LOOK INTO MY OWL

After months of work and hundreds of buckets of paint the latest wall animation from Blu is ready to thrill you. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the video in its entirety.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

“Big Bang Big Boom” is a narrative, frame-by-frame animation that runs a course from the initial big bang that sparked our Universe to a hypothetical end to our own planet.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

Despite the potentially alarmist nature of the material, Blu’s sense of play can be felt running through the entire video. This endearing quality is enhanced with a marvelous soundtrack by Andrea Martignoni.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

This is the most impressive animation that Blu has done to date. This is saying a lot as there has been some astonishing work in the past. “Big Bang Big Boom” continues to evolve with new ideas in addition to providing a perfect balance of two and three dimensional animation with powerful transitions.

On Tuesday, June 22, Dread Scott performed “Money to Burn” in New York City’s financial district. The project was made possible, in part, by the Franklin Furnace Fund.

Dread Scott, Money to Burn, still from video, 2010.

The artist meandered among the midday money manipulators bellowing “Money to Burn!” The repeated outcry was presented generally as a statement and then to individuals in the form of a question. Scott burned several of his own bills and then those from interested bystanders. The crowd soon attracted the attention of police and they began also to gather around the performance. Eventually, the law swooped in and put an end to the interaction issuing the performer a citation for disorderly conduct.

Dread Scott, Money to Burn, still from video, 2010.

The action raised a lot of questions that offer no simple answers. It is interesting to note, however, that it is very easy to land a court date in this country. Here is video of the interplay as released by Dread Scott.

KATSU, Tagging Over Picasso, still from video, 2010.

Two great new videos of KATSU sprucing up some national pride. KATSU is perhaps best known for his use of a manipulated fire extinguisher to paint large areas in public spots.

An exhibition of sculpture, video and mixed media from Nari Ward is on view at Lehmann Maupin in NYC. “LIVESupport” is the first solo show for the artist with the gallery.

Nari Ward, Sick Smoke, ambulance, smoke machine, halogen lights and vinyl, 2010.

Much of Nari Ward’s work involves various manifestations of the silhouette. The clever delineations serve to contain or isolate forms that marry a strong visual aesthetic with rigorous concepts.

Nari Ward, Riot Gate Skull side view, stencil ink, metal gates, shoe tips and laces and vinyl, 2010.

Difficult times often inspires art that deals with the need for recovery. It can be a chore sifting through the desperate and insincere in this genre. Much of the work says little more than “We’re broke” but Nari Ward has left room for the mind to wander. Despite his high contrast palette and efforts to contour boundaries these works achieve an intriguing ambiguity that will continue to be respected when things turn around.

Nari Ward, Church State, stencil ink, church pews, wheel chair wheels, 2010.

Nari Ward
LIVESupport
25 February – 24 April 2010
Lehmann Maupin
NYC

During Art Basel Miami Beach we caught a screening of the rough cut for this remarkable film (covered here). Since then, director Tamra Davis and crew have shown the finished piece at the Sundance Film Festival.

Tamra Davis, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, still from video, 2010.

Big fans of Basquiat will leave theaters with the feeling of seeing an old friend after a long time apart. Artists will have difficulty calming the immediate desire to paint.

Tamra Davis, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, still from video, 2010.

It seems that since our viewing the legendary Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond have been brought in to handle the music. Nice. No news on a release date yet but I will keep you updated as more information is made available. In the meantime, check out the trailer below. Thanks to doghed for the link.

This just in from the David Lynch Foundation. Scroll down to watch the new video they put together for, “David Lynch: New Paintings,” an exhibition held during the last part of 2009 at the William Griffin Gallery in Santa Monica, California. The video contains segments of interviews with Laura Dern and Roger Corman among others. Lynch himself discusses the core foundation of the creative mind.

David Lynch, Change the Fuckin’ Channel Fuckface, mixed media, 2009.

David Lynch, I Burn Pinecone Throw in Your House, mixed media, 2009.

David Lynch, painting detail, mixed media, 2009.

Our good friend, Paul Humphrey, accompanied us to the Groundbreaking for the Clyfford Still Museum and shot this great video of the action.

Clyfford Still Museum
Groundbreaking Celebration
14 December 2009
13th Avenue and Bannock Street
Denver, Colorado

We actually told a taxi driver to step on it so that we could attend the book launch for Fred Tomaselli at Art Basel Miami Beach. The artist was flanked by Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, Director, Aspen Art Museum and Ian Berry, Associate Director Skidmore College.

Fred Tomaselli, Super Plant, 1994.

Thoughtful questions were raised by the panel as well as the audience. Here is a short video of some of Tomaselli’s responses. Please note, the video was shot on micro technology without the aid of a tripod, so excuse the quality of the presentation.

Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, Fred Tomaselli & Ian Berry, Art Basel, Miami Beach, 2009.

Fred Tomaselli
Art Salon
4 December 2009
Art Basel Miami Beach