My Kid Could Paint That

Eric Fishl, a classic New York legend who befriended Any Warhol, created a series of works exploring human interaction and sexuality. The controversial aspects and eroticism of his works bestowed him the labels provocative and sensual, and boy, did he own it. Fischl grew up with an alcoholic mother who suffered from depression, which influenced his works. His niche was depicting suburban America using unorthodox perspectives to create scenes of excitement or wonder. The typically R-Rated artist was most notable for his work Bad Boy, giving him the title "the bad boy of Neo-Expressionists."

Fishl's Barbecue shows an upscale backyard cookout. Two topless women converse in the pool while a seemingly young boy tries to impress with blowing fire as a party trick. A older man creepily smirks while spectating. Fishl uses aggressive brush strokes to create a unique texture. The painting feels energetic and vibrant. The slanted table offsets the entire painting creating a different perspective and an imbalance. The work does not seem crowded and as abstract as works by other artists during this period. Originally I thought the bowl of fish ironically placed in front of a pool symbolized something greater, something deeper. But then I realized this was drugged up 1980's New York, maybe he just wanted a damn bowl of fish right in the middle of his painting. 

CrAcK iS WaCk

By SAI GONDI

One of the god fathers of the freshly birthed Neo-Expressionist movement during the 1980's, Jean-Michael Basquiat created abstract illustrations with blatant references to evident racism in America, specifically endured by African Americans. Neo-Expressionism marked a period where artists depicted humans and their issues with overwhelming emotion and sometimes eroticism. The product would usually look abstract and unique. During the late 20th century, black people faced discrimination often seen through law enforcement and negative portrayal in media. Music became an important platforms for young artists to speak up and voice their opinion and convey their struggle. Basquiat's artwork served as another way to bring attention to the problem.

The visionary produced powerful pieces including Irony of the Negro Policeman, Hollywood Africans, and the Philistines, each creating a different image of a more general race issue in America. His style was completely different, emotional, and sporadic. His works bleed with color and incorporate inconsistent shapes, lines, and curves conveying a sense of anger and urgency.  Basquiat's influence ascended him to the hierarchy of New York's art scene at the time, where he befriending Keith Harking, Futura 2000, and others. His influential career was brought to abrupt end when he overdosed on heroin at the age of 27 in his studio. The artist always dealt with severe depression and turned to drugs as a coping mechanism. Some believe his abuse of heroin produced his haunting, violent style

Philistines was painted in 1982. The painting evokes many thoughts and emotions when trying to understand where Basquiat was going with this work. The answer might lie in the name itself. Philistine means someone who is hostile towards or uncultured about people or the arts. Basquiat places a white individual on the left seemingly interacting with the black person in the middle. The direction of the painting moves from the white figure into the black one, though the middle figure is stabbing the white figure going against the general motion. Its hard to determine whether Basquiat intends the black figure to symbolize the Philistine quality or to serve as symbolic revenge, thrusting through the heart of hatred. The contrasting colors and streaking paints help intensify the emotion and anger stemming from his social commentary. It's clear Basquiat is hurting, bothered by the profound issues and power dynamics surrounding him. The head with the halo on the right might be him, since the angel means well but is tormented by something greater shown through the raining cloud above.

BOOM. Notorious rapper and R&B vocalist Rube the Dude, originally named Ver Meersux, revives his otherwise lackluster career with his latest album THESE WOMEN B CRAAAZy. The concise yet absurdly long album, credited to Track 7, narrates the extremely unstable relationship of Rube the Dude. The masterful storytelling, skilled lyricism, and poetic flow rivals some the likes of today's leading artists such as Jermaine Cole and Drake. In an TMZ interview, Rube states his girlfriend, Carrie Vaggio, does not mind the album. Since his breakthrough success, the young artist has entered the world of art collecting. His fascination with art might explain his choice to use a classic painting as his album cover. Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Peter Paul Rubens encapsulates the essence of the album, according to Rube, who chose his stage name based of his favorite painter Rubens. The rising star believes the story of attraction and betrayal between Judith and Holofernes highlights some of his tracks, such as Tracks 1 and 4. Highly recommend this album for those who desire a mix between storytelling rap and soul piercing vocals. Not to mention two fantastic features who help spice up this already blazin' hot track list. Now plug in those headphones and hope your brain doesn't melt of Rube the Dude's sheer musical genius.

This review was written and sponsored by Rube the Dude.

Editor's Note: Students happened upon a cache of hidden records with cover art from the Baroque masters. They were charged to investigate the vinyls. The above are their findings. 

After the papacy of Innocent X, Pope Alexander VII found himself needing a larger Jesuit Church due to increasing number of officials and attendants. The talented Gian Lorenzo Bernini accepted the offer to create the Sant'Andrea al Quirinale by no surprise. Firstly, Bernini had a relationship with the Society of Jesus, the sponsoring Jesuit group behind the new church, and Alexander. Also, Alexander asked Camillo Pamphilli, a patron of the Church, to fund this project. Pamphilli strongly disliked Borromini, Bernini's main competitor. After Bernini reluctantly accepted the position to lead this project, he made sure he would receive no compensation. He wanted to turn this project from a monetary necessity to a privilege. This would serve as a personal triumph representing his devotion to Christianity. Throughout the years, Bernini became increasingly more invested in his faith. So, constructing the Sant'Andrea for free showed everyone his prioritization of religion over commissions.

