Blank Canvas Podcast

ANDY WARHOL: Celebrity, Death, Money (and the SCUM Manifesto)

I just do art because I am ugly and there’s nothing else for me to do….”- Andy Warhol
Who was Andy Warhol? We know his work (soup cans- images of celebrities) but what motivated him to create his art? In this episode we will explore Andy Warhol’s life defining experience- the time he was shot by a radical feminist play write/drifter.
This event was ultimately overshadowed by Bobby Kennedy’s assassination days later- maybe that’s why you haven’t heard the story. Let’s delve into the world of Andy Warhol, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
WORKS REFERRED TO IN THE EPISODE
“Boy drawings” (refers to the works Andy created in the mid to late 1950’s), Andy Warhol, Ink on Paper, Various Collections
Campbell's Soup Cans, Andy Warhol, 1962, Synthetic polymer paint on thirty-two canvases, Each canvas 20 x 16" (50.8 x 40.6 cm). Overall installation with 3" between each panel is 97" high x 163" wide, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York City
The Marilyn Diptych, Andy Warhol, 1962, Acrylic paint on Canvas, Tate Museum, London
Gold Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, 1962,  Silkscreen ink on synthetic polymer paint on canvas, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York City
Andy Warhol (Scars), Richard Avedon (1923-2004), Photographed 1969 in NYC

Secrets and Scandals of the Mona Lisa

Who is the Mona Lisa?
On this episode we will explore the various stories surrounding the Mona Lisa. Why is this small painting depicting an unknown woman so famous? Spoiler alert, it’s not her smile.
Do we really know who she is? We will also talk about different versions of the Mona Lisa because…there is more than one! We will also discuss Da Vinci’s personal life and some of the skeletons in his closet. What you thought you knew might surprise you!
WORKS REFERRED TO IN THE EPISODE
Mona Lisa (La Joconde), Leonardo da Vinci, 1503-1506 (-1517?), oil on poplar panel, Louvre Museum, Paris
The Virgin with the Infant Saint John the Baptist adoring the Christ Child accompanied by an Angel ('The Virgin of the Rocks’), Leonardo da Vinci, 1495-1508, oil on poplar, National Gallery, London
The Virgin of the Rocks, Leonardo da Vinci, 1483 - 1486, Oil on canvas, Louvre Museum, Paris
Portrait of a Woman, Raphael (1483-1520), 1505-06, Pen and Ink on Paper, Louvre Museum, Paris
Saint John the Baptist (Salai?), Leonardo da Vinci, 1513-1516, oil on panel, Louvre Museum, Paris
Isleworth Mona Lisa, artist unknown, date unknown, Private Collection
La Gioconda (Prado Mona Lisa), Workshop of Leonardo da Vinci, between 1503-1516 oil on panel, Museo del Prado, Madrid

A Mysterious Missing Ear, and the Modern Portrait

In this second episode we conclude our look into the life and art of Van Gogh, exploring the complexities of December 23, 1888 (the infamous night that Vincent supposedly cut off his own ear). Did Vincent really give his ear to a prostitute? is among the many questions we will explore.
We will talk about Vincent’s affinity for portraiture, as well as his final days and untimely death. We will explore a few more of his works of art, as well as one of his final paintings, Wheat Field with Crows, from July 1890.
WORKS REFERRED TO IN THE EPISODE
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), 1889, oil on canvas, 60 x 49 cm (Courtauld Galleries, London)
Dr Paul Gachet, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), 1890, Oil on canvas, H. 68; W. 57 cm. Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Dr Paul Gachet, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), 1890, Oil on canvas, 67 cm × 56 cm (23.4 in × 22.0 in). Private Collection (unknown).
Wheat Field with Crows, from July 1890. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Auvers-sur-Oise: July, 1890, Oil on canvas, 50.5 x 103.0 cm, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
Self Portrait, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890, 1889, Oil on canvas, 65 cm × 54 cm (26 in × 21 in) Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Starry Night, Syphilis, and Sunflowers

In this premiere episode of Blank Canvas, we begin our two part journey into the life and art of Vincent van Gogh. This episode introduces us to Vincent, an artist that was so much more than a tragic figure that suffered from mental illness. In this episode we talk about his relationship and rivalry with fellow artist and short time roommate Paul Gauguin, as well as Vincent’s family relationships. We talk about his formative time in Arles where Vincent painted some of his most well known and celebrated works of art.
Why did Vincent cut off his ear? This episode sets the stage for this infamous event…as with everything there is more to the story…
WORKS REFERRED TO IN THE EPISODE
The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/4" (73.7 x 92.1 cm). MOMA, NYC
Sunflowers (Series), Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Arles, January 1889. Oil on canvas, 95 cm x 73 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The Night Café, Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Arles, 1888. Oil on canvas, 2′ 5″ x 3′ 0″. Yale University Art Gallery
Night Café at Arles (Madame Ginoux), Paul Gauguin, (1848 - 1903), Arles, 1888. Oil on canvas, 73 x 92 cm. Pushkin Museum, Moscow
L'Arlésienne: Madame Ginoux with gloves and umbrella. Vincent van Gogh, (1853 - 1890), Arles, 1888. Oil on canvas (burlap), 92.5 x 73.5 cm, Musée d'Orsay, Paris