Defining Art, Culture, Trends and Events of Our Times2008-07-05T12:50:58Zhttp://blog.defineart.com/atom.aspxQuick BlogDefine Art Terms of the Week - Der Blaue Reiter and Die Brücketag:blog.defineart.com,2008-06-15:3bfcf713-80e8-41a1-bbe0-949652536e72Nathan Gibbs2008-06-15T21:29:51Z2008-06-15T21:06:00ZThis week we focus on two early 19th century German movements.
Der Blaue Reiter
Der Blaue Reiter means "The Blue Rider". It was a group of Expressionist artists one of which was Wassily Kandinsky The movement was centered in Munich around 1911-1914. A focus of the group was using art to convey images and themes of spirituality.
According to record, both Franz Marc and August Macke were killed in combat during WWI. This helped bring an end to the movement.
Die Brücke
Die Brücke (The Bridge) was a group of Expressionist artists, founded by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Erich Heckel. Their work had emotional and violent imagery as part of it's trademark look... also includes Edvard Munch.
The group was disbanded due to artistic differences and the onset of World War I since it was centered in Dresden around 1911.
adapted from artcyclopedia
Nathan Gibbs
]]>California Surf Museum Benefittag:blog.defineart.com,2008-05-28:890c126e-eb4a-4c0a-8c7d-23769f3090b0Nathan Gibbs2008-06-04T21:39:19Z2008-05-28T17:43:00ZIn my pursuit of aiding the cataloging and preservation of the California Surf Culture, I decided to donate two paintings to the California Surf Museum. They recently held and event to raise money to expand the museum and make improvements. While on a recent trip to Brazil I met Jim Kempton, Director of Marketing for Billabong and VP of the museum. As many of you already know I am big into Philanthropy and I wanted to give something back.
It was a special night with some of the greatest legends in surf in attendance.
"The
California Surf Museum serves as an international repository and
resource center on the lifestyle sport of surfing through capturing,
preserving and chronicling its art, culture and heritage for the
education and enjoyment of future generations."
I donated two paintings one to the permanent collection at the museum and the other to the auction to raise money.
Here is a summary of the event... "It
was a night that “Rocked the House”…250 surfers and friends gathered
for the Inaugural Paddle Out Fundraiser with a mix of surfing legends,
amazing auction items, great food and music with SuperWave! The
California Surf Museum is thrilled to announce that over $30,000 was
raised at the event! Highlights from the evening included MC Chris Cote
and Auctioneer Terry Bagley creating bidding wars while keeping the
audience laughing. The top auction item was the Herbie Fletcher hand
shaped and painted longboard bought by Fernando Aguerre, while his
brother Santiago snagged the Surftech Dale Velzy paddleboard. Surfing
legends Shaun Tomson, Peter “PT” Townend, Reno Abellira, Bobby
“Challenger” Thomas, Gidget, Linda Benson and many more mingled with
the crowd while flashbulbs went off everywhere.
To view some great event photos, go to Photos of the event Surfing
is a business as well as a lifestyle and sport, having grown into a
$7.5 billion industry in the United States, said Dick Baker, president
of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association. He said all
stakeholders who benefit from the sport should support the museum.
"First
and foremost, the locality should be behind the museum because it has
gotten identity from surfing," Baker said. "But also the industry needs
to step up as well as surfing champions, who have gotten a great life
from the sport. The museum is a chance for everyone to give back.”
The
funds generated from the Inaugural Paddle Out Fundraiser will help CSM
provide interior improvements to its new facility to showcase surfing
for decades to come. The new facility will allow CSM to expand the
exhibit space, provide additional educational opportunities and
increase its needed archival space. Stay tuned for more information
about our next event, the Grand Opening of Harney Sushi in Oceanside,
CA, on June 27, 2008, benefiting CSM.
Nathan
]]>In my pursuit of aiding the cataloging and preservation of the California Surf Culture, I decided to donate two paintings to the <a href="http://www.surfmuseum.org/">California Surf
Museum</a>. They recently held and event to raise money to expand the museum and make improvements. While on a recent trip to Brazil I met Jim Kempton, Director of Marketing for Billabong and VP
of the museum. As many of you already know I am big into Philanthropy and I wanted to give something back. ...Defina Art Terms of the Week - Cubism and Dadatag:blog.defineart.com,2008-05-15:0465c1b2-ac86-4e38-b7bc-ba010d35331bNathan Gibbs2008-05-15T21:43:23Z2008-05-15T21:28:34Z
Cubism
Cubism was developed in Europe around 1910 by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. They once said they were influenced by Tribal Art and the work of Paul Cezanne. It was not widespread and didn't stick around for long, but it began a huge creative movement lasting well through the 20th century.
"The key concept underlying Cubism is that the essence of an object can
only be captured by showing it from multiple points of view
simultaneously."
Dada
"Dada was a protest by a group of European artists against World War I,
bourgeois society, and the conservativism of traditional thought." The artists created works and
performances which defied any intellectual analysis. They also included "found" objects in sculptures and installations that helped confuse and impress the viewer. Francis Picabia and Marcel Duchamp were some of the more popular contributors to the movement. eventually the Dada movement evolved into Surrealism in the 1920's.
