tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90507265164916343042024-02-20T20:47:26.515-05:00Lakota - Damaged GoodsArticles for the DAMage Report News Talk Radio Show. Arts Day every Wednesday on LAtalkRadio.comLakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-87705050984937793682010-03-17T17:10:00.002-04:002010-03-17T17:18:24.084-04:00DAMage Report - A Horse is a Horse of Course...Unless it's an Artist<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Carol Jensen, a multimedia artist, jewelry maker and musician taught her quarter horse Buggs to paint two years ago. Her intent is to fill a gallery with her horse's paintings one day, or possibly take his show on the road. The paintings sell for between $75-$125 each and the horse has produced around 30 "abstracts."<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mary Lou Schumaker points out "Let's not forget that Buggs' work is being made with a heavy dose of help by Jensen. She is selecting the palette, directing Buggs and moving the canvas. To call this a true collaboration feels like a stretch. One way to look at it -- she's turned Buggs into her own abstraction maker. And that's their real value -- their novelty, that they're being made with the help of a horse."<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Intent is fundamental to art - the artist has to be intentionally setting out to create in order for the label or art, good or bad, to be applied. Everything else is happy accidents. So without intent can the horse be labeled an artist? Isn't it more accurate to label the horse, or any other animal as a tool or part of the process, while the artist would have to be the trainer - whose intention it was to create these pieces using her horse?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The article states that "Horse-produced art has attracted a fair amount of media attention in the last couple of years. Cholla the painting horse has had watercolors displayed around the world. The earliest documented art-producing animal may be <st1:country-region w:st="on">Congo</st1:country-region>, a chimp that painted and drew in the 1950s and the Milwaukee County Zoo's elephant, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Brittany</st1:place></st1:state>, earned minor fame with her painting abilities. Cheryl Ward has coined the movement "interspecies collaborative action art" to reflect the partnership between human and animal.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don't disagree with the novelty or even entertainment value of using these animals as tools to create art. It doesn't appear that they suffer any abuse to get them "trained" and as pets probably enjoy the attention. I do toss down the bullshit flag though and draw the line at calling these animals artists.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">No insult to the intelligence of animals and it is acknowledged fact that some critters can be down-right creative in problem solving and behavior. But slapping the title artist on to them demeans Art... in my ever so humble opinion.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Abstract art is so often viewed with disdain by those that don't understand it nor understand how bloody hard it is to do an excellent abstract that captures and holds the viewer and says something more than "paint on canvas in random patterns." An excellent abstract, such as a Kandinsky is completely about intent, emotion and creative delivery of artistic vision in a way that is unique and inspiring.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The biggest irony is that true abstract paintings are so intellectually and emotionally based that it often does take a degree in art to fully understand them and walk away with an OMG epiphany after viewing some of the masters of abstract. Yet it is invariable the art that is most often slapped with the "oh my kid could do that, my dog,... my horse." In reality it takes an extraordinary amount of study, intellect and talent to produce a successful abstract painting. Throwing paint on a canvas in mimicry of Pollack doesn't cut it as original, outstanding art. He did it, he claimed it - it's done.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now dress that horse in a tutu and get it to pick out paint colors on its own then slap them on the canvas without instruction, while neighing the theme song to Mister Ed and I will concede and be impressed.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/87733497.html</span>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-39794257602115380222010-03-10T13:27:00.000-05:002010-03-10T13:27:37.357-05:00DAMage Report - Sexually Abused Toons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S5fkeEg0qvI/AAAAAAAAAnE/gInI_XbpVJg/s1600-h/07107976.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S5fkeEg0qvI/AAAAAAAAAnE/gInI_XbpVJg/s320/07107976.png" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Christopher Handley, a comic book collector was sentenced to six months in prison for possessing manga drawings. Handley must also serve three years of supervised release and five years of probation. Handley must also participate in a treatment program as directed by the U. S. Probation Officer. The last provision is "intended to provide him with diagnosis and treatment for mental health issues."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Manga is a japanese form of comic illustration that includes sexually explicit graphics. The collection that the U.S. Post Office seized as it was being shipped to Handley included comics of children being sexually abused. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Handley did not have any criminal history nor did he possess any real child pornographic images. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Although the psychologist assessed that Handley was not "disclosing enough" Handley admitted he searched the Internet for manga with stories involving the sexual abuse of minors. The prosecution stated that "The works at issue do not even have arguable scientific, literary, artistic, or political value, such as Vladimir Nabokov's famed novel, </span><cite><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lolita</span></cite><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, Shakespeare's </span><cite><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Romeo and Juliet</span></cite><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, or even Alan Moore's recent, but controversial, graphic novel, </span><cite><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lost Girls</span></cite><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. By the defendant's own statements, the works for which he was convicted of receiving and possessing are clearly obscene." Okay, so Handley, by his own admission, perved over nasty fantasies involving cartoon minors. Ick. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh and by the way, for anyone wondering if looking at manga comics leads people to becoming sex offendors: "there is currently no </span><span style="font-weight: normal; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">risk </span></span><span class="kLink" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: initial !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-top-color: initial !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; width: auto !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">assessment</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="preLoadWrap" id="preLoadWrap4" style="position: relative;"></span> developed to estimate risk for future sexual offending for individuals possessing sexual images in Manga or Anime." In other words, it's illegal because.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"></span></span><br />
<div style="color: #333333; font: normal normal normal 13px/1.4em Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One of my heroes, Neil Gaiman, who fought in defense of Handly, recommended that anyone interested in comic art look through their comic book collection. S. Clay Wilson's Underground Comix...even Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series could be considered obscene. He said "I wrote a story about a serial killer who kidnaps and rapes children, and then murders them." (The Doll's House) "We did that as a comic, not for the purposes of titillation or anything like that, but if you bought that comic, you could be arrested for it? That's just deeply wrong. Nobody was hurt. The only thing that was hurt were ideas." (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/11/24/neil-gaiman-on-the-obscenity-of-manga-collector-christopher-handleys-trial/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/11/24/neil-gaiman-on-the-obscenity-of-manga-collector-christopher-handleys-trial/</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">)</span></span></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It comes down to the line. Where is the Perv line in art? Where is the art line in art? We've talked about what constitutes art on this show several times - this is an example of what happens when a legal system determines something is NOT art and is not protected under creative laws. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I just posted several nude drawings I did on my facebook page, some of which explore bondage themes. If my friends network didn't consist almost entirely of erotic authors, artists, performers and art lovers - there is no doubt that my ONLINE DIGITAL "ART" would offend some. But I'm protected because it's art. But for how long?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-11/christopher-handley-sentenced-to-6-months-for-obscene-manga"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-11/christopher-handley-sentenced-to-6-months-for-obscene-manga</span></a>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-16660164029722128552010-03-03T10:48:00.000-05:002010-03-03T10:48:33.721-05:00DAMage Report - You're not Black So Give it BackLet me start by saying this kind of shit burns my ass up. Intolerance, discrimination, elitism, narrow-minded weenies: they are all my biggest hot buttons and will inevitably bring out the ginger in me.<br />
