Screw brushes (redux)
July 27, 2008 4:24 AM Subscribe
Painting Lance Armstrong with a tricycle. (pretty self explanatory)
We first saw artist Phil Hansen here on the blue about a year ago, with the Bruce Lee example of his modern pointillism in motion. Also available back then was A Moment (which frankly reminds me of a certain previous question on the green).
Since then, however, he's been busy. In addition to the Lance piece, Goodbye Art wrapped up this month. Jimi is also a pretty interesting piece.
We first saw artist Phil Hansen here on the blue about a year ago, with the Bruce Lee example of his modern pointillism in motion. Also available back then was A Moment (which frankly reminds me of a certain previous question on the green).
Since then, however, he's been busy. In addition to the Lance piece, Goodbye Art wrapped up this month. Jimi is also a pretty interesting piece.
(hint: that's the only channel I'm getting in English here in Ghana at the moment)
posted by allkindsoftime at 4:32 AM on July 27, 2008
posted by allkindsoftime at 4:32 AM on July 27, 2008
Painting Lance Armstrong with a tricycle.
It really would be much easier to use a brush.
posted by Clay201 at 5:30 AM on July 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
It really would be much easier to use a brush.
posted by Clay201 at 5:30 AM on July 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Damnit. Shoulda clicked on the link first. The phrasing was, amazingly, not inadvertent.
posted by Clay201 at 5:33 AM on July 27, 2008
posted by Clay201 at 5:33 AM on July 27, 2008
> (pretty self explanatory)
Not really. I was going to ask how Armstrong felt about getting run over by a tricycle.
posted by ardgedee at 5:53 AM on July 27, 2008
Not really. I was going to ask how Armstrong felt about getting run over by a tricycle.
posted by ardgedee at 5:53 AM on July 27, 2008
I would be much more impressed if he'd not used masking. As it is, it's just kind of wanky.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:24 AM on July 27, 2008
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:24 AM on July 27, 2008
I would be much more impressed if he'd not used masking. As it is, it's just kind of wanky.
Yeah, it's really "stunt stenciling."
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:07 AM on July 27, 2008
Yeah, it's really "stunt stenciling."
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:07 AM on July 27, 2008
Feel ya allkindsoftime. It is our only English channel in Armenia too. But Daily Show International Edition is on. Woo!
posted by k8t at 7:35 AM on July 27, 2008
posted by k8t at 7:35 AM on July 27, 2008
I would be much more impressed if he'd not used masking
Yeah, that was the point I stopped being interested. With masking, he may as well have just thrown the paint over it. But then he'd have been done a lot faster and had not twee gimmick to make people give a shit about his mediocre painting, I guess.
But then, maybe art is more about using something to make people appreciate the painting. In that respect it was somewhat of a success. But the tricycle was so utterly tangential to the creation process that I find it a little disappointing. If he'd used it to actually make shapes and try and use it as a brush, that would have been fascinating.
posted by Brockles at 7:35 AM on July 27, 2008
Yeah, that was the point I stopped being interested. With masking, he may as well have just thrown the paint over it. But then he'd have been done a lot faster and had not twee gimmick to make people give a shit about his mediocre painting, I guess.
But then, maybe art is more about using something to make people appreciate the painting. In that respect it was somewhat of a success. But the tricycle was so utterly tangential to the creation process that I find it a little disappointing. If he'd used it to actually make shapes and try and use it as a brush, that would have been fascinating.
posted by Brockles at 7:35 AM on July 27, 2008
> I would be much more impressed if he'd not used masking.
If the wheels are the best way to add a desired texture to the canvas, what's the problem with masking? Otherwise, you're complaining about a gimmick being this specific gimmick and not some other gimmick.
posted by ardgedee at 7:43 AM on July 27, 2008
If the wheels are the best way to add a desired texture to the canvas, what's the problem with masking? Otherwise, you're complaining about a gimmick being this specific gimmick and not some other gimmick.
posted by ardgedee at 7:43 AM on July 27, 2008
Well great that we now know what the haters think.
I thought some of his work was great, the Armstrong piece is amongst the least of it.
posted by The Monkey at 7:45 AM on July 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
I thought some of his work was great, the Armstrong piece is amongst the least of it.
posted by The Monkey at 7:45 AM on July 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Yeah, cool... but... why?
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:48 AM on July 27, 2008
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:48 AM on July 27, 2008
Otherwise, you're complaining about a gimmick being this specific gimmick and not some other gimmick.
Hmm. Not really. If a wheel was the best way of creating the desired texture, then fine. Use a wheel. That isn't a gimmick, that's technique. The tricycle is purely and simply a gimmick, as it is just being used as a quirky means to use a wheel. The masking prevents any relevance of the wheel being mounted to the trike as it completely removes any difficulty or character of being a trike - it may as well have been a hand held wheel.
