Escape into Life: Issue no. 16

Christopher Holloran

This issue of Escape into Life expresses every reason why I began the journal in the first place. Lara Cory's article, "The Etsy Phenomenon," challenges us to see the effects of a democratic web on art. The article provoked a lot of conversations, and I invite you to read the string of comments.

Also in this issue, Escape into Life introduces a new project for artists. Inspired by Giorgio Vasari's artist biographies published in 1550, Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, I'm asking artists to create their own stories about their lives. We will run the artist autobiographies periodically through the online journal.

The Etsy Phenomenon . . . Lara Cory's balanced account of the success of Etsy with much room for opposing viewpoints.

The Poetry of Kelli Russell Agodon . . . Kelli Russell Agodon is the author of several published books, and her work has appeared in the Atlantic Monthly.

What is Real: Chuck Close and Kazimir Malevich . . . Mark Kerstetter provides a fascinating analysis of photorealistic and abstract painting, and whether either one can be said to be "real."

PeopleMatter: Interview with Nic Rad . . . Nic Rad talks with Lara Cory about his PeopleMatter project, explaining how he intends to give his paintings away to the public for free.

Why Nic Rad Matters . . . Nic Rad's portrait project is an intelligent critique of celebrity culture, and a brilliant use of social technology to promote art.

New EIL Project:

Lives of the Artists . . . Arists! Tell your story. How did you become an artist? What style and medium do you choose for your work and why? See the website for more details.

What is Escape into Life?

Escape into Life hosts over 700 contemporary artist profiles, and is also an online arts journal with contributions from nearly 25 different writers. Many of our contributors—ranging from well-known published authors, university professors, and freelance journalists—continue to publish art reviews and art history essays month after month. In addition, our poetry editor selects a new poet to feature in the journal every issue.

The Escape into Life digest comes out about twice monthly and you can subscribe at the top of the website, next to the search bar.

As an organization, we seek to promote the arts in all its forms. Our next milestone is to merge the thriving online publication with a viable online art store and auction.

Escape into Life: Issue no. 13

eX de Medici, Blue (Bower/Bauer) 1998-2000

In addition to the six new artists we feature daily, one of my goals has been to incorporate multimedia onto Escape into Life. Now you'll find art videos, movie trailers (relating to the arts), and short films. We try to keep it interesting. One such "find" is the brilliant interview with Francis Bacon.

This issue is exceptional, if only for the marvelous contributions by Lara Cory who has been dedicating time and effort to this arts journal. Thank you Lara. We have two new poets in this issue, as well as another outstanding art history essay by Stephen Pain.

Russian and Soviet Art: Levitan and Pimenov . . . Seasoned arts writer Stephen Pain introduces us to two Russian masters and describes the dramatic changes in Russian painting from the 1890’s to the 1960’s.

eX de Medici: Emblems of Death Transformed . . . Arts writer Lara Cory, who hails from Australia, reviews the meticulous work of Australian artist eX de Medici.

The Poetry of William Taylor Jr. . . . Poetry that rises out of the San Francisco soul.

Gig Poster Artists: Travis Bone, Rob Jones, Justin Hampton . . . This interview with three prominent rock poster artists is a follow-up to Lara Cory's recent article on the genre.

Poetry by Robert Lee Brewer . . . Robert Lee Brewer is the editor of Writer's Market, and an accomplished poet.

What is Escape into Life?

EIL is a publication based on the concept of citizen journalism. The goal is to create a journal of poetry, essays, and art from writers who are already publishing on the Web and who would like to gain more exposure to their blogs. The artists we feature are the very best we can find, and the writers have a background in writing and a passion for the arts.

More information here

Escape into Life: Issue no. 11

Tino Sehgal's live sculptures at the Guggenheim challenge our notions of "object-based" art. Sehgal's actors respond to museum-goers, and remain in the exhibit the entire time the museum is open. What is even more far-fetched is that the artist sells these works. Writer and artist Fraser MacIver, with editorial work done by Tony Thomas, covers Sehgal in our latest issue of Escape into Life.

