Bernini Portrait Sculpture Exhibit

This is fantastic! - the Getty Museum in LA is currently exhibiting works of the great Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini:

Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture

The exhibit, the first of its kind in North America, runs through October 26 at the Getty, then moves to the National Gallery in Ottawa from Nov. 28 to Mar. 8.

From the National Gallery website:

Under the influence of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and others in his wake ... the portrait bust once again became an innovative and groundbreaking art form. These sculptors were able to capture a person’s appearance not simply by portraying what is visible but rather by depicting character through a more animated, living, and breathing rendering.

The level of virtuosity displayed by Bernini and others in his sphere in coaxing such a rendering from the intractable medium of stone astonishes scholars as well as the general public. The opportunity to view their works in close proximity will shed light on the remarkable artistic innovations of the period and provide an exceedingly rare glimpse into the inter-relationships and variations of style among these artists. An exhibition on this topic has never been mounted before and it is expected to raise a number of issues such as the trajectory of Bernini’s career, persistent questions of attribution, theories of portraiture, and the critical response to this production. These topics are of interest to both scholars and the general public.

Modern art strikes again

London's Tate Modern museum has been at the forefront of the assault on art -- and consequently on culture.

Now that assault has turned physical: several visitors to one of Tate Modern's "art" "installations" - a large crack installed in the museum floor - have been injured after falling into the crack:

Art lovers fall victim to crack

This is like a cross between Atlas Shrugged and Monty Python. It would be funny if it weren't so serious. The damage inflicted by this modern "art" work is not just physical; given the crucial role art plays in our lives, bad art can crush not only bones, but also human spirit.

Update: An editorial on the crack

Metaphors are the key but not the ones about colonialism, racism and social division the artist talks about in the gallery blurbs.

No, this is a crack that runs through the world's most popular museum of modern art. Just as Hirst's diamond-studded skull symbolises the pinnacle of vanity of the contemporary art bubble, the crack symbolises its imminent collapse.

In the past 10 years, prices paid for art have rocketed, often by a factor of 10, and an army of mediocre artists have been hyped beyond all reason. Last week, Sotheby's share price dropped 37 per cent after an unsuccessful modern art auction.

But the quake has only just started - it'll measure 12 on the
Gerhard Richter scale - and the earth is set to swallow up some of the most famous names and sacred tenets of contemporary art.

Lets hope so.

Some new realist painting

I came accros this interesting studio/gallery, Bohemiarte, while walking by on the street. You can see some of their paintings in the picture below (click for better picture).

I had a quick chat with the owner, who seems to be affiliated with the new realist movement; she is also familiar with the Art Renewal Center. Unfortunately she was teaching a class, so I'll have to go back again for more information. It would be interesting to see if they are familiar with The Romantic Manifesto.

Intellectuals vs. America, yet again

A Chicago Tribune editorialist searches for the great Amercian novel. Among her picks:

I'm momentarily partial to the violent incantations of "American Psycho." Reviled upon its initial publication for its gleeful gore, Ellis' novel about an unrepentant serial killer strikes me these days as witty and knowing. It's filled with brand names and sex and social anxiety ...

The rest of her picks aren't much better.