art news Archives - Sparketh The Best New Way To Learn Art Online Mon, 17 Oct 2022 16:57:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://sparketh.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SparkethFavicon.png art news Archives - Sparketh 32 32 The Art of Being Queen, A Mystery Margin Doodler, and Painting in VR! https://sparketh.com/the-art-of-being-queen-a-mystery-margin-doodler-and-painting-in-vr/ https://sparketh.com/the-art-of-being-queen-a-mystery-margin-doodler-and-painting-in-vr/#respond Thu, 08 Sep 2022 23:55:30 +0000 https://sparketh.com/?p=25572 Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s new weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place. Today: we’re paying tribute to the Queen, investigating a mysterious […]

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Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s new weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place.

Today: we’re paying tribute to the Queen, investigating a mysterious 500 year old margin doodle, and sharing some trending art strategies you can check out at home!

Art News: The Art of Being Queen Elizabeth II

Yesterday, on September 8, the world received the news that Queen Elizabeth II passed away in Balmoral, her Scotland home. She was 96 years old. Queen Elizabeth was the longest ruling monarch in British history. However, she was more than that. Since her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth has become a beloved icon, a symbol for the British anthem of “Keep Calm and Carry On,” (and the Western World’s unofficial fancy grandma).  In her long lifetime, Queen Elizabeth also made a lasting impact on the art world.

Queen Elizabeth was “one of the most recognisable and also one of the most painted figures of her era or any other, depicted by some of the most interesting artists of the day from Pietro Annigoni in 1955 to Lucian Freud in 2001 and by photographers ranging from Cecil Beaton to Annie Leibovitz.” (The Art Newspaper )

This article from Culture Trip shares some of the most iconic portraits of the Queen, painted by some of the past century’s most noteworthy artists, in a huge variety of art styles that reflect the Queen’s face alongside the world’s changing times.

Cecil Beaton: Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day (1953)

The many portraits of the Queen, in their wide variety of  art styles, represent more than just the woman behind them. These portraits show us how the world has changed over the generations of Queen Elizabeth’s reign.  Through the span of her rule, these portraits reveal how the Queen has been a fixed point by which society views itself.

Over the 7 decades of her monarchy, the face of Elizabeth II became iconic: a visible image of stability, calm, and grit during uncertain times. Through her role as Queen, she made herself a symbol, a living art form. History – and art history- will remember her long and steadfast reign. Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth II.

Chris Levine: The Lightness of Being (2014)

Read more about Queen Elizabeth II’s life and her relationship with art from the articles below:

The Art Newsletter: Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, the British Sovereign Who Perfected the Fine Art of Monarchy

The Culture Trip: Portraits of Queen Elizabeth that Everyone Should See

Trending Art: Fun & Easy Self-Portrait Trick

Speaking of portraits, we have a trending self-portrait art challenge for our young (or older) artists to try at home.

This TikTok shows artists who are a little intimidated by the self-portrait a fun and easy way to create a beautiful and vivid one. Yes, it involves some tracing. (But don’t call that cheating!) Instead, this challenge is a great way to learn about facial planes, combining contrasting colors, and shading/highlighting on the face. Try this art trick at home for yourself! It’s an awesome one for all ages and levels.

@sparketh

To enter this art contest, you must be 18 or younger! Winner will receive $100 valued in art prizes- join the Sparketh Community if you haven’t yet and would like to enter! #artcontest #selfportrait #myart #arttok #drawingtutorial #howtodraw #artforbeginners

♬ original sound – Sparketh

Serious question: What DO you define as cheating in art, by the way? (Beyond stealing someone’s work and calling it yours, of course.) Is there even such a thing? Pop your thoughts in the comments!

Latest Art News: Michelangelo in the Margins?

I don’t know if any of you are guilty of this, but I was a big-time notebook (and text book) doodler all the way through college. And hey, research says that doodling in class can actually help improve memory and focus, so no shame!

This week, the art world has been captivated by a very special 15th century margin doodle (shown below) found in a copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Why? According to art scholar James Hall, the figure that was sketched there (500 + years ago) is none other than Michelangelo!

In this upcoming book, The Artist’s Studio: A Cultural History, Hall explores his evidence for this further, writing:  “The sculptor, hitherto unrecognised, can only be Michelangelo during or shortly after his triumphant achievement carving the David (1501-4).”

Hall goes on to state that the artist of the doodle wasn’t just sketching Michelangelo as he worked on David, but making a commentary as well.  The sketch is right next to the section in Divine Comedy where Dante decides to take the “high path to Hell.”

Could this be a prelude to a modern day meme?

The artist’s studio: a cultural history, James Hall, Thames & Hudson, 288pp, hb

Not only is this an insightful discovery to make about a master (and work) that we are familiar with, but it presents a fascinating mystery, too! I don’t know about you, but my brain is buzzing with questions:

  • Who was this mysterious margin doodler?
  • How did he (or she) know Michelangelo?
  • What inside scoop did the doodler hold on the sculpture process of David? 

What do you think, Art Club readers??? Write me a story about the Mysterious Margin Doodler in the comments!

Creativity Resource: Painting Along in VR

Do you have an artistic kid that constantly loves to practice, but maybe you’re running out of storage space for the practice pieces? (Or maybe you can relate to that yourself.)  Do you have a Quest 2 or PCVR?

If yes, and yes, you’ll LOVE this.

Vermillion is an oil painting simulator designed for VR! It’s available on Quest 2 and PCVR. It is SO INCREDIBLY RELAXING, and it’s also a great way to practice painting techniques. You can blend your own colors and apply different levels of pressure to impact the textures. You can even paint alongside your Web browser, giving you access to your favorite online art classes, or Youtube or TikTok tutorials. Yes, that means you can paint absolutely all the “happy little trees,” your heart desires. You can even make a print of your best work.

Try it the next time someone in your house is stressed out! I promise it will help!

Learn more about Vermillion via their Website, here.

 

What’s your favorite way to be creative? Sometimes people undermine creativity activities or the arts, but you and I (and Albert Einstein) know that creativity is a very special form of intelligence–one that deserves our time, interest and appreciation! More than that: it’s fun! As you head into a new week ahead, I’m wishing you moments to celebrate creativity and all of the amazing joy it brings to your life!

 

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NASA Art Contest, A Creative Case for the FBI, and 800 Pounds of Butter! https://sparketh.com/nasa-art-contest-a-creative-case-for-the-fbi-and-800-pounds-of-butter/ https://sparketh.com/nasa-art-contest-a-creative-case-for-the-fbi-and-800-pounds-of-butter/#respond Fri, 16 Sep 2022 21:55:14 +0000 https://sparketh.com/?p=25824 Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s new weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place. Today: we’re sharing NASA’s current art contest, discussing an FBI art case […]

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Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s new weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place.

Today: we’re sharing NASA’s current art contest, discussing an FBI art case that Indiana Jones would love, and ogling at an 800 pound hunk of butter art.

Featured Art Contest: NASA Art Contest for Kids Age 4 -12

Art and science have a lot more in common than many people may think. Both involve testing theories, exploring curiosity, and making constant innovations. In recent years, NASA (you’ve probably heard of them) has been making an effort to engage the next generation of creative minds. And of course, that includes your artistically-minded kids and students!

Right now and through October 27, NASA is hosting an art contest for kids, age 4 – 12!  Students can take inspiration from 4 main topics:

  • Rockets and Spacecraft
  • Living and Working in Space
  • Exploring the Solar System
  • Astronauts

There are three separate submission categories for the contest (based on age of the child submitting), and each category will have a 1st and 2nd place prize.  The winning artwork will be featured in a NASA calendar! You can find out more about contest rules and submission guidelines in the link below.

NASA Art Contest Rules and Submissions

Art News: The Case of the Mysterious Medusa Mosaic!

It sounds like a Nancy Drew novel, or maybe an Indiana Jones movie,  but it’s current news in the art world! The FBI recently discovered an ancient Italian mosaic which has been missing for decades.  The 2oo-pound mosaic of Medusa was discovered in a Los Angeles storage building, where the FBI determined it has been concealed since the 1980s!  No one knows how the owner of the storage unit obtained the mosaic, although the piece last appeared in cultural property records in 1909.