<br />
A white sorority team won an Atlanta Step Show contest and walked away with a $100,000 prize in what has been a black-only competition. The lily-white girls winning has caused an uproar on both sides of the discrimination issue. So much so that the sponsor, Coca Cola, has announced scoring discrepancies and also awarded a black sorority team with a co-win prize of the same amount. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Controversy arose when some complained that step shows are supposed to highlight the black Greek tradition. (Think about the term black greek tradition for a moment will you.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jw66oy5xyDw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jw66oy5xyDw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Are you fucking kidding me?<br />
<br />
At what point in time will we stop with the stupid shit and quit qualifying people on their skin color, ethnic backgrounds, religious preferences and sexual orientations? Since when did any of that have a damn thing to do with artistic ability? Apparently not only can't white boys jump, white girls can't Step in some narrow minds.<br />
<br />
I respect an ethnic group's right to dominate or focus on an area of the arts that is rich with cultural history, but it doesn't give any group an exclusive, nor should it. It certainly doesn't invalidate other artists' right to explore those areas and topics. Billie Holiday rocked the blues but so did Janis Joplin. Think of the loss if someone had insisted that Janis wasn't allowed to sing in a predominantly black genre of the arts. Or if someone had told Jessye Norman she couldn't sing opera because that is only for fat white chicks. Native American made arts hold a higher value as they should because it reflects a direct line back to a rich cultural history. But that doesn't mean I can't paint a damn half naked warrior on a pony if I want. Or do african drumming (which i love), or belly dancing in turkish veils, or any number of other arts related activities that tie back into a particular culture. Exploring them and exploring the history or beliefs of any group of people is not only healthy, it makes us better people.<br />
<br />
Stereotypes and moronic rules of who can and can't explore subjects and ethnic genres in the arts are debilitating to everyone. The barriers that keep being thrown up need to come down. People need to stop dictating what others can and cannot do - in the arts and in life.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2010/03/white-sorority-wins-100000-ste-002571.php">http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2010/03/white-sorority-wins-100000-ste-002571.php</a>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-61889296479681147782010-02-24T12:22:00.000-05:002010-02-24T12:22:35.250-05:00DAMage Report - Art and Sex<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S4Vf52pu03I/AAAAAAAAAmg/uEiBqBqsGc8/s1600-h/52394876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S4Vf52pu03I/AAAAAAAAAmg/uEiBqBqsGc8/s320/52394876.jpg" /></a>To see the Klimt, you gotta wade through the sex. Literally. It is highly entertaining and not a little ironic that a museum is forcing interested audiences to face the topic of sex and art without blinders. By displaying a renown work by Gustav Klimt inside a Swingers' Sex Club, they are reinforcing the subject matter that the artist addressed with his piece: sex. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Some artists and their works become so famous that often the initial impact of the work, the artistic intent is lost. Klimt was a controversial painter for his time and often addressed the topic of sexuality. But Klimts have become so popular that there isnt a dorm room in america that doesn't have The Kiss or one of his other famous works hanging from the wall. Just like musicans cringe at becoming musak, artists cringe at becoming sofa paintings. Fame is nice, but there is something nightmarish about having your creative efforts reduced to background noise and background visuals. We no longer SEE or HEAR the art.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S4Vf12fmYsI/AAAAAAAAAmY/3hkvN85th2M/s1600-h/beethoven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S4Vf12fmYsI/AAAAAAAAAmY/3hkvN85th2M/s320/beethoven.jpg" /></a></div>The Secession - a world-renowned art venue in Vienna has incorporated a sex club as part of an art project by Swiss artist Christoph Buechel. It is a bit of a shame that the swingers aren't there during the day, but their mattresses, erotic pictures, bar and whirlpool are, creating a hedonistic atmosphere that art lovers have to walk through in order to view Klimt's famous "Beethoven Frieze" which caused a scandal when first exhbited in 1902. "Considered one of the Austrian painter's key pieces, it was once thought of as obscene and pornographic because of the way women's bodies were depicted."<br />
<br />
Museums around the world carry art that deals with the topic of human sexuality, but we often obfuscate or disregard the message of the art in order to maintain a displaced sense of propriety. We can shuffle past gorgeous Modigliani nudes in the museum and make appropriate sounds of ohhhh and ahhhh, without considering what the artist was trying to say with his sensual nudes and how it reflected a wildly bohemian era in Paris. <br />
<br />
By forcing the public to trapse through a sex club, the artist and the museum are forcing eyes wide open. You might be able to view the Klimt in ignorance, but you can't step over the condoms without at least lifting your foot high.<br />
<br />
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-travel-ap-swingers-museum-vienna-story,0,5191713.storyLakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-61058100544316406682010-02-17T11:47:00.000-05:002010-02-17T11:47:46.734-05:00DAMage Report - What is more important - the art or the artist?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3wZcf2jSAI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/KOJq4jEvQvI/s1600-h/banksy_soldier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3wZcf2jSAI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/KOJq4jEvQvI/s320/banksy_soldier.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Banksy, the secretive British artist whose work has appeared on city streets around the world, said on Sunday he hoped his documentary film "Exit Through The Gift Shop" will raise the standing of urban art. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>But the anonymous graffiti artist with a cult following said in a shadowy video message to audiences at the Berlin Film Festival on Sunday before the screening of his film that it was possible it could have the complete opposite effect.</i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span id="midArticle_2"></span></i></span><div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"My ambition was to make a film that would do for graffiti art what 'The Karate Kid' did for martial arts As it turns out, I think we might have a film that does for street art what 'Jaws' did for waterskiing. There was no plan, there was no script and we didn't even realize we were making a film until halfway through. I think it's a good film as long as you've got very low expectations."</i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span id="midArticle_10"></span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3wZaKLPt2I/AAAAAAAAAmI/CXSyfGMpe9s/s1600-h/6a00d83451c23269e200e5539a58618833-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3wZaKLPt2I/AAAAAAAAAmI/CXSyfGMpe9s/s320/6a00d83451c23269e200e5539a58618833-800wi.jpg" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We've talked about intent being important to the artist in order for the creative product to be considered art. The whole graffiti art versus random tagging argument. Art is a means of communication - a way to express, to scream, to shout, to cry, to celebrate, to share a complex concept that can't adequately be conveyed with enough force using plain old conversation. Conversation can often be easily dismissed or forgot. Art on the other hand leaves a lasting impression... or tries to. Banksy is known for using the world as his canvas to convey his political and social messages. By remaining anonymous he initially drove the focus toward the art. The artist was invisible. The longterm results however is that the artist is possibly more fascinating than the art. And that more than anything else is what his film appears to be about. Whether the irony is intentional or not I'm not sure - but i suspect, given his propensity for ironic wit as shown in his art, that it is. