Similar Posts
Beirut is Burning!
On Monday July 17, 2006, Agence France Presse reported: “US Ambassador John Bolton said there was no moral equivalence between the civilian casualties from the Israeli raids in Lebanon and those killed in Israel from ‘malicious terrorist acts.’” A poem written in 1982 by Israeli playwright and poet, Chanoch Levin. ______________________________________________________ Beirut is in flames. Beirut is burning And this…
Babylon must Fall
The Battle for Babylon is an article written by art critic Jerry Saltz. While his article focuses on the art scene in New York, his critique is applicable almost universally. He takes the position that “more artists, gallerists, and curators are taking matters into their own hands” in an effort to circumvent the current arrangement that “reduces art to its…
Depoliticized art much more dramatic?
Some months ago I was reading a Los Angeles art magazine’s review about an artist’s painting that had as its theme the terror attacks of 9/11. The reviewer made the following comment about the artwork: “the artist managed to de-politicize the work and therefore make its impact that much more dramatic.” The reviewer’s assertion reveals a pathological aversion to politics…
Body Worlds Corpse Factory
On January 29, 2005, I wrote about Body Worlds being one of the most popular exhibits ever to have been presented at The California Science Center in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park. Body Worlds is hailed as art by some, and was conceived by Gunther von Hagens. His “artwork” consists of actual human bodies that have been injected with molten plastic…
It’s All Going To The Dogs
Some people have no business being artists… and others have no business holding public office. Put the two together and you get, well, the following story. Actress Jane Seymour fancies herself a painter. As with the artworks of most pop celebrities who turn to the “hobby” of painting after a dazzling and money-spinning career, it’s not quality or profundity that…
The Official Portrait of President George W. Bush
On Dec 19, 2008, the official portraits of U.S. President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were unveiled at a ceremony that took place at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., where the paintings become part of the museum’s permanent collection. Artist Robert Anderson had the dubious honor of creating the likeness of the president, and artist…