Nathan Paul Gibbs
Adapted from Artcyclopedia
]]>My personal art site is unveiled! and an interview...tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-05-15:269e43e9-9943-4cba-a56e-1d183f9a220fNathan Gibbs2008-05-15T20:56:10Z2008-05-15T19:58:00ZWe are proud to announce that Nathan Paul Gibbs' (myself) art site is up. This is a larger profile site that works with Define Art.com. If you are interested in purchasing art DefineArt.com is still where you would go If you would like to find out more about Nathan and where he comes from check it out. nathangibbsart.com
Here is a recent interview with Nathan about the site:
Nathan Gibbs: So Nathan why did you want to create this site?
Nathan Paul Gibbs: Well I wanted to expand on my personal look and give people a little more detail about my process and what I am about.
Nathan Gibbs: I see. What about your other site Define Art?
Nathan Paul Gibbs: Well, Define Art is going as strong as ever. We are making improvements, adding videos, an art supply store, information pages and more. However the profile pages for our artists are somewhat limited so I wanted to personally add some more. I would have chosen Nathan Gibbs.com but that was taken.
Nathan Gibbs: Not by me.
Nathan Paul Gibbs: I know. Yea it is some lame photographer who lives in New York or something. SO I had to add the "art" on the end.
Nathan Gibbs: What can we expect at nathangibbsart.com?
Nathan Paul Gibbs: Well, it has my art theory, bio info, slide shows, contact info, links and great music.
Nathan Gibbs: Great music?
Nathan Paul Gibbs: I thought it might be interesting to put music on each of the pages that inspires me when I paint. There is music from, The White Buffalo, Fela Kuti, Groove Armada, Quantic, and more. That way people can hear the music see the art, and get a feeling of where it comes from. Nathan Gibbs: Sounds like a good site is pretty creative. What did you use to make it?
Nathan Paul Gibbs: I used a new program called Sandvox. It is a Mac program that I also used on my site, TheBetrayalofMan.com
Nathan Gibbs: Anything else new coming?
Nathan Paul Gibbs: Well we are continuing to update Define Art, bringing in artists, giving up and coming ones a chance to easily promote their work from all over the world.
Nathan Gibbs: Thanks for spending some time with me, and good luck with the site.
Nathan Paul Gibbs: Thank you. I look forward to speaking to myself again real soon.
]]>Define Art Terms of the Week - Classicism and Contemporary Realismtag:blog.defineart.com,2008-05-06:26870f70-c98f-4e2c-8a55-859cb5337c32Nathan Gibbs2008-05-06T20:21:35Z2008-05-06T19:07:00ZImproving the world's knowledge of art one definition at a time.
Classicism
Classicism was a form of historical painting inspired
by the art of Classical Greece and Rome.
In the 19th century, there was a great popular interest
in the Mediterranean region's ancient civilizations and cultures, and this
interest fuelled the rise of Classicism in Britain.
The movement was highly romantic and was inspired by historical
and mythological themes -- the key distinction being that the
Classicists epitomized the rigid Academic standards of painting. Frederick Leighton and Lawrence Alma-Tadema were the leading Classicists.
Contemporary Realism
It is different from Photorealism.
Contemporary Realism is the realistic approach to
representation which continues to be widely practiced in this
post-abstract era.
Contemporary Realists are literate in the concepts of Modern Art but choose to work
in a traditional form. Many Contemporary Realists actually began
as abstract painters, having come through an educational system
dominated by professors and theorists who are against representational
painting.
Some of the best-known artists associated with this movement are William Bailey, Neil Welliver and Philip Pearlstein.
Adapted from Artcyclopedia
Nathan Paul Gibbs ]]>The Betrayal of Man Website is up!tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-05-06:fa69b7f6-1dd7-49d4-9960-d4bf72d3c114Nathan Gibbs2008-05-06T19:55:47Z2008-05-06T18:59:00ZAfter many weeks of hard labor and government palm greasing, the site is finally up. It is in the development stage still, but I would love your feedback. Head over there and take a look.
Nathan Paul Gibbs
]]>Define Art Terms of the Week - Byzantine Art and the Camden Town Grouptag:blog.defineart.com,2008-05-01:e04f4ed6-7866-4f62-8d27-7051ef35b591Nathan Gibbs2008-05-01T19:33:29Z2008-05-01T19:08:00Z
Byzantine Art
One of my favorite art styles is Byzantine art. It is the art of the Byzantine Empire, based out of Constantinople (now Istanbul).
"Byzantine art was completely focused on the needs of the Orthodox
church, in the painting of icons and the decoration of churches with
frescoes and mosaics."
The Byzantine style was around from 5th Century A.D. to 1453 but ended when Constantinople was turned over to the Turks in 1453, during the European Renaissance. It continued for a considerable time in areas like Russia and elsewhere where the Orthodox church held sway.
Camden Town Group of Painters
The Camden Town Group was a group of artists from London, around 1911-1912. They were inspired by the dark and impressionistic paintings and engravings of Walter Sickert.
"The group held three exhibitions at Carfax Gallery in 1911 and 1912.
The shows were a failure in financial terms, and the member artists
eventually merged with several other small groups to form the London Group."
Adapted from Artcyclopedia
Nathan Paul Gibbs
]]>Define Art Terms of the Week - The Baroque Era and Bauhaustag:blog.defineart.com,2008-04-26:508172d2-6a80-48cf-9a7f-52c1d468aaa7Nathan Gibbs2008-04-26T07:43:54Z2008-04-26T07:26:00Z
Improving the world's knowledge of art one definition at a time.
