Say Whaaaa Wednesday: Painter, Baker, Candy Art Maker!

My wonderful, long time friend is currently interning in New York at The Museum of Modern Art (Much lurrrvvee Jory, you’re helping me climb back into a realm of inspiration!). She let me know of a delectably sweet artist who has an interesting artistic palette: creating paintings, sculptures that portray landscapes of cake, candy, fudge and other delicious confections.

Will Cotton is a New York based painter who not only paints such sugary swamps that occasionally include nude women but also sculpts gumdrop sculptures with slices of ganache cake and other sweets. Beautiful curvaceous women lay atop mountains of scooped ice cream that evaporates into blues and pink clouds. The women’s serene gaze embodies the blissful vision of the Renaissance artists who strived to immortalize a foreboding theme of heaven and gluttony.

I find Cotton’s work to be extremely intriguing and lack any preventative unfettering for the female body that the modern feminist may conjure up; I can imagine they believe he is equating the female body to the seductive and, commonly deemed voracious, allure of candy which I boldly refute (hey, that would be a good essay!). His work does bear the burden of seduction but it is masterfully complex and is delivered in a clean and reverential way that truly portrays his oil painting technique. Cotton’s paintings are remarkable in his ability to capture the Renaissance technique of foreshortening to create a sort of soft depth while revealing a uniquely modern concept.
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Say Whaaaa Wednesday... Naked bodies, Two Dimension and $100 Million Dollars

Don’t you love when people who are dead are still racking in the dough? Last night, Pablo Picasso’s painting Nude, Green Leaves and Bust set a world record when it sold at a New York auction for $106.5 million dollars, making it the most expensive piece of art ever sold in history.

The portrait was painted in 1932 and depicts the artist’s lover, Marie-Therese Walter, a woman 30 years his junior and mother of his daughter. Although the picture appears to be serene with the nude Marie-Therese reclining in a wakeful bliss, the relationship between Picasso and Walter was anything but idyllic. Picasso’s rapport with this younger woman has been said to be fueled by secretiveness, taboos and limitless sexual boundaries. Marie-Therese was believed to be seen as an obedient object to Picasso. Their relationship continued throughout the years but took a toll on both Walter and Picasso. In 1973, just days before Picasso’s death, Marie-Therese hung herself in her garbage.

Now enough on the pathetic fallacy conjured up by art critics. Cubism is really appealing to me; I find its two dimensional surface of certain objects and sceneries to be quite successful in rejecting the traditional techniques of perspective and modeling. I always thought pure imitation was rather mundane, almost too similar to a photograph or of a naturalistic scene I am able to envision without creative thought. Cubists present a new reality free from the constraints of customary texture, space and color. However I do understand the critique of such contemporary art; it does have less merit in the technical aspect of painting, but that raises the question of what type of credentials are assigned to a piece of art that makes it art. Should a painting that took two years to create be more significant than one that took fifteen minutes? I am not sure. I enjoy looking at either one and don’t feel I need to create certain standards based on the technical merit and time it took to create the piece. One thing is for certain; I’d paint anything and everything anyone would want if I knew it would be sold for over $100 million dollars.

Say Whaaaa Wednesday... 15 Minute Free write

Always fun to take 15 minutes and just write whatever pops into your head! You'd be surprised with what comes outta the mindless chattering that goes on up in that noggin of yours!

6 Feet Underground Scene

He’s got himself a homemade cigarette /
a nighthawk sitting slumped waiting /
for a dog day tomorrow /
he’s tried it all but it ain’t no use /
he thinks to himself /
“this town only dwells buzzards / whose feathers are a concerning green” /
a nicotine cloud hanging in his memory / offers no direction out /
he’s gonna be burning 6 feet to the underground scene /
where they dress in calico / with crimson blood shot eyes /
time to kill and places not to be /
no one goes there without baggage / wanting a soul to spew their lies /
knowing he’s burned out all his one night stands /
he sighs /
women strangled his heart and scratched out his prays /
keeping his dreams from sneaking up behind him /
pouring out their perfume / with a barrette in their hair /
they slips out as fast as he drinks his bourbon /
tearing the teeth out of the night /
with no thank you card /
the waitress interrupts his reverie / with a sideways glance /
her graveyard eyes punch through his mellow dramatic trench /
with grey strips tearing onto the caffeine soaked floor /
she knows he’s poisoned all his waters / put them in a suite case /
next to his switch blades / the man is no more than a boy /
with a toy pistol shooting nightmares /
he’s been 6 feet underground all along /

Say Whaaaa Wednesday... The Beauty in Elephant Dung

I have noticed my posts have been flooded with controversies in art; the absurd never fails to spark my imagination and reestablishing my conception on the glorious freedom of artistic expression. I recently came across a British painter named Chris Ofili whose artwork is best known for its rich, complicated and very much scintillating images of Religious figures adorn with glitter and, here’s the interesting medium, elephant shit. His work is less painting than painting like objects, and is fascinating to look at.

