Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011
There has been a great outpouring of grief across the world for this great man, Steve Jobs. Dats Cool has been reading the many quotes, watching the many inspirational speeches by Jobs and viewing the many ways in which people have expressed their grief.
Of those, the above tribute stands out in our memories. This street art in New York City shows an image of Jobs in his younger years when viewed from one side, and an image of him that many will remember for years to come. RIP Steve.
The Sketchbook Project
Have you ever doodled on a notepad and felt that it was good enough to share with the world? You wished there was a way to show someone just how great your little picture is? Well, this is your chance to share your little sketches.
The Sketchbook project is finally ready for a world tour in 2012! Having previously only toured around the US, in 2012, the project is extending their tour to London, UK and Melbourne, Australia. To participate, all you need to do is purchase one of the custom designed sketchbooks then draw, doodle, sketch, scribble to your heart’s content. Simply post your sketchbook back where it will go on tour before resting at the Brooklyn Art Library where it will be catalogued and available to be viewed.
It’s $25 to purchase a sketchbook and participate so get your pens and pencils ready!
http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject
Visit Prado Museum through Google Earth
Prado Museum and Google are making it possible for web users to view 14 ultra high resolution images of the museums’s greatest works without having to even visit Spain.
Other major art museums, like the National Gallery in London, have made their collections available online, but the Prado is the first to produce such high-resolution reproductions on the Internet. The quality of the images are so high that when you zoom in you can actually see the fine lines and cracks in the painting.
To view the paintings all you need to do is download Google Earth and search for Prado Museum.
The Work of Banksy
People say that graffiti is irresponsible and childish….but only if it is done properly and Banksy does just that. There is still uncertainty about the identity of Banksy. All we know is that he was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, London. He trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti during the great aerosol boom of late 1980s. His artworks are often illustrations that depict political, cultural and ethical views. His street art, which combines graffiti with a distinctive stencilling technique has appeared in London and in cities around the world.
In 2004 Banksy produced a quantity of spoofed £10 British notes substituting the Queens head with Princess Diana’s and replacing the “Bank of England” with “Banksy of England.” During that year at the Notting Hill festival, a bunch of these notes were thrown into the crowd. Some people tried spending the £10 at local shops not knowing that a few months later they were being sold on ebay for £200 each. A Limited run of 50 signed posters containing 10 uncut notes were also produced and sold by pictures on walls for £100 each to commemorate the death of Princess Diana. One of these sold in May 2007 on eBay for £17,500.
Banksy cashed in when his work sold for way over the estimated price. He received over £102,000 for his Bombing Middle England, £37,200 for Balloon Girl, £31,200 for Bomb, Ballerina With Action Man Parts reached £96,000, Glory sold for £72,000 and an unnamed sold for £33,600. Following this Banksy updated his website with a new image of an auction house scene showing people bidding on a picture that said, “I Can’t Believe You Morons Actually Buy This Shit.” The record for any Banksy work was set in April 2007 when Space Girl and Bird fetched £288,000.
Banksy’s work has been admired by many art enthusiast around the world including celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The couple brought a piece, which features the dethroned king of pop standing in the doorway of a cottage trying to coax a young boy and girl into his house with sweets. The piece is inspired by the classic fairytale Hansel and Gretel, and is apparently a reference to the child abuse scandal surrounding Jackson last year.
To top of the datscool list. In 2004, Bansky walked into the Louvre in Paris and hung on a wall a picture he had painted resembling the Mona Lisa, but with a yellow smiley face akin to the Wal-Mart character for a face. Though the painting was hurriedly removed by the museum staff, it and it’s counterpart, temporarily on unknown display at the Tate Britain, were described by Banksy as ‘shortcuts’. He is quoted as saying: “To actually [have to] go through the process of having a painting selected must be quite boring, It’s a lot more fun to go and put your own one up.”