Museums shouldn't bow to censorship of any kind!

I would like to thank my friend Natasha Reatig for alerting me via Facebook to an insightful and pressing article written by Blake Gopnik for the Washinton Post (article linked here: Museums shouldn't bow to censorship of any kind). As an artist, a gay man, and a fellow Washingtonian, I find this kowtowing to the bullying of the culturally antiquated and puritanical Catholic League and "various conservatives" atrocious and inane.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - "Art ain't for sissies". Gopnik states it best in the article with this: "In America no one group - and certainly no single religion - gets to declare what the rest of us should see and hear and think about. Aren't those kinds of declarations just what extremist imams get up to, in countries with less freedom?"

This is still America is it not? It is by far time for anyone who does not fall into the homogenized clone state of existence offered by the likes of the religious right-wing and their political allies to arise from their apathetic coma and stand up against these outrages before you find yourself assimilating into an artless existence ruled by religious zealots motivated by fear, greed and lust for power.

If you think it can't happen - put down the remote and pick up a history book. It's happening now. Make your voice heard!

Virtual actor takes over in 'Tron'

“Bonnie and Clyde” staring Warren Beatty and Marilyn Monroe?!

I have long thought that a time when digitally created  virtual actors will fill the screen and eventually replace their human counterparts in film and television is just around the corner. For example, if you want to watch the 1967 film classic, “Bonnie and Clyde” with Marilyn Monroe in the role of Bonnie rather than Faye Dunaway, a few click of the mouse or the remote will allow that casting change to occur in mere moments.

Does it sound far fetched? The following article (linked at bottom of this post) discussing how digital special effects artist were able to present Jeff Bridges in the film “Tron” looking as he did 30 years ago sans make-up and lighting, proves that we are much closer than I thought. . .

Disney
(above – a digitally created Jeff Bridges playing himself 30 something years younger than he is in reality for the soon to be released “Tron”)

Cosmic Log - Virtual actor takes over in 'Tron'

'Kryptos' sculptor inspires hope in weary code-breakers

I had forgotten about this intriguing work created by artist Jim Sanborn in 1990, in which he placed cyphered messages within the sculpture's 2,000 alphabetic letters.

I’ve never seen this work, though if  I happen to find myself near the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia, I may venture in to view it in person. 

Though I have no deep seated desire to crack the code, I am thrilled by art that incorporates textual elements (I’ve been doing it myself for years) and the fact that there are messages encoded within the work adds extra sparkle to the brilliance.

Read more about it here: 'Kryptos' sculptor inspires hope in weary code-breakers - CNN.com

Happy Black Friday. . .

Selene

I came across this spectacular painting titled “Selene” created by the artist Albert Aublet in the year 1880 and I was so taken by it that I felt compelled to post it.

Even though this is technically an artistic presentation of a new moon, last night’s full moon certainly enhanced my enamourment with this glorious work.

Albert Aublet (1851 Paris, France - 1938 Paris, France ) completed his artistic training under the history and genre painter Claude Jacquand (1804 – 1878) between 1870 and 1874.

He is best known as a genre painter with works such as “Communion at Neuilly” but he also painted portraits and transitional subjects, bridging the gap between Impressionism and traditional realism. Furthermore, he was also a sculptor exhibiting busts at La Nationale and Les Artistes Francaises between 1910 and 1936.

He exhibited paintings also regularly at these two institutions, from 1890 to 1914 at the former, and 1920 to 1937 at the latter. He was awarded a Gold Medal at the Universal Exhibition in 1889 and the Legion of Honour in1890. Amsterdam, London and Madrid also bestowed Gold medals on him and he received Silver Medals from Munich and Nice.

Aublet was commissioned to illustrate “Fort Comme la Mort” by the major French writer, Guy de Maupassant.

Museums where his work can be seen include Philadelphia, Quebec and St Etienne.

