Life as Art

New Blog

2011-02-22T17:13:00.001-05:00

Dear Followers of this blog...I have been updating a new blog where I am cataloging my entire artistic body of works. Please check it out and follow it if you'd like! http://adamzuckercompleteworks.blogspot.com/

NEW BLOG

2010-12-14T17:20:00.004-05:00

Dear Followers, I am un-officially ending this blog(s)...I will be posting on my new blog: adamizucker.blogspot.com (ME YOU US)
and
itsabeautifulworldifyouwantit.blogspot.com/(ITS A BEAUTIFUL WORLD IF YOU WANT IT)

Please check them out and follow it if you'd like! Thanks for the support <3

May Day or Mayday?

2010-05-01T16:54:00.006-04:00

Today is May Day, a day which I would be fairly assertive that most Americans no very little about. Celebrated in many countries around the world as a national holiday celebrating the triumphs of the working person. The day arose from a bloody incident known as the Haymarket Massacre in 1886, when Chicago police fired on workers during a general strike for the eight hour day, killing several demonstrators and resulting in the deaths of several police officers, largely from friendly fire.

May Day is recognized as an important day in many countries but celebrated and reflected on best outside of America. America's policy has been against the working individual as a result of corporate corruption which resulted from the birth of industry. The Haymarket protesters were martyrs for all individuals who work to survive in an environment that marginalizes their contributions and rights. This sentiment wasn't held exclusive to Chicago or America, but it became an international movement championed by local leaders and unions who all envisioned equality and freedom for the worker. America and other industrialized nations would be nothing without its workers, the men and women who put their blood and sweat into their trade. These people are the cog in the capitalist machine, they are seen as dispensable towards the large picture, the gross domestic product. America has had a long history of abusive practices to its workers...This is a scary factor because it is the youngest of the "free" world powers. The first form of laborers were indentured servants, brought from Europe with the promise of citizenship after years of free servitude to their "sponsors." Sometimes however, they would die from the hard work and long hours before ever seeing their citizenship come to fruition. Everyone is familiar with the absurdity and madness that is slavery, a trade that was and still is a worldwide reality. However, like I said this slavery and indentured servitude is still prevalent both here and abroad. America sponsors sweat shop labor abroad but its biggest faction of indentured servitude comes from the immigrants who arrive in this country looking for the fulfillment of the "American Dream." While these immigrants are paid a minimal wage, the concept is almost synonymous to indentured servitude. Immigrants built America, they were used in the fields for agriculture and later in factories for industry. The railroads were built largely by Chinese and Irish immigrants. The immigrants worked hard and long hours for little wages and were put in dangerous life threatening conditions. Today very little has changed in this capitalist ideology. While labor laws have been past thanks in part to the Haymarket protests and other protests abroad, there is still a dangerous situation affecting the workers. Despite efforts made by unions and social activists, the domestic worker is forced to work long hours. This is even more poignant as a result of a bad economy due to Capitalism's failures. In order for a family to survive, many family members are forced to work over eight hours a day in unsavory conditions that no one deserves to ever witness and experience.

The persecution of the immigrant worker has increased and become maddening. These workers come to America with an intense work ethic. They cook our expensive food, fix our expensive cars, and clean our waste. They do all the things that the middle and upper class would never even dream of. However, these people have an insane notion that these people are ruining our economy and our safety. Arizona is the first state to take drastic audacious action against these immigrants. Their proposal for "search on suspicion" echoes the ideology of Nazi Germany where anyone suspected of being a Jew or detester for the national ideology, could be rounded up, searched and shipped off to jails which will soon resemble the ghettos in Europe during the 1940's. Arizona is unabashedly putting into practice racism and potentially allowing other racist politicians and lawmakers to follow. This country is in a state of emergency, we need to be resilient and unite because this will not stand. Join protests and marches to Arizona, storm the front lawn of the courts and legislators offices. Let the Governor know that her racism is unwanted and she needs to step down. These ignorant politicians need to be held accountable for their crimes against humanity, they can no longer get away with their schizophrenic idiocy. They don't live amongst us and they don't represent us, therefore we should not have to abide by their policy which is only in their self interest.

This May Day and beyond we must remain conscious of what makes America great, the immigrants and workers who have built and maintain this country for 400 years.

Art World Dogma pt. 1: Education

2010-04-26T21:01:00.009-04:00

Dogma is dissatisfaction. This is why institutions uphold such insane ideology, they hate themselves and thus want all of us to suffer with them. An artist should not suffer for their craft, but too often an artist will suffer for doing what they want and not adhering to what is implied for them. More criticism should be put on the art schools and Western education in a broad sense for not providing us with the best possible culture we deserve and can achieve.

Too often the education system fails its students and its faculty by limiting their frame of practice to specific objective examples. There is little range of experimentation within the confines of an undergraduate program in many disciplines. Art and Art History are two of the many subjects that have been marginalized by this form of teaching. Having students memorize slides and formulas is useless in fostering any kind of positive progression. Nothing new can be learned from rehearsing in a robotic fashion, other peoples thoughts or ideologies. This becomes especially problematic when the main point should be progress. How can there be any progress when all we are doing is reciting the past and maintaining the present? Yes we must learn about the past so that we don't make the same mistakes again, but in order to do this the past must be discussed as contemporary language addressing contemporary issues. The education system for the most part doesn't take part in this discussion. I'd like to see a drastic change in many subjective disciplines that incorporates practical experience over academic dogma. I'd like to see artists and art historians being encouraged to solve problems and raise questions that confront the status quo. I'd like to see classes being held outside the classroom and students and professors working with the community to promote the arts as a utilitarian process which focuses on the diversity of the individual. Academics need to become more accessible and burst out of their hierarchic isolated bubble to relate to society. Not everyone can learn the same way, some people can't process useless formula and memorization, nor should they have to. The problems and crisis of the world will not be solved by these factors. The truth that so many people have trouble staying in school is testament to its failures. The argument that a country has its people's best interest is absurd when it fails its people in school. Alternative education needs to be offered. The arts is the perfect area to develop this alternative process because good art focuses on communication and allows for a continuity of discourse amongst a culture. Good education should also focus on expressing all practical theory and experience into its function and studies.

This is why I think the anonymous brainchildren of the Bruce High Quality Foundation are on the right path. They have suggested an alternative to the hierarchy in both the art and the education world. By using satire and practical processes, they turned these structures upside down. Their biennial is a spoof of the overly serious biennial or mega-exhibition that is said to be the defining survey of what is going on in the artworld. The Brucennial presents an alternative view, one that is more encompassing of the hodgepodge of styles and individuals that otherwise would be forgotten. Even more practical is the BHQFU, a place that is the right alternative to a exclusive and formalist art school. There will always be artists who also express the marginalized artworld devoid of passion, so long as such an insane place exists. The ultimate end can be observed now since it has been packaged so nicely by people who are able to warp the mind of the individual. Even art has taken an obsession with Capitalism and Democracy is Education needs to be many things in order to be worthwhile but most ideally it should be free in both a monetary sense and for celebrating the individuals freedom of expression. Tests should be thrown out in many programs and replaced by "field trips" within reality or areas that go beyond the confines of a classroom. Artists should be encouraged and championed for presenting work that continues a personal discourse and expression between the artist, the viewer, and society.

The public and private educational system in America is interested in fostering Capitalists. When Capitalism fails, what will become of all those trained pawns? The real nature of education will emerge when enlightened minds are awoken or simply encouraged and given a chance to think as a valuable individual.

Legalize it Now

2010-03-28T22:51:00.008-04:00

The debate on Marijuana is clearly one sided. However the right side now must focus on a different argument from their previous one in order to drive this case home. California has been the progressive leader in the revolution of Marijuana reform and debates in America. Previous discourse has focused on the fact that Marijuana isn't the deadly gateway drug that close minded politicians and power hungry authority figures have portrayed it to be. Obviously we are learning more and more about the benefits and medical aspects that moderate use of Marijuana has. Marijuana advocates must take a different approach and if they do this well I have no doubt that Marijuana use will be just as legal as Alcohol consumption in this country. This factor is the economic impact that Marijuana legalization and regulation will have in fighting our enormous budget deficit. Marijuana is a huge cash crop in America, there is no doubt about it. If legalized and taxed in a way that would give back to the state, then the large deficit would be nearly cut in half. Prison sentences and police resources to combat Marijuana users and dealers are pointless. They cost millions of dollars a year and result in overcrowding of state and federal prisons...No one benefits on any of this.

When will the law makers get their heads out of the sand? You have to motivate them with something they believe in....MONEY! The chance to make money on such a cash crop would be more than enough of a signifier for the powers that be to consider doing the right thing with this issue. We all know that Marijuana isn't the deadly killer that our grandparents generation considered it to be. But unfortunately in order to do the right thing we need to put a price tag on this issue rather than a tag of morality. Any responsible economist would agree that Marijuana sales would provide a tremendous boost to a state's economy. The debate is generally focused on California, but can be applied to a much larger scale...We should be considering a federal legalization...Obviously.

Here are some articles with some numbers:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1884956,00.html
http://www.theunion.com/article/20100328/NEWS/100329800/1001&parentprofile=1053
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_pot_cases_tossed

I Blog Therefore I am

2010-03-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

Since the print media is going the way of the Dodo, I envision a future where all media outlets rely more heavily on the blog than actual physical medium. It is quiet possible that time honored periodicals like the NY Times also take the path of LIFE, and exist majorly online. This will no doubt save trees (and cost), but will the credibility be the same? will it be better? or will it be worse?

Media and cultural institutions often get bashed because they have a certain agenda. The media is obviously at fault for having agendas and supporting causes that are perhaps more beneficial to them for a multitude of reasons.We see how destructive it can be in the case of fringe anchors like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. People actually listen to them and bypass the whole fact checking step in the process of supporting a cause. If they did actually read multiple sources or tune into reality, then surely these TV personalities disguised as newscasters would have very little clout.

In the art world, blogging and criticism have risen to become just as essential as the artist and the artwork. I wonder why this is the case? Art criticism has always had an agenda. Whether someone champions a certain movement or art type is dependent on a multitude of things. Whether it is for personal wealth, to become famous, or for the love of the art itself, the critic is a strong voice that is often heard before the work is seen. I know people that will only go to exhibitions, shows or buy records based on positive reviews. Because reviews and blogs are so accessible many people might feel that bypassing the physical realm in order to enjoy art, music or film is no big deal. Therefore the critic becomes the harbinger of what we might consider art. The role of an art critic is fairly institutionalized in many ways. They often have an agenda and straying from such an agenda would lose credibility with the judgmental art world. even when they might no longer have the will to stand by their own words, they often suck it up and go for the long haul. Of course this causes their whole message to go stale.

Blogging is different because it contains multiple ideas in one post alone. Many times a blog post is overwhelming when it is stuffed with a barrage of images, multimedia and text. Blogging about the arts is tricky too. How does one blog stand out from another? What artists are they talking about and why? We don't know the blogger so much as we do the critic. The critic is famous and outspoken, a blogger often repeats what is already said. We all will be talking about Clement Greenberg and Jerry Saltz in the future but probably won't be talking about Perez Hilton so much in terms of historical importance. Besides a select few (mostly annoying) bloggers, the world of blogging is based solely in Internet culture. Internet culture is such a diverse and confusing environment. There is so much junk in front of our eyes but when we need to buckle down and research something more specific it is often impossible to locate. A blog isn't built for the purpose of scholarly research or discourse. It exists so that we can feel like we are contributing to the vast unknown Internet society where anyone who logs on and posts something can easily receive notoriety. On the contrary there are certain blogs that aim to promote a certain aesthetic or act as activism for a worthy cause. These blogs are often the blogs that are less known. Even Jerry Saltz has taken to the Internet to "make waves" in the art world via Facebook posts.

Is it too soon to declare the shift in our culture towards the Internet as positive or negative? I think so. However, the increase of art and cultural blogs on a daily basis is a sign that people are not going to be stopping. I hope it won't ever interfere with the way we communicate in the psychical realm. When lines get blurred it is often troubling. That said, I hope that this blog can evolve into more of a collective discourse. I know I am not one of those celebrity bloggers, nor would I want to be known for that. However, it would be nice to have intelligent discussion as a result of the ideas and writings I post.

Artists Talk on Art

2010-03-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

Figurative Expressionism: Then and Now.

On Thursday March 25th artists Jay Milder, Peter Passuntino, and Bill Barrell will be engaging in a panel discussion with curator Adam Zucker (me) for Artists Talk on Art, a series of critical discussions in the Visual Arts. All three painters come from the Second Generation of Abstract Expressionism in both Provincetown and New York City. However, unlike their abstract contemporaries they have been using the figure as the harbinger for spiritual and political expressionism. With no mainstream support they started to show their work at their own galleries and formed an artist’s collective called Rhino Horn, where they created monumental exhibitions and attracted the attention of their peers and critics. The discussion will emphasize each artist’s individual career and present a collective view on Figurative Expressionism as it began and where it is today.

ATOA's Critical Discussions in the Visual Arts are held at SOHO 20 Chelsea, 547 West 27th Street, Suite 301, NYC

Thursdays, at 7:30 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM.

Check http://www.atoa.org/ for dates and details, or call (212) 779-9250

2010-03-05T00:34:00.002-05:00

I have been updating this blog more recently because I have been out of the state and it is nice to have things to do besides sit around on the internet typing every now and then: http://www.adamzartfarts.blogspot.com/

2010-02-25T00:51:00.002-05:00

Facebook just suggested I become "a fan" of Jeff Koons...They obviously know nothing about me!

Goodnight!

2010-02-19T00:16:00.002-05:00

"I un-PCed the shit outta them!"

The Answer?

2010-02-11T15:29:00.001-05:00

Ninja: "Die Fucking Antwoord"
"What does that mean?"
Ninja: "The answer...."
"Answer to what?"
Ninja: Whatever man...Fuck"

I love seeing the evolution of a movement. Conceptual pop, rock, and hip-hop has reached a very potent level but to find good examples you often have to look outside the "Indy" circle. Die Antwoord from South Africa has used global media ("interwebs") to reach out and communicate their message which whether serious or not, has already begun to make an impact. Is this conceptual art or a clever meme marketing scheme? Who knows and does it even matter if it is the latter? There doesn't have to be an objective answer to any of this, it is semiosis at work. I find it very interesting.

