Monday, October 31, 2016
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Alfred Sisley
October 30, 1839. Alfred Sisley (30 October 1839 - 29 January 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedication to painting landscape en plein air (i.e., outdoors). He never deviated into figure painting and, unlike Renoir and Pissarro, never found that Impressionism did not fulfill his artistic needs. In this image: French businessman Pierre de Gunzbourg, flanked by his son Vivien, left, looks at the painting, "Soleil de Printemps, Le Loing, " (Spring Sun, Le Loing) by impressionist Alfred Sisley at the Paris courthouse, Friday, June 18, 2004.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Sisley
http://blogs.fairview.k12.oh.us/jlefevre/2012/10/30/alfred-sisley/
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Molesey Weir – Morning, one of the paintings executed by Sisley on his visit to Britain in 1874 |
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Avenue of Chestnut Trees near La Celle-Saint-Cloud, 1865 |
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The Terrace at Saint-Germain, Spring, 1875. The Walters Art Museum |
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Flood at Port-Marly, 1876. Musée d’Orsay |
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Fog, Voisins 1874 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Sisley
http://blogs.fairview.k12.oh.us/jlefevre/2012/10/30/alfred-sisley/
Labels:
Alfred Sisley,
Impressionism,
landscape painting
Saturday, October 29, 2016
"Emojis" are the new art?
The LA Times and other news organizations are now declaring these as "art." I have about as much respect for their opinion on this as I do on their coverage of this election and their creation of trump as a presidential candidate.
The design department at New York’s Museum of Modern Art has acquired everything from Tetris to the “@” symbol for its permanent collection. Now it has added a palette of emojis. “Emojis as a concept go back in the centuries, to ideograms, hieroglyphics and other graphic characters, enabling us to draw this beautiful arch that covers all of human history,” Paola Antonelli, a senior curator at the museum tells The Times’ David Pierson. “There is nothing more modern than timeless concepts such as these.” Los Angeles Times
The design department at New York’s Museum of Modern Art has acquired everything from Tetris to the “@” symbol for its permanent collection. Now it has added a palette of emojis. “Emojis as a concept go back in the centuries, to ideograms, hieroglyphics and other graphic characters, enabling us to draw this beautiful arch that covers all of human history,” Paola Antonelli, a senior curator at the museum tells The Times’ David Pierson. “There is nothing more modern than timeless concepts such as these.” Los Angeles Times
Labels:
Emojis,
LA Times. Modern art,
MoMA,
Paola Antonelli,
Tetris
Thursday, October 27, 2016
The saga of Rama at the Asian
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Sita, Rama’s wife and a key figure in the epic Ramayana tale, is depicted in this bronze statue created in 1,000 a.d. @ Asian Art Museum |
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Rama kills the demon warrior Makaraksha in combat, from a manuscript of the Ramayana @Asian Art Museum |
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Rama. Indonesia, Wayang Golek Puppet. @ Asian Art Museum |
Otherwise, the show is big, colorful, entertaining and as usual with the Asian, beautifully mounted and organized. 135 pieces of art in every possible format from puppets to masks to scripture to paintings and weaving's, display the wide range of eras and cultures that found the Ramayana inspirational. The 25 "storytelling stops where the Ramayana is performed like a radio play" are a necessary resting place to process some of the cultural and visual overload.