Ofili’s Nigerian heritage strongly influences his paintings and it was one particular piece titled The Holy Virgin Mary that involved a lawsuit, former mayor of NYC Rudy Giuliani and a mob of angry Christians. The painting was exhibited in 1999 at the Brooklyn Museum of Art as apart of the “Sensation” exhibit where young British Artists toured their work from Berlin to NY. The painting is a black African Mary surrounded by female genitalia cut from porno magazines, and elephant dung. The shit was formed in shapes to resemble the cherubim and seraphim; commonly seen in images of the Immaculate Conception. Giuliani threatened the museum to take the offensive piece down or he’d withhold the city’s funding towards the exhibit and museum itself; he overtly labeled the piece to be “disgusting” and “sick”.

I think the painting is lovely. Ofili’s use of bold color, shades of purple and blue look the way our souls feel when trying to understand our own imagination in the dark. It revels in early European Modernism and I can’t help but hear the voices of Harlem Renaissance poet’s whose low voices mumble the absurd within the dark, smoky confines of a underground jazz club. There is A LOT of art out there that does not deserve any kind of recognition as being labeled “art”. However, I find Ofili is venturing into a world where there exists a hierarchal struggle between the method and the artistic merit their work embodies. Elephant shit or not, The Holy Virgin Mary is strikingly beautiful and does make a bold statement, I find, that lacks any sort of insulting connotations besides the fact that animal feces tend to stink, rather bad. Could he have used a different medium to create such a piece? Absolutely. Though, what kind of fun would we have discussing a painting that was created strictly using traditional methods; talking about elephant dung is a lot more enchanting, no?

Say Whaaaa Wednesday... The Thorn in the Ass of Real Art

I do not believe this type of exhibit is profound in anyway, rather, I see it representing an aspect of art that appears to be surfacing more and more; through mundane and dull inspiration comes a supposed creative outlet that in turn becomes labeled “art.”

Gregor Schneider, a German artist, created an exhibit in which already-dying volunteers were to lay throughout an art gallery, in the view of uneasy onlookers who were anticipating nothing more than an unusual physical image of death’s beauty. The entire idea is creative, controversial (we all love controversy) and highly intriguing, however, I can’t help but see this exhibit as a representative for a new wave of art that appears to capture an essence that requires no capturing; death is nature’s doing, why should the artist gain recognition for a subject matter that, not only has been way over analyzed, but that is impervious to any of our own hands?

I hate to bash artists, I do admire their attempts at creative innovations, yet I can’t help but see this as a lazy path from a dull mind; a mind that is out of distinctive material to create art that is, in itself, it’s own essence. I suppose my view on such radical contemporary art is similar to my perception on the cinema of the 21st century where novels and comic books, old films and more are recreated. There seems to be no originality anymore.

I tend to believe I am one of those people who are fascinated with death. I find it utterly romantic in a way. There is something about the notion of nothingness… death is simply not anything; it is the absence of presence, a place in time where there is no return, where the howling of a wind blows right through its very spirit and never returns. Tell me how is that not dreamy? Look, I don’t want to get off track here; art is art, whether it is controversial or not and I understand and appreciate that very concept. If people find this type of contemporary uninspired art to be “art” so be it. I must however make a bold statement regarding such pieces: The only thing an artist such as Schneider relies upon is the transparency of his naive audience who will applaud such thoughtless expression in the name of art when he is simply reinstating an age old concept of the inevitable demise of humankind. It’s been said and done before.

Say Whaaaa Wednesday... Wait a minute, this isn't my camel?!

There is never an end to the unusually intriguing list of controversial art creations is there? I came across a piece created by Human Mulji, a Pakistani artist, titled “Arabian Delight” in which a taxidermy camel is stuffed into an oversized suitcase. Brilliant isn’t it? However, this kind of work was a little too far out for the Arabs to handle at Art Dubai in 2008 where it was showcased. They had strong resentment towards the piece as they felt the camel, which is their national animal and a fluent symbol of pride, was being shown in an offensive manor.

It is said the piece was constructed to reveal the neglected issue of the import-export business of contraband by way of personal luggage; more importantly, some claim it was a strong reference towards the young men imported by Arabs to serve as camel-jockeys.

Whatever the case, I am still unable to define my personal intake on this piece. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the originality and believe in the whole “art for the sake of art” thing; I tend to steer clear of any analytical and philosophical interpretations of art. I think what’s turning me off is, quite simply, the ugliness of camels. Let’s face it, camels are rather homely animals. Is that vain I cannot see paste the physical appearance of an art piece in order to appreciate its purpose? Perhaps… perhaps, and that is all.

