DC Public Library Arts + Humanities

PST

2011-12-27T14:10:00.002-05:00

Pacific Standard Time at the Getty has been on everyone's top ten list of exhibitions for 2011. We have the freshly minted catalog on our shelves. It contextualizes the art of Los Angeles during the rise of the New York School, Abstract Expressionism and beyond; revealing the hard truth that Art does indeed occur outside of NYC.

Also RIP Helen Frankenthaler

Heavy

2011-11-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Heavy D

via Pitchfork

Watch n' Learn

2011-10-24T12:19:00.019-04:00

Over the weekend, via The New Yorker, we learned about the Art Documentation Project, a collaboration between the Menil Collection, the Whitney Museum, and the Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art at Harvard. The Menil's Chief Conservator Carol Mancusi-Ungaro got the idea to try and forgo future conservation mysteries by talking with artists about what in the world they did to produce their work and how to best preserve it. The point is that the videos are available here and they are enormously enlightening.

So there. Now you too can learn how to best preserve that Jasper Johns encaustic hanging in your hallway, and that Brice Marden in your foyer.

Lisztomania

2011-10-22T11:30:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Franz Liszt!

Set Your Calendar (backwards)

2011-10-12T10:36:00.006-04:00

It might be too late, but Wolfgang Laib (pictured) is speaking at the Phillips Collection tonight! I think it is already sold out, but it doesn't hurt to check.

Elizabeth Peyton is also TONIGHT at 7pm! at Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Julie Mehretu is speaking on Wednesday November 2nd at 7pm. For both of these talks FREE tickets are distributed beginning at 6:30 on the day of the event.

AND

November's Architectural Digest goes inside of the home of Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi. They have a surprising number of Baquiat/Warhol paintings. -Coincidentally the National Gallery has two on exhibit as part of their Warhol: Headlines show.

Approved

2011-10-07T14:14:00.000-04:00

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library got some brand spanking new display shelving outside of Room 209 (and elsewhere) upon which to display new books. The new material has really seemed to enjoy the change of venue. Titles currently being supported are: DesignSponge at Home, Carl Andre: Things in Their Elements (pictured), Errol Morris' Believing is Seeing (Observations on the Mysteries of Photography) which incidentally wins the Art Division Friday Staff Pick Seal of Ultimate Approval.

New Rags

2011-08-31T08:06:00.002-04:00

Design institution Arkitip magazine just arrived. It is one of our brand new subscriptions. You can get a little taste here, but the real deal is here.

image: arkitip

Mona Lisa, Stolen...

2011-08-29T20:23:00.001-04:00

...one hundred years, and one week ago.

She is back in her rightful place at the Louvre of course, but we should celebrate the anniversary of the heist somehow. Here's an idea. Noah Charney is offering a run down of the history of La Gioconda at ARTINFO. Let's follow along shall we?

For further reading check out Vanished Smile by R.A. Scotti

image via: Oxford Art Online

Objectifying Beauty

2011-08-18T10:58:00.001-04:00

Marina Abramovic, Photo by Marco Anelli, courtesy Sean Kelly Gallery, New York

MAN pointed us to a blog called HOTTIES OF ART HISTORY. It is what you have always wanted, but were afraid to ask for.

So, um...to make this relevant to library stuff you can find some Marina Abramovic material in the 709.2 A161 shelves. Now back to the internet...

image via: HOTTIES OF ART HISTORY

Cabinet Maker

2011-08-08T16:30:00.000-04:00

Our new subscription to Cabinet magazine just arrived! This "quarterly of art and culture" covers topics ranging from the color orange, to narwhals, to Maurice Blanchot.

Superness According to Grant Morrison

2011-08-03T08:54:00.002-04:00

Grant Morrison's new book Supergods just arrived. It is a history of the superhero and comic book industry. Also you can see him over at Wired discussing the relevance of the superhero and comics.

The Original Gansta of Art History is 500

2011-08-02T15:34:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, the 30th of July, was the 500th birthday of painter and "art historian" Giorgio Vasari. We have several large and small editions of his Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors and Architects.

image via: artinfo/ bruna benvegnù via Flickr

In Memorium

2011-07-25T15:50:00.006-04:00

There is a memorial book display at the entrance to Room 209 for both Cy Twombly (above) and Lucian Freud. Both died this month and were giants among painters.

Our Band Could Be Your Lacan?

