Titian at the MFAH

It was fun to see some APAH All-Stars and see the Titian exhibit at the MFA.

I think there are probably about three paintings of the 13 that anybody would really want to spend some time with, though which three depends on the individual viewer. I found Titian's Diana and Actaeon captivating, and I also really liked a Virgin and Saints painting by Lotto. I don't think anyone in my party cared for the painting I dubbed "Boobs in a Petri Dish."

I've never had this reaction before, but overwhelmingly I thought of the cost of the show. Not the cost of the paintings, but the cost of admission. $17 seems a little high for 25 works (12 of them drawings). Even with the student discount, you're still paying a buck a painting.

So please go to the show and enjoy it. But find someone with a membership who can get you a free ticket.

Another pyramid found...in Germany

This one is made of beer! And museumgoers got to destroy the pyramid by drinking the beer!! And they didn't even have to dispose of the trash!!!

Don't worry--it's making an anti-colonialism statement. It's still art.

17 new pyramids!

What good are space satellites? Other than beaming in 300 channels of entertainment (when will there be a 24-hour Lady Gaga channel? You know it's coming soon), they can also find really old buried stuff in Egypt. Like, for example, 17 pyramids, 1,000 or so tombs, and over 3,000 settlements.

Here's a summary.

Because of inexhaustible interest in ancient Egypt and the relative ease of finding dense bricks in a sandy desert (from space!), this seems an obvious use for this kind of high-tech scavenger hunt. But here's my question: if we can find old and hidden buildings from space, what else should they be looking for? Don't you dare say Atlantis.

Remember this study...

...and cite it every time you hear "my child could have made that." Turns out your child, who is surely a smartypants and natural talent, probably couldn't have made that.

The (Healing) Power of Art

Schama taught us all that Art has Power. To transform, to transcend, blah blah blah.

Now the power of art to heal us of our maladies is literal. Artist Alexander Melamid has opened a clinic in New York to cure medical conditions through art. My favorite lines from the NY Times article:

"He looked warily at a vitrine displaying something called an 'Art Infuser,' which appeared to be an old VHS tape connected to an enema bulb."

"But whatever is not funny is not true. That’s why truth has never been revealed, because scientists don’t understand that the end product needs to be funny.”

I wonder what he can do for my allergies?

Or are you stuck in Houston?

No fear--the new Titian exhibit just opened at the MFAH. I haven't been yet, but it's apparently two Titian masterpieces that you'll definitely want to see and a handful of other Renaissance paintings (by Titian and others) that you may want to see.

I'll let you know what I think when I have a chance to go this summer.

Going to be in London soon?

Check out the Tracey Emin retrospective at the Hayward Gallery.

Good news: it has a ton of work spanning decades. Bad news: except the tent and the bed, which is what you want to see.

Reviews here and here.