MADONNA BY BILL STONE

These beautiful pictures of Madonna taken in 1978 by Bill Stone first appeared in the September 1985 issue of Penthouse.

I don't know who this Bill Stone is... Googled his name and apart these pictures, nothing comes up. Weird.

☁ MADONNA BY BILL STONE

MARCY MILKS

MARCY MILKS
1978 Born in Buffalo, NY
1998-99 Diploma, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK
1996-2000 B.F.A. University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
2002-04 M.F.A. Pratt Institute, New York, NY

"I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York by two loving parents. As an only child, I entertained myself through creative means and completed my first painting at the age of two. During my adolescence, I resided in the same house and attended the same neighborhood school. At 16, I toured a portion of Europe with a small group of students. Traveling for the first time overseas provided me with new experiences and instilled a love for exploration that has stayed with me ever since.

I attended college at the University of New York at Buffalo. I met new people and was part of a distinctly individualized community of artists. In my junior year, I participated in an exchange program that allowed me to study at the University of Kent at Canterbury. In England, I studied Art History and Philosophy, started kickboxing, and traveled as often as possible.

After receiving my BFA, I moved to Arizona where I continued to make art and was able to show my work in various galleries throughout Phoenix. During this time, I was fortunate enough to travel to Thailand and Korea.

In the fall of 2002, I returned to New York and attended Pratt Institute to continue my studies in Fine Art. There, conceptual and critical thought became more prevalent in how I approached my work. In addition to painting, I started to work sculpturally. In May of 2004, I received my MFA. I currently live and work in Brooklyn and continue to travel as often as I can." MARCY MILKS

☁ MARCY MILKS

GIL VICENTE

"Drawings of Imagined Assassinations Stoke Controversy at the Sao Paulo Biennial

Brazilian artist Gil Vicente caused a stir this weekend at the Sao Paulo Art Biennial, as his charcoal renderings of the violent assassinations of world leaders went on display, despite protests from some political groups. The figures include U.S. president George W. Bush, former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, the Queen of England, and Pope Benedict XVI, all of whom Vicente has said should be punished for various crimes.

In the drawings, George W. Bush kneels before his assassin, his face turned toward a gun. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Solva is shown tied to a chair with a knife to his throat. The Pope raises hands in protest or appeal, while the charcoal Vicente stares down the length of the gun at his victim. The Queen stands in the foreground of her portrait, seemingly unaware of the man with the pointed weapon standing behind her. Other figures depicted in the works include Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The series, called "Enemies," is meant to give voice to the justice due to world leaders who have been directly or indirectly responsible for alleged crimes, the Telegraph reports. "Because they kill so many other people, it would be a favor to kill them, understand?" he told the paper. "Why don't people in power and in the elite die?"

Even though the Brazilian Bar Association ordered the removal of the drawings, arguing that the art encourages violent crime, the organizers of the biennial have defended Vicente’s right to exhibit his work and have replied to the demands in a statement. "A fundamental quality of our institution is curatorial independence and freedom of expression," they wrote. "The works exhibited do not reflect the opinion of the curators nor of the Biennial Foundation."

The works, which hang prominently in a hall of Sao Paulo’s Ibirapuera Park, are valued collectively at $260,000." ARTINFO

☁ GIL VICENTE @ ARTINFO

EGON SCHIELE

This morning, I was looking at an old art book that I have and I opened it on EGON SHIELE's Étreinte (Amants II) painting (the first picture up here) and I thought it was beautiful. I know, it's a classic and we've seen this picture around often, but I guess it is always good to revisit our classics, if only to acnowledge how modern they look... or is it the other way around...?



EGON SCHIELE (June 12, 1890 – October 31, 1918) was an Austrian painter. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele was a major figurative painter of the early 20th century.

Schiele's work is noted for its intensity, and the many self-portraits the artist produced. The twisted body shapes and the expressive line that characterize Schiele's paintings and drawings mark the artist as an early exponent of Expressionism, although still strongly associated with the art nouveau movement (Jugendstil).

The Leopold Museum, Vienna houses perhaps Schiele's most important and complete collection of work, featuring over 200 exhibits. Other notable collections of Schiele's art include the Egon Schiele-Museum, Tulln and Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna.

☁ EGON SCHIELE @ WIKIPEDIA
☁ EGON SCHIELE @ LE MONDE DES ARTS

LIGHTING THE WAY

This year again I am encouraging the LIGHTING THE WAY SAINTE-JUSTINE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION by giving this small painting tryptic I made called METAMORPHOSIS , essays for my new series of paintings. It will be sold at silent auction the night of the event. All the fundings will go to finance the purchase of an ultrasonogram for Sainte-Justine UHC materno-fetal therapy clinic.

Because Sainte-Justine UHC is the largest mother-child university hospital in Canada, a focus on perinatal care lies at the heart of LIGHTING THE WAY's mission. This focus covers everything to do with mother and child care, from early pregnancy onward.

This year, the event will be held at IMAX TELUS theatre that will transport you to the heart of the animal kingdom, for an evening of discovery. Be ready for some unforgettable moments of pure fun!

To read more about the cause, to buy tickets for the event or to make a donation, please visit their website down here.

WHAT: Animalopolis IMAX movie
LOCATION: Science center IMAX® TELUS theater
WHEN: October 1, 2010

☁ LIGHTING THE WAY

JOSHUA BRONAUGH

"Websites are the worst ways to look at paintings. Digital images are compressed, have poor color, have no sense of scale and simply do not glow like paint does. I would rather a person see one of my paintings through a window from across the street in the rain than have him see anything I have ever made online. " JOSHUA BRONAUGH

☁ JOSHUA BRONAUGH
☁ JOSHUA BRONAUGH'S TUMBLR
☁ JOSHUA BRONAUGH @ BASSE DEF

KELLI VANCE

KELLI VANCE
BORN: Garland, Texas

EDUCATION:
Master of Fine Arts, University of Houston, Texas. 2005-2008
Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas. 2002-2005

☁ KELLI VANCE

REX RAY

REX RAY is a San Francisco based fine artist, whose collages, paintings and design work have been exhibited at galleries and museums, including the The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, University Art Museum in Berkeley, San Jose Museum of Modern Art, The Crocker Museum in Sacramento, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, Cheryl Haines Gallery, Gallery 16, and Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions.

He is also a celebrated graphic designer. He has created work for Apple, Dreamworks, Sony Music, Warner Brothers, City Lights Publishers, Matador Records, Serpent's Tail, The New Museum of Contemporary Art, Rizzoli, Powerhouse, Mute Records and Crown Books. His package designs for David Bowie, as well as for Joe Satriani, Diamanda Galás, Matmos, and Deee-Lite, have earned him an international reputation for his innovation in type and with original photographs, drawings, and collage. He has designed over 100 historic Bill Graham Presents rock and roll tour posters, including ones for The Rolling Stones, Patti Smith, REM, Bjork, U2, and Radiohead.


☁ REX RAY
☁ REX RAY @ GALLERY 16