from the new trompe l'oeil comic book superheroes series; to review:
Update: Here's the finished piece
- Phase One: A series of duplicate watercolor panels from the comic books
- Phse Two: Change the dialogue text in the text balloons to reflect something more interesting appropriate to the scene.
- Phase Three: Insert an electronic component into the dialogue balloons, with a Powerpoint based "back and forth" dialogue between the characters.
Update: Here's the finished piece
"The Amazing Spidergirl." Trompe l'oeil watercolors and charcoal on paper. 4x6 inches. Circa 2012. |
Opportunity for Prince George's Artists
|
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
New Rockville Outdoor Art Show Opportunity
WHERE: Rockville Town Square in Rockville, MD
WHAT: Juried Fine Art and Fine Crafts Festival
WHEN: May 4 - 5, 2013
Saturday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
*Organized and managed by the Bethesda Row Arts Festival team
*Limited to 175 artists and crafters
*Estimated Attendance: 30,000
*Jury/Booth Fees: $25/$325
*Ample Parking - Metro access
*Artist amenities include hospitality for artists open entire show, ample free parking, overnight police security.
Rockville Town Square - is
a sensory delight. A popular dining and gathering place, Rockville
Town Square covers four city blocks and features more than 30 fine
shops, upscale boutiques, unique restaurants. Low-rise retail and
modern residential buildings create a very pleasing, human-scale,
town-center feel. The architecture is eclectic, ranging from art deco
to southwest to postmodern in style. Attractive brick sidewalks,
wooden and wrought-iron benches, trees and shrubbery round out the
welcoming atmosphere.
Cultural events are an
important dynamic in this affluent community on the Rockville Pike
corridor, which has the nation's highest per square foot retail sales.
Marketing
through newspapers, magazines, television, radio, web and transit is
directed to these individuals with high disposable income and interest
in art.
APPLICATIONS WILL OPEN AUGUST 27TH
APPLY VIA: www.zapplication.org
Deadline: January 20, 2013
Notification: February 8, 2013 via e-mail
Accepted Artist fees due: March 1, 2013
Email inquires to: Robin@A-RTS.org
You may also contact by telephone:
Robin Markowitz, Festival Director
301-637-5684
Monday, August 20, 2012
Thoughts on the Trawick Prize
The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards is a visual art prize produced by the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment
District (through the spectacular generosity of Ms. Carol Trawick) that honors artists from Maryland, Washington, D.C. and
Virginia. The annual juried competition awards $14,000 in prize monies
to selected artists and features the work of the finalists in a group
exhibition. The 2012 finalists and their bios are at the end of this posting.
The 2012 exhibition will be held September 1-29 at Gallery B, located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, Bethesda, MD 20814 (the former space of the Fraser Gallery). Winners will be announced September 5.
The finalists were selected by:
Dawn Gavin
Dawn Gavin was born in Bellshill, Scotland, and currently lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland. She has received a Bachelor of Arts (First Class) in Drawing and Painting, a Master of Fine Art and a Master of Science degree in Electronic Imaging from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee, Scotland. Her work investigates issues of identity and displacement, employing a range of media from collage and installed drawings to digital video. She has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally, including the Baltimore Museum of Art, The John Michael Kohler Art Centre (Sheboygen, MI), Maryland Institute College of Art, Meyerhoff Gallery (Baltimore, MD), The DCA Visual Research Centre (Dundee, Scotland), The Philadelphia Art Alliance and The Washington Project for the Arts (Washington D.C.). She is an Associate Professor in Drawing and Foundations at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Barbara Kelly Gordon
Barbara Kelly Gordon is an Associate Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian where she focuses on contemporary international art, and especially film, video and new media. She has worked on major exhibitions ranging from a retrospective of Douglas Gordon to Visual Music to The Cinema Effect, which completes a three-city tour of Spain in 2012. During the 2011-2012 season her exhibitions include Directions : Pipilotti Rist; Directions : Grazia Toderi; EMPIRE3 (with Andy Warhol); Directions: Antonio Rovaldi and Black Box shows with Hans Op de Beeck (Belgium), Larent Grasso (France), Nira Pereg (Israel), and Ali Kazma (Turkey). Gordon, who was born and raised in Washington D.C., has lectured widely on contemporary art and recently served on the jury for Emerging Italian Artists at the Strozzi Palace in Florence, Italy.
