While in Sarasota, Florida, I wanted to see the world’s largest miniature circus, The Howard Bros. Circus Model at the Ringling Museum.
The model is a replica of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1919 – 1938.
It was created over a period of more than 50-years by master model builder and philanthropist Howard Tibbals.
This guy handmade an insanely huge amount of little models of people, trains, homes, tents and everything else found near or in a circus from a century ago.
Howard is 75 years old and is still building these things.
I spotted another Dan Witz piece this week in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
I was so delighted, not just for its creepy, yet subtle imagery because I had to really stop and stare at the person’s eye to make sure it wasn’t in fact me under that white hood.
I have the honorable right to call myself a Dan Witz model for this similar series of public art works. Here’s my post about being on the other side of the camera and here’s me on display in Brooklyn. I won’t provide the location of this piece to hopefully enhance its longevity on our fine sidewalks.
Oh, wait, it’s 2012, isn’t it? Of course, I realize that it’s 2012: the year the world ends to those who also believe reality shows aren’t scripted and think the earth is 7,000 years old. But to me, based on what I see out there in popular culture, there is so much love for the 8-bit retro aesthetic, it’s kind of ridiculous and awesome. There is a “simpler time” technology era sentimentality that I can see. The 8-bit squid double-retro image above comes from Chris Zimmerman.
The blinking (click on image to see it animated) 8-bit holiday wreath available from Thinkgeek is pretty cool, I must admit.
Artist Ted Martens created a free 8-bit fireplace application that I’ve already downloaded and enjoyed. There are keywords, like “marshmallow” and “match” that make it interactive.
8-bit costume by someone very cool and smart who’s link I can’t find.
Last week, Gamestop’s HQ in San Francisco creates 8 bit mural with post-its.
Somehow this little WordPress blog didn’t save properly when I listed all the artists and titles of work.. not going to do it again, mofo.. but enjoy these pictures from the Storm King Art Center in the Hudson Highlands above NYC. This really is a beautiful way to look at large scale art work. This place has 500 acres of land for you to get lost in. Good times.
This is on 11th Street near 4th Avenue in Manhattan. The building is under new construction and the physical evidence of several layers of age all exposed at once is the most beautiful this property will ever be.
In addition to my 9 to 5 work day, my life with my number one homeslice: “J” and continuing my attempt at an art career, blogging is a lot of fucking work to keep the posts comin’ every single day. Just sayin’.
And don’t forget the missing soap Transformer mask thing on the wall..
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Art galleries are so last century and art museums only have successful shows when they’re showing commercial art. I think some of the most creative juices today are flowing in public bathrooms all across this great static nation.
Good news: Ryoji Ikeda at The Park Avenue Armory was pretty damn cool.
Bad news: It’s already gone.
I just saw it last Thursday and thought it was up until July, but it’s now over. Watch the video below to get the best idea of what the show was like.
The side you see first is total light abstraction with late 1990′s minimal, ambient electronic music, very much like the music that I listened to for the most of the last five years of last century, often paired with pure Marin County MDMA. The noise and lights are equally very intense.
The opposing side includes numerology and text, perhaps more of an information backbone for the non-traditional information front.
The size of the double sided projection screen structure is huge, which definitely helps make it an experience rather than a room with an art video playing inside of it. What I like about Ryoji Ikeda’s piece is that it’s not overly conceptual, does not require you to read the artist statement at the front door (which I didn’t) to understand and it is a real experience, kind of like a cross between going to a live concert in the park and a rave from the mid-nineties. What I didn’t like about it was the mid-nineteen nineties feel of the music and imagery. This piece should have come out when Radiohead’s Ok Computer came out, not in 2011. But the experience was still solid and I enjoyed it.
The Park Avenue Armory is huge, old and beautiful. There’s a giant room for taking a break and getting a snack. It was good to take a break from the artwork and then return to the piece for a few minutes before leaving.
