Miscellany and Apocrypha: August 2012

One man's treasure...

is another man's trash (that becomes his treasure). Read the story here.

Media

Oil on panel. Oil on canvas. Airbrush on pigeon? As part of the Venice Architecture Biennale, artists painted pigeons in vibrant colors to make them more recognized in St. Mark's Square.

I just found out that Damien Hirst designed the Union Jack platform for the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. It was pretty much the only thing I liked about the closing ceremonies. Well, that and Pele.

Oops!

Trying to save money, a gallery in Norway had been using the postal service for deliveries, instead of a courier service and the corresponding insurance. Now that they've lost a Rembrandt in the mail, they may change that policy.

Album of the Week

I started an Album of the Week last year for some of the students in my advocacy class, and this year it's moving here.

This week's album is Space Cadet, by Kid Koala (2011). Kid Koala is both a DJ and an illustrator, and for this project he made a soundtrack for the book. It's space-y, dream-y, and piano-y. Koala also went on a "Headphone Concert" tour with this project. He played live, but instead of speakers the music went to individual headphones for spectators.

The most gorgeous book art

There's plenty of art made from books, but these pieces by Thomas Allen are the by far the favorite I've seen so far. They're funny, engaging, and beautiful.

"Many an Art is here"

Depending on who you ask, Marfa, Texas, is the country's artsy-est, hippest, or most overrated town. Adding fuel to the fire: Beyonce! See all the photos here.

Watch for this

Beginning August 31, there will be a 73-mile light show with LED balloons along Hadrian's Wall in England. They will send electronic messages to each other so that colors will stream along the wall. This could be fun!

Dear Charles Saatchi

I know I'm not Great Britain. I'm not even British. But still, I'll take it.

Night(s) at the Museum

One of those "historic re-enactments in historic buildings" museums found a way to deal with budget shortfalls--renting rooms in the historic buildings to tenants.

Two things come to mind: have these people read "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline"? But also: which museum would I like to live in? I don't think it would be an art museum, to be honest. This seems practical.

Are you a Forest or a Tree?

Don't like abstract art? It may be because ~~your brain is flawed~~ you process information differently than those who do. A study found a strong link between people who are "global" thinkers and accuracy at telling apart works from MoMA and The Museum of Bad Art.

Just as interesting: wait, there's a Museum of Bad Art?

Columbus Circle

(photo)

If you're anything like me, and I assume you are, then you've longed to sit in a comfy living room and have a personal and perhaps emotional conversation with Christopher Columbus.

Finally, we're getting our opportunity. Artist Tatzu Nishi, whose specialty is making rooms in places where they wouldn't otherwise exist, is building a living room atop the statue of Columbus in New York City's Columbus Circle, on the corner of Central Park. Visitors will climb (or take an elevator) to the room, which will feature the 13-foot statue in the middle of it. There will be television, but no wifi, in the room.

Miscellany and Apocrypha

I'm speechless