Art

June 26, 2012 — Steven Hayward

Take This, Sheperd Fairey

Featured image Jon McNaughton, the artist who produced the classical-style painting depicting Obama torching the Constitution, is out with a new painting that he’s auctioning off.   Don’t miss the video below where he explains clearly how he’s the anti-Shepherd Fairey: »
April 5, 2012 — John Hinderaker

Lousy Poetry, Lousy Politics

Featured image The left has dominated the arts–pretty much all of them, are there any exceptions other than country music?–throughout the modern era. And yet, how much good left-wing art has been created? Surprisingly little, it seems to me. But the latest from Gunter Grass is an especially lame instance of the genre. Grass, if you don’t recall him, is an 84-year-old German novelist whose best-known work is his first book, The »
March 1, 2012 — Scott Johnson

Behind the Eisen curtain

Featured image We recently highlighted former NEH Chairman Bruce Cole’s devastating critique of the proposed Eisenhower Memorial. Now the National Civic Art Society invites you to examine shocking photos of mockups of the giant industrial steel “tapestries” planned for the Eisenhower Memorial. The NCAS points out that the main “tapestry” — a veritable “Eisen Curtain” — is so large it will dwarf the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles. The photos are posted »
February 25, 2012 — Scott Johnson

Abandon Hope all ye who enter here

Featured image In another story that I doubt will get much coverage in the mainstream media, the creator of the famous messianic “Hope” artwork used by the Obama campaign now admits that he has been lying about the origin of the image. He adapted it from an AP photo and has lied about it repeatedly in the interest of pride and money. Robert Gearty reports in his New York Daily News story: »
February 23, 2012 — Scott Johnson

They spike Ike

Featured image Dwight Eisenhower was one of the greatest Americans of the twentieth century. As Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, he led the United States to victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. As president of the United States, he presided over a period of normalcy and peace with many accomplishments that benefited the country. A memorial is to be erected on the mall in Washington, DC, in his honor. »
December 18, 2011 — Steven Hayward

How Exactly Is This a Good Idea?

Featured image How would you respond if a homebuilder proposed a gated community called “Dachau Gardens,” or a jewelry designer offered a gold and diamond broach in the shape of a Swastika? You’d probably think it was in poor taste, at the very least.  So what do you suppose the architects who thought of this were (not) thinking when they came up with it: »
November 3, 2011 — John Hinderaker

Swept Away

Featured image This is something that happens surprisingly often: a museum closes for the evening, the cleaning crew comes through at night, and member of the crew mistakes an art work for junk and cleans it up. I recall an incident a few years ago in which an installation included trash that a janitor mistook for trash, swept up and threw away. Something of the sort happened recently at the Ostwall Museum »