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3wZXtvbP_I/AAAAAAAAAmA/hjAj2RN3aMw/s1600-h/banksyriver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3wZXtvbP_I/AAAAAAAAAmA/hjAj2RN3aMw/s320/banksyriver.jpg" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From a small-time graffiti artist to a global star, Banksy's work has become so valuable that several of his street works have been salvaged and sold, including a painting on a London wall that fetched $340,000 in 2008. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He's become world famous for illegal outdoor graffiti, including painting the West Bank barrier and leaving a life-size figure of a Guantanamo Bay detainee at the California theme park Disneyland -- both documented in the film. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Banksy has had four exhibitions in Britain and the United States that attracted a total of over 550,000 visitors. For an invisible man he has cornered a nice portion of the art market that he disdains.</span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; line-height: normal;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">According to one critic</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the story he tells is hilariously outrageous --somehow too implausible NOT to be true. It offers plenty of opportunity to poke fun at the art market, and intriguing insights into the ingenuity -- and agility -- of the street artists themselves."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">I admit as far as generating curiosity about his film, Banksy has done that. I'm interested to find out if the film itself ends up feeling like a piece of graffiti with the early random film clips woven in with a haphazard autobiographical story line. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">The Banksy name and the urban myth developed about his artistic persona carries as much, if not more artistic merit and weight than the graffiti art that was initially his focus. Given some of his personal antics, I can see why. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In 2004, Banksy walked into the Louvre in Paris and hung on a wall a picture he had painted resembling the Mona Lisa but with a yellow smiley face. Though the painting was removed by the museum staff, it and its counterpart, temporarily on unknown display at the Tate Britain, were described by Banksy as "shortcuts". He is quoted as saying: "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: normal;">To actually [have to] go through the process of having a painting selected must be quite boring. It's a lot more fun to go and put your own one up."</span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61D22X20100214?type=entertainmentNews">http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61D22X20100214?type=entertainmentNews</a>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-6355201953676388232010-02-10T10:27:00.002-05:002010-02-10T16:29:00.077-05:00DAMage Report - Scavanging for Arttention<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-live-0210-art-hunt-20100209,0,1725808,full.story">http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-live-0210-art-hunt-20100209,0,1725808,full.story</a></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3LQBJTkXQI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/d79Q8HEpGig/s1600-h/52120621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3LQBJTkXQI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/d79Q8HEpGig/s320/52120621.jpg" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Trying to make a name for yourself in the arts world isn't easy. Just getting someone to stop and look at your work can be a struggle for artists. Sometimes thinking outside the box and using technology along with a sense of fun can help as artist Patrick Skoff discovered. He</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> wanted his paintings to be noticed so he started dropping them off in plain sight, free for anyone to grab and take home.</span></span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>"A year and a half ago, Skoff, 32, began to leave his artwork around Chicago for others to take home because he realized how easy it was to ignore his artwork. He was not getting noticed. </i></span></blockquote><blockquote><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3LQDfhgTQI/AAAAAAAAAlY/if3zG9Mz6l0/s1600/52120624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S3LQDfhgTQI/AAAAAAAAAlY/if3zG9Mz6l0/s320/52120624.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>And now he is. At last count, Skoff figures 700 people — via Twitter, Facebook and texts, where he and Brown call themselves "Skoff and Sam" — were following his exploits, receiving digital hints about where and when he would leave new artwork. He created a market for himself and built a network of followers, many of whom wanted to know when he would leave some new art. So he made a game of it.</i></span></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292727;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292727;"></span><br />
<blockquote style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>A game that raises questions: Is it about art? Or self-promotion? The thrill of the hunt? Or a sly comment on art appreciation? Is it generous or, considering he's unknown, desperate? Does it prove, as he believes, you don't need "a gallery light shining on a work to show art; the city can be your gallery"? Or the opposite — that context matters, and, considering how many people walk past his art without pausing, real art is gallery art?</i></span></div></blockquote></div><blockquote><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>Maud Lavin, chair of visual and critical studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, said Skoff's hunt is a "kissing cousin" of relational art, which deals in human contact and not framed pieces. Donald Young of the Donald Young Gallery said: "what he's doing is about the human story and the art is irrelevant."</i></span></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292727;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292727;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">What is fascinating here is that apparently the marketing strategy has become part of the art. Skoff's paintings have not only moved into the performance art realm, but are delving into the realm of mythos and urban legend development. By creating a mystique around his art and making the participants play active roles in locating them, he has made himself into a sort of Robin Hood of the Arts - giving free art to the masses. It may not be great art... but it is good enough that Skoff can make a living (sort of) at it full time and has people actively pursuing him to acquire his work. Good art and good ideas don't always have a high price tag slapped on them. And all the people who walk past his paintings, leaving them untouched, are themselves still touched by art - even in passing or subconsciously. And that is a wonderful thing.</span></span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">CATCH the show TODAY at http://www.laTALKradio.com at 2pm PST/ 5pm EST / 10pm GMT (Channel 1 - DAMage Report)</span></span></div>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-11011005443057124952010-02-03T11:06:00.001-05:002010-02-03T11:08:08.384-05:00DAMage Report - Dicking Around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S2melmA4XbI/AAAAAAAAAlI/8NdjJfXrBR0/s1600-h/bilde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S2melmA4XbI/AAAAAAAAAlI/8NdjJfXrBR0/s200/bilde.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is ironic that overtly sexual art is frowned upon, yet human nature compels us to apply sexual associations to certain shapes in art. Phallic and vaginal symbolism in art is as old as the cave paintings. Little stick man...giant stick. Sometimes the iconic reference is intentional, sometimes not. The lastest giant phallic, titillating University of Alabama students, is a sculpture by instructor Craig Wedderspoon. "Argyle" is part of his series of works intended to reference fabrics and textiles that some say looks oddly phallic. (It looks more like a pear to me but then maybe they grow 'em short and fat in Alabama.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S2mehOjkiLI/AAAAAAAAAk4/b9nLzHoNg6k/s1600-h/a96674_yourlips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S2mehOjkiLI/AAAAAAAAAk4/b9nLzHoNg6k/s320/a96674_yourlips.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Famous phallic art includes the giant </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks by</i></span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Claes Oldenburg, </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Eiffel Tower is often considered phallic, as well as ANY public monument that is taller than it is wide. