In the past four months, 11 cuban artists have been denied entrance to the United States. The U.S. Department states that "under the Patriot Act" visa applications from Cuba are subject to screening processes. One Cuban artist Alexandre Arrechea had to travel to the U.S. four to three times a year from 1993 to 2003. But his visa has been denied three times since 2004 Join discussion...

Commoners and Art Critics alike are lashing out against the so-called "tasteless" statues marring the streets of the United Kingdom. Many have noticed a recent surge of less than appealing memorials, statues, and fountains that have popped up around the country. While some simply stare at the works and mumble complaints, others have published statements and even vandalized works. For example, a statue by artist Maggi Hambling has been repeatedly spray-painted on with the words "move this tin can." While not all public art is considered bad, works like Monument to the Unknown Construction Worker by Alan Wilson have been compared to the frankenstein monster by museum director Tim Knox. The statue is three metres high and mimics Michealangelo's David. Those who support the statue say its critics should remember the people it commemorates rather than focusing on the aethetics of the statue's design. Other public art under scrutiny includes a statue of Nelson Mandela and another of two lovers embracing. Both their craftsmanship and the emotions they fail to portray have been criticised. Government officials have agreed to limit the number of approved statue/memorial applications, and to closely examine the state and looks of current statues around the UK. Join discussion...

British newspaper the Daily Mail believes it has identified the anonymous grafitti artist Banksy as Bristol native Robin Gunningham. The newspaper has substantial reason to believe Banksy and Gunningham to be the same person, but Gunningham himself has still not been located. People have speculated that Banksy may not even be one person, but a collective of artists, or may have artists working for him. Join discussion...

Gene Hathorn, a convicted murderer, has been negotiating with Danish artist Marco Evaristti and plans to donate his body if his last appeal against execution fails. Evaristti plans to deep freeze Hathorn's body and convert it into fish food. The exhibition he is planning will consist of a giant aquarium filled with goldfish, which the visitors themselves can feed with the food made from the body. Evaristti does not view this as amoral, but says the purpose of his exhibit is to protest the legal killing of human beings. Evarissti has also exhibited goldfish swimming in blenders, which visitors could kill with the touch of a button if they wanted to. At a dinner party in 2007, he served meatballs made with fat from his own body to his guests. Join discussion...

Contemporary Belgian artist Wim Delvoye is exhibiting an elaborate tattoo on a Swiss man's back at Shanghai's largest art fair, Shcontemporary. Though Chinese officials banned another of his works, pigs tattooed with Louis Vuitton logos and Disney characters, on the claim that it was not art, the tattooed man was permitted to be shown. The tattoo, which covers Swiss Tim Steiner's back, features the Virgin Mary, a skull, and roses. Steiner is contractually obligated to attend Delvoye's exhibitions, where he sits on a stool facing the wall so that visitor may view his tattoo. The tattoo has already been sold for nearly $ 215,000 to a collector who has the right to remove it from Steiner's body when he dies. Delvoye sites this sale as evidence that his work can truly be considered art. Join discussion...

Street art, the generic name for graffiti, murals, or 3-D installations which are created either legally or illegally in urban settings, is on the rise. Several artists known for their work around major cities have been featured in galleries in New York, London, and elsewhere. This is leading to a greater acceptance and better public opinion of street art, although it can still land its creators in jail. Join discussion...

As American art museums are accepting copies of paintings made in China on glass, people are debating whether that is okay. Specifically, portraits of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart are causing this debate. 200 years ago, when Stuart's original painting was created, Chinese artists were using a process of making reverse painting on glass to recreate that piece. This was an issue that Stuart attempted to fight but was not very successful at, since today there are still a number of these copies floating around. The quality of these pieces are debated, as well as the idea that each piece has different "nuances" other than those intended in the original. Some portray him more accurately, as a middle aged man, while others tend to edge on a more idealized version of Washington (fewer wrinkles, ect.) A copy of a Stuart painting has recently been donated to the New Britain Museum of American Art (the oldest museum of American art in the U.S.), which they have accepted. This also raises the question, if a foreign copy of an American painting is created, does that copy belong in an American art museum? Join discussion...

In the Marilyn prints, the true artist is Andy Warhol, the signature on the painting. Even though Warhol had help in executing his work, the idea began with him. THe credit for the plain photograph of Marilyn Monroe is not his, but his version is totally original. His workers who copied his orgiginal in the "factory" are like an extension of his creative prowess. Andy Warhol is the public's icon, to which we owe a lot of appreciation for revolutionizing the way we view art. It's like in sports, the whole team assists in bringing the ball down the field, but the scorer receives credit for the goal. Join discussion...

In April, 250 of California artist John Cosby's paintings were stolen out of his home. Recently a collector of his work discovered one of the paintings, titled "An Honest Living," on Ebay. The collector notified Cosby, who told the police. Two men were arrested for the theft of the paintings and are on trial now. The rest of the paintings were found in the men's apartment and a storage facility. Join discussion...

If "right wing" ideals (in realtion to the art world) may be characterized by support of "all things capitalistic," contemporary art may be accuratly deemed that: it is a global buisness. The UK Shadow Minister for Culture proclaims that "Artists have become brands, and their work is their product." In fact, it has been so for ages, theoretically beginning with the deMedici's patronage. Moreover, both groups celebrate the enterprenuer. In the modern world however, artists tend less and less to engage in the political debate. What is hard to ignore, then, is thoes who do: they usually do so from a left-wing perspective. Also, in considering the work itself, themes and ideas tend to be liberal. One may conclude from the arguments above depicted that though the modern art market is conservative, the art and artists involved tend to lean toward the left. Join discussion...