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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
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Fairey for Obama
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 Tomorrow, artist Shepard Fairey will release a limited edition print on his website ObeyGiant.com in support of Barack Obama for president. Fairey wrote on his site:
“I believe with great conviction that Barack Obama should be the next President. I have been paying close attention to him since the Democratic convention in 2004. I feel that he is more a statesman than a politician. He was against the war when it was an unpopular position (and Hillary was for the war at that time), Obama is for energy and environmental conservation. He is for healthcare reform.â€
The “Obama†screenprint will be produced in a limited edition of 350. Proceeds from the sale will be put towards a statewide poster campaign.
I love when artists do political commentary. One my favorite aspects of art is looking at how social and political events shape cultural production, especially after the fact. Artists record such an interesting and vivid perspective of history. Just think, how will this print be viewed in ten, 50, or even 100 years?Labels: art, barack obama, shepard fairey
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Friday, January 25, 2008
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Olafur Eliasson, My New Favorite Contemporary Artist
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 This week, Tyler Green has written several excellent posts on artist Olafur Eliasson’s current show at SFMOMA and how it is strongly rooted in art history. I saw this show at the beginning of the month and like Green, I was blown away. It is one of the best exhibitions of contemporary art I have seen, period.
For as long as I have had an interest in art, I have had trouble getting into contemporary work. I think that many of today’s artists feel too much pressure to break from tradition. The result is art that is often so abstract and focused on the process (and not the product) that it is hard to make a connection with it. And it’s not very much fun to look at either.
I had an instant reaction to Eliasson’s work. After I saw the show, I thought about it for weeks but couldn’t exactly put it into words. Then I read Green’s posts and it clicked for me; instead of feeling the need to reinvent art, Eliasson builds off of some of its finest moments to create an amazing experience. I think that anyone would enjoy this show, whether they’re nine or 90. It’s creative, beautiful, thought provoking, and fun. Go see it.Labels: art, olafur eliasson
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
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In the Bag
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 Several years ago I participated in a management internship program at Nordstrom. It was my first experience with high fashion, and I became really fascinated with the culture, especially the craze for several thousand dollar designer handbags. The handbag culture (and its counterfeit subculture) is unto itself. Although I can’t say I completely understand the obsession, I agree that many of these bags are works of art. And now, artist John Armleder has teamed up with Puma and London’s Serpentine Gallery to create a bag that is not only a work of art itself, but is also filled with artwork.
Armleder designed The Reality Bag and invited artists such as John Tremblay and Philippe Decrauzat to contribute works to go inside it. Tremblay produced a stencil that allows owners to create their own Tremblay paintings while Decrauzat created a silk scarf featuring one of his signature geometric patterns. Armleder has also included a notebook filled with drawings from more than 100 artists. He calls the bag “a transportable art collection.â€
Only 1000 Reality Bags will be produced, and they will retail for $1200. They are being marketed as an original, multiple artwork. I say, if you’re going to spend $1000+ on a handbag, why not go for one filled with art?Labels: art, john armleder, puma, the reality bag
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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Crazy for Art
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 On Monday, a wall in London painted by the mysterious graffiti artist Banksy sold for over $400,000 on eBay. A wall! The winning bidder is not only responsible for figuring out how to move the wall, but also for covering the costs of replacing it.
And today, a buyer at Bonhams in London paid nearly $5,000 for a 500-year-old lock of Catherine Parr’s hair, the sixth wife of Henry VIII. It went for almost 15 times the estimate. I really laughed when I read in the BBC article that, “[Bonhams] Spokeswoman Charlotte Wood said the authenticity of the hair had been checked and they believed it had belonged to Catherine Parr, even though it had not had a DNA test.â€
 Both of these sales seem crazy and bring a number of questions to mind. What do you do with a painted chunk of wall? What type of effort is required to conserve your piece of wall? Even though you paid nearly half of a million dollars for it, what’s it actually worth? Who spends half of a million dollars on eBay? What does Banksy think about this? And as for the hair goes, I think a simple “Why?†will suffice.
The stars must just be in a strange alignment this week. Or, maybe this is why gallery owners and art experts fear an impending collapse.Labels: art, banksy, catherine parr
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
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smART TV
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I recently stumbled across NewArtTV. The title says it all, it’s a new art television website with short segments on the latest happenings in the art world and interviews with top and emerging artists. It appears that the site has been posting content since August. I quickly watched an interview with Richard Serra at his last MoMa exhibition, a walkthrough of Tracey Emin’s work at the Venice Biennale, and a talk with Turner Prize Winner Martin Creed at his show at Bard College.
So far, I really like the concept. It’s a fun way to hear a little bit about an artist’s work from their own mouth and see mini tours of shows that you might not otherwise have access to. And it’s free. I hope as they continue to grow they include more in-depth pieces. I will be checking back from time to time to see what they add. Just what everyone needs, more television/YouTube in their lives.Labels: art, newarttv
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Ugallery Blog
Read weekly art segments featuring Ugallery artists and news about the art world at large. We hope you enjoy this insight into the inner workings of our gallery and invite you to take part in the discussion as well.
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