2011-07-23T14:05:00.001-04:00

Michael Azzerad's rock and roll classic Our Band Could Be Your Life just came in. As did -I hope you are sitting down for this one- Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Lacan But Were Afraid To Ask Hitchcock edited by Slavoj Zizek. If you need a refresher about Lacanian themes in Hitchcock films, you can watch Zizek drive a boat while explaining them.

405 Years Never Looked So Good

2011-07-15T12:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Rembrandt!

Googie-Goo

2011-07-14T09:58:00.000-04:00

Morning Edition talks about Googie Architecture. We do too.

Re:Discovery

2011-07-13T16:36:00.000-04:00

You are wondering about the validity of the recent Michelangelo and Leonardo discoveries too aren't you? Decide for yourself after visiting 759.5 L582 for Leonardo and 759.5 M623 for Michelangelo.

Beach Reads: Get 'Em While they're Hot

2011-06-25T12:43:00.001-04:00

We have all of Tyler Green's "Top Five Summer Beach-Books for Art Lovers" right over here.
*Except for Deceptive Clarity by Aaron Elkins

Graphic Content

2011-06-23T14:22:00.001-04:00

A typographical perspective of books over at Book Worship. If you are interested in learning more about typography and graphic design in general, please stroll over to the 741.6's.

via: Walking Paper

Not Sorry

2011-06-22T13:25:00.000-04:00

Ai Weiwei was freed!

image: NYT

Lens Photo Blog

2011-06-21T12:41:00.001-04:00

Mysterious Nazi photo album over at NY Times' Lens blog. They tell the backstory.

Friday Fun Fact

2011-06-17T11:00:00.003-04:00

Did you know that the planet Mercury's craters are named after artist, musicians, and poets? The ones that you are seeing here are the Bach crater (the double ringed one at the bottom) and the Alencar -Brazilian novelist José de Alencar- crater (up top).

via: Wired

This is Freshhhh Air!

2011-06-16T16:01:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Agonizing Love: The Golden Era of Romance Comics was reviewed on Fresh Air. We have a copy, but don't go to the shelf for it. It is in the NEW books display.

Wherkin'

2011-06-10T09:32:00.000-04:00

As part of your Friday diversion, here is a glimpse of Linn Meyers making a giant drawing Every Now. And Again at the Hammer Museum in LA.

Take Your Vitamins

2011-05-27T16:44:00.004-04:00

Terry Winters Signal to Noise catalog is here. Actually someone already grabbed it, but it will be back. There is a reference copy to tide you over.

Vitamin 3-D is also here.

There are also two replacements of Susan Sontag's On Photography, which for some reason aren't showing up in the online catalog. But trust me they are here.

**If there are any classics about photography, or anything else, that you feel need to be replenished, let me know in the comments.**

Thanksgiving in May

2011-05-18T16:15:00.000-04:00

Fresh off the Art Truck:

Matthias Weischer: Room With A View

Alexis Rockman: A Fable for Tomorrow

Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers

George Condo: Mental States

Whaa?! You want more?

Another copy of the LA MoCA Art in the Streets catalog.

Dr. Lakra from the ICA, Boston

And a few replacement copies of Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes and Ways of Seeing, John Berger.

Riot-Boooook Talk

2011-05-16T13:43:00.001-04:00

Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Girrrl Revolution was the topic of discussion on this week's Sound Opinions. Listen here. One copy available here.

Missing

2011-05-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

Reports of Ai Weiwei's situation are sounding worse.

Here you can find a bound archive of Ai Weiwei's blog: Writings, Interviews, Digital Rants 2006 -2009 in our catalog.

image: artinfo

Book Lending Blowout!

2011-04-29T13:17:00.003-04:00

C'mon down!

We have been deluged by a monster order of catalogs and monographs. In fact, more than can fit on our shelves! We have the Triumph of Painting (Saatchi Gallery's 2005 survey of painting), Paul Thek Diver, John Marin Watercolors: A Medium for Modernism, Inventing Marcel Duchamp: The Dynamics of Portraiture, and many, many more.

There are really too many to mention and more on the way, so EVERYTHING MUST GO!

Wild in the Streets

2011-04-21T15:25:00.001-04:00

MOCA catalog for Art in the Streets is here!

Dear Artists

2011-04-20T09:31:00.003-04:00

You might want to take a look at this. When you are finished, you may then apply your newly acquired skills at NYFA ,CaFE, Kickstarter , and The Awesome Foundation.

