Monday, September 22, 2014

John Wayne by Andy Warhol

                                                                              

In 1986, the year before his death, Andy Warhol continued his appropriation of classic American icons and images with his "Cowboys and Indians" series, a portfolio of ten graphic screenprints representing traditional figures and figureheads of the American West. Here, Warhol intersperses recognizable portraits of well-known American "heroes"-- Teddy Roosevelt, Annie Oakley, General George Custer, and John Wayne, --with less familiar Native American images and motifs in his ironic commentary on Americans' collective mythologizing of the historic West. These works possess many of Warhol's stylistic hallmarks, such as his characteristic linear reiteration and his use of famous images resonant in the collective American consciousness.
John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa, in 1907.
When he was a boy, his family moved West settling in Lancaster, California and later Glendale, California where he would come to be known as Duke.  Marion’s dog, an Airedale, was named Duke, and soon the local Glendale firefighters started calling Marion Duke, too.  Duke’s academic and athletic success at Glendale High led to a football scholarship at the University of Southern California (USC).
A body surfing accident at Newport Beach cut short his promising athletic career, so the former tackle looked to studio work to help pay his tuition. In a film called The Big Trail, Marion Morrison became John Wayne, and the movie business – and the country – would never be the same.
John Wayne’s monumental film career spanned five decades.  He appeared in more than 175 films, more than a dozen directed by John Ford alone.  For an entire generation, he was Hollywood’s biggest and most durable box-office star. Incredibly versatile, Wayne starred in just about every genre Hollywood offered: war movies, romantic comedies, police dramas, histories. But it was the Western – the American cinema – where Wayne made his most lasting mark. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award, winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 1969 for True Grit. And his powerful performance in The Searchers has been singled out by filmmakers and actors alike as the greatest performance by an actor on film, ever.
american icon

In 1964, John Wayne was diagnosed with lung cancer and beat it, after a lung and several ribs were removed.  Fifteen years later he was again diagnosed with cancer — this time of the stomach – succumbing to the disease at age 72.  Posthumously, Wayne was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.  A year later, in 1980, President Jimmy Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.  Wayne is among only a handful of individuals who have received both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
To this day, Wayne appears in the Harris Poll’s annual listings of America’s favorite movie stars, ranking third in the most recent Poll.  He has never been out of the top ten since the Poll’s inception.
In his honor, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation (JWCF) , founded in 1985 by Wayne’s children, is an organization that brings courage, strength and grit to the fight against cancer. Since its founding, JWCF has supported awareness programs, education programs and support groups, and has also been committed to groundbreaking cancer research and education at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. The JWCF recently launched Team Duke, a fundraising effort for athletes of any level focused on a goal who want to fight cancer along the way.
2007 marks the 100th Anniversary of John Wayne’s Birth.  The year celebrates John Wayne’s incredible legacy as an international symbol and American icon.


Friday, September 19, 2014

Art Classes in Los Angeles

Award Winning Artist Clara Berta is now accepting new students for her upcoming classes!

artists workshops school for art
Clara Berta
Successful artist and art instructor.

818-692-0465


Learn from a pro in a supportive environment.





Sunday, August 31, 2014

Art for a good cause

help kids
Help kids in Kenya
Click image for more info




Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Abstract Art

Abstract
ab·stract art
noun
art that does not attempt to represent external, recognizable reality but seeks to achieve its 
effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.

Abstract art also known as mixed media art, has been around since the start. 
Splashes of color and primitive linework can be seen in works by some of the 
best known museum artists and when the work is organic and clean, it can 
provoke thoughts and emotions in a similar way to realistic or impressionistic art.

A good example of a successful abstract artist is Jackson Pollock who died at an 
early age due to a car accident, his memorial was held at the Museum of Modern Art. 
For an artist, being rememberd at MOMA is as good as it gets.

Today we find that interior design is relying more and more on abstract or mixed 
media because the client does not have to worry about images that might influence 
or affect viewers in a negative way.

