Good website: www.oneartworld.com
So I have to come up with my own concept art and here it is: I take a paper bag, put something in it, and write the following on the outside of the bag:

Contains: One painstakingly painted and delicately rendered miniature picture (depicting a particular flower found on the south-east end of the lawn at noon by the artist) which may or may not actually be in this bag and may or may not actually exist

(That is also the title of the piece)

The jargony explanation for it is:

The fact that this work of art is hidden and even acknowledges its ambiguous state of existence works to divorce the concept of the object from the object itself. The title specifies and creates in the mind of the viewer imaginative possibilities of existence but these can never be confronted with any kind of reality. In this way the piece works in the opposite direction of new realism. New realism sought to reunite actual objects with people’s conception of them and thereby elevate the status of the concrete object. This piece downgrades and downplays the importance of the object. The painting itself is so unnecessary that it might as well not exist. Greater interest is placed is placed on the imaginations and opinions of the audience: what kind of flower is depicted? How is it painted? Does it exist? The bag is the only object that confronts the viewer but it works as a necessary barrier to further perception.

Whatever. This just goes along with what I posted earlier about much art being one-upping nonsense. But it is a little amusing.

MONSTERS eVeRYwhERE!

In recent past superheroes were all the rage. Spiderman, Superman, The Incredibles, etc. I think that the comic book hero return/revolution began shortly after 9/11. Maybe arising out of new disorientation and need for escapist sense of justice and order to the world. Hope for fixability when super bad guys come around.

Well nowwwww in addition to the superheroes MONSTERS are making their big entrance. http://chronicle.com/article/Monstersthe-Moral/48886/
Twilight Saga
Many vampire story spin offs
Where the Wild Things Are
Ok...there are actually just two big monster stories I can think of now but I just FEEL that more are coming. I predict more monster movies. Where the monsters are initially intimidating and misunderstood butttt are eventually understood/accepted by the human characters (chance of becoming ironic protectors) or outside audience.

What is relevant about portraying monsters instead of superheroes? Maybe it's to show that life isn't always so clear cut--this began with one of the later Spiderman movies--Spiderman realizes his DARK side. It's NOT always the GOOD guys vs. the BAD guys. Both sides struggle. Good monsters are a reverse of the trend to find "dark sides" within the normally good characters. Now we see the better sides of the traditionally bad.

Maybe there is also something weirdly appealing/attractive about the dark side. "bad boy" syndrome.

What about the monsters without redeeming qualities? Are they metaphors for the obstacles and issues we face in our own lives, a dramatic reenactment of the desires we have to crush our own monsters?

“All the things I know but of which I am not at the moment thinking—1:36 PM: June 15, 1969”

We were talking today in my Art Since 1945 class about more conceptual art and went over this line by Robert Barry. Does that line count as "art"? What about when Rauschenburg was asked to submit something to a gallery and sent the following telegraph:

"This is a portrait of Iris Clert if I say so"

Is that true? Is art whatever we want it to be? Does art have to be in relation to beauty, and if it is, are humans the ones who can define what beauty is?

It seems like "art" is expanding really fast in all directions and losing connection with seemingly normal definitions like, art as just aesthetic representation. All the modern art we've been studying has had less to do with making its own point than just refuting and one-upping the ideas of whatever movement was previous. It seems pointless besides just being a cool and intellectual way to speak about nonsensical things.

The Question Up For Grabs: Is Sacrifice Good or Bad?
Reflections on Ayn Rand and Objectivism vs Christianity

“Jesus, John, you’ve made a bloody mess”

He said:

The wound was self inflicted when
Their shadows tore Prometheus down
Who came bare armed and stood alone
To strain at clouds and raise up towers

He peeled away the smothering night--
It burned and blinded watery eyes
Their fingers grabbed his first-set foot
And cried

Swallow him for the good!

I simply pulled him from the altar
And left them to each other

He said:

Their naked shadows reached too high
To strain at clouds and raise up towers
Prometheus found his dusty limbs
and fell down for a little while

I peeled away the smothering night
It dropped in folds around my feet
He came across the dusty rock
And cried

Swallow me for the good!

I simply put him on the altar
And left them to each other

Two Seasons

summer
hangs heavy on a thread
buzzing with a bright cicada song
it wraps its soft and dusty arms
around the air
and falls head long

Tuesday Morning

minty teeth and the rush of a comb brushed through and back pack swung back for a swing round clatter down out door slam. stride down rain slicked slap flat puddle pooled road, cars packed cold close with pollen crusts dripping down now. air shines silver like a sheet dime, bird songs break sharp, spin loud, fly by. check clock, bit close, look back, see bus, run thump and quick for lumbering bus rolling heavy puffing up. doors wheeze wide, exhaled sigh, climb through into thrumming warm inside. on time!


Short Ode To Smoothie King

I pause at your door, briefly
Before swinging in to the sweet
And thickly scented air, banana
Mingled with muscle milk,
Vanilla protein, papaya, and whey, a
Veritable jackpot of fruit syrups and
Processed powders at my nostrils,
Enveloping me, like the wafting golden oldie
And the lavender lime green of your walls
Stocked, extolling the wonders of
The goji berry, prostate tea, and colon cleansers.