August | 2014 | arthipstory

Aug 15 2014

Art

plz, call me ansel

I spent some time glorifying Hugo Cifuentes, a legitimate photographer earlier this week. A promise is a promise, so I’ll stick to my word and poke fun at my high school portfolio.

Wow, a pair of PIGEONS.

Baskets of apples. Both autumnal and ingenious.

A country fence. That’s just pristine.

You get it, though? The restaurant was called MEMORIES and it’s not open. Soooo creative!

Harry Caray is referencing my photo career, obviously.

I mean, the marquee WITH a festive cornstalk arrangement?! That composition is brilliant, if I do say so myself.

Do photographers get signed? Lemme grab a pen.

Tagged hugo cifuentes, photography

Aug 15 2014

Art

Talk about a masterpiece: “Wizard of Oz” debuted this day in 1939. The slippers were silver in the book, but they became red and bedazzling to better suit Technicolor’s audiences. No wonder the Wicked Witch wanted them…they’re gorgeous!

Tagged ruby slippers, wizard of oz

Aug 14 2014
Art, Person

katy perry does aic

Ugh, Katy Perry visited the Art Institute of Chicago earlier this week and pretended to know everything about Surrealism and just art in general. Oh! And she captured every ounce of brilliance on her Instagram. #Oy

Perry’s caption says, “um…YES IT IS” to this painting. Well, darling, if you knew Magritte’s thinking on this work (or read this post), you’d know he’s making a representation over a physical replica. So, “NO IT’S NOT.”

Her caption for this one says, “also at @theartinstitutechi the original goths #americangothic.” OH KATY. American Gothic comes from the name of the architecture used in the background’s farmhouse. It has nothing to do with the couple (though I’m feeling those overalls).

There are even more art history mess ups on her Insta. You’ve been warned. First Mondrian, now this.

Tagged art institute of chicago, grant wood, katy perry, magritte

Aug 14 2014
Art

aic tbt

People really love a good Throwback Thursday, but I didn’t expect the Art Institute of Chicago to take part. This makes me happy.

They posted the above photo on their Instagram account. The photo is of the US Military Police enforcements that were used to protect the 1948 exhibition “Saved from the Salt Mines,” showcasing works that were stolen and recovered by the Nazis.

#tbt

Tagged art institute, tbt

Aug 14 2014
Art

portrait of adele bloch-bauer i

Buckle up because I’m about to connect Gustav Klimt to Brandon Boyd of Incubus. Let it be known that I loved Incubus in high school. I mean, gauged my ears, wore Chuck Taylors, dreamt of koi tattoos, loved Incubus. Therefore, I willingly accept my own challenge.

Gustav Klimt painted this portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, the only model he painted more than once. She died in 1925 and left the paintings to her husband. He fled Switzerland during the Nazi occupation, and the paintings were confiscated. In 2004, his niece got involved and sued Austria (the paintings were in the country’s care). It was purchased for $135 million by Ronald Lauder, who owns the Neue Gallery in New York.

Lauder’s the grandson of Estée Lauder. Model Carolyn Murphy has been with the cosmetics company since 2001. She dated Brandon Boyd and was in that righteous “Are You In?” video.

Boom. I’m about to get that tattoo celebrate.

Also, impress your friends when you tell them this when the work sold, it became the world’s most expensive painting in 2006.

Tagged adele bloch-bauer, brandon boyd, carolyn murphy, christie's, incubus, klimt, new york

Aug 13 2014
Person

lauren bacall

Sometimes art is a beautiful woman who can school Humphrey Bogart with a line about whistling. And you know how I feel about a seductive eyebrow and polka dots.

Tagged lauren bacall

Aug 13 2014
Art

left handers’ day

Wondering how you’ll get to Friday?! I hear you! While I practice making this Rembrandt curl thing happen, you can read up on some of art’s most famous southpaws to celebrate National Left Handers’ Day!

(I’d use the waving emoji here, but it’s a right hand.)

Tagged left handed, rembrandt

Aug 13 2014
Art

war & peace

I need this whole look like, yesterday. The laurel crown, dismissive look, that eyebrow?! Hand ’em over, War and Peace.

Tagged picasso, war and peace

Aug 12 2014
Art

a bar at the folies-bergère

Painted and exhibited at the Salon in 1882, Manet’s work examines a popular nightclub. While I could talk your ear off about the mirror, I’m more interested in that bowl of oranges.

The Folies-Bergère was a cabaret music hall and known to entertain men in a myriad of ways. Manet lets us know the bartender Suzon is…erm, on the menu…in that he presents her with a bowl of oranges.

Art historian Larry L. Ligo says Manet does this on the reg. Another scholar writes,

The barmaid is “intended to represent one of the prostitutes for which the Folies-Bergère was well-known”, who is represented “as both a salesperson and a commodity—something to be purchased along with a drink.”

Talk about a full-service bar, amiright?!

Tagged folies-bergère, manet, oranges

Aug 11 2014
Person

robin williams

Sometimes art is the genius of a true comedian and a wonderfully-talented actor. I’ll miss you, Robin Williams, and will forever greet people with a large, “Helloooo!” before encouraging imaginary food fights with kids in mohawks.

Tagged robin williams