Colors are now being researched to find what affect they have on humans. Blue as 
an example is said to be an inhibitor to hunger or "good for dieting"

An example of a successful Los Angeles abstract painter is 
Clara Berta who holds regular events, shows and  has work in a well known Los Angeles Art gallery.
abstract art



The nice thing about abstract, you can drip, throw or brush your way to success! 


Visit Clara on Twitter



Friday, August 22, 2014

John Lennon’s first ever self portrait on sale for £3million

For many, John Lennon – along with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – is known for starting a musical revolution with the Beatles.
However, before the Beatles even began, Lennon studied at Liverpool College of Art along with the original Beatles bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe.
This rather unflattering self-portrait is set to sell for £3million at a London auction house.
The piece dates back to 1958, an important year for the then 18-year-old Lennon as it was this year his mother was killed in a car accident, he played with Paul McCartney and George Harrison for the first time and he met his first wife, Cynthia Lennon.
The painting is rather unflattering expressionist piece showing Lennon with a pot belly and male mammaries.
Louise Cooper, the owner-managing director of CooperOwen Music Media Auctions of London which is selling the piece, said: ‘This is a unique item and we are anticipating interest from Lennon and Beatles’ collectors around the world.’
Cooper described the work as similar to Sutcliffe’s artwork from the same period.
Stuart Sutcliffe later left the band during their first tour to Hamburg to enroll at the Hamburg College of Art, yet tragically died of a brain aneurysm aged 21 in 1962.
John Lennon 1969




Friday, August 15, 2014

Leon Black’s publishing firm Phaidon agrees to buy Artspace Marketplace

By Chris Witkowsky

Leon Black-owned 
Phaidon, a publisher of books and digital products in creative arts, has agreed to buy Artspace Marketplace (artspace.com), an online market for fine art collection. The acquisition increases Phaidon’s access to global art collectors.
Press Release
Phaidon, the world’s leading publisher and distributor of books and digital products in the creative arts, today announced a global partnership with Artspace Marketplace, Inc. (www.artspace.com), the leading online marketplace for discovering and collecting fine art. The acquisition establishes a global community for art enthusiasts and professionals, artists, collectors, non-profits, galleries, and cultural institutions. Artspace is being acquired by a Phaidon affiliate company.
By acquiring Artspace, Phaidon increases its direct access to global art collectors who are also consumers of its art and design books and multimedia products. Additionally, Artspace benefits from Phaidon’s global distribution and retail presence, sales organization, and relationships with artists and those in the design community.
“We are thrilled with the investment in Artspace. We look forward to enriching the experience of our audience and expanding our reach through new initiatives, including retail presence, product development, and the joint creation of original content,” said Keith Fox, CEO of Phaidon.
“We founded Artspace to bring more art into people’s lives and to help artists, galleries, cultural institutions, and non-profits reach a broader audience. Our mission is enhanced by Phaidon’s iconic brand, legacy of excellence, and international reach,” said Catherine Levene, Co-Founder and CEO of Artspace. “We look forward to building our future together.”
For more information, visit http://www.phaidon.com
ABOUT PHAIDON
Phaidon (www.phaidon.com) is the world’s leading publisher and distributor of books and digital products in the creative arts. Phaidon has offices in New York City, London, Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and Tokyo, with worldwide distribution. 
Phaidon’s beautiful, illustrated books are treasured worldwide for their outstanding content and award winning production. Today, Phaidon has over 1,500 titles in print, featuring the finest creative work from leading innovators in all areas of the arts, architecture, design, photography, cinema, travel, food and children’s books. Phaidon is owned by the family of Debra and Leon Black. Leon Black is the Chairman of private equity firm Apollo Global Management.
ABOUT ARTSPACE
Artspace is a leader in the digital marketplace for fine art. Its mission is to make it easy for consumers to discover and collect fine art from renowned artists, galleries, and cultural institutions worldwide.




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