How rich art is; if one can only remember what one has seen, one is never without food for thought or truly lonely, never alone. -- Vincent to Theo, 1878
The Vincent van Gogh Gallery is the site for van Gogh online. It's endorsed by the van Gogh Museum (<brag> I've been there! </brag>) and features, well, everything: 2200 images and 874 letters, every surviving thing that Vincent ever painted, sketched or wrote. Chronological and subject matter indices, a canonical works gallery, commentary and analysis, biography, an online forum and more, available in thirteen languages on a clean, well designed site. Bravo, Mr Brooks.
The Art*o*mat is just plain cool. In 1997, Clark Whittington converted a recently-banned cigarette vending machine to sell his black&white photos for $1 each. Today, his company Artists in Cellophane operates 60 art vending machines in 18 states, featuring the work of over 300 artists from 10 different countries. I note that there are no artomats in Oregon yet; I wonder what it costs to sponsor one?
Way cool update: the artist whose pendant is shown here, Sandra Marchewa, showed up in comments. You can see more of her art here. While I'm updating, it appears there's now an Art*o*mat in Oregon, at Lane Community College -- but still none in Portland...
Comments
we'd make costs if we're lucky, but wouldn't it be cool?
Yes. Yes, it would. I'd be prepared to make a loss (could probably write it off on tax anyway); covering costs would be perfect. My idea would be to keep profits (if there are any) until I get my investment back, then use them to support local artists.
But I'm always coming up with stuff like this; I never actually do anything at all. If you can make it work, feel free! I could be counted on for a small investment.
I want to abduct one of these machines i think that they are amazing
hello, I'm Sandra Marchewa. Thank you for having a photo of one of my pendants as an example of the art in art-o-mat vending machines! It's a really cool project to be involved in. The people at artisits in cellophane are the best! Cool web-site you have here.
Sandra, I'm glad you're pleased to see your art here. I used the picture because it was my favourite of all the examples shown on the art-o-mat site, and I didn't ask permission because (a) it was already on the net and (b) if I recall correctly, no contact details were listed for you. I do have a policy of asking first, if there's any way to do so.
A quick google search revealed that you now have a web presence, so I've updated the post.
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Let's form a consortium and tie up the Art-O-Mat concession for the West Coast. We'd make a bundle!
(Okay, we'd make costs if we're lucky, but wouldn't it be cool?)