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Hanuman (the Monkey King) revealing Rama and Sita in his heart. Courtesy Asian Art Museum |
Links to a whole page of performances of the Ramayana:
Wikipedia article on Rama: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama
The Ramayana
Asian's schedule of lectures around their current show:
Gamelan Sekar Jaya
Sunday, Nov 6 | 12-1 PM
Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe:
A Symposium on the Rama Epic
Saturday, Nov 19 | 10 AM-1:45 PM
Film Premiere of "Ramayana: The Great Epic
of South & South-East Asia"
Sat, Dec 3 | 2-4 PM
Chitresh Das Dance Company &
Chhandam School of Kathak
Sunday, Dec 4 | 12-1 PM
Forest Tales: An Eco-Cinema in Two Acts
Sat, Dec 10 & Sun, Dec 11 | 2-4 PM
Cambodian Dance with Charya Burt
Sunday, Jan 8 | 12-1 PM
‘THE RAMA EPIC: HERO, HEROINE, ALLY, FOE’
Through: Jan. 15. 10 a.m.-5 pm. Tuesday-Sunday
Where: Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., San Francisco
Admission: $15-$20 weekdays, $20-$25 weekends. 415-581-3500, www.asianart.org
Labels:
Asian Art Museum,
Rama,
Sita
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Pablo Picasso
October 25, 1881. Pablo Picasso (25 October 1881 - 8 April 1973), was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer who spent most of his adult life in France. As one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, he is widely known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, the co-invention of collage, and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907), and Guernica (1937), a portrayal of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. In this image: Pablo Picasso watches the filming of his life story in Nice, France, on July 26, 1955. Henri Georges Clouzot, seated, is producing the picture. Picasso's daughter Maya is at left.October 25, 1881. Pablo Picasso (25 October 1881 - 8 April 1973), was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer who spent most of his adult life in France. As one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, he is widely known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, the co-invention of collage, and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907), and Guernica (1937), a portrayal of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. In this image: Pablo Picasso watches the filming of his life story in Nice, France, on July 26, 1955. Henri Georges Clouzot, seated, is producing the picture. Picasso's daughter Maya is at left.
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Self portrait1906 |
https://www.rt.com/viral/364030-picasso-life-art-talent/
Hammer Museum
Huff Post
Brain Pickings
NY Times
Art Daily
Monday, October 24, 2016
Anonymous was a woman awards 2016
Anonymous Was A Woman is an unrestricted grant of $25,000 that enables women artists, over 40 years of age and at a significant juncture in their lives or careers, to continue to grow and pursue their work. The Award is given in recognition of an artist's accomplishments, artistic growth, originality and potential. It is not need-based. The Award is by nomination only.
The name of the grant program, Anonymous Was A Woman, refers to a line in Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. As the name implies, nominators and those associated with the program are unnamed. The award was begun in 1996 in response to the decision of the National Endowment of the Arts to cease support of individual artists.
Each year, an outstanding group of distinguished women – art historians, curators, writers and previous winners from across the country – serve as nominators. To date, over 600 have participated.
Artists may not apply directly for the award.
The Anonymous Was A Woman Award is administered by Philanthropy Advisors, LLC
Address inquiries to: awaw@philanthropyadvisorsny.org
http://www.anonymouswasawoman.org/2016-award-winners.html
The name of the grant program, Anonymous Was A Woman, refers to a line in Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. As the name implies, nominators and those associated with the program are unnamed. The award was begun in 1996 in response to the decision of the National Endowment of the Arts to cease support of individual artists.
Each year, an outstanding group of distinguished women – art historians, curators, writers and previous winners from across the country – serve as nominators. To date, over 600 have participated.
Artists may not apply directly for the award.
The Anonymous Was A Woman Award is administered by Philanthropy Advisors, LLC
Address inquiries to: awaw@philanthropyadvisorsny.org
http://www.anonymouswasawoman.org/2016-award-winners.html
Friday, October 21, 2016
Friday Fishwrap; Open Studios, Asian Art Museum, Festival of Lights, Rick Paulus Calligraphy
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Arc Studios: Priscilla Otani in Studio # 207 with Tanya Wilkinson. Book "No Monkeys" |
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Fernando Reyes at the McRoksey Building, 3rd floor. |
https://www.artspan.org/events-programs/visit-sf-open-studios
https://www.facebook.com/events/355648724825276/
But top of the list are:
Journal Building Artist Residency
1540 Market St, San Francisco, California 94102
Friday, 10/21, 6pm-9pm: Preview Party
Saturday, 10/22, 11am-6pm: Open Studios
Sunday, 10/23: 11am-6pm: Open Studios
Resident Artists:
Tisha Kenny, Sophia Lee, Shane Izykowski, Sonia Leticia, Lexie Bouwsma, Sherry Schaffer, Nancer Lemoins, Rachel Styer, Ana Aranda, Uma Rani Iyli, Denise Laws, Le BohemianMuse, Claire Elliot, Hannah Marie Stahulak, Addendum24, Taiko Fujimura, Jana Grover, Salome Milstead
Guest Artists:
Ned Axthelm, Ivan Bajinov, Katie Chin, Gabriela Cobar, Russel Kiehn, Jeffrey Nemeroff, Darren Sears, Melissa Shanley, Lena Shey, Elena Zolotnitsky, Yuri Boyko
Eric of 3fish studios: Last night I went to the Hotel Biron (45 Rose St) to see Eric of 3 Fish Studio's wood cuts - great work which reminds me of Tom Killion, The bar is a tiny, tiny hole in the wall and if you are walking quickly, you will miss it: I was introduced to him by Michael Yochum: Link to Eric’s website: https://www.3fishstudios.com/
Arc Studios and Gallery: Preparation for Open Studio kicks into high gear! They have 24 artists exhibiting at Arc Studios. Come visit us Friday evening from 6-9 or over the weekend from 11-6. 1246 Folsom Street. http://www.arc-sf.com/index.html
Open Studios at the McRoksey Building, 3rd floor.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/SF-OPEN-STUDIOS-at-the-McROSKEY-Building.html. McRoskey, 1687 Market St @ Gough
For those going to Berkeley, the Berkeley Public Museum has a fantastic calligraphy exhibit by Rick Palus, the official White House Calligrapher.
