Some of these Tumblr photos are pure art…. Appreciation for all these gorgeous photo.
And another regrettable thing about death
is the ceasing of your own brand of magic,
which took a whole life to develop and market —
the quips, the witticisms, the slant
adjusted to a few, those loved ones nearest
the lip of the stage, their soft faces blanched
in the footlight glow, their laughter close to tears,
their tears confused with their diamond earrings,
their warm pooled breath in and out with your heartbeat,
their response and your performance twinned.
The jokes over the phone. The memories packed
in the rapid-access file. The whole act.
Who will do it again? That’s it: no one;
imitators and descendants aren’t the same.
is the ceasing of your own brand of magic,
which took a whole life to develop and market —
the quips, the witticisms, the slant
adjusted to a few, those loved ones nearest
the lip of the stage, their soft faces blanched
in the footlight glow, their laughter close to tears,
their tears confused with their diamond earrings,
their warm pooled breath in and out with your heartbeat,
their response and your performance twinned.
The jokes over the phone. The memories packed
in the rapid-access file. The whole act.
Who will do it again? That’s it: no one;
imitators and descendants aren’t the same.
“
| — | John Updike, “Perfection Wasted” (via changetheratio) |
The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous.
“
| — | Margot Fonteyn (via liquidlightandrunningtrees) |
Required reading.
Includes quotes from some of my biggest heroes in the art world today: William Powhida, Ed Winkleman and Magda Sawon. These folks, among a handful of others, continue to inspire me. Even in the bleakest of times. Which, truth be told, happens to be now. I haven’t had a sale in a while and am behind on every bill; more than usual. Which, as a full time time artist, tends to complicate my relationship to artistic creation and production. Exponentially. Still working my way through that one. In the meantime, you know, buy art! 20x200 is still down so you have no excuses!Related: I WILL NOT MAKE ANY MORE SELLABLE ART
make things because its like breathing, not solely for money or laurels.
Because it’s like breathing? That’s a little naive/dramatic. If you know anything about my work it should be pretty clear that money and laurels are tertiary influences at best in my practice. But I don’t shy away from talking about them openly and honestly. I’ve also made a career out of it. For better or worse. In my opinion we need more people talking about these issues and taking the related risks with the work. I also believe it can and should be supported, and I’ll fight for it any day of the week. Not just my own, but my peers too.
“I’ll tell you what I really think—in this climate, I’m pretty sure someone like Robert Rauschenberg could never have made it.”—Magda Sawon
Ukiyo-e Heroes: Donkey Kong Visits 17th-Century Japan
Mario racing a rickshaw, Kirby wielding a katana, and Donkey Kong bounding past cherry blossoms. In his fantastical Ukiyo-e Heroes series, 29-year-old illustrator Jed Henry reimagines classic video game characters in the style, setting, and medium of traditional Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e). Growing up in Indiana in the 1980s, Henry learned to draw by copying the art in his video game manuals. It was an exciting time to be a gamer, as companies like Nintendo and Sega raced to create the best systems and graphics. A decade later, with a degree in animation and living in Utah, the illustrator and children’s book author is working with Canadian (by way of Tokyo) printmaking master Dave Bull to to create fine art prints of his characters. With the help of a Kickstarter campaign — Henry raised $290,000 more than his original goal — his illustrations are celebrating Japan’s vibrant pop culture, both then and now. We talked to him about his craft.
How do you choose which video games to feature?
I’m a big retro gamer. I played a lot of games as a kid, and my heart is really stuck on those games — a lot of Nintendo, Konami, and Capcom titles. So, that’s how I choose, it’s just my favorites from when I was a kid.
Collocation No. 14 (NATURE) Left Panel, Collocation No. 14 (NATURE) Right Panel, MORE BOOKS, and WORD STUDY by Mickey Smith
As we slowly replace printed books with digital versions, conceptual artist and photographer Mickey Smith has made it her mission to document bound periodicals and professional journals in public libraries. Some of the volumes she has captured have already been destroyed. “I am struck by the physical mass of knowledge and the tenuousness of printed work as it fades from public consciousness,” says Smith.