The building itself sits on Quirinal hill on top of the remains of the previous church that Bernini had demolished. The smaller, intimate space has a Palladian facade fronting the oval shaped body. This layout mocks Bernini's rival Borromini's ellipse church down the road from the Sant'Andrea, The visitor upon entering will see the main altar surrounded by red columns and red marbled walls. The somber blue and grey floor is plastered with designs and texts. The oval shape allows the focus point at the end to be the altar. Guillaume Courtois' beautiful Martyrdom of Saint Andrew hangs on the blue wall with a hidden window beaming light from above. The four pillars encasing a statue of Saint Andrew ascending on a cloud represent the Jesuit beliefs. The major component of the church is the fluorescent ceiling lit golden by the yellow stained glass in the center and surrounding. The pattern eerily resembles the honey comb interior introduced by Borromini earlier in San Carlo, his small church that seems to provide the basis for Bernini's designs in the Sant'Andrea. Bernini successfully created a church that pleased both himself and Alexander, however, in the process he managed to undermine the work done by his competitor Borromini years before.

Caravaggio portrays the gruesome beheading of John the Baptist, removing divine aspects commonly associated with religious works. The impulsive painter created this altar piece following his admittance into the Order of St. John while taking refuge in Malta. When The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist was revealed to an audience of knights and nobleman, everyone gazed with an eye of eerie discomfort and brutality. Caravaggio takes a saintly figure and violently buries him into the Earth, evoking no sentiments of becoming closer with God or passage to Heaven. The muscular assassin seemingly pins John downward with no escape, turning this into a seemingly back alley murder in a dainty corner. Even the figures around the corpse, aside from the old woman, lack emotion standing next to a horrible act of murder. Caravaggio pushes the boundaries even further, signing "F. Michelan" in the spewing blood from John's neck. Some historians believe this is short for Fra Michelangelo, meaning Brother Michelangelo (his first name). Or, could he be comparing himself to one of the greats?

The composition is split by the dark brick column, part of the larger arch behind the figures. Caravaggio leaves a noticeable amount of excess space, all of which are somber browns and near blacks. The earthy color scheme helps John's piercing red cloak strike the viewer more intensely. In other Caravaggio paintings, he used red sheets to represent the transfer of a body from Earth to Heaven, however here its different. The murderer's foot pins the red cloak down, suppressing from John from advancing upward. The gory imagery of John being so heavily defeated seems ironic given Caravaggio intended this painting to go to the Order of St. John. Though, are we really surprised? Undeniably one of the most talented in history, Caravaggio's unpredictability and rebellious nature makes his works even more enjoyable to study. 

For those who followed us throughout our Spring Break series, Janvier, or January, is a perfect piece for that collection of wild works. In January, the Duke, dressed in a peculiar Peacock robe, sits in his decorated palace flooded with delicacies, guests, and gifts. The event is actually to commemorate the generous month of January known for being the time of gift exchanging. This is seen through the surplus of gold pots objects being examined and presumably traded by the gentlemen on the left. The Brothers use stunning blues, reds, and golds to captivate the viewer and help glorify the Duke. 

There are some elements of this painting I can not necessarily explain. The major one being the accessories hanging off the vintage fanny packs around the two gentlemen in front. Such presumable key chains will likely confuse the viewer into thinking they represent something a little more inappropriate for younger audiences. Then again, I have no insight on 15th century jewelry trends. 

January is, in my opinion, one of the best by the Limbourg Brothers for its use of colors and all around inclusion of depth and three dimension, something rather revolutionary for Renaissance art.  

Darkness clashing with the light. Evil splitting and rampaging through the good. Death seeping across such a vibrant setup. What makes PH-118 such an violent, emotional painting while being so subtle and soft? When Mr. Luce assigned me Clyfford Still for my early 1950s artist presentation I thought to myself "here we go, some more abstract nonsense where I have to spend hours searching for some unknown, godforsaken symbolic message." Boy, I have been wrong quite a few times, but this is up there. Mr. Luce has taught me that art, once beyond its creator's hands, becomes open to be reinvented and seen in new ways. Though, at times it is important to value the insight of the artist themselves because their intentions might help bring the work to life or together the way they desire. However, for a painting paralleling this one with such abstract qualities, what matters lies in how we, the audience, interpret and indulge in it.

PH-118 incorporates two major clashing elements. The violent yet gentle nature of the painting and its sharp colors. Influenced after spending some time with Rothko, Still developed this style of abstract painting, using rough, aggressive strokes. However, his finished products will not always be as violent as one would assume. Instead, he somehow manages to bring a softness to them, while they maintain some degree of aggression. There seems to be no exact balance between those two characteristics, given some paintings will be more light and others more angry. Now, what do I see. When I first saw this, I thought birds because of the weird, birdlike shapes. After further analysis, I began to see the white and yellow as some beacon of good, or maybe angles. The black stands for some tyranny or evil jutting through the canvas with elegant rage. It seems as though Still has recreated the flow and smoothness of rising smoke following a blown out candle. The clashing colors and shapes attack in a precise, and glorious manor leaving so much to be seen and felt by the work. Damn, this painting is awesome.