The enormous mosaic piece was cut (and stored) as 16 separate pieces. When put together, it reportedly forms an image of  Medusa–the monstrous, snake-haired Gorgon of ancient mythology.

Special agents Elizabeth Rivas and Allen Grove worked to investigate the mosaic and return it to its place of origin. They collaborated with Italian officials to return the fragile artifact to Rome, where it will be studied and carefully restored.

According to special agent Grove (via CNN): “The mosaic was handcrafted from an age where people put an amazing amount of care and effort into it. It really speaks to the ingenuity and creativity of the time,” Grove said. “It’s not meant to be in Los Angeles. The mosaic belongs to the people of Rome. It allows us to understand a bit about the history of humans 2,000 years ago.”

One day, maybe we’ll see a photo of the fully restored mosaic art. Maybe we’ll even discover more about it’s cultural significance to Rome!

As for me and my mystery-loving brain… I want to know about the mosaic’s lost years!

Why was it in a storage unit in L.A.?

What was the owner planning to do with 16 heavy puzzles pieces of an ancient artifact?

What adventures did this work of art experience in its approximately 100 years of being “lost?”

What do you think, readers?

Trending Art: Butter Sculpture. Would you try it?

Did you know that butter sculpting is a thing? While you may not hear about it much, it’s actually a long-held tradition, dating back to ancient Tibetan Buddhist culture. Here in the United States, you’ll mainly find butter sculptures at state fairs, where they’ve been a more recent(ish) tradition held over the last 150 years. Last week, the below sculpture was presented at The Great New York State Fair. The piece is in response to the theme: “Refuel Her Greatness – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.” It was sculpted over a period of 10 days by Jim Victor and Marie Pelton and is made out of 800 pounds of butter. 800 pounds!

Behold it below. The process is pretty amazing to watch!

The sculpture celebrates female athletes, showing a progression of differently aged girls and women competing in physical challenges. Sadly, now that the exhibition is over, all of that butter will be melted down. Because you can’t eat just butter that has been an art exhibit, it will be recycled by a methane converter and recycled into renewable energy.

Here’s my creative challenge to you, readers. The next time you are at the grocery store, buy a block of butter and some large potatoes. Practice butter sculpting on a mini-scale, and then recycle your art directly onto that potato. You honestly have nothing to lose from this.

 

Viral: Artistic Tributes to Queen Elizabeth II Flood the Interweb.

Last Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at her Balmoral home. In last week’s blog, I discussed her legacy on the art world in the past century. In the past week, however, that legacy has only continued to grow. Why? The world continues to honor the monarch’s legacy with some amazingly creative works of art content on social media. The following Youtube Shorts, each paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, were viral this week. Each of them show astounding amounts creativity and talent.

Which one is your favorite?

https://youtube.com/shorts/fexFuS1QKhQ?feature=share

That’s a wrap on this week’s latest in creative content, readers! We hope you’ll join us again next Friday for the latest creative challenges, art content, and art news! As you go about your life this week, remember: you can be creative in everything (and anything) you do!

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The AI Art Debate, Painting with Q-Tips, and Angry Winston Churchill https://sparketh.com/the-ai-art-debate-painting-with-q-tips-and-angry-winston-churchill/ https://sparketh.com/the-ai-art-debate-painting-with-q-tips-and-angry-winston-churchill/#respond Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:20:59 +0000 https://sparketh.com/?p=25832 Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re debating whether AI art is a tool or a threat, learning […]

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Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place.

Today, we’re debating whether AI art is a tool or a threat, learning a viral painting trend that anyone can do at home, and talking about a famous portrait (which has been STOLEN.)

Creative Debate: Will AI Replace Artists or Give Them New Tools?

Humankind has considered a lot of possibilities when it comes to Artificial Intelligence. Will AI develop its own unique consciousness? Help us reach new heights? Take over the world? Create a simulation that we will all live in while they use us up like batteries??? (Hope not).

