Image du jour: White Snake + Rose

Garth Merenghi's Darkplace

I can't stop watching this, it's brilliant. This program stars Garth Marenghi: fabulist, shaman, ferryman, author, dreamweaver, class actor. They wield guns and battle terror all over, everyday.
This show is a dark parody of 1980's horror/doctor/crap shows, set in a hospital which sits upon the very mouth of hell itself. Patients turn into broccoli, monkeys by mysterious vapors, it's all in a days work for Darkplace.
The series isn't available in America as far as I know, so YouTube the episodes, dear pilgrim, and be sure you're sitting down or else you'll fall face flat with darkness.

Alfred Kubin

His show at the Neue Gallery in NYC is up September 25th

Picture of the Day: Alec Sloth

Elrond Hubbard + David St. Hubbins

Ye ole L. Ron

Vs.

David St.Hubbins/Lenny

*Thanks to Russ for pointing this out*

Murphy, Tuymans, Bunnys

I became familiar with Ciaran Murphy's paintings through an Artkrush posting on his solo show at Kavi Gupta gallery in Chicago. The posting led to a discussion on young painters' obsession over Luc Tuymans and his influence. Murphy's paintings elicit the same response as Tuyman's work-I am at the same time intrigued and annoyed with them, and this bothers me.

From Jordan Kantor's article on Tuymans:
"The idea that painting was somehow bound to fail--a presupposition that finds formal expression in the now-prevalent "deskilled" aesthetic--is also worked through in deeper conceptual terms in the canvases of Tuymans and those in his wake. That is, beyond using technique to thematize failure, these artists set tasks and projects for themselves that seem doomed from the beginning."

First off, I love much of Tuymans work, I think it's free spirited and majestic--

Some times it makes me go Meh in frustration, perhaps because it's "bound to fail".

Why? I think about painting a lot (the act and the history of)--and I force myself to think about it in the simplest terms possible. I think about it's cop-outs, it's complex simplicity, its self involvement. Why do I find this aesthetic annoying and pretty great at the same time?

It is made most apparent with Tuymans-- the push and pull tension of the painterly impression and the upfrontness of his cheeky "deskilled" technique, where anything goes, really. But I wonder if this type of thing is evocative for its novelty at the time (late 70's/80's-quiet figure painting not so big) or for it's stripped down aesthetic today (2000's--awesome Neon Hippy Art! ) or for the fact that it's in the camp of high art looking like naive-not-giving-a-fook .

I'm no curator, my craft at turning a phrase isn't model doctorate to be sure. But working through my misgivings as a painter leads me down a sticky road. I mean, I've actually said to myself looking at some of these "Ef, from far away that's pretty emotional, but, umm, is that it? That's it?!?"

At this point I just shut down and ask why/how/huh?, and why can't I bring myself do do this sort of thing, this effortless work, this koan of a painting, this little thing that is so hard and so meaningless.

I mean, how's about sticking some painting in there---or a bunny. Anything with a bunny is good, right?
xoxoxox

I forgot how great Turner is...

...when he shoots heavy on the abstract and watercolor. I was just browsing Andrew Wilton's Turner and the Sublime, which reminded me that I do like Turner after all when he doesn't get all National Gallery stormy seascape adventure, although that stuff is good too, but not repeatedly in large doses, like lollipops.

Yurts

Thanks again Corbis, with love.

So I've been blabbing to everyone about living in a Yurt for a while now. I mean, why can't I make this dream come true? It's a lot cheaper than buying a "condo" or even a fancy "house." I'll ignore that the city probably can't sustain one, or that it's pretty easy to brake into, or that I need to own a piece of country somewhere not-close to jobs or bars etc., but Fah! No dream is too small when it comes to yurts. If the mafia can construct "loft style apartments" in falling down boxes in Bushwick, why can't I stick a yurt on top of my apartment building?

Here's what my living room will look like, complete with guy and stuffed Eagle:




I'll whittle the frame with my swiss army knife, and the door with a jagged rock edge:




I'll paint packs of wolves on the exterior to intimidate my enemies, with a decorative border of pinks and blues to match my tea set and rug.

Pig Candy

This was sitting next to me briefly this morning, set down by the janitor:



Chocolate covered bacon, or "pig candy." After the first wave of nausea passed, I was intrigued, and now I think I may want to try one of these puppies. Yum, no?

Monday Morning Eye-Calmer: Book of Kells