blog.archive
blogging since 05/2000.

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A woman claiming to be a "performance artist" is under arrest for leaving fake bombs in five locations around London. One was discovered near a subway station that was the scene of an attempted bombing in July 2005. [4/27/2006]

Ready for underwear as art? "The Art of Underpinnings" exhibit features 36 bras decorated by Kentucky artists. It runs [4/24/2006]

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Four possible sites (including two on the Nat'l Mall) for the massive new National Museum of African American History have been proposed. A decision is expected by January. [12/14/2005]

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An art in hospitals debate is brewing. How much should these institutions spend on art? Where's the balance between patient well-being and frivolous spending. Are there any easy answers? [10/27/2005]

A new board game, inspired by the daring 2004 theft of Munch's 'The Scream', has hit the shelves. It's strangely educational. Why, then, is it causing such an uproar? Maybe it's the trivializing of the loss of a national treasure? [10/25/2005]

The National Galleries of Scotland has just unveiled its wackiest acquisition yet: a giant egg slicer. Purchased for £63,000. Next, they'll need a 6-foot-tall citrus juicer. [10/24/2005]

the EFF is spilling the beans on a 10-year-old secret Xerox printer code that tracks important information for the Secret Service. It's believed that other manufacturers use this code. Read the full story from EFF. [10/20/2005]

The GOP is once again taking aim on CPB and the NEA, this time with 'Operation Offset', a $102B budget cut to help cover disaster aid. Never mind the big, noisy, expensive, unnecessary war. [10/19/2005]

The Turner prize shortlist seems much less idiotic this year. No elephant dung, pickled livetock, or exploitation of the poor. Perhaps the British modern artist community is actually moving away from dreck? [10/17/2005]

The Smithsonian just got a fresh delivery of cheese from a Las Vegas-based foundation. The US$75M will go mostly to renovation and exhibitions at the 382,000-square-foot Old Patent Office Building, currently over budget at US$250M. [10/14/2005]

Why does every interview with Kurt Vonnegut seem so beautifully disjointed and brilliant? This discussion claims there's an optimist inside the author, but offers no real evidence. [10/12/2005]

The Google Juggernaut rolls on, this time into (ick) television. The plan is to create a multimedia search engine for Internet-only video. The beta is already up. [10/05/2005]

Finally! The CBC Lockout is over. In the US, possibly only NPR listeners knew of the problems, and most of us don't even know what caused it. In any case, we should be back to our nightly dosage of smarmy Canadian radio. [10/04/2005]

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Police in Norway have detained a suspect in the 2004 theft from Oslo's Munch's painting, in which 'The Scream' was taken. Six others have been charged with involvement in the theft, but none has gone to trial. [9/29/2005]

A Washington artist with subject herself to hours of pain, (inklessly) tattooing over 400 names into her skin to make a statement about hate crimes. [9/06/2005]

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Author Chris Cleave is in an odd position. His first novel "Incendiary" about a terrorist attack in the London subway was set for release on July 7. Sometimes truth should not imitate fiction. [7/12/2005]

Finally! Hollywood has decided to cash in on the Sept. 11th attacks. Paramount has announced that Oliver Stone will direct the trainwreck. There are rumours of other big-budget flicks by other major studios, too. [7/11/2005]

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Oslo's Munch Museum reopened on 6/19 as part museum, part fortress. There are now metal detectors, an x-ray machine at the entrance, and cameras and glass casings around the art works. The two stolen paintings are still missing. [6/20/2005]

26 years after his last blockbuster tour, King Tut (after the late JPII, possibly the world's second most famous corpse) returns, this time with family, and a little bit of controversy. [6/15/2005]

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is about to be starved to death by the GOP. A House subcommittee voted on June 9 to cut CPB's budget by 25% and eliminate within two years all federal money. [6/10/2005]

(I didn't know it was gone, but) Calder's enormous untitled mobile has returned to the ceiling of the National Gallery of Art's East Building. It was taken down in April 2004 for restoration. [6/08/2005]

Whoa! Art can now boldly go where no one has gone before. The managers of the International Space Station are doing a six-month study of practical proposals for art on the 250-mile-high ISS. [6/07/2005]

The Corcoran's president resigned last week. At the same time, its board of trustees has suspended the museum's efforts to build a new wing designed by architecture terrorist Frank Gehry. Should I be celebrating? [6/03/2005]

Art News Online has released a list of the 10 most faked artists. I'm shocked to see Dali on this list, and to see also that the majority are 20th century artists. [6/03/2005]

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Brilliantly cynical musician, poet, and writer Leonard Cohen may be nominated for a Nobel Prize for Literature if CBC Radio's Paul Kennedy has his way. The notoriously secretive Swedish Academy may have other ideas, though. [4/21/2005]

