Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I am a gadfly flapping around in the wind of public opinion or somewhat, so needed Kate Harding to remind me that Roman Polanski drug-raped a child and was then a fugitive from justice for thirty years, not a victim of cruel and unusual prejudice. She presents some especially inglorious highlights from the 'OMG!!1! Will no-one think of the poor persecuted rich artist who has been able to get on with his career in Europe' crowd. She points to Joan Shore at HuffPo who, in what I hope is a satirical piece, says that while she doesn't mind about the Swiss Banks holding on to all that looted Nazi gold what she can't stand is their police seizing a rapist. A surprising number of film directors and producers seem to share this view, including Henning Molfenter, who is quoted as saying "There is no way I'd go to Switzerland now. You can't watch films knowing Roman Polanski is sitting in a cell 5km away". Then there is Whoopi Goldberg, who doesn't think nonconsensual sex with a minor is rape. Bernard-Henri Lévy manages to sum up the issue in the pompous manner we all love the French for, We ask the Swiss courts to free him immediately and not to turn this ingenious filmmaker into a martyr of a politico-legal imbroglio that is unworthy of two democracies like Switzerland and the United States. Good sense, as well as honor, require it. Yep, it's dishonourable to pursue a felon for a crime they pleaded guilty to. Fortunately not everyone on HuffPo wants to give a pass to artists.
There's more from Kate Harding here.
If you like that sort of thing, there's a Facebook group here.
There's more from Kate Harding here.
If you like that sort of thing, there's a Facebook group here.
Labels: art, Europe, movies, rapists, United States
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Not Safe For Work, Not Safe For Sanity
Have you ever wanted to see portraits of a naked President Obama riding a unicorn while fighting with Stalin, the Russian Bear and Newt Gingrich (I think) while Gregory House and Ugly Betty look on? You have? Weirdo.
Labels: art, Barack Obama, strange
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wall, 'Seizure' by Roger Hiorns
Artangel are reopening Roger Hiorns 'Seizure' in Newington. It was originally open before Christmas so at least now as you queue for three hours to see it the weather will be warm and you can try for heatstroke instead of frostbite.
I must say I wasn't that impressed when I went to see it, not least because Hiorns copper sulphate solution budget ran out after doing what was probably the bedroom and the bathroom leaving the large main room and kitchen untouched, also that the rooms had been emptied of furniture before all this so visitors were looking at crystals growing on bare walls. Sure it's pretty and you have to admire the process but it was somewhat underwhelming and I doubt time has added much to the charm.
I must say I wasn't that impressed when I went to see it, not least because Hiorns copper sulphate solution budget ran out after doing what was probably the bedroom and the bathroom leaving the large main room and kitchen untouched, also that the rooms had been emptied of furniture before all this so visitors were looking at crystals growing on bare walls. Sure it's pretty and you have to admire the process but it was somewhat underwhelming and I doubt time has added much to the charm.
Labels: art, artists, Flickr, London
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Trinity Buoy Wharf Lighthouse
Aluna: The World's First Tidal Powered Moon Clock.
Come on, something this beautiful can not not be built.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
'Open Ended' Walkthrough- Richard Serra Exhibition, Gagosian Gallery London
'Open Ended' Walkthrough- Richard Serra Exhibition, Gagosian Gallery London
Originally uploaded by Loz Flowers
Labels: art, Flickr, sculpture
'TTI London'- Richard Serra Exhibition, Gagosian Gallery London
'Open Ended' Interior- Richard Serra Exhibition, Gagosian Gallery London
'Open Ended' Interior- Richard Serra Exhibition, Gagosian Gallery London
Originally uploaded by Loz Flowers
Labels: art, Flickr, sculpture
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, 'TH 2058', Turbine Hall Installation, Tate Modern
Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, 'TH 2058', Turbine Hall Installation, Tate Modern
Originally uploaded by Loz Flowers
What possibly marks Gonzalez-Foerster below the other artists is that at least they created their own work for it, rather than pinching the creations of other people. I really tried to look at this as applying the same process to art as one does to remixing music but Louise Bourgeois's Spider was already pretty big, and here in person recently too. It smacks of a desperation to fill the space, which 'Maman' and 'Flamingo' do, but Gonzalez-Foerster's own work doesn't begin to address the void it has to fill.
Labels: art, Flickr, London, Tate Modern/Britain
Sunday, September 28, 2008
This made me angry. "I'm a man trying on make-up, oh noes, I hope this doesn't make me lose my balls AND become an gay!"
This made me happy. Many of yesterday's lots were withdrawn after failing to reach their reserve. Collectors who recently paid six-figure sums for Banksy's subversive and cheeky stencilled works will also be nervously looking over their shoulders after experts claimed his poor showing yesterday meant the bottom had fallen out of his market... Other dealers were less forgiving. "He's just destroyed his own market," one said. "These works are cast iron Banksy. There is no doubt about it. Banksy's people object to Vermin and refuse to authenticate them themselves. Maybe he wanted to do it on purpose. But they are bad business people and very difficult and awkward to deal with."
I'm sure Banksy will be weeping at the prospect of it all being over.
This made me happy. Many of yesterday's lots were withdrawn after failing to reach their reserve. Collectors who recently paid six-figure sums for Banksy's subversive and cheeky stencilled works will also be nervously looking over their shoulders after experts claimed his poor showing yesterday meant the bottom had fallen out of his market... Other dealers were less forgiving. "He's just destroyed his own market," one said. "These works are cast iron Banksy. There is no doubt about it. Banksy's people object to Vermin and refuse to authenticate them themselves. Maybe he wanted to do it on purpose. But they are bad business people and very difficult and awkward to deal with."
I'm sure Banksy will be weeping at the prospect of it all being over.
Labels: art, artists, Banksy, masculinism, newspapers
Monday, August 18, 2008
Folkestone Triennial, 'Folk Stones' by Mark Wallinger
Folkestone Days
Friday, August 01, 2008
Martin Creed 'Work No 850' at Tate Britain
Martin Creed 'Work No 850' at Tate Britain
Monday, June 23, 2008
Banksy is So Mainstream
I was in the Tate Modern Shop the other day, buying a Scanner CD. At the till I noticed that someone has produced a walking guide, for those people who like to troll around Brighton and Shoreditch, looking for Banksy graffiti in it's natural habitat. As I was buying two elderly ladies came up behind me, they also noticed the Banksy guide. "Oh Banksy, I do like his work. I think he's wonderful, don't you?" said one O.A.P. to the other.
Labels: art, artists, humour, Tate Modern/Britain
Sunday, May 04, 2008
The Cans Festival 2008, Waterloo
The Cans Festival 2008, Waterloo
The Cans Festival 2008, Waterloo
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Kulchur 2
The Vanity Fair Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery is worth visiting although whoever laid out the room needs a good slapping, laying things out so as you enter the flow of the story encourages everyone to bottleneck into a narrow purpose-made corridor on the left? The NPG always gives the impression of being a large building that has been split in to too many small rooms and the staff always struggle to fit what they have in to the space. Vanity Fair Portraits should have been a bigger exhibition in a bigger room, from my limited number of visits I'm not sure the Gallery has that space.
Labels: art, London, National Portrait Gallery, photography