"From the White House to the Sea: A Calligrapher's Journey"
Come to the 5th floor Art & Music Department to view From the White House to the Sea: A Calligrapher's Journey - an exhibit showcasing the work of calligrapher Rick Paulus. See examples of his impressive work as chief calligrapher of the White House and calligrapher to five secretaries of state, as well as recently created works celebrating the sea. Come back on October 17 to hear the artist talk about his art, his experiences at the White House, and the great changes in calligraphy as we enter the digital age.
You can see more of his work on his website and http://www.rickpauluscalligraphy.com/
The Asian Art Museum is hosting the "Festival of Lights (Divali)"
The Festival of Lights launches The Rama Epic: Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe with performances, storytelling, art projects, henna and fun. Watch an awe-inspiring Bharatanatyam performance, make a diya lamp, and hear about the abduction of Sita as told by a museum storyteller!
Schedule: http://www.asianart.org/regular/divali
https://youtu.be/yQpoVqEOoCo
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Aelbert Jacobsz Cuyp
October 20, 1620. Aelbert Jacobsz Cuyp (October 20, 1620 - November 15, 1691) was one of the leading Dutch landscape painters of the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The most famous of a family of painters, the pupil of his father Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp (1594–1651/52), he is especially known for his large views of the Dutch countryside in early morning or late afternoon light. In this image: The Negro Page circa 1652, oil on canvas; Royal Collection.
What made art like Cuyp's possible was a radical change in government. In 1555, the seventeen provinces of the Low Countries came under the control of Philip II of Spain. After a long period of protest against Spanish religious bigotry and intolerance, including the Inquisition's attacks on Protestants, inept governmental dictates from the Spanish court combined with high taxes, the seven northern provinces, which were largely Protestant openly rebelled against Spanish rule. Two years later, they declared their independence from Spain and after a long and brutal war, the Dutch finally drove the Spanish out of what is now Holland.
For the new United Provinces, as Holland was then called, the following century would be marked by enormous economic growth fuelled by trade, and by the unprecedented prosperity and cultural flowering known as the Dutch Golden Age.
Wealthy merchants, bankers and other prosperous citizens replaced monarchs, the Catholic church and the aristocracy as patrons and collectors of art. This led to the rise of an open art market. Dutch-art subjects shifted from classical myth, Biblical scenes, and portraits of royalty to still lifes, pictures of everyday life called genre scenes, landscapes, and city scapes rendered with a fresh realism. Paintings tended to be fairly small in size and scale, as they were purchased not for churches or palaces, but for private homes. Subject matter was secular, spanning a range of genres, including portraits, facial studies, town scapes, church interiors, scenes of daily life, home interiors, landscapes and seascapes, and still-lifes. Modesty was a virtue, though it did not preclude national pride.