TV-Turnoff Week looms again. April 25-May 1, 2005. According to this press release, more families are limiting their children’s time with television. Nice! [4/18/2005]

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Here's a pair of San Fran Chronicle articles on the relationship of vandalism and art, including the motivations of vandals, ideas on art, and the concept of "public space". [3/14/2005]

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New York Observer critic Hilton Kramer has attacked the Christo Gates as a blight on art. Can we all agree that it's spectacle and just go see it anyway? Can we also agree that all critics are petulant children begging for attention? (My Gates photos are here, btw.) [2/24/2005]

"Indecency" fines for US broadcasters could soar to a maximum of $500K under a bill currently facing Congress. Individual performers could also face a fine. [2/12/2005]

Radio in Washington DC is now officially in a state of upheaval as WETA switches from classical to talk. This on the heels of WHFS' move from lackluster rock to Spanish. [2/12/2005]

'The Gates', the latest Christo and Jeanne-Claude Art Spectacle, is set to launch in NYC's Central Park on February 19th. It runs to the 28th. [2/11/2005]

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Beatrix Potter's 1902 children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit has been translated into hieroglyphics by a duo of Egyptophiles (is that a word?) at the British Museum. [1/14/2005]

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Chris Savido's portrait "Bush Monkeys," has turned the obscure young painter into a local First Amendment cause and gained him notoriety. There's also a legal battle brewing. [12/21/2004]

MoMa has reopened, and is now charging a whopping $20 for admission, making it the most expensive major art museum in the US. Ouch. Here's an NYTimes article on pricey museums, and exactly what you're paying for. [12/12/2004]

As blogs become more common, so are the instances of people being fired for blogging. Are companies being overly sensitive, or are employees taking too many liberties? [12/10/2004]

Kantor, Canada's infamous body fluids performance artist, has struck again. This time he's in Berlin, and has attacked a statue of Michael Jackson and his monkey. ew. [12/07/2004]

According to a recent study, musicians and recording artists are divided re: the value of Inet file sharing, with 37 percent saying P2P should be legal. [12/06/2004]

Tavis Smiley has decided to leave NPR, citing it's inability to connect with a broader range of listeners. NPR is searching for a new host. [12/05/2004]

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Well, once again, Buy Nothing Day approaches. Adbusters aims to make November 26th a national day of rest for consumers, but will we ever be ready to let go of our shopping carts? [11/18/2004]

An ornery Washington Post staff writer has panned Artomatic. Bitterly. His point seems to be that true artists are invited by the critic's community, and not self-made people. [11/17/2004]

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Edvard Munch's "The Scream," one of the most familiar images in Western art, has been stolen in a daring armed heist. Munch's "Madonna" was also taken from the Oslo museum as onlookers watched in shock. [8/22/2004]

UK Guerilla Artist Charles Banks is at it again. This time, he's covertly cemented a 20-foot satirical statue into a central London square. [8/05/2004]

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Chinese author Qian Fuchang is writing a novel that he will transmit exclusively to mobile phone users. 'Outside the Fortress Besieged' will be texted as 60 chapters of 70 characters each. [7/13/2004]

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Picasso's very flowery painting, "Garcon a la Pipe" has become the most expensive piece of art ever sold. It went under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York for $104m (£58m). [5/06/2004]

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According to Adbusters, April 19-25 is TV Turnoff week. Hm. It's been nearly two years since I stopped watching TV, so what should I do in honour of the week? [4/18/2004]

UK grafitti artist Robert Banks has managed to sneak a costumed dead rat into the Natural History Museum. The museum's staff is more chagrined than upset, and no charges have been filed. [4/08/2004]

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The RIAA, in a new attempt to criminalize P2P, is pushing to portray the networks as dens of terrorists, child pornographers and criminals. When will music buyers get the hint that they support an industry that hates them? [3/31/2004]

A New York-based artist has been awarded $72,000 and a British art prize for a work made from dust collected from the streets of Manhattan after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Dunno how I feel about this. [3/29/2004]

A Seattle artist has created a new dimension in found art. He bought 270 lbs. of seized personal items from six California airports and is turning it all into art. [3/29/2004]

[Washington DC] The 38^th Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival takes place this Saturday 3/27 from 10am - 4pm. It should be better than last year. (UPDATE 3/29: photos are here.) [3/23/2004]

Thieves with bad taste have struck the Elvis-A-Rama (wtf!!) Museum in Las Vegas (figures) and, in less than five minutes, made off with over US$300K worth of tacky crap. Wow. [3/18/2004]

[Washington DC] The Smithsonian has chosen British architect Norman Foster to design a cover for the old Patent Office Building's courtyard. The building is currently home to the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. At least they didn't use Frank Gehry. [3/16/2004]

