Five years ago Polaroid announced that they would no longer make anaÂlog instaÂmatÂic film. At that moment, if one lisÂtened careÂfulÂly, one could almost hear some of the 20th cenÂtuÂry’s most famous artists wail in despair, even from the grave. Ansel Adams loved Polaroid and shot some of his famous Yosemite images in that forÂmat first.
But a techÂnique with that kind of folÂlowÂing doesn’t die off easÂiÂly. Two ardent Polaroid fans—ardent enough to actuÂalÂly attend the cloÂsure of a Polaroid facÂtoÂry in the Netherlands—met and came up with a plan to save the facÂtoÂry and Polaroid instant film. They called their plan the ImposÂsiÂble Project. They leased one of the Dutch facÂtoÂry buildÂings and evenÂtuÂalÂly fired up the machines again, turnÂing out new instant film.
Lucky for us. Artists like David HockÂney have long made beauÂtiÂful use of Polaroid instant phoÂtos to conÂstruct cubist colÂlages. One of the best at this is the ItalÂian phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer MauÂrÂizio GalÂimÂberÂti who creÂates terÂrifÂic celebriÂty porÂtraits using a Polaroid.
This year, we travÂel north to the city of BreÂda in HolÂland, where the Dutch multiÂnaÂtionÂal bank ING paid perÂformÂers to recreÂate RemÂbrandt’s famous paintÂing, The Night Watch, in a shopÂping cenÂter. The occaÂsion? The re-openÂing of The RijksmuÂseÂum in AmsÂterÂdam on April 13 after a long 10-year renÂoÂvaÂtion.
Pa, the horsÂes got out of the barn again, and danÂged if they don’t appear to have passed through the MuseÂum of NatÂurÂal HisÂtoÂry on their way to Grand CenÂtral.
The othÂerÂworldÂly beasts are occuÂpyÂing the famed New York City tranÂsit hub’s VanÂderÂbilt Hall this week as Heard NYC, a colÂlabÂoÂraÂtion between artist Nick Cave and CreÂative Time, which comÂmisÂsions work for preÂsenÂtaÂtion in pubÂlic spaces. For his latÂest feat, Cave took his SoundÂsuits—wearÂable sculpÂtures with an organÂic sonÂic component—in a direcÂtion both equine and ethnoÂgraphÂic. SixÂty dancers from the Ailey School bring the herd of thirÂty to life, stampÂing rafÂfia-sheathed legs and tossÂing black heads augÂmentÂed with fesÂtive Rajasthani embroiÂdery. Their twice daiÂly perÂforÂmances occur durÂing off-peak hours. Chance interÂacÂtions with midÂday travÂelÂers are one thing, but an unscriptÂed encounter with an exhaustÂed comÂmuter rushÂing for the Metro North bar car? That’s a horse of a difÂferÂent colÂor, my friend.
Just when it seemed, after decades of scholÂarÂship, critÂiÂcism, and comÂmenÂtary on the life’s work of William FaulknÂer, that there was nothÂing more to say, along comes The New York Timeswith a report of an earÂly unpubÂlished stoÂry and a batch of letÂters to his wife Estelle, recentÂly uncovÂered in a box found in the barn at the FaulknÂer famÂiÂly farm in CharÂlottesville, VirÂginia. The new work, disÂcovÂered last year, will go on aucÂtion at Sotheby’s this June, along with hand-corÂrectÂed manÂuÂscripts, a hand-bound poetÂry book, Faulkner’s 1949 Nobel prize medal and diploÂma, and a handÂwritÂten draft of his accepÂtance speech.
The Times comÂments that the Nobel items are “likeÂly to be the most sought after” by colÂlecÂtors, but for scholÂars and us lovers of the writÂing, it’s the unpubÂlished work that holds the most interÂest. Says FaulknÂer scholÂar SalÂly Wolff-King: “In litÂerÂary cirÂcles a newÂly disÂcovÂered first draft of a famous stoÂry or novÂel can be as sigÂnifÂiÂcant as an earÂly verÂsion of the GetÂtysÂburg Address to AmerÂiÂcan hisÂtoÂriÂans.”
In addiÂtion to his Nobel-winÂning litÂerÂary skill, FaulknÂer was quite the illusÂtraÂtor, often includÂing pen-and-ink drawÂings in his letÂters and postÂcards, such as the self-porÂtrait at left, drawn on the back of a draft of a stoÂry, with newÂly-grown beard and pipe. “My beard is getÂting along quite well,” he writes. FaulknÂer sent illusÂtratÂed letÂters and postÂcards to his parÂents from his sojourn in Paris, signÂing them “BilÂly.”
