The Year In Art (PHOTOS,VIDEO)

2011 was the year of the rebel and the art world was not immune from the larger cultural conflicts. The sentiment of civil unrest swept the world and bled into the realm of art on more than a few occasions. Museums attempted to catalogue all of the future artifacts from the Occupy movement while Ai Wei Wei fought for his freedom.

But 2011 was also a year of decadence as Miami became a playground for the rich and famous for Art Basel once again and Marina Abramovic curated what is sure to go down as one of the strangest galas in MOCA history. We also said goodbye to some artists who will be sorely missed. Take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the biggest art stories of 2011.

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Comments

[shutterbabe]

08:14 PM on 01/01/2012

I like this quote very much:

"I don't paint things.  I only paint the difference between things."  ~Henri Matisse

[Nicole Schulman]

02:41 PM on 12/31/2011

Really?? Shepard Fairey's attempt to co-opt OWS activism for his own profit? Hell No- NOT part of OUR year in art. He does not represent anyone but his own corporation.

You want to real REAL OWS posters by activists? Look here:

http://occuprint.org/Posters/ViewAll

[DarkHorses]

02:04 PM on 12/31/2011

If we were to view these examples as all that is going on in art, a person would think nothing has happened since about 1970.
Pretend, derive, and copy. Repeat.

[Maezeppa]

11:16 AM on 12/31/2011

I wish the OWS movement would ditch the creepy Guy Fawkes mask.  Besides, Fawkes screwed up, big-time.

[killerbee256]

12:15 PM on 12/31/2011

Do you mean the real man or the character from the comic/movie?

[Maezeppa]

12:35 PM on 12/31/2011

The Fawkes associated with the failed gunpowder plot.

[tman418]

11:05 AM on 12/31/2011

FFS,

STOP using Guy Fawkes masks! Guy Fawkes was trying to install a dictatorship, not overthrow one!

[ConfuciusSay-]

12:24 PM on 12/31/2011

The reference is not to Fawkes, but to the derivative anti-establishment movie V for Vendetta.

[humpfree]

12:25 PM on 12/31/2011

Even worse, he was Catholic.

[haiku man]

10:04 AM on 12/31/2011

Kenny Scharf's art 5ucks.
I can't believe his career has lasted this long

[Bucket-Of-Love]

07:16 PM on 01/01/2012

Thank you. Someone brave enough to say it.

[Eddie Martinez]

09:44 AM on 12/31/2011

The “Occupy” poster is by-far the best of the best Art Work!

[Crimmies810]

10:00 AM on 12/31/2011

It is not exactly art! Anyone can take a picture and do that!

[Eddie Martinez]

10:03 AM on 12/31/2011

Art is in the eyes of the beholder ---

[killerbee256]

01:06 PM on 12/31/2011

You could say that about a lot of art, look at Jackson Pollock’s work. he just splattered paint on canvas. Basically it's art if someone is willing to pay money
for it.

[humpfree]

12:30 PM on 12/31/2011

Photoshop can make anyone an "artist". At least Warhol put some analogue effort into repackaging his "art" which is at least slightly more impressive.

[Eddie Martinez]

03:00 PM on 12/31/2011

Your right about Warhol repacking his ‘art’ – I guess what impressed me about the poster is the repackaging of ‘hope’ & the satisfied/accomplished look on the theatrical mask or 99%’er’s - ‘art is where you find it’.

[alewis14151]

09:43 AM on 12/31/2011

featured nude models as centerpieces at the tabel. What few thought an intriguing idea, many felt was exploitative and just plain, unappetizing.

table? ... oh, and lose the comma after 'plain' - thanks