Well jingle our bells Addictees!
As you're all very well aware, December is here - and it got here faster than a turbo charged Rudolf.
This year, we've talked golden toilets, rock marrying artists and a host of other arty goodness - and our mums still don’t understand street art… Challenge accepted!
Addicted has had a huge year! We recently turned one and although we're feeling a little like we just turned 85, we've loved every minute of it.
Throughout it all, Hercules, son of Zeus, famous for his strength and far-ranging adventures - and also our not so fearless toy poodle - has been by our side (literally) the whole time, cheering us on, farting his enthusiasm and loving us no matter what. Except when there's cheese - then he only loves the cheese.
We thought we’d end 2016 with some fun fluffy (emphasis on 'fluffy') goings on. So, for the last time this year, let’s check out what’s been happening in the art world…
The cat in the hat
“You find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax. All you need is a book” – and cat hair apparently. Just when you thought there was no use for cat hair other than choking on it, Japanese photographer Ryo Yamazaki turns it into art (sort of).
Not for nothing, but doesn’t the ginger on the end remind you of a certain President-Elect?
Do you see what I see?
When is art an optical illusion or just your illustrator getting his / her revenge? Imgur user Mattster092 was in a hotel when he spotted this sign advertising the availability of an in-room safe. The sign has divided the internet.
We don’t think you need to cross your eyes while doing a handstand to see what we’re seeing...
Ahem, and now for some healthy fat and foody arty goodness…
‘Tis the season for your diet to go rogue so if you’re going to go for it, how about including some of Dali’s avocado toast, or whip up Ruscha’s cactus omelette with a side of Frida’s strawberry atole or Monet’s chestnut cookies?
Check out these artist’s recipes and the connection to their art.
Now that you’ve explored your inner Masterchef, let’s check out what’s new at Addicted.
Jeff Gillette
"Oh Mickey, what a pity, you don't understand..." - Toni Basil
"Disney Sign Destruct" by Jeff Gillette, 2015
"Dubai Landfill Mickey" by Jeff Gillette, 2016
"Ferris Wheel" by Jeff Gillette, 2016
"Banksy Minnie Nagasaki" by Jeff Gillette, 2016
A bit about Jeff...
Born in 1959, American artist and art teacher, Jeff Gillette grew up in Detroit to the sounds of “The Wonderful World of Disney” TV show. His vision of the ‘wonderful world’ soon disintegrated when he visited the Orange County amusement park in 1978 and discovered he detested the place for its artificiality.
Following high school, Gillette attended art school in Detroit and then went on to spend two years in the Peace Corps in Nepal.
In the words of the artist, “I travel to the most wretched places on earth for inspiration for my art: to third-world slums. From as recently as the spring of 2012 when I had a guide take me through the tiny, dark alleyways of Dharavi in Mumbai, India, all the way back to the late 1980’s when as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, I visited all of India’s large cities and their megaslums.
"Besides India, I’ve ventured into favelas, barrios, bastis and shantytowns, experiencing urban blight in North Africa, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Mexico and Bangladesh. Aside from the seething humanity, the suffering, the unfairness and cruelty of the slum is a strange beauty. The cacophony of filthy debris rising from oceans of garbage comprises an architecture of depravation and necessity. What emerges is a living environment of aesthetic wonder, spectacular visuals of space, color, form, and texture. These images, I recreate in the all too-realism of my ‘slumscape’ artwork, in drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations.”
It has been suggested that Gillette is the source of inspiration for Banksy’s ‘Dismaland’, having previously produced his own series of paintings called ‘Dismayland’ in 2010.
Upon an invitation from Banksy’s manager, Gillette and his wife Laurie flew to England where they helped to install a large, secretive installation that Banksy was setting up – Dismaland.
"When I visit third-world slums and landfills I take lots of photographs and videos, painting from them in my garage studio in Orange County within earshot of the nightly Disneyland firework shows." - Jeff Gillette
That's a wrap...
This year there’s been good, there’s been bad and there’s been a dash of ‘WTF?’ – regardless, you’ve been with us for the journey and we wanted to say a heartfelt ‘thanks’. We hope you've enjoyed the ride so far!
We wish you a safe and wonderful festive season and we’re looking forward to a brand spanking arty new year.
On that note, we’re off to mix up a gallon of Dali’s “Casanova Cocktail”.
Here’s the recipe:
In a glass, combine a pinch of cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of ginger; pour in a tablespoon of Campari, 4 tablespoons of brandy, and 2 tablespoons of Vieille Cure (old brandy). Refrigerate or chill in freezer for 30 minutes, then mix in the juice of one orange and stir. “Let us stress another advantage of this particular pep-up concoction is that one doesn’t have to make the sour face that usually accompanies the absorption of the remedy,” writes Dalí. “Drink...and wait for the effect. It is rather speedy.”
Chin-chin!
Happy holidays and baci from Blair & El
Art Junkies xoxo