Marcel Duchamp -- Happy Birthday -- by Florida Fine Art Blog

Marcel Duchamp

28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968

The father of the “readymade”, Duchamp’s work still challenges us to see the truth of art. Duchamp’s influence is so total that at this point walking through any modern art fair you will see, ready-mades, Kinetic works, conceptual pieces; all movements and ideas that Duchamp shepherded into the art world. If there is just one artist to study, just one biography that will fascinate, frustrate and inspire, I would suggest Duchamp. His life was an intellectual journey for truth.

My love of chess is thanks to Marcel Duchamp. By 1918 or so Duchamp had for the most part moved away from art and concentrated on studying chess. That intrigued me and prompted me to purchase my first book on chess.  Chess has been something I have kept up with and always have a few games ongoing.


I have embedded a YouTube of archival footage of Marcel Duchamp describing his work. If you have the time, watch the other videos that are suggested when the video finishes. Also I have linked to a previous blog post I did with wonderful links to websites devoted to Marcel Duchamp. Enjoy!  GL




Blog link to Marcel Duchamp

Brevard Art Museum gets $1M gift, new name -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Brevard Art Museum renamed Foosaner Art Museum

The Foosaner Foundation has announced that it will donate $1 million to Florida Tech to be used to support the Brevard Art Museum, which the university now runs.

The museum will be renamed the Foosaner Art Museum.
In a prepared press release, Negroni-Hendrick, who lives in Cocoa, stated: "You don't have to be wealthy to help others...If you are fortunate enough to be able to afford to make financial gifts of any amount, you should feel good about doing so. But if not, we are all blessed with time and talents that we can share with others."
"It's a win win for the university and the community," said Carla Funk, the newly named Director of Museums for Florida Tech.

Link to Article from Florida Today website
Brevard / Foosaner Art Museum website

MARCUS JANSEN WITH AN ABSOLUT BLANK -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

MARCUS JANSEN

 PART OF NEW MOVEMENT OF CREATIVITY

WITH AN ABSOLUT BLANK

Press Release;  In collaboration with a new generation of artists, ABSOLUT VODKA is introducing ABSOLUT BLANK, a global creative movement, in which ABSOLUT appears as a catalyst for contemporary leading-edge creativity.

ABSOLUT has always challenged conventions through creative collaborations with artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, and more recently Ellen von Unwerth and Spike Jonze. ABSOLUT BLANK is a daring new chapter for ABSOLUT. “In ABSOLUT BLANK, ABSOLUT has boldly made its iconic bottle into a blank canvas to inspire artists throughout the world to collaborate and fill it with creativity. We brought together creative collaborators from a variety of disciplines and watched the journey from pure white canvas to exceptional pieces of art. The result depicts how artists and creativity are inspired through ABSOLUT,” says Mark Hamilton, Global Marketing Director at The Absolut Company.

The recent cover artist of "New American Paintings" publication No. 94 southern edition, Marcus Jansen, is one of the only 18 selected artists to contribute to the ABSOLUT campaign with a uniquely painted abstract work of art. Much of which, depcits his typical style of "urban expressionism" and that can be seen in most of his his cutting-edge as well as socio-politically charged work. Jansen had a strong year in 2011,the book cover shows his work "Creeping Obstacles in Kansas", including a selection of 40 leading contemporary painters in America today selected by noted Juror and Director of the US Biennial Dan Cameron.

The 18 artists participating in ABSOLUT BLANK represent a variety of creative disciplines from across the globe; from drawing, painting and sculpting to film making and digital art.

“With ABSOLUT BLANK, we want to contribute to a global creative movement. Ultimately, making the world even more vibrant and exceptional. It All Starts With an ABSOLUT BLANK,” Mark Hamilton continues.  ABSOLUT BLANK will be launched in several countries and going live in the UK on July 13th, supported by TVC, Print, OOH, Digital and Experiential.

ABSOLUT BLANK TV commercial


For more information, assets and other artists work,
please visit ABSOLUT PRESS link
Marcus Jansen Website 
Gallery website
My Artist Spotlight with Marcus

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn -- Happy Birthday -- by Florida Fine Art

The Three Crosses 1653

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn -- Happy Birthday

Rembrandt was born on July 15th, 1606

For my thoughts on the Master and his work please follow the links to my past blog posts.

Rembrandt Web Catalogue - wonderful resource

My Favorite Painting - a story about me and a Rembrandt painting

Creative returns on investment: Funding the arts grows the bottom line -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

From The Star.com
Published On Fri Jul 1 2011
Laura Eggertson

Creative returns on investment: Funding the arts grows the bottom line

Gone is the desperation in the arts community in the 1990s, when “we were all trying to prove the economic multiplier effect” of investing in the sector, says Tricia Baldwin, managing director of the internationally acclaimed Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir.