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Famous vaginal art includes O'Keefe's flowers. Georgia O'Keefe adamantly insisted that it was not her intent to create flowers that reminded people of colorful cunts and people just read what they wanted into her art. That makes it even more fascinating to my mind.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Disguises in which the offensive and offending phallus has appeared include:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://images.wikia.com/common/releases_201001.4/skins/uncyclopedia/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S2meez66DlI/AAAAAAAAAkw/qtLSHnqntNQ/s1600-h/180px-Banana_penis_Beardsley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S2meez66DlI/AAAAAAAAAkw/qtLSHnqntNQ/s200/180px-Banana_penis_Beardsley.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Banana</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Horns (fertility symbol in ancient art)</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Cigar</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Gun - pistol, bazookas, cannons, spears, swords, etc. </li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Maypole</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Monument</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Obelisk</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Tower</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Lipstick</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Snakes</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Trains, cars - the faster and bigger the better</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Right side up triangle</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Generally any long, hot thrusting.... ermmm never mind.</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S2mej5mpO1I/AAAAAAAAAlA/QQQnuflNjJ0/s1600-h/4099263732_f6795ba022_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S2mej5mpO1I/AAAAAAAAAlA/QQQnuflNjJ0/s320/4099263732_f6795ba022_o.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Disguises in which the offensive and offending vulva has appeared include:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://images.wikia.com/common/releases_201001.4/skins/uncyclopedia/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Cup</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Rose and other flowers</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Valley</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Cave</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Heart</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Upside down triangle</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Various fruit</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Oysters</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Shells</li>
</ul></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div></span><br />
<br />
Generally the phallic symbolism has the vulva symbol beat hands down for number of instances it appears in art. No doubt due to penis envy. What are some objects that looked phallic or vaginal to you - either in art or in real life?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100201/NEWS/100139933/1007/NEWS02?p=1&tc=pg">http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100201/NEWS/100139933/1007/NEWS02?p=1&tc=pg</a><br />
<br />
****<br />
NEA Call for artists:<br />
Design the next NEA logo - concept theyr'e looking for is "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">reminder that art workers are real workers who are part of this country’s real economy.” Art workers “earn salaries, support families, [and] pay taxes,"</span><br />
<a href="http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/33795/nea-launches-logo-contest/">http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/33795/nea-launches-logo-contest/</a>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-65336909003007978412010-01-29T11:55:00.000-05:002010-01-29T11:55:59.338-05:00DAMage Report - Artful Oopsie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-FK035_damage_CV_20100128181203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-FK035_damage_CV_20100128181203.jpg" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are bad days, bad weeks, even bad years... but falling into a $130 million dollar Picasso could constitute a bad life. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A New York woman accidentally lost her balance while attending an art-education class at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and fell into a Pablo Picasso masterpiece. She reportedly was uninjured, but her tumble tore a 15-centimetre vertical gash in </span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1264782376507"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Actor.</span></a></i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1264782376507"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></a></i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The museum did not elaborate on why the unidentified woman fell. But it asserted that the tear didn’t affect “the focal point of the composition” and it indicated that it should be repaired before the picture is included in a major Picasso retrospective at the museum in April."</span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite the strict security that every top museum I've ever been to employs </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">("Ma'm STEP AWAY from the art or we shoot to kill")</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> it seems there are little oopsies with famous and irreplaceable works of art.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Picasso Is a Target?</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"In 2006, casino mogul Steve Wynn was showing off his famous Picasso painting, "Le Rêve," to friends when he accidentally poked a hole in the painting with his elbow. It was a costly mistake: He was just about to sell the piece to art collector Steven Cohen for $139 million. The 6-inch rip in the canvas was eventually repaired, but the sale was called off." Can you imagine the look on his face? [It's just a little wear and tear Mister Cohen - how about we knock off ten percent of the price and call it all good?]</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kids Say the Darndest Things</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"At the Tate Britain in London, a child vomited on Carl Andre's "Venus Forge" sculpture in 2007. The Minimalist's sculpture is a series of steel and copper tiles placed on the ground. In 2008, one of Mr. Andre's copper-tile floor sculptures sold for $2.6 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York." [Everyone is a critic and I wonder if the vomit increased the value of the piece.]</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Trashy Art</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"In October 2001, staff at a chic gallery in London were forced to go dumpster-diving after a janitor accidentally swept up an installation by prominent British artist Damien Hirst. Called </span><i style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Untitled</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, the piece was a tableau consisting of half-full coffee cups, ashtrays with cigarette butts, empty beer bottles, candy wrappers and an easel." [Maybe if Hirst had titled the piece? I wonder if the janitor got a pay raise for adding a little dumpster ambience to the piece.]</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bleeding Art</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Marc Quinn calls it an “urban myth,” but others insist that it’s true. Reportedly a self-portrait bust that Quinn made from nine frozen pints of his own blood melted in the freezer of legendary London art collector Charles Saatchi after decorators working on his kitchen pulled the plug. Quinn’s blood busts currently sell for $1-million each and it takes him at least one year to accumulate the necessary blood."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">[That would suck and not in a friendly vampire way either. Imagine discovering that a year's worth of blood, sweat and well, blood - going down the drain. At least he got to keep his cool mill.]</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So my week kinda sucked - but seriously, not as bad as the people who accidentally destroyed million dollar works of art. See - bright shiny spot in every cloud.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">REF: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/notable-gaffes-involving-art-and-artifacts/article1445644/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/notable-gaffes-involving-art-and-artifacts/article1445644/</span></a></span></span><br />
<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029610052908770.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_RIGHTTopCarousel"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029610052908770.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_RIGHTTopCarousel</span></a>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-59035479594903314092010-01-20T11:08:00.000-05:002010-01-20T11:08:25.015-05:00WTF'art? The Line Between Snake Oil and Art<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">What is and isn't art is one of the eternal questions. I tend to be very opened minded (I think) but even I have my lines I draw, especially when gimmick overshadows artistic intent and impact. </span></span><br />