The Baroque Era
Baroque Art started in Europe approximately about 1600, as a pulse against the works of the Late Renaissance. Baroque art is less complex, more
realistic and emotional.
This movement was encouraged by the Catholic Church, the most important
patron of the arts at that time, being seen as a return to tradition
and spirituality.
One of the great periods of art history, Baroque Art was developed by artists like Caravaggio, Gianlorenzo Bernini and Annibale Carracci. This was also the age of the well known artist Rembrandt.
In the 18th century, Baroque Art was replaced by the more elegant and elaborate Rococo art style which I will address later.
The Bauhaus School
The Bauhaus School is a school of design. It was founded in Germany about 1919 by Walter Gropius. Its has a modernist style, integrating Expressionist art with the fields of architecture and design. It was picked up around the world.
The school was later led by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Some artists involved included such artists as Lyonel Feininger, Paul Klee, and Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky is one of my favorites.
The school was closed by the Nazis in 1933, and many of the artists
emigrated to the United States in the years leading up to World War II,
in search of intellectual freedom.
Adapted from Artcyclopedia
Nathan Paul Gibbs
]]>Who Killed the Electric Car? $4.04 at the Shell station today.tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-04-18:e1beee05-d3ec-4c62-80f3-bfd58ca8a909Nathan Gibbs2008-04-26T08:14:49Z2008-04-18T19:31:00Z
I had this movie coming to me, but as I stopped for gas and paid $4.04 per gallon, it made me more intrigued to see this movie even more.
In 1996 electric cars appeared in CA. 10 years later they were gone. The documentary discusses comparison between gas and electric cars. In fact there was more electric on the road in the early 1900s than gas...
In California believe it or not we have smog alerts. Well in 1990 there was stage 1 smog alerts. These were the worst kind almost akin to a category 5 hurricane if that helps you understand the severity of scale....bad health.
So the California Clean Air Resources Board passed a law that stated a certain percentage of a companies vehicle fleet needed to be zero emissions by a certain date. This was a progressive law that increased the percentage number every few years. The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate passed and it stated 2% by 1998 5% by 2001 etc. Great! You say.
Well lucky for GM they had recently won a race with a car called the Sun Racer. It was a solar powered vehicle. This gave GM a head start. They developed an amazing car the outpreformed gas cars, not the solar but a plug in electric. Great! You say. If you didn't have to go more than 120 miles a day perfect for you. California Air resources board saw the car as an opportunity for adopting the mandate of car emissions.No gas! Great! You say.
It eventually became developed under the Saturn badge of cars It was the EV-1
This car would be leased for about 250-500$ per month. Great! You say.
Soon other companies followed suit Ford even had a Ranger electric truck! I would buy that in a second today.
So as the movie unfolds you begin to witness the systematical murder of the electric car.
Some examples:
Oil industry sponsored consumer organizations to get car charging stations removed because they were "unattractive"
Paid for stories in magazines that embellished the disadvantages of the car
Car companies said there was no demand
The White House under Bush joined the fight against it. Bush makes a announcement to fund hydrogen powered autos at the same time even though Hydrogen was not even viable
April 4th 2003 CA kills the electric car mandate even though the vote was 74-4 for keeping it!
They only let customers lease them. And for some reason GM wouldn't renew leases nor sell the cars
Ironically they had a funeral for the EV1s on the same day they hit another level one smog warning for the first time in 5 years. By 2004 there was only one left on the road privately owned. The EV 1s were being taken out of state off lmits to the public to even view the cars. Huell Houser on a California Green TV show discovers shredding of EV vehicles by chance and is astonished.
Eventually the Bush administration passed the $100,000 tax break to buy big gas guzzlers such as the Hummer. An electric car tax break was only $4000.
The movie goes through the different "suspects" on who killed the car: oil, auto makers, consumers, batteries etc
It also highlights the average car on the road now is less eficient than it was 20 years ago. There has been no change in required fuel economy since 1985. In fact no one since Carter has changed energy policy.Ronald regan removed solar panels from white house roof that Carter installed. It was a sad time the 1980s and 1990s for energy advancements.
The administration prompted OPEC to drop fuel prices so people wouldnt go to alternative ways of driving ..."keeping the junkie hooked up". Great! You say.
Finally on March 15th 2005, the last of the EV1s is destroyed. GM disabled even one in the museum so it couoldnt be driven. IN the end they reveal who is guilty and innocent...I will tell you it wasn't the batteries.
All I can say is rent this and let your jaw drop. Oh and be sure you watch the deleted scenes.
I am convinced that it can save America.
So as you fill up this week at $4.00+ per gallon ask your Congressman and Auto dealer, "who killed the electric car".
]]>I had this movie coming to me, but as I stopped for gas and paid $4.04 per gallon, it made me more intrigued to see this movie even more.<br>
<br>
In 1996 electric cars appeared in CA. 10 years later they were gone. The documentary discusses comparison between gas and electric cars. In fact there was more electric on the road in the early 1900s
than gas... ...Define Art Terms of the Week - The Ashcan School and The Barbizon Schooltag:blog.defineart.com,2008-04-17:c2302ed7-7a0d-4ef1-9464-53785854d6cdNathan Gibbs2008-04-19T10:01:57Z2008-04-17T20:35:00Z
Improving the world's knowledge of art one Definition at a time.
