What is SOPA anyway?

Great question!  And one that many others have asked, particularly in the past day or so.  Yesterday, January 18^th, you may have visited your favorite website (Wikipedia, Google or Wired, among others) only to discover that they were participating in a “blackout” for the day.  Sure that may have been inconvenient, but what if that one-day blackout was permanent?

SOPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) are two bills that have been in Congress and are set to be voted on by the Senate on January 24th.  The point of the bill is to crack down on copyright-infringement  by restricting access to sites that host pirated materials.  If passed, these bills will set regulations on web content and allow the government to block these websites from the internet or its search engines.  Giving unnecessary power to the government to control our now open and free internet is worrying to say the least.  Many sites have become active in encouraging its readers to sign petitions that will show our distaste of this bill.  Google’s “motto” for the blackout, “Stop Piracy, Not Liberty”, resonated most clearly with me.  While I appreciate an effort to protect our citizens’ privacy, I think it’s just as important to protect our citizens’ freedom of speech.

We already have many freedoms censored:  literature, art and video games all get censored on a regular basis.  When we allow one thing to be stripped of free speech, it opens the floodgates for everything else to be amended or suppressed as well.  Cutting social networks, blogs and other internet resources in turn cuts our access to knowledge and information.  With the potential to harm functionality of small businesses, it cuts jobs as well.  Most importantly, it cuts our basic constitutional right to speak our mind and be individuals in a nation of such varied cultures, races, backgrounds and lifestyles.

• 4.5 million people spoke up today and signed Google’s petition
• 103,785 people signed petitions through the We The People website (according to the White House blog).
• 25,000+ blogs on WordPress went black to support the cause
• 12,500 WordPress blogs added a “Stop Censorship” ribbon to their sites
• 50,000 sites promised participation in the online demonstration on Fight for the Future.org
• An average 2,000 calls per second were made through Engine Advocacy, a service that helps people call their local Congress members
• 4 million people used Wikimedia to look up contact information for their local representative

Our efforts are working: PIPA co-sponsor Florida Sen. Marco Rubio announced yesterday that he is withdrawing his support of the bill!  Just because the blackout is over, doesn’t mean the fight is.  Support the protest of SOPA and PIPA by spreading the word, signing a petition, making sure you Twitter this article, share it on Facebook and LinkedIn (using the buttons below this article) or re-post it on your blog* to enlighten your peers, colleagues and readers.

(*If used on a blog, simply let me know that you’re using it by emailing me a link at artfeedonline@gmail.com and you must also link back to this site!)

• New York Fashion Week paraded the new Spring 2012 looks. Fashion Week merges innovation with fashion to predict upcoming style trends and this year didn’t disappoint. To view some of the highlights, check out our new NYFW Pinterest Board, created just for you!:  NYFW Spring 2012 Highlights
• FIT displays never-before-seen McQueen pieces: Missed the Met’s record-breaking Alexander McQueen exhibit?  Fear not: The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is currently displaying a some of the designer’s exclusive works.  A fashion icon in her own right, beer heiress Daphne Guinness had an exhibition planned at the time of McQueen’s death.  It was then that Guinness, a close friend and long-time fan of McQueen’s, decided to prominently display some of his pieces from her personal collection that have never been publicly seen.  Also in the exhibit are works from Guinness herself, Karl Lagerfeld, and more.  The show runs through the first week of January 2012.

MUSIC

• Nirvana’s Nevermind Turns 20: Two decades ago from this past Saturday, the music world was torn apart and placed back together in an entirely unique way, thanks to Nirvana’s Nevermind record. Brimmed to the top with intense cords and harrowing lyrics, the album changed the landscape of music and helped to form the early-90′s grunge scene. The album has rightfully been named one of the top influential albums of all time. With an innovative fusion of punk meets metal meets a new generation, frontman Kurt Cobain was thrown into the spotlight as he became an unwilling spokesperson for an entire generation. Torn between personal angst and wanting to take the world by storm, Cobain became recognizably conflicted in his fame. The band tore down industry standards in a few short years but left us wondering what more the band would have produced had its career not been cut short by Cobain’s apparent suicide in 1994.
• R.E.M. Calls It Quits: After 30+ years, the rock band surprised fans and critics this week when they announced that they’ve decided to end their career as a band and call it a day. The announcement was made on their website, on which they state: “We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.” In what appears to be a friendly parting among members, the band has updated the website to include personal remarks from each band member regarding the split. Lead singer Michael Stipe said “all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way.”

