DeFeo, who died in 1989, at age 60, is known for a single work, her astounding “Rose,” a monumental accretion of oil paint that consumed her for more than seven years. Working in her apartment on Fillmore Street, she applied pigment in gloppy impastos, then chiseled into the paint. What finally emerged was an 11-foot-tall, ash-gray slab incised with a central starburst radiating white lines. The piece (which, by a happy coincidence, is now on view in the permanent-collection galleries of the Whitney Museum of American Art) has a visionary energy and can put you in mind of William Blake’s blazing 19th-century suns.
In 1965, unable to afford a rent increase, DeFeo received an eviction notice. She worried that “The Rose” was unmovable. By then it weighed more than a ton and was too cumbersome to fit through the front door. Alternate plans were devised.... Several Bekins moving men in white jumpsuits pry “The Rose” from the wall and maneuver it out a bay window with a forklift as DeFeo sits disconsolately on a fire escape, smoking. “It was the end of ‘The Rose,’ and it was the end of Jay,” Conner said later in an interview.... She ceased working for several years,
Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 03, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Art, Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 04, 2021 -
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Category: Domestic, Stereotypes and Cliches, Toys, Children, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s
Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 22, 2021 -
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Category: Music, Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, Psychedelic, 1960s
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 03, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Fey, Twee, Whimsical, Naive and Sadsack, Humor, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Movies, Spies and Intelligence Services, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 31, 2021 -
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Category: Education, Fey, Twee, Whimsical, Naive and Sadsack, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Music, Children, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 10, 2021 -
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Category: Anthropomorphism, Music, Unlikely, Improbable and Counterfactual Phenomena, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s, Parody
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 06, 2021 -
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Category: Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1950s, Slang
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 23, 2021 -
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Category: Parades and Festivals, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s
This drama illustrates the contribution of free enterprise, technology, and Westinghouse products to the American way of life. The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair pits an anti-capitalist bohemian artist boyfriend against an all-American electrical engineer who believes in improving society by working through corporations. The Middletons experience Westinghouse's technological marvels at the Fair and win back their daughter from her leftist boyfriend.
Memorable moments: the dishwashing contest between Mrs. Modern and Mrs. Drudge; Electro, the smoking robot; and the Westinghouse time capsule.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 11, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, Family, Technology, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1940s
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 30, 2021 -
Comments (4)
Category: Misbehavior, Rebellion, Acting-out and General Naughtiness, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1920s, Universities, Colleges, Private Schools and Academia
Who We Are |
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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |