Robert Rauschenberg Remembered (1925-2008)
by Roxane Gilbert

"You begin with the possibilities of the material. I think a painting is more like the real world if it's made out of the real world."-- Robert Rauschenberg

When artist Robert Rauschenberg died of heart failure on May 12, 2008, at the age of 82, the accolades came from every direction. Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe called him "one of the foremost American artists of the 20th century (who) helped break down aesthetic barriers between the exalted and the everyday." To Time Magazine's Richard Lacaya, Rauschenberg was "The Wild and Crazy Guy..." read more on CritterBlog

His Pasta Modigliani was so named because "Modigliani is one of my favorite painters." In this interpretation of an Italian entrée, Guy Diehl has created a gastronomical masterpiece that is as rich and smooth as one of his paintings. read more

An Interview with Andrea Bocelli by Amazon.com
Andrea Bocelli: Dream Weaver

Our Amazon.com interview with Andrea Bocelli was originally posted on Art2u on May 12, 1999. It continues to generate hundreds of hits. We added a fantastic video of Andrea Bocelli, courtesy of Google Video and fastfocus.tv. If you have high-speed internet, I recommend you check it out. --Roxane Gilbert, publisher

"So, the short answer is that I was lucky. I was part of a paradigm shift. That's how I became a successful artist. The time was right and I walked into it. Artists, collectors, gallery people and art historians were all making waves in the same direction that later formed the paradigm shift called Bay Area Funk Art. So, if you want to be successful in promoting your art and getting 'known' in the art world, all you need to do is make waves. In other words, you need to work. And be lucky. And maybe, there's talent. Now for the long answer." read more

Animal Cruelty for the sake of Art? Read these disturbing exposés by Roxane Gilbert:

Dead Animal Art in Lebanon
During the Phoenician era, Sidon's most important enterprise was glass manufacture. Homer, the legendary epic poet of ancient Greece, praised its craftsmen for their skill in making glass and producing purple dyes. Fast forward to 2001. The Daily Star of Lebanon reports that residents of Sidon are rushing to an open air exhibition hall to buy stuffed dead animals. The owners of the exhibition hall, Mohammad and Maher al-Baba, told the Daily Star "that many consider the items pieces of art...." read more

Killing Animals With Hammers: Some Call It Art
How would you react if I showed you a brief video depicting a sheep, a horse, an ox, a pig, a goat and a doe being slaughtered in Mexico, each by a blow to the head with a hammer? There is such a video. No, it is not the latest undercover operation by The Humane Society... read more

Animal Slaughter Videos Shut Down
On March 19, 2008, "Don't Trust Me," a series of video clips showing a pig, goat, goat, deer, ox, horse and sheep being beaten to death, opened in an exhibition at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). The school received over 8,000 emails critical of the decision to show the videos. In response... read more

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