Category:
Art

Mystery Illustration 27



Which regional magazine of the fifty states decided this would be a good way to illustrate the pleasures of summer?

The answer is here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 11, 2016 - Comments (7)
Category: Art, Magazines, Regionalism, Sex Symbols, Junk Food, 1970s

Trashcan art thrown out by janitors

Recently another case made the news of a valuable piece of art thrown out by overzealous janitors at an art fair who didn't realize that the art in question was, in fact, art. (I'm pretty sure that Chuck has reported on a number of similar cases.)

In this case, the work was a sculpture by Will Kurtz titled Keep America Great Again. — valued at $8000. The janitors got confused because the sculpture featured "a raccoon next to a trash can brimming with brightly colored rubbish."

The janitors didn't throw away the raccoon — only the trash in the can.

Actress Brooke Shields, who was curating the show, realized what had happened and was able to find the missing "art" — because apparently this kind of thing had happened at the show before, and so the janitors had been trained to temporarily store all trash in clear plastic bags before disposing of it permanently.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 20, 2016 - Comments (11)
Category: Art

Giant Baby Heads



Full story here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 06, 2016 - Comments (4)
Category: Art, Babies and Toddlers

Mystery Illustration 22

image

Which very famous movie star--he flourished from the 40s right into our present millennium--is this awkward drawing supposed to represent?

Answer after the jump.






More in extended >>

Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 25, 2016 - Comments (5)
Category: Art, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Movies, 1940s, Twenty-first Century

The Anatomical Venus

image

This new book about the "Anatomical Venus" looks to be fascinatingly weird. Lots more photos at the link.





Posted By: Paul - Sat May 21, 2016 - Comments (2)
Category: Art, Body, Surgery, Women, Eighteenth Century

Art by random people approached on the street

1937: As an experiment, art teacher Helen Beach approached random people on the streets of Chicago and offered them a free 12-week art course. Among the 75 volunteers who accepted her offer were train guards, an iceman, a school teacher, postmen, a scrubwoman, and policemen. Later that year she exhibited some of the works her students created, offering them as proof that anyone, with a little training, can release their inner artist. Examples below.

Of course, there has to be some selection bias here — weeding out those whose lack of talent was beyond help.

Helen Beach



"Flannel Night Gown" by Edna Hirt, housewife



"Sunday Night Supper" by Edith Willett, Sunday-school teacher



"Indian Summer" by John Golden, dogcatcher



"Abstract of Sewing Machine" by Maude Hopkins, (no career specified)



"Typewriter" by George Prochmow, letter carrier



Image source: Newsweek - Dec 13, 1937

Posted By: Alex - Fri May 13, 2016 - Comments (7)
Category: Art, 1930s

The House of Dreams

Received an email from Mark Cersosimo:

Hi there!
Very recently I traveled to London for the first time and stumbled upon this man named Stephen Wright who’s systematically turning his home into a giant piece of artwork he calls “The House Of Dreams”.
I made a super short film about him and his home, and thought it may be of interest to you and/or your readers 😊 Would love to hear your thoughts.

Definitely WU-worthy. In fact, Wright's House of Dreams is a bit like WU itself — a collection of oddities gathered in one place over many years.


The House Of Dreams from Mark on Vimeo.

Posted By: Alex - Tue May 10, 2016 - Comments (12)
Category: Art, Movies, Documentaries

Japanese Obscenity Bust, Explained

image

Do you recall the story about the female Japanese artist who got prosecuted for making a kayak molded into the shape of her vagina?

Now she tells her own tale in a new book.



Posted By: Paul - Tue May 10, 2016 - Comments (7)
Category: Art, Law, Asia, Genitals

Live Light Show


Pigeons with LED lights attached to them flying over the East River in New York, now that's art!

