Words About Things

You might not have heard of Milton Glaser but you will certainly be familiar work his work as a graphic designer. His most famous creation is the I ♥ NY symbol created as part of a campaign to promote New York as a tourist destination.

This video was created by C Coy and features Milton drawing and talking about the art of drawing:

MILTON GLASER DRAWS & LECTURES from C. Coy on Vimeo.

A woman has been arrested after attacking the world’s most famous painting in front of shocked onlookers. The woman threw a mug at the Mona Lisa causing screams from nearby tourists at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The woman who was said to be a Russian Tourist was handed over to police after being tackled by security guards. The painting was unharmed as it is kept behind a display case made from bullet proof glass.

This is not the first time someone has tried to damage the Mona Lisa, in fact it has been a target on several occasions. In 1956 acid was thrown the painting and a rock was thrown at it later in the same year.

It has been suggested that the Russian tourist who has yet to be named may have been suffering from Stendhal syndrome. The syndrome, which was named after the french author Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), can cause those viewing great works of art to become overwhelmed although this does not always result in violent outbursts.

The Danger Global Warming Project was set up to draw attention to the problem of Global Warming through the medium or art. It was organized by the multi-media art collective Blacksmoke in collaboration with Greenpeace. Artists were asked to incorporate Greenpeace’s black and yellow warning tape motif into artworks of any form they saw fit.

Paintings, videos and installations have been submitted from around the world. Those who have taken part range from unknown artists to big names like Philippe Starck, Bruce LaBruce and Billy Childish. Some of the artworks are great, others less so. The main thing however is that they make you think and hopefully they have enough of an effect on you to stick in your mind long after you see them.

DANGER GLOBAL WARMING (recycled by Utah Saints) from Danger Global Warming Project.

A selection of links to interesting things I’ve seen online this week, better late than never!

1. Paul Smith mixes fashion with conceptual art.

2. The World’s Smallest Car is built from a Quad Bike and a Postman Pat ride. [video]

3. The Cultural Significance of Flowers and the Ascent of Man.

4. Amazing entrants to the Online Beatbox Battle. Is this real? Amazing.

5. The average woman ‘spends £9,000 on her hair in her lifetime’.