Now those economic multiplier formulas are well-established. For every $1 the City of Toronto invested, cultural organizations were able to leverage $17.75 in 2009, for example, Foster, Kain and Prentice report in Creative Capital Gains: An Action Plan for Toronto.

Thanks to the groundwork that thinkers like Florida and others laid, in this decade “there’s much more appreciation of the contribution of the arts to society, and not just the economic effect but the effect of creativity,” says Baldwin.

Arts organizations no longer have to justify their existence before getting money formerly viewed as a government handout, she says. They can also cite their overall contribution to society.

Common sense is also dictating that governments support these industries, says Peter Williamson, a partner and executive producer at Breakthrough Entertainment, a film and television production company in Toronto.

”Generally speaking, the governments we’ve had for the last 10 to 15 years have seen the benefits of being able to stimulate employment and economic growth,” Williamson says. Both a provincial and federal film and television tax credit have assisted the growth of the film and television industry in Toronto, he says.

[...]

Arts funding and the overall economy

• In the GTA, there are an estimated 8500 arts and culture organizations. They employ 150,000 people and generate $9 billion for the region’s gross domestic product.
• $1 in City of Toronto funding generates $5.15 from other levels of government; $5.48 from the private sector; and $7.12 in earned revenues from ticket sales, program fees, venue rentals, and bar and gift shop sales.
• 2.9 million visitors reported cultural activity as the reason they came to Toronto in 2009.
• The Toronto International Film Festival generated $131.7 million worth of GDP in Toronto in 2008-09, created 2,365 jobs and generated $1.8 million in municipal taxes.
• As a whole, Ontario’s cultural sector contributes more than $19.7 billion to the province’s GDP, or 4.2 per cent.
• The cultural sector employs 252,000 people directly in Ontario.

The evidence is overwhelming at this point. You want a recovery? You want jobs and increased tax revenue?  Increase Arts Funding!  GL

Link to article at The Star.com

Sun Sentinel -- Public art on your dime. Should you still be paying for it? -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

                                Public Art Sculpture located at the Fort Lauderdale Airport

Public art on your dime  Should you still be paying for it?
Sun Sentinel
by Brittany Wallman
12:45 p.m. EDT, July 11, 2011
Behind a secure door, up an elevator, down a hallway, behind a partition and inside some crates is a piece of public art.
The colorful glass sculpture inside, called "Linaje,'' cost taxpayers $25,000 and was planned for "high visibility.'' So far, it's only getting exposure as a symbol of troubles in Broward County's Art in Public Places program.
Exasperated Broward officials, most of them supporters of public art, nevertheless said it's time to tighten up a program that has allowed the glass sculpture to lie unseen long after it was paid for and created, and that shifts tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to art when painful cuts have been made elsewhere.
Commissioners also want a say in what art gets built, where.
"I look at my own life,'' Broward's John Rodstrom said. "I have collected art in the past and I haven't bought a piece in a while. I don't have the disposable income. I think a lot of America feels that way right now.''
Some taxpayers don't want government taking their money and buying art with it, especially art they think is ugly.
Read the rest of the article here

Public Art Sculpture outside the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center

A big debate has risen in South Florida over public art funding.  In times of financial strain art funding is seen by many as a luxury that must be cut.   By others it is a convenient excuse for cutting the Government out of something they don’t think it should be involved in.  And still others are upset by what they perceive as money wasted on unappealing art.   

The article I have posted talks about some possible remedies, none of which seem like good ideas.  One idea is to put every art project expected to cost over $100,000 to a full public vote.  That reminds me of the Eiffel Tower story I once heard.  5 years after the 1889 Worlds Fair had ended in Paris a poll was taken to see what support there was for keeping the Eiffel Tower up.  90% of Parisians voted to take it down.  Now it's over a hundred years later and you would be hard pressed to find anyone in Paris willing to loose their most iconic structure.  It would be hard to imagine an art project anywhere that everyone agreed about, especially when it is first proposed.  

Another problem is that most do not realize that no additional funds are raised, no additional taxes are levied to pay for the art.  The budget for public art comes as a percentage of the total cost to build the public building.  The percentage is usually 1% to 2% up to a certain amount.  The selection process is very thorough and is set up to make sure that local artists and art suppliers benefit from the new construction just as local construction firms, plumbers, painters and electricians do.   Our artists serve an important role in our community; they should be included in projects that use public monies just like any other industry.  And when a vital arts community flourishes so does the rest of the community.    

