Soutine Show in Paris

Through March 2008 at the Pinacotheque de Paris.
Oh, how I wish I could go.

Beautiful Maps

The Opte project has amazing static and dynamic maps of the Internet ... another example of how life gives us opportunities for art in the most unexpected places. Opte is art!

Netsuke: Big Things in Small Packages

I fell in love with netsuke at the Victoria & Albert musuem's Japan section. The Contemporary Netsuke Society has lots of links to interesting netsuke artists.

This one is a depiction of an aging Kirin, the mythical beast that is the Japanese answer to a unicorn.

Speaking of unicorns ... hope to upload shots soon from last month's trip to the Musee National du Moyen Age in Paris ...

Autism and Art

Stephen Wiltshire has been the subject of several news stories and documentaries regarding the remarkable artistic abilities that have accompanied his autism. The BBC did a story a few years ago on some scientific work being done to try to identify the parts of the brain that influence artistic ability in savants (and others) ... wonder when we will all be able to tap into that.

Video Game Art

Just over a year ago, Aaron Smuts argued that "by any major definition of art many modern video games should be considered art," and that "good if not great video game art is in the near future."

Are we there yet?

Microscopic Photograpy: Art? Science?

These guys lived in me for 12 years ...

Artist Exploration: Friedrich Karl Gotsch

My ladyfriend picked up a Gotsch woodblock print for me last summer on a swing through Geneva. The Petit Palais, which was in the process of closing for renovations, was basically clearing out the inventory in their gift shop, and she picked up a few nice items for a song.

The pic above - Adam and Eve - is not the one I have, but gives a sense of some of Gotsch's style. Mine is a delightfully simple Charlie Chaplin image ... I'll try to scan a copy when I get a chance.

A Blast From the Past

Lots going on here ... over Christmas I got not one but two lumps of coal in my stocking, as it were: an African parasitic infection - picked up 12 years ago in the Peace Corps - surfaced and put me in the hospital; also, I received a threat of legal action (delivered Christmas Eve).

There are stories behind both of those lumps of coal, but afraid I don't have the energy right now. More later. In the interim, go make some art.