Flatcolor Gallery In Seattle has just released a new print by Krista Huot. Entitled Seedlings, this print is 7.3″ x 9.4″ on 11″ x 14″ sheet of Hahnemuhle Museum Etching Archival Paper, signed and numbered in an edition of 100. If you look in the print section of the online shop you’ll also see another print by Krista, Solstice Fox which is 6″ x 8″ on 8″ x 10″ paper, also signed and numbered in edition of 100.
Get em here: Flatcolor Store
Those few people that have talked with me about art, something I am always excited to do, know I am not the biggest fan of conceptual art. I don’t dislike all of it, some conceptual artists have done some amazing things such as Joseph Bueys 7,000 Oaks Project. Always good to plant more trees, even if it’s labeled an art project. However, most of the time when I think about conceptual art I think of Paul McCarthy’s Class Fool performance in 1979, in which he threw himself around in a ketchup splattered room at UC San Diego until injured, vomited a few times and then inserted a Barbie Doll in his anus. Most of the viewers could not stand to finish watching the performance. This type of art makes for great headlines, articles, and conversations, but in the end I feel that this kind of art takes attention away from those artists that create something as skilled technically as it is conceptually, but lack the instant shock factor, or as Jonathan Jones states in his latest article “it’s a laugh, it’s entertainment, it’s spectacular, it’s cool … art now aspires to be all the things fashion is.” (source)
Entitled Art As We Know It Is Dead, Jones talks about the idea that current art is over. It has shown itself as nothing more than “the decor of an age of mercantile madness”. To a certain extent I agree with this. One can no doubt look at pieces by Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and many more as art-factory-made products, in which the money attached to the piece is more important than the art itself. Of course many of the fans of lowbrow/pop surrealism know that not all current art is like this, and many of the ideas and political/social connections that the more public contemporary art is lacking, this scene is more attuned to. I often think of artists such as Francisco Goya, being inspired by the invasion of the French, created his timeless works The Third of May 1808 and The Disasters of War series and wonder where are the artists today that are creating art based on the issues that are going on in the real world. I think it’s great to be entertained, to escape, and most importantly laugh, but is that balance between reality and fantasy even there with the majority of the conceptual art world? I would like to see more reality based art in the contemporary scene we pay attention to, but I know it is at least going in that direction.
Read the Article Here
Above image is Medicine Cabinets by Damien Hirst.
Scarecrowoven (featured) has just added a new limited edition screenprint to his online shop. The print is entitled “The Fiend Demon Fantasy” and is 18″ x 24″, 7 color screen-print including silver, signed and numbered in an edition of 50. Make sure to check out the rest of his shop for more prints and eve the original drawing for the newest screen-print.
Black Friday is here again, and along with the great savings comes sitting overnight in the cold, dealing with a crazy mob of people, and possibly getting pepper sprayed because you took the last xbox 360 (source). So avoid the mayhem, and support your local, small businesses and better yet artists. Many of your favorite artists are having black friday/holiday sales. This is a great opportunity to not only score some art, prints, shirt, and more, but you also know you are helping out a person and not some mega-corporation. Here is a short rundown of some of the artists/online stores you can save at, if you know any more add them to the comments.
Stella Im Hultberg has added some small originals to her shop for this years sale: Shop here
Need some horror shirts? Fright Rags is having a huge sale on mens tees, girly tees, posters and more: Shop Here
Spoke Art is having a sale on all inventory, prints and originals. Use SPOKEARTSALE, and save 10%, it ends Monday. Shop Here
Vannen Watches is having a 40% off sale, just use BLACK40 during checkout. Shop Here
WWA Gallery will be donating 15% from all sales to 1 of children’s charities. WWA Gallery
Aunia Kahn is having a big sale on here online shop, click here for all the codes. Shop Here
Gris Grimly is having a 50% off sale over at his online shop. Check it out here
Edith Lebeau added a bunch of new paintings to her online shop. See Here
Use LE2011 over at Cate Rangel’s shop and save 40% on all limited edition prints. Shop Here
Dan Harding is having a sale in his new online shop. Just use TURKEY and save 20%. Shop Here
Get a free print over at Tara McPherson’s Cotton Candy Machine when you buy anything online. Check it Out
Chet Zar added two new sculpture, Hammerhead and The Dead Pope, both on sale. Shop Here
If your in the need for some clothes, Disturbia Clothing is also having a sale this weekend. Shop Here
Save 30% on selected items at Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins online shop. Shop Here
Phone Booth Gallery is having a “mystery tube” sale. For $75 you tube Includes rare prints, blems, misprints, sketches, leftovers, extras, and more from all your favorite PBG artists!