Posted By: Alex - Mon May 09, 2016 - Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Art, Flight

Dartboard Jesus

The latest example of religious-themed art that's stirring up controversy — a "dartboard Jesus." It was on display at the Rutgers University library, as part of an exhibit of student art, but was taken down recently because, according to campus officials, "it did not meet Rutgers University Libraries policy, which requires art exhibitions and their pieces to be based on university events, curricular offerings and topics of interest to the university community." In other words, it became too controversial.

It reminds me of the Crucified Chicken controversy from several years ago.

More: NJ.com

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 26, 2016 - Comments (15)
Category: Art, Religion

Page 29 of 63 pages ‹ First  < 27 28 29 30 31 >  Last ›




weird universe thumbnail
Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

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.

Contact Us
Monthly Archives
November 2024 •  October 2024 •  September 2024 •  August 2024 •  July 2024 •  June 2024 •  May 2024 •  April 2024 •  March 2024 •  February 2024 •  January 2024

December 2023 •  November 2023 •  October 2023 •  September 2023 •  August 2023 •  July 2023 •  June 2023 •  May 2023 •  April 2023 •  March 2023 •  February 2023 •  January 2023

December 2022 •  November 2022 •  October 2022 •  September 2022 •  August 2022 •  July 2022 •  June 2022 •  May 2022 •  April 2022 •  March 2022 •  February 2022 •  January 2022

December 2021 •  November 2021 •  October 2021 •  September 2021 •  August 2021 •  July 2021 •  June 2021 •  May 2021 •  April 2021 •  March 2021 •  February 2021 •  January 2021

December 2020 •  November 2020 •  October 2020 •  September 2020 •  August 2020 •  July 2020 •  June 2020 •  May 2020 •  April 2020 •  March 2020 •  February 2020 •  January 2020

December 2019 •  November 2019 •  October 2019 •  September 2019 •  August 2019 •  July 2019 •  June 2019 •  May 2019 •  April 2019 •  March 2019 •  February 2019 •  January 2019

December 2018 •  November 2018 •  October 2018 •  September 2018 •  August 2018 •  July 2018 •  June 2018 •  May 2018 •  April 2018 •  March 2018 •  February 2018 •  January 2018

December 2017 •  November 2017 •  October 2017 •  September 2017 •  August 2017 •  July 2017 •  June 2017 •  May 2017 •  April 2017 •  March 2017 •  February 2017 •  January 2017

December 2016 •  November 2016 •  October 2016 •  September 2016 •  August 2016 •  July 2016 •  June 2016 •  May 2016 •  April 2016 •  March 2016 •  February 2016 •  January 2016

December 2015 •  November 2015 •  October 2015 •  September 2015 •  August 2015 •  July 2015 •  June 2015 •  May 2015 •  April 2015 •  March 2015 •  February 2015 •  January 2015

December 2014 •  November 2014 •  October 2014 •  September 2014 •  August 2014 •  July 2014 •  June 2014 •  May 2014 •  April 2014 •  March 2014 •  February 2014 •  January 2014

December 2013 •  November 2013 •  October 2013 •  September 2013 •  August 2013 •  July 2013 •  June 2013 •  May 2013 •  April 2013 •  March 2013 •  February 2013 •  January 2013

December 2012 •  November 2012 •  October 2012 •  September 2012 •  August 2012 •  July 2012 •  June 2012 •  May 2012 •  April 2012 •  March 2012 •  February 2012 •  January 2012

December 2011 •  November 2011 •  October 2011 •  September 2011 •  August 2011 •  July 2011 •  June 2011 •  May 2011 •  April 2011 •  March 2011 •  February 2011 •  January 2011

December 2010 •  November 2010 •  October 2010 •  September 2010 •  August 2010 •  July 2010 •  June 2010 •  May 2010 •  April 2010 •  March 2010 •  February 2010 •  January 2010

December 2009 •  November 2009 •  October 2009 •  September 2009 •  August 2009 •  July 2009 •  June 2009 •  May 2009 •  April 2009 •  March 2009 •  February 2009 •  January 2009

December 2008 •  November 2008 •  October 2008 •  September 2008 •  August 2008 •  July 2008 •