Mitchell - Installation view at the RMA Institute, Bangkok thru June 12

The full portfolio of Mitchell's Abstracts - 2011 collection is at Jim Kempner Fine Art, NY

Deborah Simon, Orcas, watercolor and gold

24” w x 36” h, 2004

At the Whitney Biennial, 2008 in the sculpture garden, Fritz Haeg’s Animal Estates recreated twelve indigenous animal habitats, such as a beaver pond, and featured guided tours by local scientists, historians, and artists. Deborah Simon participated with her possum sculpture. More about Simon can be found at Hungry Hyaena or Deborah Simon.

Is it Trash or Is it Art?

I have been renovating a house and attempting to clear the clutter (see “Clearing Your Clutter with Feng Shui” below). It’s a great read for OCD hoarders to learn how to purge. Everytime I try to save another piece of debris because it intrigues me artistically, my husband sites excerpts from the book. Occassionally a piece of discarded roofing material, insulation or something which might resemble rebar gets salvaged and stored for a future project.

Maybe I am missing something in my life. According to the books I’ve posted below,
purging can be spiritual. At the Whitney Biennial, perhaps the artists using recycled materials (Sustainable Art) are seeking redemption of sorts. Rather than sending trash to the land fills, they are stacking it up and manipulating it into “art”. It’s ingenious really but the real creativity appears to be in the titles!

I was particularly moved by the work of Stephan Prina, The Second Sentence of Everthing I read is You: The Queen Mary (1979-2006). Someone explain this please. In the photo, notice the viewer has found something more compelling to ponder outside the window- enough said. I suppose this reaction of disdain for the art masterpiece could be exactly what the artist was hoping for. For more of a rant on the biennial from another artist, go to the blog section (right/scoll down) and go to “Brooklyn Days” blog.