Pictures of Pictures

Art is an undervalued endeavor -- it does not create algorithms to invest money, invent pharmaceuticals, or generally further business interests in any way. And so, when the young and ambitious set their sights on the humanities, parents get nervous and friends shake their heads, and the young and ambitious learn to eat ramen and wear black. Street cred is a necessity, but so are clothes that hold up to paint, chemicals, and infrequent laundering. It's pretty glamorous, the life of an artist is.

Photograph by Tracey Moffatt, via Emmas Designblogg

I have spent 15+ years slaving over a hot darkroom sink, many more poring over art books, and several years teaching, but I still can't get enough of the photographs that set me on the path to poverty in the first place. Once afflicted, there is no cure for what ails you, save to embrace the disease.

Photograph by Andres Serrano, via NYT

And as much as I enjoy just browsing images on the net, it warms my cold, dirty black heart even more to see some of my favorite artists in the homes of the rich and famous. Thank jeebus somebody can make a living off their work, because who else could inspire the young and ambitious to sacrifice wealth, hygiene, and nutrition, in the name of art?

Vik Muniz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, and Christopher Bucklow, via David Netto

Photos by Mark Shaw via Nate Berkus

Images by Rineke Dijkstra via Fox Mahem

Work by Adam Fuss via David Duncan Livingston

Image by Candida Hofer via Richard Powers

Image by William Eggleston in the home of Krysten Ritter

Photos by Thomas Struth and Andreas Gursky via Michael Richman

Photo by Thomas Struth (on the right) via Met Home

Photo by Gilbert and George via OWI

Works by John Coplans (left bottom) and Loretta Lux in the home of Vicente Wolf

Photos by Steven Klein in the home of Nacho Figueras

I got a little obsessed while doing, ahem, "research" for this post, so I hope you won't be terribly disappointed if I hit you with a two-fer. Back on Monday with another roundup of not quite so epic proportions. In the meantime, I'm entertaining out of town guests, but Karly will be here to regale you with her always acerbic wit.

Have a great week!

An Open Letter to AT&T

Dear AT&T, I have been spending the last several months awaiting the expiration of my cell phone contract with my current carrier.  My plan was to leave behind the company I have been loyal to for 8 years and convert to AT&T while picking up a snazzy new iPhone.  Plan:  Aborted.

From At&T's "Blanket" Commercial, released May, 2010

After the release of your "blanket" commercial last may, which blatantly rips off the artists Christo & Jeanne Claude, I wouldn't consider giving you a dollar of my money, let alone entering into a long-term contract with your company.

Christo & Jeanne Claude: The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979 - 2005

While I find your feeble attempt at appearing artsy nauseating, the fact that you've chosen to mimic the artists both in concept and in style is nothing short of astounding.  Did you really have to use Christo & Jeanne Claude's signature shade of orange?

Christo & Jeanne Claude: Pont Neuf Wrapped, 1975 - 1985

The image you attempt to project:  that we are at the dawn of a new day, that we will all be embraced by at&t's loving glow and will all be connected is instantly negated by your plagiarism.  This is not a new day:  the artists' first wrapped monuments in 1968.  As for your loving embrace?  Well, it's difficult for me to believe a thief when he tells me he's compassionate.

Christo & Jeanne Claude: Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970-72

I'm not sure why you think that airing a CGI, 60-second spot that steals the life work of a well-known &  beloved pair of artists will help you sell cell phone contracts.  Or how you sleep at night.  But I'll go ahead and tell you, this:

does not absolve you.  Furthermore,

Christo & Jeanne Claude: Wrapped Trees, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997 - 98

no crappy ad agency-created commercial will ever, EVER, look as stunning as the real thing.

PS.  Dear Apple, I got a droid.

Stuff You Should Buy Right Now: Roger Ballen at 20x200

I'm never too busy to shop. So despite the fact that we are still cleaning cupcake frosting off the ceiling following Ike's first birthday party, I found a minute or two to sneak in some internet time. And it's a good thing, because 20x200 has been busting out the jamz. If you were Johnny on the spot, you may have snagged some cheap prints by heavy hitters like the Starn Twins and William Wegman, most of which are already sold out. But I am far and away more excited to tell you that Roger Ballen has recently editioned an image, and the small sizes are still available.

A Roger Ballen print for $50! Dudes, that is crazy. Buy it here.

If you've never heard of Roger Ballen, it's ok. He's not as famous as the Starn Twins or William Wegman, but he should be. Since the 1970s, Ballen has been photographing rural villages and their inhabitants in South Africa. Ballen's photos are riddled with metaphors, icons, and wild dreamlike tableaux. Recalling works as disparate as Aaron Siskind and Ralph Eugene Meatyard, the results are often both poetic and disturbing.

Weird? Yes. Awesome? Hell yes.

Ok, friends, I'm off to 20x200 to buy that print, pronto. Oh, and psssssst: the also excellent Eirik Johnson (who I've written about here and here) has a new print coming out this Wednesday, July 14th, so be sure to check it out.

Back Wednesday with an interiors post, I promise...