One of my favorite artists, Carlos Cruz-Diez, will make a visual monument for Liverpool by painting a "dazzle" pattern on a World War I ship. Amazing history of dazzle designs for 2,000 WWI British ships to fool German submarines. Here is the press release. Liverpool Biennial, the UK Biennial of contemporary art, and Tate Liverpool will jointly commission Carlos Cruz-Diez to work with the … [Read more...]
Architects as Sculptors: J-Mayer-H versus Ensamble Studio
Last week, I planned to argue for Ensamble Studio as the better method to be a sculptor as as an architect. Ensamble feels the weight and balance of materials. J-Mayer-H draws shapes in space. And J-Mayer-H shapes are crude, arbitrary lines. Ensamble strives for a tactile, spatial emotion. With J-Mayer-H, the space is merely the leftover area inside the form. One is intimate. The other … [Read more...]
BE THERE! Open Engagement Conference at Queens Museum
Join me on May 16-18 and hundreds others at the most important gathering in years. Open Engagement Conference at the Queens Museum in NYC. Personally, I will be looking for emerging methods to survive economically and artistically as an artist dedicated to strengthening communities of people. You will not find me at discussions about exhibiting/curating Socially Engaged Work or projects created … [Read more...]
Dallas Park Pavilions: CooperJoseph outshines Snohetta
In 2003, the City of Dallas passed a bond to renovate its parks. The bond included generous budgets for new picnic pavilions as architectural features. After a series of pavilions from regional firms, Dallas hired CooperJoseph and Snohetta. If this was a football game, the final score would be CooperJoseph, 45 and Snohetta, 10. A few years ago, I heard Ai WeiWei describe his frustration with … [Read more...]
Kids’ Proposals for 4th Plinth in London
Elementary and middle school artists verify that the Fourth Plinth has become a curator's game, not artistic excellence. Check out the more than 100o art ideas for the 4th Plinth by British children. Many of them are more artistic and conceptually interesting the actual artists selected for the 4th Plinth. These conceptual games just run out of interest. The artist has become an generic idea … [Read more...]
More Joy: Pita and Bloom
I am tracking "Joy", an emotion I don't understand, but see in others. Perhaps Pita and Bloom wants Beauty as a more high-minded ambition. Joy is the better objective. Here is the another joy. http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/florencia-pita-and-jackilin-hah-bloom_o.aspx [contextly_auto_sidebar id="oSSJjCSPY2xo2uFq1w6MipIxeMwc4WYf"] … [Read more...]
Bring me your Ladders! Charlie Brouwer makes Art
Since he turned 60 in 2006, America artist Charlie Brouwer has become popular in the Carolinas and Virginia for "Rise Up". He asks for donations from the garage, basement or truck. The old ladders of the handy man, the working man and grandpa touch my heart. The ladders are spotted with paint, chipped, dented and a slightly broken - but "darn good" for cleaning the gutters. Thanks … [Read more...]
Ian Strange cut up earthquake condemned single family homes in Christchurch, NZ
In what could be called "Matta-Clark lite", artist Ian Strange (or Kid Zoom) got permission to cut-up and light up single family homes condemned to demolition after the massive earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Strange's new work has been added to the Aesthetic Ground's post on Single Family Houses. Ian Strange has buried a house in … [Read more...]
Bruening: Part of the “New Joy” movement in Public Art
We are deep into it: The New Joy Movement. Like the Pharrell Williams "Happy" song and 24 hour video, we are firmly into a new time of pleasure in public art. Olaf Bruening is part of the movement. [contextly_auto_sidebar id="EFCCdL5aXtap49n9UC5Vs8nVczF2pTAM"] … [Read more...]
Design-Build Weekends: Vermont, Germany, UK and Arizona
Looking for a little hands-on, artistic rejuvenation. Try Studio in the Woods in the British countryside for only £165 in July. Or the 72-Hour Urban Action in Germany's Ruhr Valley in July. Other collaborative Design-Build workshop options include Yestermorrow in Vermont, USA and Arcosanti north of Phoenix, USA. Both year round. Yestermorrow is $350 for a weekend and $875 for week. … [Read more...]
Public Artists earn $37,000 annually in England
IXIA Public Art Online in Britain has just completed its third annual survey of public art. A few interesting facts. Number of Projects in England: 900 England averaged 20 public art projects per million people. Popular Art Forms: Social engaged practice and festivals with public art are growing fast with local agencies, and art in architecture remains strong. Large permanent and … [Read more...]
Studio Weave: Thank you for your Work and Words
I must have been a sleep to not notice Studio Weave and its directors Je Ahn and Maria Smith. Read this... The statement could be crap. But the work proves it is not. At Studio Weave, we are fascinated by the powerful role that stories play in creating a sense of place, both as a design tool and a way to engage with everyone surrounding a project including clients, consultants and users, both … [Read more...]