Andy Warhol the computer geek

This video, and the interview re-published at artnode, seem like more proof that the brilliance of the artist is often quite distant from the brilliance of the onlooker. Surrounded by "modern technology", he might, in retrospect, appear like a child enjoying his toys. Especially in the interview, it seems like it's the journalist who has all these great ideas, and Warhol just happily agrees with what he hears...
The enthusiasm for new technologies, when watched twenty years later, has something funny, but also something eery about it.
But if you read carefuly, there is one remarkable moment: when the journalist suggests that Andy (and the other artists) can now do everything by themselves - music, video, editing, etc., the artist agrees. But when asked if he has been doing it, he answers he hasn't had time because he is still exploring the visual art side of the computer.
So beyond this enthusiasm for all that is new, lies an aproach that is at once pragmatic and somehow... healthily conservative?

(via)

WILLIAM AYLWARD (1875-1956)

William Aylward's name doesn't stand out in the annals of illustration. Yet, if you skim through old pictures in books or magazines, his work stands out from hundreds of other anonymous illustrators because he was such a master of value-- the darkness or lightness of color.



Try it yourself -- if you scroll through a hundred thumbnail images, you are likely to find that the pictures with confident use of value-- more than other artistic qualities, such as accuracy, color, detail, or technique-- are the ones that seem to pop right off the page.


Passing the line to the "Potomac" from the Dock, published in Scribners, May 1907

It is not easy to control the "value structure" of a painting, balancing blacks and whites and grays. This next picture could easily have sunken into a black hole if Aylward had not been such a virtuoso.


Night watch from the Deck, published in Scribners 1907

Very little is remembered about Aylward today. He was a student of the legendary Howard Pyle-- here he is, sitting at the great man's feet:



Aylward loved the sea and specialized in nautical themes. He illustrated very few books, primarily The Sea Wolf and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.



Most of his work appeared in magazines of the day and will never be republished, which is too bad. You won't see any coffee table books about him soon. But his work still speaks for itself with honor and dignity.

Double Decker Bus Vs Low Bridge

Here is where art meets science, meet goofing off at a low bridge as a driver runs into it with a double decker bus.

@

The Candles Cafe - Art Showing

The Candles Cafe, located in the Wallingford/Fremont area of Seattle, WA, has six of my paintings on display now through April. Come on by for some good food and drink.













The Candles Cafe, 1060 N 39th St, Seattle, WA, 98103
(206) 547-5255
Google Map , Restaurant Reviews

Mind Bending Spoon Cadillac by Uri Geller

This custom-built 1974 Cadillac which adorns 5,000 pieces of silverware is the creation of Uri Geller, one of the world's most famous spoonbenders. And 1000 of these spoons and forks were given by the children from around the world, and some of the treasured pieces were owned, or used by famous personalities. Some of the pieces on this custom-built 1974 Cadillac were arched by Uri Geller using his "brainpower", while the remaining were artfully shaped by his friend Avi Pines, a famous Israeli sculptor. I cant vouch for the "mind bending" part but the car sure looks really cool.

Car Crushed by Giant Pumpkin - For Fun

No Comment, but hilarious!!!

Pimp my Cardboard Ride - Kids with Mad Skillz

Pimp my cardboard Ride

These guys have it all, the cars, the rims, the crazy mad looks and of course the car babe off to the left. The only thing they don't have is a drivers license, but when they get them, watch out!!!