The Hubble Space Telescope's staff are rightfully playing the PR game, releasing photos from the Ultra Deep Field. Hopefully this will help in their battle against the 2006 phase-out. [3/10/2004]

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An Oscar voter was expelled recently for movie piracy. His accomplice, an Illinois man, has been charged with two counts of violating copyright laws. [2/05/2004]

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Acclaimed photographer Helmut Newton, 81, was killed today in a single-car accident in Hollywood, CA. [1/23/2004]

The insanity of the music industry apparently has no limits. A Silicon Valley Entrepreneur, sick of crappy contemporary music, has commissioned music to her tastes. Can't we just dismantle the industry instead? [1/19/2004]

An Oscar voter is currently under investigation after his review copy of an insipid romantic comedy surfaced on Internet P2P systems. [1/15/2004]

According to this article in the Telegraph, 50-90 percent of the world's (est.) 6,000 languages will cease to exist in the next century. Is it caused by the westernization of the world? [1/12/2004]

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A group of Italian engineers are patting themselves on the back after successfully saving the niches that once held the Bamiyan Buddha statues. Too bad the statues weren't saved from destruction by the Taliban. [12/12/2003]

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The five major music labels may soon become three if the Sony-BMG and EMI-Warner mergers are not blocked by the European Union. I say go for it; music can't possibly get any worse than it is now.. [11/19/2003]

Critics are already offering their opinions on NPR'S current financial windfall. Ah, to be paid for my own useless opinions. [11/11/2003]

Here's an interesting article in The Guardian about art vandals. As expected, the (useless) Turner Prize is featured. These hacks should spend their time defacing each other's work, IMO. [11/07/2003]

Whoa! My beloved NPR just announced the largest donation in its history. A whopping US$200M was donated by a late McDonald's heiress. [11/06/2003]

Let the debate begin. Digital download sales have outpaced physical singles by 5-to-1. Are you listening, music industry? Probably not. [11/03/2003]

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Yawn. This year, the Turner Prize organizers have decided to display a 'health warning' outside the gallery doors in the latest, most pitiful attempt to manufacture shock and controversy. [10/29/2003]

A Winnipeg artist is at the center of controversy over a C$5,000 grant to create jewelry made from mouse droppings, toenail clippings, and various other ..um ..materials. [10/14/2003]

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For those of you who like blockbuster gallery shows in the fall, this may be a sad season, indeed. Many of the big galleries are staging small shows with few big names. A sign of cutting budgets, maybe. [9/08/2003]

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Here's an interesting article on frames good bad and ugly. It's not all ornate gilt, contrary to what many collectors and curators would have us believe. [8/12/2003]

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When can franchising one's art be considered a legitimate artist's method? Here's an article on Blue Man Group, currently more corporate than creative. Draw your own conclusions. [7/14/2003]

Ta-Nehisi Coates of The Village Voice seems to think that the National African American Museum may have a slight chance of being built under the current US administration. One look at the still unbroken ground of the MLK statue should quell that optimism. [7/10/2003]

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The Vatican has decided to put the Sistine Chapel paintings online, including the recently restored ceiling. Very nice. Now if only they can expose their rampant pedophilia to the same level of scrutiny. [6/25/2003]

Apparently there's a big tiff regarding Italy's cultural icon. A leading restorer has quit her job in a spat with other experts over how to clean Michelangelo's David. Hey, he's got those enormous hands, let him clean himself. :> [6/09/2003]

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Not sure if I agree with this, but a study in the journal Neurology suggests that some types of dementia may release new areas of creativity. I think that correlation is a bit too direct and specious. [5/27/2003]

An auction of a manuscript of Beethoven's 9th symphony fetched £2.1m, a bit shy of the expected £3m, but still breaking records. The winner was an undisclosed telephone bidder. [5/22/2003]

Columnist Stanley Crouch has been pinkslipped from JazzTimes magazine. Editors cite bigotry against white, middle-class musicians. Somehow, I don't think he'll be out of work very long.. [5/14/2003]

Wow. The US' Patriot Act is facing an unforeseen uphill battle from local libraries and bookstores. Apparently, over 100 local jurisdictions have passed resolutions against it. [5/13/2003]

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Washington DC's Kennedy center has been approved for a ten-year beautification project. International architect Rafael Viñoly's concept was approved over more than two dozen others. [1/24/2003]

Here's an interesting story in the L.A. times about corporate threats and how they negatively affect creativity. Maybe so, but what about the artists out there who rely on negative publicity to promote their works. This must be a boom season for them, neh? [1/09/2003]