N. Elizabeth SchlatterMy picks from the finalists to win it all?: David D'Orio or Dean Kessman - both are intelligent conceptual artists who also have the rare talent to actually deliver a concrete and interesting product married to their conceptual ideas. However, usually the winner from any sort of allegedly objective art competition is determined by the biggest and most vociferous voice, and not personally knowing any of the three jurors, I don't know who's got the biggest mouth.
N. Elizabeth Schlatter is Deputy Director and Curator of Exhibitions at the University of Richmond Museums, Virginia, where she has curated more than 20 exhibitions, including recent exhibitions of art by Carl Chiarenza, Andreas Feininger, Hans Friedrich Grohs, Sue Johnson, and Fiona Ross, and the exhibitions “Art=Text=Art: Works by Contemporary Artists,” “LEADED: the Materiality and Metamorphosis of Graphite” and “Form & Story: Narration in Recent Painting.” Prior to working at the University of Richmond, she was an exhibitions project director for the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in Washington, D.C. She has a bachelor’s degree in art history from Southwestern University in Texas, and a master’s in art history from George Washington University.
Another however: since five of the eight semifinalists come from the Baltimore area, I suspect that Scotland-born Dawn Gavin had the biggest and most vociferous voice over the two Sassenachs and the odds are (once again) stacked for a Baltimore-based artist to win the Trawick.
Who then? I'm betting Lillian Bayley Hoover, a brilliant and talented painter who now officially replaces Andrew Wodzianski as the "always the maid never the bride" of the major Bethesda Up! generous art prizes.
Zhu Qi Slams Uli Sigg
Two months ago, Uli Sigg, the Swiss art collector and Switzerland’s former Ambassador to China, donated 1463 pieces of his Chinese contemporary art collection to Hong Kong’s M+ museum. The bequest, which included works by 350 artists such as Ai Weiwei and Zhang Xiaogan, initially received widespread praise. Then on June 25, the Art Critic column of the Oriental Morning Post, a Shanghai-based Chinese newspaper, slammed the affair. “The donated works aren’t worth their HK$1.3 billion ($163 million) valuation.” the columnist Zhu Qi declared. “They are mostly junk.”(Via) Check the whole story here.
Two things:
- Zhu Qi needs to read some old reviews by Blake Gopnik and Jessica Dawson in order to learn the proper snarky etiquette required to label art as "junk."
- The Oriental Morning Post clearly hasn't received the memo from the PC police and are not aware that Oriental is not a cool term to use anymore.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Volunteers for (e)merge art fair
(e)merge art fair is looking for energetic, efficient volunteers to assist with
various aspects of the fair. No
experience is necessary, but knowledge of the art field or experience with art
events is preferred. This is a valuable experience for anyone involved with
or interested in contemporary art.
(e)merge will take place at the Capitol Skyline Hotel October 4-7, 2012.
Volunteers will be invited to an orientation at the hotel prior to the event.
Whether you want to assist for a day, or for the duration of the art fair,
dedicated volunteers are essential to the success of the fair and deeply
appreciated.
If interested or have any questions please contact Irene Clouthier
at irene@emergeartfair.com
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Wanna go to an opening tonight?
August 18 - September 15, 2012
Opening Reception : August 18, 7-9 pm
Please join Hamiltonian on Saturday, August 18, 2012, from 7-9pm for the opening of their annual group exhibition new. (now). in which they will debut the work of their six new, distinguished Hamiltonian Fellows for 2012. They will introduce:
- Milana Braslavsky (MFA, University of Pennsylvania)
- Annette Isham (MFA, American University)
- Amy Boone-McCreesh (MFA, Towson University)
- Billy Friebele (MFA, Maryland Institute College of Art)
- Timothy Thompson (MFA, Maryland Institute College of Art)
- Jerry Truong (MFA, University of California, San Diego)
The 2012 Hamiltonian Fellows were
selected from a pool of over 160 promising artists who applied this
year. The External Review Panel, comprised of six acclaimed art
professionals, evaluated every applicant based on criteria including
artistic merit, relevance to today's art world, and the candidate's
potential to thrive within the fellowship program. Hamiltonian Gallery is located at 1353 U Street NW, Washington, DC, 20009. Gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 12 pm - 6 pm. The panelists were:
- Doreen Bolger - Executive Director, Baltimore Museum of Art
- Zoe Charlton - Visual Artist, Co-Director of MFA Program, American University
- Katherine Mann - Visual Artist, Hamiltonian Fellow Alumna
- Frank Hallam Day - Photographer, Addison/Ripley Fine Art
- James Rieck - Visual Artist, Professor, Corcoran College of Art + Design
- Mollie White - Show Director, Scope Art Fair
Friday, August 17, 2012
Opportunity for PG County Artists
|
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund
Deadline: September 15, 12.