Happy Hallothanksmas

I was speaking with my partner the other day about the holidays and we both mentioned how it was impossible not to notice that with each passing year, the celebration of the holidays, or at least, the presence of the oncoming holidays via the increase in marketing and merchandising among retailers. seemed to arrive earlier and earlier.

We both acknowledged that we had heard others speak of the same awareness, and that that subject of conversation amongst peers had also increased with each passing season.

Suddenly, during the discussion, a new wave of understanding about the subject came upon me. . . So what if the marketing of the holidays creeps closer every year?! Is it really so affrontive to find a bit of joy with the recognition of the upcoming holiday season?

Now, before I get 1000 emails cursing the commerciality of it all, understand that I am fully aware of that aspect of the issue. It’s a non-discussion point for me. But understand that just because the retailers throw up the décor the moment late August and September come about doesn’t mean that someone has to rush blindly into the shops with credit cards and cash in hand to pick up every bag of bite size snickers or blinking tree lights. Unless they want to of course – and that’s fine too.

But what someone can do is to simply just enjoy seeing the decorations, listening to the music, feeling the excitement of the coming joy of the holidays. Rather than a bah humbug tinted cynical reproach of the ever closer moving approach of the holiday marketing, what’s wrong with getting excited, indeed happy, about the holiday season?

I have always been a fan of the terms “Happy Holidays” and “Season’s Greetings”. When you think about it, each month between September and February contain one major holiday – Halloween,Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah/Winter Solstice, and New Year’s Eve – . Indeed, in my book, that makes a Holiday Season.

Our country is traveling through some extremely rough terrain now. Personally, I welcome any opportunity to feel happy and am more than ready to welcome in the joy of the seasons. if I have 4 months to do so – all the better!

Happy Holidays all!  

Recent Work–“The Mind Reader”

“The Mind Reader”
16” x 20”
acrylic & vintage ephemeral and mixed-media collage on canvas
2010
© Michael Sprouse

Canned art draws oooohs and awe

CANstruction is designed to raise hunger awareness during the Thanksgiving season and there are some pretty impressive photos to go along with this artistically and seasonally inspiring story  - especially when you realize that the cans cannot be bound with glue or adhesives and designers are not allowed to color the cans.

All of the cans used in the contest will be donated to City Harvest for distribution to programs that feed impoverished New Yorkers. Link below.

Canned art draws oooohs and awe - CNN.com

Happy Birthday Neil Young

A dear friend of mine reminded that today is Neil Young’s 65th birthday. . .

Oh what a far better world we live in because of your presence within it. Your music, sir, has touched and stirred my soul on countless occasions. You are a master of your art and I can not overstate the joy that your craft has brought to my life over the years.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the sinking of the Bulk Carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald. I was just a ten year old boy at the time, but Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting and mesmerizing ballad (released almost one year to the date after the tragedy) still causes my mind to drift when I hear it as it fills my thoughts with aqueous imagery and misted memories. It has become a timeless classic and an artistic documentation of a tragic yet historic event.

Recent Work. . .

“Minds Of Others”
11” x 14”
acrylic and vintage ephemeral collage on canvas
2010
© Michael Sprouse

O’Donnell needs a new hat. . .

I have a feeling her witch hat may be a bit tattered after the last few weeks. The hat above is so much more appealing and, frankly, so much more appropriate. It would look utterly smashing on her during debates.

Especially in such debates where she freely allows her idiocy to shine through, such as the one held earlier today before an audience of legal scholars and law students at Widener University Law School in which she seemed genuinely surprised that the principle of separation of church and state derives from the First Amendment. . .

It borders on amazing really. But, if only she had worn this appropriate hat during the debate, she could have had at least something to blame for her gibberish other than her own ignorance of the Constitution of The United States.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. . .  and she with Senatorial aspirations. . .

But alas, for you know what they say, if it speaks like a dunce, sounds  like a dunce, and debates like a dunce. . . .

