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Artist Tom Otterness Photo: Gawker.com

Animal Lover Advisory: Explicit Content Herein

Gawker dropped a bomb on legions of animal lovers in San Francisco earlier this month: New York based artist Tom Otterness, who was contracted by the city to create a series of statues for a local subway station, is known to have shot a dog ‘in the name of art’ back in 1977.

Otterness publicly apologized for his gross act of animal cruelty (documented on film, no less) in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle in 2008 saying, “Thirty years ago when I was 25 years old, I made a film in which I shot a dog. It was an indefensible act that I am deeply sorry for. Many of us have experienced profound emotional turmoil and despair. Few have made the mistake I made. I hope people can find it in their hearts to forgive me.” The question is, can San Franciscans forgive this man? Then give him public funds for a large commission?

"The Herring Eater" by Tom Otterness at Dutch museum Beelden aan Zee Photo: Wikipedia

The artist’s deceptively whimsical bronze sculptures depicting politically-spiked characters have found homes in New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Sacramento and Minneapolis. Hardly the most judgmental cities in the US, but still – supporting a dog killer?

For now, the San Francisco project is on hold pending an investigation of the artist. It’s a tough call: everybody deserves a little forgiveness, and Otterness’ work is both culturally relevant and distinctive. Still, we’re more-or-less a nation of dog lovers here in the US, and we don’t take kindly to anyone – artist or otherwise – mistreating our toothy, tail wagging, four-legged friends.

Art by Tom Otterness Photo: zine.Artcat.com

The good news is that it shouldn’t be too hard for the City of San Francisco to find another talented and worthy artist in need of $750,000.

What’s your opinion? Voice it below in our comments section.

"Meditation 5" by Marion Henrion on Zatista.com

I grew up watching my mom make quilt after quilt for everyone in my huge family. It’s always been her art form of choice – an appropriate one to embrace in my small home town in New England. I know for a fact that piecing a quilt together is no small feat: divining a design, cutting out each intricate piece, and sewing it all together calls for a serious commitment and heaps of intention.

That’s why I was so taken with Marion Henrion‘s work here on Zatista. I particularly like her geometric “Meditation” series. Drawing on all those nights of monitoring my mom’s progress as I slogged through homework in our living room, I’d say these pieces are very appropriately named.

"Meditation 6" by Marion Henrion on Zatista.com

Utilizing fabric – especially silk, as Marion does – calls for an extra level of consideration. It’s a bit more of a process than using paper in the same application, and hand quilting is obviously a undertaking unto itself.

It’s hard to say if the same pieces rendered in paint would move me similarly. Part of the equation is color choice and composition, but there’s just something else about the art and the effort in these works that really speaks to me.

"Meditation 7" by Marion Henrion on Zatista.com

Considering the fact that Marion’s works are included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Arts & Design in New York, the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and represented in the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art in Washington, DC, I guess I’m not alone.

"Under the Bridge" by Klaus Rossler on Zatista.com

Photography, as an art form and a science, was first invented with the intention of capturing moments. A snap, a whir, and maybe a flash, and there you had it – one second of one minute of one hour of one day of one month of one year in time.

"Heading Home" by Kim Weimer on Zatista.com

It can be easy to think of photography as only that – a means of capturing static instants, a finite increment of time in the perpetual cascade of millennia.

"Tourist Port, Study 1" by Tugrul Yasarcan on Zatista.com

However, the thing I really love about photography is that it’s actually possible to play with the very notion of a moment. Many photographers experiment with adjusting their settings, drawing what could be seen as a dot into an extended line. Water transforms into milky ether and motion draws itself out in the air.

"Tail Branch River" by Carlos Roedan on Zatista.com

Pulled like taffy by a masterful technician of the photographic arts, time becomes a ribbon that you could almost wrap around your fingers. In the midst of the fog, that same, singular moment still lurks, but for once, we also get to see all the in-betweens.

Image: 148apps.com

If you haven’t been hibernating for the past two plus years, odds are you know who Banksy is. Well, actually – not who he is specifically, because somehow the elusive street artist has remained anonymous, but rather what he does.

Banksy LA billboard photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

All of the controversy he generates with his often politically oriented graffiti was actually eclipsed for a moment during this year’s Oscars, where his film Exit Through the Gift Shop was nominated for Best Documentary. All motivations aside, part of the allure of street art is the way in which we do – or sometimes don’t – find it. Stumbling upon a “piece” is part of the game; there’s just a certain thrill that goes along with finding a piece of art completely at random.

Image: 148apps.com

It happened to me about three years ago in a tiny town in Florida. I was on my way to the airport with a friend when we stopped at a Cuban restaurant for a quick meal. Then, on the way back to his car, we spied it: a bona fide Banksy mural in the middle of nowhere.

Bansky street art photo: http://weblog.evasee.com/

The release of a Banksy iPhone app this week throws a wrench into that happy mechanism. Now you can pinpoint locations of works by the British artist in almost any city around the world. Want to check out what he has on tap in Barcelona? Look no further. Spending a long weekend in Cleveland? He’s probably hit there, too.

Image: 148apps.com

Part of graffiti is definitely the artist’s desire to have his or her work found and appreciated (and maybe even hated). But doesn’t this kind of take the fun out of it? A case could be made for “cities as galleries” but I think I’ll stick to finding art in the streets the old fashioned way – with my own two feet. What do you think?

"Against the Grain" by Kaley Rhodes on Zatista.com

Choosing the right frame for a piece of art can be a hard (and expensive) decision. A great frame won’t make a piece something it’s not, but it can help make some great work look incredible in your home.

Fortunately, some Zatista artists take it upon themselves to handle their own framing. That’s something special because when it comes down to it, the artist’s original vision for the piece carries through all the way to the final presentation. Take the piece above, for instance. The minimal one inch black frame complements the composition and doesn’t steal any attention away from the work itself.

"Evaporated Salt Water" by Erynn Rademacher on Zatista.com

Here, in Erynn Rademacher‘s photo of salt crystals (taken through a microscope – how cool is that?) the frame and inlaid double matting mimics the image itself.

"Artichoke" by Kimberley Koonce on Zatista.com

I often find myself looking through stacks of incredibly ornate frames in antique stores. At this point in my collecting experience, I don’t think I have any art that is befitting of a frame that’s a piece of art in and of itself. Good thing Kimberley Koonce is here to show us how it’s supposed to be done.

"Lao Buddha" by Martin Wachter on Zatista.com

Martin Wachter’s “Lao Buddha” won my award for Most Compelling Frame Description. In the words of the artist himself, “Framed with handmade (by artist) weathered steel frame. Set behind Conservation Glass,” sounds divine! Alas, this artwork has sold.

"Transition" by Rich Moyers on Zatista.com

Last but not least, Rich Moyers shows us how it’s really done. His beautiful piece “Transition” – nicely framed and offset within the matting – won 1st Prize, Blue Ribbon at the prestigious WVAC Southwestern Regional Mixed Media Exhibition held in Glendale, AZ. Nice work, Rich – on all levels!

Search for more fabulous framed original artwork on Zatista.com, today. Have fun shopping!