The Ashcan School
The Ashcan School was a small group of artists who, for about 5 years, attempted to document life in New York City. The style tried to capture it in
realistic and paintings and etchings of urban street
scenes. Most of the major artists were Robert Henri, Thomas Eakins, Thomas Anshutz, George Wesley Bellows, William Glackens, Everett Shinn, George Luks and John Sloan.
The Ashcan School style was continued in the American Scene Painting of the 1920's and 1930's.
The Barbizon School
The Barbizon School was a group of landscape artists working in the
mid 1900's around the French town of Barbizon, near Paris. They are part of the French Realist movement and rejected the Academic
tradition, attempting to achieve a truer
representation of life in the countryside. Theodore Rousseau is the best-known artist from this movement. Other members included Constant Troyon and Charles-Francois Daubigny. The Barbizon School artists are often considered the forerunners of the Impressionists, who took a similar philosophical approach to their art.
Adapted from Artcyclopedia
Nathan Paul Gibbs ]]>The "Two for Tuesday" California Style...and explaining the lipstick on my collar.tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-04-10:b2bddd61-f98c-409b-a79f-2feb499b8c16Nathan Gibbs2008-04-10T08:45:55Z2008-04-10T07:42:00Z I drove to Snow Summit Resort at Big Bear Lake, CA. Leaving my place in Mission Viejo about 6am. Another plus...no traffic! I was at the mountain by 8:15am. I even took the scenic mountain route. This is late in the season, but luckily there was enough snow for some really fun runs. The best part about it being a Tuesday and late in the season....NO CROWDS. There was never a wait in a chair line, I rode up by myself on every chair.
I was averaging 4-5 runs each hour. Laying down turns and carves as best as conditions and my ability would allow. Taking a break around 1130am after 3 hours of non stop runs, I had a nice chicken noodle soup bread bowl and continued runs until about 1:30. With sore legs and my second "leg" upcoming, I decided I had better get on the road.
The drive was beautiful. This time of year the flowers are in bloom and the lighting can be amazing.
Looking at the surf report the night before, I knew I was not in for a great session when I got to the beach. Expecting WNW wind, 1-3 foot surf, I powered on. Driving directly to San Onofre, I figured longboarding was my best bet for two reasons. First I was tired and didn't feel like paddling and groveling in 2 foot surf at some place like Salt Creek, and two it would maximize my wave count.
This is a big difference in my two favorite sports. On one had you have snowboarding that basically allows you to ride as much as you can with no effort in getting your run started. You ride up a chair, relax, and then you are off. Lots of rides with little effort. Then you come to surfing. Much effort, little riding time. There is much paddling. I suppose you could equalize the two by forcing people to walk to the top of the mountain, and then the effort-reward ratio would be more similar in the two sports. Yea, good luck. Only thing even close to snowboarding I guess would be a wave pool...great.
As I arrived at San O, the conditions were less than spectacular.
The reports were correct. It was windy, choppy, bad tide, unorganized, chilly, and well...bad. But alas! I was here to complete my mission. So after some music warm up, I threw on my 3/2 and waxed up the good old Rozo 9'6". It was a weird feeling just being at 8300' and now at sea level. It was almost as if the water knew I had been cheating on her with her sister. I didn't even get a ridable wave for almost 45 minutes. It was as if she was forcing me to explain myself. It was like I had lipstick on my collar and was trying to keep from sleeping on the couch that night. Maybe it was me. Maybe I was the one who had my mind and legs back on the mountain. But after much effort to convince my lover that she had nothing to worry about and that this most likely wouldn't happen again, it seemed as though she slowly, little by little, let me back into her world. The sun came out a little, I caught a few mushy long ones at Old Man's, and decided I had better not push my luck.
As I sat there pondering my repaired relationship with a jealous ocean, she sensed my remorse and sent me one last ride. Amazingly it was about a 4 foot screamer that lined up as perfect as she could give me on this day, and I rode it almost to the sand. As I rock hopped out of the shore break I turned and winked at her. As I did I stepped backward and got my foot caught on some kelp, stubbing my toe lightly. It was almost as if she was saying to me, "next time you visit my sister, wipe the lipstick off your collar before you come home".
Nathan Paul Gibbs
]]>This Tuesday I decided to finally do, as my friend Jason put it, "The California Kid". I decided I was going to snowboard and surf in the same day. While this isn't by any means the
first time this has been done, it was my first time. When you think about it, the concept is pretty amazing. Geographically there are not many places in the world that this is possible without taking
an airplane, and even then you would be cutting it close. I am sure that there are plenty of other stories out there of this same situation, with ...Define Art Terms of the Week - Art Nouveau and Arte Poveratag:blog.defineart.com,2008-04-09:3803edef-5d52-48cd-b6b6-f5150b7e1007Nathan Gibbs2008-04-09T21:11:09Z2008-04-09T20:07:00Z Improving the world's knowledge of art.
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an decorative art style prevelant in the late 19th century into the early 20th. Art Nouveau was popular across Europe and in the United States as well. This is characterized by
intricate patterns of curving lines.
Artists associated with this movement are the American glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany and Gustav Klimt.
