Combine air, space, track lighting, concrete, glass, metal, a cool king-size bed to rest your sleepy head and you’re totally there.

You’ve got what may or may not be your typical hip hotel. However, as I write these oh so urbane words, I’m not in your run of the mill sleek abode. I’m taking up pricy space in this totally hip place.
21C.
My trip here actually began a couple of years ago when I first heard about it. “When I finally decide to visit Louisville for another art trip, I going to stay there,” I thought to myself.

But of course, time and expenses or lack thereof intervened and my arrival was much delayed … but here I am slumping over the keyboard in a thick groove as Marvin Gaye croons, “What’s Goin’ On” through the speakers piped in overhead.

I’m sitting in what can only be described as an art gallery because that’s exactly what it is … an art gallery. I’m on the basement floor below and adjacent to the main lobby of the 21C Museum Hotel. Within my line of sight are lookers and gawkers who are pointing and chatting and oohing and aahing. Like me, they’re here for the night or perhaps for a just glimpse of what all the talk is about.

Well, I can’t exactly say it’s the talk of the town because I’m no townie, but it seems that nearly everyone in the art world has heard of this hot spot. Finally, someone dreamed of putting a true, literally down-to-earth art gallery in a hotel … or did they build a hotel around an art gallery? Pick your passion, but both are working like a charm on this art lover. Why wouldn’t it? This is the first of my art trips in which art and lodging didn’t just run parallel or perpendicular, they’re literally hand in hand. The hotel IS the art and the art IS the hotel.

About thirty feet away from me on the opposite wall, I’m drooling over three, long horizontal Mikhael Subotzky (South African) archival pigment photo prints depicting prison situations. They’re “Cell 25,” “Reception” and “Cell 508b,” all studies from inside Voorberg and Pollsmoor Prisons (2004).

In the adjacent room are fourteen of Kara Walker’s refreshingly politically-incorrect framed lithographs. Up until now, I had only seen her work in museums and at the big art fairs, but gazing at them here in a real life setting makes them more accessible.

There are four nice-sized galleries off the main gallery where I’m now sitting. It’s a soaring, brick, steel beamed, white-walled, art loft. Just what the art doctor ordered for inquisitive travelers.

In my time here, visitors have come up and down and criss-crossed the space, marching on the sanctity of my art lodging dream. Their chit-chat is inconsequential, but precisely the point. This is what art SHOULD do. It should force dialogue, however shallow or profound and that chat should happen within the confines of a unique hotel. They just don’t make ‘em quite like this.

PAUSE

As I pause, I’m looking upward at a gigantic, full-bodied, digital print of a mainly nude woman who looks like Bjork from afar, but I don’t think it is. All I know is while the piped-in music plays Stevie Wonder’s, “Boogie On A Reggae Woman,” I’m smiling at this raven-haired, alabaster beauty with her arms outstretched and her taut breasts in full view with a hint of linen loincloth hugging her lovely hips. She’s standing on a white background, perhaps somewhat Christ-like … or is she mocking Christ? That wouldn’t be very nice. Either way, artist Sukran Moral (Turkish) has made what he calls “Artista” (1994) perfection. Is it Bjork? The way I’m feeling now, it doesn’t matter. She’s gorgeous nonetheless.
The long and short of it is you don’t get this everyday in your run of the mill hip hotel. This is art as art should be seen. I want to take each and every one of these works up to my uber-hip room and then out the door as I depart.

But alas, no such deed will I do. I’ll just remember this place and this space and think that finally someone has done contemporary art the justice it’s due. They’ve made 7th & Main the intersection of lodging and art. There’s art on every floor and in almost every nook and cranny … installation pieces too.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that moments before I checked in, I saw a couple of guys decked out in cream colored suits. I didn’t think much about it until I headed up to my room on the fourth floor (401) and the elevator doors opened. Waiting for the other elevator across the hall was a blonde bride looking as lovely and as modern as could be. With that, a light-bulb went on over my head like the artful lights installed in the elevator ceiling.

“Oh! You must be the bride!” I said. “Yes, Hi!” she replied. “You look lovely. Congratulations,” I said. “Thanks!” she replied, beaming as only young brides can beam. Hmm. Maybe she was merely a model at a photo shoot.

In any event, here’s the real point. Should you hold a wedding or any other special bash in a hip, art hotel? You bet your ass you should. Each one gives the other greater purpose.

Assuming it was a true wedding event, the bride and groom probably paid a pretty penny for 21C. I wonder if they got to ride away in that red, bejeweled 21C limousine I saw out front. Even the limo is art!

