Chain of information…

I’m putting up six of the Playground of the Midlands canvases here…only one of which I think is quite finished (though I think two others are pretty close) because its supposed to be a painting blog.  Though I don’t feel so good today so I’m doing a lot of displacement activity instead.  I doubt I’m the only painter who does that.  Part of the avoidance has been some clearing of shelves – I’m an inveterate hoarder so have way too much ‘stuff’ – and I came across a copy of Flash Art from Summer 1999.  That led me to wondering what had happened of late to that Flash Art favourite of the 90’s – Mark Kostabi.  Was Kostabi World still in action?

Paesaggio Altro  Giulio Turcato  1990 Oil & Mixed Media on Canvas, 195 x 295 cm.

So to that marvellous invention for all us avoidance merchants – this Internet thingy!  It appears Mark is now mainly to be found on Facebook…and that (unbeknownst to me) he did for quite a few years write a magazine column.  And in the spirit of my online flaneur I came across his review of Italian painter Giulio Turcato – also previously unknown to me (and without being immodest many pals will tell you that’s quite rare…).  But I’m now loving his work…so not entirely an afternoon wasted…

Giardino di Miciurin Guilio Turcato  Oil on Canvas 113 x 145 cm.1953

And with him having to chosen Rome to live in for part of his time alongside his articles and cable tv show Mark has gone up a little in my estimation of him!