A Good Knock Off

I don't know if any one else made the comparison but it seems that this FUNCTIONAL mouth-urinal (designed after the Rolling Stones logo) reminds me of Duchamps readymade. Not sure if Duchamps has ever been made functional but I'm sure at one point it could have been.

Of course some feminists started a little uproar claiming sexism, the urinals are now in a Rolling Stones museum in Germany. Doesn't anyone have a sense of humor anymore? 

Meike van Schijndel

Marcel Duchamp - The Urinal - R. Mutt  

The Connection Point : Part 2

New Zealand illustrator, Joeseph Senior took a pop-culture "icon" and did a great mashup of other recognizable pop-culture skins. 


They are pretty awesome to say the least but it would also be pretty awesome to ask students (middle school and high school) to pick a character from popular culture and design some sort of "skin" for them. It could be a recognizable skin, like layering a Batman suit over Hello Kitty or bring in some art history and layer a painting over the skin. Juxtaposing a pop-culture figure with a classical painting skin would be cool! Making a connection to your students is one of the most important way to build trust and bonds within a classroom. Find things that are thrilling and interesting to them and making connections between contemporary visual culture and curriculum. 

Wherever You Go, Go With All Your Heart - Confucius

A huge, giant-sized heart. Created by Zhang Huan,  this 32-foot sculpture of Confucius brings more calm than one might feel when staring at a huge bearded man. Huan situates his creation in a moment of contemplation. Grand in size but the attention to detail brings it down to size. The gaze of Confucius gives delivery to whomever is in its very large presence, but I guess it is important to consider who is doing the looking. 

A Magical World

Last week I stumbled upon the Italian artist Max Papeschi. Specifically his work dealing with some extreme social commentaries. Minnie and Mickey juxtaposed against a backdrop of war and destruction, the Atomic Bomb. But don't worry, the magical cartoon characters are still smiling. 


In an interview with Papeschi he says this is nothing against America, per say, it's not too far off from what is going on in our country. If you can't relate it to how the majority of our population is acting in relation to the economy (turning a blind eye), how about the fact that Minnie and Mickey look like they are about to get hitched? Is it commenting on the way we look and deal with marriage or any kind of union?


It would be interesting to hear what art students might think of this image. 

Out With the Old in with the Rules

The most recent installment (at least at my house) of New York magazine published a how-to on making it in the art world. A set of 19 quirky yet probably true rules on how to stay afloat in today's art culture. 


A few of my favorite. 


Rule 2. Stay on trend. Isn't this a cultural norm, to go with the flow of what is hot and trendy? For instance. Things that glow neon. 

Glenn Ligon, Untitled (America).

Rule 5. Survive. Stay afloat if it's worth it to you to succeed. 


Rule 14. Be Ruthless. Do whatever you need to do, and make some money while your doing it. 


Kind of alarming when skimming through the magazine, but shows a strong stance on where art is at in our culture. And what it really means to be an artist today. 

Untitled.

With so much coming in between interpersonal relationships, whose to say the old ways still work? How do you go about introducing yourself to someone? Are you texting them or talking face to face? Did you meet them at a coffee shop or online? Do you call each other or email? Is that person getting to know YOU or the virtual version of you?

Pin Me

It has become an obsession. I check it almost as much as I check Facebook (not something I am proud of).  This website called Pinterest. A site filled to the brim with millions of beautiful images, categorized in to wonderful compartments. At my fingertips I have all the options, do I need a recipe? What about things to do with kids on a rainy day? Or even, how to lose those last 5 pounds? Everything is here, if you join and create a profile.


 The easiest way is for one of your friends who is already on Pinterest to invite you, or you can go straight to the source and request an invitation (which takes a few days). It's a community of members that appreciates beautiful things and I mean beautiful in the most liberal and all-inclusive way. Pinterest members can share pictures and comment on their own and each others visual collages. People categorize their pinboards in to themes of pictures; "Places I'd Like to Go" (travel pictures), "Make Me Laugh" (humorous pictures), "Wish List" (material objects one dotes over). The options are pretty limitless. 


I created a Pin board, in which I can go on to other boards to re-Pin, Like, and Comment on pictures that I    think are special and worthy of Pinning. I can also follow Pinners that Pin pictures that interest me frequently and hope that they will follow me in return. It's another visual platform that has stormed the Internet. 

A yummy dip

Lighting for a special night 

Beware of Artists

"Beware of artists. They mix with all classes of society and are therefore most dangerous." - Queen Victoria

It can be said that Queen Victoria understood that in all the languages it is spoken, "art through freedom of expression has power."

Bearing in mind the innumerable marketing and advertising visuals and media overload we receive on a daily basis, the creative art of crafting discourse can have a bigger influence than some may appreciate. Therefore, beware of artists and creative folk alike, we have a lot to say. 

