Dr Great Art! Short, Fun Art History Artecdotes!

Me in German. Dr Great Art auf Deutsch. Es war spannend und ich habe Spass gehabt. In the Podcast "Dorf_Sex" by Dr Stephanie Meyer and Nicole Blattmann. Ich als Gast. "Zwischen Lust und Leinwand – Ein Ausflug in Kunstgeschichte und Erotik In der ersten Folge unserer speziellen Kunst-, Schauspiel- und Fotografie-Reihe haben wir einen ganz besonderen Gast: Mark Staff Brandl, aka Dr Great Art, Kunsthistoriker und Experte! Gemeinsam tauchen wir ein in die Welt der Kunst und Erotik, diskutieren spannende Themen, von politisch bis feministisch – und bringen ordentlich Power ins Gespräch. Seid dabei, wenn wir die Verbindungen zwischen Kunst und Lust entblättern und dabei die Grenzen von Darstellung, Sexualität und Gesellschaft hinterfragen. Hört rein, wenn Kunst und Erotik eine spannende Symbiose eingehen. Sehe auch Stephanies und Nicoles viele, gute Podcast Episodes, alle auf Deutsch: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dorf-sex/id1782695532 "

My podcast makes a come-back with some slight changes. I will still be talking mostly about art and art history, but will also expand my discussions regularly into visual metaphor, as I did in several recent podcast episodes, based on my recently released philosophy book, A Philosophy of Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art, from Bloomsbury Press London. I will also be adding a short "pamphlet" section at the end of each with thoughts about recent politics, as they are so prevalent and dangerous now, and especially when they affect art and the artworld.

My recently released philosophy book, A Philosophy of Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art, from Bloomsbury Press, features short descriptions of artists and their works which I find important to visual metaphor. Here is one, one of several times I discuss the great William Conger. Get the book and read it! But here is an excerpt. Link to page for my book on Bloomsbury Press: US: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/philosophy-of-visual-metaphor-in-contemporary-art-9781350073838/ Europe: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/philosophy-of-visual-metaphor-in-contemporary-art-9781350073838/

This is a crossover episode, it is a short interview Dan Hill made on his EQ Spotlight podcast with me, Mark Staff Brandl, about my book A Philosophy of Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art. Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight podcast link: https://www.sensorylogic.com/eq-spotlight-podcast Link to page for my book on Bloomsbury Press: US: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/philosophy-of-visual-metaphor-in-contemporary-art-9781350073838/ Europe: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/philosophy-of-visual-metaphor-in-contemporary-art-9781350073838/

Last episode, I discussed the ins-and-outs of the front cover of my new book from Bloomsbury Press, A Philosophy of Visual metaphor in Contemporary Art. This episode we have a few discussion points about the recommendation blurbs on the back cover by three very important and creative scholars Dr Daniel F. Ammann, Dr James Elkins, and Dr Philip Ursprung. Link to page for the book on Bloomsbury Press: US: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/philosophy-of-visual-metaphor-in-contemporary-art-9781350073838/ Europe: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/philosophy-of-visual-metaphor-in-contemporary-art-9781350073838/

The podcast is back after a break of about one year. I was extremely wrapping up my book titled A Philosophy of Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art for Bloomsbury Press. This is the first of an arc of podcast episodes where I will be working my way somewhat improvisationally through the book. Not reading it out-loud, though. I will go through and find certain details, points, examples, artists and ideas that I want to expand on or use as springboards. Bloomsbury link: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/philosophy-of-visual-metaphor-in-contemporary-art-9781350073838/

Catastrophes, such as the Covid pandemic, don't cause problems and breakdowns in society as much as reveal and intensify the problems already present. The coronavirus crisis has accelerated already existing troubles in the artworld. Normal was not all that great anyway, and to revive it as a zombie would be even worse.

A new Dr Great Art Podcast Episode 72: Design vs Fine Art After a 7 month break, I'm back. My artecdote this time is concerns differentiating the ontological state of design versus that of fine art without denigrating either. They are different. It has to do with purposeful polysemy.

Christmas time! A Dr Great Art podcast about how Santa Claus LOOKS --- the history of his visual appearance. St. Nicholas, Thomas Nast, Fred Mizen, Coca-Cola, Luther, the Orthodox Santa, "Twas the Night Before Christmas," Puritans, Nazis and more including the Swiss Samichlaus and Schmutzli This is the 71st Dr Great Art podcast, a reprise from way back, podcast number 5. In this troublesome time of Covid, Lockdowns and the attempted fascist takeovers of the US and the UK still in progress, let us pray that times get better. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Yuletide, Happy Solstice, Happy Bodhi Day, Merry Pancha Ganapati, Happy Human Light Day, Io Saturnalia, -- in short, Happy Holidays.

The New Dr Great Art Podcast, Episode 70. The Grammar of Visual Metaphors Part 3 of 3. The third of three parts of a breakdown of the fourth chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press titled 'Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy.' Conceptual Blending, Foundational Metaphors and Allusciviousness in visual metaphors. Sonya Clark, William Conger, and more.