FILM & TV

• Lost Hitchcock Screened: The White Shadow, a recently-discovered Hitchcock film we reported about last month, was finally screened this week. The previously-lost film was found after 80 years and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theatre had the honor of its official unveiling. The White Shadow is the earliest-known film by the famous director. He went out to create legendary classics such as Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, The Birds, and Dial M for Murder.
• The 63rd Prime Time Emmy Awards: granted high honors to “Mad Men” and “Modern Family” this past Sunday. Surprises included the snub of Steve Carrel as Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in his last season as Michael Scott for “The Office” (the award went to Jim Parsons for “The Big Bang Theory”), and Melissa McCarthy’s win over Amy Poelher and Tina Fey for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in “Mike and Molly”. For a full list of nominees and winners, click here.

As a longtime fan, I hesitate saying simply “fashion designer Alexander McQueen” because for him, his work was an art-form. Fashion was simply his medium. And I agree. It allowed him to tell stories and provoke thought. The exhibit reflects this notion fully with exquisitely designed rooms that showcase the pieces in such a regal and meaningful way.

I attended Savage Beauty with my mother— who is a fine artist and worked for years as a fashion illustrator— so it was wonderful to hear her unique perspectives of the work. After a 45-minute wait, which we were more than willing to endure, we walked through slowly, both in awe of McQueen’s vast array of talents. Haven’t seen Savage Beauty yet? It’s opened until August 7th, 2011.

The exhibit is broken into 6 elaborately-designed areas, each matching a theme significant in McQueen’s career:

• The Romantic Mind: McQueen’s background and the start of his career— A time during which he perfected the craft of tailoring at Saville Row and the art of draping at Givenchy.
• Romantic Gothic/Cabinet of Curiosities: Pieces with historical influence, especially from the Victorian Gothic era. Hard-edged accessories, often made with exaggerated materials (metal, wood), often made by designers like Philip Treacy (Read: designer of a great deal of Kate Middleton hats).
• Romantic Nationalism: Identified strongly with his Scottish background, he emphasized the harsh political background of the county, bringing to light their often glazed-over struggles, created by England. Still, McQueen felt very connected to London, where he was raised.
• Romantic Exoticism: McQueen explored elements from traditional garbs in various cultures–Asian, Indian, African— and interpreted them in his own, fresh way.
• Romantic Primitivism: The battle of Nature vs. Man and Predator vs. Prey. McQueen was deeply influenced by nature, and man’s role within it. With an animalistic viewpoint, he used elements of nature in these works, such as tattered fabrics, horsehair and mud.
• Romantic Naturalism: Recognizing the potential of technology in the future of fashion and our world, he used computerized and digitally-enhanced fabrics. The concept of devolution (instead of evolution) is explored with futuristic clothing that are still very grounded in a current aesthetic.

The Craft: Emanating throughout the exhibit is the obvious fact that McQueen was an immaculate tailor and craftsman. Executing his work with just as much thought-out detail as the concept behind it, Savage Beauty shows McQueen’s exploration of mediums and materials. With a clear eagerness to experiment, he often used feathers, as well as fresh flowers, clam and mussel shells and mud— all materials which connected him to nature. Combining materials furthered the piece’s concept: pairing organza and tulle, for instance, with leather or metal.

The Concept of contrast and juxtaposition is my absolute favorite aspect of the designer’s work as a whole. It’s one of the largest running themes throughout his career and this exhibit, yet each collection is rich with uniqueness, innovation and always remained distinctive from those that came before it. Soft and hard, light and dark, life and death, heavy and delicate all contradict and compliment each other and meld together to create something beautiful— a cohesive and powerful idea.

