Category Archives: art

MARTIN AMIS ON PRETTY NEW YORK CITY SKIES.

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Philip

MARTIN AMIS ON PRETTY NEW YORK CITY SKIES. Martin Amis discussed his feelings about New York City in an interview with David Wallace-Wells in New York Magazine (July 23): “All I care about is the color of the sky. I … Continue reading →

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AN ALL-PURPOSE SENTENCE.

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Philip

AN ALL-PURPOSE SENTENCE. I am a daily reader of RAB’s wonderful “You Knew what I Meant” blog about the process of learning to write well. I have become more aware of the temptation for a writer to search for impressive … Continue reading →

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SOME THINGS BIRDS PERCEIVE.

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Philip

SOME THINGS BIRDS PERCEIVE. Jonathan Rosen reviewed two books in the Wall Street Journal (June 29) which have intriguing titles: BIRD SENSE: WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A BIRD by Tim Birkhead and WHAT THE ROBIN KNOWS by Jon Young. … Continue reading →

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MANYPEEPLIA UPSIDOWNIA.

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Philip

MANYPEEPLIA UPSIDOWNIA. Years ago I saw—and was delighted by—Edward Lear’s drawing of the plant species manypeeplia upsidownia at an exhibit at Harvard. Now, Harvard Magazine (July-August, 2012) has an article by Christopher Reed on an exhibit at the Houghton Library … Continue reading →

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IS THE CONCEPT ALL THAT’S NEEDED?

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Philip

IS THE CONCEPT ALL THAT’S NEEDED? If a certificate of instructions for making a drawing constitutes the work of art, is there any need for the physical drawing to be made or for any one in possession of the certificate … Continue reading →

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IS THE CONCEPT THE WORK OF ART? A HYPOTHETICAL.

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Philip

IS THE CONCEPT THE WORK OF ART? A HYPOTHETICAL. Eric Felten had a fascinating article about the philosophy of art in the Wall Street Journal (June 1). In the article he describes the kind of case that law professors love. … Continue reading →

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DAMIEN HIRST—AN ART MARKET BUBBLE?.

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Philip

DAMIEN HIRST AND THE ART MARKET. Damien Hirst is the world’s richest artist. Hari Kunzru in the Guardian (March 16) had an article about the market for Hirst’s art, raising the possibility that current prices could represent a bubble. Kunzru’s … Continue reading →

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VAN GOGH’S LETTER ABOUT THE NIGHT CAFE.

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Philip

VAN GOGH’S LETTER ABOUT THE NIGHT CAFE. Van Gogh’s letter about the Night Cafe is devoted primarily to giving his brother the details of his domestic life and how he is furnishing his house. Van Gogh’s descriptions are full of … Continue reading →

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VAN GOGH—USING COLORS TO EXPRESS THE POWERS OF DARKNESS.

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Philip

VAN GOGH—USING COLOR TO EXPRESS THE POWERS OF DARKNESS. I posted here on how Van Gogh’s letters show his love of colors and how he chose his palette for each painting (” a painter does well if he starts from … Continue reading →

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THE GOOGLE ART PROJECT EXPANDS TO CHICAGO.

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Philip

THE GOOGLE ART PROJECT EXPANDS TO CHICAGO. I have posted several times, including here, about the wonders of the Google Art Project which I posted on yesterday. On April 3 it was announced that the Google Art Project has expanded … Continue reading →

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