The Fertile Crescent - Anselm Kiefer

The Fertile Crescent – Anselm Kiefer

Hi Folks!

The Fertile Crescent (2009) displays the building or demolition of the Tower of Babel. According to the folklore a god demolished the tower. I’m not accusing the god of a bad judgment but one might wonder, was it really necessary. But what was necessary was Herr Anselm Kiefer (or Uncle Anselm as I call him) to paint this art piece. Actually, I would describe most of Uncle Anselm’s works necessary. A young art student Anselm become famous by photographing himself in his father’s Wehrmacht uniform and giving Nazi salutes in various sites all over Europe. Of course Anselm was misunderstood and the public thought that he had Nazi sympathies. He has been fearless ever since and has fronted difficult subjects in his art causing controversy throughout the decades. The size of Anselm’s works also indicates Anselm’s fearlessness. Some might afford to buy his painting but only the 1 % can afford a tower tall enough for hanging the painting.

-Gart

Jacob's Heavenly Blood - Anselm Kiefer

Jacob’s Heavenly Blood – Anselm Kiefer

The secret life of plants for Robert Fludd - Anselm Kiefer

The secret life of plants for Robert Fludd – Anselm Kiefer

Supersymmetry - Ryoji Ikeda

supersymmetry – Ryoji Ikeda

Hi Folks,

Ryoji Ikedas exhibition project supersymmetry (2014-) welcomes the visitors with the following sign: “The installation contains high and low audio-frequency and flashing lights that may be disturbing”. In my humble opinion the content of the sign is an understatement. I would replace ‘that may be‘ with ‘that is guaranteed to be‘.

Ikeda created the concept for supersymmetry during an art residence at CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research). CERN operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. The title of Ikeda’s exhibition project is derived from the theory of supersymmetry, which attempts to explain why particles have mass and is obviously somehow connected to the theory of superparticles. That is just SUPER! And what is also super is that the research conducted in CERN might shed light on all the things that are Super (including superparticles).

If you happen to be in Tallinn, Estonia in February, you should definitely visit Kumu Art Museum. That’s where you can witness weird frequency sounds, noise and lights appear in collisions creating something disturbing but super in the form of Ikeda’s supersymmetry.

– Gart

Through - Ai Weiwei

Through – Ai Weiwei

Hi Folks,

Pillars penetrating tables is Ai Weiwei’s (艾 未未) comment, or even criticism, on structures of power. The art piece is titled Through (2007). Weiwei is a super star in contemporary art and he is known worldwide for his art and his political activism, which are often a combination of both. Weiwei has especially criticized Chinese Government’s stance on democracy and human rights and you bet it has not made his life any easier in China. It is also common knowledge that he is a hard rock fan but you are mistaken if you thought that Chinese Democracy (2008) is his favorite album. He is actually more into older psychedelic rock. The release of the Door’s first single Break on Through (To the Other Side) in 1967, changed Weiwei’s life permanently. The baseline that Ray Manzarek summoned probably on his Fender Rhodes PianoBass and the deep, magical voice of Jim Morrison influenced 10-year-old boy’s take on life and he absorbed the perfect rock n’ roll attitude that only his peers on Sunset Boulevard, in L.A. were aware of in the 60’s. And against all the odds, Weiwei has been able to break on through despite all the obstacles the infidel authorities have laid on his path. And this is my and Neil Young’s  message to you, Ai: keep on rockin’ in the free world.

– Gart

Lily & Co - Julian Opie

Lily & Co – Julian Opie

Hi Folks!

Julian Opie is a virtuoso of contemporary art. Viewing his work leaves you wondering, what the heck did I just see: a reference to art history with a link to tomorrow or just a road sign. These beauties are Lily (2014), Delphine 1 (2013), Finn (2014) and Reed 1 (2013). And of course I am there as well, showing my best side as always. In case you were wondering, Lily is my favorite and for no good reason; she just is. If I did not know that these are Julian Opie’s sculptures, I would guess that Donald Draper has finally had one too many, been fired from his job and established a career as a sculptor. Don certainly could have made it as an artist or preferably as an art-person whose public persona could not always be told apart from his art-work. But Julian is different from these geezers. With Julian there is no public persona but only his art. Just try typing Julian on google pic search. Or don’t bother because there are no photos of Julian. If the saying “picture or it didn’t happen” has any truth in it, then Julian Opien must be an alias. By the way, if you were considering to google pictures on Lily, you should understand that it is “not safe for work”. Stay safe, I’m going to the Vatican!

-Gart

Pietà - Michelangelo

Pietà – Michelangelo

Hi Folks!

