It’s lovely to SEA you
January 19, 2009 at 6:23 am | Posted in 1, Artists, California, Deep thoughts, So Lonely, Travel Updates, Work | Leave a commentTags: Apple, Art, art blog, art blogger, art blogging, art blogs, Art News, Artists, Blog, blogger, blogging, California, Celebrity, Europe, Eurpean Union, Geek, Geeks, Google, Google Alerts, Grateful Dead, hi tech, internet, internet blogger, Jet Set, Kenji Kato, LACMA, Los Angeles, Mac, Macworld 2009, New Year's Eve, New Years, Party, Phil Lesh, Podcast, Podcaster, Podcasting, Podcasts, Rat Dog, Ratdog, San Francisco, Seattle, Technology, video log, vlog
I’ve learned a lot of new words in my short time as a blogger. One of these, the terms deaccessioning, caught my attention since I was blogging on major museums that are in the spotlight of so many news stories. With the art world paying close attention to the drama unfolding in the museum community in Southern California, this controversial topic stirs up all kinds of art commentary, which I find interesting to read.
I don’t really filter the art news that comes across my desk, I usually read or pick over it all . I am trying to get myself in the habit of reading my alerts as they come in to determine whether or I should keep them in my inbox. But I don’t want to be a robot, controlled by a miniature computer in my purse.
Someone didn’t like the art that was chosen to be at the center of the spotlight. This controversial work stirred up passion as Europe struggles to come to terms with an ever changing set of circumstances.
I was blogging about Obama Art a couple of weeks ago and I got another Obama Art news article or so I thought. The process of filtering out news and information is a continual challenge for me. I do love to blog, but one has to sift through a lot of information and disseminate many differing opinions into a coherent and delectable slice of the arte life. We’re all living it. I just want to share!
Art Blogs always get my attention and I am sure there are hundreds but I like seeing all the different designs and color schemes used in the website layout. Art blogs are cool. And there are so many! I’m working on my blogroll but its taking a long time to accumulate the links from almost two months of consecutive blogging! I have to admit it is quite addictive. The only thing that would prevent me from fulfilling one of my most cherished roles is a matter of the most extreme urgency. Your humble host was rather occupied with a series of work and art related events in San Francisco around New Years eve, and shortly thereafter for Macworld 2009, causing the enjoying of a quiet hour in which to reflect to elude your poor author. Sometimes I come across blogs that are not art blogs but may mention or have a post about art. Sometimes there are so interesting or just hard to pin down that I can’t help but stare at the screen quizzically, asking myself, what the heck is this?
Macworld 2009 was nontheless a blast. But that’s another blog. I don’t have much to share photographically from last week, and the impending preparation which delayed the arrival of communication from your humble author and servant on the arts. We try to do it for you on so many levels, and we hope you love it too.
SEA SHOW vlog : Episode 4 – Tiny Concept
December 17, 2008 at 1:49 pm | Posted in vlog | Leave a commentTags: Blog, blogging, commentary, contemporary, Music, Music Video, music video search, personal, Seattle, Thoughts, v log, Video, video log, video search, vlog, vlogger, vlogging, wordpress podcast, wordpress video search, worpress video log
One of the most beautiful things about this project is the wonderful embrace I get when I meet new artist. Usually there’s a lot of interest all around so its great to meet new artists and they’re happy to meet me. I didn’t get to meet this singer the night that I filmed her performance, so I was really worried when I wrote to her almost a week ago and didn’t get an answer right away. I was kinda bummed.
One of the things I learned early on producing is to not always assume, to have an open mind, and to be flexible and patient. And confident! :-> So I waited patiently, and finally today Tiny Concept wrote back and gave me the green light to use the video on the blog. There were other artists playing that night, but I had already gone through three hours of footage. Next time I’ll bring more tape. I’m getting better at shooting continuously, however. I have a 4 gigabyte SD card and usually bring a few extra tapes. Once I get a second HD camera I can stagger the tape changes for continuity in the filming as well.
This song, like the other video log from this night by Syphilis Sauna, is also about a robot. This song by Tiny Concept is called My New Friend. The handheld footage is a little shaky in some parts because I moved to get a better angle.
Whatever feels right
December 16, 2008 at 2:28 pm | Posted in Deep thoughts, Music, Life, Art, News, Upcoming Events | 2 CommentsTags: Art, Art Show, article, Artist, Artists, auction, Barack Obama, Beate Kirmse, Blog, blogger, blogging, commentary, Comments, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Daily, Diary, Events, Exhibit, Feelings, Gallery, Goverment, LACMA, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Sun, Life, Los Angeles, Love, Minnesota, MOCA, Modern, Modern Art, museum, Music, new york, news, Obama Art, painter, painting, paintings, personal, Politics, President Barack Obama, public, Public Art, Publishing, Romance, SEA SHOW, society, St Cloud, Street Art, Thoughts, writing
I have used the same keywords for my alerts since I started this blog, and I almost never see the same blog twice. One that had a nice clean design and a strange image drew me in. It was of a potato with a nail through it, and it was on the LACMA blog, which is called Unframed. Much like Art Basel Miami Beach, MOCA has been in the news, so anything art and LA related in the news stands out to me.