Shop Here
Contact the folks over at Virtu Art Gallery for 50% off Lori Earley’s Annabelle print. Shop Here
Kelly McKernan is having a big sale over at her online shop, Check it out
Arabella Proffer’s first book is ready for pre-order, with a foreward by your truly… Get it here
Save 20% off everything at Gallery Nucleus. Just use GOBBLE20 during checkout. Shop Here
Save 30% off at Brian Ewing’s store by using COOKIES during checkout. Shop Here
At Steven Daily’s online shop save 50% on all paper products, and up to 50 on giclee prints. Shop Here
David Stoupakis has added two new prints to his online shop. The first The Girl Who Sat Too Long is 10″ x 14″ on archival canvas, signed and numbered in an edition of 50 for $150 each. The next print is The Red Woods which is 16″ x 16″ with an image area of 13″ x 13″ on archival paper, signed and numbered in an edition of 100 for $75 each. This painting was first seen at the Dorothy Circus Gallery back in 2009. You can see an image of the painting framed here. The print looks stunning and the frame that was originally used is perfect, should you pick this print maybe think about getting a similar frame.
Get the prints here: David Stoupakis Shop
I have been trying to take a break from reading the news as much as I usually do; It hasn’t been the most uplifting lately anyway. It’s always good to take a break and remember to enjoy all of the little amazing things that happen when you really pay attention. However, It’s been hard to ignore some of the events surrounding the Occupy Wall Street movement, with cops macing protesters, more people joining support, and artists jumping in and sharing their creativity for the 99%. Artists working in a variety of mediums have been creating posters that reiterate the groups message. Of course I have seen many sites that are offering shirts and posters, with no mention that your money will go to anything other than the pockets of those that sell the items but that always happens. One site worth checking out, Occupyprint.org has a good amount of OWS posters, each one is downloadable in pdf format for free, so you can help spread the images around.
Most recently Shepard Fairey has released a new image, in the same style as the Obama “Hope” Poster, which shows a redesigned figure wearing a hoodie, and a Guy Fawkes mask (representative of Anonymous and OWS). Below you can see the first version of the poster, and the updated version after Fairey received a response from an Occupy organizer.
The first poster was criticized as it came off “pro-Obama” with the use of the badge seen in the first poster, now with the 99% shown in the center, and most visible the callout at the bottom stating “Mr. President We HOPE You’re on Our Side”. In the response the Orgaziner clearly states OWS does want to associate with any major figure, especially Obama who has “raised more money from Wall Street than any other candidate in history”. The organizer goes to breakdown each one of the choices Fairey made in the creation of this new poster. In the end the poster was later changed with the full response that prompted it. Now the image states “We Are the HOPE”. Of course the colors will always associate the image with the original design, but I am curious to know how you feel about it. Does the design “reclaim” the original “Hope” poster and give it new power? What do you feel about the initial Occupy design, and the changes that were made?
Read the full response by OWS to Shepard Fairey here @ OBEY
1xrun has a new time limited print up on the site. Tokyo Neon by Dan Kitchener is the second release he has had on 1xrun, and is very different that the first one he had (here), which was more architectural. This new print features a geisha painted in a very brushy, and energetic style. It’s an amazing image and I hope to see more like this. The print is limited to a max edition of 50, is 17″ x 18″ and comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Get it here: Dan Kitchener @ 1xrun
Jeff Soto is dropping a new time-limited print this Wednesday, November 16th at 12 PM Pacific. The print entitled Snow Owl is a 12″ x 15″ UV print on wood for $55, that will be available for 24 hours. I like the idea of time limited prints, and have never seen one that was printed on wood before.