The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund invites visual artists (excluding filmmakers, video artists, and performance artists) to apply for grants to enable recipients to develop their talent and concentrate on their art. Artists must be 40 years or older, and must live within 150 miles of Washington, DC. Three grants totaling $60,000 were awarded in 2011. Applications must be postmarked no later than September 15, 2011. Application forms are available for download from www.baderfund.org. Send email inquiries to grants@baderfund.org or call 202-288-4608. Please note that the Franz and Virginia Bader Fund no longer accepts slides. All images must be submitted in digital form. For details, see the application form, which may be downloaded from the Fund's website.
The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund invites visual artists (excluding filmmakers, video artists, and performance artists) to apply for grants to enable recipients to develop their talent and concentrate on their art. Artists must be 40 years or older, and must live within 150 miles of Washington, DC. Three grants totaling $60,000 were awarded in 2011. Applications must be postmarked no later than September 15, 2011. Application forms are available for download from www.baderfund.org. Send email inquiries to grants@baderfund.org or call 202-288-4608. Please note that the Franz and Virginia Bader Fund no longer accepts slides. All images must be submitted in digital form. For details, see the application form, which may be downloaded from the Fund's website.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Opportunity for Photographers
Submissions accepted: June 15–September
15, 2012.
The Center for Documentary Studies / Honickman First Book Prize in Photography is a biennial prize offering $3,000 in grant money, a solo exhibit at the Center for Documentary Studies, and most importantly, the publication of a book of photography, published by Duke University Press in association with CDS Books.
To learn more, go to firstbookprizephoto.com or send an SASE to:
CDS/THF First Book Prize in Photography
Center for Documentary Studies
1317 West Pettigrew Street
Durham, NC 27705.
Website: http://firstbookprizephoto.com
The Center for Documentary Studies / Honickman First Book Prize in Photography is a biennial prize offering $3,000 in grant money, a solo exhibit at the Center for Documentary Studies, and most importantly, the publication of a book of photography, published by Duke University Press in association with CDS Books.
To learn more, go to firstbookprizephoto.com or send an SASE to:
CDS/THF First Book Prize in Photography
Center for Documentary Studies
1317 West Pettigrew Street
Durham, NC 27705.
Website: http://firstbookprizephoto.com
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Saturday: Procedures for Ground Loss Safety
Washington Project for the Arts and the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design present Procedures for Ground Loss Safety, a performance by Sarah Levitt, taking place on Saturday, August 15, from 12pm to 5pm.
Procedures for Ground Loss Safety asks the question: What
happens if the ground has an expiration date, if the solid foundation
on top of which we've built our homes, roads, and bridges suddenly gives
way? Taking inspiration from cheery Cold War safety films from the 1950's, Sarah Levitt will demonstrate Procedures for Ground Loss Safety,
instructing the audience through movement and sound on the appropriate
steps to prepare for sudden ground loss. Exploring the idea's literal
and metaphorical potential, the artist will investigate the relationship
between the body and the ground, utilizing the Performance Bridge's
invisible floor and proximity to the White House to further amplify the
body's new relationship to eroding foundations.
Procedures for Ground Loss Safety is part of Take It to the Bridge,
a nine-week series of installations and performances taking place
through September 15 in the new Performance Bridge located inside the
Corcoran's glass entryway on 17th Street. The Performance Bridge was first constructed at the Corcoran Gallery of Art as the stage for Holly Bass's performance Moneymaker,
a seven-hour endurance work that took place on February 11, 2012,
during the final weekend of the Corcoran's landmark fall exhibition 30 Americans. For Take it to the Bridge,
eleven artists living and working in the DC-Baltimore region will
present nine installations and performances, investigating the Bridge's
physical characteristics and pushing the boundaries of this
non-traditional space to explore a variety of social, political, and
aesthetic issues. Installations will open on Wednesday and remain on
view through the following Sunday for all museum hours. Performances
will take place on Saturdays, from 10 am to 5 pm unless otherwise noted.
The first seven weeks of the series coincide with the Corcoran's Free Summer Saturdays promotion, which run from May 26 - September 1, 2012.
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