LACMA is an acronym for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. MOCA Los Angeles still manages to fuel speculation in the art world in spite of its current stalemate and the eerie silence on the part of the challenged institution. A blog on the possibility of the museum, discusses the controversial practice of deassession.
Art By Paper Monster
Las Vegas doesn’t pop up on my art radar for obvious reasons but today, I did read an article about the revival of a Contemporary Art Center, which, according to the article, Beate Kirmse helped rejuvenate over the past year. I found it a little disturbing that while informational and seemingly positive in its overall efforts, this article by the Las Vegas Sun paints a nice picture, but it doesn’t address the really important issue, which should be the establishment of some measures on her part to make sure that the artists continue to get the recognition they need after her eventual departure. The article closes with her saying, “Maybe I’ll go back to the East Coast.”
I blog a lot about public art and how art can intersect with and uplift metropolitan cities and serve communities, so this article on a public art project that gives young artists a chance to display public art was the subject of an article in the St. Cloud Times website. Just yesterday I blogged about Art with Barack Obama as the subject matter, and it turns out there is a book on the New York Times bestseller list dedicated to illustrations of Barack Obama.
Paper Monster is a graffiti/stencil artist in Los Angeles that is making a name for himself. The tragic beauties in his stylized and crisp designs create interest with their beauty, but you can’t stop staring because of the amazing colors and layered compositions he creates in various types of media. He has some Obama art on his website too.
Sometimes I just happen to stumble upon the most random blogs, only to be completely arrested by a beautiful image that I have to mention. You don’t need to be a fancy art blog or a big topic to be worthy of mention.
There is a lot of strange and beatiful things hidden in the strangest of places and I’ve developed a little knack for digging them up. This blogger Karl Jones has been blogging since before blogging was cool, I don’t know how well-known he is because I am new to online publishing but this guy knows what he likes. I dig his blog because its a funky mix of cool tidbits and his really cool digital designs that he makes into computer desktop wallpapers.
Art by Karl Jones
Not PC is another blog that is not an art blog but has something out of the ordinary that got my attention because it had something interesting or useful about art in it. In this case, it was a venture into art & perception. I’ll be honest with you, my dear reader, I really don’t understand what his blog/mission is about. I wanted to include a short description in my mention of it but I am kinda stumped. Maybe you can figure it out. Its definitely not an art blog.
From the beginning, I had so much to say about the whole experience of diving into a relationship that went further than your casual observer with some of the most offbeat artists in the city. I’m never satisfied when obvious perks like wanting free videography or an attractive host might be yours as a result of my meeting and working with you. Sure, those things are tempting for an artist, but for me, I am making art. So I am thinking about other things too.
Its taken a lot of flexibility and patience as well as simple tact to get through some of these situations. I do know that artists are also busy making their own art, and it is somewhat of a stretch for them to give me yet another part of themselves and experience for the art I want to make. But it wouldn’t be the SEA SHOW without it. I am enamoured with the artists I have worked with from the beginning and who I continue to meet. To me, they are important.
The fact that the copius excitement that ensues with creative and intellectual interchanges occur is just icing on the cake. There really is a lot of potential, and its what’s really fueled my commitment whenever there have been challenges this past year and a half.
When I am in SF next month I’ll likely ponder these concepts and more in the Art of Participation exhibit at the SF MOMA.
Without speaking directly to circumstances, I am working hard to balance sensible thinking with my warm affection for the work and life of an artist. I think part of the constant challenge is finding that place where an artist can really step outside of his or her work, so that it can be elevated, heightened in a new way. This could be a flagrantly selfish pursuit, but I sacrifice and give so much that this is far too simplistic an observation or what motivates me. I suppose if you knew me personally, my motivations might make more sense. I know artists understand and like it, and as long as that is happening, The SEA SHOW must go on.
Its all Relative : Art. Travel. Thoughts.
December 15, 2008 at 7:37 am | Posted in 1 | Leave a commentTags: Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, art basel photos, art basel video, art blog, art blogger, art blogging, art blogs, art video, Artist, Artists, Blog, blogging, commentary, con artists, contemporary, Contemporary Art, contemporary art blogs, Daily, Events, Exhibit, Gallery, huffington post, Life, Miami Art, Miami Art Basel, Miami Art Basel 2008, miami art basel photos, news, Opinion, personal, pics, pictures, public, Public Art, SEA SHOW, Seattle, slideshow, society, stories, Street Art, Thoughts, Video, writing
I run from social obligations all the time, despite my foray into art producing and attending a copious amount of art events. I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say that the past two weekends have ended pretty pitifully. I can’t even work up enough courage to attend a party for the sake of a show. I did make it as far as the front door of Equinox this past Saturday. There were a ton of people, a binfire outside, and it looked pretty cool.
