when art meets TV culture and advertising

just popped into the lounge and noticed a new christmas (its only november!!) advert by John lewis

one has to ask the question - did Tim Noble and Sue Webster have any part in this, did they help make it/direct? Or, did some advertising company visit the summer exhibition

I still prefer the orginal artworks by the above mentioned, I wonder how many people look at the advert and can see where it has possibly come from? judging by the comments made on youtube not many.

Here's possibly the influence:

aha, Hirst outdone!!

Love his work, and seeing this reminded me of the work by Jim Dine who's work I haven't had a look at for some time, me thinks I shall re -investigate his work

Jeff Koons overtook Damien Hirst to become the world's most expensive living artist at auction when his Hanging Heart sculpture fetched £11.3m at a Sotheby's sale in New York yesterday.
The 9ft-tall sculpture was created in stainless steel and consists of a giant heart, weighing 3,500lbs (1,600kg), suspended from the ceiling by two delicate gilded strands and hovering 16 inches (40cm) from the floor. The sculpture took 10 years to complete and was bought by the United States-based Gagosian Gallery. It is one of five uniquely coloured versions of the work from Koons' Celebration series.
The previous auction record was for Hirst's pill cabinet, Lullaby Spring, which sold for nearly £10m at Sotheby's in June. Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull, entitled For the Love of God, remains the most expensive creation by a living artist. It was sold for £50m in a private sale in August.
Koons, a Pennsylvanian who has gained as much notoriety as adulation for his artwork over the decades, is seen by some to have provided inspiration for the Young British Artists movement of the 1990s.
Gaining prominence in the 1980s, he set up a factory-like studio in the SoHo district of New York and employed more than 30 staff for help in producing his work, in a similar style to Andy Warhol's famous "Factory".
Much like Hirst's work would do a decade later, Koons's early conceptual sculptures shocked and delighted in equal measure, including his large stainless steel blow-ups of toys and a series entitled Banality, which culminated in 1988 with Michael Jackson and Bubbles, a life-size, gold leaf-plated statue of the singer cuddling his pet chimpanzee, which was apparently the world's largest ceramic. It sold in 1991 for $5.6m, tripling Koons's previous sale record. This technique for enlarging mundane objects has also emerged in aspects of Hirst's work, including Hymn, an 18ft version of a 14-inch anatomical toy.
Cheyenne Westphal, the chair of contemporary art of Sotheby's in Europe, said it was clear that Hirst was an admirer of Koons' work. In an exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery, which showcased highlights from Hirst's own art collection, there were several pieces by Koons. "If you look at Koons' early work, such as his Hoovers and tanks, there is a direct correlation between this and Damien Hirst's work with formaldehyde. There's a very strong affinity between the two artists," she said.
In an era when artists were not regarded as "stars", Koons went to great lengths to cultivate his public persona by employing an image consultant and placing advertisements in international art magazines featuring photographs of himself surrounded by the trappings of success.
During personal appearances and interviews, Koons began referring to himself in the third person. His personal life continued to create controversy when he married the Hungarian-born porn star Ilona Staller and worked on Made in Heaven, a series of paintings, photographs and sculptures that portrayed the couple in explicit sexual positions.
His work has been bought by galleries and collectors around the world as well as Hollywood celebrities. His sculpture of a West Highland terrier is displayed outside the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, and other works have been bought by the Guggenheim in Bilbao.
At the same sale, Francis Bacon's painting Second Version of Study for Bullfight No. 1, which he completed at the Royal College of Art in London in 1969, sold for £22.1m, more than £5m higher than its estimate, and his Self Portrait, painted when he was 60, sold for a £16m, more than double its estimated value. The total value of the sale was £152m.

source: Independent Arifa Akbar, Arts Correspondent

Taking stock

Able to spend some hours in the studio today - roughly nine hours non stop (apart from cups of coffee). Looking around, apart from the usual mess, there were several unfinished works. I'm getting keyed up for the next series of works... just three words and 100 ways to artfully say bollocks. I decided to work on these and hopefully finish them, clearing the way so to speak. One of the 'unfinished' pieces ' wince' has sat around for a few weeks, after the initial sketch and mapping out. I had worked out the colours - a very pale blue grey with a strong cadmium red overlay. also, at the same time, I sat looking at the initial just three words painting and as usual decided to work on that instead.. when will I learn!