I don't think adding inconsequential gimmicks to attract attention particularly adds to the quality of the painting. It is very much like going halfway, to me. I'd love to see a painting done using a trike, but not one where a trike is used to replace a spray gun and masking technique. It seems very much like not going the whole hog and putting the whole effort in, to me.
posted by Brockles at 7:53 AM on July 27, 2008
Hmm. Not really. If a wheel was the best way of creating the desired texture, then fine. Use a wheel. That isn't a gimmick, that's technique. The tricycle is purely and simply a gimmick, as it is just being used as a quirky means to use a wheel. The masking prevents any relevance of the wheel being mounted to the trike as it completely removes any difficulty or character of being a trike - it may as well have been a hand held wheel.
I don't think adding inconsequential gimmicks to attract attention particularly adds to the quality of the painting. It is very much like going halfway, to me. I'd love to see a painting done using a trike, but not one where a trike is used to replace a spray gun and masking technique. It seems very much like not going the whole hog and putting the whole effort in, to me.
posted by Brockles at 7:53 AM on July 27, 2008
I agree that it was gimmicky, but the tire tracks look nice and are noticeable - and if you're going to use a wheel, why not have some fun and get some free publicity by using a tricycle?
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:03 AM on July 27, 2008
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:03 AM on July 27, 2008
This was supposed to be funny. (See the wiping of sweat from the brow after the first layer or two.) Lighten up! There's plenty of technically astounding art out there, and this doesn't detract from it in the slightest. A little whimsy never hurt anyone.
(I'm talking to myself too...I immediately tried to hate on it when I realized he taped it off.)
posted by nosila at 8:45 AM on July 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
(I'm talking to myself too...I immediately tried to hate on it when I realized he taped it off.)
posted by nosila at 8:45 AM on July 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
I realise the humour element, and I really couldn't be further removed from any sort of art lover - it mostly leaves me cold/unmoved. But the idea of a painting done with a tricycle was so cool, that to see such a fuss made of something where all the mental imagery I had of intricate tricycle movements producing anything like a recognisable image were so utterly destroyed by the masking off 'cheat' that I think it was mostly through abject disappointment that 'I iz a hater'.
posted by Brockles at 9:04 AM on July 27, 2008
posted by Brockles at 9:04 AM on July 27, 2008
I would be much more impressed if he'd not used masking.
Who? Lance?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:15 AM on July 27, 2008 [3 favorites]
Who? Lance?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:15 AM on July 27, 2008 [3 favorites]
The tricycle is purely and simply a gimmick...it may as well have been a hand held wheel
My familiarity so far with this artist is that the medium used for each portrait is supposedly linked somehow to something pertaining to the portrait's subject (i.e. a cycle for rendering a well-known cyclist; matchsticks for the Hendrix; fist-punching with ink-covered hands for the Bruce Lee, etc.).
But my favorite so far doesn't seem to have a direct association at first, until you hear/view his recorded explanation: "Hark, eBay shoppers: Virgin Mary turned up in my PBJ!"
posted by skyper at 9:17 AM on July 27, 2008
My familiarity so far with this artist is that the medium used for each portrait is supposedly linked somehow to something pertaining to the portrait's subject (i.e. a cycle for rendering a well-known cyclist; matchsticks for the Hendrix; fist-punching with ink-covered hands for the Bruce Lee, etc.).
But my favorite so far doesn't seem to have a direct association at first, until you hear/view his recorded explanation: "Hark, eBay shoppers: Virgin Mary turned up in my PBJ!"
posted by skyper at 9:17 AM on July 27, 2008
My watch stopped 15 minutes ago
posted by gorgor_balabala at 11:08 AM on July 27, 2008
posted by gorgor_balabala at 11:08 AM on July 27, 2008
Gimmicky
Gimmicky
Gimmicky
What art isn't gimmicky, on a basic level?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:37 PM on July 27, 2008
Gimmicky
Gimmicky
What art isn't gimmicky, on a basic level?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:37 PM on July 27, 2008
I would be much more impressed if he'd not used masking.
Who? Lance?
See, this is funny. It's a pun. Lance = acused of doping but never proved, and a masking agent can be used to, uh, mask the presence of other performance enhancing drugs. I laughed.
posted by fixedgear at 12:49 PM on July 27, 2008
Who? Lance?
See, this is funny. It's a pun. Lance = acused of doping but never proved, and a masking agent can be used to, uh, mask the presence of other performance enhancing drugs. I laughed.
posted by fixedgear at 12:49 PM on July 27, 2008
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posted by k8t at 4:28 AM on July 27, 2008