Unusual Art Materials and Ideas
Globally we are coming full circle, returning to biobased materials. In fact, many early artist materials were based on natural oils, rosins, waxes, gums, polysaccharides, and other materials. One of the largest global manufacturers of raw paint materials (with offices in 50 countries) recently commented: Raw material suppliers recognize that …
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Can a culture develop an identity around certain colors? In the case of Indian Yellow, it appears to be the case. Indian Yellow, a beautiful yellow with overtones of vermilion, has been worn in India for centuries. Some say the process for making it was brought to India from Persia …
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According to the Chemical Abstract Service, there are now over 50 million chemicals listed in their catalogues. New chemicals are being produced at the rate of 25 per minute. For the artist, here’s the problem: In order to regulate the use? of any chemical, the Environmental Protection Agency must prove …
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The image of a messy workbench often comes to mind when people think of an artist’s working space. Perhaps the workbench has a row of old cans filled with brushes and assorted metal objects, some rusted with age. The top of the bench might be covered with years of paint, …
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According to legend, Giotto was the ugliest artist in town, but he was also the greatest illusionist. As a boy, Giotto was able to work under Cimabue, the highly renowned master painter in Florence. Cimabue had seen Giotto scratching images of sheep on a rock, and decided to take him …
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This idea of interaction with art is in contrast to the idea we sometimes have that great works of art are like jewels needing protection and storage in a safe, well-guarded, humidity controlled environment, much like a bank vault protecting it from the public. A strong case could be made …
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ART AND ANXIETY – “Sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear which is inherent in the human condition.” – Graham Greene, nominated for a Nobel prize in literature. He suffered from bipolar disorder, …
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In the 1930s, over 15,000 artists were commissioned by the federal government to create art for public places, including libraries, post offices, and government offices. The artists were part of the larger workforce that built universities, bridges, dams and libraries. Public sponsored works of art from the 1930s focused on …
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It used to be called the Wal-Mart effect, where large-scale merchandising techniques and international manufacturing made consumer goods so much less expensive that the big box stores put the mom-and-pops on main street out of business. Now, times have changed and we have the Amazon Effect. Basically, Amazon is expanding …
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Most Americans are used to visiting museums and galleries where there is one work of art hung in each horizontal slot, with a descriptive plaque listing the artist, date and other information. This is great if you are the creator of the art work being shown – a visitors attention …
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