What’s Going On? – As big buck news makes the headlines, this may seem like small change, but it’s not. 47 years after marchers endured police attacks with clubs, dogs and gas, Sunday will see people repeat the march from Selma to Montgomery protesting new laws introduced severely restricting voting rights –again. And that’s not all. What’s Happening Brother? More for those interested http://www.theroot.com/blogs/civil-rights/activists-lawmakers-march-selma
KGB operative and Anna Wintour lookalike, Agent MZH, was recently spotted checking out the collection of late 21st century artifakes and artwork at the prestigious Long beach Community Center. International interest seems to be focussed on the pairing of photo-shop wizard George Mallis and multi-media maestro, John H Howard and their remarkable works. In this modest and serene setting, this current show will possibly herald Long Beaches emergence as a new cultural epicenter.
A farewell to Ronald Searle, English artist and satirist who died yesterday at 91 in his home in France. Owner of a famously acerbic and flowery line his drawings were always underscored with what seems to be, a British taste for dark humour. Surviving 5 years as a POW on the Burma Railway he determinedly produced some of the most haunting war imagery ever and later, held hostage by his creation, the Darger like “Girls of St. Trinians”, nuked them out of existence- almost. He went on for another 5 decades consistently making memorable work of influence and originality, one of my all time favourites, RIP Mr Searle.
Prompted by Randy Kennedy’s NY Times article on the the appropriation case against appropriation artist Richard Prince and its hilarious outcome, I thought I’d add to the ongoing discussion of what constitutes fair game as subject matter in the matter of art making. Titled “A Brief Exercise in Selective Defacement” I amassed a pile of pages from art magazine ads that I’d drawn on and described as “Another daring attempt to circumvent the often painful process originality sometimes demands by hitching a ride on the backs of others.” This seems a well established strategy for those of limited resources, low self esteem and/or are, delusional. The gallery got cold feet however and pulled the show and I was left with 30 cheap back plastic frames and the images I’ve put in this slide show below.
The appropriated music is by the terrific Hungarian Lajko Felix who coincidently almost shares the name with my terrific grandson, Felix Lazlo.