Finally! Witness the birth of the opera hooligan! Patrons of Vienna's State Opera are resorting to violence over mobile phones, tall hairdos, and stolen seats. Rock 'em, sock 'em! [1/08/2003]

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Washington DC's urban growth has put two of its best-known murals in jeopardy. Two works by artist G.Byron Peck must somehow be moved to make way for apartment buildings. [12/12/2002]

A Danish anti-piracy group has resorted to strong-arm techniques in curbing P2P file-sharing network use. They've actually started billing users for downloaded warez. Amazingly, people are actually paying up! Now I wonder if that money actually does make it back to the copyright holders.. [12/11/2002]

Yikes. Eighteen of the world's leading museums have joined forces to declare that they will not hand back ancient artefacts to their countries of origin. Greed is now officially indistinguishable from Nobility. [12/10/2002]

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This season, CD sales are in the toilet. What great marketing plan do the giant labels have to pull sales back up? They'll do what they always have, unfortunately. They'll release bigger, more bland albums by the biggest stars in their stables. Yeah. That oughtta work. [11/07/2002]

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The British government has spent 22,300 pounds for a can of shit for the prestigious Tate Gallery. They're not the only ones, either; New York's MoMA and the Pompidou Museum in Paris have also ponied up. The idiocy of institutional art buyers, apparently, knows no limits. [10/08/2002]

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The Washington Post's Stanley Crouch recently leveled an attack on American literature. "Behind the realities"? Maybe so, but it's up to the reader, not the book clubs and certainly not the bookstores, to decides what's worth the time. Small presses are good, too.. [9/30/2002]

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The niches that once housed the Bamian Buddhas are imperiled by the elements. Expensive restoration efforts are to begin shortly. One wonders why the niches are so important to protect, since the world failed to save the statues they once held... [8/26/2002]

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Wow. The Bush II administration has approved a whopping $120 million for the NEA's FY2003! This Washington Post article describes how the endowments saved their bacon by supporting institutions instead of sketchy artists. [7/29/2002]

Forbes magazine has released its nominees for the world's ugliest buildings. One of Washington DC's resident eyesores (the Canadian Embassy) makes the list. The main question is clear, though: what does Forbes know of architecture? [7/23/2002]

Critics are finding themselves uninspired by the six alternative plans for rebuilding the World Trade Center. Many blame the rush to regain the 12 million square feet of office space that was lost in the September 11th attack. [7/18/2002]

An increase in tourism is placing the Great Wall of China in peril. Graffiti and rubbish are making an aesthetic impact while peddlers and squatters are disfiguring entire sections of mankind's greatest structure. [7/18/2002]

An 18-year-old battle for Hitler's paintings rages on. Here's an article that chronicles the madman's artistic legacy and described the paintings, undoubtedly destined (IMO) for a place of honour in the halls of some US nazi stronghold. [7/15/2002]

Moscow police are investigating a writer on pornography charges over a 1999 novel that includes a scene of sexual contact between former Soviet leaders Stalin and Khrushchev [7/12/2002]

Here's an article on corporate art sponsorship, an area that has attracted more than its share of booze makers. Artists are being invited to sell out just a little bit for increased exposure. Do they get free Absolut? [7/10/2002]

The Washington Post Entertainment guide now has a listing of all the party animals sidewalk statues. I live near #181. [7/09/2002]

Sigh. It's a slow news day. Here's a UK article discussing a modern opera based on the Jerry Springer Show. 15 minutes gets you pretty far nowadays, huh? [7/09/2002]

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I thought I was the only one who noticed. The Guardian has an article on World Cup teams and their celebratory dances. Amusing. Of course, we'll see who dances last. [6/27/2002]

The P2P war just got hot. According to Californian Congress representative Howard Berman: "Copyright owners could employ a variety of technological tools to prevent the illegal distribution of copyrighted works over a P2P network - tools such as interdiction, decoys, redirection, file-blocking, and spoofs." [6/26/2002]

Looks like terrorists don't like art, either. "An Islamist terror group linked to al-Qaida is suspected of plotting to blow up Bologna's most important church to erase the offence of a 15th-century Gothic fresco showing Mohammed being tormented by devils in hell." [6/25/2002]

Washington DC's International Spy Museum, set to open next month, will display documents and artifacts related to espionage. Its keystone piece will be an order from Gen. George Washington in 1777 to setup a spy network in the newly-formed United States of America. [6/24/2002]

Well, It appears that RIAA-CARP have managed to successfully shake down web radio. Even with the proposed fees cut in half, many webcasters have already shut down, including my favorite: SomaFM. You can't fight the status quo. [6/21/2002]

Vandals are finding new and creative ways to damage Washington DC's ill-advised "party animals" public art pieces. A sculpture triage has been created to get them back on the street. No thefts so far. [6/20/2002]