I noticed some of the exhibit was indoor/outdoor. I’m not sure what I was expecting, I definitely wasn’t dressed for it. I still dress like a Californian after living in Seattle for 4+ years. What can I say, I like to dress up. I wouldn’t dream of wearing jeans and fleece to an art opening. But that’s just me. The fact that it was snowing and I wasn’t dressed for it and the exhibit was going to close in 30 minutes convinced me to get home. Its 18 degrees today and still icy out there, but I should have taken one for the team and just went in. I’m just not used to the partying/socializing. The cameras and crew have become somewhat of a crutch of mine. Next week, it will be a top hat in addition to the Canon.
The public phase of this daily blog was launched on November 24, 2008. I’d been blogging for the previous year on the show’s myspace page. I also integreated a previous blog into this to show how much my life has changed since embarking upon the art journey. Its a big part of my world, and the new face of the show. So we hope you will subscribe to our blog.
This is in fact, a daily blog. It is trying to be, anyhow. This week I missed my first day since starting it. A cold this week hindered my writing efforts this week. Don’t believe anyone when they tell you that blogging isn’t a full time job. If you have a daily blog, and you haven’t updated it, you think about it all day.
The travails of con-artists is not a topic I think my discerning audience would be interested in, but I would say 20% of the artists alerts I get are breaking news stories on notorious deceivers. Why is it that deceit is an adjective which can only be exclusively attached to the word art. 
I’m just being silly. :->
I’d like to do more of the vlog (video log) but I don’t want to start releasing a bunch of unproduced 1 camera hand held video, compelling as the artist or your Humble Host may be. A lot of the footage I shoot is incorporated into into future pieces. Every shoot builds on a large peice, so these are mini documentaries in the making. A lot of work, but a lot of fun.
Village Savant is one of those blogs that I stumble onto while doing an image search or through some other random avenue. It looks like a nifty blog. Other blog entries I read, and I can’t say that it helps me understand art better. It doesn’t mean that the authors’ personal opinion isn’t valid, its just that sometimes too much conjecture can muddle things a bit. We’re not all art history major, so we have to give our audience something they can understand. I’ll explain more on how Dr. JohnnyWOW! successfully broke through a barrier to the audience. Granted, their attention spans didn’t hold longer than a few minutes, but they were engaged and reacting while they were there. I wish I had a second camera to record the audience while I was busy filming the doctor.
Even if I don’t have time to look at the story, I do look at most of the alerts I get. One of the things I find so interesting is about all the different topics people choose to blog on. The art blogs interest me of course, and the more niche they are, the more novel I find them. There’s some pretty cool stuff out there, like this blog on Obama Art. I’ve seen Barack Obama poster but a blog actually devoted to the realm of art about the President Elect definitely got my attention.
Joanne Mattera had a blog post with some reflections on Miami Art Basel, and I got a chuckle out of her blog. I find her art commentary to be to the point and humorous. Check it out if you haven’t already. The Huffington Post published an article with few words and a lot of photos called, :Reflections of Art Basel:. I’m sure it was an exhausting week, but it would have nice to include a snippet of some interesting conversation or something. The pics are cool but I’m not clear what the reflections were of, there’s not much commentary.I’m ok with just photo blog entries, but I like to see either just pics or some informational commentary to go with the pics. This is another blog that fell short on its art basel reporting. It seems like a strange trend, but it definitely illustrates the range of coverage on a given topic.
On the MarketWatch website of all places, I found information on the first public art project to use solar energy. I like little offbeat tidbits like that. California isn’t the only state where Art is intersecting with public life, Arizona too, is learning that there are ways to integrate art into the community.
It’ll be interesting when I compile the list of blogs I link back to for my own records. I would say at least a third aren’t art blogs. Hope you enjoy the variety of info, I do. I wasn’t sure whether to tweet or to blog about this strange art project, in which messages are sent to twitter when the baby kicks. Strange, isn’t it?
If I were in England,I should very much like to attend this event, a discussion on the value of Contemporary Art. With all the speculation that went on about sales at Art Basel Miami Beach, any collector or artist would find listening to this discussion worthwhile.
This blog, Grinding, is totally out there and I completely love it. The pics, how I wasn’t sure if it was an art blog in the first place, its all very cool. Culture Soak is another fun Art & Design website. Today they posted an article on a book about Emerging Contemporary Artists. It would be nice to get my hands on one.
I blogged about Macao and the Contemporary Art there, and noticed some other articles about Indian Art that I wanted to include. Art Market Monitor also posted some interesting comments regarding an Indian Artist and the collectors of his work. I might have a slighty sour tone in some of my art reporting, but its nothing like this scathing commentary on an Indian Art exhibit. Ouch. Does it really help an artist to be so cruel?
Street Art was a hitherto unknown art form upon starting this new segment of the blog. In Vallejo, California, a store selling graffiti supplies next to a graffiti art gallery is evidence that Street Art is definitely on the radar. There’s this discussion about whether or not Street Art is accepted in the larger art community. I would say that as much as I have read about it in the past three weeks that street art has nothing to worry about.
