Thanks, this is a neat find. Some are soforlorn. Wish there was more history on the provenance page - excerpts from original sources, maybe - but still a cool little site. posted by mediareport at 6:24 AM on February 1, 2007
Aw, that one on Spike Island is so sad. posted by ninebelow at 6:45 AM on February 1, 2007
The displacement of the bears from their space within each collection to a temporary grouping, stripped of interpretation; the photographic framing of the context in which they now exist and their multiple return in this form to a museum context, all underpin and attest to the artists' new exploration, their new hunt, which in some small way mirrors the original act; an act we would commonly now regard as destructive and entirely transgressive.
The final transgressive step would be to set fire to the walls on which these pieces hang, watch them disappear into oblivion from the heat, and then deny man had anything to do with it.
The book version is really, really wonderful. I have it. posted by YoungAmerican at 9:03 AM on February 1, 2007
Speaking of books, this thread and the ice art thread make me want to recommend Yuri Rytkheu's A Dream In Polar Fog. Though it isn't quite related to either post, it seems to me that some of the folks who've posted here and there might enjoy it. posted by breezeway at 11:17 AM on February 1, 2007
Those bears sure know how to have a good time. posted by tellurian at 4:18 PM on February 1, 2007
So, yesterday I dreamed there was a polar bear outside the house. Then I was outside the house, racing the polar bear to the front door. The last thing I remember before waking up is that the polar bear won and was swinging its huge paw at me.
posted by mediareport at 6:24 AM on February 1, 2007