LOOK INTO MY OWL

Thomas Demand has unveiled his latest photograph “Yellowcake Embassy I” at the Fondazione Prada in Venice. In his studio Demand produced a life sized recreation of the Nigerian Embassy in Africa. He then photographed the Iraqi flag in this context. The artist was implying something here but I can’t help but respond to the other. I like this piece not for it’s intended meaning, rather the ambivalent feelings that it forces on the viewer. How do you feel about this flag? Does your instinct make any sense?

I’ll have to check this film out. It’s a Korean production entitled “I’m a Cyborg, But that’s OK”. If the film is even remotely as good as the WEBSITE we are all in for a treat.

Note to dial-up users. This site loads slowly even on broadband.

Tony Oursler is one of the good ones. He’s made it fashionable to collect video art. Not that long ago video was widely considered a non-artform. Oursler has taken the video off the wall. He projects his pieces onto sculptures. The effect is truly intoxicating. His latest show at Galleria Emi Fontana in Milan is a credit to his mastery. “Dum-Dum, Metalbreath, Wadcutter” What a sweet title for a show. Surprised that no one came up with this before.

KAWS has leaked information on the four foot companion. The word seems to be centered on how much this “toy” costs. This is no toy, it is fine art. If you think about this piece that way then the price seems quite low. That said, thanks to KAWS for keeping his multiples so very rea$onable.

Jeff Koons recently opened “HULK ELVIS” his latest offering at Gagosian Gallery. I wish I could comment but there are very few images available online. Instead I’ll let the artist give you the lowdown.

“Hulk Elvis represents for me both Western and Eastern culture, a sense of a guardian, a protector, that at the same time is capable of bringing the house down”
-Jeff Koons

Self portraits? Keep it up Jeff.

Alexandre Orion is an artist working out of São Paulo, Brazil. His latest intervention was to clean grime from a local traffic tunnel. He scraped and cleansed the tunnel into a large mural of skulls. An anti-pollution statement that was both relevent and beautiful.

The local police were baffled. They wished to charge the artist, however selective cleaning is not a crime. Instead the city opted to clean the portion of the tunnel on which the artist had left his mark. Orion was not to be thwarted that easily as he immediately began work on the other side of the tunnel. The city then responded by removing all grime from the tunnel and subsequently every tunnel in São Paulo.

Today Damien Hirst opens his latest show “Beyond Belief” at White Cube in London. The centerpiece is an amazing diamond encrusted platinum skull with real human teeth entitled “For the Love of God”.

This is Damien’s omen. He recognizes what the collectors/critics/bloggers refuse to accept, art has gone decidedly lowbrow. Just look through the most recent issue of ArtForum. It is obvious. Keep on denying it and you can miss the boat…again.