Art Calendar Magazine Self-Portrait Contest The Art Calendar magazine is accepting entries for their self portrait magazine cover competition. I'm not sure if artists outside of the United States can enter, but I entered it anyway. Entries are submitted online and it's free to enter, so it was pretty easy.

Here's my self portrait entry..


Here's their blurb..
"Entrants will have the chance to win one of three great prizes. Our first place winner will receive a $500 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials and have their artwork featured on the cover of the March issue of the magazine! They will also be interviewed by one of the Art Calendar editors for a one-page profile, where we’ll feature a picture of the winner and their winning work. Our second place winner will receive a $150 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials and our third place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials. Both our second and third place finalists will have a half-page profile with an image of their work and a short biography about them inside the magazine."

Find out more about the art competition on the Art Calendar website.  ¶ 3:50 AM 2 comments

  Ten Excuses for not Posting Lately People are really good at making excuses and I'm no exception. I try not to accept my excuses though as they're usually pathetic, just like all of your excuses for not getting off your butt and doing what you really should be doing now.

Here's my pathetic excuses for not posting lately..

1. There's not enough hours in the day
2. I have been overdosing on art
3. I need a break (those close to me would find this excuse funny)
4. My head has been in the clouds
5. The blog doesn't make any money anyway (well duh, put ads on it!)
6. When I paint everyday I become sensitive to everything and everyone
7. Sometimes I have nothing to say and all the news bores me
8. I don't feel like it
9. Just because
10. C.

Here's a recent painting of Melbourne (click for larger image)..

  ¶ 4:14 PM 1 comments

  Questions and Answers I was asked a few questions by a student journalist at City University London recently..

1) First of all can you tell me a little bit about your work? What themes do you explore in your art and why? What do you strive to achieve through it?

I basically just paint what I want, how I want. I have no social or moral message to give. I stopped selling paintings 18 months or more ago, with no intention to start selling again until I can no longer fit in my house, which has brought about a change in how I see painting. I'm now thinking more about conceptual art and looking at ideas more than thinking about who would buy a work.

2) Recently the Tate Modern was forced to remove Richard Prince’s piece 'Spiritual America’ from its Pop Life: Art in a Material World exhibition due to a public protest. What is your opinion on the matter? Do you think the piece was justly removed?

I don't know. We live in a sick world, so we have to draw the line somewhere with images of young people. Having said that, I wish we lived in a world that could see the images as innocent and beautiful. So, as much as I hate censorship, I'm not really sure how I feel about cases like this. The Australian photographer Bill Henson has dealt with similar issues.

3) Do you think art institutions should have the freedom to display boundary-pushing art that may offend certain members of the public? Why?

I think it's their job to push the boundaries. People that are easily offended shouldn't visit galleries. They should stay home in their safe, comfortable home and drink tea quietly. Art is either going to look good hanging on your wall or is trying to tell you something. Both forms are equally valid for me.

4) What do you think pushes an artist to create pieces that can cause possible public backlash? Is this a reaction to modern reality or just a means of getting publicity?

It's both. Most artists by nature are outsiders and like poking sticks at insiders, it amuses them to no end. You could also say it is a sign of the times we live in where you are nothing unless you are the biggest, loudest or most annoying. Many shock artists probably just needed more hugs growing up. Damien Hirst has made a career out of it. His career has been so filled with "shock" that when he paints a relatively normal looking exhibition (like his current one) it is looked at as shocking.

5) What do you think is the social role of art?

I believe there are two kinds of art: an art that should hang well on the wall and an art that has something to say. The latter should use any means possible to speak its message.

6) What do you think are the major changes in the public's attitude towards art? Do you think our modern society is quick at judging and finding offence in everything?

I don't know. I don't think art is really that important to the general public. Nobody really takes much notice of art unless an artist is doing something outrageous. Being an artist or being involved in the art industry tricks you into thinking that art is everything and everyone must appreciate it as it's so important to you, but the average guy on the street couldn't care less about art.

Artists like the fact that society is quick to judge and easily offended. Many rely on these facts and play to them.

7) Do you think that by challenging conventional views art can truly make a change in the public‘s perception?

No, I don't think art has the fire power to affect change in any meaningful way. It will always touch the minority that actually takes notice of art, but art won't change society unless you include movies, the internet, and music. Things like painting, sculpture, installations, prints, and video art will never change much of society.

8) It seems that contemporary art is increasingly aimed to disturb and art which is made purely for aesthetic pleasure seems idealistic and secondary (beauty is often considered kitsch). What do you think caused this? Why qualities like disruptiveness and the shock value became marks of success?

It's the media age. It takes something loud, colourful and shocking to get our attention. A Giorgio Morandi still life would bore most people to death these days. Most people have forgotten how to sit still for any length of time. Silent stillness forces you to look at yourself and that scares most people.

9) In the Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie wrote "What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist". Do you think freedom of expression truly exists in our modern society?

Of course it doesn't exist. We're silly little immature beings that wouldn't know what freedom of expression was if it punched us in the face. It's nothing that a few hundred thousand years of evolution won't fix though. Let's just hope the earth will put up with us long enough to see us grow up..  ¶ 7:04 AM 19 comments

  Artnear iPhone Application I can't honestly say how useful this application is as I don't own an iPhone, but it sounds like a good idea. It's a free application (I believe there is also a pro version for a small fee) available from iTunes which guides you to art museums, exhibitions and galleries around the world. If it does what it's supposed to do it would be a must have for art travelers.