It’s like I always say. When you bring art into the picture, it’s a kick ass scene … or perhaps I should be a bit more urbane and just say … it’s a no brainer.

MICHAEL CORBIN IS AN AVID ART COLLECTOR AND AUTHOR OF THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING BOOK, “THE ART OF EVERYDAY JOE: A COLLECTOR’S JOURNAL.” CHECK OUT HIS WEBSITE AT WWW.ARTBOOKGUY.COM

Created by Michael Corbin On 06/22/09 At 11:16 AM

Yes, it’s an art blog and doesn’t have much to do with travel, but such is life. I have been ping ponging all over the place lately but I keep forgetting to take my camera with me. I managed to take a few snaps though.

(Click to see larger images)

In a hotel in Canberra I had this trippy ceiling that didn’t let my eye rest. I think as an artist you just let an image take you where it wants to go, but this wallpaper on my ceiling just made me dizzy.

Most trees at home are green all year, so I found these trees interesting. There was something romantic about walking down this path, even if I was alone.. and freezing.

See the parrots in the grass? That’s why they’re called Grass Parrots I guess. I have always loved birds and get pretty excited when I see them in the wild. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Here’s the view from my hotel in Melbourne.

Here’s another view of Melbourne.

One more photo of Melbourne city.

Then I felt like I needed sun and warmth so I jumped in the car and headed North again. I have landed in the commercialized hippy town of Byron Bay. It’s a strange combination of weekend hippies, far out hippies, wealthy retired people, surfers, and BMW driving yuppy types. Along with lots of Germans, Brits, Japanese, Americans, and a number of other nationalities.

Everytime I go to the Byron Bay lighthouse I seem to get wet.

One more Byron Bay photo.

I haven’t decided what I’m doing or where I’m going next, but I check out on Wednesday so I better hurry up and figure it out

My posting pauses seem to be getting longer and more frequent, but I have a good excuse this time. I have been looking around for a new area to live. I live in the suburbs which is as noisy as a city without all the conveniences of city, so I thought I should just move to a city (Sydney.) When I went to the city to look for an apartment I spent the whole time in my hotel room sick, so I took it as a sign that Sydney isn’t the place for me right now. I probably look for signs that aren’t really there and place too much importance on feelings but that’s just how it is for me.

Anyway, I have one more area to explore next week and if that doesn’t work out I’m going to travel the world for a year or two or three. It’s a place called Bellingen, which is a quiet little place close to the beach and lots of good walking trails.

If Bellingen doesn’t work for me I plan to visit lots of art museums around the world. Starting with Italy, then France, Spain, England, maybe Germany and possibly the United States. I would just stay in each place until my visa expired, so it wouldn’t be a rushed trip. Flying anywhere from Australia is a loooong flight so when I land somewhere I’m never in hurry to get back on a plane.

I’m challenged by the burden of freedom. I have no responsibilities holding me down in any one place, I have been saving for a rainy day, and I have a job that can be done anywhere in the world. Every week I seem to have a new plan and a whole new direction, but each new week seems to create a more interesting plan. So I spend my time thinking about life while life marches on around me.

Okay. This is not an easy moment. All this attention is getting me nervous, and I feel like everything I write is being observed… After all, this has all along been about a private journey into the realm of some contemporary art.
So, just to make sure it is still a blog, let me tell you a story.
Once upon a time, I was an addict of skiing. I trained and I raced (without too much of a success) and I even got to spend some time with the Polish Ski Team. My first encounter with them was in a hotel in the French village of Les Deux Alpes. I entered the hotel room, and there they were, Poland’s finest skiers. Most of them were concentrated on a Playstation game of Formula 1, with its volume set to maximum level. The rest of the young sportsmen were watching TV – it was a formula 1 race, and its noise was competing with the game. Everyone was completely mesmerized by the two screens. It took me at least a minute to realize there was someone else in the room, though. It was Andrzej Bachleda, by far Poland’s best skier, who has lived most of his life in France, and whom I considered a strange guy – not very talkative, some sort of an odd case… In the midst of the overwhelming noise, the man was sitting on the bed, tucked into a corner, and reading Hemingway.
Well, this man has also come a long way since that moment. He has recently put out another album. Here is one song. (Besides the charming music, do appreciate the Polish mountains in the background).

Here’s a new type of scam that I came across yesterday. I received an email from what looked like an artist that I listed in an art directory that I look after. I was suspicious immediately, but they did a lot of things right, which could have fooled those that are new to the internet (or much more trusting of people than I am).

