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Heath Ledger Portrait Awarded Australian 2008 Archibald Prize
On Thursday, the portrait of a brooding Heath Ledger, which was painted shortly before the Australian actor died in January, was voted the most popular painting in the 2008 Archibald Prize competition. The Archibald Prize is Australia's top art prize for portraiture.
Ledger, who was best known for his role as a conflicted gay cowboy in the 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain, died at the age of 28 in New York on January 22. Artist Vincent Fantauzzo, 29, had been friends with Ledger for many years. Ledger posed for the portrait in December at Ledger’s family home in Perth, Australia. The portrait will be donated to the New South Wales Gallery in Sydney, Australia.
This postng includes a stunning, high-resolution photograph of this award-winning portrait of a sorrowful Heath Ledger, a music video tribute and a memorable photo-gallery. On Thursday, the portrait of a brooding Heath Ledger, which was painted shortly before the Australian actor died in January, was voted... more -
The man, the myth, the penis? It's Pricasso!
The Archibald prize is awarded to the best portrait, preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics, painted by an artist resident in Australasia during the 12 months preceding the date fixed by the Trustees for sending in the pictures.
So why are other artists in such a tizzy over who has been highly publicized and stands a chance of winning; well maybe because he paints with his penis...yes, I said he paints with his penis.
Just when you thought you heard it all...it's PRICasso! The Archibald prize is awarded to the best portrait, preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Pol... more -
How To: Ringlight
A few years back, I had been researching the cost of purchasing a ringflash when I came across a basic website that discussed the idea of building a ringlight, but did not include instructions on how to build the unit. Trying to find a light source that is uniform and shadow-less can be hard to find and quite expensive. There are two ways to achieve this lighting; one is to purchase a professional ringflash for between $1,000 and $3,000, the second is to build your own ringlight for less than $100. The website only included a rough sketch of what their constructed ringlight should look like once completed. I decided to use their basic idea and modify it for my own uses. Currently, there are many websites with instructions on how to build a variety of do-it-yourself ringlights.
Other than price, there are a couple key differences between a ringflash and a ringlight. The main difference between the two is that a ringlight is a form of continuous light, otherwise known as a hot light due to the heat given off by the unit. Another significant difference is the size of each lighting unit. A ringflash is typically one foot in diameter, whereas a ringlight usually runs between one and three feet in diameter attributable to the size of the camera and total wattage of the bulbs being used. Because of the size and weight of the ringlight unit, portability may become an issue for some users.
(TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE, PLEASE GO TO: http://jpgmag.com/stories/2706 )
*Please vote for it to be published! A few years back, I had been researching the cost of purchasing a ringflash when I came across a basic website that discussed the idea... more -
Man in a Houndstooth Suit
A time lapse video of a painting being created by fine artist Pete Nawara.
Man in a Houndstooth Suit
[A Portrait of Nolan Farrell]
Acrylic on Canvas
64 x 52 Inches (162 x 132 cm) A time lapse video of a painting being created by fine artist Pete Nawara. Man in a Houndstooth Suit ... more -
Walking dreams
this is a quick look at one of the west coast finest artist, representing sacramento ca peep the skills
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Vinyl Heads
You'll never look at Princes self titled album in the same light again.
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Returning The Stares: Man Without Legs Photographs Onlookers
Kevin Connolly was born without legs and travels throughout the world by balancing his torso on a skateboard, and moving expertly through the streets of the cities he visits.
He's perfectly aware that his physical differences will attract curiosity and as a result has turned the gaze back onto onlookers by taking over 32,000 pictures of the stares he's received.
It's a fascinating selection of spur of the moment portraiture. The stares come not only because of his appearance but also because he's pointing a camera at them. From behind the lens, he's putting himself into their position and mirroring their interest.
Click the image above to see his pictures of follow this link to read more about Kevin: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=3957287 Kevin Connolly was born without legs and travels throughout the world by balancing his torso on a skateboard, and moving expertly thro... more -
Next Smithsonian exhibit may be portraits of museum executives doing "perp" walk f...
Washingtonians - and others with big egos - have a portrait fetish that is obscene especially when it involves taxpayers money.
Even half that nealry 50 grand could have been significant funding for the non-profit Native American and environment projects I volunteer for in northern Michigan.
More comment after a few sentences of the article and a look at this portrait:
Portrait Cost Indian Museum $48,500: Senators, Trustees Question Spending By Former Director
By James V. Grimaldi
Washington Post Staff Writer
W. Richard West Jr., the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, spent $48,500 in museum funds to commission a portrait of himself.
The portrait of West by New York artist Burton Silverman hangs in the patrons' lounge on the fourth floor of the flagship museum, which is dedicated to the arts and culture of American Indians.
Silverman said West picked him after he saw a portrait Silverman had done of former Smithsonian secretary Robert McCormick Adams.
The Adams portrait, completed about a decade earlier, was smaller and cost about half as much.
Rest of the Washington Post story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...
Portrait:
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2...
[IMG http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee225/YOOPERNEWSMAN/...[/IMG]
Native American on Native American crime - much like black on black crime - is especially insidious because so much good could have been done for First Nations peoples heritage with this wasted and misappropriated money.
It's also a crime against taxpayers and common decency.
Spending $48,500 on a self portrait is among the disgraceful financial crimes of W. Richard West Jr., the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
For this crime to occur in the hallowed halls of the Smithsonian shows again thievery knows no class boundaries - and should be treated just as severely as the poor man who sticks a gun into the face of a 7-11 clerk.
The Smithsonian needs to be thoroughly audited from top to bottom as this is at least the second huge scandal to tarnish its once respected reputation.
No doubt it's only the tip of the fiduciary iceberg that's tearing through the Smithsonian's highbrow richly-protected hull.
I do volunteer work for several Native American related non-profits whose budgets are much smaller than even the cost of that disgraceful portrait.
And the suggestion that it could not have been painted by an American Indian artist is as laughable as it is sickening with a hint of racism against one's own culture.
Even the portrait stance is borrowed and unoriginal, as a buttoned-down Mr. West gazes thoughtfully off to the east, his coat hanging on a crooked forefinger and tossed over suspenders with his soft thumb and the remaining fingers forming the "OK" sign.
The Washington ego commands that a portrait much be painted to prove one's importance.
No doubt many law offices, banking institutions and the halls of officialdom are plastered with the self-aggrandizing crafty art.
Prior to the Polaroid, a self-portrait may have been necessary to preserve one's historic legacy but in today's world it's merely a measure of one's self-importance that is more often scoffed at than admired by those it's meant to impress. Perhaps, a modern definition of irony.
Maybe the next exhibit at the Smithsonian will be portraits of former executives doing the proverbial "perp walk" - cuffed and stuffed for perp-etuity. Washingtonians - and others with big egos - have a portrait fetish that is obscene especially when it involves taxpayers money. ... more -
The Camera Clicks
Ian Witlen's photography website
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Austin Young ; photographs and film works
really good photog. like really good.
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Some pictures are worth absolute silence...
..and McCurry's portraits do that more often than the average snapshot...
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Portraiture
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Portraiture
