Saturday, January 14, 2012

Yayoi Kusama and Joseph Cornell were lovers

Although I had read Joseph Cornell's biography a couple of times, I hadn't realized that it was the amazing dot woman artist Yayoi Kusama who had been his first girlfriend (when he was 60). I blogged about Cornell a couple of times: here and here
 I also recently blogged about Kusama LINK). 
She talks about the affair (lasting 10 years) in an old interview with Kusama by Grady Turner in Bomb Magazine (1999).

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Degas - drawings of the nude

Thanks to Artinfo slide show-
Bringing in the new year with some exquisite drawings by Degas. 
He makes me want to draw. 
I'm finishing up a couple of new paintings this week and I will post them here soon. 

P.S. I am no longer posting my art on tumblr, in case you were looking for me there.

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Rosa Loy and Neo Rauch

Rosa Loy is married to Neo Rauch. She is a painter, too. This video shows them exhibiting together. Here is her website: Rosa Loy. Their show was at the Essl Museum near Vienna in 2011. I would have liked to have seen that show.

Saturday, January 07, 2012

Lori Ellison at McKenzie Fine Art (Jan 5 - Feb 11, 2012)


James Kalm (a.k.a. Loren Munk) filmed our friend Lori Ellison's art opening in NYC on Thursday night. 
LINK to video. 
Lori's drawings and paintings show a deep appreciation for the importance of design in art. She patiently builds intricate patterns on paper or wood using subtle textures and optical illusions. These meditative works are executed with the precision of Indian miniatures. Like woven textiles or combs created by insects (with their natural irregularities), William Morris' patterns or early examples of Op art, these creative works are mesmerizing and uplifting to behold. I'm sorry I can't see them in person (the great video helps), but if 
you are in NYC, be sure to catch this wonderful show at McKenzie Fine Art (511 West 25th Street).

Friday, January 06, 2012

Bubble Houses by Wallace Neff

Wallace Neff designed Italian-style mansions for Hollywood celebrities, but he also designed some revolutionary bubble houses. Many were built in Falls Chruch, VA and elsewhere. Here is a bubble house that he built in 1946 in Pasadena, CA. Artist Steve Roden and his wife Sari actually live in the last surviving one (a single dome "shell" house that the architect built originally for his brother, before living in it himself). You can read stories here and herePHOTO gallery. (L.A. Times) 
I'm jealous!
 (thanks, beatgrrrl )

Thursday, January 05, 2012

National tricone ukulele 1928

This is a style #1 National brand German silver tricone ukulele that we have at home - most likely from 1928 (based on a National advertisement that I saw). The pear-shaped body is exactly like the mandolins that National offered at the time. It has 3 small resonator cones inside.