The art reflected the Dutch interest in their seas, the source of their prosperity, their urban world and their landscape of canals, luminous grey skies and flat fields. The great artists of the seventeenth century were better served with materials than any previous era. Along with it's other mercantile products, the Netherlands had become the major producers for pigments, ranging from white lead to vermilion. The art guilds required a long apprenticeship to obtain mastery in the craft, This meant that those who obtained the title of "master" had a complete knowledge of all aspects of craftsmanship - from making paints to preparing the supports (mostly panels but some of the paintings are on copper and others on linen canvas).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aelbert_Cuyp
What made art like Cuyp's possible was a radical change in government. In 1555, the seventeen provinces of the Low Countries came under the control of Philip II of Spain. After a long period of protest against Spanish religious bigotry and intolerance, including the Inquisition's attacks on Protestants, inept governmental dictates from the Spanish court combined with high taxes, the seven northern provinces, which were largely Protestant openly rebelled against Spanish rule. Two years later, they declared their independence from Spain and after a long and brutal war, the Dutch finally drove the Spanish out of what is now Holland.
For the new United Provinces, as Holland was then called, the following century would be marked by enormous economic growth fuelled by trade, and by the unprecedented prosperity and cultural flowering known as the Dutch Golden Age.
Wealthy merchants, bankers and other prosperous citizens replaced monarchs, the Catholic church and the aristocracy as patrons and collectors of art. This led to the rise of an open art market. Dutch-art subjects shifted from classical myth, Biblical scenes, and portraits of royalty to still lifes, pictures of everyday life called genre scenes, landscapes, and city scapes rendered with a fresh realism. Paintings tended to be fairly small in size and scale, as they were purchased not for churches or palaces, but for private homes. Subject matter was secular, spanning a range of genres, including portraits, facial studies, town scapes, church interiors, scenes of daily life, home interiors, landscapes and seascapes, and still-lifes. Modesty was a virtue, though it did not preclude national pride.
The art reflected the Dutch interest in their seas, the source of their prosperity, their urban world and their landscape of canals, luminous grey skies and flat fields. The great artists of the seventeenth century were better served with materials than any previous era. Along with it's other mercantile products, the Netherlands had become the major producers for pigments, ranging from white lead to vermilion. The art guilds required a long apprenticeship to obtain mastery in the craft, This meant that those who obtained the title of "master" had a complete knowledge of all aspects of craftsmanship - from making paints to preparing the supports (mostly panels but some of the paintings are on copper and others on linen canvas).
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Monday, October 17, 2016
Sunday, October 16, 2016
William Blake at John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller in San Francisco
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The complaint of Job. courtesy FAMSF |
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The Lovers' Whirlwind, Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta, Wikipedia |
Over the years, I have had some great talks with Mr. Windle, and have been impressed by the depth and breadth of his knowledge and was immensely impressed by this collection. I don't think any of our museums have any pieces by Blake on display.
Of the decision to open a gallery of William Blake’s works, John Windle remarks: “I must be stark raving mad. Like Blake.”
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and print maker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic works have been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". His visual artistry led one contemporary art critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". Although he lived in London his entire life (except for three years spent in Felpham), he produced a diverse and symbolically rich oeuvre, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God"or "human existence itself". His work and beliefs are far to complex to be summarized in one paragraph but they include political beliefs that were revolutionary and anarchist, anti-slavery, pro free love, radical religious ideas, and a humanitarian goal of wholeness of body and spirit. His visionary works, complex and symbolic were looked upon with scorn by the critics of the day and he lived and died in poverty.
There is a complete set of Blake's illustrations to the Book of Job, Dante's Inferno, Songs of Innocence and Experience, The Gates of Paradise, and one of Blake's few paintings, "The Virgin Hushing," 1799, Tempera on Paper.
In his set of essays about "The Romantic Rebellion," Sir Kenneth Clark describes Blake as producing, in his best work, "a concentration of poetry and a prophetic power that make him one of the key figures in the Romantic movement." Blake was a religious artist for a new non-Christian art, in which his illustrations suggest divine energy more convincingly than anybody "since Michelangelo."
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller, 49 Geary St, #205, SF. Check at the store to have the gallery opened for a visit.
