Here at WU we've considered the art of a number of non-human species, including rats, otters, and horses. But not yet dogs. So it seems appropriate to give a nod to Dagger II (aka DogVinci) who's been making headlines lately as a canine artist. You can see some of his work at his Facebook page.
The only other canine artist I'm aware of is Alexis Boyar, who rose to fame back in 1974. I've got an article about Boyar over at the Museum of Hoaxes — the hoax being that Boyar won a prize in an art competition, having failed to disclose on the entry form that he was a dog.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Mar 21, 2016 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Art
Emily Binks recently won Scotland's largest art prize, the Glenfiddich Residency Award, worth £10,000, for her sculptures that consist of abandoned pieces of furniture piled on top of each other.
Her sculptures remind many of the "sofa forts" that children like to make. In fact, a representative of the award program specifically called attention to this resemblance: "Her sculptural assemblage invokes a basic fundamental of the human condition: from building dens as children to setting up homes as independent adults, we can all relate to the creation of a place to shelter and a sense of belonging."
NASA is giving away space tourism posters. NASA had the posters designed, presumably to encourage continued interest in the space program. Whatever the purpose, the posters are very cool. Check them all out at the link.
May 1999: Belgian fashion designer Maison Martin Margiela had a fashion/art exhibition at the Brooklyn Anchorage gallery in New York City in which he displayed his latest creation — mold-covered clothes. Reported Time: "The clothes were dipped in agar and treated with mold, bacteria and yeast; they were then left to develop new colors and textures (the smell is a bonus)."
In fairness to Martin Margiela, this was more art than fashion show. According to art historian Ingrid Loschek, the display "compared the natural cycle of creation and decay to the consumer cycle of buying and discarding."
The moldy clothes were burned at the end of the exhibition, since they were in such an advanced stage of decomposition that they were unfit for anyone to wear.
The title of this work is "Moje Sabz." It was created by Iranian-born artist Soheila Sokhanvari, and is currently on display at the Champagne Life exhibition in London, which is a showcase of art by women.
So what exactly is going on in the piece? Is it a horse on a bean bag? A horse with an airbag? The Saatchi Gallery explains that it's actually about "the ‘Green Movement’ uprising of 2009 [in Iran], in which violent protesters’ demonstrations lead to the annulment of a fraudulent election result."
Well, now that's pointed out, it's obvious really.
[For the record, I would LOVE to have this piece on display in my living room, though a) I couldn't afford it, and b) my wife would divorce me if I did.]
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jan 14, 2016 -
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Category: Art
New stuff from artist Jonathon Keats. He's developed what he calls a "Universal Colorblindness Test," which combines the standard colorblindness test with the new fad for adult coloring books.
He describes it as the first colorblindness test that will "adapt to each viewer’s eyesight as the viewer colors them in." He adds, "My test is the first to internalize chromatic subjectivity, ensuring equally positive test results for everybody.”
Instead of putting paint (or other material) on a canvas, Bethany Collins creates art by erasing things. Her "noise" paintings involve "laboriously writing, erasing, and then rewriting lettering in pastel or chalk... until her fingers throb."
In her "Dictionaries" series she uses an eraser to "rub away aggressively" at words and printed definitions. (For instance, she has erased the words "white," "yellow," and "black" from old Webster's dictionaries to create "colorblind dictionaries.")
And her erasure sculptures "are made from the eraser residue, which she gathers into modest piles."
Info source: Blouin Art Info. Also check out Collins' website. Her older work appears to be more traditional charcoal and pastel sketches.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 20, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Art
Created by artist Renato Garza Cervera out of leather, polyester, polyurethane foam, glass eyes, and paint. Cervera explains that rugs used to represent fierce creatures such as lions, tigers, or bears. So he decided to create rugs that show fierce creatures with more contemporary relevance.
He goes on to say that his rugs represent "Calibanization" (as in, the character Caliban from Shakespeare's The Tempest). "It's an aesthetic consideration of collective political, social and psychological mechanisms and patterns." More info: MySanAntonio.com.
Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.