Art Nouveau remained popular until around the time of World War I, and was ultimately replaced by the Art Deco style.
Arte Povera
Italian for "Poor Art", the term Arte Povera was formidable in the 1960's and 1970's, and is a label for a small group of artists
who were experimenting with nontraditional and politically charged art.
"These artists created and explored modes of expression such as
ephemeral art, performance art, installation art and assemblage. These
techniques have since become extremely common tools in contemporary
art; in fact this is one of the reasons that such a small and
short-lived movement continues to have such relevance today." - Artcyclopedia
Often considered the founder of Conceptual Art, Marcel Duchamp was a big influence on these artists.
Nathan Paul Gibbs
]]>Tsunami Diaries, A journey into human caring and what can come of it.tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-04-05:aee3c31f-9779-4132-aa5a-aa6bb4c4c04fNathan Gibbs2008-04-05T09:03:00Z2008-04-05T08:34:00Z
I had the pleasure of attending a screening of this movie presented by the Laguna Beach Film Society and Cinema Paradisio consultant Keiko Beatie. The movie is centered around a journey by Timmy Turner and American surfers as they head to Indonesia following the devastating Tsunami that destroyed villages and killed 300,000+ people.
Their plan however hits a road block and takes a ironic turn allowing them to start their own Guerrilla-relief mission. Acquiring a boat, The Mikumba, they set off with supplies and doctors they met who were in a similar situation, that is wanting to help but having no vehicle in which to do it. The crew consisted of surf journalists, Timmy's mom, the doctors and others.
The group brings food, medical supplies, and even a few goats to some of the smaller neglected islands in northern Sumatra. The crew on more than one occasion are the first outsiders to arrive on the devastation. Watching first hand what the villages looked like brought a tear to even the most battle hardened eyes.
As they set up relief efforts the doctors are sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of people needing attention and even combat rapidly spreading tuberculosis.
If nothing else this video inspires the savior in all of us to just do something in our lives to help those less fortunate. On the high side it gives us a glimpse into a culture that even when confronted by one of the worst natural disasters in history still finds time to smile.
This is definitely one I recommend. While you may be played out on documentaries, this is one that shows what a difference even a little help can make on the people who receive it as well as the people who deliver it.
You can view a trailer here at the official website.
]]>Define Art Terms of the Week - American Scene Painting and Art Decotag:blog.defineart.com,2008-04-02:d4fbbcfd-5340-4df9-9901-07a6f1a029f3Nathan Gibbs2008-04-02T19:30:30Z2008-04-02T18:50:00Z Improving the world's knowledge of art.
American Scene Painting
American Scene Painting took place between the years of 1931-1940. It encompasses the realist and antimodernist type of painting popular during the Great Depression. It was a style that was supposedly defining an American art style. There were two types, the rurally-oriented Regionalism,
and the urban and political Social Realism.
Some artists involved in the movement yet not pigeon-holed in a specific style are Charles Burchfield and Edward Hopper.
Art Deco
Art Deco was popular in the 1920's to 1930's. Itis an elegant style of decorative art, design and architecture which began as a Modernist reaction against the Art Nouveau
style. It is known by angular, symmetrical geometric
forms. One of the classic Art Deco buildings is New York's Chrysler Building and Empire State
Building. The Empire State Building was designed by architect William Van Alen, and is considered to be one of the world's best examples.
Artists included Tamara de Lempicka, fashion illustrator Erte, glass artist Rene Lalique and graphic designer Adolphe Mouron (known professionally Cassandre) some of his prints are seen here.
Adapted from Artcyclopedia
]]>Who owns ancient art?tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-03-31:ff139e41-4649-479e-ad2d-ca8aecbb586aNathan Gibbs2008-03-31T18:42:50Z2008-03-31T17:16:00ZUSA Today about who owns the priceless artifacts from years past. Some countries are really increasing their pressure on countries who harbor and exhibit cultural property that was not created there. A recent debate has started on the sculpture of the Elgin Marbles.
Greece was hoping to exhibit the sculpture at it's new Acropolis Museum in Athens. Britain however has other ideas.
British Museum spokeswoman Hannah Boulton says. The Marbles, she says,
won't be going to Greece — not out of fear they cannot be preserved,
but because they fit in the museum's goal of displaying mankind's
shared cultural heritage. "They should remain part of the collection,"
she says.
But why I ask is why they CAN'T be in Greece. Is the excuse to not break up an exhibit enough to not return it to its country of origin? Many countries have had similar issues. Egypt for one has really had a difficult time in recent history getting back "looted" work. Its history seems to be spread all over the globe.
What do you think? Should historical art be returned to the country of origin? Greece seems to think so, in fact, the sculpture wasn't even given away by Greece. The Ottoman empire allowed Lord Elgin to remove it among other pieces.
Personally, it should all go back, all of it.
]]>Define Art Terms of the Week - Abstract Expressionism and Academic Arttag:blog.defineart.com,2008-03-27:c1e89d97-0031-45cc-b5f0-e02332a992f4Nathan Gibbs2008-03-27T22:27:30Z2008-03-27T21:28:00Z Improving the world's knowledge of art.
Abstract Expressionism
This is a type of art in which the artist creates the piece purely through the use of form and color. It does not represent anything other than an idea, which means that there are
no actual objects represented.
Many believe that this is the first American artistic movement of
any international importance.