But there’s a new – very current – question to consider when it comes to AI and creativity:

Will AI one day replace artists, or – at minimum- change the practice and value of art as we know it? 

This question springs from the creation of new AI art tools like Midjourney and Dall-E 2.

What they are:

These are AI tools that can actually create unique art based on selected parameters and specifications. They can create works that features any subjects you chose, in any setting, doing anything! These tools can even implement a famous artist’s style into the original creation by accessing and retaining information about color and style from the internet.

It’s amazing technology, but it also brings up some serious debates in the art world:

The issues:

  1. Can we call such creations true art?
  2. If we can, what are the implications for the future of art…and artists?

Perspective #1: Tools are simply tools.

No matter the tools that we may use to express our creativity, we humans have always seen ourselves as the creative masterminds behind creative endeavors (such as art). And many people see AI art tools as just that – tools: ones that can and will take our abilities to new, unimagined levels of awesome.

Perspective #2: AI art crosses an important line.

Because the dividing line between what tools and people can do has long been rooted in humanity’s creativity, these AI tools can be seen as crossing that line.  Many are concerned that, in this case, the AI becomes the real artist and makes most of the creative choices. If so, does this begin to de-value artists and change the way we view the worth of art?

What do you think, readers? Is AI art simply another tool in the artist’s toolbelt? Or does this new AI flip the switch: becoming the real artist while the person typing commands acts more like the machine? 

The below video does an excellent job investigating how this technology works and exploring some of these questions. I really appreciated that an artist and non-artist both gave Dall-E2 a try and compared their results to tackle these issues.

Check it out and decide where you stand in the great AI art debate!

One thing is for sure, we live in a quickly advancing digital age that has and continues to shape our world. The art world is – and will continue-to adapt along with it.

Trend to Try at Home: Acrylic Paint + Q-Tips

Now for something a little lighter and unobjectively hands-on…Q-Tip painting!

Most of us have a box of Q-Tips somewhere at home. After all, they are pretty much good for everything! ( And even though the box says not to stick them in your ears – admit it- you totally have.) This week, let’s add to the list of amazing things Q-Tips can do: help you paint beautiful trees.

In this week’s viral YouTube Short, an artist shows how you can use Q-Tips + acrylic paint to beautiful build and layer colors for leaves. It’s an effortless way to level up your tree painting skills.

Want to try painting some vibrant fall trees instead? To celebrate the first day of fall (September 22) one of the artists on the Sparketh team also created the below video this week. This one is a longer, more step-by-step take on the Q-Tip, tree-painting process. It does a great job of showing how you can build color from dark to light with acrylic paint to create an easy autumn painting!

Challenge: Check out these videos and try your own Q-Tip painted trees at home this week!

Art News: Famous Portrait Stolen! Owners didn’t notice.

Winston Churchill’s iconic portrait has been stolen, and he doesn’t look too pleased about it! Roaring Lion, the famous photograph by Yousuf Karsh, is one of the the most well-known and widely reproduced portraits in the world. Winston’s hard stare (which was a result of the photographer taking away his ever-present cigar), has become the image with which we identify the no-nonsense historic figure and world leader.

The Roaring Lion, Winston Churchill Photo by Yousuf Karsh, bromide print, 1941.

The original photograph has lived at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottowa, Canada for the past several decades. The hotel was a place of special significance to the artist, who gifted the establishment with a large collection of works.

Last month, however, an employee of the hotel noticed that something about it seemed…off. The frame that held Roaring Lion looked different than the other hotel frames. An examination of the signature determined that the portrait at the hotel was not the original. At some point, the original Roaring Lion was swapped for one of its many reproductions!

By asking for photographs from over the last several months from guests and employees, investigations have determined that the original was actually swapped out approximately 8 months ago (8 months!) It is thought to be an inside job, and police are investigating it further.

My thoughts: whoever stole this portrait will have to face their guilt while meeting Winston’s furious gaze. It’s all very Portrait of Dorian Gray.

Viral: Is Art School Overpriced?

“Is art school overpriced?”