An art walk in the dark
December 13, 2008 at 2:56 pm | Posted in 1, Music, Life, Art, News | Leave a commentTags: 619 Western, Art Show, Art Walk, Arts, Artwalk, Blog, blogging, Contemporary Art, Daily, demonstration, Doctor Johnny WOW, Dr. JohnnyWOW!, Events, Gallery, JohnnyWOW!, Life, Modern Art, news, Opinion, painter, painting, paintings, Performance, Performance Art, personal, Public Art, SEA SHOW, Seattle, society, Thoughts, Video
Last winter wasn’t like this one. This is my second year producing my video and art show, and I expected this fall to be mellow and rejuvenating after spending most of my summer in the south bay, California.
I missed my dog, was behind on projects, and other constraints and my new freewheeling lifestyle demanded I start working harder at my freelance ambitions. Despite all that, I’ve been able to keep up the pace with the art. Lots of art events happen in the fall, especially in Seattle. While its not known for being a 24 hour city, there’s definitely a night life.
One like I have never seen in my 6 years in San Francisco, exposed to the painted writhing denizens of the underground art scene by the bay. That is home to an excess of decadence and disdain. I saw a few things in my time there as a student! I didn’t enjoy most of it.
I hoped Seattle would be a refreshing change. I really hope to meet more artists in SF but I’m usually so busy with classes or meetings its hard to find the time, so instead I just sublet lofts in the painted alleys of the Mission district instead.
Back to my promise last week, here are some shots from December 4, 2008
The Doctor wanted to try something different this month. He’s not content to have hoardes of young viewers shuffle through his studio month after month on the First Thursday artwalk. He wants a response, some feedback, perhaps a comment on how his art affects the viewer. This evening the Doctor was trying out some new art pieces and showing video of his new direction was part of the equation.
I rented a projector and showed video of my edit for his upcoming 28 minute episode on SCAN TV. The audience Johnny has a gripe with didn’t seem to react any differently than they are known to. Its a big warehouse full of artists, so everyone is always on the move.
The audience was actually commenting once Dr. JohnnyWOW! dived into his slasher presentation. I am incorporating this into the episode so that you have a context for it, so I’ll post this video once I get the new footage worked into the current edit.
The past few months I have either shot two times a month, in contrast to the 20 a month days or more I was shooting during the competition that started all this madness. This month, the most peaceful of all, see me leaving the state not once, but twice. The madness never ends.
More about next week’s excitement soon.
I missed the performances they had because I had to keep an eye on my equipment, but I did drop in, say hello, shoot a little footage downstairs on the 2nd floor, at Blank Space Gallery.
The artist behind Efflux Creations was there as part of the art show. It had been at least 6 months since I met him and he looked busy so I went back to my shooting.
Blank Space Gallery has a really nice space, and are working hard to put on some good art shows. Keep up the good work Mindi, Riley, and Leo,!
Day Two : Basel Pulse
December 5, 2008 at 2:37 pm | Posted in Miami Art Basel, Music, Life, Art, News, Travel Updates, Upcoming Events | Leave a commentTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art News, Art Show, Artist, Artists, Arts, Artwalk, Blog, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Exhibit, Gallery, Life, Miami Art, Miami Art Basel, Miami Art Basel 2008, Modern Art, Music, news, painter, paintings, personal, Public Art, SEA SHOW, Seattle, society
Interestingly, so many of the references I find in my as-it-breaks art alert are taking me to financial sites, I end up reading strange documents about the long-term viability of Turkish Painting as an investment, or the strange hotel industry web sites that are reporting on the secondary effects felt on the tourism industry when an event like Miami Art Basel manages to avoid straining its already wide financial girth. Its no secret that wherever Art Basel goes, collectors and their whimsy will follow. Gridskipper is a travel site but has a nice Art Basel guide with maps and tons of info, a nice refreshing treatment of the events.
I’d been coming across articles about the new Frost Museum more than once in the past week, but its popped up enough times that I have to mention it once more. If you want to go see the new museum along with all the other strange shiny things to enjoy in Miami during Art Basel 2008, check out this article on Examiner.com for info on the events and how you can get there via shuttles this week. Her partner at the Examiner is also covering the event.
This photo could be something out of Miami Art Basel. These colorful characters were on hand last night at 619 Western, where SEA SHOW artist Dr. JohnnyWOW! was showing, as were scores of other attractive young art zombies. It was a good time, so I’ll be sure to blog about it very soon! There are a lot of good looking people, but sometimes I wonder if the Art Basel Miami Beach is like the artwalk, lots of traffic, little substance. Some of us here in Seattle are fighting the good fight, perhaps its not a bleak as it seems.
Photo by Tim V.
With so much conflicting information about the Contemporary Art World, I’m afraid your humble host can be of no help. I can only offer you information that seems to discredit other forecasts and impressions of the market for Contemporary Art. Like the record sale of a Suerat, conflicting with the latest statistics from Sotheby’s about sales trends in the Contemporary Art market.
