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[frontrunnermagazine]

UK Art School to Host Temporary School In January

John Witiw

The Tate Modern art school of the United Kingdom has unveiled a new temporary school in which anyone can enroll. Dubbed the "This Is An Art School" project, the program will focus on wannabe art students with a curriculum developed by students, teachers, and alumni.

Reportedly, the inspiration for the project was the ever-ongoing conflict of arts programs being cut in schools. According to a released statement from Alex Schady, a program leader at the university, “We want to think about what forces are currently impinging on arts education and what resistance we can, all of us, offer to that.” In addition, lessons will also focus on social issues such as including migration, homelessness, identity and mental health.

Visitors can enroll in various workshops, seminars and lectures, with reported over 100 lessons plans available. Classes for the program will continue until January 16.

Source: The Guardian

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British Child Progidy Writes ‘Cinderella’ Opera

John Witiw

11-year-old British composer Alma Deutscher has taken Vienna by storm with her own staged opera, based on the Cinderella fable.

Dubbed a modern “Wunderkind,” in homage to Mozart, Deutscher is a product of homeschooling, and she had attributed her upbringing to inspire her art in a released statement,  "I don't go to school, I learn at home, I'm home-schooled. I read lots of books, I love reading... I read biographies about scientists and composers."

"The staging was more like a chamber opera, with minimal scenery," Deutscher’s public-relations manager, Judy Grahame said in a released statement, "There were video backdrops, for example in the palace, and then the prince running in the snow trying to find Cinderella."

The plot is set to revolve around an opera house ran by the heroine’s wicked stepmother. Instead of a glass slipper, the prince tries to find the heroine with an unfinished song she performed at the ball.

The Charles Perrault fairy tale is no stranger to opera, having been adapted to stage by Rossini, La Cenerentola, and Massenet, Cendrillon, among others.

The show will run until January 5 from Vienna's Casino Baumgarten theatre.

Source: BBC

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End December With a Collection of Krampus Artwork

John Witiw

The Christmas holiday may be over starting today (technically, the holiday actually does last twelve days, but nobody has remembered that since Shakespeare used “Twelfth Night” as a name for a show), but for those not ready to move on to New Years celebration, a collection of Krampus-themed artwork has been unearthed.

According to Germanic tradition, the Krapmus was a horned figure who punished naughty children while Santa Claus gave the nice children presents. While likely originating in early pre-Christian Germanic mythology, the figure was later incorporated into Germanic Christmas traditions, and the figure was given a more demonic appearance in later works, usually reflecting that these pieces were commissioned in cities where artists would be unfamiliar with the figure. In Catholic tradition, demons were former angels, and were still in a way bound to God, and so St. Nicholas controlling a demon to do his bidding could also be meant to showcase the power of good over evil.

Unfortunately, the various artists employed in these postcards are unknown. Monte Beauchamp, who profiled the Krampus within 2010′s Krampus: The Devil of Christmas, explained that “all the key postcard publishing houses in Europe were destroyed, so no records exist as to which artists drew what.”

In recent years, the figure of the Krampus has also been growing in popularity within the United States. While not necessarily included in traditions involving children, there have been early December festivals performed within the country celebrating the figure, and even a 2015 horror movie released based on the Krampus.

Source: hyperallergic

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Museum Hosts “Civil War Christmas”

John Witiw

The James A. Ramage Museum, which is dedicated to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's involvement in the American Civil War, held a promotion showcasing how Christmas was celebrated during the Civil War.

In its 11th anniversary on December 11, the free event hosted  an exhibit of vintage Christmas ornaments and quilts in addition to activities for children, which included ornament making. In addition, the museum was said to be decorated with raw materials that would have been used as decorations during the time period.

“ A lot of the traditions we enjoy today had their beginnings during the latter half of the 1800s including Santa Claus and decorating trees ...With changing educational systems, history is often moved to the back burner,” said museum representative Kathleen Romero in a released statement, “Our goal is to help ensure today’s youth learn about this critical time during our nation’s development and how historical events impact our lives today.”

Source: Cincinnati

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France Unveils Replica of Class Cave Paintings

John Witiw

Dubbed “Lascaux 4,” after the famous Lascaux caves, a new project has been unveiled within France detailing a new, life-size replica of the famous Lascaux cave paintings.

The actual Lascaux cave-paintings themselves, which have been considered for years to be one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, and a pinnacle of art history, have been closed off to the public since 1963, due to fear that exposure to carbon dioxide would destroy the pieces. This replica cost around €66 million ($94 million) to make, and is considered the closest replica of the original findings to date.