This week’s viral TikTok video asks the question, and then blasts us with mind-blowing art skills. A

Art school was not what I was thinking about while watching this artist’s stunning black and white creation. Instead, I was wondering how someone’s brain and hands can work like that! But if art school could teach can help brains and hands do that, it’s pretty priceless. And that’s the point of the question, right?

In this blogger’s opinion, honing creative skills is always worth an investment, because creativity is one of the best things about being alive! What do you think, readers?

@psychegod

Is art school overpriced? Probably #fyp #art #artist #artschool #foryou #usc

♬ Notion – The Rare Occasions

On that note, I’m wishing you all a very happy and creative week! Catch you next week for more creativity resources and art news!

 

 

 

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Reasons We Create- Sparketh Art Club https://sparketh.com/reasons-we-create-sparketh-art-club/ https://sparketh.com/reasons-we-create-sparketh-art-club/#respond Fri, 07 Oct 2022 16:02:32 +0000 https://sparketh.com/?p=26545 Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place. This week, we’re exploring current art topics that all touch on a similar […]

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Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place.

This week, we’re exploring current art topics that all touch on a similar question: “Why do artists create?”

We’ll check out one artist whose dream in live is to live in a home made of his own art, and another who views art as a way to mediate experiences. In celebration of World Mental Health Day, we’ll explore why creating art is good for your mental health. You’ll get some viral tips to help you in your art method! 

Art News: Life in House of Doodles

At some point in our childhoods, we’ve all probably doodled on the walls. Most of us got in pretty big trouble for it, too. However, Sam Cox (known professionally as “Mr. Doodle”) was always encouraged to draw on the walls of his room. Today, as an adult, he’s taken it to a whole new level.

Mr. Doodle, a professional artist whose work has sold for up to almost $1 million per piece, has now officially completed what he calls his “best piece of work.” The work? His house!

Over two years of effort, the artist has covered his entire $1.5 million home in doodles. Not just the walls, either.  Mr. Doodle has also covered bedding, appliances, and even the toilet in his signature, black-and-white doodles. He also painted his stove, which he admits may have rendered it un-useable. (I guess he and Mrs. Doodle will be eating out a lot.)

When talking to the host of BBC Breakfast, the artist describes being able to live in a home made of his art as “a sort of paradise for me.”

Why He Creates/Doodles: 

Cox told BBC News that doodling is “almost like an out-of-body experience. You’re just indulging yourself in this free-flowing state of creation.”

Mr. Doodle gives us some interesting insight on reasons we create. Perhaps it comes partially from a desire to meditate, to flow with a particular state of mind, or to create a world of our own imagining (literally, in his case.)

Check out the video below to see this artist’s completed home!

Inspirational: Creating for Your Mental Health

Monday, October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Did you know that regularly practicing creativity is a vital part of maintaining good mental health? Research shows that art, in particular, supports mental health by:

  • Providing an outlet for thoughts and feelings
  • Helping to self-regulate emotions
  • Enhancing focus and decision-making skills
  • Improving memory
  • Boosting self-esteem/confidence

The mental health benefits of creating art is a major reason many people engage in it (a very healthy addiction). Creating is meditative,  allowing you to reflect and express in an extremely therapeutic way. 

Sometimes, when life is busy, we can feel guilty for taking the time to enjoy creative pursuits. However, it’s one of the best things we can do for ourselves. If you are looking for a reason to create today, I hope World Mental Health day provides some good inspiration to take care of yourself. Go make some art. Better yet, make it a regular practice (and a very healthy habit!)

Viral Art: Game-Changing Art Hacks

As you create art this week, check out today’s featured viral art video from TikTok! This short video has some mind-blowing art hacks that will save you time, help you try new techniques, and stretch the life of some your favorite art supplies.

@sparketh

Legitimately learned about the watercolor hack yesterday… 25 years old 🤣 #artistsoftiktok #arthacks #arttips #arttricks #didyouknow #myart #arttok

♬ Okinawa Pier – FloFilz

Have you tried any of these tips at home? Which is your favorite? 

You Can Also Watch it Here!

Art News: “Art on Video” Series Dives Deep.

“What is art to the artist?” As we’re touching on today, there can be a variety of answers to that question.