After all, recessions are inversely proportionate to ideas.

Knowing Without Knowing

2011-04-19T09:39:00.000-04:00

Within our new copy of The New Mathematics of Architecture you will find the Foster + Partners designed courtyard at Smithsonian American Art/National Portrait Gallery.

You will perhaps recognize Foster + Partners from the Millau Viaduct and the courtyard at the British Museum among many others. They also designed the concept for City Center DC which recently broke ground.

New Book Pleasures

2011-04-18T18:38:00.002-04:00

Lari Pittman
(who is represented in the Corcoran's Modern and Contemporary Art Since 1945 exhibition right now)

Liza Lou

Good Housekeeping

2011-04-05T12:29:00.001-04:00

For the sake of keeping you in the loop:

A.The Phillips Collection has a blog called The Experiment Station. Also in our blogroll at left.

B.Terry Winters is speaking at the National Gallery on April 14th at 3:30 as part of the Elson Lecture Series.

C.We just received Leni Riefenstahl's Africa published by Taschen.

D.We also received Neil Strauss' Everyone Loves When You're Dead.

image: MET

George Tooker

2011-03-31T09:15:00.000-04:00

George Tooker passed away last Sunday.He was 90 years old.

Image: Met

To Gogh

2011-03-30T15:59:00.000-04:00

Today is Vincent Van Gogh's birthday. He would have been 158 years young. In celebration lets take a look at the Morgan Library's online exhibition of his letters to Emile Bernard.

image: NGA

Modigliani: A Line

2011-03-30T13:12:00.000-04:00

For about six and one half minutes we had the new Modigliani: A Life. Reserve it here. The author Meryle Secrest has written numerous other art world biographies including Duveen, who was quite the salesman.

District Graphics

2011-03-25T16:15:00.001-04:00

The changing demographics of our city beautifully rendered at the Washington Post website.

image: WaPo

Face Off

2011-03-21T17:12:00.000-04:00

Judy Chicago. Frida Kahlo. Pick it up here.

New Memories

2011-03-15T12:39:00.000-04:00

We just received Richard Misrach's Destroy This Memory. It is a touching, heartbreaking, hilarious, and sad book of post-Katrina photographs.

On the lighter side, Barry McGee's T.H.R is on the new shelf too.

Anacostia Calling

2011-03-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

Architectural Record performs a "Building Types Study" on libraries. There is a very special library profiled in Anacostia.There are some shockingly cool libraries shown from other locales such a Tokyo, Mullingar, Ireland, and Timbuktu.

Image via: Mark Herboth Photography/Architectural Record

The 720's

2011-02-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

February's Architect Magazine profiles the Hirshhorn's seasonal bubble structure, the design of which has been awarded a Progressive Architecture (P/A) Award.

In this same issue Roger K. Lewis profiles the new Arena Stage calling Bing Thom's design a "must-see". Page 78 of the digital version.

image: Architect

Friday Diversions

2011-02-25T12:35:00.001-05:00

If you missed the Outsider Art Fair a couple of weeks ago, James Kalm has a report from the event.

In other internet video news, video artist Douglas Gordon describes how Goya and Zinedine Zidane are related.

And Caravaggio rap sheet is unleashed!

Bon Weekend!

via: James Kalm Report

Infographic Madness!

2011-02-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

via BMD/Chris Bishop

Atlas of the Real World can be found at many DC Library branches.

Rated NCC-1701

2011-02-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

The USS Enterprise Owner's Workshop Manual just landed. It provides system overviews for each incarnation of the starship Enterprise. QaQ!

Sought/Found

2011-02-17T17:00:00.003-05:00

The exhibition catalog for the recently closed, and controversial, Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture has landed on our shelves. A Fire in My Belly -you remember, the segment of a David Wojnarowicz that was censored out of the exhibition- is not represented in the catalog. Censored items, begin what they are, are widely available on this doohickey called the internet.

Swedes

2011-02-09T16:10:00.000-05:00

We just received Who is Sleeping on My Pillow by Mamma Andersson and Jockum Nordstreom. Place a hold on it here!