The Anchorage, one of New York's most unique art spaces, will not be open for its 20th season; concerns of terrorism have necessitated its close. Artists and patrons wonder if it will ever open again. [6/19/2002]

Well, it's about time. Menasha, Wisconsin, a.k.a. Spamtown has opened a Spam museum to honour the world most beloved and feared meat-like substance. There's tons of Spam art on display, too. [6/18/2002]

Not sure what this article is trying to say, but, here's a piece on drawing and its place in several arts movements. Remember drawing? It's the one form of visual art that people are unwilling to buy.. [6/13/2002]

Here's an editorial on digital video's impact at Cannes and an opinion on its projected impact on the film industry. I'm not sure I agree with the idea that DV will kill art; popular cinema has already done that.. [6/07/2002]

Another for the 'yeah, but is it art?' file: A New York artist is putting her MFA to good use making apple pies in a tiny one-room outdoor installation in Brooklyn. This artificial Americana performance/installation is paid for by a private, non-profit art fund. [6/06/2002]

According to this article, worldwide collector enthusiasm for sculpture is on the rise with record prices being set. The Sydney Morning Herald article also reported that Australia is just a bit behind on that trend. [6/05/2002]

The largest collection of antiquities Egypt has ever sent to the United States will go on display at Washington DC's National Gallery of Art on June 30. This show (expected to be much bigger than the 1976 Tutankhamen exhibit) will tour the US for five years. [6/04/2002]

This article in Wired describes "lowercase sound", a new(ish) form of electronic music that emphasizes very minute sounds and long silences. [6/03/2002]

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The short list is in for UK's Turner Prize. As usual, talent takes a backseat to controversy in this laughable parade of artistic dross. The next stop for many of these "artists" is, sadly, NYC. [5/31/2002]

A space (vacant since the Sept. 11 attacks) in NYC's World Financial Center will be converted to artist studios under a program designed to draw tenants and visitors back to the battered complex. [5/30/2002]

Apparently, many artists are still willing to take seriously the concept of suffering for one's art. I must ask: what's aesthetic about nailing oneself to a cross? [5/29/2002]

A group of researchers in Switzerland have digitally reconstructed the Buddhas of Bamian. This step is apparently the first in a plan to eventually rebuild the real sculptures. [5/22/2002]

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will feature an exhibit of objects found at the NYC and Pentagon ground zero sites. The exhibit will take place on the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. [5/21/2002]

This time, the WTO is being attacked from a previously quiet front. A Canadian activist condemns free trade agreements for their alleged role in compromising cultural values in the blind pursuit of economic gains. [5/20/2002]

I'm sure everyone's heard this by now. Artist Richard Ankrom manufactured and installed a helpful highway sign on the LA Freeway. Nice. Officials, surprisingly, have declined to press charges. [5/10/2002]

The Post has run a report on the Smithsonian's attempt to clean up the "crowded-attic" feel of Washington DC's National Museum of American History. My suggestion? Get rid of that smelly cafeteria. [5/09/2002]

Interesting. Iraq has asked the British museum to help in a campaign to revive the Ashurbanipal Library, the world's oldest known museum. [5/06/2002]

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Many Internet radio stations will go silent Wednesday to protest the proposed RIAA-CARP retroactive royalty payments for web broadcasts. [4/30/2002]

The mayor of a Sicilian town plans to create a resin version of Mount Rushmore featuring Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, and Padre Pio. The idea has already ignited controversy. [4/29/2002]

The Observer has run a vivid and detailed article on more than 400 recently discovered Buddhist statues dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries. [4/22/2002]

Two Australian scientists believe they've invented a "thinking cap" that uses Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to temporarily shut down one of the hemispheres of the brain. Sounds dangerous.. sign me up. [4/18/2002]

Art again becomes a slave to politics in Washington DC as an arts project plans to place 200 plastic donkeys and elephants across the city. The plan has already fueled controversy and legal action. Expect it to get worse. [4/11/2002]

The L.A. Times arts section chronicles the eternal art vs. architecture battle. Should we care about grandiose museum designs and the impact of the art therein, or just shut up and be thankful that art survives at all? [4/05/2002]

Let the debate begin. Salon has a very informative point-counterpoint on the RIAA-CARP proposed handling of the loot they intend to get from webradio broadcasters. The world, apparently, is not enough. [4/04/2002]

Finally! IEEE Spectrum has run an article on microchip graffiti, an art form rapidly dying as computers replace humans in the chip design process. If it does someday make a comeback, how would we know? [4/02/2002]

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A New York artist has created an exhibit of human caviar using her own eggs. The display, which features 13 eggs (shouldn't that be twelve?) is at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art. [3/29/2002]

Once again, the RIAA wants to shake down music consumers. This time, launching an attack against webcasting, and suggesting huge, retroactive royalty payments that will bankrupt most webcasters. Fortunately, many are willing to take a stand against rampant greed. Let's join them, huh? [3/28/2002]

[Washington, D.C.] The reception of Louis Nevaer's "Missing" exhibit offers yet another lesson about bad ideas and unreceptive audiences. We artists should learn when to be cannibals, and when to find other artistic outlets. [3/25/2002]

[NYC] 'Mirroring Evil', an exhibition of Holocaust-related art, is being attacked by critics and survivors alike. The show features such demeaning artistic dross as a Warholesque wallpaper of Hitler and a Lego concentration camp. [3/15/2002]

[Wellington] A New Zealand website is broadcasting the entire 4-million-line Linux kernel, much to the annoyance and puzzlement of a great majority of Linux geeks. Do we really expect computer people to understand performance art? [3/07/2002]

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[Bamian] The LA Times now has a chilling account of the Taliban's monumental effort last year to destroy the massive stone Buddhas and the wills of the nearby Hazara villagers. [2/25/2002]

A Viennese architect firm has developed the ultimate bachelor pad using a series of revolving sections. If the earth ever gets truly overpopulated, living in these hamster bins may not be a novelty, but a necessity. [2/20/2002]

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[London] West End residents are complaining about the 'noise' generated by the hit musical 'Umoja'. Neighbors are losing sleep, patrons are getting nervous, and lawyers are circling. [1/31/2002]

[Napa] A California artist is suing New York's Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, claiming that its president made libelous statements about his exhibit. Should artists who rely on controversy really be allowed to be thin-skinned in the face of negative criticism? [1/28/2002]

Well, it seems that the World Trade Center firefighters memorial statue will probably not be altered. The politicos have apparently realized that they need to do something real to affect the ethnic diversity of FDNY. [1/18/2002]

Opinion is sharply divided as two of the three depicted men on the World Trade Center firefighters memorial statue were altered. Further proof of what occurs when politics invade art. [1/14/2002]

[Kabul] An Afghan physician and art lover apparently saved over a hundred paintings from destruction by the Taliban regime. He managed to conceal the real images (deemed off-limits) by painting over them in watercolours. [1/14/2002]

[UK] Lucian Freud's realistic and unflattering portrait of the Queen has critics up in arms. One reviewer mentioned that "Britain's greatest living painter" should be locked up in the Tower of London. They don't still use the Tower, do they? [1/04/2002]

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Yikes! Mad critic alert!! This oh-so-jaded(tm) editorial from the Telegraph's Norman Lebrecht basically blasts artists' online journals as banal and repetitive. Sadly, I agree - which is why my personal journal will remain forever offline. I wonder what Mr. Lebrecht thinks of blogs.. [12/28/2001]

[NYC] The December 18 fire at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine has damaged two priceless tapestries, which have hung in the building since the 1800s. Six other related tapestries, which were being restored at the time of the fire, avoided damage. [12/20/2001]

Still the world's favourite architectural blunder, the Leaning Tower of Piza reopened after 12 years. An extensive restoration project was performed to stop the building from collapsing while preserving its trademark lean. [12/18/2001]

[NYC] Here's an interesting (but very non-scientific) article about the time spent looking at art in a museum vs. time spent reading the accompanying text. I'm not sure I agree that people may be intimidated by art. They may just prefer to read about it. [12/12/2001]

[Washington DC] The Smithsonian faces massive budget cuts for FY2002. Ramifications include delays or cancellations of three planned building renovations. [12/07/2001]

[Berlin] A new German law applies a statute of limitations of 30 years on property claims. This includes art stolen by the Nazis. The German museums association issued a press release deploring the new law. [12/05/2001]

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Sigh. Well, once again, Buy Nothing Day is upon us. With the current wave of "patriotic consumerism", will the culture jammers heed the call? [11/19/2001]

[Colorado, USA] Yet another reason we need a separation of Art and State. A Colorado man was arrested for pilfering a work of art he found offensive. This bit of controversial , ..um.. art(?), btw, was on display on Government property. When will we learn? [11/15/2001]

[NYC] The world is quite aware of the lives affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but this editorial tells us about another part of life in New York that was altered. An estimated US$100M in art was destroyed.. as significant and essential a part of the US economy as anything else. [11/15/2001]

Digital art still has an uphill battle for credibility, but this article (complete with script errors) helps point out the different types of computerized art forms, as well as its progress into the hearts and minds of society. [11/14/2001]

Jakob Nielsen, the so-called 'Jerry Falwell of the WWW', opens fire on popunders and other web evils in this article on Internet Magazine. [11/08/2001]