</div><div><br />
</div></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Jeffrey Deitch, the new director at The Museum of Contemporary Art in LA, had heard about two young artists who spent the occasional evening ransacking a hotel room, ripping apart phone books, writing on the walls and getting stoned.<br />
<br />
"Deitch handed them keys to his SoHo gallery and for almost a week they crammed it with 2,000 shredded phone books, and stabbed a broomstick and broken wine bottles in the walls for "Nest," a show that was to remain there for a month. It didn't even survive the raucous opening night party. The next morning the gallery was such a smelly, flammable beer-and-urine soaked mess it had to be completely cleaned out and refilled with another 2,000 shredded phone books." </span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">My initial reaction to reading this story was to turn up my nose and cry fowl (That's a Nest joke in case you didn't get it.) The idea that one man has a magic wand that he can wave about and declare anything he wants as art was an anathema to me. But it goes to show that snap reactions and making judgments on what you HEAR instead of what you SEE or EXPERIENCE for yourself is the quickest path to ignorance.</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">After watching the video of the "NEST" I had to backpedal and reassess my viewpoint. Because the video itself shows an intriguing performance that reflects aspects of human nature... and isn't that what art does? </span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">But I'm not willing to give carte blanche to anything being art. There are people who are nothing more than faux artists, along for the ride and not really interested in anything except notoriety, money and ...well money. Art should educate, should make you think - should communicate and touch us in some way. But not in the ways some "artists" seem to think it should.</span></span><br />
</div><div><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PugWkh_gzxw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PugWkh_gzxw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
In "<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">But Is It Art?" <span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> Cynthia A. Freeland points out "If artists just want to shock the bourgeoisie, it becomes pretty hard to distinguish the latest kind of art that gets written up in<i>Artforum</i> from a Marilyn Manson performance that includes Satanic rituals of animal sacrifice on stage."</span></span><br />
<br />
<b><i>A good example of crossing the line from possible art into lunacy is <span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Richard Whitehouse, an artist from Ohio, who is constructing a piece called </span></span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">The Rape Tunnel</span></span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">. It's an installation in a gallery, a long narrowing tunnel that can be walked through, and he's promising that anybody who enters it during the exhibition, he'll attempt to rape. In a similar exhibit piece in 2007 called </span></span></span></span><em><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">THE PUNCH-YOU-IN-THE-FACE TUNNEL, </span></span></span></span></em><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">at the end of the tunnel he would punch the subject in the face instead of raping him or her. </span></span></span></span></span></i></b><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Whitehouse said "The impetus was completely reactionary to the current state of art, and motivated by pure frustration. I ended up breaking the nose of the third person to crawl through the tunnel, an aspiring model. She went to the hospital and eventually sued me. Her modeling career was put on hold. The point of this [is] I’m still having an impact on this young lady’s life, something not many other artists could claim about their work. Rape seemed like the next logical step."</span></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Does that cross the line? I would say so. </span></span><br />
</div>REF Story: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-deitch19-2010jan19,0,7212534.story?page=1">http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-deitch19-2010jan19,0,7212534.story?page=1</a><br />
</div>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-64712050830961850162010-01-13T13:27:00.000-05:002010-01-13T13:27:52.439-05:00DAMage Report - When Barbie Was Bad<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S04QUJxzprI/AAAAAAAAAkA/BgQOVuVvlIQ/s1600-h/huggintheporcelin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S04QUJxzprI/AAAAAAAAAkA/BgQOVuVvlIQ/s320/huggintheporcelin.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With eternally perky plastic breasts, a waspish waist, long blonde hair (usually) and no genitalia, she has been the iconic representation of perfect beauty and femininity for fifty years. But little miss perfect Barbie keeps getting her tight, silicon bootie in hot water. Located, ironically enoug h, near Silicon Valley, the One Of A Kind Barbies gallery has stirred up controversy over its displays of barbie sculptures. The gallery features the fashion doll and similar action figures in various works of art including ones with religious themes and ones with sexual overtones. Due to community outrage over seeing Barbie's nipple-less breasts and va-jay-jay-free groin bared in public display windows, the more potentially objectionable pieces are now displayed inside separate areas within LaVonne Sallee's new studio. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S04QgXV3yGI/AAAAAAAAAkI/GObJIBDm7Ig/s1600-h/Barbie-SM-101409-m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S04QgXV3yGI/AAAAAAAAAkI/GObJIBDm7Ig/s320/Barbie-SM-101409-m.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 2002 Barbie lost her lawsuit against another artist that outed her secret bondage fetish, when he created modified barbies in BDSM scenarios. The judge in the lawsuit rules that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The sale or display of `adult' dolls does not appear to be a use Mattel would likely develop or license others to develop," she said. The parody appears to pose no threat to sales of Barbie dolls and thus does not seem to violate the company's copyright, the judge concluded."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That pretty much made the doll fair game for creative parodies and use in artistic pieces - everything from barbie enchiladas to lesbian barbie vignettes to barbie threesomes. The unveiling of her secret slutty life was attacked with glee by an army of artists worldwide. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The reason she is vilified, toyed with (heh) and manipulated by so many is because she has represented the ridiculous female stereotype of perfection and repressed female sexuality for as long as she has been in existence. And that stereotype is alive and well in toy stores and homes across the globe. (Ironic considering her prototype was inspired by a german hooker doll named Lilli.) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The blonde, blue-eyed babe still symbolizes perfect beauty in the U.S. and many parts of the world. Go into any toy store and over 80% of the barbies on the shelves will be blonde. There are the smattering of token ethnic dolls - but they are such a minority that its hard to believe we're in 2010. And it isn't just ethnic dolls that are the minority. I and several friends spent the month before christmas searching for a barbie with red hair. I had planned to make some gag gifts for friends... but none of us were able to locate a single redhead barbie in stores or online. (The exception being a very pricey collectible Mackey doll on auction.) It highlighted for me that the barbie icon is still kicking up her heels. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S04QSBW_XeI/AAAAAAAAAj4/bDJFBL4Pw_U/s1600-h/259262658468771_a3a92b14ff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S04QSBW_XeI/AAAAAAAAAj4/bDJFBL4Pw_U/s320/259262658468771_a3a92b14ff.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Artists tend to be the myth-breakers, stereotype-busters and icon-smashers in society. Declare something taboo or sacred and you will find artists pouncing on it to use in their creative explorations. The sexless, anatomically incorrect barbie must die! Because in reality, every woman that once owned Miss Perky Boobs will tell you that barbie is a closet slut and has made out with not only GI Joe and Ken, but all her barbie girlfriends as well. Art destroys the facade of perfection and lays bare the truth - ain't nothing sacred in art or barbies. And you really, REALLY have to worry about people who are offended by nudity in dolls.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #092a57;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Reference News Story: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14172387?nclick_check=1"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14172387?nclick_check=1</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Catch the DAMage Report Arts Day today on</span><a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> http://www.LAtalkRadio.