Those that have the means will undoubtedly make the trip to Miami to be a part of a year of flux for an Contemporary Art market which seems just as incomprehensible as some of its visions. Its a smart time to travel, especially from Europe, so smart collectors undoubtedly factored all these elements in and likely decided to attend the Miami Art Basel.
Smart collectors know that there will be some great art on hand. If they have the time and opportunity, they will come here to seek that art and be a part of a scene that repeats itself year after year. Its like all my tech friends and MacWorld, they can’t resist.
The sheer variety of links I see daily really make the who blogging process pretty fun and easy! I’m committed to it, so its a matter of deciding what amuses or interests me the most, and passing it onto you! That’s right, you too can experience the shimmering effulgence. This is an art blog, so I can be a little creative, right?
Everyone is reporting on Art Basel, from news about the parties, to celebrities that were seen out and about, the buyers attitudes, you can practically blog about a dozen or more topics related to this event and not cover it all. The possibilities are endless.
Art by Naoto Hattori
This week we want some structure, so its going to be all Art Basel, all the time, but for just this week. See it through the eyes of a visitor of who revels in the convergence of art and luxury in his blog. I am not promoting any particular links or sites or events, just trying to give you a variety of information, choices, and pretty pictures for your delight.
I really like the SuperTouch site, so much that I have to restrain myself from including links all the time. I like the art in this show, because its fun and colorful and so am I, but for some reason the pics are grainy. That’s no fun. Check out another cool blog with info on the paintings Marilyn Manson is displaying.
While I normally think an artist is no longer undiscovered when the local media picks up on it, I am nontheless intrigued by this CasaLin, which is a private property that has a portion designated as an art gallery.
As I had mentioned before, anything that involves forging into new art territory, melding forms, blurring lines, that’s where I want to be. This won’t be the last time you hear one of my many mantras. One of my other is simply, Support the Arts! Which of course we love to do. Which also leads to the fringe artist feeling of fascination and revulsion at what the art world is today, its essence personified in Miami Art Basel. Granted, this is an international event which I have never attended in any continent, so admire me for my guileless efforts, or illuminate me so that I can offer more concise rambles.
Let me assure you, my intentions are honorable and my blogs are far from scathing. If you’re as smart as I know you are, you’ll understand and hopefully be invoked to think or act about art! :->
So surely the investors have been doing their work today and are aware of or attended the art sales held at Sotheby’s, they know that there are still big sales being made but that this is a pivotal year for Contemporary Art, so this only adds to the intrigue that is fermented at this event.
If the radio and blog updates just aren’t giving you enough of what you need, thing being art basel, you can check out some video. This is an oft-visited site I’m sure, but its new to me, and on my radar. Looks interesting.
Aside from a usual run down of events going on this weekend, I must say I am surprised to find out that some think that my daily coverage of Art Basel is from first hand experience?
Yes, some kind souls reached out to me after hearing my anguished words of truth. Karma, in an ocean of joy. I will definitely to keep an eye on other reporters from Seattle in their adventures in Art Basel Miami Beach 2008! SlamHype is an art & music blog I’ve noticed recently, they like SuperTouch too but I like the diverse effort on this site, it has random goodies about Art Basel and links to music. Again, not a lot of time to check out a ton of the links, but it looked good from what I saw.
From when I heard about this event, I wanted it for artists that have opened their art to our organization, and my blog this week is my way of touching the event on behalf of those awesome artists I work with. I hate to disappoint my readers, but your jet-setting author does not have Miami Art Basel on her social calendar this week. I do have up to the moment updates on articles related to the event and modern art that I see throughout the day, so I hope I have my finger on a current that is helpful and interesting to my readers and artists I work with.
Let me briefly diverge from Art Basel to give you an update on an ongoing saga that the art world in America has been watching closely. We had news of an announcement a week ago about the bailout, and ever since then the art world has been waiting for news about the fate of Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. The stalemate in a descision to accept the gift has prompted the donor of the gift to try to reassure the museum. As we wait for other potential donors to step forward, you can be sure that however this art drama resolves, it will be interesting.
What do you think about our Art Basel coverage? Am I onto something? Are you bored yet? The blog overall? Email the author, and tell us how you feel, or give us a hi-5 with an encouraging comment! We like you too.
My next post will have some images and video from my night at artwalk.
The First Day: Art Basel Miami Beach
December 4, 2008 at 9:29 am | Posted in 1 | Leave a commentTags: Art Basel, Art Basel 2008, Art Basel Miami Beach 2008, Art Event, Art News, Art Opening, Art sales, Art Walk, Artwalk, Blog, Cezanne, Cocktails, Exhibits, Fashion, Gallery, Gauguin, Impressionism, Miami Art, Miami Art Basel, Miami Artist, Miami Artists, Miami News, Music, news, Objective Art, Painters, Party, Psychogoloy, Restaurants
Today is the official opening of Miami Art Basel. Forecast : tepid art sales and winds out of the northwest.
