William Kentridge

This is a South African artist who is I guess a draughtsman who films his ever changing charcoal drawings and creates incredible films from them (shot on the same sheet of paper). I believe I watched this one in Chicago in 1997 and since I was just there, here is that film. Much of Kentridge's work relates to Apartheid and the treatment of people, there are always modern articles in his work (telephones and other office objects figure prominently) and the stripe suited businessman is always a main character. The fragility of the human is seen again and again.

Obviously the title is taken from the bible's story of Belshazzar's Feast, the hand writes these words on the wall of his palace and Belshazzar is dead by morning.

There is a beautiful painting of this in the National Gallery in London, UK. The Rembrandt painting is just a literal visual of this biblical tale-although it is a fantastic portrayal of these events.



To be honest though, when I am in the Rembrandt room, I look at his young self portrait: haughty, full of expectation and then you walk into the other room where one of his last self portraits hangs- he looks absolutely at the viewer with honesty and no pretensions.





please check out the National Gallery and the Art Institute of Chicago

The news as they see it

Its great to be in a town where you can pick up a copy of the Onion, I admit it is like Vice magazine for people who read, but hey, once and awhile right?

There were no copies in this box just a hand drawn note that said "Shut your Fuck...Please"

See, grandma was right- politeness goes along way.

Chicago 2009

While Toronto kids had no outdoor services due to the strike, Chicagoan kids in this water park were having the time of their lives!

This massive glass monolith had projection screens in-bedded into the glass brick and would display video images of children smiling and eventually "geysering" water onto fellow children...that sounds weird now that I look at it.