Lady Gaga and the tradition of 'Pop Art'

2010-02-01T19:06:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I went with my friend Nikki to see the exhibition "Who Shot Rock and Roll" at the Brooklyn Museum. The exhibition focused on artists that are mainly white rockers and black artists that appeal to a predominantly white audience. Nonetheless it got me thinking how important visual imagery is to rock and roll. For one thing, there is lots of great fashion that has been associated to modern music. The idea that rock photography is synonymous to fashion photography is a major thesis that curator Gail Buckland argues in the exhibition catalog. But more than that there is something that a live performance has in common with a great painting, which is the energy and emotion the musician is expressing at the time the photograph was taken. Unlike a staged fashion shoot, this can't be replicated again.

This point was made even stronger when I watched (rather streamed specific performances) the Grammy's. I am officially admitting that I am impressed with Lady Gaga as an artist and performer. I hope she continues to explore the medium of fine art in her almost generic sounding pop music. I hope that she even pushes the boundaries more and makes more risky and even poignant statements with her persona. Like Bowie, Madonna, and the immortal Klaus Nomi (whose music is much better), Gaga is the next generation of artists who have found a way to turn contemporary culture upside down while remaining largely popular. They are offering a re-examination of what we have considered to be popular culture.

While the majority of fans will completely miss the point, I feel that Gaga (like those unique artists before), is making a statement. The fact that her work is mainstream and accessible to everyone is important when the fine art world tends to be so private and noninclusive.

Lady Gaga at the 52nd Annual Grammy's:

Klaus Nomi singing 'Nomi Song' on French TV:

David Bowie sings 'The Man Who Sold the World' ft. Klaus Nomi on SNL

The Nomi Song - Nomi Performs Set With David Bowie on Saturday Night Live | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

Madonna "Express yourself don't repress yourself"

2010-01-27T22:21:00.002-05:00

Saying god bless America is really progressive....not.

In Memoriam

2010-01-27T21:45:00.000-05:00

Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010)

Art Farts

2010-01-25T17:31:00.003-05:00

I have created another blog which will showcase my art world ADD. It is called Art Farts. If you enjoy reading this blog then please follow Art Farts.

An American Paradox

2010-01-21T18:07:00.002-05:00

"An American Paradox" indeed: In a survey of attitudes toward artists in the U.S. a vast majority of Americans, 96%, said they were greatly inspired by various kinds of art and highly value art in their lives and communities. But the data suggests a strange paradox.

"While Americans value art, the end product, they do not value what artists do. Only 27% of respondents believe that artists contribute "a lot" to the good of society."

It is obviously clear that he days of art for the people is long gone as far as mainstream American culture is concerned. What can American artists do to close this gap and gain the trust or acceptance of the people? This will be the test that will ultimately put the good artists against the bad ones.

Throughout Art History there have been collectives and movements that were focused solely on the people. However, in America the art world focuses mainly on popular aesthetics and capital market value, rather than artwork that seeks to enrich the human race. Mexico, on the other hand, has always seen an important connection between artists and the population. This is exemplified in the progression from the great Muralists like Orozco and Siqueiros in the 30's to the current graffiti collective ASARO. In Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, and Argentina, you will find some of the most amazing contemporary artwork by artists you will (probably) never hear about in the United States. The majority of these artists are making Street Art, which is often temporary and definitely hard to make into a commodity (although most notably in America and the U.K. artists have taken their spray cans into galleries and onto canvases, which they sell for thousands of dollars). Artists from these countries have one very powerful thing in common. Their art is revered by the people because their art is a dialog that is expressed and common to both the creator and the viewer...They aren't driven by Capitalist ideology or an unregulated and inflated art market/economy.

American artists had the correct kind of mentality in the past. During the late 50's, Figurative Expressionists in the East Coast brought together their probing of individuality with a greater concern and hope for all of human nature. Long after Abstract Expressionism became superseded by the next mainstream modes, Pop Art and Minimalism; the powerfully humanistic art making of Figurative Expressionism was kept alive by the Rhino Horn group. These artists were creating poignant political figurative art for the people in the 60's and 70's. They were and still remain Expressionists whose work isn't concerned with being pretty, hip or stylish (although Jay Milder has been noted by art critic Robert C. Morgan to have Influenced Basquiat). Today the artists Jay Milder, Bill Barrell and Peter Passuntino have continued to be quintessential painters. Their artwork isn't concerned with popular aesthetics or popular Western ideology. These artists are Americans who are concerned with achieving a deep global connection for the progression of the collective human race.

If Americans are to have a greater understanding and respect for American artists, the status quo must change! We need to focus the attention from artists who just care about the dollar to the artists that care about the people! We need democracy, for the arts and for everything else.

Fall From Grace

2010-01-19T23:02:00.005-05:00

I recant my previous claim...Maybe Hirst doesn't have the longevity that Warhol has. Art critic and writer Jonathan Jones from the UK Guardian has taken a vow never to write about Hirst again. No PR is the only bad PR. I have a love and hate relationship with Hirst. More appropriately a like/hate, because I dare am not taken back by anything Hirst has done. I have to admit that his paintings drew me in at first glance. I had written about their conceptual and figurative significance. But upon closer examination I feel that the paintings, like the rest of Hirst's work is ultimately based around pretentious ideas that he forces us to consider as art. Hirst is an interesting individual but ultimately I think that his ideas are greater than his art and both of those things are getting played out. The same goes for the generation of artists who stand for nothing. They stand by their materialistic yearning. They remove the artists' hand in creating massive idolatry in praise of the art market god. Good painting and good art is rarely a mainstream thing.

I am also done with Damien Hirst (until he provides means for a more positive investigation into his artistic abilities).... I will only be mentioning artists that are continuously worthy of merit from here on in.

Food, Glorious Food

2010-01-19T14:38:00.009-05:00

This weekend was the opening for Food, Glorious Food. It is the first show I curated at the Wespac Space, which is a space operated by the Wespac foundation. Wespac is a humanistic grassroots political organization. They support local projects like our art and music shows so please visit their site and get involved in thinking locally and acting globally!

The Wespac Space is an alternative space in Westchester, New York (located at 255 Dr. Martin Luther King BLVD in White Plains). Our mission is to give local and under represented artists the chance to show in a gallery. Many suburban artists don't have the resources or connections to make it in the cut throat scene in NYC. Many of the artists in the show are recent graduates of art schools like SUNY Purchase or SVA, and others are self taught. There is also an established artist named Beverly Shipko,who shows with OK Harris. This is the first of many curatorial efforts by myself at this location. I envision local curators being able to submit proposals and work as a collective with me in the near future. So please come on down to the space and see the exhibition which will run until the 14th of February (with a closing reception on the 13th). The opening was intimate because I hadn't gotten the press release out in time. But nonetheless it was an amazing time had by all! You can relive the amazing night through pictures:

(from L to R) Visitors check out the installation. The desserts (Christine Camacho's Conehead, Owl Sundae, Cinnamon Bun, and Cupcake; Beverly Shipko's Oreo in Three Pieces; Jessica Emerson's Sugar Rush). Next we have a red velvet palette cake by Christine Camacho. Alex Miritello's Strawberries, Kristen Goehringer's Untitled and Untitled. Where is the beef you ask? It is in Alana Integlio's United States of America. Next are some photographs: Alex Miritello's Sheep, Tomatoes, Poultry Women, Fish Bones; Anonymous's Nugget Farm USA; and Adam Zucker's (aka me) Fish Fry. Finally we get to the end of the wall and: Brian Galderisi's Food Series; Adam Zucker's Vegatable Supreme Pizza Pie; Deana Camacho's Divine Sausage; Yancey Guthrie Winch's GMO1; Carissa Baldino's Oranges. The next image is of the middle of the wall and: Adam Zucker's Burger Monsters sitting above Carissa Baldino's Oranges.

Then came the bands at around 8pm. First was the prog-rock indie group 1974 from CT.
Next was the high octane art-punk duo in Easter Vomit from all over NYC. And then came Westchester's punk/dance/funk gods,the Genuine Imitations.

At the end of the night we ate the art!

I hate you

2010-01-16T02:00:00.001-05:00

Why couldn't a massive earthquake hit Rush Limbaugh? That fat ass probably has his own fault line.

The New News is the Old News

2010-01-13T20:53:00.003-05:00

Whoop Dee Do. More billionaires buying Warhol's and Klimt's, while many great modernist painters are left in the dust.

2010-01-12T15:50:00.002-05:00

Gravestone Generator

Soon to be replaced by (insert generic boutique store)!

The Philosopher, Andy Warhol

2010-01-08T17:01:00.011-05:00

Adam Zucker, Andy, Acrylic on canvas 2008

Was Andy Warhol a true master artist? Many consider him to be the most important artist of the latter 20th century. Or is he a grossly overrated individual who was good at manipulating people and getting it on with the "in crowd?" Its 2010 and still (rather) new articles and ideas are surfacing regarding the career of Warhol. In the article “Top of the Pops” in the New Yorker, Louis Menand dissects Warhol, Pop art, and philosophy.

Pop Art ultimately was the last modernist movement to investigate the nature of art itself. The artist's ideas and biography became more important than their soulful expression and imagination. While I disagree that Pop Art was a progressive evolutionary track in art, I will say that Warhol was a fine conceptualist. His ideas for art did influence a greater audience than ever before in the course of modern Art History; however distorted it all was and has become. Warhol is known to many as a brand and not an artist. This is what he considered to be his greatest philosophical take on art, the dehumanization of the artist. Today that brand name continues with the highly materialized mainstream artwork most notably seen in galleries and institutions.

Facts

2010-01-03T04:02:00.012-05:00

Self Help:
Results 1 - 10 of about 319,000,000 for how to get people to read your blog. (0.17 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 82,700,000 for how to love yourself. (0.10 seconds)

A successful blog is more important than loving yourself.

Community Building:
Results 1 - 10 of about 171,000,000 for how to raise a good child. (0.33 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 217,000,000 for how to build a good facebook profile. (0.25 seconds)

Constructing the perfect profile on face book is more ideal than constructing the perfect child.

Solving Problems:
Results 1 - 10 of about 368,000,000 for how to help people in need. (0.24 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 188,000,000 for how to make money online. (0.31 seconds)

Making money online is free, easy and more worthwhile than helping people in need.

Health:
Results 1 - 10 of about 64,300,000 for how to fix your iphone. (0.28 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 39,700,000 for how to fix your marriage. (0.30 seconds)

Who needs a relationship when you have technology?

People:
Results 1 - 10 of about 958,000 for Damien hirst. (0.26 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 2,160,000 for sully sullenberger. (0.37 seconds)

Pulling of a perfect emergency landing of a commercial Jet plane in the Hudson River and saving the lives of every passenger, takes more skill than putting 8,601 flawless diamonds on a skull.

History:
Results 1 - 10 of about 9,830,000 for the holocaust [definition]. (0.23 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 13,800,000 for tiger woods affair. (0.08 seconds)

Tiger Wood's affair was far more tragic than the holocaust. Never forget the wrongs of the past, so that they shall not be repeated.

Art:
Results 1 - 10 of about 200,000,000 for jesus [definition]. (0.08 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,190,000,000 for art [definition]. (0.16 seconds)

Art is greater than Jesus.

On to the Next One?

2010-01-02T18:57:00.009-05:00

How many contemporary art references can you find in this video?

Interesting connections (it is up to us to figure out their relevance...if any) are being made here...All this information: aesthetics, mass media, and hip-hop attitude being brought together is the direction that art and culture has been treading on. So is it really on to the next one, or nothing but a G thang?

It is interesting that Jay-Z references Hirst and Koons and other "post-modern" contemporary artists. In an effort to "reinvent" hip-hop (just as Koons and Hirst seek to re-invent art), we are given the same old thing, just repackaged in an almost clever way. Just as Koons and Hirst make art that proves they only care about themselves (and their materialistic values), Jay Z makes songs that prove he only cares about himself.

But I guess since art is subjective, it is up to the individual consumer to decide what they choose to accept as worthwhile...Here is where I let out a sigh.

The Best of Times and the Worst of Times: 2000-2010

2009-12-28T15:00:00.018-05:00

Contemporary life is full of databases. Lets end the first decade of the ZEROS with a few lists to put things in some form of context.

Lets get really broad to start....Here is the list of THE BEST MOMENTS OF THE DECADE:
1) The world not ending.
2) Same sex weddings legalized in many countries in Europe and a few states in North America. The recognizing of "same sex unions" in countries like Israel and Australia. And the proposal to recognize same sex marriage in Mexico City in the new year.
3) Current TV.
4) George W. Bush and his regime stepping down and leaving Washington.
5) Obama's presidential victory.
6) Medical marijuana.
7) Proposed tax on soda and junk food.
8) Wikipedia
9) The blogging revolution
10) Good friends and good fun!

THE WORST MOMENTS OF THE DECADE:
1) All the genocides in East Asia and Africa that still receive no mainstream attention.
2) George W. Bush and his Regime.
3) Dumb celebrity "news" and dumb celebrities.
4) Reality TV becoming the only thing on TV. Other than Fox News...which shares this #4 slot.
5) Israel vs. Palestine (the never ending saga).
6) India vs. Pakistan (the never ending saga).
7) September 11th, 2001.
8) "Operation Iraqi Freedom."
9) Democrats and Republicans in the senate.
10) Corporate corruption and Ponzi schemes.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2009:
The death of Micheal Jackson.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS OF 2009:
"Health Care Reform."
The New York Mets
Obama's first year.

THE BEST FINE ART EXHIBITIONS OF THE DECADE:
1) Mathew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle
2) Basquiat at the Brooklyn Museum.
3) Gilbert and George at the Brooklyn Museum.
4) Sailing to Byzantium: The Art of Tony Vevers.
5) Expressionismo: Jay Milder, at the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
6) The Pictures Generation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
7) Irving Kriesberg: Early to Recent at Lori Bookstein Fine Art.
8) Search for the Unicorn: Paintings by Jan Müller and Bob Thompson at Lori Bookstein Fine Art.
9) Out of the Fifties - Into the Sixties: Six Figurative Expressionists at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery.
10) Vintage Provincetown:Exhibition of Jules Aarons Photography at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum.
11) Reinventing Ritual at the Jewish Museum.
12) Arctic Hysteria: New Art from Finland at P.S.1.
13) WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution at P.S.1.
14) Robert Williams: Conceptual Realism at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery.
15) Robert Beauchamp: Animalia at ACME Fine Arts.
16) Francis Bacon: A Century Retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
17) Louise Bourgeois Retrospective at the Guggenheim.
18) Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective at The Museum of Modern Art.
19) Robert Frank: The Americans at the National Gallery and the Met.
20) Hyman Bloom: A Spiritual Embrace at Yeshiva University.