The Google

2011-02-03T11:26:00.002-05:00

Google has unleashed Art Project which enables you to explore various museums around the world: Frick, Uffizi, Rijksmuseum, Met, Freer, and view works within these collections. You can also zoom in to see details and take a virtual rest on their gallery benches. And there aren't any guards to yell at you for getting too close.

image: The Harvesters, Pieter Bruegel via Art Project/Met

Add This to Your Research Utility Belt

2011-02-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

If you have ever thought to yourself, "Self, I wish that the Phillips Collection's collection were better represented online", then think that thought no more! There is American Art @ The Phillips. Bill Jensen's aren't there for whatever reason, but the John Walker (pictured above) paintings are.

image via: AA@TPC

2011-02-02T12:42:00.001-05:00

Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Day!

From the Art Heist Dept.

2011-01-25T14:22:00.002-05:00

Stealing the Mystic Lamb by Noah Charney charts the thefts and conspiracies surrounding the Ghent Alterpiece by Jan Van Eyck. Which we have on the "NEW" shelf here at MLKML. There is a primer over at Artinfo too. He will be blogging about art heists and sundry other art historical shenanigans at ArtInfo . Peek into The Secret History of Art.

Dennis Oppenheim

2011-01-24T16:32:00.002-05:00

Famed artist Dennis Oppenheim passed away at the age of 72 on Saturday. Check him out here.

2011-01-11T15:37:00.002-05:00

American Library Association (ALA) condemns censorship at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

Arty Nerd Party!

2010-12-27T19:33:00.001-05:00

At the finish line of 2010, we received a bunch of new Art books just in time for the New Year. You may invite any or all of the following selection to your party:

Inside the Painter's Studio - Joe Figg (guilty pleasure look into the studios, and interviews, of famous painters)

Charley Harper - Todd Oldham (overview of the work of illustrator Charley Harper [above])
Optic Nerve: Perceptual Art of the 1960's - Joe Houston (chronicling the development of Op Art)
Speaking of Art - William Furlong (interviews with William Kentridge, Tacita Dean, Wolfgang Tillmans, Jake and Dinos Chapman brothers, and many others)
Kehinde Wiley: Black Light - Kehinde Wiley (exquisitely reproduced photographs that look like his paintings)
Street Sketchbook - Tristan Manco (like a big moleskine/legal pad of graffiti drawings)

Let The Near Sighted Monkey Be Your Guide

2010-12-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

New Lynda Barry hit the shelves. 741.5973 B281P. We got two of them.

WTD by Davis Brody Bond Aedas

2010-12-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

The recently opened Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library is on the cover of the Winter 2010 issue of Architecture DC, a free publication from the American Institute of Architects DC (AIADC). Stop by (MLK Room 209)and pick one up, as they haven't uploaded the new issue to their website as of this typing.

image: Alex Burchfield/Washington City Paper

King In Your Neighborhood

2010-12-09T10:02:00.000-05:00

Beginning December 2010, participate in ‘Capture King in Your Neighborhood: A Flickr Community Photo Collage,’ a precursor to DC Public Library’s 2011 program series honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here’s how it works:
- Take a picture - something that represents Dr. King to you.
- Upload your picture to www.flickr.com/groups/mlkimagesdc/. The photos can be remixed in any way, for example, a collage.
- Tag the photo with the phrase “MLK Images DC.”
- Include a comment on how your photo captures Dr. King's legacy.
- Comment on others' images too.

The images will be viewed, discussed, and celebrated at the King Week Kick-Off on Monday, January 10 (6:30pm, MLK Library @ 901 G Street NW). Join us for an evening of community photography and live jazz. All are welcome.

Note: Photos submitted to the group will be moderated, so images may not appear instantly. Please make sure to set your images' privacy settings to be viewable by anyone.

image: Flickr: The Commons/U.S National Archives

News!

2010-12-07T17:49:00.001-05:00

National Portrait Gallery Protest from Michael Dax Iacovone on Vimeo.

Mike Blasenstein and Mike Iacovone (Mike I. of Free Space at MLK fame) was detained and expelled from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) while protesting the removal of "A Fire in My Belly".

In other news Kristina Bilonick and JW Mahoney will be on the Kojo Nnamdi show tomorrow discussing the power of the DC Art scene at 12:30. That is, after a discussion of the recent events at NPG.

Let's Talk About Censorship

2010-12-04T11:04:00.002-05:00

Certainly you have by now heard about National Portrait Gallery and their decision to pull David Wojnarowicz's video "A Fire In My Belly" under threat of halted funding. Here is a refresher if needed. Here is opinion. And yet another. And another. And here are the words of William Donohue, Catholic League President and bringer of the ruckus.

