Website #1
Blurb
This website was inspired by the fanatical nature of Manhattan residents in regards to contemporary art and galleries, but creator and writer Paddy Johnson made this website accessible to anyone interested in learning more about finding the hot spots of the NYC art scene. Johnson is incredibly experienced in writing and lectures, and has been published in such well-known magazines and newspapers as Art in America, Artinfo, Design Observer, Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. The tab for recommended shows keeps the website visitor up to date with worthwhile NYC trips and the website banner is well designed in terms of size, contrast and aesthetics. The website as a whole, however, could use some principles of CRAP- that is, Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity. There is a little too much white space and not enough stimulation for the viewer.
Website #2
Blurb
The Brooklyn Rail is a comprehensive website of critical and intelligent perspectives on art, culture and even politics. In terms of quantity and quality of information, this website is the “bee’s knees” and provides hours upon hours of fun and insightful learning. The section of INCONVERSATION is a series of interviews of famous and working artists, supplemented by a photorealistic pencil drawing (by illustrator Phong Bui) of the artist being interviewed. The writer and interviewer is a Rutgers faculty member dearest to our hearts, John Yau. If you search the archives from February 2010, you will stumble upon an interview by John Yau with Richard Baker, my painting teacher from last year. This website contains a plethora of information regarding contemporary art, galleries, prevalent social, cultural and political happenings, as well as inspirational and thought provoking interviews and articles for both artists and non-artists alike.
Website #3
Blurb
What would be a comprehensive list of popular art websites without the mother of them all, the Museum of Modern Art? Not only is the museum stunning, breathtaking, and crowded, but it also contains a powerhouse of expertly curated exhibitions. The website effectively entices the viewer to go see the current exhibition, Abstract Expressionist New York, a collection of the works of the sensational painters of the mid-twentieth century (everyone is familiar with Jackson Pollack, right? I hope so). The MoMa website also advertises its current exhibition, Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen, an installation of reconstructed domestic spaces, which explores social and cultural evolution in the design of interiors. The MoMa proves to be more than a modern art museum, with its diversified exhibitions and wide scope of social, cultural and political opinions through the eyes of art and design.
Website #4
http://cargocollective.com/cookie
Blurb
This website may appear kitschy and cutesy (maybe because it’s British), but upon close inspection one can discover some amazing designs, vector images, illustrations and information graphics. The website is very simple and thus easily navigable, with a sidebar of site navigation links. I wish it contained more writing or blogging, but the arbitrary and random nature of these links is entertaining and stimulating. For example, links range anywhere from an illustration of hierarchy of mustache styles to business icons to weekly downloadable desktops. It is truly a fun and lighthearted approach to modern design websites, which could sometimes come off as cold, geometric, hard-edged and sometimes boring.
Website #5
Blurb
The PBS series, ART:21, is a comprehensive, informative and engaging hour long episode series of modern artists. Each episode is categorized according to subject matter and topic, such as Love and Loss or Identity, and presents an in-depth look into the work and backgrounds of three artists who deal with the topics in their art. Luckily for art fans, the website posts every season and episode, so you can watch it anytime instead of waiting for re-runs. The website is also effectively advertising the upcoming hour long special (October 21st at 10 PM!) about artist William Kentridge, who is an amazing, versatile artist well-known for his emotional and thought-provoking videos of frames shot of his delicate charcoal drawings.
Website #6
http://davidhumphreynyc.com/art/
Supplementary website: (video)
http://www.newarttv.com/David+Humphrey%3A+Pieces+of+Rome
Blurb
David Humphrey is a successful and accomplished New York painter and visual artist. He is best known for his intelligent, twisted, humorous and imaginative paintings. The supplementary video puts a face to the work, where he explains his thought process, execution and inspiration from his residency in Rome. His book compilation of critical essays and writings, Blind Handshake, is designed with great detail in the typefaces, images, and color, making an exciting read from beginning to end. Please watch the video and skim through his drawings, paintings, installations and prints and enjoy the abstract and narrative-like nature of his works.
Website #7
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/
Blurb
Okay, so I may have said that some design websites can be boring, especially design with information graphics. This website is an exception, however, due to the humorous and engaging links creator by London designer David McCandless. His approach is one of appreciation of the visual, which is a difficult task to complete when working with mass amounts of data. The visualizations section on the sitenavigation bar provides greatly polished and beautifully designed information graphic projects, which can be great inspiration for novice designers, or even for those who want to learn about new things in a visual way. If you spend enough time on this website reading his projects, you might be able to run for presidential office, or just be a phenomenal trivia board game player.
Website #8
Blurb
I had to include the ARTnews website, because the magazine is so well known and widely read. This fine arts magazine contains upcoming gallery and museum exhibitions, informative interviews and articles, and advertisements concerning popular culture, society and politics. I came extremely close to interning for this prestigious magazine, but unfortunately they only offer school credit. Browse the website and read the current issue link to keep abreast with current events. You can click the links to follow ARTnews on twitter and read up on their tweets containing posted links, pictures, current issues, and upcoming exhibitions.
Website #9
Blurb
A lover of visual “sweetness,” I recommend looking through all of his phenomenally detailed oil paintings. His breathtakingly beautiful figure paintings of female nudes are photorealistic, yet his unrealistic landscapes, backgrounds, and subject matter of colorful candy, sinful and creamy desserts make the paintings even more fantastical and amazing. He is best known for creating the cover of Katy Perry’s recent album, Teenage Dream, and for being art director of her music video California Gurls. The video is humorous, kitschy and delicious, three qualities I feel should be explored more in the contemporary art scene. Will Cotton is an extremely talented painter whose fantasy subject matter and visceral painting execution are qualities that explore even deeper and darker topics of insatiability, desire, lust, gluttony, and sinfulness.
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