BEST ALBUMS OF THE DECADE:
1) Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light
2) The Moldy Peaches - The Moldy Peaches
3) Klaus Nomi - Za Bakdaz (The Unfinished Opera)
4) Kimya Dawson - Remember That I Love You
5) Opeth - Blackwater Park
6) Wire - Object 47
7) MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
8) Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta!
9) Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
10) Kimya Dawson - Hidden Vagenda
11) Adam Green - Jacket Full of Danger
12) Blonde Redhead - 23
13) Busdriver - Fear of a Black Tangent
14) Bloodbath - The Fathomless Mastery
15) TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
16) Melvins - Nude With Boots
17) Melta Banana - Cell-Scape
18) Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1
19) Radiation 4 - Wonderland
20) Cynic - Traced in Air
Honorable mention:
Sparks - Lil Beethoven

BEST MOVIES OF THE DECADE
1) Me You and Everyone We Know
2) Little Miss Sunshine
3) Wall-E
4) Ichi the Killer
5) Gozu
6) The Nomi Song
7) Whatever Works
8) Into the Wild
9) Milk
10) District 9
11) Fahrenheit 9/11
12) Pan's Labyrinth
13) Amores Perros
14) The Wrestler
15) Oldboy
16) American Splender
17) 21 Grams
18) Diving Bell and the Butterfly
19) Requiem for a Dream
20) Royal Tenenbaums

Things to look forward to in the next decade?

My curatorial endeavors!
And traveling the world to include a more diverse list for 2020!
and is world peace too much to ask?

Holiday Art for the Holiday Spirit

2009-12-25T19:51:00.010-05:00

What kind of art historian would I be without making a connection between art history and the holiday season?

In the spirit of Hanukkah we have two very spiritual expressionists, Hyman Bloom and Jay Milder. Both artists reflect the teachings of Theosophy, a doctrine that combines religious philosophy with metaphysics to search for a greater experience for all humanity. Both Bloom and Milder use the physicality of paint to explore the natural and spiritual realms.

Hyman Bloom, immigrated to Boston from a tiny Orthodox village in Latvia, where he met the artist Jack Levine. Both artists were recruited by Karl Zerbe to exhibit in a movement known as Boston Expressionism. Bloom soon rose to fame with his emotive paintings of Rabbis, synagogues, ghosts, and demons; only to fade into obscurity when Abstract Expressionism came to the center of the art world.
Hyman Bloom
The Synagogue
1940
Oil on canvas
The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Jay Milder is a second generation Abstract Expressionist (or Figurative Expressionist), who used the figure as a harbinger of spiritual yearning and individual energy. Milder developed his style during the fifties in New York City and Provincetown, Massachusetts. He was one of the founding artists in the Rhino Horn group, which became an important influence on Neo-Expressionist painters like Basquiat. Milder's art has gone through many fantastic periods, but his use of biblical imagery and kabbalistic geometry, and chakra color, remains consistent.
Jay Milder
Jacob's Ladder 15
1966
Oil on Canvas
24" x 24"

For Christmas here is a great Figurative Expressionist scene of the nativity. This work of art provides a new perspective on what institutionalized Christianity had become. Bob Thompson was an American master painter who was also part of the Figurative Expressionist movement in Provincetown and NYC. Much like his Jazz musician friends, Thompson appropriated existing modes of art (Old master paintings for Thompson) by improvising on form and expression.

Bob Thompson
The Nativity, 1963
oil on canvas
84 1/2" x 60"
From Michael Rosenfeld Fine Art's exhibition: Bob Thompson: Meteor in a Black Hat
November 11, 2005 - January 7, 2006 (Purchase catalog)

As for Kwanzaa, all these works of art (or any of us) wouldn't have existed if not for Africa!

2009-12-25T15:57:00.005-05:00

I want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays.
Happy belated Hanukkah to all my Jews! Hope you had eight great nights with friends and family. And to my lovely Christian friends. Merry Xmas. Have a wonderful happy and healthy day! Hope your spending it with good company. If not I am around! Give a Jew a challah!

P.S.

I also would like to include a Merry Xmas for converts and Jews for Jesus (even though I will never understand the latter!).

P.P.S. Even though no one talks about Kwanzaa (possibly because Hallmark hasn't marketed it well), it starts tomorrow. So to all my African American friends, Happy Kwanzaa!

To everyone: Be good to each other and give to those in need! ALL YEAR 'ROUND!

Tis the Season pt. 2

2009-12-23T18:46:00.005-05:00

Tis the Season to give, but not to those gays!

Every year those obnoxious bells fill the cold stale NYC air. The streets are decked with bows of holly and packed with consumers feverishly racing to get their last minute shopping done. The jingling bells are accompanied by often boisterous pleas to "help those in need."

The reality of the matter is the Salvation Army is one of the least helpful "charities" to those in need. That is if you factor in the idea that homosexuals are in need. The Salvation Army doesn't, and they have been very aggressive in seeing that these people don't receive the same rights as everyone else. I applaud the fact that the Salvation Army does raise billions of dollars and helps millions in need. But who are these millions? It completely hypocritical (and not charitable) for an organization whose "mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination," to in fact discriminate.

Well now it makes sense. They are basing their humanitarian efforts on the teachings of a person that possibly never existed. The Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian charity...And we all know how "god hates fags" (And also Lady Gaga, but that is another story altogether.)

Everyone has their own idea of what charity is, but just for a blatant clarification I googled the definition of charity on Merriam-Webster. We see that the first result is the "love of humanity." Hating any single person or group of people (for no good reason) is not showing a love of humanity, or any kind of benevolent goodwill.

Take those bells and shove it up your asses!

Mensch Maschine

2009-12-23T00:42:00.006-05:00

Replacing a computer part or getting it repaired, is like going to the doctors for an ache or pain. Smart phones are your brain .

Public option on health care and tech care?

Transformation

2009-12-20T16:08:00.006-05:00

This blog is nearly a year old and understandably a lot has happened since I started writing here. Looking back at my early posts I found myself laughing out loud at how angsty I must have sounded at times. But then again, what I had written was heartfelt and everyone is entitled to change their opinion.

I refer most specifically to my posts about religion most specifically. In the beginning I must have sounded like a Dawkins-eque atheist, declaring as Nietzsche did "God is Dead!"
I am definitely not a Satanist or an atheist. I will never give myself any religious label. I do find these often misunderstood philosophies interesting. Anton LaVey was if nothing else, an important philosopher. I still won't say that I believe in god, but I am definitely a spiritual person. I do feel there is a higher level of existence that can be reached through personal enlightenment. It is up to each of us to find that enlightenment. We are definitely not getting it through following sheepishly, the many misguided institutions that call themselves religious organizations. Each of us has the potential to be god like.

Then there is politics, and if you look back in the blog archives, my first post was an open letter to a newly elected Obama. Like the majority of the people I spoke to, we are dissatisfied with the job our elected officials are doing for our country. If these same people worked in any of the jobs the majority of hard working Americans did, they'd be fired for lack of production. I don't consider myself a Democrat or Republican. I think that the two party system has always been a joke, and now the senate has fully become the theater of the absurd. I hope these "educated" people get themselves in gear in the New Year. We really need reform in this country. Mr. President, don't back down and weaken your stance to satisfy old grumpy men who don't care about anything but their bank accounts and summer homes in the Hamptons. I was, like many people happy that Obama was elected over McCain and his horrible dark joke for Vice President. However, I am beginning to think that Obama is just another great speaker with no means for acting upon what he says. I hope that in the next 3 years he proves me wrong. If not, then nothing has changed from the Bush Regime.

My thoughts about art have generally remained the same. They have gotten more informed as I become more involved in the art scene, but I still champion the fight to wrong the art world's naive mistakes. Too many great artists and movements have been ignored by Art Historians and the influence that the commercial art market has over everything. There is a lot of work to be done but I have faith in a group of young and feisty art historians and curators to get the job done! I will support my friends and colleagues in their ambitious endeavors and I hope that they will in turn support me in mine!

I will be very busy in 2010 working on an exhibition catalog, selecting artwork, and putting together what will be the first museum exhibition of my career. While this is exciting, I have to admit that I don't know what the future will have in store for both myself and my work. I can only say that I will never give up and I will increase the great strides I have already taken.

I am glad that 2009 is coming to an end. Time to focus on making things better!

Much love and thank you for continuing to read this blog!

2009-12-18T00:26:00.002-05:00

The healthcare bill is an Obamanation.

Race, Gender, Politics, and Art History

2009-12-07T21:10:00.009-05:00

In the recent issue of ARTnews the feature is all about female artists. If you have been following recent art news you are already aware of the conflict between art critic Jerry Saltz and The Museum of Modern Art. Saltz points out that while MoMA has a large collection of women artists, only 4% of the work hanging in the galleries represents female artists. While the argument Saltz makes is very worthy, it is not just female artists who have been pushed aside.

Lets face it, Western Art History (which is recognized as simply "Art History") has been recorded, by the powers that be, and really should be called "The History of White Male Artists." With the exception of Georgia O'Keefe and Frida Kahlo, most casual art viewers (those who haven't studied art history or don't read up on art) probably couldn't create a list of important female artists. With the exception of Basquiat, many might not be able to recognize the prolific contribution of African American or black artists. Diego Rivera and Frida might be world renowned, but the majority of their Mexican contemporaries have been ignored.

Why does art history ignore many great artists in its survey? I can hypothesize on many possible reasons. The first is that in order to include some of these left out artists, the whole canon of art history would have to change. This obviously would become a very daunting and tedious task for those who publish the art history books. The second is that writing about some of these artists and their relevancy might change the perspective of what previously has been written. Women are footnotes in Dada and Surrealism, when in fact artists like Meret Oppenheim, Hannah Hoch, Sophie Taeuber, and Beatrice Wood, all have legitimate reasons to be considered just as great as their male contemporaries. But who would dare to upstage Dali and Duchamp!?

Many times art history and politics coincide. For example, until recently, the Mexican Muralists received little attention in American museums. MoMA's creation of a (small) Mexican Modernist gallery is a good start, however much more work remains to be done. Many people aren't even aware of the influence these Mexican Modernists had on the Abstract Expressionists. Without the artistic contributions that were coming out of Mexico City in the 1930's, there would arguably be no relevant progression in Modern Art. The reason for these artists not being given the proper historical context is clearly because they expressed Marxist views. These concepts were a direct contrast to the American ideology and practice of Capitalism, and it even became a fatal subject during the Cold War. Many of the American Figurative Expressionists (a movement worthy of the same praise as the Abstract wing of Expressionism) were left out because they challenged the mainstream canon of Abstract Expressionism, which had become part of bourgeois ideology. In reality the Figurative Expressionists were far more revolutionary, and expressed poignant critique of the human condition. Their oft harsh and gritty paintings were too much for a culture who adopted a hip aesthetic (the smooth perfection of Pop Art and Minimalism) in the 1960's. Black artists have never received their fair dues in the history of art. Great black artists and artworks have existed in the Western world for centuries. They have been part of the same popular canons throughout art history. However, apart from Jacob Lawrence and Jean-Michel Basquiat, there are too few "house hold names." Critics also enjoy referring to the work of black artists as "primitive," even when it is clear that the artists intent is far deeper.
Feminism is often portrayed in a way that makes it seem like a movement that was full of contempt and angst. Critics have degraded women by saying that their art is sexually explicit and crosses the line into pornography. In the 70's and 80's both female and gay artists were under attack for using their bodies and beliefs as a cause for personal artistic expression. Art history makes homosexuality and gender issues seem and feel taboo, when in reality they are not.

Why vilify and mock these progressive geniuses? Is it to cover up the fact that there is an obvious mistreatment and disparity in art? Many people go to a museum and are unaware of this prejudice. They are just conditioned to accept what is in front of them as history. I guarantee that many of you don't even question what is presented to you in reality. You have come to accept that the greatest artists in history happen to be Da Vinci, Van Goh, Monet, Picasso, Pollock, Warhol, Koons, Hirst...ect, ect. And after all, one can never argue with history, because it is all true and based on fact...The fact that a rich white man probably wrote it!

Shock Attack

2009-12-06T20:31:00.004-05:00

Sutapa Biswas, Housewives with Steak-Knives, 1985.
Oil, acrylic, and pastel on paper,mounted on canvas
96 x 108 inches.

Art has been the subject of a great debate most recently in local news. Now the Neuberger Museum at Suny Purchase is being asked by some Hindu leaders to remove a "controversial" painting by the artist Suptapa Biswas that is in the most recent exhibition "British Subjects: Identity and Self-Fashioning 1967-2009." "Housewives with Steak Knives" depicts the Hindu goddess Kali (destroyer of evil or goddess of time and change) wielding a knife while dressed in contemporary female garb. When looking at other artistic depictions of Kali it would seem that for hundreds of years artists have interpreted the deity in many ways and most of them draw similar comparisons to Biswas' piece.

Kali is often shown triumphant over her challenger. This is usually the form of Shiva, the supreme god. Hindu deities are often paradoxical and rather subjective in their intent or meaning. This can be true of almost all religious iconography. As culture and . This latest controversy brings to mind the anger and misunderstanding of artwork like Andres Serrano's Piss Christ (1987) and Chris Ofili's The Holy Virgin Mary (1996). Both works of art drew harsh criticism from Catholics (and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani). However they ultimately triumphed because art is widely (and truthfully) regarded as an expression of the artist. With exception to forms of commercial illustration and graphic design, interpretations of fine art will vary from one viewer to another. It is therefore unlikely that we truly can understand the artists' true intent for creating the work. That is unless they actually come forward to tell us.

While many saw "Piss Christ" as a horrible blaspheming attack on Christianity, a consecrated nun and art historian named Sister Wendy Beckett, saw "Piss Christ," in a more symbolic light. She said that she views the work as: "what we have done to Christ" - that is, the way contemporary society has come to regard Christ and the values he represents.
A contrasting interpretation for "The Holy Virgin Mary is that Elephant dung is seen as a metaphor for fertility and by placing it on . As critic Jerry Salz points out in an article for Aesthetica Magazine:

"Ofili is a serious artist but he's also playful and ironic. His paintings discharge as much psychic energy as they generate; they create a temporary feedback loop of perpetual metaphysical motion. Those exasperated by his Holy Virgin Mary may be responding not to the dung but to the Africanization of an icon, the hybridization of a face that has almost always and only been white."

