Penck in Frankfurt / bad tidings for New York / return of the graffitists / no Code here (Friday 29 June 2007)
compiled by Rachel Simmons
Dubliner Penck's career retrospective in Frankfurt
 |
| A.R. Penck: Westen, acrylic on canvas, one of his works on display at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt's retrospective of his work; image held here. |
In Frankfurt last week, the Schirn Kunsthalle opened the first major retrospective of A.R. Penck in twenty years. Penck is a German artist, essential to the revival of painting in contemporary German art. He mixes pictoral signs and abstracted figures in his works, confronting issues such as the Cold War, violence, art and science in what is described as "a crossroads between prehistoric painting and modern science." He was attracted to the idea of creating a full system of signs and symbols from the very beginning of his career, as well as creating pictures that were a combination of abstraction and figuration to be recognizable by any viewer.
Born in Dresden in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1939, Penck was absorbed by the Cold War and the 1968 uprisings. Much of Penck's work has been thematically focused on East-West issues and the Cold War. He was expatriated to the West in 1980 and lived in London and Düsseldorf for a period, but has been keeping residence in Dublin since 2003. This change in his environment hasaffected his work which, according to the press release, "became more colourful, also favoured by his travels."
130 of his large-format paintings will be on display at the exhibition in Frankfurt, along with objects and sculptures. There will also be a full section devoted to his artist books, an aspect of his career he is less well-known for. The exhibitinon will run to 16 September.
New York artist draws the line for global warming
compiled by Rachel Simmons
 |
| A map of Mosher's project; image held here |
Here's a good way to make people feel uneasy... New York artist Eve S. Mosher's project High WaterLine consists of her drawing chalk lines around the city's coastal neighborhoods, marking the boundaries 10 feet / 3 metres above sea level, of possible future flood levels. This is the same boundary which, according to the New York Times, federal and state agencies and insurance companies use to show where waters may rise to after a major storm. Also aided in part by research done by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University, Mosher is trying to draw attention to the fact that flooding up to these lines or beyond could be increasing noticeably because of global warming. The process is slow-going as Mosher is determined to stop and explain her project to everyone she meets, especially those whose sidewalks and porches she is marking on. According to the Times, Mosher also is handing out what she calls "action packets" to the residents of the neighborhoods affected, which detail ways in which they can better conserve energy and slow the process of global warming and reduce the chances of flooding.
 |
| The artist herself walks along the chalk line she created, image held here. |
According to the Times, in the worst-case scenario, dozens of New York neighborhoods would be flooded up to Mosher's line or beyond, at an average of every eight years, by the year 2050, which would mean that these neighborhoods would develop to resemble Venice, or even ancient Alexandria. Mosher is currently working her way through Brooklyn and Canarsie, but over the next several months she will extend her line through southern Brooklyn and work her way into Manhattan, where her line will start at East 14th St., loop around the bottom of the island, and then end at back at West 14th St.
Graffiti takes over Kelburn Castle in Scotland
compiled by Rachel Simmons
 |
| The current state of Kelburn Castle's southern walls, having been covered with the bold colors of Brazilian graffiti artists temporarily, before the re-harling process begins, image held here. |
We reported a while back on a novel art project to lift hearts and minds in Rio de Janeiro (click here). It seems the favour is being returned, in a way, with Brazilian graffiti artists transforming a traditional castle just outside of Glasgow. The idea sprang from a conversation between Alice and David Boyle, the children of the Patrick and Isabel Glasgow, current heads of the ancient Scottish clan and residents of Kelburn Castle. At the time, they dismissed the idea as impossible, but when the castle walls needed re-harling ("the outside protective pebble dash to be taken off and replaced"), they saw their opportunity. With help from friends and funds from various organizations, including Scottish Heritage, they brought in graffiti artists Os Gemeos, Nina Pandolfo and Nunca from Brazil and began to cover the southern castle wall, tower and turrets in the urban street art. It was this unusual pairing that appealed to the team, and as they say, "The idea is simple and original: take the vibrant and often transient art form of Brazilian graffiti out of its predominantly urban context and apply it to the ancient and permanent walls of an historic rural castle in Scotland."
The team believes that their project is not at all disrespectful to Scottish history and heritage, as some have ventured to suggest; in fact, they believe quite the opposite, stating that they "thought the contrast and vibrant and fantastical nature of their [Os Gemeos, Nina Pandolfo, and Nunca] work fitted in perfectly with the atmosphere at Kelburn." They even hold hope that the project will bring new and more visitors to Kelburn castle, which in turn may help the castle receive much needed repairs, including the aforementioned re-harling. The artists were documented for the approximately one month they spent working on the project and it is now open for the public to witness, but only temporarily. In about two years' time, they hope to have enough money to complete the re-harling of the wall and it is then that the graffiti will be removed.
Chester Beatty Library wants no conspiracists
 |
| Leonardo da Vinci: diagram in the Codex Leicester - "The Earthfilled with water; image held here |
Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester notebook has gone on display at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin. Owned by Microsoft's Bill Gates, the 36-page notebook contains more than 300 drawings, diagrams, and sketches, including plans for practical inventions and his observations of then unkown scientific principles during the time period from1508 and 1509, all in his signature mirror writing. But the Chester Beatty has a warning for potential visitors: If you are coming to see the Codex Leicester because of The DaVinci Code, better not to come at all, because you won't find what you're looking for.
 |
| Leonardo da Vinci: diagram in the Codex Leicester - "River flowing into deep canal,; image held here. |
According to BBC News, Chester Beatty director Dr. Michael Ryan insists that the 2003 book by Dan Brown has nothing to do with the Codex at all: "It very well may attract fans of The Da Vinci Code, but I'm not a fan...All that rubbish about da Vinci being a mystical figure is rubbish - he was a very rational individual." The novel connects da Vinci to the Priory of Scion, a legendary secret society formed from the Knights of Templar, and born to protect the location of an important religious relic, sought after by the Catholic Church, which wishes to destroy that which could destroy them. The main characters use da Vinci's works and inventions as clues to the location of the relic and the novel also claims da Vinci as a founding member of the Priory of Scion.
Most recent news items:
• Prendergast gets IACI award / healthcare send-up / Bono's feet of clay (Friday 22 June 2007)
• A tale of three murals (Friday 15 June 2007)
• Head of Fine Art Retires From CCAD (Wednesday 13 June 2007)
• Nelson picks four artists for north/south initiative (Friday 1 June 2007)
For a full list of news items, click here.
Latest reader
feedback:
News item 603
I have to say I agree with Circa. I have been working on a projec...
News item 624
The idea of exhibiting a group of objects bought on eBay, though ...
News item 617
It'd be interesting to see how many visitors attended the gallery...
News item 603
re. Comment 2 - most people who get turned down for grants have t...
News item 603
'sour grapes aside, what are culture ireland up to?' i think we n...
News item 606
hang on a minute... surely the feller who won the prize at art st...
News item 603
As someone who received a grant from Culture Ireland this year, f...
News item 602
try and make work that doesn't topple over in future!...
Do
you have an opinion on this article? If so, please click here for our comments form.
| No reader feedback so far - awaiting your input! |
Back
to top of page
