Category: Art

Three new paintings that I’ve purchased from an English artist

I became interested in the genre of New Complexity in modern music, then became familiar with the Major Names of that genre in both composition and performance along with those I appreciated the most, then–this being the world that it is–found that some of those Major Names are online, then I “kept informed” on social media of those that are active on social media. (Side note: I often contemplate with the gravity of history the fact that as a boy of five or nine I could have met Stravinsky or Shostakovich, respectively, despite my oblivious and underserving status at the time and their importance to me today.)

Ian Pace is a pianist and composer (see A week of “The History of Photography in Sound”) who is one of the above artists who are active online and who has at several times referenced the artist and composer Jim Aitchison. Mr. Pace had commissioned several works from Aitchison and posted photos and, though I can’t find those posts right now, they resonated strongly.

Jim Aitchison, Architecture of Landscape (psychiatric hospital and gallery), oil pastel, ink, and acrylic on heavy paper, ca. 2021
Continue reading Three new paintings that I’ve purchased from an English artist

Coronavirus — 18 Aug 2021 — Uncertainty

Why Vaccinated People Are Not Taking Delta Seriously Enough w/ Dr. Eric Topol (The New Abnormal, 13 Aug 2021)

Dr. Eric Topol (good reporting on his Twitter feed) reports that current vaccines provide protection from delta at around 40-60% effectiveness and a booster would bring that to 90%. The data from a CNN report expands/clarifies those numbers but provides no data on boosters (see images below). On 13 Aug 2021, the CDC advised that immunocompromised people start getting boosters and there are reports that the federal government will recommend all others to get one eight months after their previous shot (our 2nd dose of the Pfizer was 11 Apr 2021, so hello Dec 2021).

Continue reading Coronavirus — 18 Aug 2021 — Uncertainty

Banksy and a tweet and pseudonyms

@molotovbouquet tweeted an image of Fauci and Trump in response to a new Lincoln Project ad about their respective histories:

from @molotovbouquet, 7:32 AM, 15 Jul 2020

The molotov account’s name is “Not Banksy” and states that they’re “not on Twitter, not @BryanSGaakman”. The image at the top of his bio looks like a Banksy, and his avatar is a man in a hoodie (the uniform of street artists):

@molotovbouquet on Twitter

The name “molotov bouquet” is likely a reference to a Banksy titled “Love Is In The Air (Flower Thrower)”. According to MyArtBroker, it first appeared in 2003 “in Jerusalem shortly after the construction of the West Bank Wall”:

image from Michael Owens

@BryanSGaakman is an anagram (no, I did not figure this out) of “Banksy anagram”. His bio has an image of a possible Banksy (note the balloon for further reference below):

@BryanSGaakman

Back on 10 Jun 2018, someone stole a Banksy titled Trolley Hunters from a Toronto art gallery. The thief was recorded on security camera, wearing a hoodie. He shuffles around inconspicuously and alone, grabs the painting, then hurries out.

Trolley Hunters, image from Unidentified Thief Caught On Camera Stealing $45,000 Banksy Print From Exhibit (NPR, 15 Jun 2018)

The suspicion is that Banksy was the thief who stole the Banksy because, well, it’s so on brand for him. In fact, just the day after the theft, Banksy posted a story of some hijinks he had just perpetrated on the Royal Academy of Arts. Under that anagram pseudonym, he sent them a work of art for a gallery show but it was rejected. (We all see where this is going.) He then turned around and re-sent it as himself. To quote Banksy: “It’s now hanging in gallery 3.”

Here’s the art, note the balloon:

Authenticity is either dead or never existed.