Guy Peellaert’s work shows a great fascination with American Pop culture from Las Vegas to Rock and Roll. His iconic album covers for some of the biggest stars in music and his comic book artwork have secured him a place in history as a creator of the aesthetic of a generation. He had solo exhibitions in every major city of the world. Surprisingly, his work has only been shown recently in Belgium at a group show entitled Pop Eye.
He died in Paris.
Read more about him here http://www.guypeellaert.com/guy.html
As I was comparing the differences in online newspapers for the Gazet Van Antwerpen and the LA TIMES (why on earth would I do that, I hear you sigh…) I noticed this ominous picture of smoke over the ocean and the article below which perfectly illustrates how the US handles crime compared to Belgium.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-looters17-2008nov17,0,155217.story
En op de Belgische nieuwssites (HLN) lees je weeral goed geinformeerde commentaar zoals…
“Als ze daar stoppen met hun oorlogsbeleid alleen al hebben ze meer dan genoeg geld om alles terug op te bouwen. Erg voor de nabestaanden van dodelijke slachtoffers die ze verkoold zullen vinden in hun uitgebrande huizen.”
“In heel de wereld veroorzaken de amerikanen dergelijke beelden, inclusief vele doden. . De natuur neemt wraak en blijft vriendelijk, want geen doden. . Wanneer ze hun 150.000 soldaten uit Irak overbrengen en hier inzetten is het vlug opgelost.”
“In de beschaafde wereld , Europa dus, is een dergelijke ramp uitgesloten. Hier is men voorbereid. Brandgangen bv, . En onze burgers worden niet opgeleid om te moorden en misdaden te plegen zoals de amerikanen die met een geweer in de hand geboren worden en het normaal vinden om in andere landen alles plat te gooien en in brand te steken. Herinner je Vietnam, en nu Irak en Afghanistan.”
And in the Belgian online media you can read the following “intelligent” comments by Belgians:
We’re Moving On
Bon Voyage Reception: Thursday, December 11, 2008 – 18.00/21.00
Wij Verhuizen
Gianluca Ranzi and his gallery Mudimadrie will leave Antwerp after a 4 year stay to start a new chapter in Berlin.
Na 4 jaar in Antwerpen gaan Gianluca Ranzi en zijn galerie Mudimadrie de stad verlaten om een nieuwe hoofdstuk te beginnen in Berlijn.
Mudimadrie’s presence in the local contemporary art scene has marked an important period of growth for the gallery, its artists, and the projects connected to its activities in Belgium and abroad.
The path to Antwerp from Italy four years ago was a new itinerary of various media and sensibilities; electronics, paintings, videos, telecommunication, and space. Showcasing an international panorama of contemporary artists and investing in the philosophy that blurring the boundaries in disciplines, cultures, genders, and traditions placed Mudimadrie in the exciting and unpredictable place between the familiar and sublime.
More than the inspiration to begin another passionate adventure in the world of art and the foundation to make it possible, Antwerp has proven to be a welcoming and vital community of dynamic and professional art galleries and open minded collectors on the lookout for new talent.
Many thanks to all the artists, galleries, collectors and visitors for your warmth, generosity and support.
Veel dank aan alle kunstenaars, galeries, verzamelaars, en bezoekers voor hun warmte, vrijgevigheid, en steun.
This is the official announcement. One of my favorite people in the world is moving away along with one of the most exciting galleries in Antwerp (not too far away luckily)-You can bet I’ll write more about this later…