"Admittedly, we are still missing lots of info, but already have over 12,000 artists and 2600 galleries in our system - but we can only be as good as the people who provide us the info... Anyway, we developed this tool to make navigating the art world easy and hope that more and more people are going to make use of it." hopnear


Find out more about the artnear iPhone application at the hopnear website here or look for it in the iTunes store.  ¶ 8:04 PM 5 comments

  Basquiat - The Lost Prince Basquiat is my favorite movie about an artist.



It's hard to make a good artist look interesting as they're usually just working.  ¶ 6:42 AM 10 comments

  Why do we Make Art? I sometimes wonder why? What's the point? Why make art at all?

It's usually only after days like today, days that are physically, mentally and emotionally draining.

Everything will be alright tomorrow.  ¶ 10:22 PM 12 comments

  Damien Hirst Shop I'm susbcribed to a whole bunch of newsletters and am bombarded with all kinds of promotional emails, most of which I never open. But one that I always open is from Other Criteria. It is a collective of artists, pushing all kinds of limited editions, prints, and publications, but I really only look at what Damien Hirst is selling.

I find the man endlessly fascinating. How can a man that sells deckchairs and clocks still pull off auction sales like he does? I'm sure I'll tire of him someday and hate him for what he's doing to art, but that day hasn't come yet. I still love him, even if I don't care much for his art. I almost bought the Damien Hirst clock below, but I just bought a whole bunch of art supplies (why is cadmium so damn expensive?!), so my art budget has blown out this month.



Innocence Lost
Damien Hirst
2009
200 x 50 mm
Glass bottle with sauasge and alcohol

Innocence Lost, a glass baby’s bottle containing a pork sausage pickled in alcohol, makes foul, connotative paradoxes out of ideas of nourishment and nurture. Visually, the work is a reminder of Hirst’s formaldehyde pieces as well as the surreal performances of pantomime and Punch & Judy shows. It is at once humorous and disturbing.

The glass bottle is engraved with the edition number, Hirst logo and signature.
Price: £5,200.00


Large Spot Clock
Damien Hirst
2009
35 cm diameter
White powdered metal case and metal back
German Quartz movement

The clock uses Hirst's popular spot paintings as its face, the front of which is printed with his signature and the Hirst/Hirst logo. The rear is printed with the Other Critera logo and the clock name.

Price: £475.00

The Other Criteria newsletter is really worth subscribing to, especially if you're an artist that thinks art is precious or that art and commerce shouldn't mix.  ¶ 8:34 PM 8 comments

  Art Daily is Now a Teenager This news is a little late as I have been a very absent blog editor lately, but I keep telling myself that it's better late than never.

This month the art news site Art Daily turned 13! In internet years thirteen is almost ancient.. well done Art Daily.

Here's to another 13 years!

Five years no longer sounds old to me.  ¶ 11:42 PM 13 comments

  Luna Roslyn - Queen of Cities EP Just thought I would share a nice EP called Queen of Cities put out by Luna Roslyn. They're using one of my paintings from Turkey for the cover. Hear the songs on their MySpace page here or support them by buying the album online here. It's good for the ears while holding a brush!

Luna Roslyn is also on Facebook.

"If the Earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital" - Napoleon Bonaparte

  ¶ 2:28 AM 5 comments

  Gagosian Store ARTINFO has reported on the new retail outlet of gallery mogul Larry Gagosian..
"The sleek, 2,500-square-foot, bi-level space, which opened to the public this past weekend, also inaugurates London import (and Gagosian artist) Damien Hirst’s publishing company and retail shop Other Criteria on the lower level, making for a kind of casual art emporium with a fancy ZIP code." ArtInfo

I'm not against making money from art, but I can't help thinking some of the super-famous art dealers and artists are taking advantage of poor rich folk. At the end of the day though, it's a reflection of society rather than the gallery or artist. People love stuff, especially expensive stuff that can make them feel a part of the cool club. So, I'm sure the Gagosian retail store will be a great success.

See some of the products available to buy on the ArtInfo article.  ¶ 8:42 PM 0 comments

  Australian Art Connoisseur Here's a distinguished Australian art expert talking about art. Please don't watch this video if the F-word offends.



The actor is Heath Franklin (not Eric Bana) and he's playing the role of career criminal Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read. The Vincent/ear thing is worth noting as Chopper cut off his own ears.. and I believe he was shot several times also. The last artwork is of the Australian artist Ken Done for those that don't know (most people outside of Australia I would imagine).  ¶ 9:55 PM 5 comments

  Meat and Vegetables I have been grocery shopping and brought home some meat and vegetables.


There's the t-bone steak for the carnivores.


They say carrots are good for the eyes.


Chicken is a popular.


Potatoes are boring, I don't care how they're cooked.


Minced meat for spaghetti bolognese.. mmmm.


And some bacon if you don't mind eating pink squealy things.  ¶ 8:26 AM 21 comments

  Home by Yann Arthus-Bertrand Home is worth the long wait if you have a slow internet connection. The makers of the film have more videos on their YouTube page.

I stopped reading books and news on the environment a while ago as they're just too depressing, but with this one they at least throw in a little hope towards the end. Even if you're not interested in the environment and think the planet is doing just fine, it's worth watching for the spectacular landscapes. We do live on an amazing piece of rock.

I wish someone would tell environmentalists and green groups that fear doesn't work with everyone. You can hit me with a stick all day and I won't move an inch but if you dangle a carrot in front of me I'll get up and do something about it.  ¶ 11:27 PM 8 comments