Photos By Gail
Throughout his career, Robert Arneson (1930 – 1992) was outspoken about his disapproval of war. Concerned about nuclear threads, he created a series of works, depicting, military generals as monsters, inspired by aboriginal masks from New Guinea. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Robert Arneson, Ronny Portable
Photos By Gail
This jug depicts President William McKinley dressed as Napoleon as a political satire of his policy shift towards American imperialism in the Philippines. Continue reading Yes, It Exists: President William McKinley as Napoleon
Photos By Gail
OK, whoever thought of this real life Post No Bills Meme street art installation is a genius. I spotted this on a construction site wall (inside a temporary sidewalk detour) located on Second Avenue near 20th Street, on the west side the block, and had to take quick picture so I could commemorate all of these Bills! From upper left and clockwise they are:
Former President Bill Clinton
Microsoft Founder Bill Gates
Actor /Comedian Bill Murray
Unidentified Bill (He May Be a Sports Guy) — Update: This man has now been identified by Mark Morton as Bill Belichick, Coach for the New England Patriots!
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Comedian Bill Burr
and Actor Bill Paxton (RIP)
So clever!
Photo By Gail
In the mid-1960s, affordable, single-use paper clothing enjoyed a burst of widespread popularity when it was introduced to an American market eager for commodities. This Disposable Paper Dress was produced by the North Carolina factory of Mars of Asheville on the occasion of the 1968 presidential election.
Continue reading Eye On Design: Nixon Disposable Paper Dress
Abraham Lincoln as Han Solo By Michael Leavitt (All Photos By Gail)
File this one under “Must See Art” because you won’t want to miss Michael Leavitt’s latest exhibit at Jonathan Levine Gallery, entitled Empire Peaks. Continuing with the theme he did to perfection with Art Army Royalty back in 2011, Leavitt’s latest collection of what could loosely be called pop culture action figures takes a Star Wars theme and turns that wildly popular franchise’s characters into recognizable icons of history, politics and entertainment. The show is totally off the hook! Even if you’re not a total Star Wars geek (raises hand) you’re going to enjoy the high-quality representations of some very recognizable individuals, both real and fictional.
There’s not really much more to be said except that you’ve to go see this show! Here are some of my favorite pieces from the exhibit.
Donald Trump as Darth Vadar
Kim Jong Il as Jabba the Hut
Steve Jobs as C3 PO and Albert Einstein as R2D2
Mahatma Gandhi as Yoda
Martin Luther King as Luke Skywalker
The Sucklord was in attendance at the opening reception! You may know The Sucklord from his appearance on season two of Bravo’s Work of Art, or from his line of unlicensed Star Wars parody toys, marketed under the name Suckadelic. He was pretty cool to talk to.
Hillary Clinton as a Stormtrooper
President Barack Obama as Lando Calrissian
Nelson Mandela as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Oprah Winfrey as Padmé Amidala
You can tell even from these photographs that the detail is absolutely impeccable on all of these figures. Not only does each figure look exactly like its real-life counterpart, but Leavitt perfectly captures the essence of each Star Wars character in the melding of the two individual identities. High-fives all around on this one.
Michael Leavitt’s Empire Peaks will be on Exhibit Through December 21st, 2013 at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, Located at 529 West 20th Street, 9th Floor, NYC, in the Chelsea Gallery District.