Topic: Art

This ‘Controversial’ Painting Of A Naked Bea Arthur Just Sold For $1.9 Million

This 'Controversial' Painting Of A Naked Bea Arthur Just Sold For $1.9 Million

Bea Arthur was a pretty cool lady. She played one of TV’s first feminist characters on All In The Family, and of course, she captured our hearts as Dorothy Zbornak on Golden Girls. She was also pretty foxy. Hence, it stands to reason that when an iconic painting of not only Bea Arthur, but Bea Arthur topless goes up for auction, the bidding war would be high stakes and fierce. More »

Artistic Genius Draws Sloth Versions Of The Major Disney Princesses

Artistic Genius Draws Sloth Versions Of The Major Disney Princesses

Have you ever wondered what your favorite Disney princess would look like as a sloth? What a silly question. Of course you have. As some of the cutest and sleepiest beings that evolution’s ever brought us, they are bound to occupy your thoughts quite often. Plus, if you think about it, they are basically the princesses of the animal kingdom. Big, lovely eyes? Check. Ladylike demeanor? Check. Sophisticated handle on beauty? Check. A tendency towards laziness and vanity? Check and check. Hence, I invite you to feast your eyes upon these sketches by artist/genius Phillip Light, which are aptly titled “Disney’s Sloth Princesses.” So sleepy. So…regal. More »

‘Alpha Beauties’ Art Series Retouches Classic Paintings To Make Them Fit Modern Beauty Standards

'Alpha Beauties' Art Series Retouches Classic Paintings To Make Them Fit Modern Beauty Standards

Will we ever get tired of looking at classic paintings of beautiful women Photoshopped to look fashion model thin? I don’t think so! In a similar vein to Anna Utopia Giordano‘s nifty series of photoshopped paintings, artist Nazareno Crea has produced a series called “Alpha Beauties” for which he retouched the subjects of the great paintings of yore to fit our modern standards of beauty: high cheekbones, big eyes, narrow hips, and skinny, skinny, skinny. Looking through them, I find the effect to be downright uncanny, so I’m judging his work to be effective. I realize it’s not a new practice to point out how arbitrary our cultural standards of beauty are; feminist artists have been doing it since the 1970s. But as those standards continue to hammer us every day, it’s still nice to have a reminder once in a while. Look through these side-by-side comparisons of his images with the original paintings and see if you don’t agree; there are lots more to be found on Crea’s website. More »

Comic Book Artist Envisions What Fully Clothed Female Superheroes Would Look Like

Comic Book Artist Envisions What Fully Clothed Female Superheroes Would Look Like

Have you ever wondered what various female superheroes would look like in outfits that covered more than their bathing suit places? Personally, I have not, because I am a disgusting perv who wants all fictional characters to be as naked as possible at all times. But apparently I’m in the minority, as a series of drawings of fully clothed superheroines by comic book/webcomic artist Michael Lee Lunsford is swiftly going viral on the internet. More »

Are You Ready For The Best Moment Of The Grammys?

Are You Ready For The Best Moment Of The Grammys?

So, Jay Z was pretty much the best thing at the 2013 Grammys. Not because of his win for “No Church In The Wild,” although that is a good song, and really adds something to The Great Gatsby trailer. Not even because Jay Z is married to Beyonce, who wore some kind of pants suit, because I guess when you are Beyonce you can pretty much do what you want. No. Because of this. Right here: More »

Check Out These Striking Portraits Of American Girls With Their American Girl Dolls

Check Out These Striking Portraits Of American Girls With Their American Girl Dolls

American Girl dolls have been around for almost 30 years now. In that time, the company has grown from a few dolls and books to a giant multinational conglomerate with a bajillion spin-off items. For many kids, the $100 mini-mes have become something of a status symbol, with the ostensible benefit of an educational component.

After noticing how into these dolls many young American girls were, Polish photographer Ilona Szwarc decided to do a series of portraits of girls in their homes with their dolls. “Traveling to America when I was young, I always wondered what it would be like to grow up here,” Szwarc told Slate. “Once I moved to New York as an adult, I wanted to revisit those feelings I had back then, and the American Girl doll phenomenon seemed like the right platform to reconnect with those experiences.”

She continued: “I see American Girl dolls more as an extension on the idea of celebrity dolls. Typically, celebrities have dolls made after their likeness—American Girl dolls offer a democratization of this idea: Now every girl can have a mini-me doll.” This seems very true! Let’s look at some of her striking portraits. More »