For a refresher of the history of censorhip in the United States of America please find the following:

Fear of Art: Censorship and Freedom of Expression in Art - 701.03 C287 (2 copies)

Culture Wars: Documents From Recent Controversies in the Arts -700.103 C968 (2 copies)

The Cultural Battlefield: Art Censorship and Public Funding - 700.103 C9675 (1 copy!)

Sex, Sin, and Blasphemy: A Guide to America's Censorship Wars - 363.3109 H471 (3 copies)

They will be on display in the Art Division while supplies last!

image via: PPOW

Just Sharing

2010-11-23T20:02:00.001-05:00

We have a new Kerry James Marshall painting living next door. You should see it! Then you should come over for the final week of Free Space.

image via: SAAM

Proud We Are

2010-11-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

Our Current exhibition Free Space was reviewed by Blake Gopnik in the Washington Post! READ IT!

image via: WaPo

Free Space Time Change

2010-11-09T13:31:00.001-05:00

Due to a scheduling conflict we had to shorten our Free Space reception here at MLK from 5-6pm. We are then movign the party over to Flashpoint Gallery at 916 G ST. NW (directly across the street) from 6-8pm. See you there!

New Schtuff

2010-11-02T19:04:00.001-04:00

Gregory Crewdson, Sanctuary, 779.092 C927S (You were warned about that one.)

Paul Andersen, The Architecture of Patterns, 720 A544

Todd Gustavson, Camera: A History of Photography from the Daguerrotype to Digital, 770.9 G982

Deyan Sudjic, Norman Foster: A Life in Architecture, 720.924 F77523S

image via: BN

Send Your Photos to Free Space

2010-10-25T20:04:00.002-04:00

Mike Iacovone and Billy Friebele's installation Free Space: A Communal & Interactive Survey of Washington DC, is coming to MLK Library this November as part of FotoWeek! The exhibition is in collaboration with Flashpoint Gallery,

There will be a reception on November 9th from 5-7pm in the Great Hall. You may participate in the exhibition by contributing your own photographs of DC. Submit your images here.

The Sound of the Book

2010-10-14T10:25:00.002-04:00

This one is for the phonography geeks out there (dovetailing nicely with "book geeks" to be sure): Vanessa Rossetto composed "Bookpacking 2" from hours of sound recorded during the act of -wait for it- BOOKPACKING. Listen here.

While we are on the subject you should seek out Steve Roden's "Forms of Paper". Commissioned by the LA Public Library, it is the sound of flipping pages being shortened, elongated, and pitchshifted. It is out of print, but I am sure you can hear it out there somewhere.

image via: compostandheight

OMGOMGOMG!

2010-10-13T16:43:00.000-04:00

Lookey what we just got! Straight from the ICA in Philadelphia it's Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) - 709.2 K14ZS

image via: icaphila

2010-10-12T12:41:00.000-04:00

Learn about the work of Lynn Ward.

image: NYT

Super New

2010-10-06T09:56:00.001-04:00

780 R823

Here it is! Mr. Ross, MacArthur Genius, brings us up on the intersections of pop and classical music siting Sonic Youth, Kurt Cobain, John Luther Adams, Cecil Taylor, and Radiohead among others.

New

2010-09-29T17:02:00.000-04:00

The Silent Ballet named The Saddest Music Ever Written: The Story of Samuel Barber's 'Adagio for Strings' it's September book of the month. Oh, come on! You know you've heard it...We have a shining new copy of The Saddest Music Ever Written on our new arrivals shelf in room 209.

Let's Get Banned

2010-09-27T18:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Banned Books Week everyone!

image via: the Guardian

Artbook-a-copia

2010-09-24T12:49:00.000-04:00

We also went book buying yesterday. What we will be receiving will excite and amaze you. Starting with this book.

image: artinfo

Draw an Ellipse, Impress a Pope!