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> at 2pm PST /5pm EST</span>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-26403892619234241772010-01-06T11:04:00.001-05:002010-01-06T11:52:26.560-05:00DAMage Report - The Future of Art is a Virtual World Away<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/how-new-technologies-secure-a-place-for-the-arts/article1415229/">http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/how-new-technologies-secure-a-place-for-the-arts/article1415229/</a> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S0S0ExFHg7I/AAAAAAAAAjg/w8L2u45KWWg/s1600-h/digitalpainting10410_011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S0S0ExFHg7I/AAAAAAAAAjg/w8L2u45KWWg/s400/digitalpainting10410_011.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>You remember that old tv series called Beauty and the Beast? There was a subterranian culture hidden beneath the city. That is what it feels like to have stumbled across a thriving arts community florishing in the underworld of the internet. A place called Smallworlds is an online game with something different. It is a full blown virtual reality that encourages and rewards the arts. The program has limited use drawing canvases to ensure originality of pieces. And artists have built galleries, created competitions, explored the works of famous artists in forums, and they even give drawing advice to students. Digital communities like this are inspiring and nurturing a new generation of artists.<br />
<br />
<br />
With all the cut backs in arts education and decline in museum attendance it is exciting to see an area of the arts experiencing growth and generating excitement. <br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">As Domonic Lopes points out in his recent article about technology and art</span> <em>"Times of rapid technological change push us to ask, what are the arts? Privileging books, live performance and gallery displays risks overlooking new realms of artistic creation....</em> </span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Photography and filmmaking are more popular than ever, but what's really remarkable is that photographers and moviemakers can reach a potentially enormous audience through sites like Flickr and YouTube. Bypassing the galleries and movie studios encourages diversity: Flickr hosts communities of photographers who reject the aesthetic ideals endorsed by the art market, and YouTube has spawned entirely new genres like Machinima and trailer mashups. Engagement with the arts is down only if we confine the arts to the gallery, theatre and concert hall."</span></em><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S0S0IIWCecI/AAAAAAAAAjo/02ItLNr5M-U/s1600-h/a4af12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/S0S0IIWCecI/AAAAAAAAAjo/02ItLNr5M-U/s320/a4af12.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Artists from "Smallworlds" have observed that painting digitally allows people with limited physical space to create art, and the cost of art supplies is... well virtually nothing. <em>(Heh. Sorry. Had to throw that in there.)</em><br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Teenagers like Marissa Carter have used the digital drawing games to develop skills that have translated to real life improvement in artistic abilities. She was particularly excited that her art teacher is trying to get her work into a show. (The digital painting of a strawberry is hers.) Other aspiring artists have seen the drawing games influence their interest in going to museums, in purchasing art supplies for the first time, and an interest in learning more about master artists like Thomas Kinkade, Rubens, Renoir. Arts education is alive and well!!!!<br />
It doesn't begin and end in the tiny virtual world though. People have begun to collect digital art and display it in their homes in LCD wall screens. Entire new vistas are opening for the art world and the exploration and contagious excitement of the "virtual artists" is going to take art in an entirely new direction. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">“Interactivity” explores the immersive potential of technology. You can “splash” paint across a screen by waving your arms in front of Mehmet Akten’s Body Paint installation, or watch the branches of Simon Heidjens’s digital trees move whenever the wind blows outside the V&A. These projects offer a foretaste of the next generation of sensor-controlled computers that we will operate with our voices or physical gestures, rather than keyboards and mice. - New York Times, 12/13/09</span></em><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Digital art is still the Ginger-child of the art world, but it is moving toward having its day in the plasma spotlight. <br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">*Strawberry Digital Painting by Marissa Carter<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">*Portrait of Woman by Truble King<br />
</div>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-21001571273159515502009-12-09T11:23:00.000-05:002009-12-09T11:23:32.251-05:00DAMage Report - One hand lifts you up and the other smacks you down<strong>It's ARTS smorgesborg day with a cross section of the hot topics that hit the feeds this week.</strong><br />
<br />
The big news was a new grant that is specifically directed at young artists, to assist them in developing their creative gifts. The Future Generation Art Prize is a competition that will recognize and award artists age 35 and under. The Victor Pinchuk Foundation will provide the winner with $100,000 and help from mentors like Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst. Victor Pinchuk is a Ukrainian billionaire and art collector.<br />
<br />
<em>One of the goals is to "provide sustainable support for the future generation, by bringing the most promising of these young artists into a network that includes curators, critics, educators, scholars and some of the world's most celebrated artists."</em><br />
<br />
<br />
Weren't we JUST talking about this? Apparently Victor Pinchuk decided to invest his money in artists and the future rather than spend it on a Warhol for his safe to enjoy. I applaud him and I applaud the distinguished artists that have agreed to mentor the emerging artists. Y'all think Mr. Pinchuk was listening to the DAMage Report the other day?<br />
<br />
<br />
For those interested in participating in this new opportunity the online entries will be accepted from Jan. 18 through April 18. The winner and up to five finalists will be announced in December 2010. An additional $20,000 will fund artist-in-residency programs for up to five other special prize winners. Incidently the prize is higher than the prestigious $36,400 Turner Prize given by the Tate or the $50,000 Hugo Boss Prize sponsored by the clothing company and given by the Guggenheim. For more details go to: <a href="http://www.pinchukartcentre.org/">http://www.pinchukartcentre.org/</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Other Grant news</strong> was the doling out of the NEA arts funds to various organizations across the country including over $4 million to the LA area. Nationwide, the NEA will distribute $26,968,500 to support 1,207 projects. This will be a life-saver for many organizations across the country and help keep their programs going. Nearly $27 million in grants was distributed by the National Endowment for the Arts to 1,207 projects. <br />
<br />
A large part of the Arts chatter this past week has revolved around the <strong>Art Basel Party</strong> in Miami. This was apparently "the party" of the year with art from 267 galleries and 33 countries. The big poo-poo seemed to be directed at Sylvester Stallone who has been painting for many years. Snide comments demeaning "celebrity artists" and recommendations for him to keep his day job reinforced for me exactly how damn snobby the art world can be. Is there a rule somewhere that dictates who can and cannot create art? There was a time in our history that artists who explored many areas of the arts were held in the highest regard. Now if a "celebrity" dares to step out of their success box and try their hand at something else, they are bitchslapped for their audacity. I actually thought his paintings were intriguing. Apparently so did three buyers since he made $90,000 in sales. Go Rocky.<br />
<br />
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-new-artist-prize,0,5225032.storyLakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-27614124033894069312009-12-02T09:59:00.002-05:002009-12-02T09:59:53.994-05:00DAMage Report - Character Assassination by Characters - The RedHat Lawsuit<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div class="note_content text_align_ltr direction_ltr clearfix" style="clear: both; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-left: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: left; width: 460px; word-wrap: break-word;"><div style="clear: none; line-height: 14px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/jury_awards_100k_to_woman_who_says_fictional_character_defamed_her/#comments" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "7c94a544d2a728685850042d115503fc", event)" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span>http://www.abajournal.com/</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><span>news/article/jury_awards_1</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><span>00k_to_woman_who_says_fict</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><span>ional_character_defamed_he</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span>r/#comments</a><br />