Might the fact that "Housewives with Steak Knives was created by an Indian women be the real reason for the anger expressed by some Hindu authority figures? After all, one can interpret that Hinduism restricts the roles women can have in society based on the Laws of Manu.

The painting and the relevance of Kali in a modern progressive era is best said by the author of Hindu Blog. I believe that we need to get over our traditional roots if in fact they are old fashion and regressive. If religion wants to be taken seriously in the 21st century it must keep up with the times.

Irving Kriesberg 1919-2009

2009-11-29T22:53:00.005-05:00

I had been meeting with the artist Irving Kriesberg for nearly a year and developed both a great personal and professional bond with the artist. Irving died at home in his studio on November 11th. Here is a link to a tribute to Irving I wrote.

Tis the Season pt. 1

2009-11-29T21:35:00.004-05:00

It seems that during the holiday season the powers that be cram our subconscious with depressing memories and thoughts juxtaposed with those movies that have a consumer driven agenda. I was enjoying a rare night of watching television with good friends and we ended up watching two movies that I'd be hard pressed to call uplifting. I figured that since many of us had some time off this week (too much time in my opinion) we couldn't escape the urge to sit back, do nothing and waste away in front of the tube. Doesn't that sound like the beginnings of a happy and healthy holiday?

The first movie was Arnofsky's The Wrestler. This was one of the best movies I saw the year it came out in the theaters. Reliving that experience was just as sad as I remembered it being a year ago. I was crying at the exact same moments again. The movie is a constant series of unfortunate and even tragic events that occur simultaneously throughout the life of one particular individual and extends to those he connects with. I feel like this is true for a majority of people that I know and that are living in the world today. The reality of this is even more depressing than any movie or work of art can express. During the holiday season it is hard to keep happy when you have to work multiple jobs to support your family, or have recently been laid off and can't find work. Many people are also going through what The Ram suffered throughout the film and become addicted to drugs. I know that it is tempting to drink a lot and perhaps take some pills or smoke some grass to escape the harshness of reality but more often than not these forms of relief become a bigger problem than what it was in the world you were avoiding. And finally the greatest false hope that the holiday season always portrays is driven home when watching this movie and seeing the bigger picture. That hope is portrayed as the happy family living the "American Dream." There is no such thing as the "American Dream," in a capitalist society. Randy the Ram had it all at one point, the money the fame and a family. However we don't see any of this throughout the movie we only see heartbreaking glimpses into the glorious past of a "broken down piece of meat."

The second movie was Across the Universe, that Beatles musical adventure. For the most part I think this is a good movie. I really enjoy the visuals in many numbers especially the Bread and Puppet theater inspired protest and circus numbers. However this movie more importantly touches home on a number of issues. The struggle of an artist as seen by the character Jude, Sadie (Janis Joplin anyone?) and the Hendrix-esque Jo-Jo, all hit home for me. I have been an artist (first and foremost) trying to find inspiration in the concrete jungle (more like a graveyard these days) of New York City. Relationships are tough, we all know that. And sometimes it is hard when the other person changes or you yourself change and things are not the same "feel good" lovey dovey feelings that begin many relationships. This also kinda hit home when watching the back and forth dynamics of Jude and Lucy. However I still have yet to find a true happy ending when talking 'bout love. When it does come I hope it is as magical and mystical as the movies make it seem. However I'll take whatever works because I rarely see this fiction romance in reality. So many friends of mine end up in awful situations with their significant others and it is upsetting to see people "in love" actually being unhappy and trapped...In reality they are alone. Ultimately this movie reminds us that everything is cyclical: life, death, love, hate, war, peace, imperialism (which never goes away), greed, selflessness, and so on and so on (but more of the same shit different day).

Let the holiday season begin I say! To those who I love and care about know that I am always here for you! To everyone else let the same statement be true. It is always appropriate and necessary to reach out a helping hand to those who are struggling to get by. I think there is a Beatles song that wraps this feeling up somehow..."I get by with a little help from my friends."

More to come! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and relaxed at home with a full belly while the morons trampled through the malls.

Expression

2009-11-09T00:19:00.001-05:00

You can create your best work now, or you could have created it at six years old or you could create it at sixty...But I tend to think that you will be happy and create amazing work just as soon as you become inspired.

The Best Art Movie Ever.

2009-10-27T16:11:00.010-04:00

Basquiat the movie is one of the best biopics ever made. It is without a doubt the best major film about an artist. Since director, writer and artist, Julian Schnabel was a close friend to the late painter I think we got one of the most sentimental and whimsical looks into Jean-Michel Basquiat's life. Schnabel cast an amazing group of actors for this film. Dennis Hopper (a rather good visual artist himself), got the accent and likeness of Bruno Bischofberger, David Bowie playing his friend Andy Warhol is the best portrayal of the original "King of Pop," and Jeffery Wright's inspired performance of JMB is nothing short of absolutely brilliant (he should have been nominated for the academy award).

Basquiat exhibited the talent and expression that should have placed him with some of the greatest painters in the 20th century. When you look at Basquiat's work it is hard to believe that the artist was so young. Although his career was cut short at 28 after painting consistently for eight years, his vast body of work proves his devotion to painting. While some people naively write off the artist as being a primitive junkie who was easily manipulated by the art market, Basquiat was a prodigy. He was the voice of his generation in the eighties, where being young and black was previously ignored throughout the art scene.

Throughout the movie, we see JMB's frustration and contempt for mainstream white America. He is carefully watched by clerks, like the one in the caviar shop who checks the bill Basquiat hands him. He is treated with contempt by the white businessmen in the fancy restaurant where he confidentially picks up their tab. In the wonderful interview scene with Christopher Walken playing the newsman, we see that racist degradation that many media outlets were subjecting Basquiat to. However Basquiat plays it cool, or rather is himself throughout the entire process.

Even if he was manipulated by some of his dealers, patrons, and contemporary artists, Basquiat never let his fame dictate his painting. His work remained an expression of his identity and history, his work is personal and that is why it can never become a "period piece." (critic Robert Hughes grossly overlooks the significance of JMB in his book "American Visions") There is always the need for a "bad boy" in the art world. When modernism first bagan there was Gauguin, Whistler, and Van Gogh. Today there are Damien Hirst, Andress Serano and R. Crumb. JMB was not just a "bad boy" he was an exile of the art world, he never wanted to assign any labels to himself or his work. Today he is one of the most imitated painters among art school painters, while Basquiat never went to art school.

Nancy Spero, 1926 - October 18, 2009

2009-10-19T14:53:00.014-04:00

The art world endured a great loss today as Nancy Spero passed away in New York City. Spero was a Figurative artist who often collaborated with the Figurative Expressionist Leon Golub. The two had met in Chicago and were married for nearly fifty years and their love of art combined with the importance of self awareness made their work stand apart from the popular Abstract Expressionist mode of the fifties. But Spero was a complete individual, her work showed profound interest in narrative figuration that expressed the important role of an artist as a harbinger of the human condition. She is also an important female artist and one of the great individual voices for representing the concerns, achievements and documentation of women throughout history. Powerful constructs like Torture of Women (1985-89), Fertility (1986), War (1986), Protagonists (1989), and Female Symbols I (1981), raise the awareness for the unequal treatment of women and express in an epic way, women's contributions and importance that makes them seperate (to men) but equal as all humans should be.

See Spero on PBS Art:21 segment

Images below (Torutre of Women, Female Symbols I, Fertility, War, and Protagonists:

We Are Mountain Men

2009-10-05T22:08:00.010-04:00

The setting is Green Ridge State Forrest in Western Maryland. We are three men in our mid-twenties living in three different metropolises, with great expectations. We all brought our own expertise to the table, we are intellectual, humanistic and overly progressive. Each of us strives to be the best and had been working tirelessly at achieving long lasting success. However this weekend, it was time to leave the stress from the daily grind and venture into the wilderness where we would find respite. We thought that perhaps we'd learn a thing or two about ourselves, and in the end we did. I learned that a ten mile hike through rough terrain was completely within my grasps. As we meandered through the lush Forrest it became necessary to think only about the task at hand. Survival. If one of us made a wrong turn or lost focus it would be detrimental. We ended up camping far off the blatant trail and made a a fire pit and a raging fire with twigs and dry leaves as well as small branches from fallen trees. The majority of which took place in the dark since we decided not to bring any real luxuries, just certain essentials like a propane burner, a lighter and some instant prepared meals...And of course a bottle of whiskey.... The feeling that creating something we take for granted every day was exhilarating. The feeling of the burning in my calves and back is a reward for a job well done.

We were mountain men. We are men.

Museum Autobiography

2009-09-22T19:59:00.003-04:00

My earliest museum experiences started at an early age, when I was about 5 years old. Living in New York (Westchester County) and having a very energetic and cultured family, I was fortunate to have visited the many museums both locally and in the City. While my first encounter with a museum resulted over 20 years ago, it must have had a lasting impression on me, because I have always found solace, nostalgia, and thrills visiting museums to this day.
The first museum I had gone to was the Museum of Natural History, with my Mother and my Grandparents. To this day I feel that such a museum is apt for any youngster’s first museum encounter. The sheer size of the museum suggested to me that this was something of immense importance housed inside the neo-classical façade. I remember being both intimidated and fascinated, however the latter emotion would completely take over once inside. I was rapidly fascinated by the size of objects in relevance to myself. At first glance I couldn’t separate reality from fiction. I had thought and remarked that the objects such as the animal taxidermy and sculpted Native Americans were real. When I was told that they were only renditions of reality or historical non-fiction, I was completely enthralled by how much consideration had been placed on presenting a realistic sense of display.
The second museum I had gone to was the Manhattan Children’s Museum. At the time they had an exhibition on forensics, studying how crimes are solved, but it was the exhibition on bugs on which I would spend hours in. I remember never wanting to leave, there was so much to see and do. The interactive and educational experiences became a great factor in my school education where I would relate what I saw and did to my studies. Throughout my early childhood trips to various children’s museums, The Smithsonian and the Hudson River Museum, whose planetarium fascinated my visual and auditory senses, would be constant highlights of my childhood.
It wasn’t until I got a little older that I enjoyed works of art as much as the archeological and interactive installations. Although two early artistic revelations came from the Museum of Modern Art’s interactive color wheel and an installation by Red Groom’s (Red Groom’s bookstore) at the Hudson River Museum. I think the reasons for this was because I could tell that a painting wasn’t in fact real but I had a hard time separating reality from the museum taxidermy and dioramic installations at the history and science museums. Originally I had only appreciated the sections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that had the mummies and the fantastic examples of pyramids and ancient structures of the early Mesopotamian and Asian civilizations. Once I began to appreciate paintings and sculpture I spent countless hours looking at works by Renaissance painters and became mesmerized by the salon style galleries of 18th and 19th century European paintings. My first favorite painter was Rembrandt, so it was vital being so close to the Metropolitan Museum and getting to stand in front of the Dutch Master’s dark and moody canvases.
My mother’s side of the family came from various artistic backgrounds. While there were no professional artists in my family, my Grandfather’s father was an antique dealer who restored, created and collected fantastic pieces of 18th century furniture. It was very important to my mother and grandparents that I be exposed to various cultures at an early age. My brother who was just an infant during these early museum adventures had a different experience. I recall his restlessness and desire to leave these institutions. It has taken him a while but more recently he has taken an interest in the positive social aspects of art museums. Being so close to MoMA (he works at Rockefeller Plaza) he has made various trips to the Museum in recent months.
I am proud of my early beginnings and interests in museums. It has led me to a deep profound love of art, history and global culture. I know that I want to make museums are part of my career and I know that I want to become both a museum curator and educator. I know that I made the right decision in attending City College’s Museum Studies program. Through this program I am learning to think both artistically and critically, my writing and proposals have vastly improved, and I have begun to develop a great list of contacts.

The Product

2009-09-15T21:33:00.014-04:00

So, I thought that if I make blanket statements it would attract attention. And it did. Well not on here because so few people actually know about this. On twitter I posted the same message I wrote below: Kanye West hates white people (hates was added for drama). I received a barrage of replies both positive and negative. So in a way I achieved what Kanye achieves on a constant basis. But I did so mockingly. Obviously.

I know that Kanye West doesn't "hate white people," or anyone for that matter. Stating something without positive evidence beyond a reasonable doubt is pure idiocy. That is why I don't believe that Kanye's comments were driven by anything other than his own ego.

Kanye West is a product. He is a brand. MTV, VH1, the print and television media, have brought this item to the masses and the people bought it. This is a perfect example of the collective ideologies that are often misrepresented in popular society. Most people can't think for themselves, they rely on these various sources to tell them what to do, what to buy and how to behave. Without thinking about it they are consuming. This uniformed consumerism is a definite downfall to civilization. People become to comfortable with their status qou and they will unknowingly let various outside sources take control and take advantage of their lives.

Why do we like Kanye West? does it have any sort of power to activate or inform our youth? I don't really know, I am not an avid listener or supporter of this type of hip-hop. I do know that generally these songs are about fitting a certain ideology, money, power, sex, and belonging. The last part is positive. Looking at some of Kanye's lyrics it would seem that occasionally he addresses the importance of belonging to a group, people you can relate to. However how many people can relate to Kanye West? The answer is very few. Kanye is just like us, human. Despite what he might be projecting in some of his lyrics and more obviously in the public eye, Kanye West is just like us. He isn't fooling me, but he is fooling millions of American sheep. People are buying into absolute consumer mentality, you have to dress a certain way, listen to certain music, watch specific television programming and movies, and read certain news, (TMZ, Fox News, ect...) in order to be an American. When you leave this country or go to remote places in the world you get a much different perspective. America has warped it's identity (the American Dream), we are less and less about the individual and more and more about the collective mainstream whole.

We need to take back our individuality, our spirit and our minds. We need to find solutions for ourselves and then we can find solutions for the greater picture. These results go hand in hand. Don't lose yourself to the corporations, the institutions and the people who want you to be something your not.

2009-09-15T15:37:00.003-04:00

Kanye West doesn't care about white people.

Oi Vey

2009-09-15T04:34:00.002-04:00

Im a little faklempt, talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: Outdoor smoking ban: healthy progression or fascist overtaking?

Glenn Beck Wants My Job

2009-09-14T18:11:00.006-04:00

See this video for yourself and then proceed to act shocked, confused, and even enraged at the insanity of this man's rants. Glenn Beck The Art Historian

So Beck is using an attack against progressive "propaganda" to project his own regressive propaganda? I am going to need a lot of Tylenol to keep up with this man. Beck needs to review certain terms like propaganda and he needs to take a look into the history of art.

