Milton Resnick: there's a measure called recognition.

The God of Small Things - Lucian Freud Captured on Film

Check out the Master's thoughts about what is and isn't Art. Warning to clever folks! Video found here.

Conservation of the Archimedes Palimpsest from Walters Museum on Vimeo.

Walters researchers decode the secrets of the Archimedes Palimpsest

"Twelve years ago, Walters Art Museum curator Will Noel opened a parcel and discovered what he calls "Archimedes' brain in a box." Thus began a search for buried treasure — in this case, the lost writings of Archimedes of Syracuse, a famed Greek mathematician and inventor who lived in the third century B.C. Noel and his boss, museum director Gary Vikan, found a 174-page book made of cured goatskin that was ugly beyond belief. The sheaves were singed around the edges, the text and pages were defaced by water stains, and mold had eaten away entire sections. Noel began to gently riffle through the pages but stopped when they fell apart in his hands. "It looked as though it had been in a fire, or something had chewed it up," Vikan says. "It made me think of shredded wheat." Even worse, the manuscript had been washed and scraped away by a medieval monk and written over with prayers (making it a "palimpsest," a document in which the original text has been imperfectly erased and written over.) Only ghostly traces of the original remained.Twelve years ago, Walters Art Museum curator Will Noel opened a parcel and discovered what he calls "Archimedes' brain in a box." Thus began a search for buried treasure — in this case, the lost writings of Archimedes of Syracuse, a famed Greek mathematician and inventor who lived in the third century B.C. Noel and his boss, museum director Gary Vikan, found a 174-page book made of cured goatskin that was ugly beyond belief. The sheaves were singed around the edges, the text and pages were defaced by water stains, and mold had eaten away entire sections. Noel began to gently riffle through the pages but stopped when they fell apart in his hands. "It looked as though it had been in a fire, or something had chewed it up," Vikan says. "It made me think of shredded wheat." Even worse, the manuscript had been washed and scraped away by a medieval monk and written over with prayers (making it a "palimpsest," a document in which the original text has been imperfectly erased and written over.) Only ghostly traces of the original remained." More here.

A Furrytale

The Mill & The Cross | trailer SUNDANCE 2011 Rutger Hauer Michael York C...

Wow The Mindlessness Is Numbing! Jerry Saltz Proves Again He Is A Dick!

Contemporary Artists I Can Tolerate #3

Adrian Ghenie: Haunch of Venison London from Haunch of Venison on Vimeo.

Just Makes Me Sad....

John O'Donnell, Oct 2011 from Gorky's Granddaughter on Vimeo.

Very Interesting

Lisa Sanditz, Oct 2011 from Gorky's Granddaughter on Vimeo.

Is Painting Again Dead?

I recently posted how I was rejected by the New American Painting Competition. The curator of the "contest" was a curator from the deCordova Museum by the name of  Dina Deitsch. Now I have noticed that Ms. Deitsch was co-curator of the 2012 DeCordova Biennial opening in January of next year. Looking over the list of 23 chosen artists I have found only 3 painters. Was she really the best choice to pick painters for a painting periodical? Was her heart truly in it? I look forward to seeing her 40 painters when the New American Painting Northeast edition comes out in February.

Gerhard Richter Up Close

I found this absolutely fascinating video about Gerhard Richter over at Matthew Beall's Blog. Check it out; it will give you a whole new appreciation of Richter and get a look at his incredible studio along with the installation of his big show at the Tate.

This Is Just Too Much Fun ! You Couldn't Write This Stuff ! I Am Afraid These Protesters May Just Represent The 97 % !

I Am Getting Cranky!