This is a pietà, and not just any pietà but the one that was sculpted by Michelangelo Buonarroti. The most interesting thing about this work of art is that the sorrowing Virgin Mary is youthful, possibly in her teens. In my humble opinion, Michelangelo’s intention was to depict Mary holding the dead body of her father, and he did a great job. The three figures of trinity is a confusing concept(?).

Michelangelo was so pleased with the sculpture that he carved his name right across Madonna’s breasts. Pietà is the only work that was signed by him. Pietà is nowadays on display in St. Peter’s Basilica behind a bulletproof acrylic glass panel. Some extra protection is required because the sculpture has attracted many vandals. In 1972 Mary’s nose was chopped off by a guy who claimed to be Jesus Christ himself. This incident led to the first successful nose job when Mary’s nose was reconstructed from a block cut out of her buttocks. Michael Jackson tried the same trick, but with less success.

-Gart

MAMAN - Louise Bourgeois

MAMAN – Louise Bourgeois

Hi Folks!

Louise Bourgeois’s monumental spider sculpture MAMAN (1999) is a sight. This brown, furry, 9.2 meters tall, motherly figure with eight legs carries it’s unborn youngs with her in an egg sac. MAMAN brings to my mind my own mother who used to say: “If you have nothing nice to say, just zip it!” She was also furry with her dark leg hairs. But, Bourgeois claimed that contrary to the common interpretations the spider was a creature with positive connotations, and perhaps she was sincere. Or perhaps she was trying to tell us something about spiders.

-Gart

Self-Portrait - Robert Mapplethorpe

Self-Portrait – Robert Mapplethorpe

Hi Folks!

Robert Mapplethorpe said what I thought: “I want to see something I’ve never seen before.” And when I saw some of Mapplethorpe’s art, I also saw things that I had never seen before. And what you have seen, cannot be unseen. I guess that’s what bothers some uptight puritans in Robert Mapplethorpe’s art. But please, grow up. There’s nothing wrong in a bit of naked male skin. If you open your mind you may actually like it, or is that what you are afraid of. …Seriously speaking, Mapplethorpe broke taboos with his attitude and art in the 60’s and 70’s and for that I thank him. He is probably most known for his controversial photographs of naked men and male genitals with a S&M twist.  Homoeroticism in art causes seldom scandals anymore, but Mapplethorpe can still raise a few eyebrows by the cigarette in his mouth. True rebel!

-Gart

Elephants Walking Through Grass - Nick Brandt

Elephants Walking Through Grass – Nick Brandt

Hi Folks!

All the youtubers out there might know this already, but please let me tell you what’s going on in the photo and state the obvious:

“Alright, so here we are in front of the, uh, elephants. Uh. The cool thing about these guys is that, is that they have really, really, really long, um, trunks, and that’s, that’s cool. And that’s pretty much all there is to say.” #MeAtTheZoo #YakovLapitsky

Nick Brandt’s Elephants Walking Through Grass (2008) first of all saved me a trip to Africa but also saved the elephants a trip to a zoo, and for that I and the elephants thank you Nick!

Video related: MeAtTheZoo

[ Edit: Elephants Walking Through Grass (2008) is certainly not the only art piece by Nick Brandt that captures nature as it is – wild and captivating. Artsy’s Nick Brandt page provides visitors with Brandt’s bio, over 50 of his works, as well as up-to-date Brandt exhibition listings. You may access Artsy’s Nick Brandt page through this link: Artsy’s Nick Brandt page. ]

-Gart

Beach Picture, Esko Tirronen

Beach Picture – Esko Tirronen

Hi Folks,

I really hate it when I get sand in my beard. The best way to get sand out of beard is to avoid getting it in the beard in the first place. In my experience, art museums may be the most convenient places to enjoy beaches. And you simply cannot argue with me if you have seen Esko Tirronen’s Beach Picture (1977). If you are planning a beach day in an art museum, do not repeat my mistake: most museums do not appreciate bathers and bikinis. As you may see from the picture, beaches are crowded on a sunny day so remember to bring your own deck chair.

-Gart

Edvard Munch The Dance of Life

The Dance of Life – Edvard Munch

Hi Folks,

This is The Dance of Life, a fine painting by Edvard Munch. Edvard was my good personal friend through his adult life. He was not quite that cheerful fella but had some tendencies into depression. Edvard’s art represents the finest expressionism there was. However, he’s work for women’s equality is not that well known. Interestingly Madonna, who’s made a part of her lifework as a dancer, released a single – Express Yourself  – in 1989. The song is an obvious hymn for gender equality. I bet Edvard would have loved Madonna’s tunes – he certainly loved to dance to an up-beat dance-pop. One of Edvard’s well known works is Madonna (1889). Actually there are several versions of Edvard’s composition Madonna, and the referred year of 1889 may not be accurate but I will not let it spoil a good story.

-Gart