ian says DC statehood now

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professional library enjoyer, union member, former @UVAlibrary n other stuff / all opinions mine pls don’t take em / pfp obviousplant, banner dan flavin DC if that wasn't clear art blog: https://202arts.org

Morgan, the clear frontrunner in the race to replace Maria Balshaw, who left this spring after nine years in charge, is currently based in New York, where she has led the Dia Art Foundation since 2015. According to Dia’s tax filings, Morgan was paid $814,000 in 2025 (more than £600,000), substantially more than the £220,000-£225,000 Balshaw earned at Tate. Tate’s chair, Roland Rudd, said he had paid Morgan the most he could “under the constrictions he faced”, confirming she was accepting a “very big pay cut” to take up the role.
Anadol's project asks what could happen 'if the Castle itself could learn from its collections'? [ARTnews screenshot with a photograph of the SI castle at night, covered in projections from Refik Anadol's godawful project]
• A photographer represented by Danziger, Jim Krantz, has, in protest, severed his ties to the gallery and will be seeking new representation. “Having experienced the appropriation of my own work — most notably Richard Prince’s use of my Marlboro imagery — I understand how important authorship and artistic integrity are to the creative process.”
Facebook screenshot from the "Ansel Adams" page, run by the Ansel Adams Trust. "A clarification regarding Danziger Gallery's AIPAD presentation and subsequent public commentary: James Danziger stated in a published interview that The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust has not disputed his public–domain assertion regarding his AI-generated color version of 'Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico'. That is incorrect. The Trust has not accepted or conceded Mr. Danziger's legal position. His statement mischaracterizes the Trust's position and treats unresolved factual and legal questions as settled. The Trust reserves all rights and will address these issues in the appropriate forum. Our prior criticism of Mr. Danziger's ethical and professional judgement remains unchanged."
Black and white photograph of a midcentury living room, apparently in Mt Pleasant. Upholstered chairs, a wall clock, and other furniture surround a small black dog sitting on the floor and looking at the camera.
Black and white photograph of a commercial street in Adams Morgan, Several storefronts, including a Plumbing/Roofing place. A man stands at left holding a chalkboard in front of his face, which says the date, time, and shot number ("#31, 6/16/59, 11:30am"). Another man stands at right next to a car but is partly covered by a watermark for the archives.
Screenshot of Musicology Duck's post featuring two massive projected animated images on the Smithsonian castle. Abstract blobs on the left, Smithsonian sun on the right.
Silbert said the headache of processing loan documents was an insufficient rationale to warrant the cancellation. She had personally overseen the near completion of that paperwork, she said, adding that some delay was caused by artists’ ignoring emails from Adam Levine, the museum’s director, thinking they were from someone posing as Adam Levine, the Maroon 5 frontman. Still, she said, “we had more than 90 percent of the loans in by May.” Despi Mayes, a spokeswoman for the museum, said the institution believed it had not been that close to completing the paperwork. She added that the museum had never experienced confusion concerning its director’s name, “nor has Adam encountered it personally or professionally.”
Copyright Compendium's recitation of the law. "302, The Legal Framework. The Copyright Act protects 'original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.' 17 U.S.C. § 102(a)."
Lévy spoke to Jager about the pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University, saying that she personally confronted one protester to ask why she did not talk about the hostages taken by Hamas. (The protester responded by saying the hostages were “all AI,” according to Lévy.) “I really don’t think their protests have a clear connection to the events over there [in Gaza], because if they did, they’d be marching 10 times more for Ukraine or Somalia,” Lévy said. Elsewhere in the Tablet article, she addressed American politicians’ response to October 7. “I think we have to give Trump his due,” she said, speaking to Jager on October 13, 2025, the day that the last living hostages were released. “So much could have gone wrong, but he knew exactly what every party needed. He knew that Egypt needed a guarantee of continuing American aid, he knew that Syria needed to be appeased, he knew that Qatar needed an apology, he knew that Netanyahu needed pressuring. Overall, I am hopeful and quite pleased. There are issues, sure, but there have been successes. The most important thing is that they are coming home.”
Photos from a Sam Gilliam monograph (I think?) of Seahorses, his modified outdoor Draped painting installation at the Brooklyn Museum. Two monumental canvases hang freely like towels from the rear facade of the museum.
Sam Gilliam's monumental beveled edge painting 'Restore' (1972) at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville.