You Must Be Kidding

Summer is almost here and (almost) every girl is thinking about their bikini body. So here is the answer girls (see below). 

This totally delusional picture has been enhanced with these easy go-to steps to getting this hot models body. Twenty to thirty minutes a day will get YOU to look like THIS. Right... 

If I were Alessandra and I saw this, I would say "you must be kidding me!" This is her life. I am sure genes play a nice role but her job is to look this good and I am sure it takes more than 30 minutes of cardio and lunges to get her body looking like this. If it doesn't, God bless her. 

But what is this showing women? This is unattainable in some ways. Yes, if you did this every day for months as well as diet and adding in a few more hours of exercise (a day) this may be a reachable goal. But in most cases, not. I still might try though!

Put Down the Paint-by-Numbers

As the school year comes to a close, testing and assessment is what is on every teachers mind. But what are we testing for? That a student can answer a question correctly and fill in a bubble…

In an article I was reading on Coexist, teachers comment on how the curriculum is paint-by-numbers class work, the notion that we are “robbing” students of their ability to problem-solve and think critically. What would happen if we asked more thought-provoking and open-ended questions? 

I know that assessment is important, and tests are fine. But the way we test doesn’t allow for accurate results. Not entirely. What kind of multiple-choice test can measure inquiry and reflection?

This has everything to do with how important art education is in schools. Teaching students how to become aware of their surroundings and how to critically approach a dialogue about it; how to work collaboratively and develop classroom relationships. These kinds of skills can identify both strengths and weaknesses while measuring classroom growth. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Who has the power today? Jose. 


It might be a little rainy out today, but who wouldn't want to be where these two happy ones are?

Up In Arms

I couldn't believe all the negative comments left on this video. Virtually berating Equinox like they were showcasing porn. Instead of feeling inspired, critics complained that the gym club was using sex to sell memberships. Eh em,  go take a look at Times Square, welcome to the 21st century. Selling sex (legally, of course) is one of the most common advertising tactics used in every kind of media. At least Equinox is doing it in a way that is supposed to inspire and encourage women; one might even say that it is showing that a woman can be in charge of her own life and sexuality while managing her lifestyle (whatever that may be). 

All I can say is good job! 

Happy Birthday Keith

Dear Mr. Haring, 


Happy Birthday. My birthday wish may not be as cool as your very own Google doodle but a little extra recognition never hurts. Thanks for all the great art and always showcasing New York City culture in the most interesting light. 


Crack is Wack 

Houston, We Have A Problem.

I feel like this year in particular the amount of celebrity deaths has hit an all time high. Or maybe they are just all catching up to me. Whatever it is, our culture sure seems interested in anyone who dies and all that surrounds it. 


Look at the late Whitney Houston, the media was thrown in to an all out frenzy with drug speculations and who is to be held responsible. They even have taken it upon themselves (the media) to keep up with her so-called drug-addicted daughter. Whatever happened to keeping the family off limits? 

A Little To The Left

Pisa to me is like how some Americans feel about Disney World … you have to go there someday. There is an idea or maybe an attraction about Pisa that makes you want to find that perfect spot, where you place your hands in the air like you are pushing the Leaning Tower of Pisa in to its rightful place. For a moment, you and only you are keeping one of history’s miracles upright.

But that romantic view changes when you look over and see a couple thousand other people doing the same thing. This has been happening to me a lot. Where the value of the sight is lessened by the amount of tourists and tourist shops that surround something like this tower. Does the aesthetic of something so beautiful depreciate with all this static going on in the world?

A little more over to the left.

Pisa is located in the Italian region of Tuscany, a few hours from Florence. As a 1-day excursion departing from Florence, Pisa is a fun field trip to take, even if it is only for the really great pictures.  I’m not trying to act like Pisa is just some ride at an amusement park, but when people think of Pisa some travelers may get discouraged by the large amount of tourists that ensue in a huge line. What some may not know is that Pisa is not just the site of the Torre di Pisa, but also a large architectural goldmine that is home to a handful of Romanesque buildings.

When you enter onto the Campo dei Miracoli or the Field of Miracles you get an amazing panoramic view of some of Western Europe’s greatest cluster of Romanesque architectural masterpieces.  When you walk on to the field, you see the Baptistery of the Cathedral.  An amazing round building constructed out of white-marble. The buildings portal or doorway has numerous carvings and sculptures that depict the life of Christ. Since the structure took 200 something years to complete, the architectural style started in the Romanesque and transitioned into the Gothic.

The Field of Miracles looking at the Baptistery.