Alexander McQueen truly was a Savage Beauty and so was his work. He saw inspiration everywhere. This idea was echoed from room to room as he often referenced artwork (Jacobean portraiture), historical figures (Joan of Arc), authors (Poe and Grimm), filmmakers (Burton) and scientists (Darwin). Power and domination were pronounced— he wanted to dress women as strong and sexual, instead of demure and meek, individuals. Still, a softness was necessary to create balance and he found this fragility resonating in melancholia. The recognition of a dying or wilting life form has a subtle power and beauty to it— one that others don’t always see. McQueen saw an overwhelming and natural harmony in the macabre.

At a McQueen show, one may have felt voyeuristic or intrusive. They would have found themselves at a circus, a rainstorm, a ballet or observing a life-sized chess game. One model stood surrounded by flames. Another was sprayed with paint. Videos of these “runway” shows were positioned throughout the gallery rooms. They can also be viewed at the Met’s website.

It’s no surprise that performance diva Lady Gaga donned many of his pieces, nor that fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker was a huge fan. In fact McQueen’s pieces, as dramatic as they were, graced the red carpet many, many times.

Even as a fan of his, I learned so much in this exhibition. I also got to see some of my favorite McQueen pieces close-up and in-detail. It goes without saying that Alexander McQueen left us too early, but he did so by his own will— the same way as he lived his life.

“It is important to look at death because it is a part of life. It is a sad thing, melancholic but romantic at the same time. It is the end of a cycle–everything has to end. The cycle of life is positive because it gives room for new things.”

Buy the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Exhibition Book on Amazon now!

Okay, confession time: ice cream is by far one of my biggest weaknesses! Especially in the hot days of summer, nothing is more refreshing (…of course I have no excuse plowing through some mint chocolate chip when it’s below freezing…)!

My dad has always been a huge fan of creamsicles, so I thought it would be fun to find a special recipe to try for Father’s Day.  I was in luck when I came across this recipe for Creamsicle Ice Cream from Food.com and decided to give it a shot!

1 cup whipping cream (or non-dairy whipping cream)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 (250 ml) container frozen orange juice concentrate
1 box instant vanilla flavor pudding and pie filling

1. Whip the cream until stiff.
2. Add the sugar and continue whipping.
3. Add the eggs once at a time, beating continuously.
4. Add the orange juice and vanilla pudding, beat until smooth.
5. Pour into ice cream container and freeze.

It came out great! It was creamier than store-bought ice cream– more of a sorbet or sherbet consistency– and the mix of orange and vanilla flavors matched that of a creamsicle perfectly.   Sure, it wasn’t the healthiest thing I’ve ever made, but it was Father’s Day!: A great excuse to treat my father to a homemade dessert and indulge a bit myself

There are already “lessons” posted online on how to play the guitar and a search for “Google Les Paul” provides a slew of videos and links of peoples’ recordings and song covers.

Read a great summary about Les Paul and his influence on jazz and pop music on lespaulonline.com.

Want to show off your talent? Post your links and videos in the comments! I may just post them into this article!

Disclaimer: The following video isn’t me. It is bassistuk. Check out his other google guitar videos!

The wall consists of lines of square panels, each with three sides: one white, one black and one for inter-changeable colors. It’s up to you to customize these color-changing squares in order to create whatever ambiance and atmosphere you want. You control your living environment whether you want an intricate rainbow-inspired pattern or a single solid-colored wall.

Undoubtedly an enormous investment, the use of this installation in any living space lends itself to versatility and function. It will surely travel with its owner through his or her constantly-changing tastes in style and design. You could even change the color with the season to fit your mood— completely changing the feel of the room without an entirely new redesign.

Design has never been so interactive and easily-transformable as this!

I can’t wait to hear more about Amirko’s developments!

The theme for 2011, according to the AAMD’s press release, is “Museum and Memory,”so expect that museums will be hosting programs based around the concept of “how museums preserve individual and collective memories.” By engaging their communities, museums can demonstrate the vital role they play in the development of society and in one’s understanding and their role in history.

See below the full list of north American Museums who are official participants of Art Museum Day. For a comprehensive list of the international participants, check the International Museum Day website.

