November 2017
By Donald Kolberg, Art Bookmarks Editor
Monthly link highlights to online resources and websites that seem informative and inspiring for artists or art enthusiasts. Most are free. Suggestions are welcomed.[gap]
Open Access at the Barnes
The art collection at Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation just got a little easier to see. While the foundation is best known for its collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work, they also have a fine collection of early Modern paintings, Old Masters, Native American fine crafts, and early American furniture and decorative art. Now more than half the collection is accessible, thanks to Open Access. Of those, there are high-resolution images of 1,429 works available for download in the public domain. Shelley Bernstein has put together a great article on Medium about the creation of this project.
Influential Artists Worth Seeing
Twenty-six of the art industries leaders have put together a list of who they believe are the most influential artists of the last one hundred years…wait for it…HA! I know most people will look at the list of A-list gallery owners, critics, and museum curators and say, wow, what a list! But, seriously, if you ignore the names and just appreciate the span of artists mentioned, you will probably find that most of them have always been in your thoughts. It’s getting closer to the end of the year and when these lists start popping up. Artnet.com presents this one. Did I mention it’s brought to you by Cartier?
Nine Famous Artists’ Studios You Can Visit
There are times when I sit back in my studio and look around, wondering if a studio makes a difference in creating art and what do famous artist studios look like? Well, here’s your chance to see some. From David Ireland’s row house in San Francisco’s Mission District to Magritte’s home at 135 Rue Esseghem in Brussels, these spaces help add to the mystic of the artists.
The Lost City of Heracleion…Found!
The Daily Berries has put together an array of photos that will leave you speechless. Grand statues of gods and goddesses standing well over fifteen feet tall and carved out of red granite, treasures of gold and rare stones, elaborate temples and enormous tablets. No, it’s not in the desert of Egypt. In fact, to get there you need diving gear. The lost city of Heracleion dates back to the sixth century B.C. So for nearly twelve-hundred years, these art treasures have been sitting untouched at the bottom of the bay of Aboukir. After you check out the article, watch some incredible videos of the dives here.
8 Things Every Creative Should Know
Adam J. Kurtz has put together an article that touches on so many important issues for artists, that I had to include it here. His book Things Are What You Make of Them: Life Advice for Creatives, he explains, “is about my ongoing journey…It’s not like I’m an expert telling you all the stuff I learned; it’s more like I’m figuring this out as I go.” The handwritten notes in each of the chapters are a delight to read. And while some may scoff at this as just another how-to, I found it refreshing and subtle. Check out the article and see what you think.
Five Must-See Artist Documentaries
And finally, I’m going to include here a list from “Canvas,” a blog by Saatchi Art, of what they consider to be top five must-see artist documentaries:
The Mystery of Picasso (Le mystère Picasso)
Using a specially designed transparent “canvas” to provide an unobstructed view, Picasso creates as the camera rolls. He begins with simple works that take shape after only a single brush stroke. He then progresses to more complex paintings, in which he repeatedly adds and removes elements, transforming the entire scene at will, until at last the work is complete.
“Tim’s Vermeer is a documentary directed by Teller of the duo Penn & Teller, two American magicians with a loyal following in both the States and abroad. In this film, Teller follows the investigation of inventor Tim Jenison as he explores the techniques of artist Johannes Vermeer, suggesting the artist may have used optical devices in order to create his prolific works.”
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present
This feature-length documentary film follows the artist as she prepares for what may be the most important moment of her life: a major retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. To be given a retrospective at one of the world’s premiere museums is, for any living artist, a most exhilarating milestone. For Marina, it is far more. It is the chance to finally silence the question she has been hearing over and over again for four decades: ‘But why is this art?’
“Director Zachary Heinzerling captures the inner workings of an artist couple: Ushio and Noriko Shinohara, both striving to make a living from their art. Ushio, the ‘boxer’ of the duo creates action paintings by wearing paint coated boxing gloves when creating his works, is keen on continuing his artist legacy, while Noriko, the ‘cutie,’ is at work creating an autobiographical series of drawings.”
“Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has built a reputation as both the most powerful artist in the world according to Art Review magazine, while simultaneously identified as the most dangerous man in China.” A documentary that chronicles artist and activist Ai Weiwei as he prepares for a series of exhibitions and gets into an increasing number of clashes with the Chinese government.
Remember that if you have a question or a site you would like posted here contact me at dkolberg@thewoventalepress.net
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