Who doesn’t love a great love story? How often do you come across something that kicks you over with such a powerful, raw, and beautiful thrust? For me, it’s not that often. As some of you know, I have a great love affair with art. She gives me strength, confidence, and has convinced me over time, that I am a warrior. I am a one woman army, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are a few artists, quite a few actually, who give me the energy that can only be described as the feeling you get from chewing on a crack rock. In my mind, I picture crack fun like strawberry flavored Pop Rocks but way more addictive. I have never eaten crack, mind you.
Today at The Blanton Museum of Art, I ran into some of my favorite crack artists, and found some new pieces that tickled my fancy.
Nan Goldin
Vik Muniz
Ed Ruscha
Nan Goldin and Vik Muniz are two of my favorites. If you can check out there biographies and study their practices, do it. They are both quite impressive. The Ed Ruscha photos are from his series (and book), Parking Lots.
Other pieces that tickled my titties…
Luis A. Jimenez, Jr.
Cildo Meireles
Dawoud Bay
The main reason I decided to journey to The Blanton today was for The Collecting Impulse: Fifty Works from Dorothy and Herb Vogel. If you don’t know about Herb and Dorothy Vogel, it’s time you do. Watch Herb and Dorothy immediately. Netflix that shit.
Herb and Dorothy’s love affair with art is one of the most moving I have seen in a long while. Together, they amassed just under 5,000 works of art they collected on their modest salaries (she a librarian, he a postal worker) since the mid 1960′s. They kept all this work in their tiny one bedroom apt in New York City. In 1992, they donated the entire collection to the National Gallery of Art, and have since decided to donate 50 pieces of their collection to each of the 50 states. The Blanton at the University of Texas at Austin is the recipient of the Texas honor. I checked it out and loved it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t photograph it for you, they made me pocket my camera.
This is so important for American art, it warms my heart. The great news is that because of their generosity and pure love, it’s accessible to us all in every state. I hope this inspires you. This is my kind of love story.
xoxo,
Miss Austin