HITLER WOULD NOT HAVE LIKED RIVERA'S ART. NOR WOULD MAO and STALIN (if you recall they had a cultural revolution, similar ideals to what Beck is preaching). If this painting had been created for a building of the third Reich, it would have been destroyed, burned and Rivera would be sent to a death camp. The part that Beck leaves out (or misinterprets) is that Rockerfeller removed this painting just as fast as he premiered it. He shamed Rivera and paid him thousands of dollars to stop painting the mural on his building. This outcome obviously produced no lasting product for his building, there was nothing to gain other than the fact that he stood up for his own ideals. Rockerfeller lost big, but Beck presumes that he was creating a "progressive" and even socialist movement that spawned from his building's architecture and artwork. This couldn't be further from the truth. Even further embarrassment comes when Beck alleges this art has something to do with Obama and today's "progressives."

Huh?

Mr. Beck you are the Fascist here. You are proposing that we degrade and destroy artwork because you decided that it somehow ties into today's progressive politics. Please stop and think before you rant and ruin great cultural artifacts and history. If you can't do this, kindly remove yourself from national television.

In other related news I have a new found appreciation for Keith Olberman, his response is by far the wittiest. He wins.

Lets Go America!

2009-09-08T21:39:00.001-04:00

Public option or bust. Reform means not appeasing those who hate progress. Lets make America a progressive nation. Too all you scumbags in Washington who oppose social-cultural reform: get your old, stiff, money hungry hands off my country!

What I Learned From Washington D.C.

2009-09-08T18:24:00.004-04:00

The capital city may seem clean and the downtown streets are devoid of the garbage so visibly seen in New York, but I was still very suspect. Sure enough I saw it, in Dupont Circle (a rather nice part of town) a HUGE rat. This rat rivaled New York's monster rats, it was about the size of a football. So yes, I am here to report first hand that New York's bad rep for it's rats is not unique or a fair judgment. One can also make the argument that D.C. is full of human sized rats in flesh tone guise.

Another thing that bothered me was the fact that they are so proud of the cleanliness. I mean sure its great to be sanitary but to boast that their subways are free of artwork and street performers doesn't strike me as a winning statement. What is great to me about New York is the abundance of subway art and performers. Its nice to come out of work, class or a meeting and have some moderately talented individual entertain you while your waiting for the rush hour train. Sitting in the metro station in D.C. made me feel like I was in an institution. I guess that is ultimately the vibe that I get from the capital city.

There is not much nightlife around the touristy parts and the federal buildings. This is perfectly expected. There is a great diverse scene in the areas north of the Central city. Adams Morgan was by far the most cultural and interesting. Bar hopping alone will bring you a spectrum of people, white, black, hispanic, European, American, Middle-Easterm, Asian, gay, and straight. There is something for all in this section. The streets, clubs, cafes and bars were filled with characters more eager to strike up a conversation with you. It was one of the more exciting and rewarding environments I have been around.

D.C. to me is important more for its arts and music than anything else. The museums are generally free and substantially cheaper than New York and Boston. The artwork is incredible. I simply couldn't chose which museums to cram into our trip and I will certainly be making return visits to see them all. The National Gallery is a great museum, the East wing is devoted to modern art and their collection includes numerous Picasso's (from his earlier periods), DeBuffet, wonderful cut-outs by Matisse, and a special exhibition of Phillip Guston which had shown his shift from abstraction towards the figure. The West Wing has a great collection of paintings and sculpture from 13th-19th century Europe and a nice collection of early American painting.

The ultimate contribution is not politics, we all know that more often then not big time politics and it's institutions can be more a manipulative game than a socially progressive cause; but rather music. Washington D.C. had the opportunity to change the course of modern music and it set the foundation for the underground sounds that are made today. Take a look back at any DIY movement of the 1980's that is still strong today and you will find more than a hand full of bands that had originated in D.C.

Hardcore had it's best roots in New York City, SoCal, and Washington D.C. Each location produced it's own unique voice that reflected the social-cultural environment. It was a great honor to have hung out with Miguel and Yancey, both are deeply involved in the community music scene. Yancey was there when everything went down, he experienced it first hand and pointed out some places where it happened.

So I look forward to returning to D.C. but not to experience the corrupt and institutionalized history that is forced fed through kitschy landmarks and monuments (not referring to all. I do respect some of the architecture a la Washington Monument and of course I respect the memorials for the fallen soldiers); I look forward to discovering more of the REAL side to D.C. The PEOPLES side!

And there are still about five great and FREE museums to see!

2009-09-08T01:24:00.001-04:00

Taxation without representation.

Just as I post a blog about Hirst being Hirst...Here he goes again!

2009-09-05T00:28:00.003-04:00

http://www.thelmagazine.com/TheMeasure/archives/2009/09/04/dont-fuck-with-damien-hirst-and-his-half-a-million-dollars-pencils

Evolution of Damien Hirst

2009-09-04T23:16:00.008-04:00

Damien Hirst's Human Skull In Space (the cover of the commemorative edition of Darwin's Origin of Species)

So art's bad boy Damien Hirst has returned to the studio and without the help of his assistants is creating artwork but more importantly (as he might like it) controversy. The choice for the cover of Darwin's commemorative edition of Origin of Species has been the source of many angry bloggers and art critics lashing out against Hirst...Like almost everything else regarding the mainstream art world: what else is new?

Hirst has come full circle, in his return to painting, we see the common themes that helped make Hirst the richest and most famous living artist. In the painting Human Skull In Space (Oil on Canvas), Hirst recycles subject matter that he is well known and probably branded for in his oeuvre. The dots bring to mind his early abstractions, the ashtray was an early post-minimalist construct, and of course the skull is indicative of Vanitas paintings of the Old Flemish Masters but more importantly (in a post-modern conceptual context) it recalls the reason the masses heard of Damien Hirst....For The Love of God.

Does this work support the survival of the fittest or is it a conceptual degradation of society? The painting to me is very indicative of a modernized stance on Darwin's theory of evolution. Hirst has championed themes of life and death and nature in almost all of his works so it doesn't surprise me to hear that Darwin is an influence in his work. What makes both these figures analogous is the no fear attitude regarding their work. Darwin never flinched from his stance when critics mocked his research, Hirst has never regressed from similar critical backlashes regarding his art. In fact to me it is that brashness and attitude that makes Hirst successful. Hirst's greatest impact comes from his statements and then trickles down to some of his concepts. In the latest ArtNews, Hirst's dialog with Murikami and Richard Prince show his philosophical side, which translates into a very brash and crude dialog on the Human Condition. He brings up simple but timeless themes in his artwork like life and death, good versus evil, hot and cold, love, sex, death, desire. He is in tuned with religion and science, all signs point to an individual who is a progressive thinker.

Certainly Hirst is one of the fittest. His survival in the art world is on par with Andy Warhol, although Warhol has a couple more decades on him. However Hirst shows no signs of slowing down. And he is doing it all in a time where the art world has completely changed. In the Post-Modern era when art and ideas struggle for relevance, Hirst has crossed boundaries and styles, creating art that is a direct result and consequence of being alive and realizing the importance of life.

I have to admit, I like Hirst's return to painting. These new works come as a huge relief. Its nice to see that an artist can still paint figuratively and conceptually while still maintaining a high profile. Even if they aren't the most technically stunning works.

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Untitled

2009-08-31T23:34:00.002-04:00

It's really strange getting dressed in the morning just to sit around the house all day.

Tribute

2009-07-05T17:48:00.007-04:00

In the past 18 months I lost all my grandparents. While today we mourned the loss of my Grandma Mary, I saw it more as a celebration of a woman who made the lives of everyone she came across greater. I had the great privilege to grow up with such an amazing set grandparents. They were always there for me when I was a child. My grandparents were as important to my upbringing as my parents. I just want to take a moment to reflect upon each of my four grandparents, and express my gratitude for their selflessness towards everyone and their undeniable love for their family.

My grandpa Arthur for whom I am named after died just months before I was born. He was my father's dad and he was the only one of my grandparents to die an untimely death (around his 50's). From the stories that I heard growing up I always felt that there was a great part missing from my childhood because I never got to experience having him around. He was a great father and even though I never got to know him he did impact my life. By being such an important influence in my father and uncle's lives, he passed onto them the knowledge and experiences of fatherhood. To this I know that me my brother and two cousins are very fortunate.

My grandpa Sydney passed away a year and a half ago. Although he lived a longer life than most people ever do, his death was still something that I wished wouldn't have happened just then. While I love everyone equally, my grandpa was the biggest role model I have had. He was a second father to me. Him and my grandma Mary were always there to take care of me when I was sick and my parents had to work. Through my grandpa I inherited his wonderful charm and love for being alive. I never known him to be self centered. In fact he put everyone before himself all the time. His love for my grandma was unconditional, it was the perfect storybook romance and it lasted for 67 years! When they were apart because he was drafted to WW2, he would write her the most beautiful and romantic poetry. He was an amazing father to my mother and aunt. Even when he reached his early 90's he was doing things for them. He was always going out of his way to lend a hand for a family member, a friend or even a complete stranger. This is a trait that I am proud to say was passed down onto me. Up till the very end he was a fighter, a lover, a father, a grandfather and a friend. Words can't begin to express the admiration I have for Sydney Winnick.

Even though her husband had died an untimely death, my grandma Annette had a lot to look forward to. For the next decade there would be four grandchildren born. My grandma was a very important influence while I was growing up. Some of my fondest childhood memories came from visiting her in Queens. It was through my grandma that I developed a love for entertaining people. She was always turning me onto the theater, music, and late night television. Everytime she drove we'd listen to showtunes. I used to look forward to her sleepovers at my house, it was just like a friend being over. We would stay up late and watch TGIF and classic movies and we'd play cards and dominos till we fell asleep. She was a very devoted Grandmother and it hurt me to see her so upset after she sold the house and moved into a home. The last few years I still enjoyed the visits although they were less frequent and much shorter. My grandmother had her wits about her until the very end and I valued every conversation we ever had.

Today was my Grandma Mary's funeral. The service was beautiful and was a reminder of just how much an impact she left in this world. Everyone who she came in contact with would walk away with a smile and a new friend. She won the heart of my grandpa at first sight and their love was strengthened each and everyday for 67 years. When they were apart it was very hard on everyone. Like my grandpa, she devoted her life to helping others. She was a workaholic and retired in her 70's. She taught and volunteered in public schools were there was a great need for mentors. My grandmother was a mentor to many underprivileged kids. She was also a mentor to my brother and I. She helped make cookies for our class parties and lent an artistic touch to school projects. I never saw anything but a smile on her face. Even when she was in pain she'd be more concerned with other peoples troubles. She always asked what she could do for me or my brother and still mothered my aunt and mom till the very end. She went above and beyond her duties as a parent and grandparent and forever changed the lives of the people she knew for the very best.

I will miss them all and honor them by living vivaciously, selflessly, and as brilliantly as they lived their own.

Art Fought the Law...

2009-06-23T17:40:00.008-04:00

Once again street art is in the news and again it gets a negative perspective from the media. Authorities keep getting it wrong and unfortunately it looks like they will never learn. When Shepard Fairey was arrested in Boston months ago the authorities tried to make a bigger stink then it was in reality. It becomes a political game of cat and mouse and this aint no Tom and Jerry shtick. In that case according to many friends of Fairey and The Wooster Collective, the Police were trying to embarrass the mayor of Boston who had cut back on police funding (proposal of a one year wage freeze). I won't go into it, the article by Wooster Collective more then suffices.

The latest victim is an artist from North Carolina, arrested for creating a "sculpture" from those orange traffic barrels used everywhere in the world. While this sculpture might have diverted traffic due to the amazing aesthetic value it presented, it caused no psychical or financial harm. Police have to much time on their hands if they are seriously making a case for prosecuting Joseph Carnevale, a young college student and part time construction worker. Unlike most of Fairey's graphic design appropriations, I really enjoy Carnevale's work. The young artist has a history of taking found objects from urban environments, which in turn interact with its surroundings. This latest sculpture seemed to resemble a monster trying to hitch a ride from a passerby. The best part of all of this is that the construction company has offered to commission for the artist to make a new one! There is a difference between what Carnevale did and the destructive tagging done by street thugs on public buildings (unless the typography is amazing, or the style is carefully constructed, most tagging is done by people with no artistic intention).

In this case it seems that when art fought the law and the law won. However I hope for society and cultures sake they drop the ridiculous charges on Joseph Carnevale and put him inside a gallery and not a court room.

Kill Your TV

2009-06-23T00:24:00.006-04:00

Who gives a shit!? Why do I watch TV if that is the only question I seem to be asking? This new show on Comedy Central Tosh. O or something gets all its material from the internet. Thats what our society has come down to...I am kinda glad that I don't spend hours in my day on Youtube like I did in college. I have grown up...Most of young America hasn't apparently. The latest waste of time are the deadbeat parents Jon and Kate. Stop watching and they will go away! These people are obviously horrible human beings who only had kids to exploit them. Its terrible to think about all the parents who can't have kids for physical reasons, and they have to hear about this stupid bullshit on the news? And how is this news altogether?

The one thing I don't understand is are these reality TV stars celebrities? With reality TV taking up almost 95% of television programing theses days (I am just pulling that number out of my ass but seriously every channel has at least one reality TV show now) these "normal" people are on the screen more then the people who read from a script. Although I am sure that the validity of these shows is suspect and most of what really takes place is off camera. So here is my question to you people who watch this shit: Are you bored with your lives? Seriously do you need to live vicariously through the douche bag yuppies on the Real World because you can't make your own friends? If you want to be rich and selfish like the horrible and disgusting women on the Real Housewives series, then stop watching television and go out and use people. Is your job so boring that you fantasize about being a celebrity dog groomer (one of the dumbest ideas yet), an ice road trucker, a sea shepherd, or a deep sea fisherman? Why do we feel the need to watch other people do their jobs, while the majority of us don't want to do ours?

Kill your TV!

Adam the Art Critic

2009-05-14T20:12:00.002-04:00

Well I have been busy writing again. I am sorry my dear blog that I have forsaken you. If your interested in what I have been doing, I am writing art reviews...http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/index.php

Local Art Legend

2009-05-07T16:35:00.004-04:00

Allen M. Hart, Violinist, 2007, Oil on canvas

A little late. This event happened towards the end of April...However in a few weeks there will be some great artwork shown in Westchester, NY. I will be focusing on the local art scene in the upcoming posts. Being an artist who does most of my work in suburbia (because NYC apartments are too small), this topic has great significance to me.

