The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

Highest Grossing Photo Ever? What A Concept!

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(Pic #1) Ormond Gigli and his historic “Girls in the Windows” photograph, 1960.

I don’t know how I missed this one, but I love the story behind it.

To me, this doll house looking photograph represents the best example of extraordinary conceptual art. And according to my husband (a super gifted photographer), there are two ways of looking at a subject. His way is to see something and document the moment.  Another artist — like Ormond Gigli — sees something and, aided by imagination, creates a fresh new world.

The photo above was shot on Manhattan’s upper east side in 1960.  It shows forty women posing in the window frames of a brownstone about to be demolished on toney East 58th Street.

So how is this picture considered conceptual art? According to the Tate Museum, “When an artist creates a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair.”

The preparation and coordination that went into this image was staggering — and Gigli created it for himself without an assignment — just to remember a bygone era. It was a massive undertaking under crazy deadlines: the building was to be demolished in two days. Ormond needed to secure forty models in stylish colorful dresses, permission from the demolition crews, the repair of a huge hole in the sidewalk, and a deal for a loaner Rolls Royce to be parked out front.

The mastery — and the art —  emerges from the collaboration and cooperation with the city and the community. The relationship is not unlike the installation work of world famous artist Christo, who spent months befriending dairy farmers out west to gain support for his “Running Fences” project.  It was about the partnership first — outcome, second.

Meanwhile, many photography specialists in NYC agree that this photo is in fact the highest-grossing photo ever shot. But the intrigue doesn’t stop there. The story goes that the demolition supervisor said he would allow the shoot provided it included his wife in the photo: she stands on the third floor, third from left.  And Ormond’s wife poses on the second floor, far right, in pink.

The Art of “Getting Tired”

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(Pic #1) Just junk on the ground. Or is it?

Functional, useful, reliable — the rubber tire also serves as artful inspiration.

They get me every time. I do my share of junkyard exploring, and inevitably, I stumble upon a pile of discarded tires. While arguably the most dependable load-supporting, system of transportation, I see them as perfect sculptures emerging from found objects. They are appealing as a group — or as individuals. And I’m not the only one with a soft spot for these under-valued heroes.

Robert Rauschenberg’s clever combine called “Monogram” (Pic #2)  might be the most famous from the school of trashed tires — curiously collaring a painted, horned, Angora goat.

(Pic #2) Robert Rauschenberg ‘s “Monogram” combine, 1955.

A lesser known but equally trailblazing sculptor named Noah Purify incorporated tires in many of his assemblages in the brutal desert heat of Joshua Tree. (Pic #3) His orders (after his death) were to leave his work to disintegrate in the dry desert air. It’s been decades. Miraculously, his installations still stand.

(Pic #3) Installation by Noah Purifoy, Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum, Joshua Tree, Cal.

Art on the Outside

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(Pic #1) Vera Cruz House, Santa Barbara, California, front.

The House of a Thousand Paintings

It’s classic creative collaboration. But the participating artists could never have known what their work individually would create as a whole. They could never have predicted the artistic impact their paintings would have on the City of Santa Barbara. This installation blows my mind, and If you have a chance to visit, you won’t stop smiling.

(Pic #2) Close-up, Santa Barbara Art House

It’s called the Vera Cruz House. It sits at 521 Santa Barbara Street, downtown. It’s a bright green home now completely covered in hundreds of pieces of original art. The project was the brainchild of architect Jeff Shelton, who handed out panels to local artists — and asked, in a super vague way — to “paint something” from a place they’ve traveled or where they grew up.

(Pic #3) The original “House of a Thousand Paintings” Photo circa 1973.

According to Noozhawk in Santa Barbara County, Shelton was inspired by a home from his childhood, Sanford Darling’s “House of a Thousand Paintings” near Santa Barbara City College. It was demolished, and the paintings were sold to collectors and museums after Darling’s death in 1973. “It was kind of a shrine for our family — we loved it,” Shelton said.

He was asked to design something for the small lot by owner Jason Yardi, of REH Property, and pitched a house “covered in art.” Yardi agreed, and Shelton got to work getting city permits.

Shelton had promised no profanity, nudity or political statements. But perhaps the coolest pledge he made was to ban artists from using rainbows, clowns and dolphins.

I think I’m in love. Thank you, Jeff.