The New Dr Great Art Podcast, Episode 69. The Grammar of Visual Metaphors Part 2 of 3. The second of three parts of a breakdown of the fourth chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press titled 'Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy.' Trope: including metaphor, metonymy, simile, synecdoche, litotes, hyperbole, irony, analogy, allegory, symbol, metalepsis and so on. Visual metaphors are not linguistic, nor illustrations of them; they are more deeply embodied. Analytic philosophy and cognitive metaphor theory.

The first of three parts of a breakdown of the fourth chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press titled 'Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy.' Is there a set of structural rules governing the creation of visual metaphors by artists that parallels the conventions of linguistic grammar? Analytic philosophy, Literary theory, cognitive metaphor theory, Anti-Positivism, Similarities and more interesting dissimilarities between linguistic and visual tropes, and the ludic!

The third of three parts of a breakdown of the third chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press tentatively titled 'Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy.' Philosophy affects our ways of living, and more important to this book, it affects or artistic production, even when we are not completely cognizant of this. Visual trope production is how contemporary artists achieve what they do.

The second of three parts of a breakdown of the third chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press tentatively titled 'Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy.' Philosophy affects our ways of living, and more important to this book, it affects or artistic production, even when we are not completely cognizant of this. Visual trope production is how contemporary artists achieve what they do.

The first of three parts of a breakdown of the third chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press tentatively titled 'Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy.' Philosophy affects our ways of living, and more important to this book, it affects or artistic production, even when we are not completely cognizant of this. Visual trope production is how contemporary artists achieve what they do.

The third of three parts of a breakdown of the second chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press for the "Aesthetics and Contemporary Art" Series, titled Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy. A discussion of what visual metaphor is. This is Part 3 of 3 episodes covering this chapter.

The second of three parts of a breakdown of the second chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press for the "Aesthetics and Contemporary Art" Series, titled Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy. A discussion of what visual metaphor is. This is Part 2 of 3 episodes covering this chapter.

A breakdown of the second chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press for the "Aesthetics and Contemporary Art" Series, titled Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy. A discussion of what visual metaphor is. This is Part 1 of 3 episodes covering this chapter.

Since we have to keep a certain social-distancing in real life, social contact online is important. I am inviting all to join me in online streaming "live" art history and art discussions. Skype (mark.staff.brandl), Facebook ("Mark Staff Brandl" or "Dr Great Art"), or Microsoft Teams. Contact me at Facebook Messenger or the Dr Great Art Email to set up a time.

A shorter episode, I call a "mini." This time with interesting little facts about Pablo Picasso.

A cursory breakdown of the first chapter from my in-the-works philosophy book for Bloomsbury Press for the "Aesthetics and Contemporary Art" Series, tentatively titled Visual Metaphor in Contemporary Art and Analytic Philosophy. A discussion of what metaphor is, in general, as a lead up to my philosophy of visual metaphor.  

The Blues ethos as a strategy of persistence against melancholy. The Life Blues got me. I had a few slaps upside the head and they affect my art inspiration and production.

Immaturity, maturity, and the desire for the latter in art and the repression of that desire in culture at large.

An 'academicist' in the arts is someone who over-idealizes the art academy; one who follows the precepts taught there and insists others do so as well. Here is a short history of academicism and thoughts about the problem now.

Epistemology: the philosophical analysis of the search for knowledge. Does it exist in art? How and what can we know? Will it replace the ubiquitous ontological expressions in Postmodernism?

A short, yet gloomy, podcast for summer. My mother Ruth Staff Brandl passed away very recently at the age of 87. In this tough, sad time, my mind still approaches the world through art, yet I find it hard to find any comfort therein. In our artworld nowadays, it seems almost ridiculous. Grief, though, like most important and complex human emotions, has been the subject or inspiration for many great works of art Her obituary is at: http://brandl-art-articles.blogspot.com/2019/07/ruth-staff-brandl-obituary.html

The creation of a term for one of the problems in the artworld, one very obvious around June each year when we all go to the Basel Art Fair, often the Venice Biennale, documenta etc.  A phrase for the convenient conformity of (small) minds to have identical tastes in order to achieve hegemony.

Julia Kristeva, the Bulgarian-French philosopher, offers in her theorization hope for resistance against ruling ideologies within artworks themselves. Artists can produce "openings" by creating metaphors through serious play, turning rules upside down, displaying pleasure, laughter and poetry which include thoughtful critique --- delightful, anarchistic, alternative visions that are embodiments of and empower other forms of resistance.

Dr Cornel West has described himself as a "Bluesman in the life of the mind, and a Jazzman in the world of ideas." I feel similarly, I am a Bluesman of the mind, a Rock n Roller of painting and installations, a sequential-artist/comic-book penciler of art history.

FIFTY! Petr Brandl, the once very famous Baroque painter from Bohemia/Czech Republic and my distant ancestor. And a Festival Brandl with Geisslers Hofcomoedianten in Prague!

Peaceable Kingdom, Georama, Kamishibai. Edward Hicks, John Banvard, Toba Sojo. Inspirations and antecedants for my Dr Great Art performance-lecture paintings.