The image at the top shows the unpubÂlished story—about a fur trapper’s trip to the city—typed on the back of UniÂverÂsiÂty of MisÂsisÂsipÂpi letÂterÂhead, where FaulknÂer was a stuÂdent for three semesÂters between 1919 and 1920.
The creÂative team of Tom WrigÂglesworth & Matt RobinÂson went to an art class at The Book Club in LonÂdon, and there creÂatÂed an aniÂmaÂtion that breathes life into a series of figÂure drawÂings. Every easel in the class capÂtured a nude modÂel from a difÂferÂent angle. The film then gathÂered them all togethÂer, proÂducÂing one wonÂderÂfulÂly aniÂmatÂed comÂposÂite figÂure. PretÂty neat stuff. If you’re in LonÂdon, you can check out the next Life DrawÂing class on April 6.
DocÂtor, what does it mean if you dream of creÂatÂing a font of Freud’s handÂwritÂing?
This is exactÂly what GerÂman typogÂraÂphÂer HarÂald Geisler has in mind, and, in the spirÂit of self-actuÂalÂizaÂtion, he’s fundÂing the project on KickÂstarter. His charisÂma is such that he’s already raised over eight times the origÂiÂnal $1500 goal that will allow him to travÂel to VienÂna, where he will creÂate the typeÂface in a borÂrowed apartÂment withÂin walkÂing disÂtance from Freud’s forÂmer home at Berggasse 19. That address is now home to the SigÂmund Freud MuseÂum, where the romanÂtiÂcalÂly-mindÂed Geisler plans to visÂit the hard copies of the eight letÂters from which his alphaÂbet will be assemÂbled.
Don’t let the proÂjecÂt’s fulÂly-in-the-black staÂtus keep you from visÂitÂing its fundraisÂing page. In addiÂtion to being an inadÂverÂtent tutoÂrÂiÂal on the eleÂments of a top-notch KickÂstarter camÂpaign, it also proÂvides some interÂestÂing inforÂmaÂtion with regard to penÂmanÂship, font creÂation, and the difÂferÂence between KurÂrent, the GerÂman-style script Freud learned as a schoolÂboy, and the Latin-style curÂsive that was stanÂdard among his North AmerÂiÂcan patients.
Geisler says it cracks him up to imagÂine someÂone jotÂting a note to his or her shrink in Freud’s handÂwritÂing. PerÂhaps those of us not curÂrentÂly under the care of a psyÂchiÂaÂtry proÂfesÂsionÂal could use it to write our mothÂers.
Which best describes your museÂum-going expeÂriÂence? InspiÂraÂtion and spirÂiÂtuÂal refreshÂment? Or a soul crushÂing attempt to fight your way past the hoards there for the latÂest blockÂbuster exhibÂit, with a too-heavy bag and a whinÂing, foot sore comÂpanÂion in tow?
WouldÂn’t it be wonÂderÂful to lose yourÂself in conÂtemÂplaÂtion of a sinÂgle work? What about that giant one at the top of the MetÂroÂpolÂiÂtan MuseÂum of Art’s Grand StairÂcase? For every visÂiÂtor who pausÂes to take it in, anothÂer thouÂsand stream by with hardÂly a glance.
The above comÂmenÂtary by curaÂtor of ItalÂian paintÂings, Xavier Salomon, may well turn GioÂvanÂni BatÂtista Tiepolo’s The TriÂumph of MarÂius into one of the Met’s hottest attracÂtions. It’s often difÂfiÂcult for the averÂage museÂum-goer to underÂstand what the deal is in one of these denseÂly popÂuÂlatÂed, 19th cenÂtuÂry oils. Salomon supÂplies the needÂed hisÂtorÂiÂcal context—general Gaius MarÂius paradÂing capÂtive NumidÂiÂan king Jugurtha through the streets upon his triÂumphal return to Rome.
Things get even more interÂestÂing when he transÂlates the Latin inscripÂtion at the top of the canÂvas: “The Roman peoÂple behold Jugurtha laden with chains.” In othÂer words, you can forÂgo the hero worÂship of the title and conÂcenÂtrate on the bad guy. This, Salomon specÂuÂlates, is what the artist had in mind when swathing Jugurtha in that eye-catchÂing red cape. Jugurtha may be the losÂer, but his refusal to be humÂbled before the crowd is winÂsome.