<br />
</div><div class="photo photo_left" style="clear: left; float: left; line-height: 14px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 2px; width: 180px;"><div class="photo_img" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4035883&op=1&view=all&subj=191831066338&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=191831066338&id=199574015241" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs055.snc3/14246_213784640241_199574015241_4035883_7227216_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" /></a></div></div><div class="clear_left" style="clear: right; line-height: 14px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b>"A Georgia jury has awarded $100,000 to a woman who says she was defamed because a character in the book The Red Hat Club had a mix of her own traits and other false characteristics that depicted her as a promiscuous alcoholic."</b><br />
<br />
At first glance, this seems like a ridiculous lawsuit and potentially disastrous precedence in the publishing world. After all, don't disclaimers at the beginning of books count for anything anymore? And don't a large majority of authors base some parts of their characters on people they know or have encountered? It's called creative inspiration. And typically, while the seed of a character may have a real life prototype, the process of writing as well as the process of characters taking over their own stories, usually carries the character development far away from that initial inspiration.<br />
<br />
Hell, I've had a number of writers, poets and songwriters use me as their muse in one way or another for their creative endeavors over the years. And no, they weren't all flattering. Not because the writers intended to insult or "defame" my sterling character (heh), but because the creation itself demanded the direction the story, song, poem, painting took. Even if they depicted me as slutty-mcslut, or dumb as a doornail - I wouldn't SUE them. (Bop them upside the head maybe and exact revenge with my OWN story.) Because... I am cognizant that most people would have no clue who the work was inspired by. And couldn't care less if they did know.<br />
<br />
Author Karin Gillespie pointed out if the plaintiff, Ms. Vickie Stewart, was so concerned about being perceived as a slut and alcoholic - why didn't she just lay low? Now she doesn't have to contend with just her friends and former-friends viewing her with speculative glances, but a large portion of the world that WOULD HAVE remained ignorant of her affiliation with the book. Plus, fifty something going through her own harem of boytoys? Hello, I'll have some of what she's got please. <i style="font-family: 'lucida sans', 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">(Okay - not really, but it sounded good.)</i><br />
<br />
But at the heart of this and one of the reasons the writing industry is concerned is that this may have created a precedent. Given our lawsuit crazed society, it could spell trouble for authors. Both plaintiffs and defense lawyers say they know of no other successful libel cases in Georgia brought against works of fiction. And there are countless books out there with characters based on real people.<br />
<br />
<i style="font-family: 'lucida sans', 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">"It’s very common for writers to draw on historical, cultural facts from the world they live in and place them in novels to make them seem as real as possible..." Ruppersburg, a paid expert witness for the defense, said "from the first sentence, the first paragraph of (The Red Hat Club), it presented itself to me as a work of fiction." </i><br />
<br />
As the Romantic Times Book Review remarks <i style="font-family: 'lucida sans', 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">"This case sets a bad precedent. Now anyone with a grudge against an author can claim libel if they see even a semblance of themselves in a work of fiction. Authors will have to worry not just about their characters that ARE based on real people, but accidental resemblances, too."</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>BUT</b> to take the OTHER side of the issue - the author of <i style="font-family: 'lucida sans', 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">The Red Hat Club,</i> Haywood Smith, set herself up to fail.<br />
<br />
She not only did incredibly idiotic things such as keeping the names of the character's neighbors the same as Ms. Stewarts, she also included over 35 identifiable traits and incidents that could easily be tied to the plaintiff. In her OWN essay "Creating Memorable Characters" she advises writers to "Borrow from life, then embellish it all you want (disguising the people you use sufficiently to avoid problems, of course)."<br />
<br />
Writers DO have to take some responsibilities. Especially if they think there is even the slightest chance that one of their characters might be recognizable by the person who inspired it. And for goddess sake, don't do what Smith did and email a writer friend confessing that the "slut" character in your story is suing you. That was a nice piece of key evidence for the plaintiff.</div></div>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-12450942172773390712009-12-02T07:29:00.001-05:002009-12-02T07:30:49.264-05:00DAMAGE Research - Character Assassination by a Character<span style="color: #111111; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;"></span><br />
<div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/jury_awards_100k_to_woman_who_says_fictional_character_defamed_her/#comments"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/jury_awards_100k_to_woman_who_says_fictional_character_defamed_her/#comments</span></a><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">A Georgia jury has awarded $100,000 to a woman who says she was defamed because a character in the book </span><i style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">The Red Hat Club</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> had a mix of her own traits and other false characteristics that depicted her as a promiscuous alcoholic.</span><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">The Nov. 19 jury award for plaintiff Vickie Stewart was far less than the minimum of $1 million in damages sought by her lawyer, Jeffrey Horst, according to the </span><a href="http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202435928762" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003366; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Fulton County Daily Report"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Fulton County Daily Report</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">.</span><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;">Stewart </span></b><a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/defamation_suit_over_realistic_fictional_character_allowed/" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003366; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="had contended"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;">had contended</span></b></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;"> novelist Haywood Smith, a childhood friend, had created the character SuSu with looks that resembled hers, with the same job as a flight attendant, and with similar experiences involving a second, conniving husband. But Stewart says she did not have other traits of the character, including a propensity to engage in casual sex and drink at work.</span></b><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">The jury </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">did not award attorney fees</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> to Stewart, and </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">did not rule for her on an invasion of privacy claim</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> against Smith and her publisher, St. Martin's Press. The defendants were represented by Peter Canfield of Dow Lohnes.</span><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Canfield told the Fulton County Daily Report that </span><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">the jury found for Stewart on the defamation charge because "they were essentially instructed that, in Georgia, modeling a fictional character after a real person is a strict liability offense.</span></b></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">"</span><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;">"Under that standard, as the jury was instructed on Georgia law,</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;"> a whole host of authors that we all know and are highly esteemed would be considered serial tortfeasors</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;">," he said. They include authors such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Irving, he said.</span><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202435928762&BestSelling_Novel_Defamed_Woman_Jury_Finds"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202435928762&BestSelling_Novel_Defamed_Woman_Jury_Finds</span></a><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"></span></span><br />
