Bruno Surdo

Interchange Between Myth and Reality - Monumental Painting, Original Oil

2020

Ben Duke Cake oil on canvas 36h x 38w in 91.44h x 96.52w cm BSD036 Ben Duke b. 1977 Louisville, KY Education 2006 M.F.A., Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 2002 B....

Ben Duke One Such Morning oil on canvas 40h x 48w in 101.60h x 121.92w cm BSD034 Ben Duke b. 1977 Louisville, KY Education 2006 M.F.A., Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimo...

The reversal of the famous Cervantes quote “not giants but windmills” where Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and attempts to joust with them. By reversing the quote I am sta...

Story Short-story Once upon a time, five women met up at an outdoor café. They sat around the table sipping their coffee and chatting, one caught everyone's attention, because she was dressed up in a metallic suit, complete with robotic wings, resembling a robot bee. The others were impressed by her outfit and asked her about it. She explained that she was a performance artist and was on her way to a show. Another woman pulled out a cigarette and started smoking, ignoring the "no smoking" sign. The others frowned at her, but she just shrugged and continued puffing away. The third woman had a dead bird. She explained that she had found it on her way to the café and had brought it along to see if anyone could identify the species. Just as they were about to order their food, a swarm of bees suddenly descended on the café, buzzing around the tables and chairs. The women panicked, swatting at the bees and ducking for cover wondering why they had worn so many flowers. But then something surprising happened. The woman dressed as a robot bee stood up and raised her arms, and the bees suddenly started swarming around her, as if she were their queen. She calmly led the bees away from the café, and soon they disappeared into the distance. The other women were amazed, and the smoker even stubbed out her cigarette in awe. They all thanked the robot bee woman and chatted excitedly about what had just happened. The time traveler was fascinated by the scene in front of her and watched the women with interest. She noticed the woman with the dead bird and wondered how she had come to possess it. As she continued to observe, she realized that the woman had found the bird on a time-traveling expedition and had accidentally brought it back to the present. As the time traveler watched...

[From Ben Duke] The following is from Wikipedia, but I learned of this spot after getting into August Strindberg novels. "Zum Schwarzen Ferkel," translated as "The Black Piglet," was a historic tavern located at the corner of Unter den Linden and Neue Wilhelmstraße in Berlin. Notable for its cultural and historical significance, the tavern was a central meeting point for Nordic writers and artists in the 1890s. It was frequented by figures such as August Strindberg, Edvard Munch, and the Polish writer Stanisław Przybyszewski, among others. The tavern's original name was Gustav Türkes Weinhandlung und Probierstube, owned by Gustav Türke, and it was also known as "The Cloister." The name "Zum Schwarzen Ferkel" was coined by Strindberg, who thought an Armenian wine-sack hanging over the entrance resembled a black piglet. This quirky name was enthusiastically accepted by both the owner and the patrons. August Strindberg, a Swedish playwright and novelist, played a significant role in the tavern's history. After moving to Berlin in 1892, he became a regular at the tavern and a leading figure among the Nordic and German artistic community that gathered there. The tavern was not only a place for socializing but also a hub of intellectual and artistic exchange, with members engaging in vibrant discussions and forming significant relationships, both personal and professional. Edvard Munch, the Norwegian painter, also became a regular after his arrival in Berlin in 1892. The tavern saw its share of drama, including romantic entanglements and artistic disputes. One notable figure was Dagny Juel, a Norwegian music student who became involved with several members of the circle and was later tragically murdered in Tbilisi in 1901. The tavern's influence extended into the literary and artistic works of its patrons. For example, Adolf Paul wrote about his experiences and the people he met at the Ferkel in his book "Strindberg-Erinnerungen und -Briefe," published in 1914. Strindberg's novel "Klostret" ("The Cloister"), published posthumously in 1966, also drew from his experiences at the tavern. Unfortunately, the original building that housed Zum Schwarzen Ferkel was destroyed during the Second World War. Today, its legacy lives on through the stories and works of the artists and writers who once gathered there. Wikkipedia. Ben Duke Zum Schwarzen Ferkel oil on canvas 36h x 36w in 91.44h x 91.44w cm BSD039 Ben Duke b. 1977 Louisville, KY Education 2006 M.F.A., Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 2002 B.F.A., University of Utah, Salt Lake City...

The two figures are my brothers, who have differing personalities and life styles. One is more traditional, while the other is rebellious. They work in the same environment, however ...

Oil painting depicting a woman in a mirror with an animal backbone visible where her backbone would be, and a giant eye peering on. Expressionist and emotional, the space is engagin...

Oil on canvas

Noemi Martín belongs to a generation of young painters for whom the avant-garde of the mid-twentieth century is just another feature of the history of art, capable as they are of obs...

Noemi Martín belongs to a generation of young painters for whom the avant-garde of the mid-twentieth century is just another feature of the history of art, capable as they are of obs...

Noemi Martín belongs to a generation of young painters for whom the avant-garde of the mid-twentieth century is just another feature of the history of art, capable as they are of obs...

Noemi Martín belongs to a generation of young painters for whom the avant-garde of the mid-twentieth century is just another feature of the history of art, capable as they are of obs...