Displaying items by tag: chris burden

The artist Chris Burden has never shied away from the shocking or obsessive, whether being nailed to a Volkswagen or crafting miniature landscapes with thousands of plastic figures.

But his latest work, a $2 million installation for the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, merely requires the flick of a switch to come to life.

“Light of Reason” features 24 Victorian-era lampposts lined up in three rows. Concrete benches will be poured around their bases. The piece is so inoffensive that some might wonder whether it is art at all. Rose director Chris Bedford calls “Light of Reason” a “social sculpture.”

President Obama has the art world on his side once again. The west coast artists’ edition publisher and workshop, Gemini G.E.L., is aiding the Democrat’s re-election campaign with help from the blue-chip "Artists for Obama" portfolio fundraiser, comprised of limited-edition hand-printed lithographs, etchings, and screen prints, debuting this week.

The portfolio includes pieces from 19 artists, including John Baldessari, Frank Gehry, Julie Mehretu, and Bruce Nauman, among other art stars. Though all of the artworks were made specifically with the re-election in-mind, some carry more obvious themes of social and political commentary than others.