The annual Rivertown Arts Open studios happen once a year (this was the 16th year), and for the last two years I have visited the studio of Allen M. Hart. Hart’s studio is in an old riverfront building in Dobbs Ferry, New York, with a fantastic view of the palisades and the river. Mr. Hart has been painting for over sixty years and his latest paintings look just as brilliant as his first. In fact they are even more alive with intense color and moving gesture. My favorite paintings by Hart are his monumental series of anti-war canvases, “The Orchestra of the Damned.” These oil paintings create a paradox between something beautiful like music and something terrible and bestial like war. Anti-War painting becomes even more powerful when it is full of emotional expression. The gestural strokes that come from the artist’s hand are reflective of his consciousness and being. They are an outlet for his angst and a journey into irony and absurdity. Everyone who is conscious of our world will feel something from Allen’s artwork.

The technique that Hart applies to his painting is indicative of expressionism and action painting influences. He started out in the fifties when painting in America was shifting to abstraction. Hart never painted abstractly but his figures have the same gestural expression and energy as the artists who did. While he doesn’t have any personal links to the second-generation Abstract Expressionists, his work is stylistically comparable. The thick-caked layers of oils make the canvases look heavy, and the figures project a sense of his figuration being alive. Besides the paintings there are the works on paper. These are mixed media constructions with very personal and symbolic imagery. These works are indicative of medieval illuminations, Bosch, Goya and Durer. Most remarkably, Mr. Hart has an archive of book art he has been creating for many years and continues making them today. There are cabinets and shelves that are filled with handmade books. These books are the visual equivalent of a personal journal for the artist to record his thoughts and experiences. Collage and newspaper clippings are accompanied by images, illustrative of a narrative or event. Throughout the eight disastrous years George W. Bush has been in power, images of burlesque and morbidity are frequent in his books. Wounded veterans, grotesque elephants, animals and figureheads in yearning and despair are all attributed to the prevailing human condition.

Mr. Hart is a wealth of information for many facets of life. He is a very knowledgeable teacher of art, a historian, a theologian, and a sharp and informed man regarding socio-political happenings. His experience makes him more then a viable source for almost anything art-related and he is more then happy to engage in conversation with anyone who seeks his insight. A very particular and careful notion of Allen M. Hart’s experience is his evolution and metamorphosis. Flipping through a binder of archival prints, I noticed that Mr. Hart is very interested in addressing age. Age can be a very sensitive subject, but its unavoidable and vital for our existence. Coming to terms with the fact that we are all getting older is hard. Things that we used to be able to do like walk freely and hear well might become a hardship in the aging process. This is a source of Mr. Hart’s expression. He has been making expressionistic self-portraits since he began his career in the early fifties. The artist pays tremendous attention to every detail and change that occurred on his face during his transformation from youth to the present. His self-portraits are documentaries show the artists most personal side. They remind us that we will age won’t look like the youthful versions of ourselves twenty years down the road. We might lose the ability to hear, walk, or take care of ourselves. There is no escaping death. This topic is not great Saturday night conversation, but it’s unavoidable. Thinking about this makes searching for your self and accepting your purpose in the world all the more important. Hart has come to this conclusion and his work has become even more vivacious. You should be able to value life, or at least acknowledge both the miracle and burden that is the human condition. We are spiritual beings living in a physical world. Hart’s work is definitive of such an aspect.

Allen M. Hart has been painting in New York since the early 1950’s. He made early sojourns to Mexico where he hooked up with Ignacio Aguerre, Pablo Higgins, Mendez and Siqueros. After meeting his wife Mildred in 1952 at his solo show at the Roosevelt House on East 65th Street, the couple traveled extensively. They settled in Spain for a while and journeyed throughout Europe and North Africa. He has had solo exhibitions in Europe, and Mexico and t. Currently he is part of the artist run Upstream Gallery located on Main Street in Dobbs Ferry. The Upstream Gallery is the venue for Hart’s next solo show: Recent Work – Metamorphosis. The opening reception is Sunday May 31st, 2-5 pm.

If you go:
The Upstream Gallery is located at 26B Main Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522.
Phone: 914 674 8548/
Email: upstream26@aol.com.
Gallery Hours: Thursday – Sunday, 12:30-5:30 pm.

5 minutes and 33 seconds of fame

2009-04-20T00:20:00.004-04:00

This is the first post in a while. I have neglected writing my direct thoughts for a while. I decided that I won't do this again. I feel that its important to continue writing in this blog. For me and my audiences. Maybe I can inspire someone out there to do something or take a new interest. But mostly so that I can inspire myself. To put my ideas into action, and somehow reach out there. The internet is so monumental and we take it for granted. This huge of networking can reach out and allow me to talk to people I never would have known were living breathing and passionate people. There are people who are just like us. People with similiar goals and we might never have known it if it wasn't for a place like Meetup, Myspace, or Facebook. Its so crazy and I love it. The progression of our species will be reliant on our dependency to communicate on a wide scale. There are really no more celebrities. Sure there are superstars that will always exist in the media for weeks on end. But everyone can become a celebrity and go from underknown to super-stardom. The internet has shortened the length of Andy Warhol's proclamation to more like "5 minutes and 33 seconds of fame." Trends and our attention span are short so it is important to make a lasting impression. A person like Chris Croker or Perez Hilton, internet personalities, will be connected with more pop culture dribble and forgettable moments. A truly wise person will use the instant chance at mass communication and use it to better themselves and our community, which thanks to the infinite lengths of the world wide web becomes the world.

You Can Have Whatever You Like

2009-02-23T01:27:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted in a while. This usually has happened in the past with my blogs but I am back now and will make a little post before I fall asleep. This past week or more has been the greatest of my 24 years. I couldn't be happier right now with life. Everything is going the way I'd hoped. The best things happen when you don't plan or put any stock into it. It might sound cliche but the greatest things or people can enter your life when you least expect them to. So before I divulge into my usual rant, I just wanna let those who might actually read this (although you probably already know me in some way) that I LOVE LIFE!

Now everyone can dream but a dream is something that you'll eventually wake up from. Even Martin Luther King had a dream. Today blacks and whites are still not equal. Yes there have been great strides made for the betterment of blacks and hispanics in America but there are still as many ghettos and housing projects as before. If low income housing and "planned communities" aren't racist then I don't understand the definition of the word.

The reality of the issue is that not everyone will be able to be what they want. I hear this all the time whenever someone or something breaks the boundaries of modern life. When Obama won the election last year so many people were quoted as saying that they now feel as if anything is possible. Well there are more opportunities then before in some ways. Then again reality is still rough and unfair. The reality is that the black child on the TV news will most likely not become president. That is if that child comes from one of these impoverished and purposley forgotten places were he won't get a proper education because there is not enough money or support to make sure that he succeeds.

President Obama on the other hand provides much better hope that these children will be able to live a better life. Using Obama as a role model rather then many current black role models will be way more positive in these children's lives. The problem lies in the role models these children of ghetto/project have. A person who has lots of money becomes the apple of the pauper's eye. Now generally the ones that have the money and rose up from the ghetto are one of two types. The first is a drug dealer or pimp. The next is the rap star who rises from rags to riches and live that lavish style like its the only way to be. The problem with both of these types is the they setback their community. They further oppress the oppressed by continuing to further a cause that has zero beneficial aspects for improvement. By continuing to stress that the only important things in life are money, women, guns and drugs there can never be a positive outcome from those who consider these people to be role models. It doesn't matter that these people don't consider themselves to be role models, people are going to idolize them because they have what they don't and hear about all the time.

There is good hip-hop though. Many rappers must have realized that what they say and do is a reflection on their community and therefore will make music with thoughtful lyrics. The ones that continue to babble on about drugs, money, and "shorties" need to stop in order to end racism and oppression.

Why Are Lawmakers so Stupid?

2009-02-11T01:46:00.002-05:00

Just a quick thought:
Regarding this article I saw while going to check my Email:
Prison Overpopulation in CA

So the Govenator is giving his own theories to help cut down on prison overpopulation. How bout re-thinking the drug laws? Stop putting people in jail for crimes that therapy or rehab can control and fix... Morons.

J Camel and Jay-Z

2009-02-09T19:13:00.006-05:00

Last night during the Grammy's, Melissa pointed out the amazing resemblance between Jay-Z and Joe Camel. Anyone who lived in the 90's will appreciate the fact that last night there was no doubt about the fact that Jay-Z looked like Joe Camel (RIP Joe). So check out this little image I created...On the left we have a picture I took of the TV showing Jay-Z last night at the Grammy's and on the right we have the original gangster Joe Camel...If I didn't tell you this you'd probably still be trying to figure it out!

Crap Overload!

2009-02-08T23:47:00.005-05:00

Wow this weekend pop culture just took a huge crap on America's chest.
So Micheal Phelps, who is one of the greatest living atheletes today is made out by the media as a junkie. Why? Because the greatest olympic champion of modern time took a hit of marijuana. When I heard a scandel was amidst with Phelps and drugs I immiediatly assumed performance inhancing drugs (don't worry steriods were included in this giant media shit storm). There is only three things I have to say in regards to this story. First of all, Marijuana shouldn't even be illegal. It is common knowledge that alchohal is far worse then a little (or a lot) of THC. How many overdoeses have been related to marijauna in history? If you guessed zero then pat yourself on the back. Second of all, he is known to have smoked Marijauna (assuming that this wasn't the very first time) and won 8 gold medals in China? The man seems even more amazing with this fact. Everyone who has smoked pot knows what it does to your mind and body. As far as the mind goes it can make you very unmotivated. Yea you will have a great idea (at least you think it might be), but you will most likely never accomplish it because your too stoned. Thats not to say that pot hasn't accomplished great things. Music, art and film have all benifited from America's favorite weed. But for the most part your gonna get high laugh a lot, play some wii, maybe draw or write (most of the time it will be nonsensical), fall asleep, and then forget most of what happened in the short term. Oh yea and of course eat! The effect that it has on the body is that you might gain weight from the "munchies." So there is no possible way that Phelp's swimming career would be benifited by this. If anything it should be celebrated news...He's a fucking young man! He like millions of other people in their twenties have gotten high. Wow big fucking deal. He didn't do crack cocain, herion, meth, pcp, special k or even popped some pills and got black out drunk. This was stupid news. Fuck the media.

It was no shock to me and probably most American baseball fans that A-rod had taken steroids. He took two kinds of roids in 2003 and who knows what else before or after that. A once great sport, the MLB is synonymous with another 3 letter acronym...HGH. I am annoyed with the drawn out witch hunt that is being conducted now.Although the MLB is responsible for its lax attitudes in the past with illicit drug use, these players are the ones to blame. There is nothing to my knowledge that is healthy about steriods. All you need to do is take one look at professional wrestling...How many older pro wrestlers besides Hulk Hogan look good? Not to many. Some have died (heart attack and stroke. Both terrible effects that steriods contribute to), the majority look like Randy "The Ram" Robinson..."A broken down piece of meat." I can understand a pro-wrestler doing it. That sport is soley entertainment. Wrestlers are actors and their body is part of their charecter. Sadly many of them remain nothing more then a charecter long after they leave the ring. What I don't understand is why an athelete would do that to their body. The short term effects are greater ability to train for strength and quicker muscle growth but what is too good to be true most likely always is. Many baseball players of the olden days lived to a ripe old age, what will the future entail for these players of the "steriod age." Its a shame that I started this paragraph with the bold statement that I wasn't shocked when I heard the news. The problem is I can't trust any player of the "steriod age." This is a sad sad state for baseball. However the media needs to stop putting this on the front page of every New York paper. There are more important things happening here then rich assholes juicing it up and lying about it.

Tonight was the Grammy's...I usually don't watch and I was reminded why that was many times tonight. There were many good moments in the music industry world tonight. I'm glad Jennifer Hudson won, she is talented for sure. Blink 182 is back, which can be either good or terrible news. The Four Tops tribute was excellent. Lil' Wayne's tribute to New Orleans was excellent. That was one of the best Grammy performances for sure. On the downside there is the Jonas Brothers, who should neveer win a grammy. Stevie Wonder isn't deaf, I am suprised he didn't walk off the stage hearing the lastest fad try to perform "Superstition." Last but not least, the final award for best album was a sham...Led Zepplin was great, Robert Plant's lastest album was not...Thats all I have to say.

In conclusion I am constantly reminded how much the corporate media sucks. We are all slaves to them.

We The Curators

2009-02-05T20:21:00.002-05:00

What must be in order to ensure that a curator or artist is successful in an audience’s perception of their exhibition? The most obvious preparations include the proper planning of the gallery space, obtaining the work and the general objective behind the show. We must not make any concessions to these simple factors because the general audience will take notice of obvious flaws. For a thematic show this means that the artwork should be a representation of the theme. It can either be a direct correspondence with the theme such as narration or it should provide the audience with a proper conceptual interpretation of the theme. If an audience has to spend too much time questioning why a work is there or what relevance it has, we have failed. The average museum and gallery patron is a tourist and they won’t take as much time as a professional critic, curator or artist might. In simplest of terms we should show what we wish to tell (just like in kindergarten when we all had show and tell). This means that we have to have a full knowledge of all the work that we are presenting. In a solo show the questions may be: is the focus a time period? If it is a certain time period we must look at what the artist was doing specifically then. It’s not an overview of his or her career so to speak. Is it a full retrospective? If it’s a full retrospective then what pieces in particular will we need to be certain that the artist’s career is understood and received. We can never assume that the average museum goers will have encyclopedic knowledge of the artist. Most of the time they won’t. But we should never dumb down material in our exhibition. We the curators need to direct the exhibition in a way that the theme encourages the viewer to both feel apart of the art and let them explore the exhibition. If they feel diminished or ashamed that the concept is above their heads, we need to find a way that they can make something out of the experience. In other words allow them to use their imagination and inherent knowledge to become personally involved in the exhibition. A successful exhibition should blend the lines between subjective and objective viewing. Too much cramming will cause fatigue of most viewers. Therefore a good curator has to decide what is best suitable for showing. The only way to successfully achieve this is to have an appreciation and understanding for the artists work.