Recently, some of the paintings, although successful, I feel I have been missing a certain feeling, one which I haven't captured for a while. Well, sitting and sitting, getting up and walking around can get your brain working, out with a pencil and started scribbling on the wall - came up with it; I like to layer the surface, putting undercoats of paint which show through in the final outcomes, this was it, I went back to the painting. I originally thought that the background would be white, but after working today, I'm not sure. Then again, I've just had a butchers and not too happy with current state. (the blue doesn't come out on the photo!!)

'Wince' on the other hand is going well, using a colour base I used some time ago, made some changes to the mix more cadmium to sharpen it.

Bad light prevents photographing next stage - the blue is a base layer. Further images to be posted.

Anarchy in the UK - 2007 style!

Be aware - John Lydon on form on this video taken with my phone - some swearing and the usual lyrics!!

As I posted last night, the gig was brilliant, being a little to young to see them live it was great to see them last night. Quote "It's like seeing Elvis; for us" (thanks Oz)

They kept the crowd waiting, came on at 9.30 - what an entrance, they walked through the doors behind the stage (usually used for loading/unloading equipment) to a blaze of white light, casting shadows across the venue.

Swaggering on stage in front, bottle in hand and snarl on face John Lydon greeted the throng - 'hello, I'm a fat f***ing c*** ( I know I swear in my work, but .......) what a way to start.

Then the music - I remember buying the never mind album when it came out, I listened to it in my bedroom wearing a pair of headphones so the parents couldn't hear it, unbeknown to me, dad had heard it already - some one at work brought it in!!!!

The sound was fantastic, they even sounded professional - is that correct for the punk band?!

Song after song brought back memories, singing along or shouting out with angry undertones!

Even when I needed the loo, I held out as much as possible as not to miss a thing, but Guinness after Guinness, bitter after lager - it has to be released! Could still hear them in the toilets - apt really.

They ended on a high, coming back to do an encore - how nice, totally against '76 values!!

Anarchy in the UK shouted out by 50 somethings - reliving their youth, burdened with a mortgage, 9-5 job, families, responsibilities - the anarchists of yesteryear, joined the rest 2007!!!

Outside, whilst waiting for others I over heard a brilliant conversation between 5/6 men (in late 40's/early 50's) ....

quote "that was 'mazing, fancy going to back to mine and having a wild party.....

"yeah, could do with getting rat faced"

"yeah, we'll go back to mine, I'll open up a great bottle of wine.... and I've got some fine cheese"

These 'former punks' were serious!!!

Great night, I've seen the legendary Sex Pistols and seen how all the late '70's anarchist punks have stayed true to their beliefs!!

Off to see Archie Bronson Outfit on Friday - they've got a lot to live upto!

Sex Pistols

just got in ..... bloody tube system (save rant for another post!!)
Best gig I've been to - F***ing brilliant, will post full review and videos/pics soon
John Lydon - mesmerising

wow, a week already!

Looking at previous posts I realised that I have not written anything for a week, rest assured, I haven't been slack, just getting on with lots of different things... some painting, sketching out ideas, formulating projects, training rugby (and things connected with the club!), socialising, and even mundane items as paper work for school!!!
Also, someone is interested in purchasing a painting, awaiting feedback on that at moment

'beachcombers' acrylic on canvas
Completed and removed masking tape from 'all day..' painting. Taken some dodgy photos of it - light is vey poor at the moment with it starting to turn dark by 4.30 pm

detail

detail

Fairly pleased with result; as its part of a series of 6 it should stand up well with the other 5 (as soon as I have finished them!!)

Update on 'just three words' series - after posting image last time I have made some headway - although the classic one step forward, two steps back is working its ugly head. Originally, the background was going to be titanium white, when I was about to start I had a change of heart - opted for a sky blue/baby blue, painted it then as you can image, not happy. Out came the sketch book/wall and starting mixing colours. I have reworked the background with a deep mix of crimson with purples, blues and applied this. It kinda works, but I think i shall return to the original white, as I like to create a surface layer or two there's no real harm done! (image at some time!)

Whilst posting on an artforum, a question was raised about where people paint-my reply was of course in my shed. This apparently is quite common and several postings have been made in response and with pics to. Further posts included how they like to work in their sheds and what they use as tools/equipment - some were very impressive and some were very neat and tidy!!
Then a question about sketchbooks - I have always had difficulty using them, I prefer to work things out on the work itself or scraps of paper/wood/anything close at hand. I have found myself working more in terms of working out titles, colours and thoughts on the walls of my 'shed', and was requested to upload some on the said forum, haven't done so far but I might.
Thought I'd put some up here, excuse the handwriting - left handed and I use a word processor more than a pen!!

