Saturday, December 30, 2006




I've taken an interest in graffiti lately. Well not so much tags. The above pic was taken yesterday on Napean St. I like this one because of where it was on the building, not because of the actual tag considering how unimpressive it is. Anyway, there actually is some really fun graffiti in Center Town and I think I'm going to photograph it more often.

Friday, December 29, 2006

Punk History 101

I'm currently reading a few books on the beginning of punk rock to the end of post punk. It's unfortunately a topic I've never dove into deeply and have recently decided to explore how everything started. I have started with Please Kill Me and Rip It Up, and Start Again. I have a couple other books to read next : Confessions of a Record Producer and Our Band Could be Your Life. After that I think I'll start into even more specific periods of time if that's at all possible, or maybe more specific places and scenes. Anyway I'm enjoying it so far.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

MacLeans January 1st 2007

I haven't quite figured out what to do with this blog. I was feeling kind of morbid when I started it but now I feel quite fine. At any rate we'll see where it goes. However, today I would like express my extreme outrage for a certain interview published in the January 1st edition of MacLeans Magazine. The article was addressing how young girls dress like hussies. Valid complaint. The part that pissed me off was that the interviewie Celia Rivenbark,started going off about how she would switch off the radio station and say "no!" if she disagreed with the content of music her eight year old daughter was listening to. I don't understand why she would simply sensor what her child hears. I think that in this instance, awareness is key. Why do you feel she shouldn't listen to this song? I mean come on, an eight year old girl isn't incoherent. She can understand things if she's allowed the chance to comprehend. I strongly suggest checking it out if you have the chance. There are quite a few articles in that issue that are well worth the 5 bucks.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A Discussion Of Modern Art

It's so strange how you can snap awake and sudden find yourself creating something again. A new painting in my case. One moment hopelessly lost in the wake of pop culture and television, then putting brush to canvas again. The problem is, I'm not sure if the outcome is worthy of viewing. Most likely not. The fact of the matter is, that although I adore contemporary art, I find myself hating the very nature of it. I feel that ambiguity and pretension so thickly surround the majority. These are two qualities I don't particularly want to be related to.

Dictionary.com defines art as "the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance."

But isn't that uncompromised art? Without the influence of money or fame. Or is that just a product of the art? In this century I believe its the other way around. It was suppose to be about expression and beauty, then those two made a pretty penny for somebody. Unique is priceless and priceless goes to the highest bidder.

Has modern day ruined art? Maybe art has always been driven by personal gain. Does that not seem somewhat sad? Doesn't it make you feel empty about it? I personally have only sold one painting and it was a copy of an older work that I was not able to part with. I though, money will come and go but this painting could disappear forever. There will only be this one painting. Even the one I sold (the copy) was unique from the original as it was not a direct copy and had been slightly, stylistically different. More of an influenced copy than an actual copy.

Yet I'm not the right example because I'm the one confused and outraged by what is apparently the norm. Can anyone shed some light on this topic?

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Henry Darger

I bought "In the Realms of the Unreal" recently. Ever since I have been very interested in purchasing some of Henry Darger's work. It conjures some many familiar emotions in me. It reminds me of how I saw scenarios and enviroment when I was a child.

I was browsing around a few websites that were advertising sales of his work. I feel sad though. Sad that his novel is dispersed all over the place and not together in a museum. I have been searching for a novel. I figured someone in the last 25 years must have published his graphic novel! Yet I have been unable to find any such book. I have managed to find out where most Darger's work lies. Apparently a Mr. Andrew Edlin is privileged to be the exclusive representative of Darger's estate. He's having the first public viewing in his gallery next week in New York. Too bad I'm planning a trip to New York.

I have requested some pricing on a few works, although I don't know how I feel about purchasing one for the simple reason that I feel all the pictures should be kept intact; as a whole. Too late for that I suppose. When I receive pricing I will be sure to let interested parties know how much these priceless depictions are selling for.