Dog Art Today

Lorenzo Ghiberti's Magnificent Dog Art Tours the US

 

The Bark, the wonderful modern dog culture magazine, recently featured a story on Lorenzo Ghiberti's famous bronze doors from Florence's Baptistery that are now touring America – well not all the doors, but several panels that represent them.

One of the panels depicts the story of Jacob and Esau and is compositionally centered on two dogs. Professor Amy Bloch of SUNY Albany proposes that the dogs represent the two brothers, one hairy (Esau) and one smooth-skinned (Jacob), who tricked his brother out of his inheritance.

 

 

The panels and part of the frieze, which took 27 years to make (1425-1452) and 25 years to restore, are on view now at The Art Institute of Chicago until October 14. Then, they travel to The Met from October 30 to January 13, before they return to Florence where they will be displayed in a hermetically sealed room at the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.

I lived in Florence from 1987-1988 and rode by these doors almost every day on my way to school. I confess I never noticed the dogs, but at that time I never noticed any dogs.  During my stay there, I was devoted to my bicycle and in a way, it was my first pet.   I named my bike  La Strada ("the road" in English and based on Fellini's film), and though I wouldn't say it had a personality, I was crazy about it and definitely emotionally attached. When my family came to visit my mother took this beautiful portrait:

 

My two sisters and I had an magical night riding through the dark streets of Florence together, stopping for gelato, and cruising through the spooky piazzas of lesser-known neighborhoods.  When my boyfriend came to visit, I rented him a bike for his birthday and we rode up into the hills for an adventure. He gave me a red bell for my bike as a parting gift. I still cherish that bell as a reminder of my time in Florence and my beloved bike. (And my boyfriend, who is still a great friend.) Anyway, here are some pictures I took from the Campanile next to the Baptistery:

 

 

And here are some photos of me on my bike taken by my friend and roommate, Renée, who now lives in Milan and works for Corbis Photography.

 

Renée's self-portrait in our apartment

P.S. When I left Florence I found La Strada a nice home with a family to play with it. I think it had a good life, and maybe it's still out there on "the road."

P.P.S. More dogs on Monday. I got a little carried away today.  Florence can do that to you.

Diane Arbus: Lady Bartender at Home with a Souvenir Dog

I always feel like I like Diane Arbus's work more that I love it. I think it's too melancholy for my walls. But I'm happy to share it on my blog. This 1964 image is up for auction at Christie's, New York on October 18. Estimated price: $18,000 - 22,000.

Yoshitomo Nara: Dog Art for Everyone

Japanese Pop Artist Yoshitomo Nara's I Think Therefore I Am A Dog installation is coming up for auction at Sotheby's London on October 12. The estimated price is approximately $200,000.

If you don't have the space or the budget for this piece, know that Yoshitomo Nara makes his dog art available to everyone through an array of outlets. Pick your favorite pup and start your own contemporary art collection today.

Just Living in a 2D, 1999. Contact Blum & Poe for availability

I found My Sweet Dog Pulltoy on a daddytypes.com a cool weblog for new dads.  What' so appealing about Nara's wooden pulltoy, beyond it's clean pop aesthetic, is it's handcrafted by artisans in France -- not lead-based China.  This toy really could be a fun AND safe investment for you or your child.  You can also adorn your wall with this Yoshitomo Nara poster, Do Not Disturb!...

And finally, if you like wearable dog art, how about a Yoshitomo Nara Pup King T-shirt from 2K Gingham?

Pug Nerd T-shirt For The Pug Lover In Your Life!

The adorable black Pug in yesterday's post reminded me of this Pug Nerd T-shirt I recently discovered at Rainbow Pugs, a great spot for Pug gifts for holidays throughout the year (like some fun Halloween items). And Christmas is exactly 3 months away today. Get shopping!

Anderson Photography: Dog Love Squared

This week marks the one-year anniversary of Lee Anderson going to the dogs. Anderson worked as a professional photographer since 1980. His clients included USA Today, Christie's and AOL. Over the years, his life evolved. He married graphic designer Donna Sicklesmith and he became a dad to Audrey and Ian.

Then in 2000 he got a dog. Dakota, a brown standard poodle, joined the family and stirred something in Anderson. The truth is, as a kid, he always wanted to be a vet. Dakota reignited this latent love for animals and when a few friends raved about his framed photos of him last September, his new dog photography business was born. Now, with his wife Donna as his manager and web designer, Anderson Photography is wowing clients up and down the East Coast.

Based in Alexandria, VA, but willing to travel, the couple has exploded into the competitive dog photography world with their passion for offbeat, perfectly presented photos (Lee likes to seamlessly enhance his images with his Photoshop expertise) and their brand of black and white square images.

Inspired by the Hasselblad format and committed to seeing the photos as not merely pretty snapshots, but works of art, Lee's square dog shots are now frequently spotted as Anderson originals.

I love the gentle, yet crisp lighting and the obvious intimacy he has with the dogs, somehow capturing that awesome feeling you get when you hold your dog close and see yourself in their eyes.

I think Anderson would have made a good vet, but he seems more pleased that he's come full circle as a photographer and an animal lover. This way he gets to enjoy the happy healthy dogs at their best and give their owners artwork they will cherish forever. Perfect!