Instagram screenshot of Tyler Blackwell's post announcing the installation of a large Sam Gilliam Drape painting from 1969 at the Speed Art Museum. A photograph of the room-sized work, a monumental canvas hung in the center of the room from wires strung to the ceiling. Carousel Form II, 1969.
Financial Times screenshot. Article title: "Maurizio Cattelan's $6.2mn banana drove people crazy. The artist sympathises." In the URL interface, there's a UTM code. It reads "UTM_source=chatgpt.com"
Helen Frankenthaler's painting 'Circus Landscape' (1951) at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville. An oil and charcoal on canvas painting featuring an all-over array of marks, doodle-like shapes and compositions in pale, dusky toned colors against a beige background. The work is a clear precedent for the compositions she would begin in earnest in the following year, with fluid textures and colors atop raw canvas.
Detail view of Mack's installation, showing a sheer golden yellow fabric draped across a space with several pleat-like waves. A square ceiling light directly above the fabric creates waves of color and texture on the surface of the material.
Wide shot of Eric N. Mack's installation 'RARE ESSENCE' (2026) at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, KY. An array of fabrics are draped from the walls and ceilings of an atrium area with a small bridge and large glass wall on one side and a staircase leading down to a seating area at the lower level. Sheer fabrics in golden yellow, pale yellow, and deep read are stretched across the room, knotted and folded to create visual patterns catching the light. A hammock-like form made of patterned fabric stretches across at left, and a column-like bunch of fabric is strung straight down from the ceiling at right.
'Maiden' (no date) by Arthur C. Danto. A woodcut depicting a woman in thick black lines.
'Untitled (The Crucifixion)' (c. late 1960s), by Murat Briérre. A stark metal wall sculpture, depicting a spindly Christ figure on a cross, with his head hanging down at an inhuman angle and a severe gap in his stomach.
NYT screenshot: "1 minute ago, Aishvarya Kavi, Reporting from the National Mall. Hundreds of people have followed evacuation orders and headed to the designated federal buildings, but two of the buildings are full. At a third, the Department of Commerce, none of the doors are open. People are standing clumped around the entrances. When asked by some of them how to get in, a Secret Service officer shrugs."
Two monographs on artist Martin Wong. At left, "Martin Wong: Chinatown USA", featuring a partial view of a Wong self portrait and part of his double painting of buildings in Manhattan's Chinatown. At right, "Martin Wong: Malicious Mischief", featuring a Wong painting of a corrections officer with his hand in his pants.
Picture of the same patio as above, as seen at sunrise.
Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Maquette for Richard J. Daley Center Sculpture Place: Spain (Artist's nationality:) Date: 1964 Medium: Simulated and oxidized welded steel Dimensions: 104.8 × 69.9 × 48.3 cm (41 1/4 × 27 1/2 × 19 in.) Credit Line: Gift of Pablo Picasso Reference Number: 1966.379 Copyright: © 2018 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
That American Chopper meme where they're arguing and it escalates to chairs being thrown. 1: "PICASSO GAVE THE SCULPTURE TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO, THE CITY OWNS THE COPYRIGHT" 2: "IF IT WAS A GIFT TO THE CITY THEN THE PEOPLE SHOULD OWN THE RIGHTS, NOT THE GVT" 3: "WELL TOO BAD, WE PUT UP A PLAQUE WITH A COPYRIGHT NOTICE NEXT TO THE THING, DEAL WITH IT" 4: "WHEN YOU DISPLAYED PICASSO'S MAQUETTE TO THE PRESS YOU ALLOWED THEM TO PUBLISH PHOTOS AND MADE COPIES AVAILABLE WITHOUT NOTICE, CONSTITUTING PUBLICATION WITHOUT FORMALITIES, IT'S IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN" 5: "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED"
‘Saint’, from the suite ‘For Santa Emilia–Six Tears for Six Saints’ (1972) by Willem De Kooning at the Art Institute of Chicago. An ink brush and lithographic tusche drawing on paper depicting the crucifixion, rendered minimally in loose lines and ink splatters. Each of the four drawings is a slightly different composition, with some emphasizing the head of the body and some emphasizing the torso. Most feature a gestural halo and could be mistaken for an abstraction were it not for the clear body-on-a-cross outline that triggers our “oh that’s Christ” reaction. [sorry for not going more into individual diffs between drawings, I don’t feel like doing a full formal analysis of these variations on a theme]
A photograph of a simple mural on a black wall. The word "love" is rendered in cursive in white paint, with no other decorations or details. Text: "I. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK The Work is a two-dimensional mural painting of the word “love” in white cursive font. The background is painted black. The deposit of the Work is as follows:"
A black triangle with the outline of an Oscar statuette in white at the bottom edge. Text: "I. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK The Work is a black and white two-dimensional graphic consisting of a silhouette of the Oscar statuette on a pedestal surrounded by a triangle. The Oscar statuette, or “Academy Award of Merit,” is the trophy distributed annually by AMPAS for recognition of achievement in motion pictures. The statuette was registered in 1941 (Reg. No. G. unp. No. 38512) and renewed by renewal registration R-443432. The Work is reproduced below."
