Fernando Botero has donated twenty-five paintings and twenty-two drawings inspired by the abuse of Iraqis imprisoned at Abu Ghraib to UC Berkeley, according to Agence France-Presse. The paintings will be housed at the university's art museum, said Kathleen Maclay, a Berkeley spokeswoman. Botero has stressed that this series is not for sale and will have a home in the United States or Baghdad.

Labels: international, Painting

Danny Lyon - At the Whitney (NYC), opens September 7
Larry Clark - At Luhring Augustine (NYC), opens September 8
Mark Stockton - At Acuna Hansen (LA), opens September 1

I've been meaning to point out this article on Lori Nix for the last month or so.

Labels: Galleries, Photography

See this as a new feature of images about art.
Maybe twice a month or so.

Labels: Your moment of ennui

I was day-dreaming this weekend and started thinking about "America" as subject matter for an artists life work.

Granted, I had just finished reading the original scroll of On The Road but still the idea of "America" as subject matter is dear to me. In my case it's more evident in my photography than my painting and I know that not every piece by an artist is about the same thing, but it struck me that even when avoiding subjects - the specter of the big "A" inevitably comes to the front for those artists.

Anyway, in my daydream, I'm talking to Allen Ginsburg about the differences between "real" and "presented" images (we were initially speaking of verite documentary style). He (AG) starts talking about Robert Frank versus Helmut Newton, and I'm like oh yeah, that's pretty obvious - until I really start to think about those newton images - especially the ultra-luxury lifestyle/sexstyle images he put together through his amazing career. I was talking on my side about Richard Prince versus Wiliam Eggleston. Later during another part of my conversation with AG I realized how wrong I was about all of this.

I will never think of Helmut Newton and think "America" but I sure do for the other three - I especially think of Richard Prince as being the quintessential image maker about "America". I know a lot of people could list a bunch of names right now and maybe they would think that they were right, maybe they are, but not to me. For a moment get past the "rephotography" and the "Pictures Group" labels and start to look at Prince's work as a startling overview of middle class dreams and aspirations. Take a moment to consider that the whole idea of a middle class is an american conceit - and lets look at the themes and images.

Cowboys, Biker Chicks, Naughty Nurses, Dirty Old Man Type Jokes and Cartoons and Muscle Cars. I become less aware of the medium for all of these ideas, because as a whole they speak in lock-step about one subject.

If you have read this blog for any length of time you will know of my fascination of RP. Recently he has been getting a ton of press (so I probably didn't need to write this), but I do think his current status is not an accident. The work has been presented in a rational and unromanticized approach from the beginning. I think being able to avoid that land mine has been possibly the hardest work Prince has done in his career. The Guggenheim has decided to show a retrospective (in my mind more of a mid-career overview) late September.

Let's talk more about this then.

Labels: Richard Prince

And here I am talking about Jack Kerouac's "On The Road". The scroll of course is the roll of paper that the first draft of "Road" was written on. You probably know the legend - here is the shorthand - three weeks, not a lot of sleep, coffee, probably drugs (most likely amphetamine of some sort). This was really an attack on the whole writing process. No "pages" just writing in a pure and thoughtless approach.

On The Road: The Original Scroll, has been published by Viking. It is different than the edited versions in the way that all early drafts are - I expect most drafts are a little bit more precious - proper spacing, serious proofreading, paragraph indention's or at least paragraph breaks. This is not to be found here. What is found is a autobiography that uses real names, and seems for the most part less aware of the writer even though the writer is also the narrator and main subject. Also the Jazz that Kerouac had so deeply in him is evident - I would not call this musical or even lyrical - but it gets close at points.

When push comes to shove - the standard things about "Road" become less evident and the larger issues of the book (in my opinion) start to shine. Forget about the restless generation stuff - the issue that comes to the forefront to me is really simple and clear. It starts to become a living document on how to live. I like the idea of "Road" as a living document.

Postnote:
With Kerouac dead a large number of artists have continued the legacy of "Road" beyond writing, here are a few:
Robert Frank, Dwight Yoakum, Bob Dylan, Gary Winnogrand, Charles Gatewood, Paul Westerburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Kienholz, and hundreds of others.

HERE DOWN ON DARK EARTH
Before we all go to heaven

VISIONS OF AMERICA
All that hitchhikin
All that railroadin
All that comin back to America


Photo from Emdot - found on Flickr, used without permission.

Labels: books

The top ten most expensive paintings of all time.

On the Mad Men site, short interviews with advertising legends like George Lois, Martin Puris, Bob Jeffrey and Joy Golden.

Gentle Reader: Please note that these two items will be the last postings on or about Factory Records for a while.

Tony Wilson, founder of Factory Records dies at 57.

Revisit the Hacienda, the legendary nightclub that became an international phenomenon and changed the face of the city (Manchester) forever.

Labels: Fontana Mix

Lee Hazelwood died at his home outside Las Vegas, after a three year struggle with cancer.

Lee Hazelwood proved himself to be one of the most ingenious, inspired and impressively stubborn people the music industry ever saw. Most famous for his work with Nancy Sinatra - he wrote and produced many of her biggest hits, including These Boots Were Made For Walking, Jackson (covered by Johnny Cash as well), and the unforgettable Some Velvet Morning.

Labels: 60's, Death, Las Vegas, music

The New York Times reports that, responding to an outcry, New York City officials on Friday backed off proposed new rules that could have forced tourists taking snapshots in Times Square and filmmakers capturing that only-in-New-York street scene. In announcing the move, officials at the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting said they would redraft the rules, intended to apply to commercial film and photography productions, to address complaints that they could be too broadly applied. They will then release the revised rules for public comment.

Labels: New York

No Video this week - it seems like that's all I've done this month...

Michelangelo Antonioni (1912-2007)
Michelangelo Antonioni, one of the most innovative and distinctive filmmakers of the twentieth century, has died at the age of ninety-four. Alongside his near contemporary Federico Fellini, Antonioni signaled a break with the Neorealist style that flourished in Italy at the end of the Second World War. His films were cool and stylized, traditionally focusing on the experiences of an alienated bourgeoisie. International success happened with the release of L'Avventura (The Adventure) in 1960. Antonioni made his English language debut with the epoch-catching London thriller Blowup in 1966.

For Me, Blowup is one of those films that holds it's own even now - and yes, it is still being ripped off by filmmakers today.

The "Ghost Marbles"
From the Illicit Cultural Property Blog:
"The New Acropolis Museum is nearing completion (it may open in 2008), and it is attempting to make a powerful statement about where the parthenon/elgin marbles belong. The museum was due to be finished in time for the summer olympics in 2004, but a number of delays have pushed back completion. It seems some of the sculptures will be displayed, while the missing pieces will have plaster copies displayed behind a gray screen."

Read the full story here

Getty to Hand Over Antiquities
The J. Paul Getty Trust agreed to hand over to Italy forty antiquities, including a statue of Aphrodite that Italian officials say was looted from Sicily, mostly settling a dispute over items in the Los Angeles museum's collection.

Monster By Mail
Get your own original & personalized 4x6 monster drawing by mail, for $20 at Monster By Mail.

Labels: Fontana Mix