MAeX Art Blog

Damien Hirst Money Bags

There is little to say except, didn't we expect this to sell?

Damien Hirst - British artist Damien Hirst's latest work of art has sold for $100 million to an unnamed investment group and Hirst will reportedly get paid in cash. "For the Love of God" is a life-size cast of a human skull in platinum and covered by 8,601 pave-set diamonds weighing 1,106.18 carats. The single large diamond in the middle of the forehead is reportedly worth $4.2 million alone. Hirst financed the project himself, and estimates it cost between 10 and 15 million. (Prudence Cuming Associates/Reuters)

Link: ABC News: Damien Hirst

Changing Times - 08/23/2007

Smart City podcast has had some really great programs. Haven't you been listening to it? Well, turn on your speakers and get with it! Any local responses?

Changing Times - 08/23/2007: "Guests: Ken Corey, Mark Wilson, and Jay Walljasper

" (Via Smart City with Carol Coletta.)

Herd on the Street

I saw the announcement DIY:MIA but, had little idea as to what it was really about. After seeing the Miami New Times article, it seems more clearly defined. But, calling Miami's art scene elitist seems too easy to say from outside. Things are really very new and still developing here. We have lots of room to develop all different kinds of ideas. That's also part of our challenge, diversification. Not everybody wants to take the challenge of exploring and working that kind of territory. One model has shown up and attracted the majority of artists here or, is that not true?

She says DIY:MIA was modeled after organizations such as the Independent Publishing Resource Center, the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts, and the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, all based in Oregon.

"Basically the idea is to create and support a grassroots arts movement which encourages community arts opportunities and spaces. The focus is on the art and artist but also the interaction with the community. A key aspect is creating opportunities that are affordable and approachable," Johnson explains.

Muerto Konsumer: Death, with directions

(via: MiamiNewTimes)

Remix Your Blogroll

Remix Your Blogroll: "

Is your blogroll getting stale? Do you need to pump some bass into your RSS feeds? You might consider adding Remix Theory, a relatively new blog maintained by media artist, writer, and curator Eduardo Navas. While Navas has written on the contemporary climate in essays such as 'Regressive and Reflexive Mashups in Sampling Culture,' he makes a distinction between remix culture, and remix proper, and focuses directly on the latter creative act. This inquiry has been addressed by the prolific critic in a number of projects, including his essay on The Blogger as Producer; his curatorial project, The Latency of the Moving Image in New Media, at Los Angeles' Telic Art Space; and his recent interview with Yto (Isabel Eranda) in the Chilean magazine, Escaner Cultural. Remix Theory aggregates Navas's work, alongside excerpts and projects from others. In addition to coverage of various manifestations of the principles of remix, one essential goal of the blog is to define the term, itself. Navas insists that this effort must begin with the study of remixed music, before branching out. Offering copious historical and bibliographic resources to that effect, the site is stimulating on several levels, offering insight into new art works and new means of discussing them. - Elizabeth Johnston

http://remixtheory.net/

" (Via Rhizome News.)

Over-50 Web Users Hit Big Numbers

Yes, there are a number of users of this site that are not twentysomethings. I hope to keep their interests relavent and in the mix. Social Networking is hottest buzz word in my web dev world right now. How many social networks can a person be involved with anyway? Even though Miami Art Exchange has a Myspace, Facebook is not on my list as of today but, that may change soon. Older internet users would seem to be dismissed because so many older citizens are very vocal about not being comfortable using computers. However, not all are that way. For instance, my father, now 84 yrs. old, was the first of all my family to talk to me using a chat module I had installed on an early web site I built. He has no fear regarding the internet. Even though that may not be the case in general of people his age, there are a significant number of older citizens that do use the internet. I can also cite a neighbor that lived across the street from us (we met in 1957 and I'm still in touch with via regular emails). So, fear not my fellow geezers, give us old folks something. ;-)

Over-50 Web Users Hit Big Numbers: "People over 50 account for 30 percent of internet usage, a British market study reveals. That's more than previously believed, and it points to a niche for social-networking sites serving an older demographic.

" (Via Wired News.)

Salvador Dali - Impressions de la Haute Mongolie - Hommage á Raymond Roussel (1974-1975)

Although school is about to start up again and, there are additional things to prepare for (art season beginning, travel to out-of-town art events, web dev projects in need of completion, and a ton of other crap), it's nice to be able to work on something while watching a video of ones choosing on art. With so many videos being made available, the proliferation of media makes one feel as though they can view just about anything. For instance, I was having a conversation with a friend about, now tired George Lucas, and his MFA thesis film, THX1138. Wow, was that a sweet little production at the time. I saw it in one of my art classes (1967-9) soon after his graduation. Well, the linked video below is not George Lucas but, Salvador Dali. Ubu Web has archived some really interesting items: music, interviews, lecture, videos, presented papers, and other stuff.

Salvador Dali - Impressions de la Haute Mongolie - Hommage á Raymond Roussel (1974-1975) (Via Ubu Web.)

Mobile phones 'eroding landlines'

Mobile phones 'eroding landlines': "Mobile phone use continues to cut the amount of time people spend using landlines, a report by Ofcom says." (Via BBC News | Technology | World Edition.)

When I moved out of my last studio a year and a half ago, I shut off my Bellsouth phone. I moved in with a bunch of techies and there was no working phone line at the house. Everybody had their own celphone; I had to get my own if I planned on using a phone or being contacted by phone. We actually had an internet voice answering system that worked beautifully (GotVmail.com). Now, I use Skype.com for the same thing, voicemail and, I use Skype for some outgoing calls. I cannot take phone calls when I'm with students so, I use that alternative. But, with the prevalence of moblie phones, land lines seem like a thing of the past.

What do you use, mobile or land line, or both??

Craig Newmark on Charlie Rose

Craig Newmark, TypePad blogger and founder of the eponymous Craigslist, speaks with Charlie Rose. He spent time talking about a wide range of topics currently on his mind – from what he learned about growing an online community in developing Craigslist.

Miamiartexchange uses Craigslist for a number of things. Currently, our meetup is listed there.

Link: Craig Newmark on Charlie Rose.

Autistic Man Draws Near-Perfect Panorama of Rome

A British man with Autism flies over Rome once in a helicopter and is able to recreate a huge, near-perfect panorama of the city. It takes him three days to complete his drawing.

Autistic Man Draws Near-Perfect Panorama of Rome - Watch more free videos

Out of the bottle, onto the wall...

Some artists work with some strange materials. Only a few that I'm aware of work with food.

Out of the bottle, onto the wall: "When Richard Betts and Dennis Scholl decided to give original artworks to a dozen major customers last holiday season, they turned to Miami artist Jason Hedges. It was a perfect match."

When Richard Betts and Dennis Scholl decided to give original artworks to a dozen major customers last holiday season, they turned to Miami artist Jason Hedges. It was a perfect match.

For more than six years, Hedges has made art with food and drink, ''a crucial part of our existence'' whose ''beauty and significance have been overlooked,'' he says.

One recent piece, Untitled (Corks No. 1), is a 72-inch square composed of more than 6,500 wine corks. (About two dozen of them are from Betts & Scholl bottles.)

For the B&S commission, as with other wine-on-paper works, Hedges began by tasting the wine.

''That Australian grenache is delicious. It's not like some crazy wine that has to age for 20 years,'' he says.

Next he put his thumb over the opening of the bottle and poured the wine to create swirls and blobs on paper. After about a month, the wine evaporated, leaving what Scholl describes as ``incredible penumbras and crystals.'' (Via MiamiHerald.com: Visual Arts.)