Oh, by the way .................... off to see the Sex Pistols tonight at Brixton Academy - a little too young first time around!! But managed at some some time to see most of the other bands of that era. give you a review later!!!!!

three little words update I

as previously posted, started a new series of work based on three little words (influence of the Humament - Tom Phillips). Still undecided about background colour, off to have a think...

all day I dream about .... update V

terrible lighting has meant I need to take the photos again, but here's the written aspect (close up)

for those that know me - just up my street!

Title: tongue twister. graphite on paper

If you have had the opportunity to see some of my earlier work you we know that I like to use expletives!!
Came across this on my inderweb travels.. shame its over the water, maybe the will transport over to the UK!

I have edited the words for tender eyes!

THE SWEARING FESTIVAL II
back to swear one
Saturday November 10, 2007
main event $12
panel event $5
TICKETS ON SALE HERE
*******
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10, 3pm, $5 door (no presale of tix for Panel)
Experts discuss HOW THE S***S AND F***S CHANGE THE WORLD
Linguist Dr. Jonathan Hunt
Author and Litquake founder Jack Boulware
********
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10, 8pm, $12 door
The Mass Swearing Experiment - A multi-media exposure of us and our mouths.
*
A Most Horrible, Vile Oaths contest - Where you get to offload on your personal targets.

The Verbal Abuse Duel - Curse off against a total stranger, but can you take the heat yourself?

LIVE MUSIC from Les Merdes - Sing along to the s**t parade
*
Filthy, foreign tongues – Foreign guests educate us on How to cuss your stale croissant? And how to tell the Spanish train conductor, Why don’t you get some f*****g toilet paper on these trains? Other bad languages to feature too.
*
Swear Into the Light - Curse torture, sponsored by The Dick Cheney Ideas Group
*
The Shite Discotheque Party
*
And loads more wrongness....
*
Raffle Prizes
*
Special Guests
The Swearing Festival explodes it all.

SWEARING

72% of men and 58% of women swear in public.
Swearing takes up 13% of adult conversation
Spock swore in Star Trek 4
One South Park episode used the same expletive 146 times.

nicked idea!!

Saw this being used on another site - a big thanks to Jafa and thought I would have a go at putting it up, changes the look of the blog and gives a chance to view some of my work!!

further looking!

following links that I scan usually delve a little deeper if it catches my eye - not to sure about having this sculpture in my living room but after seeing other work I like the use of mixed media and the technques used in their creation

by Rune Olsen

again delving that bit deeper, came across the original

in the trusted words of Rolf Harris "do you know what it is yet?"
Tako to ama
is an erotic woodcut of the ukiyo-e genre made around 1820 by the Japanese artist Hokusai. Perhaps the first instance of tentacle eroticism, it depicts a woman entwined sexually with a pair of octopuses, the smaller of which kisses her while the larger one performs cunnilingus. Hokusai created The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife during the the Edo period in when Shinto was making a resurgence; this influenced the piece's animism and playful attitude towards sexuality. It is a celebrated example of shunga and has been reworked by a number of artists. Similar themes of human females having sexual intercourse with sea life have been displayed since the 17th century in Japanese netsuke, small carved sculptures only a few inches in height and often extremely elaborate.

as mentioed, had a look at some of the more recent work, this I like

Thickskinned 2006 Graphite, masking tape, blue mannequin eyes, newspaper, steel, wire and acrylic medium 33" x 27" x 46"

not too sure about this

During my usual trails around the inderwed I happened across this artist. Took a closer look at what he was doing and on the surface looks like a great idea - mass art for the masses (update on Warhol I suppose). Then I went to the website to have a closer look at the work he actually produces.. to be honest the words that spring to mind are: quality? workmanship? I understand the concept, but I find the work produced is only worthy of the few quid he charges. Does it undermine the value of the work of others artists, who strive to produce work which shows integrity and a passion to create an artifact of personal value?

