An Arts Role Model

“We never bought anything because we thought it was important,” Mr. Vogel told the New York Times in 1992. “We bought things we liked. It’s not about price. It’s about feeling.”

What an absolutely wonderful and inspiring article in the Washington Post today remembering Herb Vogel, an unassuming art enthusiast who amassed a collection of works by some of the most important artists of the 20th century. This is absolutely the ethos that we are striving for with the podcast. Vogel was a postal worker with limited funds, and an unlimited passion for art. He and his wife Dorothy collected pieces that they liked and could afford, building relationships with artists in the process. He paid what he could, bartered with artists and set up payment installment plans. One of my favorite lines from the article: “Once, they received a collage from Christo in exchange for cat-sitting.” Herb and Dorothy’s example provides a perfect illustration of the idea that art can be accessible for everyone, and that you should allow yourself to be led by your own personal taste rather than by a sense of what is “supposed” to be good.

Mr. Vogel could not always articulate why he liked certain works of art more than others or what he looked for when collecting. [Megumi] Sasaki, the director of the 2008 documentary about the Vogels, ended up focusing the camera on his eyes, which instantly grew wide whenever he saw a new artwork that he admired.

“I just like art,” Mr. Vogel said in 1992.

If you’d like to learn more, there is a film about the Vogels, called Herb and Dorothy.

Want to Buy this Museum?

Want to Buy This Museum?

The Washington Post today featured an article by David Montgomery on push-back over the proposed sale of the Corcoran’s 1897 beaux arts building on 17th Street NW.

Museums today tend to follow a fairly strict set of ethical and professional collections management guidelines. One of the most basic principles is that, as public trusts, museums must not sell off their collections for financial reasons. Stated simply by Marie Malaro, “the fact that a museum desperately needs money should not dictate that collection objects must be sold…”* Through the podcast we have often indicated that we consider the museum building to be a part of the institution’s collection.

The issue becomes complicated when an institution finds itself in danger of having to shut its doors, or becomes unable to care for its collection. Personally, I can’t imagine the Corcoran’s collection in another setting, but I do wonder if those protesting against the sale are willing to dedicate themselves to finding alternate ways of raising money for the museum. What are your thoughts?

The Art Attack at the Corcoran:

Oscar Wilde by Hiroshi Sugimoto

Black Girl Dragging White Girl by Kim Dingle

Portrait of Henri Matisse by Henri Cartier-Bresson

*Malaro, Marie C. A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections. Smithsonian Books, Washington DC. 1998.

The Art Attack in the News

The Art Attack was recently featured in this article on Pink Noise, the blog-offshoot of the Pink Line Project. Thanks to Rachel Gorman for a great piece, we couldn’t have said it better!

 

 

Today is Arts Advocacy Day!

Happy Arts Advocacy Day, everyone!

Today, arts advocates are hitting the Hill to tell Congress how important it is that we make supporting the arts a national priority. The event was kicked off last night with the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, given this year by Alec Baldwin.

After showing off a totally respectable down dog, Baldwin gave a great talk chronicling his lifelong relationship with the arts, underlining the point that art enhances our lives in ways that can be both profound and quotidian. The arts also fuel a vibrant economy and create communities that we want to live in. If you can’t make it to the Hill today, check out the Americans for the Arts website for tools you can use to make your voice heard in support of the arts!

http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocate.asp

In the Lion’s Den with Rubens

In this episode, the Sarahs visit Rubens’ masterpiece, Daniel in the Lion’s Den at the National Gallery of Art.

Music: Ruins of Bethel and Desert Sunset by SaReGaMa

Happy Holidays from the Art Attack!

The Art Attack is on vacation this week, but we will be back with new episodes featuring John LaFarge and Hiroshi Sugimoto in 2012. Until then, have a very happy and safe New Year!!

Artist Interview: Photojournalist Ben Fractenberg

In this special edition, Sarah D. journeys to New York for a gallery opening and sits down with photojournalist Ben Fractenberg to talk about his approach to photography.

Ben’s work can be seen at the Mark Miller gallery on the Lower East Side from now until October 20th. The original photos, together with the full stories behind them can be found at DNAinfo.com.

Oh, No! Yoko’s Wish Tree for Washington

In which the Sarahs visit Yoko Ono’s contribution to the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden. The piece incurs some skepticism, and lots of good conversation.

Music Credits: Tema Club Eden and Llaves by Selva de Mar

For more information on the Imagine Peace Tower, including info on how to create your very own wish tree, visit the Imagine Peace website.

It Ain’t (my work), Babe

It appears that Bob Dylan is a fellow fan of AA alum Henri Cartier-Bresson.  A New York Times article from September 26th reports that some of the paintings Dylan has on exhibit at a New York gallery are almost direct copies of work by the pioneering photographer. Dylan also samples work from photographer Leon Busy. In neither case did he provide attribution or any reference to the original works.

At the Art Attack, we often talk about how artists enter a dialogue with each other, building on ideas and themes through their work. But when does this iterative process go too far, and turn into plagiarism? Does it matter that the show is at a gallery rather than a museum? What do you think?

Listener’s Choice! Typewriter Eraser, Scale X

To kick off season two, we bring you our listener-selected piece from the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. The piece is Typewriter Eraser Scale X by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. This playful ode to a humble tool is a great representation of Pop Art.