Screenshot of the Copyright Review Board ruling. Two photographs of the Golden Globe statue, from 2018, directly above two photographs of the old statue, from 1952 (?). The new statue is all metal with a cylindrical base, while the old statue comprises a metal globe on top of a rectangular stone / marble base. Text between the photographs: "The Work is a derivative sculpture based on an earlier work (the 'Prior Statuette'), which is as follows:"
CBS News screenshot about the incident: "Incredibly, once they hit one of the lower platforms on the tower, the man dropped to one knee and appeared to be proposing to the woman. The two then embraced, the woman removed her mask, and they kissed."
Weather app screenshot for Washington, DC. Currently sunny and 81. Today: low 75, high 98. Thursday: low 79, high 101. Friday: low 80, high 102.
A photo opportunity booth at ALA Conference. The backdrop says "ALA American Library Association. See yourself in A A", with the space between the As empty for a person to stand in for the L in ALA. An a-frame yellow "floor wet" sign is propped up in between the two As prior to attendees arriving, mirroring the As on the wall.
Chicago skyline at night. A few buildings lit up in pride colors, a few with red/white/blue. The Pritzker Pavilion is visible at right, with the curvaceous proscenium reflecting blue, red, and purple lights. The Bean is visible below the pavilion, though it really blends in at night.
a partial selfie with my face and the enormous Tiffany glass dome at the Chicago Cultural Center, formerly the first Chicago Public Library location, featuring a glass representation of the zodiac signs at the center.
selfie w part of my face and two seats from Scott Burton’s ‘Seating for Eight’ (1985) outside the Art Institute of Chicago. Two geometric, curved, L-shaped seats carved from red granite sit side by side.
Mirror selfie in the most liminal bathroom of all time in the Loop. me, w my union shirt, a radioactive pink-colored soap on the counter, and the phrase “jesus saves” with a small crown carved into the mirror.
An abandoned beaded friendship bracelet, broken on the sidewalk. Pink string adorned with orange, pink, and yellow beads along with the name "Ed Sheeran" in letter beads, separated by a smiley face.
An A-frame sign in the Loop in Chicago. “Happy Hour - Foot Massage - 10am-4pm - 30 min - $35 - Walk In’s Welcome” [sic]
Martin Wong's painting 'Liberty' (1986) on view at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago. An acrylic painting depicting the interior of the Statue of Liberty's crown, back when it was still open for visitors. A group of children of many races is partly visible at the bottom, playing around and looking out the portals at the sky. The statue's hand and torch are visible against a rich blue, completely clear sky; the structure is depicted with Wong's signature streetscape grime, covered in dirt and a patina. Several children are facing the viewer, including a child in the center wearing a striped pink sweater (and with a visible empty space in their mouth from where a tooth fell out), smiling and staring directly at us.
De Kooning's 'Seated Woman' (1952) at the Art Institute of Chicago. A pastel, pencil, and graphite drawing on paper of a De Kooning-esque woman, nude and semi-abstracted, with a terrifying visage.
Julie Mehretu’s monumental abstract painted glass window on the museum building. Gestural marks in bright colors overlap with digital checkerboard patterns and expressionistic strokes of paint.
The Obama Presidential Center (the Obamalisk) as viewed from the west, looking at the monumental main museum building with the speech rendered in massive letters at the top. A huge swath of shade is cast on the street and grounds by the building.
Partial Chicago skyline obscured by clouds and rain, as viewed from Michigan Ave looking south around Ida B Wells Drive.
A strange courtyard/plaza on the top level of DCA. several trees are ensconced in geometric trellis arbor things, with a weird checkerboard pattern on the ground. The whole area is at the end of the departure drop off section of DCA, elevated three stories high.