Visit the gallery: www.williamblakegallery.com
The book store: www.johnwindle.com
Other references: Northrup Frye, Blake
Martin Myrone, The Blake Book
Robert N. Essick. William Blake at the Huntington
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Friday Fish Wrap: Legion, Guerrerro Gallery, Italian Cultural Insitute, Black Panthers
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Penitent Magdalene. Courtesy Legion of Honor |
Le Nain Brothers at the Legion - Three brothers who lived together and painted as a trio in 17th century France. For some reason, they had to wait for the 21st century to be rediscovered but the show is well worth a visit to the Legion of Honor. The exhibit "California BookWorks" ends on October 16 but the Sonia Delaunay piece is worth the price of admission. While the Barry McGee illustrations are getting the hype in the show of artists' books from the Reva and David Logan Foundation, the exquisite Picasso etchings are what the visitor should be looking at.
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Pablo Picasso, Visage [Marie-Thérèse Walter], frontispiece in Picasso,
by André Level (Paris: Les Éditions G. Crès and Cie, 1928). Lithograph,
8 1/2 x 5 9/16 inc. FAMSF, gift of the Reva and David Logan Foundation,
2016.15.15. © 2016 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society
(ARS), New York
SFMOMA reopened earlier this year and the Photography Gallery is going strong. The Anthony Hernandez exhibit has already closed and a new exhibit on Contemporary Japanese Photography just opened. The gift of over 200 works from the Kurenboh Collection, Tokyo, completely fill up the 3rd floor galleries. Bring your walking shoes because the show is huge and the themes complex. https://www.sfmoma.org/press/release/japanese-photography-fall-2016/
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Courtesy Oakland Museum of California |
"As an organization, the Black Panthers lasted just 16 years, from 1966 to 1982, but the legacy is still going strong at 50, and for those three days in October, “people will be coming from all over the world,” predicted Brown. It won’t be for nostalgia. The title of the conference, “Where Do We Go From Here?” suggests the goal will be to recapture that momentum, which was sparked in 1966 and is waiting to be rekindled." Full review here: http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Black-Panthers-unveil-50th-anniversary-plans-with-7304736.php
Guerrerro Gallery: "Regarding appropriation".... As a critical strategy, appropriation provides the means to reorient hierarchies and expand dialogues across borders and boundaries within art discourse, restructuring a linear historical narrative and thereby obliterating the naive heroism that comes with such a foolhardy climb.
http://guerrerogallery.com/
More here
Viva Italia!
ibreria Pino and Istituto Italiano di Cultura are proud to present the first Fiera del Libro + San Francisco! This 10 day event will showcase books, cds, and dvds imported directly from Italy.
The fair will be open 9 am to 5 pm weekdays, 1 pm - 5 pm on Saturday and closed on Sunday.
For more information and tickets, please visit www.libreriapino.com
Art Span/Open Studios Weekend Oct 15-16
Covers the following locations: Weekend 1: October 15 & 16, 11 am to 6 pm
Hunters Point Shipyard & Islais Creek Studios
Guide and Map
https://www.artspan.org/visit-sf-open-studios/guide-map
Main Link: https://www.artspan.org/home
http://hoodline.com/events/artspan-sf-open-studios-weekend-1?utm_campaign=fb-events&utm_medium=web&utm_source=feed
Hunters Point Shipyard & Islais Creek Studios
Guide and Map
https://www.artspan.org/visit-sf-open-studios/guide-map
Main Link: https://www.artspan.org/home
http://hoodline.com/events/artspan-sf-open-studios-weekend-1?utm_campaign=fb-events&utm_medium=web&utm_source=feed
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Lucas Cranach the Younger
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Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery |
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/cranach/lucas_y/index.html
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Elizabeth of Austria |
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Adam and Eve |
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Portrait of a woman |
Labels:
Lucas Cranach the Younger
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Dip Your Apple - Fountainheads Rosh Hashanah
Also, Michael Twitty. My Kosher Soul: http://myjewishdetroit.org/2016/09/michael-twitty-a-kosher-soul/
Saturday, October 1, 2016
October 1st
From "Following Hadrian" on twitter: Happy October 1st. Kalendae Octobres Image: Detail of Monnus Mosaic from
Trier with personification of October, Bacchus with thyrsus.
Labels:
Bacchus,
Kalendae Octobres,
Monnus Mosais,
October 1,
thyrsus
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