Dog Art Today

Jason Bronner's Dogs of the Empire

Guar(d)ingo

Jason Bronner's Dogs of the Empire show at Saint Mary's University Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries in Winona, MN couldn't be more timely.  His drawings and paintings, inspired by the street dogs, legends, and dog art of Rome, express the duality of dogs' ferocity and affection.  Bonner also considers this dual nature in respect to foreign policy and looks at parallels between the empires of ancient Rome and the U.S. 

He writes:

Dogs are hunters and guardians.  They seek dominion, either from their masters, or imposed by themselves.  I am interested in the tension between the part of the dog that can tear apart it's quarry, but then return to the side of its master and lick his face or the faces of the children.  It is easier for us to conceptualize a beast as completely evil, or an angel or virgin or hero who is only good nurturing, comforting.  The dog is both.

The dog can be a metaphor for the protective element of the government as well as the oppression of the state.  The same dog that was once a companion has been turned into a beast that the government declares is needed to protect us.  One begins to wonder if this same dog causes more fear in those it should protect than the supposed danger it protects us from.

 

The Dogs of Ulysses

 

Kerberos

 

Untitled

 

Untitled

 

Untitled

The show runs until February 6, 2009.  Click here for gallery information.  Visit Jason Bonner's website to lean more about the artist.

Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors

The Dessert, 1940

Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC on Tuesday.  Longtime Dog Art Today readers know Bonnard is one of my favorite painters.  I love his use of color, negative space, and his interest in Japanese art.  But most of all I love when his beloved brown Dachshund makes an appearance in his paintings.

I imagine the Met's exhibition of Bonnard's drawings, paintings, and watercolors from 1923-1947 filled with Doxie works I have never seen before like The Dessert (above).  It would be thrilling to see them in person, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen so I have been searching for new discoveries online.

I have yet to find a comprehensive review of the show, but Twitterer and recovering art director, David Ross, Tweets, "Late Bonnard at the Met equal to a walk on a sunny spring day. Quite a treat."   Sounds lovely.

If anyone goes and finds more dogs let me know.  I collected many of them here.  Read more about Bonnard's late interiors at ArtDaily.  Information at the Met's website.  The exhibit runs until April 19, 2009.

P.S.  Doesn't The Dessert remind you of this David Douglas Duncan photo of Picasso and Lump, the little brown Doxie at his master's elbow...

Related links:
Pierre Bonnard's Dachshunds
Bonnard's Dog Art Still Needs a Home

Attention Dog Artists, The Legs Matter

Interesting article by Henry Fountain  in the New York Times reports:

After analyzing more than 300 depictions of walking animals in museums, veterinary books and toy models, the researchers [at Gabor Horvath of Eotvos University in Hungary] report that in almost half of them the leg positions are wrong. The findings are published in the journal Current Biology.

This is the way dogs walk: the left hind leg moves forward, followed by the left foreleg, right hind leg and right foreleg, in order.

But remember gaits are different if dogs are running.  All the legs can be in the air at once.

Read the full article here.

(Thanks for the tip, Mom.)

Stains, The Dramatic Cupcake Dog

Hilarious...

And, yes, it's real. From an episode of It's Me or the Dog and then featured on The Soup.

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Art from Ashes: New Jewelry and a Discount

Companion Bracelet

Art from Ashes was the first company I ever featured in my Pet Memorial category.  Now, almost two years later, they are still the only company I have there.  There are many ways to memorialize our pets once they pass, but I think the handcrafted glass sculptures from Art from Ahses that incorporate our loved-one's ashes are exceptional. 

Now, in response to their clients' requests, they have partnered with renowned glass artist Caitlin Burch to create a line of jewelry.  Again, they use a small amount of ash in each piece, and produce a one-of-a-kind keepsake that can be worn as "a personal and private expression of eternal love and companionship."  Lovely!

 

Enduring Gem Pendant

 

Comapnion Necklace

 

Perpetual Beads

Deb, Jane and Jenny of Art from Ashes have graciously extended a 10% discount to all Dog Art Today readers who place an order before March 31.  Enter the code: Winter09Thanks in the coupon box at check out.

See more of their remembrances including walking sticks, perfume bottles, and more here.  Read the moving testimonials here.

Related Links:
Pet Memorials: Art from Ashes

Picasso's Other Dogs: The Afghans and The Boxer

Picasso and Kabul by David Douglas Duncan, 1959 or later.

When my friend Tom Turley sent me a link to photographs of Pablo Picasso and his Dachshund, Lump, by David Douglas Duncan, I almost didn't click on the link.  I thought I had seen them all.  Well, aside from finding a cache of new Lump photos (I will share in a later post), I also discovered that Picasso wasn't a one dog man.

Yes, Lump the Dachshund is said to have been "the only animal Picasso took in his arms."  But clearly Picasso had a great fondness for other breeds too, especially Afghans.  As far as I can tell he owned three in his lifetime; Kabul, Kasbec, and Sauterelle.   Here are some photos.

Picasso and Kasbec.  Photographer unknown.   Via Afghan Hound Archives.

Picasso, Jacqueline Roque, and Kabul, 1962.  Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images via Jamd.

Kabul and Sauterelle by David Douglas Duncan, 1975.

This last photo was taken two years after Picasso died.  Kabul's expression breaks my heart.  Duncan described him as spending "his last days gazing at the villa as though remembering those early years when he was constantly at the side of Picasso and Jacqueline."  He died shortly after this photograph was taken.

I have yet to find any Afghans who made their way into Picasso's paintings, but many believe his 1967 sculpture in Chicago's Daley Plaza is actually Kabul's head.

Untitled, 1967

Lump the Dachshund also shared Picasso with a Boxer named Jan, seen here in a staring contest outside their master's studio...

By David Douglas Duncan, 1957

...and a goat named Esmerelda, here tied to a statue of herself...

By David Douglas Duncan, 1957

I spent several hours on David Douglas Duncan's website.  His photos are extraordinary and the online exhibition is excellent.  Click here to visit it yourself.

Dogs Greet Soldier Home From Iraq Video

Now that President Obama has given his war council a new mission, to end the war in Iraq in sixteen months, hopefully we can expect thousands of more scenes like this...

Thanks to my friend, Leight Talbot, for sending me this video.

Obamify Your Dog in Honor of President Barack Obama

In honor of the Inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama, I created this Shepard Fairey-esque image of Darby.  You can make one of your dog, cat, child or self at Paste Magazine's Obamiconme.com.  It's very fun and super easy! 

For more a round up of the hippest Obama memorabilia, check out If It's Hip It's Here.

Original photo by Grace Chon of Shine Pet Photos.