French President Francois Hollande is one to have visited the replica. “This is more than a copy, it’s a work of art!”he said within a released statement. While he was able to see the project a bit early on December 10, the replica will only be available to the public on December 15, where it is expected to gain  400,000 annual visitors.

The name  “Lascaux 4” refers to the replica being the third of its kind, with previous replicas only featuring a percentage of the cave paintings, and the original cave paintings serving as  “Lascaux 1.”

Source: artnet

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$9K Yellow Balloon Dog Destroyed at Florida Art Fair

John Witiw

International art fair Art Basel, which is based in Miami Beach, endured a slight tragedy when one of the sculptures, a porcelain piece resembling a yellow balloon dog worth $9,000, was shattered in an accident.

The porcelain piece, which was given the simple name of Balloon Dog (Yellow), was made by Jeff Koons, who is said to be one of the top selling living artists in the known world. It had been made in collaboration with French porcelain manufacturer, Bernardaud.

While the piece was valued at around $9K at the time it was shattered, which is believed to have been the result of it being knocked over, Koons’ piece are known to have gone for millions when placed at auction.

That said, Koons has taken to the incident quite well. “It’s a shame when anything like that happens but, you know, it’s just a porcelain plate,” Koons said in a released statement, “We’re really lucky when it’s just objects that get broken, when there’s little accidents like that, because that can be replaced. It’s a numbered plate, and we’ll just replace it.”

That said, the original piece was given specific instructions, released in English and French, on just how to handle it at the fair. This included both demanding workers to wear latex gloves while handling the piece, and keeping it out of direct sunlight. While a replacement of the piece appears to be in the works, had it been destroyed after sale, the company would not have been legally bound to have made a replacement.

Source: artnet

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Long-lost Frida Kahlo Painting Has Been Unearthed

John Witiw

For years, Frida Kahlo’s 1929 “Niña Con Collar” or "Girl With Necklace" was thought lost, and was only known to the art world from a black-and-white photograph. Now, however, the original painting has been discovered within a California home.

The painting was notably never displayed in a public setting, meaning that Kahlo had kept possession of it until her death in 1954. After the artist’s death, Kahlo’s husband had given the painting to a woman whose identity has not been made known to the public.

The “Niña Con Collar” painting was auctioned off in New York, where it was expected to go for close to $2 million. As it is illegal to import Kahlo’s paintings from Mexico, the American base of the painting added to its rarity and value. Reportedly, the painting went for $1,812,500.

Kahlo explained the nature of these early portraits in the following released statement, “I began to paint after the accident...I was studying at the Prepa, but the accident messed me up. I returned to school, but I felt very sore and had little strength. I took my paintings to Diego, and he liked them a lot...Then, the friendship and almost courtship with Diego began. I would go to see him paint in the afternoon, and afterward he would take me home by bus or in a Fordcito-a little Ford that he had-and he would kiss me. One Sunday, Diego came to the house to see my paintings and critiqued all of them in a very clear manner, and he told me all the possibilities he saw in them. Then I painted two or three things, which are around the house, that to me seem very influenced by him. They are portraits of thirteen- or fourteen-year old kids.”

Source: Sothebys

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Germany Will Unveil New “Center for Persecuted Art”

John Witiw

The German city of Solingen has recently unveiled a new art museum with a new cultural focus. This art center focuses on artwork that specifically endured persecution and censorship in its time. with a particular focus on those banned by Nazi groups or the German Democratic Republic regime.

Emil Nolde, Kurt Schwitters and Paul Klee were among the various artists whose works were profiled in the exhibit. However, it was the unseen paintings, in a manner of speaking, that were the stars and focus of the show. As  museum director Dr. Rolf Jessewitsch said in a released statement, “The Nazis banned 1,600 artists from museums, and 1,580 never made it back [to the museums]. They are the ones we are concerned with.”

To especially highlight the the theme of censorship, paintings on display still bore markings of past times, such as red stickers that proclaimed that the work was considered politically permeated. In addition to the paintings, the center will also exhibit books that had been censored by the Nazis.

Source: artnet

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Winners Announced for Rema Hort Mann Foundation Emerging Artist Grant

John Witiw

Founded in 1995, the Rema Hort Mann Foundation has devoted its efforts to help emerging artists and spread cancer awareness, in honor of its namesake, Rema Hort Mann, a late television executive.

The foundation has announced winners for the 2016 Emerging artist grant, who will each receive $10,000. as a reward of sorts for “demonstrating critical and rigorous work in the field of contemporary art, as well as an ability and commitment to making future substantial contributions to the visual arts.”

