Artist, photographer, filmmaker Cindy Sherman made this short stop-motion film, Doll Clothes, in 1975. I only just realized during my most recent viewing that she was actually continuing the conversation with Marcel Duchamp’s ‘Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2.’
There’s a glitch in the YouTube video, so you’ll need to drag the slider a bit to get the movie started.
Duchamp’s ‘Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2’ (1912):
I found this via the Echo Park Film Center.
Here’s some action art complete with painters scaling buildings at night, secret identities and even a police chase. Artist X made the beautiful ‘Thank You Andy Warhol’ images that went up across L.A a few months ago. I drove by one that was attached to one of the pillars holding up a major highway overpass and was struck by it immediately. I even tried to video it with limited success through my windshield.
The film is by Adolfo J. Lara.
I was filming a ton of shots on Melrose Avenue this past Friday and I stopped purely by chance in front of this piece at the De La Barracuda wall where I took closeups of various parts of the image. I didn’t realize it had just gone up and was a collaboration by artists Chad Muska and Cyrcle. This fun art film is by Adolfo J Lara.
Found the film via Melrose & Fairfax.
Here’s an article from I09.com about how William S. Burroughs was, for a period, fascinated by Scientology. He joined and even used many of the group’s principals in some of his work. But he eventually turned against the group because he recognized that they were more interested in maintaining a corporate hierarchy of secrecy than in pursuing genuine ideas. It’s natural for a writer of Burroughs’ genius to be curious and to find the best in a group like Scientology. It is also natural for him to see through the horse shit and ditch the idiots in a Hollywood Boulevard gutter.
Here’s a good read about Burroughs and Scientology from Dangerous Minds.
Here’s a very nice short film about artist Shepard Fairey whose Obama poster in 2008 became one of the most well-known symbols of the campaign. I started off not liking Fairey’s images even though I purchased one of the Obama posters. I saw lots of reuse and fascism. But I usually have great trouble with and distaste for things that I wind up genuinely admiring. I think Fairey makes absolutely stunning images. I recently purchased a brand new signed print of his. I can’t wait to hang it! Their beauty is both easy and difficult. They are harsh and bombastic even while containing great subtlety. Fascinating artist. I think the statements he makes about copyright are generally correct. But I also think that he was rude in not crediting the original photographer behind the Obama poster image. But rudeness does not make for copyright infringement. I’m sure he’s a very nice guy and I’ve noticed that he has no problem with crediting photographers on his web site. I also have a secret little reason for liking the T-shirt he’s wearing.
This film was made by Gestaltin TV in Germany.
Brazilian artist Claudio Ethos works on his first Los Angeles art piece. I happened upon him down on Main Street and thought he was a worker about to paint over a painting of a face. I started shooting and after several minutes realized that he was the artist.
Here’s some painting going on in Coney Island. The video was made by No Longer Empty NYC, which organizes free art showing in empty storefronts and other odd locations. They also hold children’s workshops, artist discussions, and musical performances.
I found this via Wooster Collective.
This is a film presented at the TED conference from the famous Chinese artist who was recently kidnapped by Chinese authorities. He has completely vanished along with thousands of other artists, journalists, writers, intellectuals and human rights workers who have been taken in the past several months. This artist speaks very simply and clearly about the situation in his country where his government watches him all day long and sees nothing wrong with bulldozing his studio to the ground because he expresses some criticism of what he sees around him.
What I do not respect about this video is the simpering nitwit from TED who introduces the film by stating that the TED conference takes no position on China. He then goes on to bend over for China and mentions how many people have been lifted from poverty in China. How far up China’s ass can this guy fit his head, I wonder? How can any organization not take a position on China? I’m sure if Hitler were around today and rambling across the land on an extermination campaign, this bunch from TED would take no position on that.
Look at this little notice on TED’s YouTube page where the film is hosted:
TED is a non-partisan, nonpolitical organization and we understand the Chinese authorities concern at anything which might provoke social unrest. But for anyone who believes in the power of ideas, of human imagination, it is heartbreaking to see one of the world’s great artists shackled in this way. We will be tracking developments carefully. Here is the film.
TED ‘understands the Chinese authorities concern at anything which might provoke social unrest!’
Oh my god! Yes indeed. They understand this concern of a totalitarian murdering government that is more than happy to make people vanish into prison because they want to complain about being beaten by a policeman.
Hey TED, here I come with my ticket! Gosh, I wouldn’t want you to be concerned that I might boo one of your presentations. Wouldn’t want that, would we?
Lifting people out of poverty in China is not what we need to be doing. We need to be shutting these people out entirely. We need companies that do not fill their computers with Chinese parts. We need toys that do not come painted with Chinese lead poison. We need to treat this totalitarian country the way it deserves to be treated. A rich China doing business with every company on the planet is not going to advance freedom for anyone. China needs to be pushed into abject and brutal poverty. Only then will the conditions exist for a revolution.
I opened up my Dell computer the other day to blow some dust out. The first things I saw were multiple ‘Made in China’ stickers on various components. Screw Dell. Screw every Western company that buys a single circuit board from China. Screw China.
More artists should do this. Make their own documentary about themselves. Great idea. I like the jazz paintings. Harold Smith is a visual artist who just likes painting.
Here’s a BBC documentary about one of the most famous images in the world, the Japanese woodblock print of The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, by 18th century artist Hokusai.
Part 2:
Parts 3 – 5 after the jump
My latest artwork is an image that is never quite the same twice. I worked hard on it. Framed it. Hung it in a gallery. Now you come along with your paints and markers and mess it all up. I’m curious to see what you decide to do. So when you deface my best work ever just hit the ‘upload art’ button to send your artwork to me. You can get a copy for yourself by clicking the ‘download’ button. You get 3 uploads, so try to make it count.
Have fun destroying one of my proudest creations!
Anders Weberg is an artist in Sweden who uses cell phone cameras to make his fluid, multi-layered works that are like quiet explosions of color.
Illustrator Bridget McKenna sent me these pictures and I thought they were nice. So here they are for you to admire. She could work on quite a nice children’s book I think.
She has a web site called Funkolicious Creations with a bunch of totally awesome stuff on it.
Her mixed media art is incredible. Yike! A talent! It’s been a while since I delved into the children’s art where this site began its life long ago. It’s really nice to do it again. I love this woman’s pictures!
See more of her illustrations after the jump.