Tag Archives: Tara Giannini

Farewell Culture Pundits

Posted on by
And if forever, fare thee well!

Perhaps you noticed a lack of attractive advertising above this post, like the one that led me to artist Tara Giannini. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Culture Pundits, that nice ad network, and I are no more. It’s not Culture Pundits, it’s me, there just wasn’t enough clicking…no doubt you’ve heard this before. You know, the conversation that started with, ‘We need to talk…’

Or perhaps you haven’t! Don’t get your feathers ruffled. There’s no reason anyone would ever say that to you, erm, I mean, your blog. It’s not personal. Remember, the sun’ll come out tomorrow. You’ve still got me, babe.

And I-iii-i will always lo-ove yo-ooooooooooooooooouuuuu!

Ravels in Review Friday

Posted on by

You! No—It’s too late now. I’ve seen you, and now you have a chance to see the workings on a highly critical (or is it high and critical?) mind at work. Read on, for my ravels in review of this week.

There was an artist toeing the line between beautiful and ugly that I discovered through an add, Club Guggenheim did not rock, insight into where to get your art gossip, Reena Spualings confirmed not a fake by said art gossip, and yoga invaded MoMA. Whew–what a busy week!

But most particularly, read my post on painter Marlene Dumas’s retrospective now at MoMA here in New York. This artist is generating reactions that range from rave (LA Times) to snide (he at New York Magazine who shall remain nameless ) to “warm” (New York Times) to tentative (mine). What do you think of her work? Why does she create such ambivalence?

Serendipitous Ads and artist Tara Giannini

Posted on by
Good advertising brings your attention to things you want to know. One day I looked up at the top of my blog, and saw an ‘ad’ I immediately liked. It was a detail of the work above. You see, I belong to Culture Pundits, a network of art blogs and artists who display ads related to the arts (and for some reason Tekserve). Serendipity! I can’t think of the last time an ad showed me anything of interest, much less introduced me to a new artist.

Idiotically, I did not click on the ad. So I had to do some sleuthing to find artist Tara Giannini‘s website and more of her intricate, layered panels. I can’t decide if they would fit better in a Regency mansion or creepy junkshop. Apparently, the artist had something similar in mind, stating that she tries to find the line between ugliness and beauty.

Based in Brooklyn, Giannini describes her work as exploring “the implications, limitations and individual perceptions of taste, beauty and excess in both art and culture, while simultaneously exploring my interests in overindulgence, visual complexity and ornamentation. It is a romantic and celebratory exploration into personal ideals of the beautiful, and the play that exists between the natural and the artificial.”
I love the thickness of the paint and lushness of the materials. While these works don’t quite have that creepy air of Victorian dolls, Giannini takes the same neo-Baroque, over the top aesthetic and pushes it until it’s on the cusp of breaking down. It’s interesting and sensual in an unpleasant way.

This kind of detailed, 3D works is better appreciated in person, especially for grasping scale, but sometimes you just know you like something, right?