Also in this issue, you'll find poems by Alane Rollings, a Chicago poet who has mentored me in writing for over ten years. I hope you enjoy the new issue.

Tino Sehgal's Living Sculptures . . . Documentation of Tino Sehgal's exhibits is banned but we found a picture on the Internet along with a video to accompany this outstanding review of Sehgal's work.

Poetry by Alane Rollings . . . These heartbreakingly beautiful poems are taken from Rollings's collection, In Your Own Sweet Time.

Figuring Out the Abstract: Gender, Politics, and Art . . . Writer Stephen Pain shows how art critics and patrons have marginalized women in art, and how male artists have painted women. He focuses his discussion on the work of female artists Eva Hesse and Carolee Schneemann.

Poetry by Graham Nunn . . . With his well-wrought verse, Graham Nunn has the power to situate us right beside the river he is describing.

What is Escape into Life?

EIL is a publication based on the concept of citizen journalism. The goal is to create a journal of poetry, essays, and art from writers who are already publishing on the Web and who would like to gain more exposure to their blogs. The artists we feature are the very best we can find, and the writers have a background in writing and a passion for the arts.

More information here

Escape into Life: Issue no. 10

Carl Jung's Red Book has been infinitely fascinating to me ever since I read an article about it in The New York Times magazine, and then received the actual book as a gift for Christmas. In this issue of Escape into Life, our newest writer, Julie Andrijeski, walks us through the first part of the book entitled "Liber Primus".

In Julie's essay, as with every full length essay we publish, I attempt to create a visual context. While nothing could compare to seeing the actual book, I still wanted to capture the spirit. Here are the highlights of this issue:

Journey into the Red Book: Liber Primus . . . Julie breaks down the entire first section of Jung's book, and introduces us to its major themes.

Poetry by santrose . . . The poems of satnrose, a well-known antiquarian bookseller, burst forth with a frantic, myth-infused poetic language.

How the Murder of a Poet Has Become a Hero in Hungary . . . Foreign correspondent and poet, Thomas Ország-Land, tells the chilling tale of the Holocaust poet, Miklós Radnóti, with his own translations of Radnóti's poetry.

The Importance of Living by Lin Yutang . . . Escape into Life's seasoned book reviewer, Gretta Barclay, takes a look at one of the 20th century's spiritual classics.

What is Escape into Life?

EIL is a publication based on the concept of citizen journalism. The goal is to create a journal of poetry, essays, and art from writers who are already publishing on the Web and who would like to gain more exposure to their blogs. The artists we feature are the very best we can find, and the writers have a background in writing and a passion for the arts.

More information here

Escape into Life: Issue no. 7

Werribee Dining by Kirsten Corbett

I think what I enjoyed most about this issue of Escape into Life was watching the material come to life. A new writer, Victoria Cho, joined our team and contributed an art review on the Noguchi Museum. I also received two outstanding essays from writers Mark Kerstetter and Stephen Pain. This issue is graced with some extraordinary gems. Here are some highlights:

Noguchi: The Space Behind the Art . . . . Learn about the half-Irish-American, half-Japanese sculptor Isamu Noguchi and his unique place in 20th century art.

Little Chicks, Broken Dolls, and Krapp's Last Tape . . . Escape into Life writer and poetry editor Mark Kerstetter discusses the three artist types and how Samuel Beckett is not like his creation, Mr. Krapp.

The Legacy of Joseph Beuys . . . An absorbing introduction to the influential German artist Joseph Beuys and his enigmatic performance art with a dead hare.

Suppertime Sonnets . . . Kate Sherrod has been publishing one sonnet a day for over a year now on her blog, Suppertime Sonnets. We've gathered some of our favorites in this feature.

What is Escape into Life?

EIL is a publication based on the concept of citizen journalism. The goal is to create a journal of poetry, essays, and art from writers who are already publishing on the Web and who would like to gain more exposure to their blogs. The artists we feature are the very best we can find, and the writers have a background in writing and a passion for the arts.

More information here