The Armory Show opens today in NYC. Artsy has it all online. I found a few lovely dogs, some fun Andy Warhol cats, and, I don't know if it's a spring thing, but my pick (pun intended) for best in show: Ellsworth Kelley's Daffodil.
The 5th annual "Bark!" exhibition at John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis, California, is a tribute to human's best friend and seminal NorCal dog artist, UC Davis professor, and founder of the Funk movement, Roy De Forest (1930 – 2007). The show includes 40 artists across several mediums and opens tomorrow night, Saturday, February 8, with a reception from 7 – 9 pm.
Best of all, dogs are always welcome at the gallery.
John Natsaoulas Gallery
521 First St.
Davis, CA 95618
"Bark! A Tribute to Human's Best Friend" runs until March 1, 2014.
Visit John Natsoulas Gallery website for more information.
Here are my picks of the litter:
I am sad to report that George Rodrigue, Louisiana artist and painter of the iconic “Blue Dog,” died on Saturday night from cancer.
His friend, NOLA reporter Doug MacCash, wrote a lovely tribute here. My deepest sympathies to his family, especially his wife, Wendy, who writes a soulful blog, recently published as a book, Musings of an Artist’s Wife, that I have found endlessly inspiring.
Photo via George Rodrigue’s website.
Phaidon concludes “New York Loves Mike Kelley.”
Read Jonathan Blaustein’s review (very poignant and personal, really you should read it) of Kelley’s retrospective in Amsterdam earlier this year.
Design*Sponge has an excellent summary on what The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, means to you by George Geldin, the owner and operator of Geldin Insurance Services.
Individual enrollment begins October 1, 2013 for guarantee issued health insurance.
"Guarantee Issue" means you can acquire health insurance without answering any questions regarding your health history. Someone with Cancer, for example, can sign up for coverage as easily as someone with no health issues, and all applicants in the same age group, living in the same zip code will be charged the same rate for the same plan. In addition, all pre-existing conditions will be covered on day one of the coverage.
If you live in California and make between $14,856 and $44,680, you are eligible for a government subsidy to purchase your coverage.
Canadian icon Alex Colville died on Tuesday at his home in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He was 92. In a 2003 interview Colville told The Chronicle Herald:
"My family has been my principle interest – including dogs – and so all that has been a part of my work."
He is one of my favorite artists I have ever featured on Dog Art Today.
My Alex Colville Pinterest board, with more extraordinary dog paintings.
I am sad to report that Gwendolyn Huneck, Stephen Huneck’s widow, died on Sunday. She was a fierce advocate for Stephen’s legacy and for keeping Dog Mountain, their Vermont gallery and sanctuary, open to the public after he committed suicide.
The gallery stated, “Gwen became a beacon for people who had lost loved ones and pets and we think she absorbed a lot of that emotion and she may have had difficulty in releasing it.”
Condolences are coming in from all over on the memorial Facebook page.
On a personal note, Dog Mountain Gallery had recently started advertising on Dog Art Today. I was honored to hear that Gwen had read my blog and liked its message. It was bittersweet to go through Stephen’s work and pick which one to use for an ad. Flowers and Butterflies (above) was one of my favorites. And, I was surprised that there were pieces I hadn’t seen before. Gallery manager, Kim Daggett, said that they keep discovering new works to share. I hope that those works can sustain Dog Mountain and bring comfort to the Hunecks’ friends and family during this heartbreaking time. Rest in peace.
6.6.13 update: The Vermont State Police report Gwen took her own life by intentionally burning charcoal inside. She died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
To clarify, I am not actually in Venice for the 55th Biennale. I’m scouring the Web. There are always interesting dog artworks there, like Vincent Leow’s Andy’s Wonder Land in 2007, and Steve McQueen’s Giardini in 2009.
So far, the closest I’ve come to dog artwork is a fox (part of the canine family) in Dutch artist’s Mark Manders’s Fox/Mouse/Belt. Like me, the piece is not actually at the Biennale. It’s on the floor of a mini-mart on the Via Garibaldi near the Giardini. (Via Adrian Searle’s Biennale review in the Guardian.)
Here is a close up of Fox/Mouse/Belt via MoMA. It’s a fox wearing a belt with a mouse stuck in it.
And here’s a Venetian “interacting” with the piece…
I guess Fox/Mouse/Belt was too literal (and material) for the jury this year. The Golden Lion (best in show) went to Berlin-based, British artist Tino Sehgal’s performance piece of two people moving around on the ground humming and beat boxing. I’m still trying to find a photo or video of it. Or even a name for the piece. How provincial of me…
Art critic Paddy Johnson is in Venice and has much to discuss.