</div><h4 style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 0.8em/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 2px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Both plaintiffs and defense lawyers say they know of no other successful libel cases in Georgia brought against works of fiction</span></h4><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">"The Red Hat Club," released in 2003, hit No. 15 on </span><em style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">The New York Times</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">' best-seller list. Smith, who lives in Hall County, has since written other novels, including a sequel to "The Red Hat Club" titled "The Red Hat Club Rides Again."</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> </span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">...provided 39 "identifiable" traits common between Stewart and SuSu, including that both have red hair, green eyes and freckles and both smoke and have a smoker's cough. Both Stewart and SuSu are compulsively late and both had neighbors named Ed Johnson and Ellen Beaumont.</span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> </span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">"We put on the stand people who knew Vickie pretty well who immediately recognized SuSu as depicting Vickie Stewart's life," Horst said. "But they said they didn't know if these other things were true, like whether she drank on the job or had sex with stud puppies."</span><br />
</blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">"These people, who are Vickie's friends, </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">could not distinguish fact from fiction,</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">" Horst said.</span><br />
</blockquote><div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <br />
</div></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Another key piece of evidence was an e-mail Smith sent to a writing colleague who provided Smith with advice on her manuscripts. In the e-mail, Smith told the colleague that she had received an e-mail from the woman who was the basis for her fictional "slut" and that the woman was threatening to sue her.</span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> </span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> </span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=22333"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=22333</span></a></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> </span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">During this month’s trial, an associate dean and professor of English from the University of Georgia testified that modeling fictional characters after real people was commonplace in literature.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Dean Hugh Ruppersburg cited Ernest Hemingway’s </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">The Sun Also Rises,</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> F. Scott Fitzgerald’s </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Tender is the Night</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">The Great Gatsby</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> and Flannery O’Connor’s</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Good Country People</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> as but a few examples of authors basing their characters on real people.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: yellow;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">"It’s very common for writers to draw on historical, cultural facts from the world they live in and place them in novels to make them seem as real as possible," the professor said.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Ruppersburg, a paid expert witness for the defense, said "from the first sentence, the first paragraph of (</span><i><span style="background-color: yellow;">The Red Hat Club</span></i><span style="background-color: yellow;">), it presented itself to me as a work of fiction."</span><br />
<br />
Asked whether it might be difficult for readers to separate the real Vicki Stewart from the SuSu of the novel, the professor said that shouldn’t be the reader’s job.<br />
<br />
"The reader’s job is to decide whether he or she believes that individual character behaves like a credible human being," Ruppersburg said.<br />
</span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">During his cross-examination of the professor, plaintiff’s attorney Jeffrey Horst showed the witness an essay Smith wrote titled "Creating Memorable Characters."<br />
Smith wrote, "<span style="background-color: yellow;">Borrow from life, then embellish it all you want (disguising the people you use sufficiently to avoid problems, of course)."</span><br />
<br />
<br />
***<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">There are a few requirements to joining the Red Hat Society, Mack explained. You must be at least 50 years old and willing to have a good time. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.northjersey.com/community/70595812.html">http://www.northjersey.com/community/70595812.html</a></span></span><br />
</span></span></span><br />
</div>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050726516491634304.post-51786657582084518852009-11-18T08:49:00.000-05:002009-11-18T08:49:03.950-05:00DAMage Report - When Does it Become No Longer About the Art?<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aVVV8IsOLCOs">http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aVVV8IsOLCOs</a><br />
<br />
"<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">An <a href="http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Andy+Warhol&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1" onmouseover="return escape( popwSearchNews( this ))" style="color: #006b99; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Andy Warhol</a> painting of 200 dollar bills was sold for $43.8 million at a New York art auction by London-based art collector Pauline Karpidas, more than 100 times what she paid in 1986."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">The recent auction at Sotheby's has the investment and art world all aflutter. The auction brought in an unexpected $134.4 million which was more than expected but less than their May 2008 record of $362 million. Those numbers are somewhat mind-numbing aren't they? The auction this week brought in almost as much as the 2009 NEA budget of $155 million. Last year the auction brought in more than the <span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">$265 million requested for 2010 for arts programs for the United States. That's a whole lot of dollars being traded for investments and not for art. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">Because really, it is no longer about the art is it?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is a humorous irony that Warhol's painting of 200 one dollar bills, making art of commerce, is no longer ART really, but a trading commodity, no different than gold or pieces of paper with the heads of presidents printed on them. His name is what has value, not the piece. It was bought by an anonymous buyer and will be locked away until such time as the buyer decides to auction it off for a profit. It is unlikely that it will hang on a wall for the aesthetic value or appreciation for what the artist was trying to say with the painting. All of that has become inconsequential in the world of who can accumulate the most one dollar bills.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The artists, their estates, their descendants are all divorced from the reality of these works. In most cases, even the art world doesn't benefit. There are exceptions, as will probably be the case with this particular Warhol because the seller, Pauline Karpidas, who paid <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">$385,000 for the painting at a 1986, is a patron of the arts and will probably funnel at least part of her $43 million profit back into supporting the arts. But given the state of arts and arts education world-wide, it is pretty safe to say that most of the money trading doesn't find its way back into support of the arts.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/SwP7GnyWk0I/AAAAAAAAAhM/8VudjazirBM/s1600/_46718800_one_dollar_getty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RViCIIhOxX8/SwP7GnyWk0I/AAAAAAAAAhM/8VudjazirBM/s320/_46718800_one_dollar_getty.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">The question for you is, if you had $43 million that you could either buy a painting with or donate to arts programs to sustain the future of the arts, what would you do? Invest in the painting to make more money down the road, or invest in the future?</span></span>Lakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028892947791179389noreply@blogger.com0