As is 82nd and 5th, an online series that aims to celÂeÂbrate 100 transÂforÂmaÂtive works of art from the museÂum’s colÂlecÂtion before year’s end. In addiÂtion to Salomon’s comÂpelling thoughts on The TriÂumph of MarÂius, some pleaÂsures thus far include Melanie HolÂcomb, AssoÂciate CuraÂtor of Medieval Art and The CloisÂters, geekÂing out over illusÂtratÂed manÂuÂscript pages and fashÂion and cosÂtume curaÂtor Andrew Bolton recallÂing his first encounter with one of designÂer AlexanÂder McQueen’s most extreme garÂments. Each video is supÂpleÂmentÂed with a tab for furÂther exploÂration. You can also find the talks colÂlectÂed on YouTube.
BrilÂliantÂly conÂceived and exeÂcutÂed, these comÂmenÂtaries proÂvide virÂtuÂal museÂum-goers with a highÂly perÂsonÂal tour, and can only but enrich the expeÂriÂence of anyÂone lucky enough to visÂit in the flesh.
The Los AngeÂles CounÂty MuseÂum of Art housÂes the largest AmerÂiÂcan colÂlecÂtion of art west of ChicaÂgo. DevelÂoped as an “encyÂcloÂpeÂdic” museum—its colÂlecÂtions repÂreÂsent nearÂly every human civÂiÂlizaÂtion since recordÂed time—LACMA’s eclecÂtic holdÂings span from art of the ancient world to video instalÂlaÂtions. Like all great pubÂlic colÂlecÂtions, LACMA sees its misÂsion as proÂvidÂing the greatÂest posÂsiÂble access to the widest range of art.
Two years ago LACMA made a relÂaÂtiveÂly small numÂber of its image holdÂings availÂable for free downÂload in an online library. From that beginÂning of 2,000 images, the museÂum recentÂly expandÂed its downÂloadÂable colÂlecÂtion by ten-fold, makÂing 20,000 images of artÂwork availÂable for free.
This repÂreÂsents about a quarÂter of all the art repÂreÂsentÂed on LACMA’s site. They’ve choÂsen images of artÂworks the museÂum believes to be in the pubÂlic domain and develÂoped a robust digÂiÂtal archive with a richÂer search funcÂtion than most museÂums.
LACMA’s online colÂlecÂtion (80,000 images altoÂgethÂer, includÂing restrictÂed use and unreÂstrictÂed) is sortÂed by the usuÂal curaÂtoÂrÂiÂal terms (“AmerÂiÂcan Art,” “Art of the PacifÂic” and so on) but that’s just one of many filÂterÂing options.
A search for works relatÂed to the word “rosÂes” can be done as a genÂerÂal search of all objects, turnÂing up, among 268 othÂer items, Toulouse-Lautrec’s Mlle MarÂcelle Lender. This item hapÂpens to be availÂable for free downÂload. (Note the bloom in the Madamoiselle’s cleavÂage to see why the image turned up in this search.)
But the colÂlecÂtion can be searched more narÂrowÂly by object type and curaÂtoÂrÂiÂal area. There’s also a cool option to search by what’s on view now right now. This choice allows users to zero in on a speÂcifÂic buildÂing or floor of the museum’s eight buildÂings. The colÂlecÂtion can also be entered accordÂing to chronoÂlogÂiÂcal era, from 10,000 BCE to the present day.
This is imporÂtant for the pubÂlic, but even more so for stuÂdents and eduÂcaÂtors. Nine years ago EastÂman Kodak stopped proÂducÂing slide proÂjecÂtors. Since then the task of assemÂbling qualÂiÂty images for the study of art hisÂtoÂry has become hopeÂlessÂly dauntÂing, with teachÂers and stuÂdents searchÂing a myrÂiÂad webÂsites to creÂate digÂiÂtal “carousels” for class or study.
For whatÂevÂer reaÂson, in an age over-abunÂdant with high resÂoÂluÂtion images of nearÂly everyÂthing, picÂtures of art itself are scatÂtered and expenÂsive.
InstiÂtuÂtions like Google Art Projects, the MetÂroÂpolÂiÂtan MuseÂum of Art and LACMA are among a few that offer extenÂsive, free art images online.
Of course there are still copyÂright issues that all instiÂtuÂtions must conÂtend with. But it is to LACMA’s credÂit that they take their misÂsion of pubÂlic access seriÂousÂly and put resources into makÂing their wonÂderÂful colÂlecÂtion availÂable to the interÂnaÂtionÂal comÂmuÂniÂty.
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