March 2010

  • Arnaud Jourdain on Serge Gainsbourg via Graffiti

    By lisala on 3/31/10 8:46pm
    Add Comment

    This animation ia the work of designer Arnaud Jourdain. Jourdain has been documenting the"tribute" graffiti left on the back of the Paris home of deceased Serge Gainsbourg (April2, 1928–March 2,1991. Gainbourg is known not only for the brilliance of his French lyrics, but for the scores of over forty French films. He is, in France, as well-known as John Williams is here. Jourdain is an increasingly well-respected animation artist.

    This animation is partiuclarly interesting as it shows graffiti as art, and as an art that changes over time, and is inspired by/inspiration to, other artists.

    Read more >

  • Anish Kapoor Chosen to Build Sculpture for 2012 Olympics

    By becksta on 3/31/10 10:33am
    Add Comment

    London Olympics LogoLondon Olympics LogoWith the 2010 Olympic games barely finished, the preparation for the 2012 Olympic games in London is ongoing and seems to be hitting a more rapid pace. The London mayor announced today that  a sculpture design by Anish Kapoor has just been selected to represent the 2012 London games.

    The sculpture will be 115 meters tall and will stand in the Olympic Park. To give you an idea of how tall the sculpture will actually be, just consider the fact that it will be 22 meters higher than the Statue of Liberty.
     

    Read more >

  • WSJ Discovers That Some Knitters Are Men

    By erika on 3/29/10 11:45am
    Add Comment

    The act of knitting is not gender-specific!The act of knitting is not gender-specific!To their credit, the Wall Street Journal tries very hard to focus their story on the fact that truckers across the country are facing massive cut-backs in their work hours.  Due to reduced consumer demand, and smaller items (thus requiring fewer loads), the number of loads driven by truckers fell by 15% in 2009.  


    Read more >

  • Make an Affirmation Altar

    By sarajean on 3/24/10 7:40am
    Add Comment

    Recently I ran across this site about affirmation altars and became instantly hooked. Just look at these amazingly beautiful, inspirational creations! Every one of them is unique, handmade, and features a quotation or affirmation based on a theme.

    As awesome as they are (and affordable; they’re $20 each, which I think is fair considering the work that goes into them), they inspired me to create my own altar. While I already have a home altar set up in my bedroom, this sort of portable affirmation altar would be perfect in any room. In fact, I think each member of our household could have his or her own.

    To make an altar, just gather up some art supplies, personal items of significance, and a piece of poster board. They do make poster board that already comes in three folded sections, but for a smaller altar you can fold your own.

    Read more >

  • Giotto Frescos Re-Born Through Ultraviolet Light

    By lisala on 3/13/10 9:38pm
    Add Comment

    Italian master artist Giotto (Giotto di Bondone born 1266 and died 1337) is particularly famous for two series of frescos in honor of John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in Peruzzi Chapel in Florence's Santa Croce church. The frescoes were completed in 1320. The most famous scenes include an image of St John the Evangelist ascending to heaven, and a Roman soldier presenting the severed head of St John the Baptist on a plate to King Herod. Recently, restorers mapping and measuring the frescos for future restoration discovered that under ultraviolet light, no longer visible colors and details could be seen once again. In the image of St. John the Evangelist below, the version on the left is photographed under normal light; the image on the right is taken under ultraviolet light.

    Image credit: Discovery.comImage credit: Discovery.com

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Read more >

  • Hollis Sigler: Expect the Unexpected (Part 02)

    By cobwebsandstrange on 3/13/10 9:23pm
    Add Comment

    Highlighted by occasional pink clouds, the floating bed appears to be an hospitable place to recline. “To Kiss the Spirits: Now This is What it is Like,” from 1993, makes use of the same concept of ascension as “The Earth Grows Languid.” The earlier painting, though, substitutes a parade of women for floating furniture. As the procession climbs higher up the circular staircase, individuals sprout wings and take flight to reach whatever might await them in the ether. Either painting might count as a mediation on the impermanence of life. Sigler’s concerted effort to relate movement – and here it’s upwards – aptly displays the difference between her pre and post diagnosis work. Rapidity and uncertainty characterize these later works when examined alongside her earlier, comparatively empty canvases.

    Read more >

  • Hollis Sigler: Expect the Unexpected (Part 01)

    By cobwebsandstrange on 3/13/10 9:18pm
    Add Comment

    Being able to amble through a selection of an artist’s work that spans several decades grants viewers insight into the trajectory of a life. The fact that Hollis Sigler perpetually relates her most intimate thoughts on life and human interaction through seemingly bland, daily occurrences captured in paint makes the collection amassed for Expect the Unexpected, on display at the Chicago Cultural Center, all the more revealing.

    Read more >