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[Washington DC] A group of researchers have analyzed the works of 18 well-known poets in order to chart the words used most often by suicidal poets. I'd love to compare the full results to the tons of poetry I've written. [7/27/2001]

This interesting three-page article covers an interesting problem I've encountered: how do galleries display virtual art in the physical world? [7/12/2001]

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[California] A technological think-tank has come up with a method of identifying the genetics of music! So far, they have tagged over four hundred pieces of music DNA. Maybe we can use this system to get those talentless corporate candypop performers out of the audio gene pool. [6/18/2001]

[London] According to this very sleepy report, the worldwide boom of museums in the past decade is unsustainable and many museums will soon be forced to scale back or go bust. [6/18/2001]

[Africa] After being plundered for centuries, Africa is apparently being robbed of its greatest treasure: its cultural heritage. Europe's newfound appreciation for the continent's art has fueled a new dimension of art looting. [6/16/2001]

[DC] Hmm. PGP is ten years old this month. I find myself asking (after years of having my computer picked apart by cookies, spyware, and the like) if there's anything worth protecting anymore? [6/15/2001]

[Netherlands] A Dutch architect has designed a lunar hotel that exploits the unique conditions and building material of the Moon. [6/07/2001]

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[Island Bay] Yess! This one's a bit late, but.. An ingenious New Zealander has reprised da Vinci's malleable Mona Lisa in toast! I'll have mine with cream cheese. [5/24/2001]

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[Rome] Proof that a good pair can never go out of style: Ghirlandaio's reclining Venus is naked again after nearly 200 years. Solvents were used to remove the love goddess' dress, which was added in the early 1800s. [4/03/2001]

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[USA] According to the Village Voice, the US culture wars are ten years old. Writer Michael Bérubé chronicles the ebbing of the left, and its failed defense of multiculturalism. [3/29/2001]

[UK] The BBC recently commissioned a forensic reconstruction of Jesus Christ's face based on his location, time period, and personal artifacts. The finished product looks, well, believable.. [3/28/2001]

[Hollywood] Coppola will re-release his masterpiece, 'Apocalypse Now' to theaters this spring, with Fifty-three minutes of additional footage. The French Plantation scene has been added again, too. [3/26/2001]

[Frankfurt] A sauna patron was caught (but not arrested) yesterday for concealing a tiny camera in a bottle of shower gel. The man claimed to be taking the photos for 'artistic reasons'. Apparently, there's a decent market for German sauna porn.. [3/23/2001]

[USA] Proof that movie studios are getting sleazier. Here's an L.A. Times report on the use of phony fan sites to generate buzz. (Bonus: article contains a quote from Esther Dyson, my fave person on the WWW). [3/22/2001]

[Afghanistan] The world got its first look at a newly reopened Kabul Museum, today. Of course, all artifacts deemed offensive by the Taliban (and presumed destroyed) were nowhere to be seen. [3/22/2001]

[NYC] Officials at the Guggenheim have begun a study into ways of preserving digital art. The concern is that once the medium becomes obsolete, so does the actual work. Hm. I wonder if they can help me transfer my copy of Starflight2 from 5.25" disk to CD.. [3/22/2001]

[Washington DC] Even though W has not altered the N.E.A. yearly funding of $105 million, many boosters are fearful and skeptical that the money may disappear. They're probably right, considering the scheduled congressional hearings on that subject. [3/21/2001]

[World] The Taleban faces disdain, protest and vilification for the destruction of Afghanistan's Buddha statues. Could this act of intolerance help religious groups to become more tolerant of each other? [3/19/2001]

[USA] Disheartened by the unfulfilled promise of personal gain, the non-Inet types are lashing out at us dot-commies. Let's all bend over and take our licks for not making everyone rich. [3/19/2001]

[Washington, DC] Remember the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington that I mentioned earlier? Well, a US$30 million donation from a Las Vegas foundation has guaranteed its future with the Smithsonian. For a burst of irony, they should pay for it with 30 million one dollar bills. [3/14/2001]

[UK] In a textbook case of extreme behaviour, an English artist has recently spent two weeks dismantling and shredding everything he owns, except for his cat and the clothes on his back. [3/12/2001]

[Sacramento, CA] I've said it before, but it bears repeating—friends don't let friends buy art over the WWW. A trio of Ebay auctioneers have been charged with fraud and money laundering for faking a painting, then shill bidding its online price. [3/09/2001]

[Washington, DC] A new museum, one honoring the history of Washington DC, is planned for 2003. So far, more than $11 million has been raised to renovate the future site—the Carnegie Library building. [3/08/2001]

