Photo By Gail
In 1985, John Baldassari began using dots to obscure faces, which became one of his most recognizable devices. By removing the distinguishable features, Baldassari turns the figure into an archetype. In Buildings, Guns, People: Desire, Knowledge, and Hope (with Smog) includes dot-covered faces in generic photographs from political and social functions, turned on their sides.
Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: John Baldessari, Buildings=Guns=People…
Photo By Gail
Randall Harrington’s Gun Magnet is but one example of the sculptor and painter’s statement work. Known for his high-concept fabrications of recomposed weaponry, Toastasaurus herds and eerily human robots, the Los Angeles-based artist found his niche in metal and mixed media after years of assisting big-name installation and performance artists working in film-set design. The Gun Magnet wool tapestry (2019, above) was inspired by the bronze sculpture (2014), seen below.
Photographed as Part of Beyond The Streets in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Photos By Gail
On one of my recent Street Art Safaris, I found myself walking east on Eldridge Street, where I couldn’t help but notice more than a few stickers and small murals supporting anti-gun violence messages.  And then I saw this one: another work by Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra, whose work is instantly recognizable for its kaleidoscopic mosaic of bright colors. Kobra’s Stop Guns is a multi-story artwork depicting a young boy posing for a selfie, with his phone held up in one hand and a pistol gripped in the other. Very sobering. Appropriately, the piece is located adjacent to a parking lot beside Cascades High School. Continue reading Kobra Anti-Gun Violence Mural, LES
Photo By Gail
This very topical stencil graffiti/street art, “Guns Don’t Kill People, Selfies Do,” was spotted all over Soho, but specifically on Prince Street. The slogan, by tagger WhIsBe, has been around since the beginning of 2015, but this stencil is new, likely inspired by news stories like This One. Natural selection at work.
All Photos By Gail
When we were invited to an art opening last week at Other Criteria, Damien Hirst’s high-end gift shop / gallery on Broome Street in Soho, the first thing I thought of was, why have I not been to Other Criteria during its entire first year of existence? Seriously, WTF have I been up to? I wish could tell you. Continue reading Eduardo Sarabia’s Ballads at Other Criteria