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Mr. Roboto: The Human Mechanics of Francis Picabia’s Art
“The machine has become more than a mere adjunct of life. It is really a part of human life…perhaps the very soul…” said the French Dada-artist Francis Picabia (1879-1952). While unbeholden to any singular artistic style, Picabia built a world out of his Transparencies and machinery or “mechanomorphs” − a world that mirrors and reveals the construction of our own. Influenced by the fast-paced grind of American industry and specifically New York life in the early 20th century, Picabia paintings display the blueprint of an ascension, of our mechanical evolution over time, and the trajectory in which we still head. They just as poignantly, if not more so, represent the…
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The Wyeths: The only family who didn’t fight at Christmas
Such a family imbued by fame and public praise could only have lively and refined discussions at the table during Christmas, right? That’s how I imagine them at least. Holding glasses of wine while lifting their little fingers, fondling the mustaches they probably didn't have, and taking turns to offer their aesthetically cultured opinions. Or, they could just be like the rest of us: tipsy at holiday parties and slightly aggressive with each other at family gatherings.
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Jackson Pollock: Instinct vs. Reason
It’s a complete mess. Loops of color tangled together and running rampant energize nearly every inch of the composition. Far from the reaches of common sense or common experience, we cannot be sure what exactly we are looking at, or how we should feel. However when facing down Jackson Pollock’s seventeen foot monster One: Number 31 (1950), there is an unshakable feeling that this grand piece was no accident. The lyricism behind his movements—a web of flicks, dribbles, drips—is a lot like life, a mixture of uncontrollable and controllable factors. Maybe it’s not such a mess, as much as it simply elicits the response: What the f$&k? Even Pollock himself…
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Del valor y el precio
Las recientes subastas multimillonarias que han coronado a los nuevos reyes de los bestsellers del arte me dejan indignado y hastiado. Por qué, me pregunto, le doy importancia a lo que no son más que fuegos de artificio que tienen un barniz no de cultura sino de salón del automóvil de lujo. Sólo faltan las azafatas ligeras de ropa a las que los pervertidos preguntan si vienen de regalo con el Ferrari. Todo se andará… Una buena amiga, amante del arte como yo, dice que los medios de comunicación ni siquiera deberían publicar esas noticias, o al menos no darles tanta importancia. ¿Qué leemos cuando un periódico dedica una noticia…
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Instantanés de l’Amérique.
Pour lutter contre les effets de la grande dépression des années 30, le gouvernement Roosevelt a mis en place le New Deal. Ce projet avait pour but de protéger et d’encourager au mieux les couches les plus pauvres de la population. Bien entendu, les artistes et les arts-visuels ont également fait l’objet d’un projet de stimulation économique avec le Federal Arts Projects développé par l’agence Work Projects Administration. Le F.A.P est à l’origine de plus de 100.000 œuvres, peintures, fresques, dessins ou encore affiches, réalisées par plus de 100 artistes entre 1935 et 1943 et constitue pratiquement la seule production artistique de cette période. Ce contexte de crise, mais aussi…
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No Room in Hollywood
There is no doubt that Hollywood dominates the global film industry. Occasionally, popular films from other countries gain international notoriety like the French film Amélie or the Swedish film Let the Right One In, but those are rare instances. While the United States dominates the film industry, the rest of the world, mainly Europe, dominates in art. The U.S. does have renowned artists but not as renowned as Europe. Even as an American, I find it difficult to name fellow artistic countrymen, but I can easily rattle off several European artists. Edward Hopper, painter of the Nighthawks, is a celebrated American painter, but his international repute is an iota of…
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Feline Inspiration
Cats: like Marmite, Kanye West and reality TV they tend to polarise opinions. To detractors they’re cold, calculating, sinister beings who use humans for food and attention. To cat lovers, the very traits that irk the haters – their cool countenance, air of superiority and unwillingness to be stroked if not in the mood – are all signs of character, which opposes the dogged subservience of their canine rivals (to the cat lover, dogs are just a little too…eager to please). And perhaps this is why so many artists seem to be in league with moggies (especially 20th Century artists for some reason). You only need type in artists and…
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Do not judge a building by its façade.
Public housing has a rather negative image – initially associated with slums and poverty, these areas were (and still generally are) avoided by middle to upper income citizens. Whether in fear of catching starvation, encountering violence, or simply being disturbed to see how the other half really lives, public housing venues are the last place you would find the “well-to-do”. However, this sort of housing can actually be quite nice, and some countries are incorporating it into their city schemes for the entire population, not just the poor, huddled masses.
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Rad fads & turbulent times
We might all be able to agree that most of the world is a mess. The Americas and Europe have taken a ginormous step back in terms of production, innovation, and general flourishing. Many of our nations and states are in obscene debt which appears to be stagnant or rising and there is no end in sight. So then, what should be next? Vampires and Zombies aren’t getting us anywhere
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I’m not crazy; my mother had me tested.
Arguably, most forms of art worth lengthy discussion have a bit of madness behind them, whether it is a painting, film, or novel. Personally, I find that my creative work suffers a bit when everything in my life feels completely balanced. Think about the mental states of various actors, painters, and authors. Off of the top of my head, I can come up with Tilda Swinson, Tom Cruise, Charlie Sheen, Hemingway, Tolstoy, Poe, Wolfe, Caravaggio, (cough) Hitler… I could list tons and tons, but I’d much rather hear from you. But madness is rather subjective, isn’t it?
This is an interactive art blog in multi languages, you will find new articles on artists, art history, exhibitions, etc. Contributions welcome.
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