Roanoke College resident artist Steve Keene brings an assembly-line mentality to his work -- and passes the savings on to his customers.
New York artist Steve Keene, who has set up a studio in Olin Gallery at Roanoke College’s Olin Hall, creates dozens of paintings simultaneously, which he sells for $1 to $5. Keene says art should be available to everyone.
Keene has created album art, video sets, stage sets and posters for the likes of the Dave Matthews Band.
Steve Keene is painting at Roanoke College's Olin Gallery until Nov. 10, and since he arrived Oct. 26, he has painted more than 500 paintings.
Think real people can't afford real art?
People weren't just buying Keene's paintings. They were buying them by the fistful, by the armload. Broke young twentysomethings, college students, even a 6-year-old named Judah were snatching up paintings by the real, full-time professional New York artist (and sometimes dropping them, too). Other artists were buying Keene's paintings, as well. Artist Suzun Hughes of Roanoke had a stack of them in hand and was looking for more.
Why?
"It's fun," Hughes said.
It's also cheap. How cheap? Let's put it this way: If you're one of those people who hangs posters on walls instead of paintings because the posters only cost $10, it might be time to give Keene a try. His paintings cost $5. And those are the big ones.
The little ones are a buck.
"Anybody can have one," said Keene, resident artist at Roanoke College through Saturday. (His work will be on exhibit at Olin Gallery at the college for a week longer.)

How does he do it? Think Henry Ford, whose assembly lines brought automobile prices within reach of the common man. Keene is a one-man assembly line. He doesn't paint a picture a month, or a week or an hour. He paints 10 an hour, up to a hundred a day -- day after day.
"I really don't think of these as paintings," he explained, while taking a short break last week. "I think of it as a big sculpture that people are walking in. It's like Hansel and Gretel. You see a gingerbread house, and you take a piece of candy with you."

Fair enough. Walking into the gallery where Keene has set up shop is a little like stepping into a candy jar. Keene's paintings -- there are hundreds, maybe thousands -- are lined up on two long wooden racks that span the gallery. More paintings are propped against the walls. On opening night, adults and students and a few very small children circled Keene's wares at speeds ranging from contemplative to breakneck, sometimes pausing to pluck down paintings from the racks, as Motown music blared from loudspeakers overhead.
Meanwhile, between the racks, in a space marked off by yellow tape (the kind of tape you see at crime scenes that says, "Police line -- do not cross"), Keene worked. Keene paints on pieces of thin plyboard cut into rectangular shapes. On this night there were about 80 of them sitting side by side. Keene moved among them with his brush, making a slash here, a dab there, while half a dozen people sat outside the tape and watched.
Keene did not talk to them. Asked later what people were saying about his show, he said he didn't know.
"I don't interact," said Keene, who puts in 12-hour days painting. "I don't want to talk to people when I'm working."
200,000 sales and counting
Keene was educated at Virginia Commonwealth and Yale universities. Now a married father of two who lives in Brooklyn, he met gallery director Talia Logan when both were living in Charlottesville in the 1990s. Logan quickly became a fan. She estimates she has purchased more than 40 of Keene's paintings (an outlay for art that falls somewhere between the price of an iPod and a new pair of shoes). "They're addictive," Logan said.
According to Keene's Web site, his unusual approach to painting began to develop in the early '90s, when he was friends with many musicians and worked for a while as a disc jockey. Keene has created album art, video sets, stage sets and posters for the likes of the Dave Matthews Band, Soul Coughing and the Silver Jews. His painting borrows a lot from music, in fact, especially the improvisational kinds. Keene, who often literally moves into the gallery where his work is being shown and paints on site, considers his work performance art, and says people who buy his paintings (on the honor system -- there are payment boxes set up around the gallery) are "buying a slice of my time."
Keene has sold a lot of slices. He has done his art act in Philadelphia; Houston; Cologne, Germany; Los Angeles; Melbourne, Australia; London; and Florida, and estimates he has sold 200,000 paintings over the past 15 years.
What does he paint?
Anything and everything. Here are some of labels that appear on his pictures in hastily painted letters: "Hotel Roanoke," "Gertrude Stein," "Purple Rain," "Richmond," "Norfolk," "Virginia Beach," "Baseball," "October," "Rain in Salem" and "Sam's Club." There are pictures of the Beatles and Brooklyn and Athens and lots of flowers.
"Junk," Keene calls them, and "absolute nonsense." The point is to gather up objects, he said, in the spirit of Robert Rauschenberg -- who made art from dead animals and bathtubs, among other things -- and assemble them into a collage.
But one man's junk is another man's treasure. Or woman's. And whatever the reason, most of those buying up gobs of paintings at Keene's paintings at his reception were female.
"I just like his whole philosophy about art," said Julie Bivins, a Radford University graduate student whose husband works at Roanoke College. She had come to Olin Hall with friend Denise Valente, a respiratory therapist, and had a stack of dollar-priced "maybe's" in her hands. "I chose this one just for the colors in it. Our walls are kind of bare." Bivins was also eying one titled "Breakfast," with a dashed-off plate of bacon and eggs.
"I like the way a lot of them are funny," Valente said.
And Keene's prices? "Ridiculous and funny," Valente said.
Logan's take on Keene's art was a little different.
"It's absolutely inspiring," the gallery director said.

all day I dream about.. update IV

Spent a little time last night on the lettering on the painting - now third layer has been applied - being basically a cadmium red base it really contrasts well with the lime background - in fact it makes my eyes go funny (an effect I was hoping to achieve!)
will post image later today - light permitting
other work currently on the go - just three words series - applied second layer of blue, thinking about the background; maybe opt for a white with a hint of colour, or just zinc white, have to a have a think and play.