Big Bang Big Boom

I came across this outstanding and inspirational work that produces a sublime combination of graffiti art, found art, sculpture, and performance into one mind-boggling video animation. Imagine how many individual wall paintings must have been created for this project! The video was directed and animated by an artist that goes by the name of Blu (www.blublu.org) who is a member of an Italian artist collective called Studiocromie. The video is just short of 10 minutes. Click on the image to go to the site to view the video which is best when viewed full-screen.

"Breathe Normally"

"Breathe Normally", originally uploaded by sprouseart.

Recent work. . .

"Breathe Normally"
acrylic and vintage ephemeral collage on canvas
11" x 14"
2010
© Michael Sprouse

Family thinks it has Michelangelo painting

Is it my imagination - or have stories about the discoveries of unidentified masterpieces and the inevitable controversies surrounding their authenticity been a bit more on the radar over the last few months? Just two months ago I blogged about the controversial "La Bella Principessa" and now this recent item : Family thinks it has Michelangelo painting - CNN.com

The battle for Cumbria's Roman helmet. . .

Sadly, this amazing and exquisite ancient Roman helmet,unearthed in May of this year by a metal detector enthusiast in Crosby Garrett, near Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, England, was sold to a private collector at auction by Christie's recently for a little over 3.5 million dollars. A such, it is almost certain that the public will never see the helmet now that it is part of someone's private collection. For more information, follow this link.

The battle for Cumbria's Roman helmet | Jonathan Jones | Art and design | guardian.co.uk

Revel In New York. . .

Here’s a very intriguing find today courtesy of www.revelinnewyork.com. It’s a short film by discussing the art of duo Peter McGough and David McDermott who have spent the last 30 years living life as if it were the end of the 19th century as sort of an ongoing living art work. Fascinating, slightly bizarre, and vaguely unsettling. 

http://www.revelinnewyork.com/videos/peter-mcgough

Judge the work, not the artist

I came across an intriguing article in the New York Times entitled, “When Life Gets In The Way Of Art” that ponders, if an artist lies, does it change how we see their work.

It’s a highly worthwhile read and an issue that I’ve come across before in discussion with other artists, collectors, and admirers. Though, these discussions weren’t actually related to the truthfulness of particular artists (the NYTIMES article discusses such examples as the famed civil rights era photographer Ernest C. Withers and the recent  revelation that he was a paid FBI informant, and Casey Affleck’s film, “I’m Still Here” documentary – now mockumentary -  of the unsightly celebrity disintegration of the actor Joaquin Phoenix, now revealed as a hoax), as much as they were about whether it was possible or not  to still admire the work of a great artist after discovering something disagreeable about them. For example, Edward Hopper’s mental and physical abuse of his wife Jo or Clint Eastwood’s conservative politics.

I came to the conclusion that, as a general rule, it is better to judge the work rather than the artist who created it. Of course, there are extreme exceptions to the rule – Hitler, John Wayne Gacy come to mind – and I have personally met artists who were such complete nincompoops that I basically dismissed them and their work in one fell swoop, but overall, I prefer to remain neutral. If there are idiosyncrasies of an artist that merit some form of eyebrow raising attention or scorn, history, or sometimes even the work itself, often has a way of revealing them.

In Memoriam...

Tony Curtis
June 3, 1925 - September 29, 2010

“If you don't know your gift, you've got no lift.” – Tony Curtis

New Work

Despite having a rather active social schedule during my last 3 day visit to my DC studio - as well as a 1.5 day power outage - , I did manage to find some time to actually create some art. This acrylic and vintage photographic and print ephemera collage work is titled “It Was True”. It measures 9” x 12”.

Happy 90th!

I’m not sure what is more impressive – the fact that Mickey Rooney, icon of American film and stage, turns 90 today, or the fact that he is still working! Congrats!



In case you were unaware, in his youth, MR was the Tom Cruise (as in younger Tom Cruise) of his generation. . .

www.mickeyrooney.com

Skinless Wieners

skinless wieners, originally uploaded by retro-space.

