Frieze
(1953-55)

My brother asks a great question in the comments section of my last post: “…how is Pollack's drips any more inspired than [Twombly's]?” He brings this up not only because they are both Abstract Expressionists, but also because he knows me well and knows that I am an ardent fan of Pollock’s work. I could attempt a justification for the difference between Pollock and Twombly, even one that is more substantial than the basic fact that Pollock is from Wyoming and Twombly is from Virginia, therefore my allegiance defaults to a fellow Cowboy, but to be absolutely frank, I’m not sure what the difference is between them. I can, however, give a personal story that may help to illuminate my position:

One of the first Jackson Pollock paintings I remember seeing in real life was Frieze, in Steve Wynn’s Bellagio collection, with my dad and my brother, back when I lived in Las Vegas, maybe around 1999 or so. (As a side note, Wynn recently made headlines for punching his hand through a 139 million dollar Picasso painting while gesturing wildly at a party - click here to read about it) That collection was pretty sweet, especially for Las Vegas, which is a desert not only in climate but also in culture. I remember the Bellagio collection having works by van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Miro, Gauguin, and Rothko. But the piece that still lingers in my mind is the Pollock. I remember exactly where it was hung in relation to the other pieces and how it was lit. I recall the sweep of emotion I felt when I stood in front of it - a jumble of inside jokes, romantic whispers, sexy allure - and the rumble of thoughts that flipped like a rolodex through my head as I stared at it. For me, that painting did what the others, what so many others, could not: it sparked my heart and my head equally and powerfully. Maybe it’s kinda like meeting someone that you feel a connection with, someone that other people think is obnoxious or boring or both, and feeling instantly drawn to them. Whereas I have yet to witness a Cy Twombly piece in real life, perhaps once I see one I will change my tune, but for now I can only say that other than this personal connection, Twombly’s work seems reduced too far towards childish scribble to hold a candle to the complex movement of Pollock’s drips.

What a poor answer to such a thoughtful question, but it’s all I got.


ps - This is the first time I have ever repeated an artist here at b.s.c. I suppose Pollock is worth it.

The other night, my girlfriend and I watched Terry Zwigoff's newest film, Art School Confidential. It was fine. I like both Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes a lot. But the thing that stuck out to me the most was this passing reference to Cy Twombly.

I could go off for days on my disdain for Twombly, but I don't want to. Suffice it to say, I am not a fan. He is a darling to the art community. People eat his work up. I just don't understand what they see in it. Why is it so revered?

Take a look at a few of his paintings and decide for yourself:

“League on league of filth, corpses by the uncounted thousands.”

After nine years of silence, Pynchon is back! Mark your calendars, on November 21st his new novel Against the Day hits the shelves. It clocks in at a whopping 1120 pages!! For those keeping score, that means it’s about 300 pages longer than Gravity’s Rainbow.

It boasts a cast of characters which includes anarchists, balloonists, gamblers, corporate tycoons, drug enthusiasts, innocents and decadents, mathematicians, mad scientists, shamans, psychics, and stage magicians, spies, detectives, adventuresses, and hired guns.

Awh, Pynchon. You refuse to disappoint.

In closing, I leave you with two paintings from the ever cool Barnaby Furnas:

Kissers
(2001)

Fist Fighter #1
(2001)

Margi Geerlinks lives and works in Amsterdam. These photos are from her collection entitled More Than Perfect.

ALSO...

My friend and fellow OSU comrade, Kyle Minor has an essay called “You Shall Go Out with Joy and Be Led Forth with Peace” in this new anthology put out by Random House.

To get an idea of how well he slings words, check out his coverage of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival for McSweeney's on-line.

Pick up the anthology here or at your local bookstore.

Carla Knopp got her BFA at Indiana University. About her work, she says, "I aim to present art's most ephemeral, intuitive, intimate, subconscious imagery to the public in a concrete, tangible form."

Forfeit
(2004)

Gifted and Lucky
(1995)

Victorian Gray
(2000)

Armour sans Anguish is a fun, eclectic, one-of-a-kind clothing line with a great philosophy: “We believe in the possibility of making and selling clothing and accessories without sweatshops, using recycled materials, and with specific attention to detail and originality. Each piece is artfully constructed using vintage materials and findings and no two pieces are exactly alike! We love frayed edges, tattered bits, and deconstructed style.”

Japanese artist Yumiko Kayukawa says she would rather her paintings "hang next to rock star pin-ups than on museum walls."

Serious Injury

Third Wheel

Deep Water

Squeeze

Amy Bennett is an interesting painter who approaches the canvas with a unique perspective that invites a multiplicity of narrative possibilities. She got her MFA at the New York Academy of Art.

I am Begging You
(2004)

Everything Must Go
(2004)

The Way We Live Now
(2003)

I'm Still Here
(2003)

This lovely music video really makes me smile because it's so simple and sweet: basically the whole thing is just a bunch of people listening to the song on headphones and reacting to what they hear. It’s from the Omaha band, Bright Eyes, and the song is called “The First Day of My Life.” It was directed by John Cameron Mitchell.

Andrew Schoultz, a former skateboarder slash graffiti artist, got his BFA in Illustration from the Academy Of Art University in San Francisco. Although he does installation work, murals, and various other artsy things, I've decided to share a few of his paintings:

Illuminati Pile of Sticks
(2006)

Horse with Chimney
(2006)

Elephant Carrys (Elephant with Logs)
(2005)

On the literature front, I've just finished reading David Markson’s This is Not a Novel, which stands as a brilliant example of possibilities, and an excellent source of encouragement and inspiration, as I am always attempting to craft works similiar in nature. It was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve read in a very, very long time.

There is no plot, no characters, and no setting, none of the typical devices of drudgery that usually overshadow the important components of art: beauty and ideas.

Markson may be an unfamiliar name, but that's truly a pity. He is a grandmaster of experimental fiction on par with Robbe-Grillet, Calvino, Barth, Hawkes, Borges, et al. You can learn more about him here, here, and here.

I don't know who or what Fresh 99 is, but I really dig the site. Basically, it appears to be some kind of multimedia link-dump.

Of particular interest to me are the anonymous (un-attributed) photosets, especially these, which seem, if you'll excuse my raging personal romanticism, terribly apropos, perfect for the mood and situation I'm currently blessed with:

from a set entitled Kisses n Kissing

I've been saving this artist for a special occasion. He’s one of my absolute favorites. And since today commemorates my 200th official post, I thought, what better reason could there be to finally share the magical work of Rob Gonsalves:

Bedtime Aviation

Community Portrait

Still Waters

Unfinished Puzzle

Today I thought I'd drop a few links:

First off, I recently heard about this cool site called Bag Borrow or Steal, which looks like Nextflix for women’s accessories.

You Thought We Wouldn't Notice is a cool site that shows examples of underground art that has been co-oped by corporations.

Click here to see pictures of celebrities eating.

And lastly, take a gander at The Quote Collective, a mysterious site with no information, only quotes.

Finally, I leave you with the Untitled work of Clare Rojas, who got ber BFA at the Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago:

Three Untitled paintings by Daniel Chang

Today, the work of an artist from Switzerland named Adrien Missika:

two from the series "After Yesterday"

& two from the series "Safari Classique"