ICYMI: PBS's NOVA on Brunelleschi's "Great Cathedrial Mystery"

On Wednesday night, PBS's program NOVA aired a program about how Filippo Brunelleschi created the dome for Florence's 600 year old Santa Maria del Fiore (aka the 'Duomo'). For years, engineers and historians have long debated how Brunelleschi and his workers could have possibly created the symmetrical and perfectly aligned dome that reaches over 40 stories tall all without the help of any protection from falling off the dome!
This program was amazing, showing how Brunelleschi's techniques were used and with an American team tries to replicate the dome (on a much smaller scale) using the information that they have gathered.

*facepalm* Artists names that you are probably pronouncing WRONG!

Believe it or not, there are proper ways to pronounce names in the art world... What sounds correct to us English speakers is not always the right way. The Huffington Post has created a little guide to helping us say some of the most famous artists names correct.

Believe it or not, I am not afraid to admit that I did mispronounce a few names (an Art History major knows when to admit defeat every now and then!) I think I need to brush up on my foreign language skills!

Aweful parents let their child climb on Judd sculpture...

A few days ago, a gallery owner from Brooklyn, NY was in London visiting the Tate Modern. One of the pieces on display is Donald Judd's minimalist sculpture 'Untitled'. A general rule to any museum visitor is to not touch any of the work on display. This couple apparently did not get that memo, and allowed their child to crawl on this multimillion dollar piece of artwork.

Holy crap. Horrible kids, horrible parents. @tate pic.twitter.com/6h1nuY6CfQ
— Stephanie Theodore (@TheodoreArt) January 26, 2014

When she told the parents of the child what he was doing, she said that she "told the woman [that] the kids were using a $10mm art work as a toy, she told me I knew nothing [about] kids. [Obviously] she doesn't either."

Pop Culture Friday: Carter Family Portrait Gallery

 
Every royal family in history has had their portraits painted by some of the worlds most famous and influential painters in history... So why should the Carter-Knowles family be any different?

Check out Carter Family Portrait Gallery... They have replicated great paintings using images of Jay Z, Beyonce and baby Blue Ivy. Friends Kanye West, Kim K and others make appearances too! The portraits are mostly of Renaissance, pre-Raphaelites, but there are some modern artists (like Van Gogh, Whistler, Cassatt, and Warhol).




My favorite is this one: A take on 'Luncheon on the Grass' by Édouard Manet.

I am glad that Bey has some sort of clothing on!

Del Paso Words on Walls project...

While driving back home from an interview in the Arden area, I decided to make a quick detour to check out some local artwork that is in the area. Every time I drive down Arden Way, I see this brick wall that has a mural painted on the side of the building. The murals are created in part with the City of Sacramento and the Del Paso Boulevard Partnership. These five (although, I have only seen 4 of them) huge site-specific pieces are scatted throughout Del Paso Blvd. Five local Sacramento poets created unique poems inspired by the Boulevard. The poems were then transformed into murals with the help of graphic designers.

The main objective of the 'Del Paso Words on Walls' project is to "provide poets with the opportunity to create temporary public art while helping to foster and reinforce the Del Paso Boulevard Partnership’s goal of becoming Sacramento’s premier design district."

Del Paso Boulevard Art Scene

"A painting sprouted legs on Del Paso. It popped in

to Mama Kim's for a bite to eat.“I like your scene,” the server said.

“Thanks!” said the painting: “River, light rail, sycamores, sun...”

Then the painting wanted to see the world. “Go ahead,” said the Boulevard:

“It's spring: All the stoplights have turned green!” 

So the painting caught light rail at Del Paso and Arden.

“Where to?” asked the driver. “Round trip,” the painting said."

Poem: Susan Kelly-DeWitt

Graphics: Benjamin Della Rosa 

In Scarcity, We Bare the Teeth

"In scarcity, we bare the teeth
selling them off one by one
appetites in search of the highest price
no longer able to smile at or chew
what it means to live the good life."

Poem: Tim Kahl

Graphics: William Leung

The Mud Dauber Wasp

"She speaks to me about the mud dauber wasp,
reciting all that she learned from Encyclopedia Britannica
1970, the way it flies across the patio,
moving bits of earth larger than one would
imagine. She watches it build a nest beneath the eaves,
a thing of beauty, shining in her eyes."

Poem: Danny Romero

Graphics: Laura Edmisten-Matranga

 

Boulevard, Del Paso

"You silver spark the sapphire-bouquet mind
You fire-forth weeds of stars from asphalt cracks
Opening art's tender heart, sparkling arks
See your bones rise those orange-iron, air paths"

Poem: Paco Marquez  

Graphics: Hans Bennewitz

Free Museum Day!

If you live in the greater Sacramento area, check out Free Museum Day taking place on February 1st 2014.

I am thinking of taking my niece and nephew to the California State ailroad Museum in Old Sacramento. I have not been there since I was a kid!

One tip of advice, if you decide to go, be prepared for the long lines. When you give free things away, there will always be tons of people around.

And the $143 million Francis Bacon myster buyer is...

So...

Remember that Francis Bacon triptych that sold for a record breaking $143 million in November? The identity of the buyer was not known at the time of the historic sale and many people (including myself) were curious to what kind of person would spend so much on a piece of art. Well, mystery solved!!!

The new owner is no other than Elaine Wynn, the ex-wife of multi-billion dollar Steve Wynn (the CEO and founder of the Wynn Las Vegas). Ms. Wynn has been known as a huge admirer of Bacon's artwork and has expressed interest in purchasing any of his triptychs if they ever became available at auction. While she has never really been considered to be a "high-profile" art collector, she is board member of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Mr. Wynn, on the other hand, has quite the collection of artwork from histories most celebrated artist.

Wynn's extensive collection includes: Dale Chihuly's "Fiori Di Como", Vincent Van Gogh's "Peasant Woman Against a Background of Wheat", J.M.W. Turner's "Giudecca, La Donna Della Salute and San Giorgio", Pablo Picasso's "Le Rêve", Edgar Degas' "Dancer Taking Her Bow", Johannes Vermeer's "Young Woman Seated at a Virginal" and other pieces by Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Jeff Koons and a vase from the Ming Dynasty.

Ms. Wynn has since lent the piece to the Portland Art Museum (it's in Oregon!), which will be on display until March 30.

ICYMI: Deborah Solomon on The Colbert Report...

ICYM: 

On yesterdays (January 14th, 2014) The Colbert Report... Art critic Deborah Solomon talks contemporary art and shares insights from her Norman Rockwell biography, "American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell." I think I will add this book to my wish list.

Wall Street Journal review
NYTimes Review (Dec.)
NYTimes Review (Oct.)