Next up is a few prints for Black Friday, a day I make sure to stay home but makes a good day to buy some prints online. Jeff will have three new prints available for a duo print set entitled Two Skullz, 16″ x 16″ each limited to 50 for $100. Next is Blooming another UV print on wood, 16″ x 24″ signed and numbered in an edition of 20 for $220 each. Thanks to Omgposters.com for the heads up.
Get em here: Omgposters.com
On Saturday, November 12, the Copro Gallery opened a group show sure to make any art fan gaze endlessly at the screen, or in person if your lucky enough. Dark Water is a group show curated by Martin Wittfooth and features the work of: Aron Wiesenfeld, Billy Norrby, Andrew Hem, Adam Miller, Charlie Immer, Alyssa Monks, Steven Assael, Christian Van Minnen, Jenny Morgan, Caitlin Hackett, Brad Kunkle, Dave Cooper, Elizabeth Winnel, Jean-Pierre Roy, Keniche Hoshine, Jean Labourdette (Turf One), Matt Rota, Jason Yarmosky, Nicola Verlato, Phil Hale, John Brophy, Eric White, Josh Keyes, Jeremy Lipking, and even Martin Wittfooth. The thing that makes this show so amazing, besides the outstanding work from each artist, is the idea that this show is really a collection of some of the mot talented, exciting artists creating art today. This show has the ability to give fans of Josh Keyes, Martin Wittfooth, or Jeremy Lipking, an introduction to some other artists that might not have been on their radar. It’s also one of those exhibitions that every work is breathtaking and has the ability to steal the show. Below are more than a few examples of favorites from the show, the rest are over at the galleries homepage.
Jose Luis Carranza is an artist working out of Peru. He attended the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes del Peru, a school which is known for sticking to the more classical side of art training. Along with this technical training, he has also spent years studying the work of Peter Paul Rubens and Francisco Goya. In 2009 the French embassy in Peru held the National Passport Contest, and after having won this contest, Jose studied in France and was able to further dissect the work of European Masters. Of course like all good artists Jose is not just looking at the past, modern artists such as Dan Schutz and Neo Rauch are also great inspirations for his work — most recognizable in the way the Jose applies the paint. His work talks about the idea of religion and politics and the state they are in, and the belief that we are born into a world of violence. The paintings have a foreboding quality to them, and even though their may be multiple characters in one piece, there is this sense of isolation to them.
The most striking thing to me about Jose’s work, is the style in which he paints as well as the eyes and visage of the characters. These figures are meant to be everyman, and the choppy style of paintings the faces is meant to symbolize that the figures are not fully formed yet. While the paintings already have this unnerving feel about them, the eyes drive this feeling to the very core of the viewer. The gaze is piercing, and in a way looks as though the figures in some of these works are scrutinizing the viewers as opposed to the other way around. Take a look at the preview images below, and then make sure to head over to Jose’s website to see more and keep up with new work and events.
Opening, tonight, Friday November 11th, is a 4 person show featuring work by Megz Majewski, Jasmine Worth, Jason Hernandez, and Young Chun at the Cave Gallery. while the show does not have a set theme, looking at the work there is a “dark surreal” tone to it, and the four artists fit well with each other. I am always happy to see new work by Jason Hernandez, and love the fact that he is showing ink and painted works. This is the first time I have seen the work of Young Chun, and while I would like to see a bit more variety in the layout of the works, I do like the way the artist handles the paint. I am also open to the idea that this is a series of works which rely on the similar layout of each piece, so I am going to keep my eye on this artist to see what comes next. The show runs until December 3rd, so if your in the area make sure to stop by.
Opening Saturday, November 12th at the Merry Karnoswky Gallery in Los Angeles is the latest solo show from Travis Louie entitled “Curious Pets”. These new works focus on not only the characters in the paintings, but their unusual pets as well. As always each painting comes with a story, and you can see a few of these over at Travis’ blog such as the hilarious story of Oscar and the Truth Toad(Ted) (shown first). We have seen Travis paint animal-influenced portraits before, but the idea of people and their pets is a new direction. Just by looking at the few preview images he posted on his blog, this show is going to be something you don’t want to miss.
Check out Travis’ blog here: Travis Louie Blog
