Friday, February 22, 2013

Pope Art



The Pontiff's recent abdication of Pope-dom created a media frenzy last week.  The shocking news of the resignation has stunned the Catholic Church as it has not seen a blasphemous act of this magnitude since...well, remember this?


I've noticed that many other websites and blogs have decided to showcase some of my favorite papal art before I had the chance, so I will spare you the re-posting of images like Valazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X or any of Francis Bacon's studies.  However, the rarity that a Pope stepping down from the pulpit coinciding with the nearest an asteroid has ever been to Earth (excluding the one that did in the dinosaurs, of course), I find it appropriate to leave you with Maurizio Cattelan's installation La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour):

La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour) by Maurizio Cattelan

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Economic Draftsman on Hardware Stores

In the introduction of the book Glittering Images: A journey through art from Egypt to Star Wars, author Camille Paglia states, "Artists are craftsmen, closer to carpenters and welders than they are to intellectuals and academics..."  An interesting thought to say the least and anybody who has set foot in a foundry or wood shop can verify the validity of this statement.  Approaching the actual creation of art with emphasis on craftsmanship will obviously improve the quality of piece being produced but it also opens up a new realm of cheaper materials that may have been previously overlooked.  Consider the hardware store...where prices are usually lower than the designated art store with similar products gracing their shelves.  You might also find that some of the products at the hardware store come in a "heavy duty" variety intended for a longer lifespan...another great way to pinch some pennies.  The variety of materials can be overwhelming at first, so on your first trip to the hardware store start with something small like sand paper or a paintbrush.  I encourage walking around a bit though before you leave because you never know what you will find.  And let's face it, almost everybody in there is wandering around too ashamed to admit they are lost.

Hardware store best buy:



Blue Hawk Contractor's Paper

Price: $11+ tax

Uses:
   Drop cloth, custom stencils/masks, bristol, textures, wrapping for transporting paintings, drawing, etc.

Other notes:
   Still working my way through my first roll of this stuff...well over a year after I bought it.




By the way, as of this post I am still currently reading Glittering Images so expect a full review in the near future...so far so good though.