This podcast episode concerns something important to many artists, yet seldom openly discussed. That is, what "side jobs" artists have to do to stay alive. Many do not want to admit to this AT ALL.

The future art is not posthistorical, but rather polyhistorical, plurogenic (multistrand), not monogenic (single strand). There are various models and/or master narratives of art history, from the immensely limited discussion of the traditional narrow canon to timorous avoidance of any timeline due to postmodern guilt, treating artworks as mere stand-ins for particular ideologies. The late art critic John Perreault and I have created a new, more transparent model: the Braid, or Braided Rope. See additional content for an image of the Braid Model.

Some scattered reflections on the complex role of color in art including several things that bother me regularly in purportedly theoretical discussions of it. Color is wonderful, and necessary, but it is a happily difficult entity for theory.

It’s difficult to look into the future with any hope. What IS the role of hope in art? To me, it is all important.

Bakhtinian notions which could serve as great inspiration for visual art include his sense of the living fluidity of expression; his concepts of heteroglossia, polyphonic form, and dialogic form; his insight that these may engender the liberation of alternative voices; and his presentation of the carnival as a suggestive metaphor.

This episode's artecdote clarifies the historical terminology for the dominant Postmodernist art movement since circa 1985: 'Neo-Conceptualism.' Neo-Conceptualists themselves generally try to refer to themselves with the earlier term as 'Conceptualists,' but this is a political ploy, an ahistorical part of a powerplay, pretending that they are a part of the movement form which they derive.

This episode, I give my definition of visual metaphor. This is a new area of scholarly interest, and there have been few attempts to clearly describe visual metaphor or trope. This is an important foundational action and idea for the book on visual metaphor and contemporary art I am in the process of writing.

Conceptual Artist Lawrence Weiner is quite fond of formulating statements in which he claims to have dismissed metaphor from his artwork. He is completely wrong. No matter what is claimed, Lawrence Weiner's art, and most Conceptual Art and Neo-Conceptual Art, whether good or bad, is deeply grounded in interlocking base metaphors; metaphors commonly ignored because they are so transparent.

Goya's amazing speech to the newly founded Spanish Art Academy School. He was invited to speak to them as he was well-respected and was interested in helping other artists learn. Yet he had a profound dislike and fear of Academicism. Not only one of the best artists of all history, but was an independent and socially critical thinker, although he was court painter. Academics are scholars, and he and I are not criticizing them or their practice, rather AcademICISM, which is the worship of the Academy, the belief in Rules for Art and Creativity. And that these can be memorized.

The phenomenon of artists copying each other and themselves (not forgeries, copies). Something thoroughly disdained since Modernism, yet an activity that was important before that, for learning, out of admiration, for expanding an audience, for additional income. And some thoughts about the situation now.

New Historicism or alternately Cultural Materialism, and how its ideas are auspicious for visual metaphor, art history and conceptions of context in visual art. Art History consists of multiple histories, discontinuous and contradictory ones. The heretical response to authoritarian demand is important. Works of art express the problems and alienation of our or any time and place, but also frequently offer expressions of fullness that attack that alienation and help shatter the incrustations of belief forced upon us. Art History should discuss both.

Does originality in art even exist? A Matt Ballou listener request. "Make it new!" has certainly become old. Yet, the Postmodernist demand that a lack of originality be heralded as something new is duplicitous. A discussion of originality in art.

Paintings and novels, far from being hidebound, as is often squawked, are quintessentially antithetical: excellent disciplines for new metaphoric thought. They are ideally adversarial. They incorporate, use and criticize. They have achieved a condition of being perpetually "genres undermined." They have been in a permanent state of crisis for a minimum of several hundred years. What more could one ask for as a difficult, challenging and rewarding fray?

Metaphor is the basis of thought, which importantly arises from bodily, cultural and environmental experience. It is embodied in the body, in the world and in the expressions of it, such as visual art. Metaphors we live and create by.

Artists are directly responsible for fashioning their own tropes through the processes of extension, elaboration, composition and/or questioning. They must wrestle with their precursors, who inspired them to be creators in the first place, to do this. Such dialectical struggle, called an 'agon,' is more than simply oedipal. The African spirit Eshu, the trickster patron saint of crossroads, and Jacob, who struggled with God in the Bible, make better metaphoric models than Oedipus.

There is a somewhat frequently-heard accusation that Michelangelo forged ancient Roman sculpture at the start of his career. Here is the truth.

How is history constructed? Who makes history? And what will remain in the future from us and our culture? What is the truth? What is fabrication? Isn’t a well-told tale more exciting than simple data and facts? Facts are extremely important. Not everything goes --- yet all facts and sources of facts must be closely examined and often criticized. (Art) HistorIES.

A short podcast presenting three ideas from Feminist philosophy useful for art and metaphor: pragmatic action over absolutism, the located self, and finding loopholes in hegemonies to allow creative resistance.

A podcast in preparation for discussions of visual metaphor: one aspect of terminology, trope and metaphor.

A lighter episode relating seven stimulating facts about Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Georgia O'Keeffe.