I really like some of the cool blogs that come through the inbox with up to date images and blogs from this years’ art Basel. I don’t always get a chance to open the link when I get it, so I see it twice, and when I get to a computer, I can check it out if it catches my eye.
I’ve decided to hit you with the day by day play of all interesting things related to Miami Art Basel. Its only a week, so it won’t be that bad. And it’ll be interspersed with other art stuff and the musings of my day to day life.
Photo by SHIFT
While I can’t say that I find some of the coverage on the online version of the New York Mag to be terribly compelling, it appears that they will be posting frequently, and there are good photos if you like pretty pictures, so you can check in here for ongoing rundown of the major events. But we have way more interesting sources than this. This will be a fun week. Some websites do a better job than others at giving you a good run-down of events.
When I’m not passing over articles that are little more than tourism ads and coverage on the lavish fashion shows and over the top parties that accompany this week in Miami Beach, I stumble across nifty little sites like Art Lurker, a contemporary art blog from none other than Miami! The current article definitely caught my eye, because the artist he is featuring has some art that borders on being architecture pieces, and in some cases are hard to discern from a part of the environment. Does that price of the art come with installing? ;->
This is another example of a major newspaper publishing less-than-exceptional writing and commentary, but its still entertaining. Is some of the art coverage supposed to be like 80s clothes? So bad its good?
If you’ve been following this event for some time and have never attending, wishing you could clad yourself in white and go find the trendiest people in town, fear not, because these pages will give you an idea of what happens every year, so you can plan what sort of Miami Art Basel you can enjoy.There are plenty of local blogs you can check out if you’re not sure what’s good and want to hit the best restaurants and bars, knowing what to expect ahead of time. Many restaurants and hotels want to make the most of this week to energize their opening.
Thankfully, the fair has attracted enough fanfare that you can find some curious and hopefully irresistible art, people and experiences. Perhaps, one day, our artists or your humble host can enjoy such a pleasure?
One of the odder things I came across was a sand castle, but no mention of an artist. Granted, Hotel Chatter is not an art site, but even the internet is picking up on the flurry of action generated by this katamari known at Miami Art Basel. Luckily, I was able to come across info on the artist on another site. The alcohol soaked art lovers are going to have a hard time discerning between art and fluff already, I think this will only add to the confusion, but will invariably draw a crowd.
I’m not an art expert to know everything but I usually do have an opinion on those things I do know! I feel passionately about art, and I hope I can focus on that more than the forces that oppose its creation and enjoyment. I decided to get a book on Modern Art, so that I could view art from the objective standpoint, and last night I was reading about subjectivity in an introduction to the subject in this very respected book on Modern Art, which is followed by some letters or commentary by the artist in question, and what it means. Its interesting because I wasn’t aware of the term, but I understood what artists like Gauguin and Cezanne did in their treatment of innocuous concepts, peasants in a field, the pattern of a tropical sarong on an exotic Venus.
I read some of these comments on art, and I wonder where the cumulative effect of the history of art is in this contemporary world.
Consider the possibilities what this art fair could mean without the distractions. Why not a roundtable discussion on art? Lectures, really critical discussion? I would love to venture such a discussion in a place where so many creative minds are gathered.
Guaguin Self Portait
I’m the last one to comment on what a museum director might have to say to help you interpret the events at Miami Art Basel, so you can read it for yourself and decide. Even restaurants are getting in the fun, sporting Art Basel themed cocktails. You will be supporting a good cause if you buy the book mentioned in the article, so check it out!
Miami New Times has an online blog that shows us the future of what the streets will look like during Miami Art Basel. As if you weren’t already surrounded by enough that was Basel, this will take it to that new, scary level.
These signs/art would compete with all the other art and art related things vying for your attention. The art ubiquitous, really bright and frankly, a little scary. Do they need to put one on every single lightpost? I think the overall concept is ok, but the number of them would be too much, It would only add the Las Vegas-like atmosphere that pervades the city during this momentous week.
I got a breaking news release on the future of Art Basel Miami Beach and its location for the next three years. What city will it go to next?
Welcome to my nightmare is a fitting name the latest entry in a very intellectual art blog. The sheer number of links makes it mention worthy of inclusion. If it gets my attention, you will hear about it! I blogged about art radio at Art Basel, and found more than one other entry about it, for those of you that just can’t get enough, and need it now. If I can find time I will listen to some of the radio on art basel, and will also be checking into this blog for updates, the authors are from LA, we’ll see what they have to say!
In 24 hours, I will be enjoying an arte event as well, but it will be of a more subdued nature. I plan to really enjoy it.