The artist (Linda Blondheim) was using a Hotmail email address, which was hacked and stolen by scammers in Nigeria. The scammers then set out to scam her friends and contacts using her Hotmail email address, asking for money as she was stranded in Africa and needed $2300 to get back home.

It’s easily one of the cleverest scams I have received from the idiots. I was familiar with the name of the artist and they were using her real email address, but the mention of “Nigeria” and “Money” in the same email gave the scammers away. Legitimate businesses in Nigeria (if there is such a thing) must have a lot of problems dealing with international clients/customers as these scammers have given the whole country such a bad name worldwide. I know it’s wrong to generalise, but I wouldn’t deal with anyone from Nigeria as I don’t trust them.. and for good reason.

Here’s the email that I received..

Subject: Reply Soon…From Linda

How are you doing today? I am sorry i didn’t inform you about my traveling to Africa for a program called “Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education, the program is taking place in three major countries in Africa which is Ghana , South Africa and Nigeria . It as been a very sad and bad moment for me, the present condition that i found myself is very hard for me to explain.

I am really stranded in Nigeria because I forgot my little bag in the Taxi where my money, passport, documents and other valuable things were kept on my way to the Hotel am staying, I am facing a hard time here because i have no money on me. I am owing an hotel bill of $1050 and they want me to pay the bill before checking out,Else they will have to seize my bag and hand me over to the Hotel Management.

I need this help from you urgently to help me get back home, I need you to help me with the hotel bill and i will also need $1250 to feed and help myself back home so please can you help me with a sum of $2300 to sort out my problems here? I need this help so much and on time because i am in a terrible and tight situation here, I don’t even have money to feed myself for a day which means i have been starving so please understand how urgent i need your help.

I am sending you this e-mail from the city Library and I only have 30 min, I will appreciate what so ever you can afford to send me for now and I promise to pay back your money as soon as i return home so please let me know on time so that i can forward you the details you need to transfer the money through Money Gram or Western Union.Hope to hear from you.love,Linda

Advantages to Visiting Linda Blondheim’s Studio

Patron Club members receive excellent pricing on in studio and web site purchases.
Gift wrapping and gift cards are complimentary to patrons.
Delivery of larger paintings to Lake City, Gainesville, and Ocala areas free of charge.
Studio gift certificates for new patron referrals.
Commissions welcomed.
Enjoy a cup of coffee and visit with a professional established painter just minutes from Gainesville.

Email: lindablondheim12@hotmail.com
Web site: www.lindablondheim.com
Blog: http://lindablondheimartnotes.blogspot.com/

Note: The email above was Linda Blondheim’s real email address used for this scam, but she has since changed it. See her website or blog above for her new contact information.
>> Art Scams, List of Thieves

I was writing about 3 weeks spent of a friends boat on lake Erie recreating watercolors lost in Argentina. A day or two after we got Alan’s boat in the water I helped Markus get his new/old 40 foot + wooden sailboat over to his slip with no mishaps. A few days later he called me back and said he and a friend were going to take it out for a little shake down cruise. It was a fairly blustery day, sunny with 3 -4 foot swells. I hadn’t actually made any watercolors yet and wanted to get started but decided I wanted to go with Markus on his new boat instead. It’s a beauty for sure. Newly restored after an Ohio winter’s worth of work in the back yard scraping, sanding and painting the hull and redoing much of the interior. I was supposed to help with some of the hand work but could never get free when Markus was able to work. So Markus did it all. I’m always impressed at his industrious nature, his knowledge and creative resolve. He did nearly all the work himself from bending wood to repair the hull breaches, painting and re-stitching sails. He’s an ace at maintaining a motor and has refit his diesel to burn 30 percent bio-fuel. Remarkable! Normally I’d simply call this green thinking but in this market any saving is appreciated with the price of diesel often above $4.50 a gallon.

We had a little trouble with the boat turning into the wind with only the mainsail up once we left the marina causing the sails to lose wind or luff. Markus jury rigged his working jib. It wasn’t quite the proper rigging. There was an unnatural scalloping along the luff or front line of the sail as it attached to the bow sprit up to the line that kept it to the main mast. Markus said he didn’t have the right fixtures attached so he made it up as he went along. Out of Irons refers to the tri-point or ‘Y’ shaped wind direction device on top of the main mast. A sail boat cannot sail less than 45 degrees against the wind or into the wind. When the directional is between the rear two metal points one is ‘In Irons’. Creative sailing…I love it. And it did the trick of keeping the boat out of irons even if it lead to a rather rough sail. At time we were nearly healed over at about 30 degrees which means the rails or gunnels are nearly in the water. That can be rather exciting on such a large boat. We also had a little trouble keeping the inflatable dinghy from cupping water behind the boat. The rigging tying it to the rear davits was a bit loose so it hung too low to the surface of the water. We eventually tried tying it up tighter but even that failed us a little while later. But it was such a windy day and there was a slow leak that had Markus flustered. We brought her back in after a rather exciting 3 hour sail.

I managed to get my first watercolor started the next day. It was a reworking of the first watercolor I did in Cordoba in 2004 from my hotel window. Originally done in a book of rice paper, the papers in the new book gave a much more vibrant range of color. Rag paper does that, while rice paper tends to absorb the chromatic intensity. I’ve included images of both the original and the new version.

Interestingly I realized almost right away that while I had photos of a number of the works done in 2004 and some of the earlier works done in Buenos Aires in 2001 and 2003 I couldn’t just copy them. Maybe its me. But a work, even if it is only a preparatory sketch is also a complete idea in and of itself. There is no copying stroke for stroke. There must always be a new bit of creative response in any work whether directly from life, from imagination or from a preliminary study. In the case of these re done images I began to take a lot of liberties with the color, shaping and broshwork even when there was at the same time a certain loyalty to the original image. While I tend to like both versions of each image I must say that the reprised images have a very different energy to them.

I also quickly realized that to mentally get into each image I almost had to do the same process as I had originally done on location. I often did a small postcard sized image from life, returned to the hotel and then did a larger version from the study and memory and sometimes an even larger variation. I began doing the same thing while working on my friends boat. I’d start a small study, then rework it again at a slightly larger size and finally, if all went well a larger version in the bigger book I’d purchased for the project. Each variation had its own qualities…none were exactly alike, none were ultimately better just different in my mind with perhaps a couple of exceptions. But the process began to unlock certain visual memories that carried me much further than simply copying a photograph would have.

Ultimately I did so many variations on the Sierra Chicas that I felt I could do them blindfolded in my sleep backwards…to the point that I almost sense that this is the ultimate Argentina in my mind. But in the case of the Del Dique (the dike or the dam) works, I had only a color photograph and a pen and ink sketch to work with. The photo wasn’t very large format so much detail was gone. I had to work primarily from memory and what the image gave me to spin off from.

In a week or two I will return to Alan’s boat to continue my journey into the memory of my Argentina. Now I have a better sense of how to work…a more efficient process to access my memories and create a body of work in the shortest amount of time. I have approximately 50 more works to recreate. I hope to get perhaps two thirds of that number accomplished this time if I work with some discipline for about 5 or 6 hours everyday. I think I can create about 4 or 5 images or variations on images every day given that I can work every day. Weekends will be hard as Alan brings friends to the boat. I’ll have to pack things away from Friday night to Sunday evening each week. So I have about 10 days to do 25 – 30 works. It took me 15 days to do 27 works the last time. And that included several days during the middle of the week when Markus came up to sail. I know this sounds like quantity vs. quality. But it is not unlike when I worked as a commercial illustrator. I had to punch a time clock for each project I worked on any given day so my boss could bill for creative time. I became very disciplined during those years. I don’t often practice those disciplines as a fine artist. But in this case it seems to be the right approach. After all I’d already done these works once before. They are now in my head. In that sense they become somewhat like the works I do from imagination in my studio. While the inventive works are also in my head as an idea when I begin them and begin to verge toward and merge with extrapolations as I go these have begun to do the same thing even though they began as simple works from life. It’ll be nice to finally release them and the entire experience which caused me to have to recreate them.

Markus, another of his sailing friends and I went out once more for a second shakedown cruise before I finally came home. We sailed half way to Kelly’s Island. He’d rigged a larger jib with the proper fixtures so it was a much smoother sail. But the leak was still bothering him although the bilge pump seemed to drain it quite nicely. A day later he finally got the leak sealed, at least for the season amd shortly after that I drove back to Columbus. I must admit it was hard to come home to mowing the yard, and the mundane everyday things one does to get by. The solidtude of being on the boat by myself most of the week was itself theraputic. But as I said in another week or two I’ll be back up on the boat painting away. And maybe I’ll manage to get up there a few more times before the summer turns to fall and then time to take the boats out of the water for the winter… at least for a couple of weekend cruises.

Created by Walter King On 07/24/08 At 10:37 AM