South Florida is a tourist destination, it is our main industry.   Cultural tourism is a growing and important part of that industry.  Again I go back to the Eiffel Tower as an example; more than 200,000,000 people have visited the tower since its construction including 6,719,200 in 2006 alone.  Not bad for a public art project.  Or closer to home you can look at the new Dali Museum in St. Pete.  Many were against the project and fought hard to stop its public funding.   Now just 6 months after its opening in January the museum received its 200,000 visitor and has been named by USA Today as one of the “top 20 places you have to go before you die.”  That translates to hotel room reservations, restaurants, gift shops, cabs, and all the other purchases that tourists make.  And the dollars that the new “Cultural Tourists” spend are staggering.  A recent study shows that two cultural tourists spend more on average than a family of 5 does on vacation.   For the state of Florida, for every dollar spent on art, it gets back 4 dollars in economic growth.

Most importantly art shows us who we are and where we have been.  The absence of art will only show future generations our failings. 

“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair.  Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart, and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration.”  Pope John Paul VI 1965.

There have always been tough times and there has always been public art.  If every other generation of Americans could find the funds necessary to support the arts shouldn't we?  GL

The Mind's Eye, 50 Years of Photography by Jerry Uelsmann at the Harn Muesum -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Untitled - Jerry Uelsmann - 1976

Harn exhibition offers glimpse into world of Jerry Uelsmann 
The Gainesville Sun - by Danielle Hipps - June 9th 2011

Imagine a world where trees sprout from hamburgers, where roots are the foundation for a wood-frame home and where man's organs resemble the valves and pipes of mechanical machinery.  

Photographer Jerry Uelsmann has brought those scenes and others to life with his darkroom manipulations, which will be on display when “The Mind's Eye, 50 Years of Photography by Jerry Uelsmann,” opens Tuesday at the Harn Museum of Art.

While most photographers explore from behind their shutters, pre-visualizing what their prints will look like, Uelsmann explores from within his contact sheets, compiling images with elements from different negatives. 

“I don't have a hidden agenda,” he said. “I just want viewers to connect with images on some basis. It's like a naturalist looks at a tree and thinks ‘How beautiful it is,' a lumber man thinks ‘How can I make a home out of that?'”

What: First career retrospective featuring classics and never-released works by the surrealist photographer and retired UF professor.
When: Opens Tuesday and continues through Sept. 11
Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays
Where: Harn Museum of Art, Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road
Cost: Free
Info: 392-9826 or Harn Museum website

Link to The Gainesville Sun article

Check out the Jerry Uelsmann website

Miami Artist Xavier Cortada joins FIU’s College of Architecture + The Arts at Lincoln Road -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Seedlings - Xavier Cortada - 2007

Via FIU News:  Miami artist Xavier Cortada will serve as founding director of the Office of Engaged Teaching, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (ETSCA) at Florida International University’s College of Architecture + The Arts.

ETSCA will be located at FIU’s new space at 420 Lincoln Road, on South Beach and will offer an extraordinary level of hands-on experience for FIU students. FIU on Lincoln Road will open this fall.

“Xavier Cortada has deep roots in this community and a rich artistic background, which he will put to work for our dynamic students,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.

 (...)

 “Art has the power to transform society,” said Cortada. “Because our community’s future is so dependent on the success of this public university, FIU’s College of Architecture + the Arts is the perfect place to continue developing my participatory art practice. I am thrilled to join the FIU family and look forward to working with students and faculty to harness the energy of South Beach and use art to build community.”

Link to FIU News Article

Xavier and I are on the Florida Art and Culture Council together and I have appreciated his work over the past year.  Not only a brilliant artist with a great career, Xavier is a real community leader and strong arts advocate.  More from the Article; "The new office is tasked with fully utilizing the talents of the faculty and students in the visual arts, performing arts, and design specialties to engage with the local South Florida community in collaborative problem-solving initiatives."  I can think of no one in Miami better suited for such an undertaking.  Congratulations Xavier!  GL

Check out the Xavier Cortada website

Oldest Art in America found in Florida -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

The oldest art in the Americas depicts a 13,000 year old mammoth

Alasdair Wilkins —There are European cave paintings that are 30000 years old, but the art of the ancient Americas remains a mystery. This bone fragment features an engraving of either a mammoth or a mastodon, and is at least 13000 years old.

This bone was discovered in Florida by fossil hunter James Kennedy, who discovered the inscription while cleaning the fossil. Realizing its potential anthropological significance, Kennedy turned the bone over to experts at the Smithsonian Museum and the University of Florida, who have now been able to confirm that this really is authentically ancient, and not just a clever forgery.

Link to Article

Mary Ann Carroll travels to Washington D. C. presents painting to Michelle Obama -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

(Tom Benitez, Orlando Sentinel / January 11, 2009)

Highwaymen painter from Fort Pierce presents painting to Michelle Obama   By Joe Crankshaw TCPalm   Posted May 19, 2011 at 10:09 a.m.

FORT PIERCE — The only female artist in the group of 26 black painters known as the Florida Highwaymen, Mary Ann Carroll, presented one of her paintings to first lady Michelle Obama during the First Lady's Luncheon at the Congressional Club in Washington on Wednesday.