Art Basel – l’herbe royale
November 29, 2008 at 12:18 pm | Posted in vlog | Leave a commentTags: Art Basel, Art Basel 2008, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art Party, Blog, City Art, commentary, Contemporary Art, Daily, Florida Art, Maimi Art, Miami, Miami Art Basel, Miami Art Basel 2008, Miami Art Party, Modern Art, Murals, Opinion, painting, paintings, personal, Public Art, Street Art, Thoughts
It is 5am on the west coast but I get art new as it breaks, so all these articles on Basel and the economy so I’m inspired to get my blog(s) in for the day. I like that they’re pushed to my phone, if I’m not in front of my computer I can close my Twitterberry window and check out my alerts.
I like it when I get routed away from the usual art blogs and into websites like the financial times, that talk about what is without a doubt one of the major concerns at Miami Basel aside from Art, that being the spending that goes on there. Honestly, I’m not trying to stir up some contraversy here in the disparities of the Contemporary Art world and the day to day challenges in the life of your struggling artist. I wasn’t the first to think of these events as exclusive, Art Nexus said it first.
I’m sure there are many who have visited Artipedia before but I like the layout and it seems like a cool site with Basel related updates, so check it out for some upcoming exhibitions.
I happened upon this one while searching for images of a Miami Art Party. I visited the site of a group that is throwing fringe parties. The pull of Miami Art Basel 2008 is undeniable, even for the most humble of us.
Paintings of the Founders of Miami Art Party
The many reviews and articles I come across related to this event seem to vary a great deal, their commentary flavored with the assumptions on who writes them. Some writers are obviously fans, while others don’t do a very good job of hiding their distaste for the particular artist of musician they are reviewing.
While I am definitely a fan of promoting events with exceptional details, the sense of that must accompany such a gathering is certainly a draw for some, and these upcoming articles only add to the anticipation for many. In fact, the article that I had read last year on Miam Art Basel 2007 was in the November issue of the Smithsonian Magazine.
The article in question is not the very interesting article I have included here, but it was a mutli-page spread in the print version of the magazine on the event that sent my mind to thinking as I began to consider what impact this event has on the state of art overall, and what it represents for the underground artists and unarticulated forms I encounter in my work with The SEA SHOW.
Of course I couldn’t attend then and there, but this event plagues me like some strange prize like a satin sash in a beauty contest. I want to see cutting edge art forms get to that other place.
I want people to see aperson creating many forms of art simultaneously, and presenting them together, and have a context in which to understand it, have an opportunity to enjoy such speculation, to venture a new interpretation.
I see something raw, and beautiful in art that has no audience, art that exists in spite of any obstacles. This is an emerging art form. I’m not the only person who sees this colassal event as a prism of all the challenges the art world represents to the artist, the Skywalker Parade being an example of this.
Photo by Kinya Hanada
Don’t ask me how I stumbled upon this one. Its an art page for WPBT, and it has info and videos on, you guessed it right folks, Miami Art Basel. If you’ve had enough talk about Basel, don’t worry. I have a TON of overall info and commentary on general art topics coming. But the readers want Basel, so I have to give it to them.
I’m also not sure what this guy is up to but it looks like an interesting compendium of modern art, and I’ll definitely be back to visit.
Street art happened to pop up in today’s searches. Coincidentally, there is a lot of excellent art that consists of graffiti and anonymous outdoor paintings.
When you see murals when you visit places like these in Miami and in the Mission district of San Francisco, you don’t get the feeling that Street Art is the fad that some purport. For years, the city has enjoyed the eager talents of artist who get their art out there unlike any other.
Not sure what exactly this fellow is up to with his blog but its got a bunch of links to all things Miami Art and Contemporary Art, so its worth a click in my humble opinion.
If for some reason you do make it to the art mecca that is Miami during Art Basel 2008, then you might find yourself in a need of a cold drink. Make your way to one of the parties hosting an open bar during their parties during the week. Even the cops are cutting loose in Miami.
If you do by some chance decide at the last minute to go, look on Craigslist for the sublets, or like one of my colleagues, post on twitter that you need a place to stay and hope that you have a devoted enough following to at least get some leads. Or you can look at the suggestions on Frommer’s, which list an alternative housing resource.
Art & Religion
November 25, 2008 at 11:55 am | Posted in vlog | Leave a commentTags: Artist, Artists, Blog, blogger, blogging, Chocolate, Chocolate Jesus, Contraversy, Display, Installation, Jesus, Opinion, Prayer, public, Public Art, Public Display, Public Prayer, Religion, Spirituality, telephone booth
Two topics of perpetual importance, the combination of Art and Religion is a recipe for controversy.
Photo by Brandon Fuller
The biggest news in art meeting spirituality in a concrete way is the news headlines being made the artist Dylan Mortimer and his public prayer booths.
Remember the Chocolate Jesus artist? Yes, we all do.
This blog doesn’t reflect on art and God at the same time but I wanted to find a different picture of a chocolate Jesus than the one we’ve all seen & heard of and I found one on this blog. Maybe its a stale peice of low-grade chocolate, cracked and abused. But its still Jesus. The author of the aforementioned blog was so offended by the chocolate representative of Jesus that he would not repost the picture on his blog.