This is a topic that is also currently being explored as part of a new documentary series, entitled “Art on Video.” This series is a collaboration between ArtNetNews and Art 21.  It’s fascinating because it dives deep into the thought processes of current, headlining artists.

In the series, each artist gets the chance to describe their inspirations in their own words. The most recent episode follows photographer  Diane Severin Nguyen. 

Nguyen’s art is more than photography, though. Her creations also involve a unique type of performance art. In her work, Nguyen mixes the natural and unnatural, transforms substances into unrecognizable objects, and creates photos that capture fleeting, transfigurative moments (like lighting something on fire).

Art 21 writes: “Another kind of creative alchemy happens in her studio where the artist choreographs ephemeral processes like burning and everyday substances like Styrofoam to make her enigmatic photographs. Intentionally obscuring the identity of her subject materials is core to the artist’s larger project. ”

Why She Creates: As an artist, Nguyen says she feels it is her responsibility to take in the “psychic garbage of the world.”  She also takes concepts that have social value and reduces them back into physical materials that can be composed and photographed. Primarily, this artist seems to view the creative process as an important type of mediation between the physical world and our experience of it.

I am looking forward to keeping up with this new series and discovering what makes different types of artists tick. Will you watch? 

Check it out, here!

Inspirational: You Create Your Art Because Only YOU Can.

“Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.”- Albert Einstein

I love these words from Albert Einstein, who definitely knew the value of creativity! Whatever reason you create art, it’s likely to be just as unique as the special perspective you bring to the world. I hope you remember that as you go about your week, and pinpoint your own unique reason for being creative.

See you back here next week for next Friday’s edition of Art Club!

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Did Andy Warhol Steal This Portrait? – Art Club https://sparketh.com/did-andy-warhol-steal-this-portrait-sparketh-art-club/ https://sparketh.com/did-andy-warhol-steal-this-portrait-sparketh-art-club/#respond Fri, 14 Oct 2022 18:59:08 +0000 https://sparketh.com/?p=26730 Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place!  Today, we’re talking about a Supreme Court case battle for the rights to […]

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Happy Friday artists, art lovers, and parents of creative kids and teens! Welcome to Art Club: Sparketh’s weekly round-up of the latest in art news, creative resources, trending art challenges (and more.) If you love the arts and creativity, you’re in the right place! 

Today, we’re talking about a Supreme Court case battle for the rights to a famous Prince portrait (and the HUGE implications about creativity attached to the verdict). You’ll also find some new viral and trending art ideas to inspire you this week, and more!

Art News: Did Andy Warhol Steal this Portrait… or Borrow Inspiration?

Where do we draw the line between inspiration and theft? And what impact will the verdict have on contemporary art and artists? These are questions being posed to the Supreme Court…a group not typically asked to solve existential debates of the art world.

The case at hand concerns a famous portrait the iconic musical artist, Prince, by the iconic visual artist, Andy Warhol.

Most of us know Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) as the American artist who led the Pop Art Movement with his brightly colored, silkscreen prints of celebrities and well-known public figures. He also frequently used his art as social commentary. Prince or The Artist Formerly Known As Prince  (1958 -2016) is known for his unique musical style which produced fifteen, No. 1 top hits worldwide.

Warhol frequently used photography as the basis for his drawings, which he commonly traced with a blotted line technique (warhol.org). He also used this technique in his famous portrait of Prince. However, celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith recently claimed that the work belonged more to her than it did to Andy Warhol, or to the Warhol Foundation.

Why now?

The portrait is from the 1980s, so why is it current news? In 1984, Vanity Fair paid celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith $400 for her portrait of Prince to be used as a one-time “artist reference” for Andy Warhol. Warhol’s work was then featured on the cover of the magazine, and the artist ultimately created 16 silkscreen portraits from the original photograph.

The copyright debate, and subsequent litigation, came up much more recently. Per The New York Times: “When Prince passed away in 2016, Vanity Fair’s parent company, Condé Nast, published a special issue celebrating his life. It paid the foundation $10,250 to use a different image from the series for the cover. Ms. Goldsmith received no money or credit.” But more than 10 grand is at stake. According to ArtNews, those illustrations have also been  “copyrighted by Warhol and have since been sold and reproduced for hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Hundreds. Of. Millions.