[drum roll, please]

… a disappointing $16.8 million.  The statue came in under the low estimate, at almost the very same under-the-low-estimate price his “Balloon Flower (Blue)” brought in just last year.   Does this most recent sale place the nail in the peak of Koons’ career?   It continues an unlucky streak of poor sales records for the past year.

Of the 58 works at the auction, 49 were sold—many coming in on the low end of the work’s estimated selling point.  Smaller and lesser known pieces were more likely to come in above the estimate, with their prices seeming more reasonable compared to the larger showpieces: A Basquiat with an estimate of 3.5-4.5 million fetched 5.9 million.  A Warhol with an estimate of 7-900,000 cashed in at 4.8 million.  Still, the night was slow and bidders failed to bring in as much as hoped or expected.  Still an 84.5% sell-through rate is respectable, especially in the current economy.

Though currently best known for his outdoor “balloon” figures, it’s the defining piece in Koons’ 1988 Banality series—a sculpture of everyone’s favorite pink jewel-stealing cat, “Pink Panther”—that’s causing his latest buzz. The porcelain proof of the sculpture, which only rendered 3 editions, is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s on May 10th at their “Contemporary Art Evening Sale” in New York.

The three sculptures in existence, which depict a partially-nude woman holding a Pink Panther doll, are owned by the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago) and a private collector. It is believed that the proof is being sold by art book publisher Benedikt Taschen (of my favorite publishing house, Taschen).

Tobias Meyer, Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s, said of the work:

“It conflates the classic themes that define the artist’s output – materiality and artificiality, eroticism and naivety, popular culture and rarefied elitism – and is the model expression of one of the most innovative and influential artists of our times.”

The sale of this work can be a Koon milestone for several reasons:

COMPETITION
First, with a believed selling potential of close to $30 million, he rivals the record for the highest sale by a living artist, currently held by Lucian Freud for “Benefits Supervisor Sleeping” which sold for $US33.6 million in 2008.

PERSONAL RECORD
The Second reason for this potential sale’s milestone status is that Koons may break his own record, making more than his current highest sale of $25.7 million for his “Balloon Flower (Magenta)”.

REVITALIZATION
Why So Blue?:
As “Balloon Flower (Magenta)” created his record price tag in July 2008, “Balloon Flower (Blue)” didn’t sell to its expected potential, reaping a “mere” $16.9 million sale in 2010. Earlier that month, two of his works at Philllips de Pury failed to sell at all. “Pink Panther,” particularly in breaking either of the above two records, will likely signal Koons’ comeback in sales.

Also set to be auctioned at the May 10th Sotheby’s event is Andy Warhol’s “Sixteen Jackies” which is estimated to draw at least $20 million. Be sure to check back at ArtFeedOnline.com for updates on the auction’s results!

I had the pleasure of attending Jeff Koons’ rooftop exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

Related Articles:

• Banksy’s Identity Almost Sells for 1 Million Dollars on eBay
• Hundreds of Picasso Works Discovered
• Justice for Annie Leibovitz

The hotel is a temporary art project that leaves behind nothing but memories come Springtime, when the hotel is melted by the sun. In winter months, experience the Northern Lights and dogsledding. Once April comes around, Sweden ’s 100 days of sunlight create a whole new unique experience for hotel guests with ICEHOTEL’s “warm accommodations.” The warmer weather allows visitors to enjoy all that nature has to offer, like fishing and river rafting.

The hotel is sculpted, but still has comfortable accommodations for its guests in mind, providing all the amenities that any other hotel may offer but add details like, well, furniture made of ice. Warm rooms are available for those who prefer them, but for those sleeping among ice sculptures in -5 degree Celsius temperatures, you’ll surely need the provided thermal sleeping bags and complimentary morning sauna!

I can’t wait to one day get to stay in this hotel. When I do, I will be sure to report back!  Highlights from the 2011 hotel are below.

ICEHOTEL 2011 Church:

ICEHOTEL 2011 Bar:

My 2 favorite ICEHOTEL 2011 Hotel Suites:

Art Deco Suite

Royal Deluxe Suite: