Occupy Wall Street Demonstrators Pick Wrong Artist

  If abstract painting wonder Clyfford Still was still alive he might well have been among the Occupy Wall Street activists protesting the sale of more than $300 million in his paintings and those of compatriots in Manhattan's Sothebys. His 1949-A-No. 1, he usually didn't title paintings, led going for $61.7 million.
   For many years Still refused to allow any of his paintings to be displayed in New York because he felt it was too corrupt.
   When he finally did permit the Metrpolitan Museum of Art to show some in 1980 it was only after it agreed, in an unprecedented fashion, to allow him to post the paintings himself and curate the he exhibition, according to retired Denver Art Museum Director Lewis Sharp. He was working at the Metropolitan at the time.
   Money was less important to many famous painters than Still, even though he got his art education during the the Great Depression. He rarely sold any of his more than 2,000 works. And a buyer had to take the work Still chose for him. His difficult attitude resulted in some calling him the Unabomber of painting.
   Still abhorred the idea of his works being scattered around the nation or world. He wanted them together as much as possible.
   The paintings, when first seen could be mistaken for a horror movie. Works from the 1940s average 4 feet by 6 feet, and paintings from the 1950s average 9 1/2 feet by 12 feet. He splashed thick impasto in what some called a color-field approach.
   The pastels are much smaller and are on paper.
   Still died in 1980, and it was 24 years later before his late widow, Patricia Still, agreed to an offer from the city of Denver to build a museum for his paintings if she would donate many of them. It was under the condition that none would be sold and none would be sent on tours.
   Denver had to get a court to approve its decision to sell four of the several hundred it received. The money is needed to help pay for the construction of the museum, which opens next week, and its operation.
   There can be no doubt that Still's appeal was enhanced by the few sales of his works throughout his lifetime and even after his death.
   Wealthy investors may be viewing paintings as a refuge from the volatile markets. And with gold at $1,800 an ounce Thursday it may not be seen as a viable alternative.

Border Collie Best In Occupy Denver Show

 Most groups around the world are refusing to meet government demands to act conventionally. The Mile High City is only a bit different.

The group, which has clashed on several occasions with downtown Denver police announced it would name a director: but the activists chose a dog named Shelby.

An unidentified spokesman said that if corporations can be people, as the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, then dogs can as well.

"Shelby is closer to a person than any corporation: she can bleed, she can breed, and she can show emotion. Either Shelby is a person, or corporations aren't people," the spokesperson said.

A statement emailed to the media Tuesday said: "Newly-elected leader Shelby will be leading this Saturday's Occupy Denver march against Corporate Personhood, and invites all other civic minded dogs (and their leash-holders) to join.

Source: media-pr@occupydenver.org

occupydenver.org

The Parapluies de Seattle

Back in the Cold War days when there was trouble in Moscow, Americans turned to the Western media to try to find out the truth. Now the Russian media, and others, say the U.S. media is trying to black out our problems.

Le Monde reports today about parapluies being banned in Seattle, not Cherbourg during the days of the Algerian war. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said Occupy Wall Street protestors were using them to hide. They have been designated structures and therefore may not stand in parks.

Russian Television’s Website devotes a column to events throughout the U.S.

“When not maced in the face or dragged around during police arrests, a peaceful tone prevails at the Occupy Wall Street protests,” RT reported.

Much of it is live streeting … while another large part is live streaming. Sort of like in Cairo during the April Spring, screens carry messages from the Big Apple to Hollywood.

Even now an embedded media pays little attention to the two wars that consume American blood and money. The fact that our main ally, Pakistan, supports insurgents who kill American troops, is ignored.

How did Osama die? The story was widely told in Europe that a Pakistani intelligence officer sold him out after years of being supported by Saudi money.

The crowds do get attention, though. Hard to ignore. More than 25 tents were set up in the rain and snow on Columbus Day across from the state capitol in Denver. Troopers took no action as at least one of the protesters was a member of the Legislature. A young man yelled at my son, as we drove by, "I'm 29 and I have never lived in a democracy."

“What we here is now over 250,000 people have signed a pledge of support for the occupiers saying we’re with you, we stand with you, we are united in the fight for real democracy and against corruption and for a government that’s truly accountable to the people and not corrupt elite,” campaigner Cambronero told RT.

Protesters keep busy with meetings and reading, not so much TV.

“99 percent of the country don’t have control of the wealth as they should _ it’s not evenly distributed. One percent of the country owns 42 percent of the wealth,” poet and hip hop artist Talib Kweli said.

The government seems at a stalemate. Is this the party of the late Republican President Ronald Reagan. He denounced the rich getting breaks on taxes.