Dino Valls (NSFW) (large format slide show of his work) is a self-taught Spanish artist who studied Italian and Flemish masters of the 16th and 17th centuries. Use of egg tempera and oil is one of his favorite painting techniques, requiring great mastery but affording rich color and tone. His works are beautiful, disturbing and surreal. [more inside]
posted by madamjujujive on Jul 20, 2008 - 61 comments

La Real Frida offers beautiful film footage of Frida Kahlo.* Beyond her own self-portraits, some of the most iconic images of Frida are portraits by her 10-year lover, photographer Nickolas Muray. [more inside]
posted by madamjujujive on Feb 25, 2008 - 26 comments

Get lost in the fabulous labyrinth of Coconino World, a mammoth French site with thousands of images from illustrators, graphic artists, and cartoonists ranging from the classics to the contemporary. Some personal favorites: the generous selection of graphics from Simplicissimus, the celebrated German satire magazine published weekly from 1896-1944. James Swinerton's Canyon Kiddies. George Herriman's Krazy Kat. -more-
posted by madamjujujive on Apr 15, 2007 - 9 comments

Drawer Geeks is an illustration challenge founded by Greg Hardin. Alternate Fridays, a group of 25+ professional animators, illustrators, cartoonists, and designers riff on a given fictional character. This past week's theme was Santa Claus. Among archived themes, I particularly liked: Medusa and The Grim Reaper. (via diminished Responsibility)
posted by madamjujujive on Dec 17, 2006 - 34 comments

Did you know that some of the most famous paintings by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, and Toulouse Lautrec were based on photographs? While some impressionists and post-impressionists publicly disparaged photography as mechanical, many others were using it as their secret weapon. The relationship between the two arts was complex and intertwined. (And turning the tables, check out this contemporary Russian woman who is recreating several famous paintings in staged photographs.)
posted by madamjujujive on Nov 12, 2006 - 27 comments

Minotauromaquia - a stop motion animated short set to Stravinsky's in which Picasso confronts the minotaur and some other painted characters come to life. The image of the Minotaur is a recurring symbol of self in Picasso's works. (main link via Milinkito [more])
posted by madamjujujive on Nov 5, 2006 - 12 comments

Pablo Lobato is an Argentinian graphic artist who uses color and geometric shape to create witty portraits and caricatures. More works are available at his website (sound & flash alert). His site's select links to other caricaturists are great, including David Cowles who he names as an influence and the brilliant Hannoch Piven.
posted by madamjujujive on Aug 22, 2006 - 15 comments

Joseph Cornell was enamored with ballerinas and starlets, the subject of many of his celebrated boxes. "He handed them, personally, to his most loved ballerinas. And they were almost uniformly sent back. He was rejected, laughed at, and, in one unfortunate case, tackled." Anecdotes about Cornell and his muses, via robot wisdom. [more]
posted by madamjujujive on May 24, 2006 - 52 comments

Dora Maar was immortalized by Picasso in many portraits, one of which is up for auction this May. Tho many are familiar with her face, fewer are aware that she was a respected surrealist photographer in her own right. An exhibit at the Musee Picasso in Paris documents the stormy and artistically rich decade of their relationship via the contents of Dora Maar's estate.
posted by madamjujujive on Feb 26, 2006 - 9 comments

Sue-en Wong - NSFW flash portfolio (via Internet Weekly)
NY Arts: "... self-portraiture and multiplicity within erotic contexts."
artcritical: "Wong utilizes her favorite subject, herself, to visually critique, satirize, subjugate, and exploit stereotypes of Asian women as passive, pre-pubescent, and sexually objectified."
posted by madamjujujive on Feb 5, 2006 - 43 comments

Andy Warhol Time Capsule 21 - Warhol got in the habit of keeping a cardboard box by his desk and stuffing it with daily correspondence, gifts, clippings, notes, photos, and ephemera. He would seal and date each box, filling more than 600 over time and leaving art historians and fans a rich legacy. This multimedia exhibit highlights contents from 15 of these boxes. (flash) via La Petite Claudine
posted by madamjujujive on Jun 8, 2005 - 12 comments

Is this important? Take a narrated pop tour through an exhibit of Bill Barminski's art. More Barminski. (via riley dog)
posted by madamjujujive on Apr 1, 2005 - 4 comments

The Secret Birds - "Tony Fitzpatrick is always referred to as larger than life. He is a very large man with tattoos and an unusual history, which includes some time in prison for car theft. He is also an actor...a poet...a radio talk-show host and a remarkable artist." View a sampling of his complex series of color etchings - The Infinite Wager, Bum Town and other rich works from this self-taught artist whose prints are prized by many collectors.
posted by madamjujujive on Mar 24, 2003 - 1 comment

Strokes of Genius is a site featuring Iraqi art throughout the ages. Also, check out Iraqi Art highlighting contemporary sculptors and artists. Another gallery here. (thanks to amberglow's cool new blog!)
posted by madamjujujive on Mar 21, 2003 - 11 comments