Street Safari: Hunting Trophies of Dubai by Vincent Fichard

I don’t know much about Vincent Fichard, AKA Vincent Who, but I believe in the work he’s doing. From what I gather from his bio, he is thoughtful and heartfelt – two qualities that are indispensable to an artist who makes it his mission to enlighten through narrative and inspire with strong ideas. Vincent is a traveler. He’s lived in places that I can only dream of visiting – South Africa and the Middle East – and now lives and works in Paris, France. Where he’s lived is important to note because, unlike the average globetrotter who’s passport stamps and dusty collection of souvenirs are the only record of said travels, Vincent created bodies of work that reflect upon his experience and time spent in the places he visited. In 2007, he created the lovely short film “Go Around Twice if You’re Happy”, which has received over 1 Million hits on Youtube and is one of the most discussed short films on the site. Check it out:

Vincent Who’s latest project is this Street Safari series, inspired by his experience in Dubai. Rather than glorifying the superficiality of wealth and mega-tropolis trappings that Dubai embodies, Vincent reflects on the wasteful exuberance of a culture that is not considering its impact. These days, it’s difficult to make a political statement without scaring people away. I believe Vincent Who manages to hold his audience’s attention through clever story-telling and a non-judgemental depiction of the subject matter at hand. I really enjoyed this body of work and hope you do too. Continue reading for more images and info on the work in the artist’s own words.

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Bas-Relief Sculpture by Ron van der Ende

Ron van der Ende, Ørnen (De Adelaar / The Eagle) 2007 Bas-relief in reclaimed timbers, 120x170x16cm (company collection Barendrecht NL)

I love discovering a new artist whose work is different, and a little fun. Ron van der Ende is a Rotterdam, NL-based sculptor who specializes in wall-mounted bas-reliefs constructed from found wood. Bas-relief is your A&O word-of-the-day and it means a sculpture in which forms extend only slightly from the background. Ron van der Ende’s collection of work includes sculptures of various vessels – mechanical and sea-faring – as well as structures: houses, factories, buildings, and that sort. I love how the background factors into the entire experience. I also enjoy how the photographs add another layer of viewership to these works. By that I mean that, in person, they probably appear more as definite relief sculptures, but over a computer screen, they look to be a 2-dimensional creation – a painting, or a staged photograph. Adding to the painterly aspect is the mosaic of color and texture that looks as though it was applied to the image with a brush. I’d love to see these in person. Viewing them on the computer screen will just have to do for now. Enjoy!

on van der Ende: Schooner (S.S. Roosevelt) 2007 Bas-relief in reclaimed timbers, 215 x 155 x 12cm (West Collection, Oaks, PA, USA)

Ron van der Ende: 727 2008 Bas-relief in reclaimed timbers (West Collection, PA, USA)

Ron van der Ende: NASCAR Charger 2009 bas-relief in reclaimed timbers, three parts, total dim. 305 x 96 x 10cm.

Ron van der Ende: Peekskill 2008 Bas-relief in reclaimed timbers, 150x125x14 + 20x15x15 for the ‘meteorite’

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Favorite: Eva Hesse

Ohne Titel 1966 Black ink with wash and pencil on paper 29.8 x 22.9 cm > 11 3/4 x 9 inch via evahesse.com

Eva Hesse was one of the artists who led the Postminimalist movement. She was a brilliant sculptor and painter who took such cold and unfriendly materials as latex, fiberglass, and plastic and imbued them with warmth and the pulse of a beating heart. She died before her time but not before leaving behind a prolific collection of work that can only make one wonder how much more she could have contributed had she been gifted with not just pure talent, but length of days.

Untitled, 1966. Brown ink wash and pencil, 13-3/4 x 10-3/4 in. via walkerart.org

Ohne Titel 1966 Ink wash on rag board 14.1 x 17.7 cm > 5 1/2 x 7 inch via evahesse.com

Look for the Eva Hesse traveling exhibition at the Berkeley Art Museum in 2011.

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The Art That Keeps on Selling…Itself

Caleb Larsen "A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter"

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Caleb Larsen’s “A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter” since I first learned of it via C-Monster. Initially, I dismissed the piece as the poster child for all that’s wrong with modern art. It’s just another black box in a white room, right? Wrong. So, so wrong. This particular black box is wired to the Internet and programmed to put itself up for sale on eBay every ten minutes. So, it can never really be owned, pointing to issues of the changing marketplace and the expectation of art to “belong” and be permanent. For me, the piece begs the questions of “what is ownership?” and, “can anything really be bought, sold, or owned?”

“A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter” was purchased in January for the first time, only to put itself up for bid again. It’s current owner, Terence Spies, was recently interviewed for The Stranger and shared his obsession with a sentiment that’s easy to relate to, “I have this thing, and I really want to keep it, but the reason I want to keep it is that it might leave.” When asked if he would bid against anyone trying to purchase the piece in the next eBay auction Spies said, “I own it, but I’m the only person in the world who can’t buy it.” Call me crazy, but this concept just gets to me…in a good way. It’s that whole human dilemma of unrequited love – wanting the one thing we can’t have.

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Brendan Monroe at Richard Heller October 17th

Observer (sitting), 2009, Paduak, 24 x 12 x 9 inches

When I first began purchasing art a little over five years ago, Brendan Monroe was one of the first artist’s whose work caught my attention. His work continues to inspire, reaching new levels of craft and concept. If you’re in the LA area, be sure to go by the Richard Heller Gallery for the opening of Brendan’s latest solo show, “Places Between Here and Here”, a title almost surely influenced by the artist’s recent move to Stockholm. The show opens on October 17th from 5-7pm.

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Taxidermy Art by Annie McKnight

Annie McKnight, "Untitled", Silver + Taxidermied Mice

I’m a huge proponent of animal rights and for humans to exhibit humane treatment and respect for all living creatures. That being said, I’m loving what artists, in adherence with taxidermy laws, are doing with dead things lately.

At this summer’s MFA show at CCA, I bumped into the work of graduate, Annie McKnight and found

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Fractured Translucence: Site-Specific Installation by Kimberlee Koym-Murteira Opens August 21st

It’s rare that I see video installation work that interests me both conceptually and aesthetically. The work of Kimberlee Koym-Murteira is the exception to this rule. Her work is engaging (some pieces are actually interactive) and thoughtful without losing its sense of beauty. I’m incredibly disappointed that I will miss her opening at 1078 Gallery in Chico, CA on August 21st, but you don’t have to. Follow the link to learn more about her upcoming show and to check out stills of her past installation work.

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Studio Visit with Elizabeth Kunath

Back in March, before I started this blog, I had the pleasure of going by the studio space of San Francisco artist, Elizabeth Kunath. I knew she had been busy creating a new body of work so I was really excited to see the new direction in which she was going.

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Studio Visit With Skinner

I was up in Sacramento on business and decided to drop by Skinner’s studio to say “hey”. The big, barn-like structure he uses for a studio

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