I really love this guy

Like a lot of Americans, I first heard about Antony Gormley when he orchestrated the "Fourth Plinth" performance/stunt/insanity. And then he got a lot of New Yorkers upset.

And now he's taken over The Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Taken over. He had all the work from one gallery removed and 85% from another. He had floors raised and moved. He rearranged and changed and made it a completely new space, which is fun because The Hermitage is one of the most imposing spaces around.

What's next for Gormely? I can't wait.

Usually Dinosaur Comics is for my Philosophy class, but...

Greek temple orders

Try looking here, here, and especially here.

Greek pottery

Here is a good explanation, with pictures, of red and black figure pottery.

Go read a newspaper

painted by Andy Warhol. The National Gallery of Art is doing a huge show on his headline paintings.

Catch them while you can

The Byzantine Frescoes at the Menil are going to be returned to Cyprus.

Renoir painting stolen from Houston home

For the record: I didn't do it.

Two new feeds

I subscribed to two more daily feeds this weekend:

Artwork of The Day from the Metropolitan Museum of Art gives a small picture and the basic catalog info for a different work from their collection each day. Click on the picture, and it will take you to the page in the catalog database for more detailed commentary.

Contemporary Art Daily provides multiple photos and (often but not always) some sort of commentary or gallery description. It tends to focus on a particular exhibit at a gallery rather than a single work. I highly recommend this one to anyone interested in contemporary art or the "art scene," whatever that may actually be.

Enjoy!

"How To Design a Product to Be Put on Display in an Art Exhibition"

Have you ever wished there were a simple kit that provides everything you need to be an artist?Now there is!

What would you like to ask British Architecture?

Here's the answer.

Hockney

I can (occasionally, rarely, quietly) be a pretentious, elitist snot. But I've never turned by back on Hockney, and I'm glad the art establishment, for what it's worth, hasn't either. Get to know this guy. This seems like a good place to start.

The Thinker got a tattoo

At least the one in Buenos Aires did. There are actually 22 sculptures made from the original mold.

Finally, something Ms Casperson and I can agree on

I surf the web for art news. She surfs the web for funny pictures of cats. So we can both enjoy this.

Never Mind....

After finishing our 5-minute essay practice today, I read that there will no longer be 5-minute essays on the AP Exam. There will now be six 10-minute essays!

Another take on the 9/11 Memorial

This time from Witold Rybczynski in Slate.

Marco Tempest

Here's a five-minute video you should watch if you're interested in art, magic, or iPhones.

World Trade Center

I'd like you to read two things in commemoration of the anniversary.

One is a recent essay from Simon Schama. If you don't already love Schama, you will. He's English by birth, but he's a New Yorker by choice and I trust his opinion on the Memorial more than anyone else's. (I know this is probably inappropriate, but: those of you who are already indoctrinated in the Schama cult, click on the slide show and check out Simon's shoes!)

The other is a 2001 essay by Laurie Kerr about the Islamic symbolism and tradition present in the World Trade Center building itself. I think it opens up a new way of looking at the attacks that only adds to what we already know and think about Bin Laden's horrific project.

A Primer

Before we begin Chapter 3, our first big one, and before the Tutankhamun exhibit opens at the MFAH, you should probably check out this video. It's got pretty much everything you need to know in a compact three minutes. "Maybe we can all learn something."

Mesopotamia Supplement

I'd start at ArtLex and check out their concise summary with links.

And, aside from your textbook and CD, I'd probably leave it at that. If you find anything cool to share, please let me know.

What kind of museum visitor are you?

No doubt you've already participated in a few "what is your learning style" or "what is your personality type" surveys. Here's a story about another type: types of museum visitors.

Museums are just beginning to put a lot of thought into the types of museumgoers (thanks to the DMA--yay for my hometown museum!), and it seems a good thing to know how you like to experience art. You may not have a preference yet, and you may find that your preference changes after taking an art history course and building up your knowledge base. Over the years I've moved from a timid "observer" to a fierce "independent."

Leonardo's new work

Ok, so it's not newly produced, but may (or may not) be newly seen.