Busy weekend!

Despite thinking I could spend some time on current paintings it didn't happen. Friday night spent ten pin bowling- not that I have any skills in this activity especially when the bowling club has gone high tech and is influenced by a hip hop culture of neon, loud thumping music and attentions spans of 3 seconds! As you may of guessed, not what I remember of ten pin bowling!!

Saturday saw QPR in action and followed up in Angel (previous posts identify this as a good ol' boozer (in depth discussion on art, music, recent cultural events the importance of slippers and a good Sunday lunch - great recipe for sweet potato and swede dish). This later was followed by a Halloween party in Highgate - good fun and a nice chance meeting with Ram John Holder, who was a regular at the pub, had a brief chat and was a charming man. (for those who don't know - he played 'pork pie' in Desmonds;
1989 - 1994 Channel 4 Television 6 Series, 71 Episodes Writers: Trix Worrell.

Sunday - rugby training then later that evening watch a firework display!
Not an artistic moment!! Although, been writing and sketching more ideas for current work, hope to spend time tonight on adidas painting and just three words work - post later

Klimt Studio restored

VIENNA.

Gustav Klimt’s studio is to be restored and opened to visitors.Once a small country cottage surrounded by fruit trees, the house at 11 Feldmühlgasse was expanded several times after Klimt’s death.The plan now is to demolish 90% of the building, leaving only the original core which Klimt occupied from 1912 until his death in 1918.The studio lies seven kilometres west of the centre of Vienna, in Heitzing, in what was then countryside.Klimt was living in his mother’s apartment in Westbahnstrasse, in town, and renting a workspace offered a place where he could embrace a more Bohemian lifestyle.There was scandalous talk of what went on at the studio, with models wandering around in the nude.According to his artist friend Carl Moll, every day “several were at his beck and call”.Klimt was a notorious womaniser, and there were rumours that he eventually fathered up to 16 children.When Klimt rented the small house, which was built in around 1860, he installed a large window on the north side, enabling him to use the main room as his studio.He lavished great love on the garden, tending roses among the yew trees.Two of his original rose bushes still survive, and these are also immortalised in his 1912 painting Orchard with Roses.Following Klimt’s death in 1918, his friend Egon Schiele (who himself was to die later that year) made what was then regarded as a crazy suggestion.He wrote about the Feldmühlgasse studio: “Nothing should be removed—because everything connected with Klimt’s house is a gesamtkunstwerk [total work of art] which must not be destroyed.The unfinished pictures, brushes, easel and palette should not be touched, and the studio should be opened as a Klimt Museum for the few who enjoy and love art.” It is almost miraculous that Klimt’s studio has survived.The Austrian government has now agreed to save the studio, and is to hand the property over to the Belvedere (which still has the largest collection of Klimt paintings).It will be offered rent-free, together with a contribution of €2m ($2.9m) for the restoration.All post-1918 additions to the building will be demolished, and the original four-room bungalow restored as closely as possible to how it originally looked.What makes the reconstruction of Klimt’s studio such an important opportunity is the survival of the furniture, which had been made by Wiener Werkstätte designer Josef Hoffmann.This was created as an ensemble, and was designed for Klimt’s requirements, with a large wall cabinet for his books and equipment, and seats for talking with clients.Originally made for an earlier studio in Josefstädter Strasse, the furnishing were moved to Feldmühlgasse in 1912.Such was the influence of Hoffmann’s furniture on Klimt that he apparently used the black-and-white band design from it as a decorative element in the background of his Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.This important painting was among those restituted last year from the Belvedere and it was subsequently bought by Ronald Lauder for his Neue Galerie.Another collector is to lend Japanese prints and African sculptures originally owned by Klimt. This will house the artist’s archive, which is owned by the Belvedere.Although two thirds of Klimt’s garden has over the decades been lost to new apartments, it still remains a tranquil spot, and it will be brought back to its original form.Klimt’s visitors recall it full of bumblebees and songbirds.The hope is that Schiele’s dream about the Klimt studio being saved will finally be realised in 2009, almost a century later.