Robert Storr says that the curator should not think of himself or herself as the artist, but as the planner (first essay in: Paula Marincola, ed. What Makes A Great Exhibtion? Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative, 2006). To this statement I agree. You won’t be successful if your trying to create your own artistic statement through the artists works. However, I do believe that it is helpful for the curator to have a general knowledge of aesthetics, and being artists themselves will be beneficial to understanding certain situations that may arise in the exhibition planning. Generally most artists tend to be greater problem solvers then the general population. Problem solving is almost always going to come up when you’re working with an exhibition. Constraints with the space can always be an issue. It is important to address whatever is going to be a potential problem in the earliest stages of exhibition planning. Being an artist myself I understand the issues that might have arose in the artists mind as to what their aim was. Therefore I would be more comfortable to advise an artist as to what should be or shouldn’t be shown within the context of their exhibition. A good curator is kind of like an editor. All good editors need to have an understanding of how an author writes and an understanding of the language. Sometimes it will prove to be impossible for us to get a well-known work by an artist. We must learn to work around this problem, which usually makes the exhibition even more successful in the end (in the case of a retrospective it will be problematic, especially, if this is the first of such exhibitions for the artist). If you can prove your point for the show without stating the obvious the show might be even more valuable. Bigger museums typically will be able to get almost any loan they might want if they work things out well in advance. But that doesn’t always mean that their exhibition will be better then the smaller space. Some of an artists lesser known works are more pivotal and important to their career. You can have a very successful, memorable, and important DaVinci show without the Mona Lisa. The worst exhibitions for me are those that force-feed famous painting after painting into my head if I am already familiar with most of them. The MoMA is guilty of this in the past and present resulting in overcrowded exhibitions where I am completely turned off by the show so much that I end up angry with the artist and the museum!

Other key considerations we must think about have more to do with the nitty gritty aspects of the exhibition. Something that I like to call “accessories.” Labels are important but need to be limited if we are curating and art exhibition. If you have been to a museum you have probably seen people crowding around a piece but spend more time reading the little description then actually allowing themselves to take the art in “as is”. Labels should be to the art as a director’s commentary is to a movie. First and foremost the museum visitors should be engaged with the piece of art, then the label should only provide any additional insight to the piece or the artist. In terms of labels and graphic design, less is always more. Once again we want the art to speak for itself in every single case. Another thing to consider is whether or not to provide acoustic guides. Acoustic guides are usually very popular with tourists; I see tons of them at MoMA all the time (I am only picking on the MoMA because it’s one of the best-known museums that I enjoy visiting. Other large museums also use these techniques). Again referring back to what Robert Storr says in his essay: “The case made for audio guides is that they help members of the public to enter the artists world, but the fact is that they are more likely to keep them out…” I couldn’t agree more. First and foremost, not every single piece as you may have known is represented in the acoustic guide. It also takes a huge amount of importance out of the artwork. We are unable to spontaneously respond when some docent babbling on is distracting us from the artist’s intention and the works emotion. However I am partial to brochures. Small and well-designed brochures are always a nice way of summarizing the exhibition and provide visitors with a nice souvenir. I would keep my brochures to a minimum with key images that will remind people who already saw the exhibition of their visit. I might encourage visitors to only take a brochure as they are leaving the gallery. It seems logical to me to have a summarizing brochure at the exit of the exhibition rather then the entrance. The simple reason behind this is that as curator I wouldn’t want my audience to have their noses in the brochure and lose the experience of the exhibit.

Finally it is my opinion that in the end it should only be left to the curator what goes into the show. I read an article a few months back in ArtNews about the pressure that is put on both directors and curators to include either specific pieces of work or certain ideas for exhibitions. This pressure is due to the board of trustees. A board of trustees generally seems to consist of rich investors who (up till recently maybe) come from Wall Street. Generally these people have little to no extensive knowledge of art history and only care about their investment making a huge profit. I won’t deny that profit is extremely important to a museum’s survival (unless that museum is government funded. Which is something that really should be considered…ahem Barack Obama). Pressure from these people will only result in a bad show. A curator needs to be assertive, not passive aggressive. When a good show results in good press (from the media, critics, art historians, and knowledgeable bloggers) then the museum will achieve worthwhile and desirable credit. If the producer had more say over a director in a movie, the end result would be less artistic, dumbed down, and the movie more or less will flop.

DO YOU STEAL?

2009-02-05T00:20:00.012-05:00

Well do you steal? Are you a plagiarizer? That has always been a major question in Modern Art...

Today I came across an article regarding the artist Shepard Fairey (previously mentioned in "hitting the books" post). It appears that AP alleged that he infringed upon their copyright on his famous Obama campaign poster. Fairey's "Hope" became the most famous image of Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign and it is now in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery in D.C. It will be in the upcoming show at the Contemporary Art Institute in Boston. It was even commissioned by the official campaign team of our 44th president.

In terms of creating work or designing you need to think both ethically and creatively. There is something that is called fair use in America. Fair use is basically the definition of appropriation. The act says that fair use is dependent on how much of the original is used and how it is viewed in juxtaposition.

If its appropriation its not theft. If you make the image your own by either changing the way others view it or completely distorting the image to create something completely different (the subject matter no longer reflects the original) then its not in any way an infringement on the original image. When I look at the photograph owned by the Associated Press and then at the artwork by Fairey I see two completely different images. One says "this is a picture of Obama..not art. I see these images all the time in the press...Its good journalism." The other says "this is a piece of street art for a grassroots movement. Hundreds of thousands of people took this image on their own, posted it in the streets, on buildings, all over. It was used in a movement similar to " Look at Andy Warhol, Duchamp, Richard Prince, Barbra Krueger and more, they "borrowed" like crazy and they are in art museums. Richard Prince can be best used in the argument as to whether appropriation is art. Prince literally took a picture of an existing photo, blew it up and that was his new piece. Now when you look at his cowboy series for example, the photos were taken from Marbello Cigarette advertisements. These ads were deceitful of the American West and the cowboy image. You look at them and are confronted by the question, "is it real?"

Richard Prince's appropriation is a perfect example of post-modernism. It plays with the question of what makes a cowboy real. Are these images when taken away from the original context of the cigarette add any more real? Do they depict the American west and the "cowboy" image any greater in his context? To me this is the definition of post-modern art. Now am I a fan of Prince's work? No I don't think he has the merits of many of his contemporaries (I prefer Cindy Sherman who appropriates ideas but uses original source material). But is it art? Yes it is...It belongs in museums and art history books.

I will say that some of Fairey's work seems to lack substance. Meaning that he seems to be appropriating just for the hell of it. But plagiarism? I came across an article that has resurfaced. Its by an artist by the name of Mark Vallen. Vallen accuses Fairey of being a complete hack and plagiarizer (Read his article here and then make your own judgment). However, take for example the images bellow. Clearly you can see the original image on the right of Yellowstone was the basis for Fairey's appropriation. But looking at the two images do you see a difference in use? Yes...One is an advert for tourism in Yellowstone, the other is a political parody that only used the ad as reference. They are completely different products in the end.

There Was a Football Game Last Night?

2009-02-02T22:43:00.002-05:00

Of course I knew it was the Superbowl because everyone couldn't shut up about it. I wonder if those HDTV's that were on sale especially for the occasion sold well in this economy. Its a decent effort though, I can't argue that HDTV's are simply amazing. I had no interest in the game last night but then again I am not a football fan. I do enjoy watching a good competition though and the last two years haven't disappointed in terms of a well played game. I admire professional athletes and their dedication to their sport and their body. They certainly work hard but I never have agreed with the amount of money that they get. I understand that a professional athelete is a celebrity...I also don't think celebrities need to make more money then an entire third world nation. We would have a much better education system in this country if teachers got even half as much as the average celebrities salary. But there are those atheletes who make the most of their salary and are very charitable. Barry Zito gives a ton of that insane contract the Giants gave him on charity and donates even more of his time to worthy causes (I am really glad the Mets didn't give him that money though). There are a lot of stupid and arrogant atheletes (even more celebreties) who don't deserve any of the money they get. Football has had a long history with criminals. The worst of the worst is OJ, and I'm glad to see he finally lost everything. But every single season I hear about problems with pro football players and the law. These morons have the greatest experiance of their lives. They have the chance to play professional sports and make a ton of money. They have a chance to be role models and help those who aren't as fortunate. But they are just rich gangsters. Instead of shooting someone on the street, they'll do it at some posh club. Its a joke. Anyways congratualtions to Pittsburg.

If God Isn't Dead...

2009-01-31T03:54:00.002-05:00

Why hasn't religion progressed? From the time the bible/koran were written (by some dude) there have been changes in medicine, technology and many other things. However religious people still dwell on ancient antiquated stories and knowledge to explain things. With each passing year religion gets left in the dust as the progressive thinkers keep making advancements.

Hitting the Books

2009-01-26T00:07:00.005-05:00

School starts again tomorrow. After my first semester I am anticipating this one. I am taking two classes: Art after the War (Post WW2!) and Exhibition Analysis. The latter of the two is my first class in my interest, which is Museum Studies. This means that I will most likely be buried in books by tomorrow night!

I really hate more then anything when someone asks me well what do you see yourself doing with that. Do I fucking know what I am going to be doing tomorrow even? No. Well I can say that the reason I chose this area to study is because I am going to be good at it. I am going to be a good curator because my passion is art. I am an artist, which many curators, art historians and critics are not and therefore I am already at a more meaningful place then they. I think that to truly get on the level of a meaningful exhibition you need to get into the mindset of an artist. This is near impossible to do if your not an artist yourself. I have seen many exhibitions fail because they are so unorganized. Examples of which include a show at the MoMA which was supposed to focus on Kirchner's vision of a Berlin street but was filled with other drawings and paintings about the female nude that it became unclear as to what the aim was. That show to me was confusing in the simple fact they show a painting of the Dresden street at the entrance. I also felt that Kirchner's street scenes in Berlin really don't show the anxiety and loneliness that he probably felt, the Dresden scene seemed way more haunting...The Berlin scenes were just filled with hookers...I guess when your lonely the thought of a hooker can be very appealing, and in fact can symbolize a longing for something more meaningful like a relationship. Anyways I wasn't impressed. I believe that we need to move forward in general as curators. The whole paintings on a wall are nice but I want to see art that interacts or if not the artwork then the curator should decide how the theme or message can involve the viewer. Sometimes a painting is so massive and detailed that it does take the viewer into another world. That is why I love Bosch so much; his paintings start me off on a fantastical journey. Figurative painting has always been my favorite medium.

But I am talking more about contemporary art. I will say it now; I am not a great fan of conceptual art. Good art is not something that has to be explained through a curator's essay or a critic. Good art should allow the viewer to understand what. And about "Post-Modernism" Are we still in it? That’s the question that is still being discussed. I really think its a bullshit discussion though. Today's art is so diverse. Post-Modern in the sense that I think of it means that we are on the outside looking in because life is to tragic or complicated to actually live. Its saying lets not find any meaning in life lets just play with the absurdities then. If thats the case then we are fucked. But it is not the case because as I said before today's art is so diverse. While one asshole that will put a shark in a fucking tank and it will get into the Met, there are artists who are creating interesting work. And in the case of Damien Hirst, yes his art is stupid and boring but the man is a fucking genius and that is his art. I don't know if he is revolutionizing contemporary art or will be forgotten after he is gone. Painting is not dead its just alive in the underground. The mainstream media and the cultural elite will have the say on what gets to be in the museums. Very few serious galleries have "lowbrow", street art or any other D.I.Y underground movement and almost nothing has been written on these forms of art academically.

Some of the most interesting art is being made by those who aren't from the fancy art schools or the rich or well connected backgrounds. Most of it spawned from underground comix, punk rock culture and outsider circles. There is a strong focus on figuration and narrative which everyone can appreciate, understand and enjoy. Robert Williams one of the pioneers of the west coast centered movement once exclaimed that when he heard his art teacher call one of the great renaissance painter's work an illustration, he was in "deep doo doo." (I can't recall who it was, it was from a documentary on Lowbrow art). Its so true that the focus of most high level art institutions has shifted towards abstraction and conceptual art. It started with the The most famous piece of art right now is the Obama Hope screenprint by Shepard Fairey (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2409/2228331745_8a8b55f1be_o.jpg)...It is everywhere its so famous but while most people have seen the print, they have not heard of the artist. He isn't as highly regarded in the mainstream as Hirst or the Chapman Brothers and hasn't gotten the attention of the Met or MoMA. But his artwork which blends the mass production and mechanical aspects of graphic design with street art, is far more relevant and important then the previously mentioned preserved shark in tank.

Only time can tell what will happen next in art. The next big thing is always around the corner. I can only hope that I am fortunate enough to have a part in any of it. Well if I am to start, I guess I better start off by getting ready for class tomorrow. So until next time I am signing off.

One Nation With No God

2009-01-23T14:42:00.005-05:00

The one thing that always bothered me was saying the pledge of allegiance in school. I don't remember exactly when they stopped having us say it but I do recall that it was said in elementary school and during the large scale assemblies in the auditorium. I hated to have to stand up and recite the words: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all." I like many young and easily distracted kids always used to feel uncomfortable. I couldn't keep my hand over my heart or recite the words in such uniformity for the minute or so these words droned over the loudspeaker by some middle aged lady who worked for big brother. Looking back now I guess I had made my decision about god at a young age. I was never happy to go to synagogue, always procrastinating getting dressed, my parents would usually have to drag me along to the local place of worship. The services were short because we were the lowest of the low in the totem pole of Judaism. Even an hour and a half of monotone prayer with the standing and sitting in an itchy uncomfortably tight suit felt like a whole day. It was exhausting. The only thing that made it bearable was the fact that the Rabbi would play the guitar creating some really beautiful renditions of otherwise monotonous incantations (and he was a very cool dude).

I remember the high holy days when the services were longer my equally bored and ADHD diagnosed friends (thats what they said everyone had back then...typical cop out for authority, medicate the kids so they become 'manageable') and I would run around outside the prayer tent playing games like tag or letting our imagination run wild. I always remember the old women or men (it was different each time, but usually it was an old women...or sometimes even the teachers of the school) scolding us with such disdain for we were disrespecting god by having a childhood. I remember my brother and I playing baseball one Yom Kippur evening (I never fasted) and the old wicked witch who lived next door called our house to yell at my parents for letting us play on a high holy day. HOLY SHIT! Two loving brothers are having fun, getting along and not harming anyone but having fun...Gods going to be fucking pissed! Well yea it makes sense because religion loves sibling rivalry. We have Cain and Able in the very first book of the bible! Cain doesn't get a blessing so he murders his brother. Then there is Jacob and Esau who had a horrible relationship and then Joseph who was sold to slavery because his brothers hated him. So me and my brother who had a great relationship is going to make god pissed? That wouldn't even make sense if there was a god. Why should I be chastised for enjoying the beauty of being alive and forced to mourn? And why should I deprive myself of the delicious sponge cake that was just sitting on the counter just asking for it!? Why are we even wasting our time on a holiday thats all about asking for forgiveness? Sulking like lifeless goons. The notion of getting written into a book of life, what the fuck?