Fresh New Rejection From The Folks @ New American Painting.
I keep telling myself I am not going to enter sweepstakes anymore. On the other hand my 50 dollar entry fee does entitle me to a five dollar discount on the magazine I am not in. We ( I ) have to get smarter about all this.  I am thinking of starting a "Competition"-let's call it The Artmark Gallery Invitational- with an entry fee of only 35 dollars. I know a good space I can rent to put the show up for a month. Any takers. Sorry I'm just bitch'in. I can't really speak to the validity of The New American Painting magazine (though they did take in $60,000 in artist fees alone) but every Tom,Dick and Harry is running an entry fee scam. I saw a listing the other day for a gallery in some university student union charging an entry fee! And of course there is a commercial gallery in CA that is charging just to look at your work (or rather charging to reject your work). It takes 30 seconds to look over the slides or dvd and  send out a rejection postcard. It would take a flunky a half hour a day to make us think someone is looking. I best stop ranting now. Luckily very few people read this blog. I also have an idea for a Gallery Show scratch ticket


October 2011
Dear Northeast Artist,
We apologize for the delay. I regret to inform you that our juror did not select the work you submitted for this year’sNortheast issue. Over the years our competitions have become increasingly competitive. Only 40 artists could beselected from the nearly 1,200 who applied. We hope that you will compete again next year. Many artists submitmore than once before being selected for publication.Thank you for competing. The deadline for next year’s Northeast entries will be August 31, 2012.
Sincerely,
Steven Zevitas
Publisher


If you would like a copy of the New American Paintings (#98) in which this competition’s winners will appear, you can
order one directly from us at the discounted price of $15 (regularly $20). Please fill out the form below and return it
to us. We will ship you the book when it comes off the press in February

I guess the poor photography doesn't help.

It's Amazing What People Think They Have A Right To Do

If Street art(vandalism) wasn't illegal it would be completely pointless. Now it has risen to a tweener fad and soon it will be an MFA degree program. Boston University bad-ass twinky student "Skeczh"(real name probably Claire) sez, "...that the prospect of getting arrested does not intimidate her.
“The sheer fact that street art is illegal is stupid. It’s another form of expression,” Skeczh said.
One of her friends, COM sophomore Michaela Smith, said she sees Skeczh as “fearless.”
“There’s a righteousness behind it for her. She feels completely justified in doing it,” Smith said.
“You shouldn’t have to be a famous artist for people to see your art,” Skeczh said." More Here.
Just another idiot in art school running up huge tuition loans that they think they shouldn't have to pay back. If you want to be a "Street Artist"...Don't Go To College! Posers

More Awesome Coverage of the Occupancy

If These People Represent 99% of the US Population and I'm not Rich then Who am I?

A Grass Roots Movement ? Same Old Same Old

Some Notes on My Methods

I am finding myself doing more and more of my painting away from the studio. I do more thinking (is thinking the word?) then actually painting each piece. I lay in bed, sometimes for hours, going over the current painting in my "mind's eye". Now this would sound like it would make my work very well plotted but it has had the opposite effect and I am becoming looser and more abstract. I know that the work can only really happen in front of the canvas but somehow my "twilight painting" opens me up with a notion that finds itself in a less conscious part of my brain. When I approach the easel I do and don't know what will happen and I can paint a lot in a few hours and then I must stop.


I am also spending a lot of time dreaming; more then I ever have. I really pay attention not because I think they are prophetic but because they cause certain creative impulses in me. There are recurring themes -like I can never make a phone call; I keep looking for a phone and if I find one I over and over mess up the number I am trying to call. I have many other dreams of things I can not complete or communicate. I have lately had dreams that I know are dreams but I decide not to wake up and realizing I am dreaming gives me more power in the dream. I have also had dreams where I am dreaming within the dream; I wake up and realize I am still dreaming. I dream in color because I have seen several plane crashes and house fires. But my most important dream is when I see a painting and I try to get as close as possible and try to remember it for when I am awake. I have included fragments that I have retained in some of my work. My dream life has become very valuable to me for reasons I don't completely understand.

Clyfford Still: A Life in Paintings

When TV Talk Shows Were Great #1

Great Van Gogh Drawing

This Van Gogh drawing of Joseph Roulin will be going on view in a little over a month in NYC. Here is a NYT article about the impending show "The Ronald S. Lauder Collection: Selections From the Third Century B.C. to the 20th Century/Germany at the Neue Galerie in NYC.

Contemporary Artists I can Tolerate #2