"I feel like a champ," said Carroll Thursday morning after she returned to Fort Pierce. "It was a gracious thing that did not have to happen, but it did. I never expected this to happen and did not look for it."

Carroll said the first lady was gracious and sweet in accepting a painting depicting a royal poinciana tree on the riverfront in Fort Pierce.

Please go read the rest of the article on the TC Palm

Link to TC Palm article

I get to see Mary from time to time and she is always so cordial.  Mary Ann Carroll is still painting and traveling the state selling her paintings with her daughter Kandie. 

With the Highwaymen paintings the saying goes; "You can't have just one." And no proper Highwaymen collection would be complete without at least one painting from Mary.  You can find Mary at many of Florida's outdoor art fairs or contact her through her website.  She is painting better than ever and prices are very reasonable, heck the prices are a steal!  GL

TC Palm Article

Mary Ann Carroll website

Republican Congressman John Mica Battling to Greatly Expand the National Gallery of Art -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

Photo by Bill O'Leary/WASHINGTON POST

Congressman Mica’s quest pits FTC against National Gallery
Washington Post - Page 1 Lifestyle
By Ned Martel, Published: June 19

Rep. John L. Mica has what he calls a “weakness,” an obsession with art. He has fulfilled it as any aspiring connoisseur might. He scours odd shops and auction sites for objects treasured only by dust mites but still accruing worth with each passing year. He makes frequent trips to the National Gallery to research what he has bought and what he could buy. One day, while at the museum, he looked across the street and saw something old and undervalued: the Apex building, home to the Federal Trade Commission.

Decades ago, the Florida Republican was a developer. It gave him the means to treasure-hunt as well as a gut for appraisal — the real-estate concept of highest, best use. A question popped into his head: How many more Americans would benefit from the FTC building if the National Gallery were to take it over.
Please follow the link to read the whole article at The Washington Post.
Link to The Washington Post article


I have blogged about this story before and am following the developments closely. The National Gallery has more work in its collection than it could possibly display. Most of the treasures in the collection are only on exhibition periodically. The last time I was up at the National Gallery in 2007 they were having an exhibition of Jasper John's work. Amazingly I learned that it was the first time the Gallery had been able to show all the work they owned of Jasper Johns. In fact not even the artist's famous "Flags" are permanently displayed. When you search the National Gallery website what sticks out most in the descriptions of the paintings is the phrase "Not on Display". It seems that most of the collection, all important works, are stored away hoping for one day to be included in a group show or artist retrospective. We should be proud of this world class collection and more of it should be included on permanent display. Let’s hope Congressman Mica can persuade enough to join his worthy art “Crusade”!
Link to The Washington Post article
Past blog post on same story
National Gallery of Art website
John Mica website

Marcus Jansen Gets Cover of New American Paintings - posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

One of my favorite artists, Marcus Jansen, has been picked for the cover of one of my favorite art publications, New American Paintings.  This is great news for this talented Florida Artist.  It has been my opinion that New American Paintings has been especially stingy when selecting Florida artists in the past.  The publication is a juried collection of regional artist work.  They split the country into four regions and publish four different select collections.  Marcus is the first artist from Florida on the cover that I can remember.  Congratulations!  As I have said before in this blog;  "I can also confirm that many gallery owners, much more than would admit, look toward this publication for new artists to represent."  GL

New American Paintings website
My Artist Interview with Marcus Jansen
Blog post about New American Paintings
Marcus Jansen website

Federal: Oppose Termination of Arts Education in U.S. House Legislation

Federal: Oppose Termination of Arts Education in U.S. House Legislation

Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale -- Creative Summer Art Academy -- posted by Florida Fine Art Blog

There are great summer art programs around South Florida.  I will be posting links as I find them.  Remember, many studies have been done in the past two decades regarding the importance of art and creativity in the development of children. 

Creative Summer Art Academy website link

Art Around the Web -- Maritime Art Collection -- by Florida Fine Art Blog

Admiral Rodney's Fleet Deploying in the West Indies, 1782

Robert Cleveley (1749-1809)

This post is for my friend Skot Olsen who is an expert at painting in the maritime genre.  Although the subject of Skot's maritime paintings can at times be filled with pseudo - history, his ship and artifact depictions are always historically accurate to the highest degree.

Artist's like Skot are always looking for good reference material and the Blue World Web Museum has some great Maritime examples.  Blue World is an online museum supported by the Kelton Foundation.

"The Kelton Foundation promotes the stewardship, enhancement and understanding of art, maritime history and man’s relationship with the sea through its collections of maritime art, navigational instruments, China Trade art and objects, Pacific ethnographic materials, Australian Aboriginal art and other fine and ethnographic art related to these fields."

Blue World Web Museum website