2010-09-24T09:44:00.000-04:00

Elliptical drawing lesson coutesy NYT.

image: NYT

779.oil

2010-09-14T11:57:00.003-04:00

Edward Burtynsky's photos from the Gulf oil spill via Artinfo.
Find his book Oil (obviously not including the Gulf spill) at 779.9338 B974

image via: artinfo

Mark Your Calendar

2010-09-03T12:49:00.004-04:00

In collaboration with Flashpoint Gallery, and as part of FotoWeek DC, we are hosting an exhibition of interactive photo pieces by Mike Iacovone and Billy Friebele called Free Space: A Communal and Interactive Survey of Washington, DC. The reception is November 9th, and the showruns from November 9th-December 4th. It's early, but go ahead and mark your calendar.

image via: mikedax

Phillips Fire

2010-09-03T10:51:00.000-04:00

As I am sure you've heard by now the Phillips Collection had a fire yesterday. The damage doesn't sound too extensive. You may follow events here, here, or here. Oh! or on the Phillip's twitter feed of course.

Friday Trades

2010-08-27T11:54:00.001-04:00

Modern Painters is all about China. There is also an essay by Matthew Collings regarding "radicalism" in art. None of the content is on line yet. Print only-which you can obviously find in the Art Division.

Antique Trader profiles the booming bottle market. Who knew?

American Theatre profiles William Kentridge's stage works.

image via: Antique Trader

Last Week To Catch...

2010-08-24T14:54:00.000-04:00

This is your last week to catch the DC Conspiracy show Comic Book Boom at the MLK Library, 2nd Floor West Lobby! The show ends officially at 5pm 9on Sunday the 29th.

Your next chance to visit with the DC Conspiracy crew is at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda Sept 11-12. If you like independent publishing, comics, or independently published comics then there is no excuse for you not to go. Otherwise you can follow along with them here.

Evan Keeling Comics Workshop

2010-08-18T11:48:00.002-04:00

DC Conspiracy artist/writer/editor Evan Keeling is giving a comic book workshop this Saturday the 21st starting at 1pm. Geared for ages 18 and under. Don't forget. Bring a pencil. There will be drawing in the 2nd Floor West Lobby.

Please Read...

2010-08-18T10:54:00.000-04:00

...the Poems of Leonard Nimoy (actually just one poem.)

image: Awful Library Books

F-Stop Tuesday!

2010-08-17T13:50:00.000-04:00

The Goethe Institute has a exhibition of young German photographers.

Broad Strokes digs a Rineke Dijkstra from their vaults. And got a new Kiki Smith on loan.

Some anonymous donor gave us a new, (the spine has barely been cracked!) Gardner's Art Through the Ages (eleventh edition) 709 G226A93. This is a much needed replacement copy for us. That makes one copy as Reference, and one copy to take out. Some lucky undergraduate is going to have a terrific "art in the dark" experience with this little -actually giant- beauty.

image: Sonja Kälberer, bel composto, 2009, www.guteaussichten.org

Leo

2010-08-16T12:12:00.005-04:00

The new Leo Castelli biography, Leo and His Circle: The Life of Leo Castelli, hit the shelves in -you guessed it- the Biography division.

On the same shelf you will find the new Chuck Close: Life biography by Christopher Finch.

And in remembrance of the 400th anniversary of the passing of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, I set up a little display of biographies including Francine Prose's Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles and Johnathan Harr's fictionalized account of the rediscovery of a lost Caravaggio painting called -right again!- The Lost Painting!

Philosophy Talk With Comics

2010-08-12T16:25:00.000-04:00

'Nuff said.

image via Marvel/BBC

You may have encountered

2010-08-11T11:20:00.000-04:00

You may have encountered this 10 year retrospective about Dan Steinhilber, but it bears repeating.

image: WaPo

Tuesday Treasure

2010-08-10T12:20:00.000-04:00

I have returned to the office to find this gleaming copy of Mark Bradford pictured above. It is a catalog published by Yale for the Wexner Center for the Arts.

These just in! Via donation:

2010-07-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

Barbara Kruger - 709.2 K94ZAL

Pop Touched Me: The Art of Rob Pruitt - 709.2 P971

Gustav Caillbotte - 759.4 C134ZF

as well as...

Oscar Kokoshka 1886-1980- 759.36 K79
The Japanese House: A Tradition for Contemporary Architecture - 720.952 E57
...to name a few.

Comics Workshop with Matt Dembicki

2010-07-22T13:49:00.001-04:00

Saturday, 7/31/10 - 1:00 pm

Matt Dembicki will lead this workshop on making your own comic books in conjunction with Comic Book Boom. Dembicki publishes the award-winning small-press comics Attic Wit and Mr. Big. His work has appeared in numerous comics anthologies, including Bash Magazine. He is currently working on his new project, Xoc. The workshop will be in the West Lobby on the second floor of the library from 1 to 3 p.m.

image: WCP

Hittin' dem Books

2010-07-20T12:46:00.003-04:00

Artinfo has an interview with the Books.

image: Artinfo/theBooks

Readz!

