Art and the Homeless

... search the story told by Petronius of the versipellis or turn-skin The story of the versipellis, or turn skin, originates from Petronius' Satyricon, a first-century Roman work, where it is recounted by a character named Niceros during a banquet hosted by Trimalchio. The narrative describes a soldier, described as valiant and grim, who, during a walk to the fifth milestone, removes his clothes and urinates around them, marking the spot. As the moon shines brightly, he suddenly transforms into a wolf. The narrator, witnessing this, is paralyzed with fear and later flees to his sweetheart's house, where he learns a wolf had attacked the farm and killed livestock, but was wounded by a servant who pierced its neck with a lance. The next morning, the soldier is found in bed, bleeding from the neck, confirming his identity as the werewolf. The narrator, realizing the truth, declares he would never eat bread with him again, not even if threatened with death. This tale is considered...

If one follows the progress of an individual artist, one eventually seizes upon a single, unique piece of the artist's output, which (for you) epitomizes the artist's whole oeuvre. I bracket 'for you', because it is truly you whom you discover, your taste in art. The artist-and the work of art-for that matter, are but means to an end. What I call the artist's epitome piece is not necessarily the artist's masterpiece, which is probably a settled matter with famous artists, anyway; it is rather the pinnacle of the artist's focus of attention, in which is concentrated-in one work of art-a career peak-of-achievement. The sad irony is that the artist doesn't appreciate his achievement, leaving the rest of us wondering, "Why didn't he do more like it?" Art is a craft (not a liberal art) however, the key work of art cited above might be compared to the post-graduate dissertation published by a graduate professional who, afterwards, goes on to grea...

... can a synopsis be given of the article at today's Business Insider a millennials guide to gen z's career apocalypse A millennial's guide to Gen Z's career apocalypse, published on October 27, 2025, by Business Insider, draws parallels between the economic challenges faced by millennials during the 2008 financial crisis and the current struggles of Gen Z, who entered the workforce during the pandemic and subsequent economic turbulence. The article highlights that Gen Z is experiencing significant financial anxiety, with 48% reporting a lack of financial security and over 80% stating their financial future contributes to their stress, as they face a shrinking pool of entry-level jobs due to technological change, high interest rates, and the impact of artificial intelligence. The author, a millennial who graduated in 2013, shares her personal experiences of economic hardship during the Great Recession, including her parents' job losses and her own difficulty securi...

... synopsis of aesthetics and critical reception of Marcel Duchamp's art object he called “Fountain” Duchamp Urinal Art Analysis Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain", created in 1917, is a porcelain urinal signed "R. Mutt" that was submitted to the Society of Independent Artists, which had promised to exhibit all works by members who paid the fee, but ultimately rejected it. The artwork is not a unique or handcrafted object but a mass-produced item, highlighting its status as a readymade—a found object selected and re-contextualized by the artist as art. Duchamp's choice of a urinal was deliberate, serving as a direct challenge to traditional artistic ideals of beauty, craftsmanship, and aesthetic value, with the object's very function as a utilitarian, "low" object symbolizing a rejection of "Art with a capital A". The aesthetics of "Fountain" are intentionally unremarkable; it lacks the visual appeal or craftsmanship associate...

... consider the formally contrary phenomenological argument, that if there is no consciousness without object of consciousness, then there is no object without consciousness-of-object Consciousness and Object Dependency The phenomenological argument posits that consciousness is inherently intentional, meaning it is always consciousness of something, and thus cannot exist without an object This view is central to the work of Franz Brentano, who argued that every mental phenomenon is directed toward an object, and that consciousness is defined by this intentionality From this perspective, the object of consciousness is not a separate, independent entity but is constituted by the act of consciousness itself. This leads to a formal contradiction when considering the reverse: if consciousness requires an object, then the object itself cannot exist independently of consciousness. The argument suggests that the object is not a pre-existing, mind-independent entity but is instead brought into...

It's a safe bet that Giorgio de Chirico's novel “Hebdemeros” has never been read in its entirety, start-to-finish, by anyone -before falling asleep. A transcription from the first four pages of the 1964 edition, published by Flammarion, U.K., follows:    And then began the tour of that strange building situated in a street that looked forbidding, although it was distinguished and not gloomy. As seen from the street the building was reminiscent of a German consulate in Melbourne. Its ground floor was entirely taken up with large stores. Although it was neither Sunday nor a holiday, the stores were closed, endowing this part of the street with an air of tedium and melancholy, a certain desolation, that particular atmosphere which pervades Anglo-Saxon towns on Sundays. A slight smell of docks hung in the air; the indefinable and highly suggestive smell that emanates from dockside warehouses in ports. The German-consulate-at-Melbourne look was a purely personal association on the ...

