Art Blog - Maria Williams-Russell

It seems appropriate to show you the latest work by artist Ron English, "Abraham Obama". I don't know where to begin except to say I like the piece alot. This artwork brings up so many questions that I suggest you buy a couple of bottles of wine and get together with your friends and talk about it. Loudly. But, here a few quick thoughts that come to my mind: 1.The American divide on moral issues is akin to the divide which caused the civil war. (that's a biggy) 2. American needs to gain back its freedom from a tyranical administration. 3.Obama and Lincoln make a good couple. 4.Will Obama's role in the future of our nation be anywhere as important as Lincoln's was? 5. What does Andy Warhol have to do with it? 6. Love public art. 7… Continue reading… 4 comments

On ArtId, we talk a lot about marketing artwork through the Internet and other venues. We talk about the difficulties of doing the marketing oneself and oftentimes of the need to "just paint". While artists have varying goals for the art they create, at some point there comes a desire to step out beyond the pack and be recognized. In the midst of working on this goal, it is easy to feel that only a lucky few ever get to make a name for themselves in the more elite art community. Recently, I spoke to one of those "lucky" artists and learned achieving this goal is much less about luck than it is about determination, talent, and smart planning… Continue reading… 3 comments

!IMAGE164 !It's not often that I have difficulty justifying to myself my own reaction to a piece of art, but I have come upon this dilemma recently when I saw The Full Body Project by Leonard Nimoy at the Michelson Gallery" in Northampton, MA. The Full Body Project is a collection of black and white photographs depicting a group of morbidly obese women in various poses and dance shots, nude and sometimes in skimpy outfits. The women, in real life, are members of a burlesque dance troupe called the Full-Bottom Revue which challenges audiences to understand what Nimoy calls "fat liberation"… Continue reading… 1 comment

I recently read the article in The New Statesman "Too Much Information" about the current installation at the Tate Museum entitled "Shibboleth" by the Colombian artist Doris Salcedo. Shibboleth is a large, open crack in the cement floor of the Tate resembling lightening or a fissure in the earth one can imagine encountering during an earthquake. I haven't seen it in person, but from the picture I can imagine I would like it. I like conceptual art in general and would appreciate contemplating the possible meanings or connections this installation might elicit. However, Alice O'Keefe, author of the article "Too Much Information", has an interesting complaint with Shibboleth:its title and the explanations both the artist and the Tate give to viewers about the piece… Continue reading… 2 comments

According to renowned collector Ben Heller, art collecting should be done for the love of art and not for financial success. Heller, who bought his first Jackson Pollock over 50 years ago directly from the artist before he became well-known, was applauded for this statement by a distinguished panel of collectors, gallerists, art consultants, and museum curators who joined him to discuss the ins and outs of collecting for the beginner at the MASSM oCA museum on October 20th.… Continue reading… 2 comments

"Artists can not stop war," says artist Kaziah Hancock from her studio in Manti, Utah. In the NBC interview, downloadable here , this professional painter describes her efforts not to stop war, but to give homage to the young men and women who enlisted as soldiers and lost their lives. … Continue reading…

!IMAGE132 !Sometimes it's difficult reconnecting with creativity. Life's responsibilities often get in the way of a certain freedom our minds need to create art. For some people, creative blocks are a constant struggle. Personally, I need to get out in the fresh air for about ten minutes and take a walk. Walking allows my eyes to wander and land on just about everything around me without placing judgements, my brain starts working on all the stuff that's going on in my life without any pressure to resolve. I usually come back happier and more motivated to complete that project I've been working on. That's why I was so excited when I came across a website called sketchcrawl.com, the perfect antidote when you're losing your creative edge.… Continue reading…

That's the big question. But is it the right question? With the most recent marketing statistics (from luxury-marketing expert Pam Danziger and Unity Marketing) showing that 44% of buyers of luxury items do their research on the Internet before making their purchases, we are led to understand that selling is not the only purpose the Internet serves. Second to television and word of mouth, the Internet is, by virtue of convenience, the place people go when they consider buying a luxury item. This turns the Internet into a research tool for them and an advertising tool for you. In fact, the study shows that buyers are more influenced by their research on the Internet than by traditional advertising in newspapers and magazines… Continue reading… 13 comments