Duchamp's Urinal? Maybe Not!

Thu, May 03, 2012

I recently read an LA Times article about a public feud between artist Damien Hirst and British art critic Julian Spalding, the latter of whom had written a short book, Con Art - Why you should sell your Damien Hirsts while you can. I thought it might make an interesting blog topic, so I downloaded and began reading Spalding's book, a no-holds-barred polemic on contemporary/conceptual art. When about half way through I read this . . .

In Praise of the Intensely Visual: Fishes, Birds and Artists, Oh My!

Thu, Apr 19, 2012

If I had to define my mission as a gallery director and blogger about all things art-related, it would be to put the visual back into Visual Art. Rarely am I interested in conceptual art where the visual is secondary, non-existent, or in a state of forced servitude to an idea. It bores me senseless and even makes me angry. I also have little patience for bad drawing and painting. I don't want to be shocked, grossed out or repelled by overly-slick work. I want a heightened visual experience, well-crafted work that speaks to me viscerally, raises my consciousness or makes me see in a new way. I want to leave a museum or gallery with a sense of wonder and discovery, not the . . .

How to Conquer Your Creative Demons

Thu, Apr 05, 2012

Creative Block. We've all had it. I'm trying to work through it as I write this sentence -- negative thoughts, distractions, rationalizations, avoidance and procrastination all dance before me, trying to get me to do anything but write. It's a beautiful day. I should be outdoors gardening, not hunched over my keyboard. But here I am. I sit down, drink coffee, play with my cats, play a couple of games of Scrabble Blast, and eventually start to write. Everything else melts away and I am magically "in the zone." In his 2002 book, "The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles" author Steven Pressfield defines the powerful enemy that keeps us from doing what we should be doing, and names it . . . click through for more.

"Strapless:" The Scandal that Rocked the Nineteenth Century Art World

Fri, Mar 30, 2012

It was the era of the parisienne, the professional French beauty, famous world-wide for her looks. Whole lives were devoted to it. Some went so far as to have their skin painted or enameled, a practice which sometimes led to facial paralysis, blood poisoning and even death. One social observer noted, "In Paris, half the female population lives off fashion, while the other half lives for fashion." In the late 1870s a stunningly beautiful parisienne, Amélie Gautreau, dominated the social landscape. She captured the imagination of many young aspiring artists, chief among them John Singer Sargent, who became obsessed with the beauty and pursued her relentlessly in hopes of painting her portrait. He knew a successful portrait of Gautreau would result in future commissions from the rich and famous of Parisian society.

A Photography Book that Captures the Zeitgeist of Los Angeles

Thu, Mar 22, 2012

This week I want to spotlight a book that dovetails neatly with the current zeitgeist in the Los Angeles art world, a spirit of time and place that I believe is largely a result of the Getty's city-wide Pacific Standard Time initiative. Taschen's fabulous photography book, Los Angeles, Portrait of a City fleshes out the cultural identity of the city, before and after the 1945-1980 focus of Pacific Standard Time, and is nothing less than a joy to own.

Pacific Standard Time Shines the Spotlight on a Veteran Artist: An Interview with John M. White

Wed, Feb 29, 2012

Hiroshige: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: A Luscious -- and Affordable -- Must-Have Art Book

Wed, Nov 16, 2011

Short Takes: David Lynch's Big Fish; A Trip to the Moon; How to Save $60k in MFA Tuition

Wed, Nov 09, 2011

Origami and Fractals: The Shadowy Worlds Between Art and Mathematics

Wed, Oct 12, 2011

The Outer Limits of Visual Experience

Wed, Oct 05, 2011

A Trip to Boston and a Documentary Add to My Gardner Museum Heist Obsession

Wed, Sep 28, 2011

Discovering the Highwaymen: Florida’s Outsider Artists

Tue, Sep 20, 2011

A wonderful surprise, much like finding buried treasure.

Classic Edvard Munch Film; Lisa Adams: Vicissitudes of Circumstance; MFA Debate Video

Wed, Sep 14, 2011

Remembering Aron Goldberg; Offramp's First Art Fair

Tue, Sep 06, 2011

Summer Break

Tue, Aug 23, 2011

Art Fair Survey Results; Art Heists; An Ode to Art Supplies

Wed, Aug 17, 2011

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Art Fairs: Love Them or Hate Them? survey. 81% of the respondents identified themselves as artists; many wearing more than one art-related hat. Only one respondent claimed to know nothing about art.

Short Takes: Art Fair Survey, James Ensor, Chinese Mask Changing, and More

Wed, Aug 10, 2011