In "The Writings of Robert Motherwell" (2007) is a transcript of a symposium in which the artist participated in 1967, sponsored by Art News, with other contemporary artists on the subject of Jackson Pollock. Following are comments copied from Robert Motherwell's recollections of Pollock at that event, relevant to Pollock-the-man, the person, while omitting his thoughts about Pollock's art (with which, it is assumed, most are familiar). Taking into account what we know about Pollock's art (and if Motherwell's analysis is true), then Abstract Expressionism must be defined as motivated by emotion-not theory-and, at the same time, we gain a better understanding of the phenomenon that is Jackson Pollock.   “I first knew Pollock at the beginning of the 1940s. As the result of a bitter quarrel between our wives, Lee and Maria, in East Hampton, in the mid-1940s, we were forced to break off relations. Then in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Pollock and I met in New Yo...

... fact check an anecdote told by Moholy-Nagy of attending a banquet given by Marinetti which was attended by Goebbels, Göring, and other Germans at which event an intoxicated Marinetti caused a scene by reciting a Dada-type poem  Marinetti Banquet Incident There is no verifiable evidence or credible historical record supporting the anecdote that László Moholy-Nagy attended a banquet hosted by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, where Marinetti recited a Dada-inspired poem and caused a scene in the presence of prominent German figures like Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Göring. The provided context does not mention any such event involving Moholy-Nagy, Goebbels, or Göring. While Marinetti was known for his provocative performances, including "Serata Futurista" (Futurist evenings) that combined poetry, lectures, and theatrical elements to provoke audiences, and while he did engage with international political figures during the Fascist era, there is no reference to a specific banquet wit...

... search portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt by Frank Salisbury The official White House portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt, painted by British artist Frank O. Salisbury, was completed in 1935. This oil on canvas portrait depicts Roosevelt seated at his desk in the Oval Office, dressed in a dark suit, and was originally commissioned by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Salisbury created multiple copies of the portrait; one was given to Roosevelt himself, another was donated to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, and a third became the official White House portrait. The portrait is the only one of a U.S. president in the White House collection painted by a non-American artist. President Biden has placed this Salisbury portrait in the Oval Office, where it hangs above the fireplace mantel, described as the "focal point piece" on the "powerhouse gallery wall" and is surrounded by smaller portraits of Washington, Lincoln, Jefferso...

... if Kant and other idealists reason about art and aesthetics from a position of self-consciousness, then the complementary position must be that the viewer of art is the object of whatever meaning is emanated by the work of art Art Viewer as Meaning Object The premise that Kant and other idealists reason about art and aesthetics from a position of self-consciousness is accurate, but the complementary position—that the viewer of art is the object of whatever meaning the art emanates—is not a direct or coherent counterpart within Kantian or broader idealist aesthetics. Kant’s theory of aesthetic judgment centers on the subjective yet universally valid experience of beauty, which arises from the "free play" of the imagination and understanding in the viewer This experience is not about the viewer becoming the object of meaning but rather about the viewer’s internal faculties engaging with the form of the object in a disinterested manner The judgment of beauty is subjective in...

... search context of the abstract expressionist artist Adolph Gottlieb's denunciation of social realist art of artists like Ben Shahn  Adolph Gottlieb Denounces Ben Shahn's Realism Adolph Gottlieb, an abstract expressionist artist, did not directly denounce the social realist art of Ben Shahn in the manner implied by the query. However, Gottlieb's artistic philosophy emphasized a radical departure from representational and socially didactic art, which positioned his work in contrast to the social realism championed by Shahn. Gottlieb believed that art should express universal, timeless, and emotional truths rather than depict specific social or political narratives. He stated, "I never abstract from nature; I never consciously think of nature when I paint," and emphasized that "feeling is everything I have experience or thought," reflecting his focus on internal, subconscious expression over external social commentary.   Gottlieb viewed certain forms of...

... search the concept of empathy introduced into theories of aesthetics in the mid-19th century by artists and philosophers Empathy in Aesthetics The concept of empathy, originally termed Einfühlung, or "feeling into," was introduced into theories of aesthetics in the mid-19th century by German philosophers and artists. The term was first used in an aesthetic context by the philosopher Rudolf Lotze in 1858, who described the projection of inner experience into forms, leading to a shared essence with the object. This idea was further developed by the art historian and philosopher Robert Vischer in 1873, who articulated the concept as a physical and psychological response to art, where viewers mentally project themselves into the form of an object, stretching, expanding, bending, and confining themselves to it. Vischer's theory linked aesthetic appreciation to bodily responses, suggesting that certain forms could provoke specific emotional and kinetic sensations, such as a...

... articulate a nuanced contrast-and-comparison of the terms empathy and advocacy, as they both refer to relations, not the self, or the other, only Empathy and advocacy are distinct, yet interconnected concepts, that both involve relational dynamics, moving beyond a focus on the self, or the other, in isolation.  Empathy is the capacity to understand and share the feelings of another, involving both emotional resonance and cognitive perspective-taking. It enables individuals to vicariously experience the emotions, thoughts, and needs of others, fostering an emotional bridge that promotes pro-social behavior, and deeper interpersonal connections. This process includes affective components such as feeling the same emotion as another person, experiencing personal distress, and feeling compassion, as well as cognitive components like understanding another’s mental state and perspective. Empathy is foundational to moral behavior, relationship quality, and altruistic actions, as it all...