Watching this with you would have been so much better

Here is what I imagine:
I invite all of you to my house (Warsaw, Poland), and together we sit and watch I Love Alaska. Maybe it's not because this is the perfect work to be enjoying with a group of people you've only just met. (It probably isn't). Maybe it has more to do with how surprizingly far this blog has led. In many ways.
One of them is you. Right now, there are hundreds of you coming to this blog every day. There is over a hundred people following New Art "formally" via blogger.com, plus many many others via feeds and such, plus the hundreds of people who drop by every now and then... I've been receiving your kind e-mails, and enjoy visiting all the blogs, portfolios, sites that you publish or recommend. Some of you have been coming here nearly since the beginning, but it's also very exciting for me to get feedback from newcomers. I've come to know you a little, and, so to speak, enjoy your company on this ride. Many of you are in the arts, others are students, for many of you I suppose this is more of a curious entertainment. All this means not only that you enjoy the art I showcase, but certainly, to some extent we share a common sensibility. Wouldn't it be delicious to have just a part of us meet and enjoy some of this art together? Sit down, have a glass of wine, watch the film, then talk about art and life and simplicity and complexity, and how the mountains are majestic, and America does or doesn't influence the world, and share other references (all the Brokeback Mountains, Into The Wilds, Cremasters that come to mind...), ideas, passions. (You know, meeting in real life someone you've hardly even known online ;))
Not a festival, but a get-together.
And then of course we would party all night, and probably go to the shore of the Vistula river, and maybe make a field trip the next day. But the moment of a genuine and common esthetic experience, together, would have been ours.
This is what I imagine.
And you know what? - we actually could do it.
(To be continued)

Sax

Oil on canvas panel, 28" x 22"

Two works by Christiane Löhr

Oh were this the universe!
Were it but a combination of lines, a simple picture of perfection, were the universe a set of twigs and seeds with their mathematical omnipotence!
Oh were there nothing else, nothing but the point where everything meets, nothing but the shape it all embodies. And the shadow of the reflection of a shadow of the Work, just to outscore its very depth of space, just to give us the distance we need to be closer.
Oh were it all we need, the joyful meeting of vectors, the unswerving presence of fragility.

Oh were there no shadow in the top left corner, coming from elsewhere.

Both pictures are of sculptures by Christiane Löhr.

Oldster defaces ride with Buddhist text???

A Taiwanese pensioner covers every inch of his four vehicles with virtuous words from Buddhist texts.
Li Zongxiong, 71, a workshop owner, started to 'tattoo' his car, two trucks and a motorbike nine years ago.
His words virtually cover the vehicles, including the mirrors, windscreens, bodywork, doors, wheels - and even the number plates.
Li admitted his hobby had caused him trouble: "Passers-by thought I was doodling on the cars of others, and police found it hard to believe that someone would cover his own vehicle in writing," he explained.
Li, who has only an elementary school education, said most of the words were taken from Buddhist texts.
"I felt public morality was deteriorating, so I started to write some words of virtue on my vehicles," he told China News Network.
"Each day I write something down. If I spot a place where the writing has worn away, I write it again."
Li?s son, Li Jiasheng, said the family now forbids his father to buy new vehicles, since they know he will write all over them - no matter how much they cost.
But his grandson has promised that when he grows up and makes some money he will buy him a big bus to write on and indulge his hobby.
via ananova

Atomic Dog Art Car - George Clinton Mothership Connection

Where have you been all my life Atomic Dog Art Car!!!!

An art car extension to the Mothership Connection, "The Atomic Dog, One Nation Under Groove" pays tribute to musician George Clinton and his funkadelic band, Parliament. Band members and dogs made of mosaic mirror shards mingle with beaded flying saucers, guitars, drums, and lots of chrome pipes while one big mirrored dog guards the roof.

Led by veteran art car artist and teacher, Rebecca Bass, the 2006 Art Class at Waltrip High School created this award winning art car in four short months. Students worked after hours, on weekends, and over spring break to craft this stunning masterpiece. 


Stories about this amazing vehicle spread across the country and eventually reached George Clinton. In June of 2006, funkadelics star George Clinton came to Houston to autograph the car. George and his entourage were very impressed with The Atomic Dog and its creators. They all became instant art car fans!

via

1960 Cadillac Fin Attaché Case - Reusing 50's Cars

This photo of a 1960 Cadillac Fin Attaché Case was sent in by Kelly and was made by Steve Heller's Fabulous Furniture. On this amazing site you will find a ton more art cars made from classic 50's car parts, wood furniture and other sculpture made from assorted motorcycle parts.

1960 Cadillac Fin Attaché Case


Here is what he has to say about his art car work:

"I love wood and metal, but in my heart I'm a car freak.