Say Whaaaa Wednesday... "The Satanic Verses"

I realized I hadn’t post much on literature, besides my own poetry, so for “Say Whaaa… Wednesday” I decided to advocate the need to read controversial books. It seems a stark controversy couples rather nicely with a pleasant story, whether fiction or non-fiction, which always invokes a sense of mischievousness in the reader… oh yes, literature can be bad ass too don’t you know! The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie was read as a sacrilegious treatment of the Islamic faith as Rushdie refers to the Prophet Muhammad as Mahound, which is the medieval name for the devil. The public was outraged and riots broke out in 1989 over the publication of the book where people were killed and many injured in India. Wow, religious tolerance in the world is just blissful isn’t it? I find it ironic so many religions say everyone is equal under the eye of "God"; now wouldn’t that include differing opinions and writers who choose to express their opinions through fictitious novels?

Rushdie did however issue an apology but, get this, Iranian spiritual leader Ayotollah Khomeini went to the extent to issue a $1 million bounty for killing the author, increasing that to $3 million if the assassin was Iranian. Even Venezuelan officials threatened anyone who owned the books could possibly be sentenced to 15 months in prison! The Japanese imposed a fine for anyone selling the English edition and translators were getting murdered for interpreting the book for interested individuals. Major U.S book dealers even removed the book from their shelves due to death threats and Rushdie remained in hiding for almost a decade.

Wow, such hostility towards the book makes it all the more appealing! I couldn’t believe a novel could cause such chaos throughout the world, especially since it was simply criticizing a religious… ohhhh right, I forgot.

Say Whaaaa? Wednesday... Oh How we Love the Delirium in Animal Rights Activists

I’d like to start off with a poll; Raise your right hand if you like animals, now raise your left hand if you like diamonds? Well, those of you who have both hands up may love Angela Singer’s interpretation of contemporary taxidermy… or maybe not. As an artist from New Zealand, and ironically a animal activist, Singer’s artwork is rather controversial and rather incongruous with her “morals” if you ask me.

As a fur aficionado, I see the beauty in dead animals; I would kill a litter of baby foxes with my own hands if it means me getting a nice shawl. What strikes me odd is that an animal rights activist uses a canvas of dead carcasses encrusted with diamonds and paint. Does anyone else see the hilarious paradox in this type of creativity? I see the splendor beneath animals and their guts and I think Singer’s work is absolutely stunning. I love what she is doing and would love it even more if she wasn’t one of those terrorists in animal advocate groups. However, this is the very issue I am having, what makes me go “Say Whaaaa?” is the fact that she is apart of that self righteous class of PETA bourgeoisie whose wholly against vivisection or dissection of live animals for the advancement of human improvement.

This all kind of reminds me of that old American saying, “A black man can tell black jokes.” Animal activists advocating animal liberation can dissect animals as long as it doesn’t impose on their own morals and lifestyle. Oh my, the typical animal rights advocate sure can justify their outrageous lifestyle and delirious behavior. How strange are the lot of us…

Say Whaaaa? Wednesday... The Somber of Sober Artists

I found this fantastically interesting article regarding the coincidental downfall of writers after they sober up. It seems there is a common trend in the quality of art, music, and literature after the artist becomes sober; temperate rock n’ roll, poetry and paintings just aren’t that great.
Look, I get that drugs and alcohol has robbed us of a score of greats – Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Keith Moon, Dinah Washington, John Bonham. I know a lot of artists have converted to a clean and sober life and continue to rain in the success of their creativity, however, the absence of that “self-destructive art” leaves out the romanticizing and soul-crushing feed we all want to indulged in; Highway to Hell type gig you feel me?

There is a famous quote by Symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud about making oneself flourish by “an immense, long, deliberate derangement of all the senses,” and it appears plenty of artists follow that handbook. Gregg Allman even said “just leave your mind alone and just get high.” Whatever side your on you can’t deny the fact that some of the greatest music of all time came out of the maddened minds of artists under the influence.
Whether their creative product was amazing may have just been a coincidence but its fun reveling with the devil; sometimes we want to believe living a straight life leads to another destruction of the body besides death and sometimes that is much worse.

(Link: "When Novelists Sober Up" By Tom Shone; moreintelligentlife.com)

http://www.moreintelligentlife.com/content/tom-shone/when-novelists-sober

(Photo: Jack Kerouac)

Say Whaaaa Wednesday... Art in Action

I am not one to be a fan of "pop culture" art but this creative venture truly is amazing. I am aware it is possible to have constructed this film through animation, but the source where I retrieved the video claims it was all done in brief seconds of film and continual painting and repainting the figures. Some incredibly impressive radical fusion going on in this video!

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Say Whaaaa? Wednesday!

Just when you thought fashion could not get any more eccentric someone like Isabel Mastache comes along and knocks down the wall of conventional style.

At Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week for fall 2010, Isabel appears to have pulled off a… creative isn’t quite the word I’m looking for… “exciting” show for the male fashion fanatic with a pair of penis pants. Get it? “Excited”… like when a man is… well you get it; sorry, I suck at puns. She also took influence from famed movies and story books such as The Wizard of Oz and Where the Wild Things. Isabel’s frivolity towards fashion is a breath of sexual promiscuity mixed with the reverie of childhood innocence… strange combination but it makes for a good show! She has truly created an illustrative line that restores the much needed risk that is essential to artistic growth and creativity.