What an odd advertising campaign. I'd like to see the grandmother's befuddled repsonse. . ."Why, um. No, dear - but, if that's what you would like the good fairy to bring. . ."

Prisoner 4100

Prisoner 4100, originally uploaded by The National Archives UK.

I came across this on Flickr and felt compelled to post it. This child was10 years old at the time of his arrest in 1872.

I wonder what his motivations were to steal the rabbits. We have no way of knowing. In any case, it's a powerful image.

The Mere Mention

Here’s a quick photo of one of my latest works. It’s a contemporary, acrylic and mixed-media vintage ephemeral collage entitled “The Mere Mention”. This happens to be the first work created in my new studio space in DC.

Art or Abuse?

In today’s The Independent is a fascinating article discussing the current hysteria surrounding photographic imagery of children and it’s effects on the contemporary art community in general. This article is of particular interest to photographers, digital artists, and gallery curators. The brilliant and controversial work of Sally Mann features prominently in the article.

The article may be found here: http://tinyurl.com/26o6w8w

Catfish – it’s not what you think. . .

I’ve read quite a bit of buzz about this film/documentary called “Catfish”. I intend to see it, though, I made the mistake of reading about the film on Wikipedia and now know the ending. Nevertheless, I think the concept behind it sounds intriguing to say the least.

You can read more about the film on their official website here: http://www.iamrogue.com/catfish .

Happy Friday All . . .

Saffron Threads. . .

Saffron may be the world's most expensive spice, but I adore the color of paint that shares its name. It also make for a great color to paint the walls of your studio should they need perking up as did mine. I wanted a color that fell somewhere between warm candle light mixed with early autumn sunset gold and a touch of ancient, yellowed parchment. I think I found the perfect match. . .

My new studio in DC

I’ve been very busy over the last few weeks setting up my new live-in studio in Washington, DC. It’s been several years since I’ve had my studio in the city that I love so and that I called home for so many years. I am ecstatic with the space! I’ll be splitting my time frequently between the studio and the beach creating work for next year’s upcoming exhibitions.

Friends have been asking to see photos of the studio, and even though, I’m not quite finished tweaking the space, I'm posting some now to visually document the process. It’s everything that I was hoping for – intimate, secure, and located in a  truly phenomenal neighborhood in the District. It’s the perfect realm to unleash the creative process!

A mosque near ground zero?

Thank you once again Tom Tomorrow for your brilliant wit, keen sense of irony, and timely insight!

A mosque near ground zero?

Key Lime Red Velvet Cinnamon Glitch

I was in one of the local grocery stores the other day and noticed that Yoplait® Light Thick & Creamy was on sale for only 35 cents a container. I’ve seen the clever ads where an office worker is drooling over an entire Strawberry Cheesecake in the office kitchen fridge and, as we discover as we are able to hear her thoughts, she attempts to justify devouring a slab of it for lunch. Moments before she succumbs to her decadent desire, a stunningly beautiful co-worker walks in and swiftly plucks one of these yogurts from the same fridge proclaiming their excellence. The new cheesecake addict on the cubicle notices that the yogurt lover has lost weight and tells her so. . . you get the scene.

At 35 cents, I decided to try a few and see if they really were as satisfying as they claim allowing me to forget entirely about actual cheesecake, or brownies, or pies forever more. 



I purchased two Blueberry Pie flavored containers as well as two Cinnamon Bun and two Red Velvet Cake. Last night after dinner, my partner and I each tried one. I tried the Blueberry Pie and he the Cinnamon Bun. I also, just to ensure my experience, tried the Red Velvet Cake this morning.

Let me tell you, regardless of what the ads and the web sites may say – these taste identical to each other and if I had been wearing a blindfold, I would have been hard pressed to distinguish one “flavor” from another.