[Vancouver] Napster's demise signals the end of distributed file-sharing? Guess again. A student/entrepreneur at the University of Waterloo plans to clone the service and move it offshore, thus avoiding the fate of its parent. [3/07/2001]

[Paris] Picasso die-hards will enjoy this rarely-seen side of the prolific artist: Erotic sketches and paintings. “Picasso Erotique” begins a year-long, three-country tour this spring— heading to Barcelona, then Montreal. [3/05/2001]

[Cambridge, MA] This report on 'Digital Dimentia' essentially describes the newly discovered malaise as the computer equivalent of road rage. Could this explain flamewars and the like on the WWW? Unlikely. [3/01/2001]

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[Washington, DC] Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington is up for grabs! The philistine in me wonders why anyone would pay ..well.. a dollar for something they can see everyday on the US dollar.. [2/28/2001]

I'd love to see the police report for this one. According to a museum-security.org report, a man was recently arrested for attempting to enter a museum with a picture of the museum's director kissing a pig on the rump. Makes no sense to me, either. [2/27/2001]

Traditional music will meet gratuitous technology this Tuesday, Feb 20, as a pair of NYC institutions will create a multiple-location musical, scheduled for 40 minutes. [2/16/2001]

Hm. How does one become the "Official Artist of the French Motorcycle Police"? This amusing article from last year unfortunately doesn't begin to shed light on the subject, but then it's always fun to read about an artist who's artistically more successful than I.. [2/12/2001]

That noise you heard last month was the sound of axes falling. The dot-coms faced their darkest month in January, with record layoffs. Experts warn that the decline could worsen.. [2/05/2001]

A SoHo artist is challenging the relationship between nature and artifice by painting on the backs of live cockroaches! Amazing! I'll have to take a trip to NYC for the exhibit. [2/02/2001]

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McGuggenheim? Culture guardians in NYC are crying foul in the face of a proposed collaboration between the Guggenheim, the Kunsthistorisches, and the Hermitage. Is the world's first drive-thru museum far behind? [1/29/2001]

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Yes! Witness the birth of Stock Art! Finally, something to do with those worthless stock certificates. Now where'd I put my watercolours? [12/28/2000]

The recipients of the National Medal of Arts were announced this week. The list includes many well-known favourites, like Maya Angelou and Chuck Close. My nomination, as usual, was lost in the mail.. [12/21/2000]

This week, Barcelona police seized about 3000 art forgeries and arrested key members of an international forgery ring. I wonder how many of those fakes went untraced.. [12/19/2000]

At the risk of beating a dead horse, here's yet another omen of the coming dark days of the dot-com revolution. Been there, too.. [12/18/2000]

Hmm. Redhat.com closed its Frisco office this week. So far, fuckedcompany.com hasn't assigned any points to them. Oh, well. Been there. [12/04/2000]

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This December 7-10, Paris will host the 10th International Symposium on Electronic Art. Oh, well, ..that's yet another cool event that'll go on without me. [11/27/2000]

Hey, you! Don't forget that November 24th is International Buy Nothing Day. Let's all do our part by not doing our part. Easy enough, right? [11/20/2000]

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The US Presidential election isn't even a cinder compared to the flamescape caused by the MSNBC Windows vs. Linux poll results. Sparks are flying, folks. Duck and cover! [9/20/2000]

Well, after a review period (to make sure I wasn't caught on tape doing anything naughty), I can finally post the photos from the OptionWealth.com launch party. San Francisco has some amazing women! [9/19/2000]

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Want further proof of the decline of Western Civ? You can now decompose with a higher standard of ..um.. living. Coming soon, the pyramids of the French Riviera. [7/08/2000]

Can you believe how much news coverage the Dotcom Guy has received? Aren't there any more newsworthy shut-ins on this planet? [7/05/2000]

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:( I just got homesick for Jamaica for the first time in 8 years. Blame it on these pictures from a co-worker's husband's trip. I'm off to look up flight rates and see about my passport. [6/26/2000]

Once again, eBay auctioneers are under the gun. This time, it's alleged fraudulent bidding on a painting. Remember, folks: friends don't let friends buy art online. [6/09/2000]

Yow. Those digital villains from word.com have created the killer ap of shockwave time-wasters: SiSSYFiGHT!! Check it out, and if you see me there (shallow.com is my screen name) give me a scratching I won't forget, willya? [6/08/2000]

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Modern music pioneer and Napster evangelist Chuck D will appear on Yahoo! Chat) on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 10pET/7pPT. Now, that's 'must see' Internet. [5/23/2000]

Apparently, some of us are still able to push (or should I say 'pull') the envelope on what qualifies as art. Tomorrow's headline: a Holy Virgin Mary collage held together with the same ..um, medium. Eww. [5/13/2000]