The Phenomabomber Beta Art Van- The Phenomenauts and their Intergalactic Mission

A band of space cadets came together in 2000 to form what is now known as the The Phenomenauts. This intergalactic band of pioneers led by Commanders Angel Nova and Joe Bot, are a blend rockabilly, punk, and good old-fashioned rock‘n’roll. This this quintet has quickly become well known and loved by all who have witnessed their amazing shows. Their space adventures are made possible by the use of their space ship called "The Phenomabomber Beta" seen here parked in dry dock.

Dino Ride For Sale - 1961 Ford Psychedelic Fairlane - $900

The Dino Ride Art Car is up for sale now at craigslist. Have you ever wanted to own a piece of classic art history? The now for only $900 you can own the Dino Ride Art Car with a 223 CID 6 cylinder engine...rebuilt about 50K miles ago, 3 on the Tree manual tranny, manual choke, bench seats...nearly new tires and battery...runs good, starts right up...

I have owned the car for 22 years, I just don't drive it anymore...This will make a great basic car, goes anywhere, rides like a dream...Hey, if you don't like the paint job, it could easily be painted flat black and made a cool Rat Rod!...However, the upholstery is shot, speedo and dash lites aren't working, other than that it will drive away... Original yellow on black plates, registration is current. I am not parting this car out. Please leave your phone # with a message...Peace

operators are standing by...

Surfacing

Remaining on the surface is challenging.
Going deep means losing the precious cristalline equilibrium of form.
Going indepth means losing the surface tension, the attractive property, as Wikipedia nicely put it.

Picture one is Leak, from an ongoing project by the G&V (with credits to Matthew Chokshi) The second picture is called Z. and is by Lin Zhipeng, aka "No.223".

Koi

Oil on canvas, 20" x 30"

Blue Mountain

Oil on canvas, 18" x 24"

SKIN

Andrew Wyeth

There may be no better test of what's inside an artist than their response to what's on our surface.

The drama of human flesh has inspired a variety of artistic reactions. As John Updike noted, "the menace of and the sadness of naked flesh have impressed artists as much as its grandeur and allure."

At the same time that skin inspires such reactions, it also provides artists with a broad and complex language for expressing feelings, thoughts and desires. Here are just a few samples:

Toulouse Lautrec brilliantly captures the weight of flesh


In this detail from his watercolor of a weary stripper backstage, Burt Silverman distinguishes between the color of flesh that has been exposed to the sun and flesh that has never seen the light of day.


The ultra-cool Bob Peak lowers the temperature of skin to the level of liquid nitrogen


Gustav Klimt excelled at finding mythical eroticism in flesh


Andrew Wyeth puts flesh under his microscope and finds it radiant

Contrast these rich portrayals of our mortal envelope with the abject poverty of popular technicians such as Vargas or Olivia:





The disparity between these artistic treatments shows that for artists with searching eyes, skin offers clues, promises and temptations about inner life and personality. These are the fuel for true eroticism. On the other hand, lesser artists find that skin blocks any inquiry beneath the surface and ultimately leaves them with a shallow and boring caricature of sexuality.

Artists such as Vargas and Olivia excel at painting flesh firm like sausage casing, but they seem oblivious to the cosmic significance of the freckles that they thoughtlessly airbrush from a bare shoulder.

I was reminded of the artistic importance of skin last week when artist Kim Smith sent me an mpeg about the Omo river people in Africa who paint their skin in wondrously beautiful ways using natural pigments from the world around them.





If you can overlook its annoying quotes from Picasso, you may find this slide show about the Omo people as inspiring as I did:

Pimp my Stroller Video - Rhett&Link

Don't tell me you never though of this, I know I have. Now finally, the first ever episode of "Pimp my Stroller" by the famous and most amazing music duo, Rhett&Link. Many of us have them, a worn out, beat down, cheerio in the crack riding ghetto stroller that is now on its final trip to McDonald's. This first installment of Pimp my Stroller is all the rage right now with the kids, sick paint job, 14" spinning rims and crazy seat covers. I think I even saw a stereo system.