Truth be told, they all tasted like uber-artificially sweetened glitch. The only difference that I noticed was the pastel-hued color of the glitch. In fact, the Red Velvet Cake was hued somewhere along the line of Pumice-Cream. Ick.

Perhaps one must be a 20-something fashion model posing as an office worker to enjoy these, or wildly gullible, or both. My suggestion would be to have a small slice of the cheesecake and take the stairs a few times rather than the elevator.

Bon Appetite!

Frankly, Franco. . .

It was recently mentioned to me that the actor James Franco had decided to make his entrée into the world of visual art. I found it mildly interesting and a bit annoying.
 


It seemed, in my opinion, that his “celebrity” status would trump anything that he would create visually or become involved in whether he had valid artistic ability or not. And that is exactly what has happened as the press to date covering his first solo exhibit, The Dangerous Book Four Boys, at the Clocktower Gallery has been tremendous.

What has not been tremendous, however, are the reviews, at least not the review written by Roberta Smith for the NYTimes. To be fair, I have not personally seen the exhibit, and more than likely will not, so any review that I may have of the show would be unjust. However, Smith’s well written review should appease any non-NYC denizens curious about the exhibit.

Though I have personally seen moving and inspiring installation and video projection works of art in my time, (I once saw an installation/video projection work on the third floor of the Hirshhorn Museum that literally filled my eyes with tears), I am not usually a fan of such simply because there is so much room for pretentiousness. Because of this, most installation/video projection art, in my opinion, registers as a fail – a la The Emperor’s New Clothes. It seems that the majority of Franco’s exhibit centers around both.

Personally, I find it pretentious and uninspired to fill a room with “stuff from Mr. Franco’s actual childhood room strewn about in familiar disarray.” Yawn. Is this really the best that he could come up?

I have friends with teenage children that could probably give this particular installation by Franco, entitled “Scatter Piece”, a run for his money. Now, before you mistake me for one of those old-school, “Why that isn’t art!” type of artist, let me correct you. Installation works like “Scatter Piece”  have been created long before Franco’s. The questions that must be asked is, would this piece work if were created by any Joe Shmoe and not James Franco? Is it possible that James Franco was able to land his first solo exhibit at  the prestigious Clocktower Gallery simply because he is James Franco or did he really earn this exhibit and media attention because, as it states in the article, “he studied painting in high school and has apparently at times considered being an artist.” I don’t know the answer to these questions, but, inevitably, the mind goes there. Perhaps it’s the Pink Elephant in the middle of the installation.

While Roberta Smith doesn’t completely pan the exhibit, calling it a “confusing mix of the clueless and the halfway promising”, if I had to pick one word that represented her review of the show, I would chose the term mediocre. Or, maybe it’s no more than my reaction to the news that he was entering the world of visual art to begin with, “mildly interesting and a bit annoying.”

Hotel from Hell

It’s Sunday, and my lower back is giving me a great amount of grief. I felt like throwing together a digital collage or two to channel the experience with the hopes of alleviating the discomfort. . .

North By Northwest – homage to Robert Boyle – Art Director. . .

It was of interest that I read of the passing of Academy Award winning film production designer and art director Robert F. Boyle died recently at the age of 100. This man, responsible for conceiving and realizing the physical look of a motion picture, worked on more than 100 films during an amazing career that spanned six decades.

I always thought that working as an art director for a film would be a phenomenal experience that I think that I would enjoy tremendously. Robert Boyle left his mark in some true classics of American cinema, including  Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" , "The Birds" and Norman Jewison's "Fiddler on the Roof," amongst others.

Since I still won’t have my new studio set up for a few weeks, I felt the urge to make something artistic on the computer. Fittingly, and in homage to the brilliant artistic mind and vision of Mr. Boyle, I digitally reworked some stills from the Hitchcock masterpiece “North By Northwest”. To this day, visuals (a la art direction) from this film still enthrall and amaze – the “cornfield scene” is pure genius and it has been recreated artistically countless times since the film’s 1959 release.

Enjoy.