Monthly Archives: March 2009

Ravels in Review Friday

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We’ve hop-skipped-and-jumped around this week, leaping off cultural juggernauts to cultural lows with some harmless light entertainment in between. I expected this week to be more about the art fairs New York had last weekend, but I was underwhelmed by a lot of what I saw and there’ll be no dearth of opinions elsewhere, I’m sure.

Peak: Shakespeare, who’s apparently a babe
Trough: Paying for ersatz art of yourself. No one has yet risen to my bait of ‘why, in this post-Warhol age, the things I mentioned are not art?’ Hint: I do believe there is a reason why.
Middling organisms of cultural evolution: Noel Coward singing and my guilty pleasure reads, art heist books. Suggestions welcome.

Go Art Yourself

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This could be you!

The typical American, even with a limited interest in art, knows that those painted things hanging on the walls of museums are valuable and special. This American probably doesn’t know that a quick trip to China–well, to Made in China.com–could bring that same value and specialness to his living room wall, via an oil portrait. If you provide the site with a photograph, they’ll have their workers churn out a hand painted, 100% oil portrait of you, your family, or your dog.

If you’re more into sculpture, why not create a statue of yourself out of precious metals? You Look Like A Million will sculpt you in precious metals and gems; think Damien Hirst’s skull personallized on your coffee table. Now there’s a talking point. Note that this detail of a scupture of a boy from their website includes an iPod earbud. How modern.

For a more discreet yet fun touch, put on the cufflinks below. The head is molded to resemble your own. Everybody knows three heads are better than one. Forgive me the pun–this ridiculousness is getting to me.

For my next post, I’ll show you the wonders of the BEDAZZLER. And if you’re thinking this doesn’t count as art, why (post-Warhol) is that true?

Shakespeare, that Beautiful Bard

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You think I have a twisted point of view? Because I called the bard a looker?

Perhaps I was unduly influenced by his sonnets to the Dark Lady, you know:

‘My Shakespeare’s eyes are nothing like the sun; / Coral is far more red than his lips’ red; / If snow be white, why then his chest be dun; / If hairs be wires, black wires no longer grow on his head.’

We’ve all seen the engravings of the balding, scruffy poet…but only recently has a new portrait of the bard emerged and been authenticated.

Voila!

Ooo la la, my aren’t we the handsome lad? Aged 46 at the time it was painted, here Shakespeare still has a youthful bloom to his cheek. Not to mention some fine duds. The Guardian reveals:

“New research revealed yesterday contends that the only portrait of
Shakespeare painted in his lifetime has been found. Debates about the real image of Shakespeare often get mired in complicated, art historical detail, but
Professor Stanley Wells, one of the world’s leading Shakespeare experts,
announced in London he was 90% certain the portrait is that of the
playwright.

Also, the story of the painting – known as the Cobbe portrait – once again raises questions about Shakespeare’s sexuality. Was he more than just good friends with the man who commissioned the painting, his patron the Earl of Southampton?”