So much has happened in the last week but I am still reeling from the news about Lou Reed...

This story is a wide review of Banksy's latest project, his "New York residency", called Better Out than In.  I like the work but I also enjoy hearing clear and supportable criticism of a YBA.  Those darn Brits.... the're good. 

This story about Halloween candy has implications for all art especially the applied designers among us.

a story about Luscious Jackson... it is never too late.

..a story about Neil Gaiman, returning to sandman....

an interview with Ian MacKaye...

In remembrance of Lou Reed.... even the WSJ had to notice...

Can this be true?.. the return of Neutral Milk Hotel..

Chris Burden at the New Museum as reviewed by the Journal...

I liked this Roberta Smith review of the Japanese Photographer, Takuma Nakahira, though I would have liked a link to the gallery.

for Ariel...

Is it possible that "Fast and Furious 6" was the number one movie in America last weekend?  Could I have possibly heard that right?  Seems like a very depressing sign.

...but here is some good news.

A sort of review/ article about the sophomore album of Mount Kimbie. Of course I like this... its about process, process, process.   

Click on the first listen link, and you can here the whole album plus get a little more discussion about the recent changes in electronic music.

A review of the new exhibition NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash, and no Star: the Art in America review is OK but check out the material posted by the New Museum.  (Don't forget to look at the press release.)

The exhibition looks interesting though more dated than I would have hoped.  It is noteworthy, though maybe not surprising, how many of the artists included have successful, current careers.  Still, all in all, I enjoy the Sonic Youth album more.

What I like about Artforum's review of reviews on their site: the geographic diversity, the diversity of big names versus the obscure, and the diversity of commercial as well as other kinds of galleries.

What I don't like: many of the shows they choose to review,  the lack of criticism in the reviews, the small size and paltry number of images, and the lack of links to gallery or artist websites (it's like they are afraid we won't come back).

Of the shows found on this link, I like Jessica Halonen, and the "Painter Painter" show in Minneapolis.  Plus, I still enjoy Kiefer. 

Don't forget to look at the menu on the left of the page- it shows you all the shows by location.

Another lunch break... and I enjoyed greatly this slide show, and related article from the Times.

Lunch break.... during the mural class; had some time to look at these show reviews: Michele Abeles, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Rodney Graham- all photographers.  I liked the Tillmans show the best.  Also looked at the review of Rafael Leonardo Black (which is an awesome name), I found the review and the bio interesting but the work not so much.  Like I said, the Wolfgang Tillmans exhibition was the best; the most interesting, the most mature, the most aesthetic.

This is an ok review for a less than OK show but I really like the apples by Jessica Rath.  You might want to check out the show's poster and press release.  There are both good and bad things to learn from these examples.

I like the review.. like the paintings (monotypes, really) better, but still... I want more meat.

I liked this story on Morning Edition because it discussed the relationship between sources and creativity.  It helped explain how artists have developing, maturing understanding of their work and their process:

Janos Starker dies at 88.  I lived in Bloomington, Indiana for four years; I only saw him a couple of times but he was an incredibly important presence.  The public radio station in Bloomington had a call-in, music quiz show and he would usually supply answers when know one else could.

more links....

from Indiana Public Media...

from Wikipedia...

some videos too...

Site Under Construction

I was slightly baffled to realize that there are people other than myself looking at this blog; so it occurred to me that anyone looking at these pages might have no idea what they are about.  Consequently, here is a quick explanation.

I am preparing for a college class that i will be teaching in the spring of '14.  This class is designed to help junior-level art students find coherence in their art, their thinking, their process, and their aesthetics.

This blog will become part of that course, a way of publishing lectures, readings, and assignments and a way of promoting discussion.

At the moment, i am mostly experimenting with blogging process; just testing different ways of linking videos etc.  At the same time, I am beginning to load materials that I think might be part of the class.

You may be wondering why I devoted a page to MLK's letter from a Birmingham jail (since it has nothing to do with aesthetics)- I teach in the American Deep South, and one of my units/lectures is going to be about the importance of starting with yourself and starting with where you come from.  When the 50th anniversary of the letter came up (and the subsequent news stories), it occurred to me that King's letter was a document which could help remind my students of who they are and where they come from.

                                          Julie Mehretu is a fitting next step.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history/art-history-1960---age-of-post-colonialism/pop-art/v/andy-warhol-s-soup-cans--why-is-this-art

                                         Mathew Barney seems a fitting starting point.