Next is the Duomo di Pisa or the Cathedral of Pisa.  This amazing structure has a façade (outside face of the building) that has four tiers of freestanding columns and bronze paneling. The inside of the Cathedral is awe-inspiring; the ceiling is created out of 16th century wood.

The exterior of the cathedral

And finally, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of Europe’s most famous towers. It is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral.  Standing at 183-ish feet, it leans at about 4 degrees.  It is said that it wasn’t until 5 years after they built the tower in 1173 that it began to tilt.  Hundreds of years and millions of dollars have been spent trying to reverse the downward fate of the tower. Techniques that include counterweights, soil buildup, slings and concrete have helped maintain the very famous tilt. This architectural faux pas brings in over 1 million tourists each year … not all mistakes are bad.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

A Wordy Purgatory

The old saying goes “If these walls could talk” but when it comes to some university academics I am sure many professors have thought, “If these pages could talk”. Possibly tell them who really wrote this “legal brief, military-strategy assessment, poem, or lab report”? Ed Dante, the pseudo-cover for the author of The Shadow Scholar is the voice of many of the papers submitted by today’s ‘scholars’.

The come-clean article is a public confession of a man who writes custom papers for students, who for instance can’t speak proper English; this amazes me everyday as a graduate student. I have been a part of group projects where reading a classmates writing is almost as easy as reading hieroglyphics.  Another customer of Dante’s is the rich and/or Ivy League student (I am grouping these together) who is just lazy and has enough inflatable income to ask a ‘professional’ to do it for them.  This doesn’t seem to make Dante too angry, why would it? He is getting paid fairly well and increasing his own knowledge bank of random information; but for some reason it bothers me. No I wasn’t able to get into an Ivy League school, I am not bitter (not really) but what about the kids who can get into Harvard or Yale and can write their own work?

I do find it absolutely amazing at the wealth of knowledge and degree of writing this guy must have. He can write a full thesis in the time it would take me to come up with an outline.

I would like to know if Dante is just an unheard, spiteful college student who didn’t get the attention he needed from his teachers. Is he supplying millions of unauthentic words to cheating student as a way to anonymously get revenge on his own academic experience? This was a way for instant gratification as a writer, people wanted to hire him to write.

I can understand why he wants to retire though, years of typing with no author appreciation.  I am sure Dante will continue to write and hopefully get published legitimately, but what will he show on his personal resume?

Permanent Ink

I always hear, “I’m waiting until I really like something” when asking people if they want a tattoo. I guess they are waiting to identify with some piece of art or text that they feel powerful enough about to ink on their body. I know plenty of people who just add tattoos for fun and on a whim. And on the opposite spectrum are the culturally bound tattoos, generations of ritualized inking. But in all, tattoos help construct personal identity and self-expression.

Are we talking Marine’s, prison alum, gang members or what? All have been classified, as groups with heavy dosages of ink but over the year’s tattoos have become decoration for the body in an aesthetic fashion.  What about the new age of tattooing? I find it funny when I see people inked with things like math equations and barcodes. Who are they identifying with, or are they trying to tell us that this is all just a big game were playing and were just part of this commercialized society?  

People with tattoos love to identify with one another, comparing tattoos and hours under the needle. This tattoo community is one that more and more joins each day.

There are so many subcultures of tattoos; portrait, cartoon, Japanese, realism, etc., all specialties to their own. 

The Connection Point

What is the connection point these days for most kids and art?  The kid who isn’t in love with Van Gogh or Monet but art class is on their school schedule. What can the teacher do to make an interesting connection to spark some sort of bond with the student and the learning?

Each generation reinvents art in its own fashion. Because art is an act of description (in some form or another), the description will reflect the generational idea of the association being made.  I don’t think this is a strict reflection of the generations being “described” but for certain an interpretation portrayed in a language that is always in a state of transformation. 

For example, The Simspons “Remastered” by David Barton. I think this is an interesting way that an art teacher might go about demonstrating an artists’ work or the techniques that an artist might use when giving students knowledge of art history.  The connection point would be the contemporary characters of the popular sitcom. It’s a way to excite and attract some more attention of some students’ that may not be engaged in the practice of art. 

David Barton has digitally recreated a handful of The Simpsons in the styles of  famous painters. Manipulated with photoshop, Barton reworks Apu into Salvador Dalí, Homer with the brushwork of Rembrandt, Groundskeeper Willie in the style of Van Gogh and Marge asThe Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer; or in Marges’ case a necklace.

The Family That Sticks Together.

Part of living the “American dream” in today’s culture is having a family, and not just any old family, but one with hobbies.

There are so many different social platforms these days to present the world “your” social identity. But for some, that just isn’t enough. Now you can drive around town with sticker avatars of your family. There are websites that you can go to and personalize each sticker to be a mock-up of your actual family and their “important” features that “represent” them.