Just as interesting as the scores of articles that arrive in my alert box on a constant basis ( I have an unlimited plan and am push art related alerts to my phone)some of the sites I find when looking for images of the art in question.
Sometimes I read an article and do an image search to see what I come up with. Finding stuff on the internet is a natural skill. Or maybe finding what you need on the internet is not that hard. Experience tells me I’m good at it – in this case, Prayer Art Booth got me the results I wanted in my first result.
This is a cool rant too but it doesn’t really touch on Art & Religion. We might have to have another go at this topic when I get some more vital news on my daily art news feeds. I’m sure it won’t be long.
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Unauthorized Art
December 23, 2008 at 3:24 pm | Posted in Graffiti, Miami Art Basel, Music, Life, Art, News, Public Art, Travel Updates, Upcoming Events | Leave a commentTags: 2006 to 2007 Blog, Art, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, art blog, art bloggers, art blogging, Art News, Art Show, Artists, Arts, Artwalk, Blog, blogging, California, California Art, commentary, contemporary, Contemporary Art, Daily, Events, Exhibit, Graffiti, Life, Los Angeles Art, Los Angeles MOCA, Los Angles, MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Music, news, Opinion, Palm Desert, personal, Public Art, San Jose, Santa Barbara, SEA SHOW, society, Thoughts, West Coast Art
We’ve been blasted with winter snow for the past five days and its been a busy month as I prepare to travel yet again. I always come back with trips with even more on my plate than I already have, so I’ve been distracted for a few days as I try to wrap up some projects before my business trip. This is my first lapse since my daily efforts about a month ago. I started a new blog, am sleeping odd hours, and have a twitch in my left eyelid.
Photo on Dec 22, 2008 from the deck
The word Basel is associated with banking and a city in Europe close to the border of France, Switzerland, and Germany. I’ve seen the long trail of news articles and blog entries with this word in it comes across my desk, and some of them are rather interesting. Between the mid-summer event in June in Europe and its Miami counterpart, bloggers can feed on the continual supply on art news. Since I am intrigued with this event because my interest is Contemporary Art and Beyond , its been the subject of many blog entries.
Recent news has shifted westwards since the end of Miami Art Basel in Early December to the west. It looks like the MOCA stalemate has finally ended. I just discovered that the fellow who offered a bailout for the beleagured MOCA (Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art) is one of the founders, and the latest news is that this morning (Tuesday, December 23rd) the museum will release news about its financial plan and new officers. You can be sure there will be a flurry of commentary after this, in fact it has already begun.
A very innovative use or incorporation of art into a public space is this library in San Jose that is using illuminated cell glass art that should be a model for public buildings. Tree Hugger also has an article on this new library. Artists exist and work regardless of whether or not there is a venue for them, but when it becomes available, as in the case of a property owner in Palm Desert who paid an artist to decorate signal boxes that belong to the city.
If I had attended Miami Art Basel, the stuff going on over at the so called Wall of Fame would have been ground zero for me, I always am interested and pursue awesome artists who resort to interesting measures to get their art seen. Its the future. Fecal Face is an awesome site has its finger on the pulse, with a ton of pictures of the gorgeous graffiti art that went on display by this core group of artists during Art Basel Miami Beach.
The city has moved to regulate any future artist who choose to do the same. I went to an alternative public high school, so I was interested to read about a new public art school in Los Angeles for high school students that is supposed to open in 9 months. Hopefully it will represent a broad spectrum of students from all across Los Angeles. The San Jose Mercury chimed in on the ongoing debate about public art with its own commentary about the need for art in public spaces, adding richness to the experience of city living. The city of Santa Barbara is setting a great example in its work to recycle used items that would otherwise become trash and educating youngsters in the process. I guess my main gripe with events like Art Basel Miami Beach and the traditional Gallery/Museum scene is that there is very little of this interchange with the public.
Its really sad that the artists in Miami work tediously in the hope that they will have an audience for their art, but the community has no way to benefit from these art events and fairs. There is so much richness and excitement in the artists who I work with who are on the fringe and half of their work as an artist is just finding an artist or struggling to pay for materials. It is a touching experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I’ve often compared Seattle to a third world city in its rampant building. I was over in the Eastlake neighborhood, and I counted no less than nine cranes in my frame of view. Public Art is actually one of our initiatives that we are working on here in Seattle, in regard to the non-stop building that is going on, since our real estate market does better than most of the country. New Dehli is taking command of its public spaces for contemporary art. The push by local artists to create and preserve public art is a model for cities like Seattle whose face is being changed in a way that the common citizen has little or no control of.
I like the Visuals and concept of the slow painting website. Its got links to other art history website and blogs, and you can read about an exhibit on Greek Vase Painting in Manhattan in this recent post. Moco Loco is another cool art blog that I just discovered. I haven’t gotten in depth yet so I don’t know quite what its approach is, but its a modern and contemporary art blog with a clean design and colorful and cartoony art that I enjoy so much in today’s entry.