Instagram post from @dcmigrantmutualaid. "On Saturday, Nolberto Armando Sanabria Meza was tragically killed during a Park Police car chase in DC. He was on his moped, delivering food to support his family. His family are now raising funds to repatriate his body back to Venezuela and cover his funeral expenses. Donate here: bit.ly/nolberto-gfm. 'Urgent Support to Repatriate Nolberto Armando Sanabria Meza', GoFundMe. [Picture of Nolberto and his family]
A circular mosaic tile composition featuring an octopus with long, tendril-y arms. Pictured in the MoMA sculpture garden.
A sticker on a street sign. The Facebook logo ('f' in a blue circle) with the word "fascism" below.
Billboard rendered in marker that reads "Jesus Died For Your Sins", on top of a body of water in pen. Red text in the sky says "No Horizon"
Martin Puryear's chair installed as part of 'Bodark Arc' in Illinois. A bronze chair on a concrete pedestal surrounded by foliage. The chair looks quite similar to Michael Puryear's version, but with slight differences in the stylings of the legs and the back.
Michael Puryear's 'Dan Chair' (2010). A low painted wood chair, inspired by chair designs of the Dan people. Each leg is like a tall cylinder with a flat base and a flared top, connected to slats with a long, flat rectangle between them serving as the seat of the chair. The back of the chair comprises tubes rising from the legs, connected at the top by a curving bar. The work is painted grey, appearing like iron or metal.
pen and marker drawing of a partial view of a billboard that reads "-us Died For-" against a sky in two different blues. The words "No Horizon are partly visible in the sky above, obscured by two columns of flame.
'Koa' (1965) by Sam Gilliam at the Phillips Collection. A small square painting comprising five diagonal stripes of color - lime green, forest green, pale green, deep blue, and turquoise - separated by thin lines of bare canvas, dividing an otherwise black canvas.
Spike Lee "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (American Library Association, 1993). Rolled, Very Fine+. Spike Lee Signed READ Poster (22" X 34"). Kimberly Butler Photography. Natalie Wargin Design. Auction 42200 | Lot: 9011. Current bid: $125. Time left: 19 days. [READ poster with a young Spike Lee staring to camera]
To script her monolog-as-dialog, Fraser quoted or paraphrased many sources, including artists Matthew Barney, Ross Bleckner, Kara Walker, Chris Ofili, Andres Serrano, Karen Finley, Thomas Hirschhorn, Penny Arcade, Shirin Neshat and Damien Hirst, critics Benjamin Buchloh, Jerry Saltz, Dave Hickey, Michael Kimmelman, Arthur Danto, and Katy Siegel and celebrities Mel Brooks, Bill Clinton and Dennis Hopper - among others. For the gallery presentation of this work, Fraser juxtaposed a video projection and a monitor, respectively showing front and side views of the event.
An abandoned box of costume wigs (some curly blond, some straight blond, one brunette), a top hat, and costume fur accessories, sitting on a sidewalk.
Wikipedia screenshot - highlighted quote: "they were so happy to be back in the Basket."
Brooke Pinto on Twitter: "Visited w/ neighbors to discuss the future of the District. DC is at a pivotal turning point where we must lean in and double down on our commitment to support common sense approaches to public safety, a revitalized Downtown, and improved services/housing for residents. We can do it. [Pictures of Pinto and supporters in someone's home, surrounded by non-Western masks, sculptures, and other art and artifacts.]
Brooke Pinto - Democrat for Congress. Ask Blossom, our campaign's AI assistant, any question about Brooke's campaign. [cherry blossom emoji]
Notes: Title devised by Library staff. Forms part of: Visual materials from the I.M. Pei papers (Library of Congress)
An untitled Alma Thomas work on paper from 1968 on view at Phillips auction house. Vertical rows of her signature bright, geometric brushstrokes in vivid rainbow tones, stretching across several pieces of paper stapled together. Bits of tape and staples are visible where the strips of paper have been joined together. A small area of empty paper, possibly painted over in white, is visible at the far bottom right. It almost appears as if Thomas sewed together several pre-painted lines of color and then painted some more lines on top of it.
Screenshot of a Hirshhorn press release: "Hirshhorn acquires 'Shelter' by KAWS. Bronze sculpture by renowned artist commissioned for revitalized Sculpture Garden joins inaugural installations on the National Mall." [Picture of KAWS in his studio along with a rendering of his sculpture in the garden. It's very KAWS, with two of his classic figures embracing, like a child and a parent.]