These stickers give you hundreds of variations to choose from in order to make a “unique” family member. *I had to include some spoofs. I can't take the real ones seriously anymore! 

The No Name Game.

This past Saturday night I went to a Jazz and Burlesque show. It was amazing to say the least. The best part of the whole experience was the intimate setting with around 15 tables of people packed in. But the good part is that every single table was different from the next (people-wise).  I know this because the “ring-leader” of the night was an ambiguous figure that goes by the name of Murray Hill.  She looked more like a he, or did he have she qualities? We will never know because Murray Hill wouldn’t tell us! S/He knew damn well we were all wondering because S/He sang a little show tune about it.

 Before the show started Murray Hill went around the room and examined each table. “Hey, you Lesbians in the corner. Welcome.” “What is this table? 8 pretty girls and a Homosexual?” ß This was our table, and yes our friend is Gay. This person Murray held nothing back and the crowd didn’t care. In fact, everyone loved it. Old, young, bisexual, transgender, black, white, Indian … everything under the sun, it was like the Census was in the room.

I never felt more of a community atmosphere than in this room. Why does the media portray people in such awkward lights? It makes a “big deal” about, maybe not knowing someone’s gender. Who cares? Why does our culture feel so compelled to name every person and object we see? 

Separation between Tebow and State.

What is religions place in sports? Apparently, it seems to have a place in the end zone. What is now known as “Tebowing” (Tim’s celebration pose — kneeling, in prayer) to hundreds of thousands of Americans, Tim Tebow has become a poster boy for football-loving Christians.   

I don’t mind that Tebow sticks to his faith, but what bothers me is when he pushes his opinions on others (non-fanatic ‘others’), using his celebrity podium. For instance, his antiabortion commercial with his mother that broadcast during the Super Bowl as well as a handful of delightfully Christian-influence Youtube videos.

Tebow claims to love Christianity like a husband would love a wife. If a sports star can give shout-outs to his wife, he is going to give shout outs to G-D! But what crosses the line when it comes to integrating religion and sports, especially when you have a HUGE fan following?

Plus, I feel bad for Sanchez. The second he makes a mistake this season a crowd of thousands is going to be chanting “TEBOW!” Ratings will go up for JETS games, whatever happened to loyalty? 

Your Semantics Smell So Sweet…

With all of these new smart phones hitting the market, it’s fun to hear about the cute glitches they each have; most importantly the ‘spell check’ function.  What better way to have a conversation these days than through text … NOT! 

Text messaging has taken the place of verbal communication. People no longer know how to carry a conversation face-to-face, but give them a phone and they could probably send a few 100 texts in an hour or so. It’s especially hindering the education of the youth (who cannot speak proper English anymore). What was once inventive spelling (non-conventional spelling of a word created by a novice reader or writer) for learning how to spell is now SMS language like “OMG and “ROFL”.

We know all this already. I want to make light of the situation by going back to the spell check function on phones like the Droid and the IPhone.

The website, damnyouautocorrect.com makes texting a visual comic strip. The site allows people like you and me to submit funny text message mess-ups, all thanks to the auto-correct function.  Most submitted texts on this site are vulgar, but regardless, hysterical. It makes texting into a visual commentary and really shows us how communication can be hindered by the slightest slip of a word.  

Let The Games Begin.

Welcome Tributes.

Whether you have read all of the books or just went along with the obsession and saw the movie, survey says, The Hunger Games (THG) are the $h*t!! You know you’re obsessed when you hear a bird and think of a Mockingjay or your too scared to finish the third book because how will you live once your finished reading the series? These are all things that I have experienced.

I loved reading these books. Even more so, I loved talking about these books with all of the other THG fanatics.   And by all the others I mean the people who have kept it on the New York Times Best Seller List for 100 consecutive weeks and the people who grossed a total of $155,000,000 its opening weekend. 

These are the 3 symbols on the cover of the novels to the series. 

What’s the premise of the book you ask? Death, destruction, corruption of government and of course love; all the beautiful things we as Americans are drawn towards.  This societal pattern seems a little dark but I guess it’s nice to read about problems bigger than your own real one’s or leave reality for a few hours at a time.  Plus, there is a huge reality television connection here, the District’s “live stream” the Games, which includes all the love affairs and the murdering!

I don’t want to forget that Suzanne Collins released this as a series of young adult novels.  Some say it’s a little violent to be released to this audience but I think it is mixed with a balancing portion of science fiction to keep it from seeming inappropriate.

Something to think of, the books are FILLED with symbolic tokens; small objects  (pins, birds, little white parachutes) that could literally spark a post-apocalyptic revolution. 

The Mockingjay pin, the new symbol of the revolution.