The Cadillacs of the 1950's are the cars I love the most. I've collected dozens of them over the years, and have incorporated them into furniture and sculpture, hoping to keep them from going to the crusher (perhaps the most evil piece of machinery ever invented). I have made cedar chests, entertainment units, beds, lights, and other pieces of usable furniture out of these once rusting piles of metal. I am, after all, my fathers son."

- Steve Heller

1957 Buick Two-Tiered Bar

Boats

Oil on canvas panel, 28" x 22"

Robin Hood Above

The artist going by the name of Above made this stencil in Lisbon. (I actually know the lady sitting on the right - she is one of Lisbon's classic characters). In a gesture the artist herhimself admits robinwoodesque, Above is selling prints of this picture and will give all the profits to two charities she has previously selected. More info here.

The Actors - Reconnaissance, by Wojtek Ziemilski

This is a short fragment of my work called The Actors. The first volume - Reconnaissance lasts 50 minutes. You can see this excerpt in sort-of-HD here.
Any galleries interested in showing this work, write me, and I'll send you a DVD.

KERRY JAMES MARSHALL

Artist Kerry James Marshall is a certified genius. The MacArthur Foundation confirmed it when they awarded him their $500,000 genius award.

But don't take the MacArthur Foundation's word for it. His work was also awarded places of honor in the Whitney Museum biennial, Venice Biennale, and the prestigious German Documenta show. Marshall's paintings sell for $400,000 to prominent museums and collectors.

People of great stature and prominence who pride themselves on their taste have bestowed upon Marshall almost every form of recognition that our society offers. His NY art dealer boasts, "He's kind of recession-proof." No wonder art critic Blake Gopnik writes, "Can an artist get much more successful than Kerry James Marshall?"

Marshall himself is not surprised by all these honors. He says, "Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael.... my objective is to be listed in the history among those artists."



I hope that all of you would-be Michelangelos out there who aspire to recognition, museum shows, wealth and fame are taking notes on what it takes to ascend to the top of the pyramid in our time.



A sonnet by Edna St. Vincent Millay somehow comes to mind:

Country of hunchbacks! — where the strong, straight spine,

Jeered at by crooked children, makes his way

Through by-streets at the kindest hour of the day,

Till he deplore his stature, and incline

To measure manhood with a gibbous line;

Till out of loneliness, being flawed with clay,

He stoop into his neighbor's house and say,

"Your roof is low for me — the fault is mine."

Dust in an urn long since, dispersed and dead

Is great Apollo; and the happier he;

Since who amongst you all would lift a head

At a god's radiance on the mean door-tree,

Saving to run and hide your dates and bread,

And cluck your children in about your knee?

Star Wars Car For Sale

I came this Star Wars Car for on ebay today, a Custom Painted 2007 Chevy Cobalt LS. called the "Star Car" painted by Greatlakes Airbrush. 15 year auto tech and Artist John Deltgen with brother of 25 year Sign & Graphic Art expreriance with over 30 Awards, Artist David Peterman. This is pretty amazing car and for a mere $20K it can be your.

Start Wars Car Yoda Close Up

Star Wars Car - C3PO and R2D2

Star Wars Car - Darth Vader

Star Wars Art Car

Harley covered with a million lights

This amazing motorcycle Harley Davidson Electra Glide covered in a million lights was taken back in 1974. Photo sent by Sparky who left a nice comment about my daughters pen car. Thanks I needed something to write about.

Photographer: (1974) Steven R. Hudson, Patterson, GA
The event was in Daytona Beach, Florida.

LOOSE DELIGHTS

"I am for those who believe in loose delights."
-- Walt Whitman

Some of my very favorite drawings are free and spontaneous. Unfortunately, so are a whole lot of crappy drawings.

Is it possible to distinguish good loose drawing from bad loose drawing? Or from random marks on paper? It seems to me that there is not only a distinction to be made but also a good reason for making it. Loose, spontaneous art can be fun, but Ernest Hemingway correctly spotted the potential danger: "All our words from loose using have lost their edge." When sloppy or careless drawing masquerades as loose drawing, it eventually dilutes the meaning and potency of drawing.