As of this month, the case has risen all the way up to the Supreme Court, with opinions chiming in from both sides of the debate: who owns the rights to this (now even more famous) portrait?

Defining Fair Use…and Artistic Transformation.

The has sparked a lot of conversation about where we should draw the line that entitles a creative work to be permitted under “Fair Use.”

“Fair Use” is a term often used in copywriting. Often in the art world (and in this case) something may be called Fair Use if it has been “transformed” to a degree where it then becomes a new work of art. According to copyright laws which have been previously established by the Supreme Court, art has been transformed if it “adds something new, with a further purpose or different character, altering the first with new expression, meaning or message.”

So now the Court must decide not only where the money belongs, but essentially if Andy Warhol’s work is transformative or not. It’s a big question that ultimately asks about creativity and the fine-line of inspiration. Good luck, Supreme Court members.

I know what I think, readers, but what do you think?  You can check out both Prince renderings below and reach your own conclusions! 

On the left: original photograph of Prince by Lynn Goldsmith.

On the right: silkscreen rendering of Prince by Andy Warhol.

Read more about the current court case here. 

Viral Art: Re-imagining Childhood Art!

You know when there are no debates when it comes to Fair Use? When you are getting inspired by your own work! This week on YouTube, artist Moriah Elizabeth posted a viral video where she explores her own childhood art to get inspired as an adult. Check it out below and try it at home!

This is such an awesome idea for any and all artists looking for inspiration. Not only is a great reminder of the creativity that comes so naturally to young kids, but it also provides an opportunity to see how you’ve grown as an artist and to examine how you may see the same things differently, now. No matter your age or skill-level, give this art idea a try at home this week!

Art News: Museum Gives Color-Blind Visitors a Special Experience

We know that art museums aim to help their visitors see the world a little bit differently, but The Dallas Museum of Art is taking that concept to the next level. This art institution is giving visitors with color vision deficiency (CVD) the chance to view art in vivid color through the use of special glasses!

According to  ArtNet.com,  the “Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is teaming up with EnChroma, a company that specializes in the production of glasses with lenses that adjust to change color perception, to give color blind visitors a chance to experience the full spectrum of some of the museum’s most vibrant paintings.”

The glasses are specifically for those with red-green color vision deficiency. Visitors can go to the museum’s Website ahead of time to reserve a pair during their visit. This is amazing news and truly in the spirit of what we hope to do when visiting art museums. I’m hoping to see this type of service offered by increasingly more art museums, worldwide!

Read more about it here! 

Trending Art: Spooky October Art

It’s Halloween season, which means scary movies, apple cider, fun costumes and spooky art are all trending! Here are some currently trending Halloween-inspired art pieces from TikTok. Maybe one of these trends will inspire you to create your own!

The below video on TikTok by @petalpunkpaints pulled inspiration from the Tim Burton classic, Beetlejuice, this week!

@petalpunkpaints

Replying to @just_a_dumb___bitx Mixed Media BeetleJuice Painting 💚 #arttok #artober #paintingart #horrormovieart #halloweenart

♬ Speak Up – is0kenny

@ktcanvases took inspiration from a simple prompt: “ghost in a library” and created this fun, detailed, story-driven piece!

@ktscanvases

Replying to @pdubberly1223 ghosts are in the library!! 👻 print on ktscanvases.com #ktscanvases #spookyszn #spookyseason #halloweendecor #halloween #booktok #bookshelf #spookyart #ghosts #cuteghost

♬ original sound – katie | ktscanvases

This colorful, mixed media piece by @gretlusky combines some classic Halloween imagery in a fun, new way!

@gretlusky

🎃✨🐁 #sketchbook #artprocess #drawing #traditionalart #fyp #foryou #halloween #spooky #pumpkinseason

♬ Witch Familiar (Classical) [Classic](143628) – dice

See you back here next Friday for a new edition of Sparketh Art Club!

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