Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

Vladimir Umanets the 26 year old Russian founder of ‘Yellowism’ has been arrested by British police for the graffiti damage caused to a Mark Rothko painting at the Tate Modern. In an article by John Fahey & Ellen Branagh published in The Independent, states “The wording on the bottom-right corner of the piece appears to read: “Vladimir Umanets, A Potential Piece of Yellowism. “Umanets said “Some people think I’m crazy or a vandal, but my intention was not to destroy or decrease the value, or to go crazy. I am not a vandal.” Umanets, who studied art, is one of the founders of “Yellowism”, which he describes as… “Yellowism is not art, and Yellowish isn’t anti-art. It’s an element of contemporary visual culture. It’s not an artistic movement. It’s not art, it’s not reality, it’s just Yellowism. It can’t be presented in a gallery of art, it can be presented only in Yellowistic chambers. The main difference between Yellowism and art is that in art you have got freedom of interpretation, in Yellowism you don’t have freedom of interpretation. Everything is about Yellowism – that’s it. I am a Yellowist. I believe what I am doing and I want people to start talking about this. It was like a platform. I don’t need to be famous, I don’t want money, I don’t want fame, I’m not seeking attention. Maybe I would like to point people’s attention on what it’s all about. What is Yellowism? What is art? It’s good people are shocked about what happened. No one is realising what actually happened, everyone is just posting that the piece has been damaged or destroyed or defaced. “But I believe that after a few years they will start looking for it from the right angle. So that’s why I did it. I believe that from everything bad there’s always a good outcome so I’m prepared for that but obviously I don’t want to spend a few months, even a few weeks, in jail. But I do strongly believe in what I am doing, I have dedicated my life to this. To be honest, I do believe I increased the value. It seems probably ridiculous for someone but I do believe in this. I didn’t decrease the value, I didn’t destroy this picture, I put something new.”

Inspired by John Fahey & Ellen Branagh ow.ly/eofzx image source Huff Post ow.ly/eofWN

John Hoyland the 76 year old UK abstract painter whose Color Field paintings defined as lyrical abstraction that were closely aligned with Post-Painterly Abstraction, has died. Hoyland was influenced by the American abstract painters Mark Rothko and Barnet Newman following a visit to New York. His resulting works in the 1960s was characterized by simple shapes, bright colours and a flat picture surface. During the 1970s his paintings evolved to become more textured in their surface appearance. He had a long career as a highly influential teacher with many Art Colleges while still maintain a prolific schedule of exhibitions. Hoyland was appointed Professor of the Royal Academy Schools in 1999, exhibited at the London Waddington Galleries, and his works are held in many public and private collections including the Tate.

Inspired by the artnewspaper.com http://ow.ly/5Xz9J image source Nick Smith http://ow.ly/5Xz8J