Risque Produce Labels

There's a collector's market for old produce labels that decorated fruit and vegetable crates, because back in the day these labels were often quite artistic. Some of the labels were also slightly risque, because sex can sell anything, even apples and veggies.

Once cardboard boxes were introduced, these kinds of labels fell out of use.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 10, 2017 - Comments (5)
Category: Art, Advertising

Reciprocal Biomimicry Initiative

The latest from artist Jonathon Keats. He calls it the Reciprocal Biomimicry Initiative. The idea is to use human technologies to give a helping hand to various organisms stressed by environmental change, as a thank you for all the good ideas engineers have borrowed from the natural world over the years.

The exhibit is on display at Bucknell University's Samek Art Museum from March 7 to June 4.

More info: Samek Art Museum

Sex Toys for Flowers: Micro-vibrators provide titillation for flowers that have to be artificially pollinated as honeybee populations are decimated.

Urban Camouflage for Reptiles: Camouflage designed by the military for urban combat allows reptiles to elude detection in cities as urbanization overtakes their natural habitats.

Aqua Lungs for Sea Snails: A life support system allows sea snails to migrate to land when ocean acidification imperils their shells... This conceptual model shows the valves used to maintain the required microenvironment inside the snail’s shell.

Previous WU posts about Keats:

• The Universal Colorblindness Test
• Marriage via quantum entanglement
• Business School for Bacteria
• Century Camera
• Time Management
• The Art of Jonathon Keats

Posted By: Alex - Tue Mar 07, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Art

Gustav Metzger, RIP

Farewell to Gustav Metzger and his "auto-destructive art."






Here is the famous "painting" with acid.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 05, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, Twentieth Century

Blinky the Friendly Hen

April 27, 1978: Artist Jeffrey Vallance bought a frozen chicken (a Foster Farms fryer) at a supermarket and then buried it at the Los Angeles Pet Cemetery, following a brief memorial service. He also installed a grave marker for the frozen bird, naming it "Blinky the Friendly Hen." He came to think of Blinky's grave as being like the grave of the Unknown Chicken, representing "all the millions of chickens who are slaughtered and sold as food."

According to kcet.org, "Ten years later, he would have the body exhumed so an autopsy could be performed by UCLA's head of pathology. The tenth anniversary exhibit on the life of Blinky, at the Rosamund Felsen Gallery in Los Angeles, featured a 'shroud of Blinky,' and a recreation of the cemetery's viewing room, with a rubber chicken lying in state. Blinky was later reburied at the cemetery."

It seems that there were also an event to mark the 30th anniversary of Blinky's funeral. The 40th anniversary is coming up next year, so perhaps there'll be another event in Blinky's honor.

Vallance also wrote a book commemmorating Blinky.

More info: Black Acrylic blog

Bridgewater Courier-News - Nov 3, 1983

Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 03, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Art, Death, 1970s

Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 2

"Portrait Of Picasso" (1947) by Salvador Dali

Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 13, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, Russia

The Pantheon de la Guerre

What was once the world's largest painting featured 6000 identifiable real-world figures. The postcard below represents just a fragment of it.

Full story here.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 11, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Art, War, 1910s

Seagull Cinderella

My apologies to Paul for barging in on his ongoing series about "Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked," but I've found a piece that I think fits the category. It wasn't made prior to Khruschev's premiership, so it doesn't fully qualify under the category. Nevertheless, if Khruschev were still alive, I don't think he would like it.

It's the "Seagull Cinderella" by artist Donna Dobson. Also known as the "seagull with boobs."

It stirred up controversy in the summer of 2016 when it was installed on New Bedford's Seaport Art Walk. Local residents started a petition demanding its removal. This inspired a counter-petition by fans of the statue. I think the statue now has a permanent home in Maynard, MA.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 30, 2017 - Comments (7)
Category: Art

Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 1

Inspired by my earlier post about Khruschev's distaste for modern art, I am moved to launch this occasional series about modern art that was made prior to his premiership (1958) that would have likely offended him. I will focus on less-famous works.

If this is not an esoteric thread, I'm not sure what is!

In any case, we start with "Wrestler," 1929, by Dudley Talcott.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jan 25, 2017 - Comments (5)
Category: Art, 1920s, Russia

Blood Painting

In Culver City, California, artist Illma Gore is painting a canvas with human blood to protest the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump. She's working with 20 pints of blood donated by artists, musicians, and activists.



I'm sensing that weird stuff people do to protest Trump will be a prolific theme in weird news during the next four years.

More info: abc7.com

Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 13, 2017 - Comments (7)
Category: Art, Politics, Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience

Niki de Saint Phalle Gun Art

We've discussed much gun-based art here before--artists shooting themselves or other objects--but I do not believe we have yet covered this instance by Niki de Saint Phalle.

A white canvas with bags of paint concealed beneath was to be fired upon, releasing the paint in random patterns. But the project proved more intractable than anticipated.





Full story here.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 31, 2016 - Comments (2)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, Guns, 1960s