2010-07-19T12:49:00.000-04:00

Summer reading brought to you the Brooklyn Rail.

image: Rackstraw Downes (one of the contributors) and the Rail.

Like a Galleon in a Forest

2010-07-17T12:08:00.000-04:00

via BMD we learn about an 18th century ship uncovered at the World Trade Center site. It reminds me a little bit of the scene inMarquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude where they find that Spanish Galleon in the middle of the woods. Very surreal.

image via: NY Times

2010-07-14T16:22:00.000-04:00

The former R.L. Christian is becoming the TEMPORIUM!

Thanks lexiloo!

New Material That May Still Be On The Shelf

2010-07-14T10:47:00.000-04:00

Kehinde Wiley - 759.13 W676ZJ

Hugh Lee Smith- 759.13 L481ZK

Tonight!

2010-07-12T14:56:00.001-04:00

Tonight's opening reception for The DC Conpiracy's "Comic Book Boom" is dedicated to under/over ground comic deity Harvey Pekar (1940-2010)

via: WaPo

Steal This Blog

2010-07-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

You should hear this! Robert Wittman talks about art heists that he has investigated.

image: Fresh Air

Welcome! Now Get Back to Work.

2010-07-07T10:30:00.002-04:00

Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration from Corcoran Gallery of Art on Vimeo.

National Gallery has an "in the studio" video interview with Brice Marden.
Corcoran has a behind the scenes video with Chuck Close in conjunction with their exhibition Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration.
Pink Line Project points us to "Interactive H Street" a project for that lot at 3rd + H st. NE. Your proposals should have been in, like, yesterday. Actually July 9!

Poesia

2010-07-06T12:44:00.001-04:00

W.S. Merwin is the new Poet Laureate of the United States. Hear him reading and talking here.

image via: LC/AP

Boom! Ker-POW! ZOCK!

2010-07-01T16:06:00.001-04:00

The DC Public Library Art+Music Division is pleased to announce Comic Book Boom, an exhibition and comics reading lounge by The DC Conspiracy. The exhibition will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 2nd Floor West Lobby (outside of room 209) from July 12-August 27, 2010. Reception will be held on July 12 from 6-8 pm.

The DC Conspiracy is a collaborative of comic book creators in the Washington, D.C. area. Founded in 2005, its members draw, write, edit and distribute comics that embrace the best of local cartooning talent, in all of its myriad forms. Collectively, the group works to expand comic readership and fraternity through a variety of books and events.

Comic workshops will be held on July 31 and August 21, 2010 from 1-3pm, outside of room 209.

It's Friday Diversion Time!!

2010-06-25T15:02:00.002-04:00

It's blazing hot out there. And will be for two more days. Find some air conditioning and wi-fi and spend some time with these entertainments:

DC Conspiracy is coming to the library in July! Details to follow. Meanwhile, get a load of Xoc!

Watch Jeff Tweedy cover "Single Ladies" via Pitchfork

Xenakis in Central Park? c/o therestisnoise

Conversation with cartoonist Gerald Scarfe via tateshots

Jeffery Cudlin will explain it all.

Listen to Ted Leo cover "Joey" by Concrete Blonde.

Banned Dana

2010-06-22T16:20:00.001-04:00

Come into MLK and take a look at Dana Ellyn's exhibition of paintings entitled "Banned". Each painting is inspired by a "banned book" such as The Color Purple, The Chocolate War, and Animal Farm. The show officially runs from June 23-July 31. But it is up now, so you should take advantage.

Opening reception is June 28th at 6:30. Mark that calendar!

image: Dana Ellyn/Devotchka at the Moloko Bar

Bitter Batter Goes My Heart

2010-06-22T15:39:00.001-04:00

Did you see the profile of John Adams in Sunday's WaPo?
His blog just came back from the fritz too.

image via: earbox

Librarian-ing is Awesome

2010-06-21T12:37:00.004-04:00

via MAN we learn about loving art libraries. We also learn about a day in the life of an Art Librarian (at the Metropolitan Museum of Art).

image via: Now At The Met