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Ars longa, roundup brevis

Post #956 • February 9, 2007, 6:40 PM • 17 Comments

I have been meaning for weeks to link to the recently established website of the Art Materials Information and Education Network, which is the product in part of the excellent efforts of Mark Gottsegen. This is the go-to source for cutting-edge information about materials and best practicies.

A public school in North Attleborough finds itself in possession of a work by Alexandre Iacovleff. (Supergirl)

Grandma's old painting sells for over $600,000. (Reddit)

Watch this guy look up "gaudi" and handle the images. (Reddit)

A dog's guide to the Olympic Sculpture Garden.

A consortium of South Florida visual arts organizations probably didn't mean to name its new audience-building program Join One, See The Mall, but URLs sometimes work out that way.

Department of Skills: All hands.

Department of Content and Sanity Management: I'm taking the upcoming week off. Tomorrow I'm doing a wood sculpture class at the DeCordova. Wednesday to Saturday I'm going to CAA, as previously dreaded mentioned. In between I'm going to draw a bit, read a bit, sit zazen a bit, and build a computer from parts. Really. Posting resumes Monday, February 19.

Comment

1.

Jack

February 9, 2007, 7:17 PM

Franklin, there is such a thing as too much techno-geekery. I'm sure you can spend that time better, like taking Supergirl out or something.

2.

Marc Country

February 9, 2007, 7:45 PM

If you think "JoinOneSeeThemAll" is bad, you should check these doozies out...

3.

Franklin

February 9, 2007, 8:05 PM

Taking Supergirl out is on the agenda of course. Particularly Wednesday. Can't let CAA interfere with Valentine's Day.

4.

wwc

February 12, 2007, 12:07 PM

I'll be haunting the Hilton myself on Friday for CAA. In for an interview, then out to cleanse my palate with either Ramirez or Steinberg. Email me if you're interested in escaping and good luck to us both...

5.

8675309

February 12, 2007, 6:35 PM

What does CAA stand for?

6.

Franklin

February 12, 2007, 7:20 PM

See last paragraph, 8.

7.

8675309

February 13, 2007, 1:34 AM

Have a great week off Franklin.

8.

insulas

February 13, 2007, 1:40 AM

Music has none to extremely little effect. Again, it is the eyes.

9.

JM

February 13, 2007, 6:06 AM

At Edge Zones Wynwood, Victor rocks ! He has more to come. He's a figurative guy with a punch and with "cobra grip".
Check out the "New Times"...

10.

catfish

February 13, 2007, 10:30 AM

I noticed that the Iacovleff was to be removed and taken to an auction house to be sold. But the written record of the donation states that the picture was to be enjoyed by students at the school. How are they to "appreciate" it if it is sold to who knows who?

This is, unfortunately, typical institutional behavior with respect to gifts. They break agreements, even when they are in writing. I have seen this "up close and personal" because I have worked with donors to secure gifts that were designated for a specific purpose, and then lived long enough to see the institution I work for break the agreements.

The story in the paper indicates that "school officials" have taken the position that the painting is "their property" and can be sold if they wish. The agreement with the donor is merely something they want to honor, but say they cannot.

The lesson here is to be careful before you donate anything to an institution. They are less trustworthy than even a computer.

11.

BPDMD

February 14, 2007, 9:53 AM

We will at some point snatch and make profit from all of your creativity.

12.

8675309

February 14, 2007, 7:33 PM

Catfish,

Your point is well taken. However, it seems like they're selling it for the right reasons.

1) Improvement of the community: a new library, school building, and state-of-the-art fire station.

2) They could not afford to guard or maintain the work.

For these reasons, especially that #1 would improve the lives of those children more than the donor ever thought and I'm sure he'd approve, I say sell it.

13.

BMD72

February 16, 2007, 12:24 PM

Do most painters, like Alexandre Iacovleff, when they paint something like "the Afghan", would they generally have the models pose while they painted? Or would they do rough sketches and paint the remainder from memory.

I always wonder how someone in the 1800s, early 1900s would paint such a vivid bar scene. Would he set up canvas and paints in the bar and work there or again do sketches and paint from memory?

I'm sure every artist had different methods, but any clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks.

14.

John

February 16, 2007, 5:22 PM

The lesson here is to be careful before you donate anything to an institution. They are less trustworthy than even a computer.

I guess the key is to make the non-sale of a donation a contractual obligation, if such a task can be legally done.

15.

selling: a guide to student preparation in the arts

February 17, 2007, 2:02 AM

It's about selling. For Dewy, art is about society, and society is about selling. There are people who make up lies to sell. If you make art you must try to sell. Meet someone that can sell. There are galleries that focus on selling. When you make something, make it to sell. If you don't sell, you are not an Artist. If you don't mean to sell when you make art, then don't make it. If you can't sell you won't make it. The galleries and Museums want to sell.Those that run them want to sell. Aesthetic knowledge is the abillity to sell. Esthetic knowledge is the mental capacity to know what it takes to sell. You must understand that in order to put reason over passion, logic over theory, survival over immagination, you must firstly think about how to sell. Decorate a home, a condo, a cottage, a lobby, a library; just be prepared to make something to sell. You get a cut, they get a cut, they get a cut from your cut of a cut. You can get more materials and then you can make more stuff so that you can sell. an they can profit from your material usage with the idea in mind that what you have ingaged in or attemped to create something thta was meant to sell. Art is easy, it is about who you know, and when you know people, then you can sell. If you sell, then you can meet more people who will sell your stuff to someone that can re-sell it to someone that has a better knack for selling.

16.

50's dogma

February 17, 2007, 7:22 AM

The (blank) hate the British and the art they make. The British artists' hate nobody but those that are haters.

I will mention knowone here because you know who you are and we wish for you no credit either.

17.

Franklin

February 17, 2007, 8:05 AM

Looks like we have some newish voices coming on in my hiatusing. Let's see:

BP, snatch my creativity all you like. It's no loss to me. If I can't use it better than you, I don't deserve it as much.

BM, art training used to entail extensive practice in figure drawing, anatomy, and costume to such an extent that one could paint complex figural compositions without too much (or in the case of someone like Rubens, no) reference.

John, a lot of these donations were contractually conditioned, but there's no one around to seek recourse for violating them.

Selling, in case anyone is wondering, is being facetious, or should be.

50's is one of those lame-ass comments that doesn't merit a reply. I will say, though, how much I've come to loathe the term "hater." It makes me think of someone whose experience of looking at art consists of copping wine at openings because he's too young to buy it legally.

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