Sunday, February 28, 2010

Basketball Court #6


Harmen de Hoop
1992

de Hoop painted portions of full-scale basketball courts in inconspicuous locations: on the foundation of a partly demolished building, a parking lot, an empty housing plot, and in the walkway of a housing development. The city council in Amsterdam eventually followed suit, installing a hoop in the artist's court.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Lifejacket


Marisa Jahn & Steve Shada
2001

"Intended as a lifejacket for two, it's unclear whether the device saves or drowns the two."

Ah, codependency.

I like modifying ready-mades too.

Monday, February 22, 2010

unknown


Tony Romano
2010

Romano's next show titled A Fist Full of Flies opens on February 25. I'm not sure what the exhibition is really about, nor can I guess what the figure made from tree branches and brush is doing, but I like it.

In 2005 I started working with trees, grafting any scion-stock combination so long as it wasn't homogeneous. Though short-lived, these grafts begged to replicate in other parks, another country, and my parents' backyard. The Tree Museum, DeCordova, and Arnold Arboretum seemed natural to pursue, but not until I had grafting down, as I was sure that no tree museum would allow something funny that couldn't first and foremost proliferate. Or at least sustain.

For years it seemed as if tree 'museums' lacked a sense of humor -- until I saw the photo above. Immediately I thought Canadian artist Romano got something funny into the Tree Museum in Muskoka, Ontario -- until I realized that that might not be the Tree Museum at all, nor is he trying to be funny (don't know yet). Despite the seriousness of nature and the unknowns of his unopened show, Romano inadvertently gave hope to tree museums everywhere, as I am once again determined to get grafting down. Grafting season is open, and in the spirit of Elmer Fudd, those twees are gonna get scwewy.

As an aside, below is Will Egan's Tripod Rod (2006), a prank/retaliatory sculpture made mostly of wood, complete with speech bubble and, well, wood.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Untitled (small branch slice icosahedron)


Stan Krzyzanowski
circa 2006

Geometry carries an undeniable beauty that is only multiplied as a sculpture. I don't mind the math, but prefer the visual. Krzyzanowski's icosahedral wood sculptures add tactility to my faceted love for the mathematical branch.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Sphere eversion schematic


Anthony Phillips (Text by Peter Eleey)
1966 (2009)

"He preserves something not generally afforded to us: the ability to return to that primordial condition of mystery after the revelation."

Monday, February 8, 2010