Consider the following examples of artists who engage in the "loose delights" of drawing but who still preserve that edge.

The great George Lichty had a line like an unraveled ball of yarn:



Nevetheless, look at how beautifully that line conveyed a head, or the indentation of a pillow, or the folds in clothing:



You can tell that a lot of looking and thinking took place before Lichty was able to dash off a drawing like this. We are the beneficiaries of that looking and thinking, no matter how loosely it is conveyed.



Note how he understands the different postures of people sitting in chairs, the anatomy of fingers wrapped around an arm, the shadow created by a fore arm resting on a table:



William Steig is another great example. For decades Steig churned out mediocre cartoons such as this one, where he labored for some semblance of visual accuracy.



Then, in the 1960s he managed to shed these constraints and began drawing marvelous, meaningful pictures with a free hand.



The looser his touch, the better his drawings became.




James Thurber is a third example. He drew wispy nonvertebrates with a simple line that was the perfect complement to his brilliant writing.






In each of these examples, a seemingly spontaneous, haphazard style is employed to convey important insights without being obvious or labored about it. Technical skill is important, but it can also rob a drawing of the freshness and intimacy we see here . These are drawings with wings on, and they occupy a blessed place in the pantheon of drawing.

1-year-old girl gets her very own toy pen art car.

My smallest daughter has always been fascinated by my Mercedes Pens Art Car covered in 10,000 pens. And every time she sees it she wants to go over, sit on the car and play with the pens. So I decided for her first birthday that she needed her own pen car so I "penned her ride" as well with crayola caps and other colorful felt tips. I even tried to spell out her name on the front. She loves her Toy Pen Art Car and now that its raining we brought in the house and she sits in it while watching her favorite DVDs, with her feet up on the dashboard. The only problem is that she managed to take off all the pens on the other side. No worries, daddy will fix it.

My New Art

I've been very very busy with the opening of my video installation.
Today is the opening night
I won't tell you much, and will leave you with the small text that accompanies it instead:


THE ACTORS
Part 1: RECONNAISSANCE

reconnaissance. or: finding oneself. or: recognition. the recognition of someone else. someone is recognized. or: recognizing. you are (this) someone. this is (this) someone. or: meeting again. discovering again something one knew already. electra's paradox: electra knows, and does not know, that it is her brother standing before her.

reconnaissance. checking. how far. how far one can go. how far one needs to go to. where are the borders. when do i fall into something else. and whatwho is this something else.

i like knowing so little about them.
i like that they remain actors.
and that they are actors in a way no different from all the others.
i like what they're able to do because of how we called them: actors.

The Actors opens (link in Polish) at the TR Warszawa in Poland.
Hopefuly I'll be able to post a short excerpt of the video soon...

Baba Yaga

my entry for the Baba Yaga chow. Had lots of fun drawing her :D
wips:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL!

Art Shanties on Ice - from Artcars On Ice 2009!

Here is a great video that just came out about Art Cars on Ice 2009 in Minnesota that ends this weekend. For a native Californian this is totally nuts, riding your art car on a frozen lake just seems dangerous, but what do I know. These guys took traditional ice fishing houses and turned them into themed works of art for pretty much an entire month.

Car or Bike? Either Way Good for the Environment

Not sure about this salvage special. Is it a hybrid car that's pedal powered or is it a really safe bike with a car shell. Either way you see it, the environment is a winner. As a hybrid it uses very little gas and that's good but the power source will produce a bit of methane every once in awhile. Now as a ultra safe bike this is also good especially on a front end collision or a roll over down the ditch. I can't say anything about getting rear ended, but it is safe to say your you will have a sore touchy for a month but will cut down on the methane emissions for a month as well.

Afro Truck

Last one, this Afro Truck made with a big giant pile of sticks all tied together in the back, definitely no smoking while driving. Also looks like a lions mane and a heart shape. OK now its late and I am starting to see stuff, time to go.