There are two types: "Action Painting, typified by artists such as Pollock, de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Philip Guston, stressed the physical action involved in painting; Color Field Painting, practiced by Mark Rothko and Kenneth Noland, among others, was primarily concerned with exploring the effects of pure color on a canvas."- Artcyclopedia
The term Abstract Expressionism was originally used to describe the
work of Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock and Arshile Gorky.
Academic Art
This refers to painting and sculpture produced under the influence
of the Academies in Europe and especially France. It is characterized by a very
polished style. In addition it uses mythological, religious or historical subjects. It has a moralistic tone.
The term "Academic Art" is associated particularly with the French
Academy and the 19th century salons at which art was submitted for
display and prizes were awarded. Some artists associated with this movement are Jean-Leon and Gerome Bouguereau.
Adapted from Artcyclopedia
]]>"My Kid Could Paint That" what is going on around here?tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-03-21:e46b301a-b652-4048-976a-e9fa0980cb43Nathan Gibbs2008-03-24T20:03:44Z2008-03-21T19:13:00Z
Marla Olmstead- girl artist, 4 years old. Child prodigy or vehicle for scam? Sony Pictures produced somewhat of an Indie Film of 4 years old Marla and her family and their journey. Before they knew what was going on she had sold her first painting for $250. Soon they had a gallery opening and 10 sold for $1000s...$5500 soon one sold to an Asian collector for $24,000. What was happening? I can tell you what was happening, everyone wanted a piece of the pie for as cheap as they could. I can hear it now, the collectors talking about what these things would be worth in 30 years...millions they must have said.
The film maker discussed with gallery owner how incredible it was. This guy was totally sold. As well he should have been since she was selling out every show. There was a 70 person waiting list! She was even offered a gig from Crayola but they turned it down. Laura, Marla's mother was your classic should we or shouldn't we parent. Mark her father was the painter who started her on her journey. He started her on paper then canvas.
The first time I had a thought of hmmm, was one time there was footage or her holding a pink brush yet no pink was on the painting. People came to them asking for interviews from all sorts of media outlets. The press Sun Bulletin wrote the first article then later came the NY Times. She was getting pretty popular pretty fast. My doubts started to film along with some people in the video.
How are they going to prove it I immediately asked. One time in the film you hear, "You should help..." Marla says to her dad. Is she talking about how she cant do it on her own to her father or was it the puzzle she was working on?
The film includes a fair discussion on abstract art. What captures the attention? Christies auction house art going for $20 million. One time there is video footage of her actually painting and guess what? She just paints like a three year old. He parents say that she can't paint in front of cameras as it makes her too nervous. The father says, "it is rare to get to the mud point.", referring to how she just used her hands and mixed the colors making them all muddy. Could she be a prodigy? One of her collectors, an art teacher compares her to Mozart! She would refuse to teach her, "why screw up a good thing.
At the time her painting prices doubles the New York city average for oil paintings, but alas she paints in acrylic. Her own gallery owner says they could be on par with Warhol.
At this point I am skeptical, but I love to see great stories so I was reserving judgment until the end. Then came the 60 Minutes episode. It discussed how she earned more than $300,000, everything started out normal and even was making Marla look great. They talked to an art psychologist specializing in prodigies and she said, "You could put it in museum of modern art." But then once she sees the video of painting she changes her tune about the painting style. She couldn't buy that the same girl did the same paintings. The experts speculated that some paintings were either not finished by her or touched up by someones else. The film shows the parents watching when the bad news comes and are just dumbfounded by the 60 Minutes story. It was not good.
At the LA gallery opening you could tell everyone was nervous after the 60 Minutes episode The collectors start questioning whether she even did them some even wanting their money back. The gallery owner was thinking of leaving town. The film maker is trying to get a painting filmed. It would prove everything to be true. Soon even the filmmaker has doubts about it. Artwork sales come to a stop and mom is fine with it. The gallery owner quits on them, a realist painter who is frustrated with his style vs. abstract is done with it.
Then it happens, seeing the value of marketing, the parents finally get a dvd made of her making a painting. The gallery owner buys back in. He has another opening at his gallery reinvigorated by the idea, he pulls in a customer at the pre opening. She struggles over the painting but finally is convinced to buy the one on the DVD.
Was controversy a positive thing? In a interview with the filmmaker at the end, the couple seems like they have a harder time convincing the film maker that it all is legit. She wants to take a polygraph but we never see that.
The film title says it all. What is abstract art? Can a child do it as well as a professional? You tell me which one of these paintings were done by a child.
]]>Every once in a while there comes a situation that is both hard to believe and easy to believe. I ask you to, as you read this consider how easy it is to believe either side of the
story. <br>
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...New and Improved forums up and running!tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-03-08:0452eaca-fee9-4f89-910f-ec81ba518c79Nathan Gibbs2008-03-08T23:48:48Z2008-03-08T23:32:00Z
Hello every one! The Define Art Forums are up and in testing. I am offering incentives to anyone who joins and starts enjoying a new community discussion. This will help the site get moving and test for any bugs. The forums have sections to post questions and information about your favorite artist, discuss gallery openings you have been to, post poetry, talk about literature, politics, and yes you can't forget about music. This isn't enough? Post what is going on with you here on Earth in the general discussion section.