The winners are Genesis Belanger, Teto Elsiddique, Anna Glantz, Joiri Minaya, Azikiwe Mohammed, Sara Murphy, Sondra Perry, and Adrianne Rubinstein.

The picture seen above is  Adrianne Rubinstein’s The Purple Aura of a Person Inside a Campfire.

Source: Artnews

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Louvre Unveils Da Vinci Restoration Amid Controversy

John Witiw

This upcoming Wednesday, the Louvre of Paris will unveil a restoration of Leonardo da Vinci’s 1513 painting St. John the Baptist, within the museum’s Grand Gallery. However, art historians have not all been happy about the measures employed in the restoration process.

The main point of issue is that the paintings reportedly end up too severely lightened after the procedure is finished. Similar complaints were made concerning another restoration of Da Vinci’s Madonna and Child.

Reportedly, however, the museum defended the measure, saying that the surface of the painting had become significantly darkened after its last cleaning in 1802.

The final product, however, remains to be seen. However, a few details, including “the cross, the saint’s curly hair, and his fur pelt” have said to resurfaced.

Source: artnet

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Yoko Ono Pranked at Art Show with ‘The Simpsons’

John Witiw

Today is Halloween, the night of tricks and treats, and one Icelandic artist planned a tongue-in-cheek trick for Yoko Ono referencing her place in popular culture.

Ono had invited many local artists to take place within her art show within Iceland’s Reykjavik Art Museum, she included Ragnar Kjartansson, who submitted  "a single plum, floating in perfume, served in a man's hat."

If it sounds familiar, that is because it is a reference to an episode of The Simpsons, titled “Homer's Barbershop Quartet.” A parody of the rise and fall of the Beatles, Homer, Barney, Apu, and Principal Skinner are revealed to have once formed a popular band prior to the start of the show, Things go to strife when the four fight over creative differences, including Barney falling in love with a Japanese conceptual artist. Despite popular belief, the character pictured above, is never directly identified as Yoko Ono, but at the very least is clearly meant to serve as a parody of the singer. In one iconic scene, the girlfriend appears in a bar, asking for the aforementioned  a single plum, floating in perfume, served in a man's hat" as a bizarre drink order.

It is currently unknown if Ono was aware of  Kjartansson’s joke and had a good sense of humor about it, or did not recognize the joke.

Source: artnet

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Dixie State University to Host Halloween Art Exhibit

John Witiw

The Night of the Witches in soon upon us, and Dixie State University is getting into the Halloween spirit with an art exhibit set to contain around 75 entries, decorating the area with black cats, skulls, and pumpkins.

The art comes from students of the university and community members, according to sources. In addition to the exhibit, the school is also said to be offering a Halloween seminar-class, both of which are the first for the university.

“The Halloween gallery is kind of introducing Halloween to St. George,” said art juror Samantha West, in a released statement, “There really isn’t any other place in the community that displays Halloween art... Halloween is really about nostalgia for me because everyone was so into it as a kid. I just love learning about the weird stuff and the creepy stuff around Halloween because it only comes around once a year.”

The exhibit opened up on October 7 and will continue until Halloween itself.

Source: Dixie Sun News

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New Disney Art Book Unveils Long-Archived Concept Art

John Witiw

The Taschen publishing company has come forward with plans to release a new art book that celebrates the development of various classic animated Disney films.

Edited by Daniel Kothenschlte, “The Walt Disney Film Archives: The Animated Movies 1921-1968” is said to be aiming for a Christmas holiday release. The book is said to be 624 pages long and contains various piece of concept art and storyboard materials, from films including Fantasia, Cinderella, The Jungle Book and Snow White.

In addition, the book will also feature essays from such prolific animators as  Leonard Maltin, Charles Solomon, Didier Ghez, J.B. Kaufman, and Mindy Johnson.

“There were things that I was familiar with from rumors,” said Daniel Kothenschulte,said in a released statement, “but I had doubts that they actually remained in the collection because I’d never seen pictures or anything. You have to understand, if you’re a scholar of Disney, it’s like going to the Louvre and going through the Leonardo collection. It’s mind-blowing for a fan.”

Source: Inside the Magic, Cartoon Brew

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¡Celebrar El Día de los Muertos con una Galería de Arte!

John Witiw

For those who want to avoid the spooky, the kooky, and all together kooky during this Halloween season, there is the solemn “Day of the Dead,” celebrated on the first and second of November, a cousin of the holiday that forgoes the macabre stories of “brujas,” and instead serves as a reminder to honor our lost loved ones. While the holiday has been popularized by Mexican, and indirectly Spanish, influence, it is starting to grow in notoriety in the United States, the country that turned the Irish Halloween into a household name.

