The Sunday Edition: Artists Behaving Badly

Brooklyn performance artist Duke Riley was recently detained by the NYPD for an incident involving a home-made wooden submarine, a tall-boy can of beer, and an artistic plot to commandeer a military vessel. He was charged with, among other things, 'unsafe boating.' Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly issued a statement calling the incident “marine mischief” and the “creative craft of three adventuresome individuals.” Riley's art dealers issued a statement saying that the submarine would soon be on display in their Chelsea art gallery.

Maybe you have also heard the recent story about the woman arrested for kissing a Cy Twombly painting in a fit of passion/performance art, leaving a red lipstick stain on the minimal, white canvas. Her sentencing is coming up this month.

It reminded me of an article I read years ago, about a historical (we're talkin' Renaissance-era historical) medical 'condition' in which a person viewing a work of art became so overwhelmed that they burst into seizures, shouting, hysterics, and all sorts of abnormal behavior. I can't remember the name that was given to these 'art attacks.' I once really thought I was having one, but it turns out I was just fainting from standing with locked knees for too long.

PS - you're lucky if the Blue Angels zooming overhead are not drowning out your attempted listening of the newest Art Radio Seattle.