The incentive is this, each Post you make gives you a better chance in winning a piece of art from me, Nathan Paul Gibbs. Every 500th post I will randomly select one post through a highly complex math formula, certified by a 4th grade math teacher. You don't even have to pay shipping. Free shipping in continental U.S. Foreign residents may win, but must pay shipping costs.
Please forward this on to all you know.
Thanks for your support!
Nathan
]]>What can you say is passed down from your grandparents or ancestors?tag:blog.defineart.com,2008-02-20:9557f807-f182-43e3-9735-a72906d5b1aeNathan Gibbs2008-02-20T21:37:29Z2008-02-20T20:30:00Zn ancient times people passed on knowledge from one generation to the next. It was a way of ensuring that skills, stories and family traditions stay alive. I have spent many sessions with my grandparents over the years, attempting to accumulate as much as I can in way of stories, lore, and family history. Not to mention just having a great time. My grandfather is an excellent draftsman, carpenter and wood worker. I have learned how to do anything from construction, turning wood bowls and even making cedar chests. While I am by no means an expert, I do sell the wood products I make, and while it is not a fortune I feel as though if I were a craftsman in the middle ages, I could make enough of a living to lead a good life. So as a fantastic hobby and bonding time with my grandfather, Duane, I get exposed to a myriad of stories and clues to leading a more interesting life. Enjoy this little video I filmed of a session finishing a wood bowl in his wood shop in Allyn, Washington.
This is some of the beautiful pieces he has done recently. Lamps, bowls and more.
Hours in the shop means lots of clean up.
The video is about 4 minutes. You get to see how a bowl is finished, but even more so, you get a great remedy for treating a burn on your finger. Trust me, it is one you probably have never heard.
You can see the video here. It is on my home page at the website.
Enjoy and pass it on to your friends. You can see more of my wood working under my galleries at DefineArt.com
You can also contact me about my grandfather's work at ngibbs@defineart.com
What is being passed down to you from your ancestors?
]]>In ancient times people passed on knowledge from one generation to the next. It was a way of ensuring that skills, stories and family traditions stay alive. I have spent many sessions with my grandparents over the years, attempting to accumulate as much as I can in way of stories, lore, and family history. Not to mention just having a great time. My grandfather is an excellent draftsman, carpenter and wood worker. I have learned how to do anything from construction, turning wood bowls and even making cedar chests. While I am by no means an expert,Alma Surf Festivaltag:blog.defineart.com,2007-12-03:f4af725d-67db-4071-8c80-13a943632efbNathan Gibbs2007-12-09T23:39:26Z2007-12-03T22:21:00Z
I was recently invited to participate in what is fast becoming the cultural event for surf culture in all of South America, and perhaps all of the Americas in total. The Alma Surf Magazine based out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a focal point for communicating the surf lifestyle, art and culture from a open and free frame of mind. The Festival is in it's 4th year this year highlighting again a broad range of surf culture.
The festival featured six components of surf lifestyle. The first component was surf related visual arts. Including myself, there was a total of forty-two artists that work was requested to be sent and to be exhibited. Not all artists were in attendance, but some of the guests were myself, Jay Alders, Celine Chat, local Brazilian talents Ciro Bicudo, Claudia Simoes among others. There was a wide range of art. Watercolors, oils, acrylics, installations, mixed media, photo manipulative artwork and many more combinations of them all. See pictures of the event here.
Left to Right: Nathan Paul Gibbs, art from Celine Chat, Ciro Bicudo
The next component that was a main focal point was the surf photography. Some of the leading surf photogs were represented. There was work from David Pu'u, Marcelo Piu, Sean Davey, Jamie Brisick and many other of the greats. The organizers printed huge selections from each of the photographers. Some of the photos were well known but luckily photogs like Sean Davey included some of their little known artistic pieces. Sean Davey included one piece that was especially powerful. It was a bird photographed with such detail and visual intensity that it's eye seemed to pierce my soul. In addition Sean showed me pictures of a series where he captures the foam splashing upon the shore with high detail. He was probably the most well rounded of the artists there at the event. Sean's surfing archives include such notables as Kelly Slater, Andy
Irons, Jamie O' Brien and Pancho Sullivan at the best locations
including Hawaii, Australia, Tasmania, Teaupoo, King Island and many more. He has had 100 or so cover shots, photographic awards and many other accomplishments.
Sean Davey in Sao Paulo, one of his works
If paintings and photography wasn't enough, Romeu Andreatta Filho, owner and publisher of Alma Surf Magazine and producer/promoter of the event has amassed an enormous collection of surf literature. Even my book The Betrayal of Man. I estimated that there was over 220 books relating to surf history, surf culture, photography, fiction, articles and just about everything else you can find on the subject of surf. You can find a complete list here. I enjoyed reading articles by Jim Kempton (former editor of Surfer, now with Billabong) and discussion some of the history of the business with Rick Irons, publisher of Surfer Magazine and Bob Mignogna industry insider and media expert. They had so many stories about the industry, professional surfers, and companies that would have made a book of their own worthy of reading. Destiny Irons, whom I loved chatting with during the down times of the trip wrote her own review of the event here.