If something in my life is to blame for any of my previous faults, the reason I didn't feel free its this fucking fear that shit like the book of life puts into a young kids head. This is one of the sole reasons a religious person is hook line and fucked. Fear of god. I thought god was supposed to be all loving? People who are religious will never live a free life if they are afraid of going to hell. Hell and Satan are both crazy notions themselves. Its like a fairy tale that any 10 year old kid can write...Why is Satan the evil one when "god" allows for his people to suffer here on Earth? So its ok if you suffer now while on Earth. As long as you don't sin and confess to god in the end you can finally go to a better place when you die. But while you live on this Earth god is going to make it a living fucking hell for you. Don't fear what you don't even know. The sooner I realized this the happier I felt. I feel more free and more compassionate about others as well. Its a waste of flesh, blood and bones and dna, the things that make us humans (not some magic dust sprinkled by the hands of an old white bearded man) to be afraid of heaven or hell. The notion of god is really laughable when you start to learn. So religion starts you at an early age and puts that fear into you, its kinda like rape (this is not some stupid reference to the fact that priests have been fucking children...thats something completely fucked up all on its own. However it shows how oppression and strict obedience to the bible can lead to the worst ). Religion can rape your mind. If you perceive yourself to be a weak person to begin with your self perception "under god" is gonna be even poorer. Everyone wants to have fun in life...The so called sins are so fucking fun. There is lust...Who doesn't like sex or pleasure resulting upon physical attraction. Sloth, who doesn't like to sleep in? Gluttony, we eat a lot and drink a lot because food tastes great and drinking is fun. Your missing out if you avoid any of these things because you wanna go to heaven. Go good riddance. And pride is the greatest thing you have to live a great life.

From the article on the Pledge of Allegiance on Wikipedia (helping stupid people write a horrible research paper since 2001...P.S there are going to be T-shirts available if you want one. Let me know! I want money):

'"The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian Socialist, and the cousin of Socialist Utopian novelist Edward Bellamy
Bellamy's original Pledge read, "I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all..'"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance)

So a Christian man creates the pledge and a Christian man gets it amended to include "under god."

"These words [“under God”] will remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we must remain humble. They will help us to keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded."- Eisenhower (FUCKING-A)

The pledge of allegiance is an example why we as a society are setting ourselves up for a fall. The longer we accept what is not there, a belief in an afterlife with pearly white gates and angels who play golden harps. We are a "progressive nation" but can't get over arcane beliefs by a far more primitive group of humans then how the fuck are we going to progress?

Also before any of you who are devout get all forclempt, you can be a good person and believe in god. You can and probably are a smart person and believe in god (even if its because its out of habit or just simply the "unknown"). Its when you shove your beliefs down other peoples throat by the use of fear that you become an asshole. And don't say you pray for me. Waste your life without anything to do with me. Thank you, live and enjoy life everyone!

So has anyone else have an experience with a changing of faith? Did you keep the faith your parents/school gave to you? Maybe you went from religious to atheist or being born again like former President Bush?

Welcome to the Future America!

2009-01-22T15:24:00.004-05:00

I was going to post something more personal later on but as I was doing some online maintenance (a.k.a facebook) I came across this article on the front page of Yahoo. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_blackberry
Its an article on our President and the fact that he is the first ever president to use email in office. Well Obama certainly is compiling a shopping list full of firsts already but this came as a shock to me. No president before Obama used email? In reality email (the way we use it) was only around for 3 decades starting around the late sixties (it pre-dated the internet), however the email that we all use was really only around since the early 90's...Clinton never used it? It certainly would have been an easy way for him to visit many online personals and pick up women...Also it would have been so much easier for that annoying Monica Lewinsky and the even more obnoxious GOP party to bring up there allegations, we all know that email really isn't private. I will buy that Bush never used email. I still don't think he knows how to turn on a computer, let alone "do a google." But Obama who has been addicted to his Blackberry is the first to use email. So how is this going to play a role in his presidency? I have mixed feelings about this and the fact they are going to make his use "protected." I do trust Obama way more then I have any mainstream politician in my lifetime. I think that he has good intentions at the moment and his message for us to make the change is what needed to be said since JFK's brilliant speech (Obama's was almost as brilliant). However I know the game of politics and how easy it can be for someone in power to become swayed in the direction of an interest they may not truly believe in. I also know that the game of politics is a game and when you play games you can either win, lose or cheat (the latter two being the last 8 years). This is the way we are and that more then anything else our own inside policy needs to be changed in this country before we can change anything else. So the fact that Obama is using email to talk to his aids and close personal friends kind of scares me. No one wants the government or anyone outside of ourselves looking at our email messages and I sure as hell hope that they wouldn't pry into Obama's messages without a subpoena (if they must in the first place). But the fact of the matter is he is the president and should represent the people. Who knows what these emails could be about? Its just my general distrust of Washington that makes me wonder if this is going to be a good idea...I mean its 2009 and by all means we need to keep up the pace. Everyone with access to the internet uses email and why shouldn't the President? Obama seems like a different face in Washington and thats what made him so admirable to me (I still think Ron Paul is the much better choice). For now I do think that when he says that the use of his Blackberry will help keep him out of the bubble that is the presidency it is meant as a good thing. He is becoming a celebrity why should his personal thoughts regarding family and friends be kept in that bubble too? So as long as President Obama remains generally untainted by the game then I say text away!

Maybe with the money he will save us by pulling out of Iraq we can all get Blackberrys! Thats another post for another time though....I think I still prefer the iPhone.

Plan 10 From Outer Space

2009-01-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

"Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious. The unexplainable. That is why you are here. And now, for the first time, we are bringing to you, the full story of what happened on that fateful day. We are bringing you all the evidence, based only on the secret testimony, of the miserable souls, who survived this terrifying ordeal. The incidents, the places. My friend, we cannot keep this a secret any longer. Let us punish the guilty. Let us reward the innocent. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts of grave robbers from outer space?"

In other words welcome to my blog. Plan 10 is all about the future and the present and informing you of both worldly and otherworldly events. In other words I now have a place in the dimension known as the world wide web to publicly share the thoughts from the top of my head and the inside of my soul. You may be entertained by images, poems and other things that I have taken the time and effort to create because creating is what I do. Its really what we all do and the number one thing that makes us different from the rest of the animals in the kingdom. There will be political posts too such as my previous and inaugural post which is so relevant since today was the inauguration of Barack Obama or 44th president and the first one with black skin. But for the most part this is me in a nutshell...Almost everything I can think of and everything I can write will make its way here sooner or later. In the meantime to get a sense of what I am passionate about you can check out these links: My Art and My Noise

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes.

2009-01-20T21:52:00.000-05:00

So here is my letter that I am drafting to send to the 44th President of the United States.

President Obama, don't forget that you promised change. Please please please don't sit back and let the politics of DC continue to override logical and necessary course of action for America. Its going to be a tough road ahead, and I admire your strength and courage to take on the most important job in the world. I wish the best for you Mr. President, please keep up the fight! Here is a list of issues that I think need to be changed or at least fixed. (This list is in NO ORDER of IMPORTANCE mind you. Just what come off the top of my head and onto the "paper" so to speak). Also note that a bit of what I speak of may have already been said by an equally as intelligent man, Jello Biafra (http://firedoglake.com/2008/12/16/jello-biafra-writes-an-open-letter-to-barack-obama/). However just because I am a fan of almost everything he has done, this is no coincidence, nor am I trying to plagiarize Mr. Biafra. Our views intertwine because they are true, it is what America needs.

1) I know the Economy is the number 1 issue in this country and really strengthened your victory. However before its too late we need to crack down on the former administration and bring those responsible for the crimes they committed to justice. We have been lied to for the past 8 years, thousands of Americans have died as a result and sadly WAY more innocent foreign citizens have as well. Bush supported the big corporations who fuel the war machine and undoubtedly played the government like a game of chess. And George W. Bush is a war criminal I don't care what excuses he comes up with; he lied, got us into a pointless war and turned his back while "terrorists" were tortured.

2)Well that said, lets focus on the economy. The people who need the money are the poor and the average class. Most middle class families are still doing well enough to still live comfortably. Its the greed that causes them to become financially disabled (getting caught stealing from the cookie jar only makes you fat. Sometimes Diabetic). Everyone knows that when the economy is stimulated it does well. I think you had some great ideas during the debates regarding the economy. Certainly more so then any GOP candidate had. The min. wage should be increased even further because living costs have gone up and making the min. wage at least $12 should be satisfactory. A stimulated economy should start from the bottom. These bailouts need to stop (just more money to rich cronies), I know that these companies are important to Americas function but its obvious that these companies have no clue how to do things right. Otherwise they'd still be in business. A bailout today is just a "stay" of execution so to say, these companies will get used to the aid and probably will keep the same business plan that got them broke in the first place. Poverty is the source of most (if not all) problems in the world. Lets fight poverty at home and then abroad. Your appointment of some of the same old faces in Washington is what scares me and should scare most of the liberals who voted for you. Why are we still dealing with people who have been given opportunities with the GOP? Lets get some new intellectuals in there. Mr. Biafra mentions Stigletz from Columbia. I have heard nothing but praise of Joe Stigletz being in and around the academic circles of New York City. And yes he also mentioned Robert Reich who wrote "Supercapitalism." His blog http://robertreich.blogspot.com/ is full of suggestions and ideas that I think would be right for this country. Out with the old and in with the new...Change per say. This also goes in the section for the war on terror as we know you are inclined to keep many of Bush's appointments.

3)Education. This should actually be number one on the most important things. We have way to many Americans in this country that are not receiving a well rounded education. There needs to be much more funding for inner city schools and after school programs for continuing education in the inner cities and surrounding areas. I have friends who work and have worked with inner city school children and I have heard horror stories more so then success stories. We had tons of money before we went into Iraq and wasted it all. If we increase the education spending with the money we will save from decreasing our imperialistic spending, everyone in America will have an opportunity for a good education. College tuition is ridiculously increasing each year. Even state schools are increasing the fees to get in. There should be somewhat of a cap for college fees.

4)And now on to the environment. Along with education this too should be at the top of your agenda. Climate change is coming fast, we don't even have four or eight years to pussyfoot or examine the issue. We need to deal with climate change from day one and deal with it everyday. Look into the Venus project http://www.thevenusproject.com/. Its not science fiction its a solution. Bring back the Electric Car (GE should be ashamed of themselves, I will never buy from them), or greener fuel technology for personal cars. I will agree with the bailout when companies get with the picture...Until then they should get no further help. Lets make public transportation much better too. We should have much better train systems connecting more of America's countryside by rail rather then highway will lower harmful gas and exhaust pollution. Efficient housing should also be the focus of our urban planners. McMansions are environmentally wasteful and socially segregated as well. Once again it all comes down to education. Stupid people will always do stupid things and destroy us all. We need to increase awareness in schools regarding global climate change.

5)Gay rights. We are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King day the day before your inauguration so its only fitting that you run a presidency that is focused on civil rights. First it was the rights for blacks and women to vote and have equal opportunities (yea yea, this is still not the case fully but a lot has changed the last 40 years or so), now its time for the next oppressed group to get our support. Being gay is a right that should be honored and seen as natural. Many men and women are afraid to "come out" because they live in an environment where to be gay is to be immoral and taboo. There needs to be a movement funded by the government to educate people about homosexuality (ei. its not a choice...etc, ect, etc). The main obstacle of the Gay Rights movement has been the Catholic Church and their sheep like followers. For years they have been spouting hate, calling gay people immoral and stating that being gay is a sin according to the bible. Why is it that these "religious" groups that openly spoke out against prop 8 are getting funding or tax exemptions? They should be stripped of all federal or state aid. Hopefully they will crumble without the support. Good riddance to bad devotees.

6) War on terror. Get the hell out of Iraq. Thats all I will say on that issue. We need to increase world wide awareness and address poverty and education in many third world and oppressed nations. We shouldn't support governments that oppress and imprison others. Yes Israel is a great ally but they have oh so smoothly incorporated our imperialistic foreign policy and we know how great it's working for us. Again why are we spending so much on this "war on terror" when the results have been less then satisfactory? We could have used these billions of dollars to stimulate the economy or fix our poor educational system. Also as mentioned before, whats with the appointees? These neo-cons can't solve any of the problem because they helped to create it. Many of us assumed that there would be an ENTIRELY new set of faces in Washington when you were elected.

7) I am going to make drug reform my last issue. The prohibition on drugs has done much more harm then good. Its very obvious a legalization on Marijuana would do way more good for the country. Marijuana is the biggest cash crop in America according to the DEA and they spend millions of dollars combating the drug. With the economy in this condition think about how much our federal government can make from the cultivation of Marijuana. We should model our program off of the Harm Reduction program in most of Europe (who by the way as way less drug related crimes then we do). Medical Marijuana has done a world of good for terminally ill patients, those with cancer, anxiety and numerous other cases. There have been no cases EVER of OD from the use of Marijuana, while our friends at big tobacco and the alcohol companies cause thousands of deaths a year. The only difference is they give money to elected officials to keep them legalized and popular. Aside from Marijuana there should be lesser crimes for harder drugs. More money should be placed into rehab rather then prison sentences for drug addicts. SMALL TIME DRUG OFFENDERS ARE WASTING OUR TAX DOLLARS BY WASTING IN PRISON! Rehab programs would cost a lot less! Furthermore, the de-criminalization would be beneficial in lowering the crime rate and gangs would lose a huge margin of their profit without the drug trade. Its common sense.

Anyways this is just a list of demands that would be beneficial to America's future. Im sure there is a lot on your mind and you may have many of these issues already under control. However you did promise change and starting off with a 144 million dollar celebration already worries me. Once again the best to you and Joe Biden. Make us all continue to be proud and feel important that we took part in the largest grassroots election of our time, and from which came CHANGE. Real change! You made history on Tuesday the 20th of January, I hope that your legacy continues to radiate and give hope to many young Americans who are the future of this nation.