The Hinovations Art Gallery in McAllen, Texas is offering an exhibit showcasing artwork appropriate for the Day of the Dead festival. While the exhibit intends to have something of a spooky nature, the gallery is aware that the holiday is not meant to be scary in nature.  “One of the first things that we celebrated was Day of the Dead,” said the gallery’s owner, Raquel Hinojosa , in a released statement, “I remember I was probably 6 or 7 (years old) and I would make little skeletons and go to the cemetery to decorate.” 

“The Day of the Dead is misconstrued as Halloween for Mexico,” Hinojosa continued, “It is a celebration of loved ones who have already past. … It is just to let (our love ones) know that we still remember them...Through the times, a lot of whimsical elements have been used as decorations, mostly skeletons that are associated with death just to bring an aura, or excitement for the general public.”

While the holiday is in November, the art gallery will host the event in October to homage Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place between September and October. For those interested, there will be nine murals, an altar, and even a room filled with piñatas.

Source: The Monitor

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Raphael Copy Priced Less Than $30 Turned Out to Be Genuine

John Witiw

Don’t you feel bad for those poor folks over on Antiques Roadshow or Pawn Stars who have their hopes and dreams shattered when the item they thought would pave their way to easy street turned out to be a worthless bauble? Well, today is their day of vindication, as a similar show found out a supposed copy was real the whole time.

A painting of the Virgin Mary had been found in a Scottish home, and received its time in the sun when it was featured during the BBC TV series “Britain’s Lost Masterpieces.” Originally believed to have been the work of a  minor Renaissance artist known as Innocenzo Francucci da Imola, researchers on the show uncovered evidence to suggest the painting (which is believed to have been purchased for 20 euro) may have been a genuine Raphael.

“We had to turn this series round in very quick order,” said British art historiain Dr. Bendor Grosvenor, who is involved with the BBC series, “We didn’t have time or resources to take it on a European tour of Raphael scholars...all the evidence seems to point in the right direction … It would be Scotland’s only publicly owned Raphael.”

Unfortunately, it is believed that the series was unable to reveal this on the show itself due to scheduling conflicts.

Source: artnet

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New York Industrial Ruins Converted into Public Art

John Witiw

Artist  Tanya Smolinsky wanted to transform the industrial ruins found in the New York town of Skaneateles into a piece of public art, and managed to do so without moving or changing a thing, according to reports.

The ruins are reportedly part of the Charlie Major Nature Trail in Skaneateles, and features what has been left behind of various factories, such as a paper mill. One would expect that the town would try to clean up the trail for visitors, but Smolinsky wants people to interpret it as public art. In order to promote the area, she  created a mobile website, which has been dubbed “Site Matters.”

"I'm not interested in making more objects in a world overflowing with objects... So part of my motivation in creating Site Matters was to offer an art experience outside the traditional museum that would help people understand, if not appreciate, some important aspects of contemporary art," Smolinsky said in a released statement.

Instagram users are reportedly encouraged to promote the trail using the  #sitemattersinfo hashtag.

Source: Syracuse

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New York Gaining a Massive Stairway to Heaven

John Witiw

If this is happening for why I think it’s happening, I’d like to remind you all that the last time we tried us, it ended up being the reason we had to take foreign language classes in school. Or maybe it’s all just a loving homage to Led Zeppelin?

Reportedly, New York is gaining a new tourist attraction that will take the form of a gigantic stairway. Inspired by the work of M.C. Escher, the product will be developed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick and has the working title of “Vessels.”

According to expectations, the finished product will weigh around 600 tons and cost $150 million, and will be housed in New York City’s Hudson Yard. Instead of containing offices or retail areas, the massive staircase will function as something of an observation tower or jungle gym who interested walkers.

According to a statement from Heatherwick, this is something of a pet project, saying, “When I was a student, I fell in love with an old discarded flight of wooden stairs outside a local building site...It caught my imagination and I loved that it was part furniture and part infrastructure. You could climb up stairs, jump on them, dance on them, get tired on them, and then plonk yourself down on them.”

The obvious lack of pragmatism of the project has reportedly drawn criticism over the creation, but the stairway has at least one friend in a high place.  Mayor Bill de Blasio reportedly told Heatherwick in a statement not to feel discouraged, as, “if you meet 100 New Yorkers, you will find 100 different opinions on the beautiful work you’ve created. Do not be dismayed.”

Source: hyperallergic