Rick Irons, Jim Kempton explore the literature exhibit
If live action was your cup of Acai, then there was plenty of that in the film festival. Keiko Beatie was the film curator. She put together a well rounded selection of films. Not to mention acting as a tour guide, friend and sometimes mother to us all during the trip. Without Keiko it would definitely would not have been so smooth. Some were Chasing the Lotus (Gregory Schell), Trilogy (Taylor Steele), Carving ( Roberto Vezzone), The Lost Wave (Sam George), and Bra Boys (Sunny Abberton). Probably my favorite was Carving. It was inspiring, creative, and took an unusual look at enviro-surf concepts. Roberto is from Sao Paulo and he took us around showing us the city and culture. It was a great experience.
After speaking with Sunny, I was impressed with the story behind the movie. I had known about the Abberton brothers but not the interesting story behind them. To to top it off the story of how he landed the movie was almost as good. With Russell Crowe in narration and the future of this movie produced to the big screen, many people will know about the Bra Boys. I can't wait for the L.A. premiere...Check out an interview with Sunny. Look for major premiers coming soon. Sunny and his wife Gina were classic people.
Bra Boys movie poster, Sonny Abberton explaining the concept at the Sao Paulo screening
What would a surf culture exhibit be without surf boards? There were innovative shapes with concaves, futuristic tails, unknown rails, and graphics that would make Rick Griffin drop his pants. The "art" shapes I called them, were not really functional in the traditional aspect, but definitely got the mind racing on how and where you could put the shapes to good use. They were all insane, with one shaper really catching my eye Gustavo Kronig. He is based out of Rio. I enjoyed discussing the Brazillian surf culture over breakfast. He had good insight into the shaping industry and how it impacts and is impacted by the local economy.
Left to Right: Boards, can this be ridden?, Kronig model
Finally, after all of this, each night we had killer music. Four groups were in attendance. Matt Costa and some of his boys from southern California (Huntington Beach), G-Love aka. Garrett, A.L.O. or Animal Liberation Orchestra and Donovan Frankenreiter and is partner in the band Matt Grundy. I had seen three of the four in concert before. G-Love I saw way back on the HORDE tour and have been listening to him for years. Matt and Donovan are new favorites within the last few years. Seeing musicians play in a foreign country was a different experience, not to mention being back stage and discussing some of their music with them wasn't too bad either.
Live TV show recording with all the musicians in Rio. Good music.
Matt Costa's performance was soulful if not riveting. The tunes surrounded me like a school of bait fish. Whiskey and Wine and Desire's Only Fling are always my favorites. Desire's Only Fling gives me the feelings I get when I am working on a painting. Superb just superb. Not to mention spending time with Matt proved to me he was not just a good musician, but quite an introspective fellow.
Matt Costa, mystifying
After being a fan of G-Love for years I was excited to hear he was on the bill for the festival. He has always amazed me with his ability to free-verse the flow as good as anyone. The harmonica play combined with a urban slant makes a combination that resembles a musical Mojito cocktail. Speaking with Garrett I came to understand how his attitude toward life resembles his free flowing music. He was ready to party, have a good time and was not above being down with hanging out.
G-Love, bringing it down south of the border
Donovan I had always been a bit skeptical of. I had seen him live, but I always got the impression that music was a secondary skill to his surfing. How wrong I was. Between the jams we had and the live shows in front of the crowds, it may be the surfing that takes a back seat to the music. His witty comments, fun loving attitude and personal connection he made with people on the trip definitely backs up his presentation of character. Donovan really had the crowds riled up in Sao Paulo and Rio, and was somewhat of a micro-star. I had no idea he was as popular as Renaldo...well not quite. Matt Grundy was picking apart the strings like a cheetah on a gazelle. I was so impressed I offered him some of my milk and ice cream but he didn't take it...
Left to Right: Matt Grundy and Donovan
I had not experienced the musical feast that is A.L.O. prior to this trip. Thankfully for me and them, they made one more fan of their music. Zach's vocals were some of the best I have heard in a while. Steve Adams (bass/vocals), Dan Lebowitz (guitars/ percussion/vocals) and David Brogan (drums/vocals) were all very well rounded. They had a tight playing style that was whimsical yet driven. Being involved with all these guys, ALO, Matt Costa, Grundy, Donovan, and G-Love playing Bongos was a special experience. Even though I have little musical talent, it was an insanely ritualistic time.
A.L.O. musical feast...
The staff and locals were amazing. They treated us like kings and queens. Romeu, Adriano, Adelia, Daniella, and everyone else create and run a first class event. Romeu
also brought in kids from Sao Paulo to show them that creativity can
take you from poverty. Introducing many of them for the first time to
the different aspects of art. I was trying to get momentum going to have an event like this in the states...anyone interested?
In summary, when you get painters, authors, filmmakers, musicians, and other creative minds in one place, special things happen. If there were more events such as this I could only imagine what wonderful things would be born from it. There are not many places to meet collectively as creative minds and come together. Although, I can think of one, in fact it was the one that brought most of us together in Brazil in the first place. The surf.
Left to Right: One of Nathan Paul Gibbs's interviews, Nathan and Romeu event creator, children touring the event
See more pictures of the event here. ]]>I was recently invited to participate in what is fast becoming the cultural event for surf culture in all of South America, and perhaps all of the Americas in total. The Alma Surf Magazine based out of Sao Paulo, Brazil is a focal point for communicating the surf lifestyle, art and culture from a open and free frame of mind. The Festival is in it's 4th year this year highlighting again a broad range of surf culture.
