Category Archives: Art History
Love and Fake Antiques
‘But I bought it in a French antiques store, I paid five hundred for it’, pleaded the woman of the older couple dressed as if they had fallen from an Edwardian picture postcard. The onlookers looked on embarrassed for this obviously respectable couple. The Antiques Roadshow appraiser of antiques stood with bowed head in silence not wishing to add to the couple’s embarrassment. The wife with the powdered face and antique lace hair-net was not giving up easily.
‘This is genuine French antique’, she pleaded with a raided voice that was now bordering on shrill, ‘We bought it while we were on our honeymoon in antique stores in Versailles fifty years ago’. It had now become a collective buying decision. The blame shift was obvious to those near enough to hear and certainly to the antiques appraiser.
The lady appraiser of antiques was hoping some of the production team from The Antiques Roadshow would intervene but nobody rode to her rescue. She reached out and put her hand gently on the fur trimmed sleeve of the irate ladies coat.
‘ I am sorry but as I said this is a reproduction of an antique, it was ‘aged’ by unscrupulous people and then sold to unsuspecting people like you who were very honest and too young to have the knowledge to see it was a fake’, gently reasoned the appraiser in her most reassuring voice.
‘She said we were stupid’, the lady in the hairnet address this to her husband who stood with hunched shoulders and a look of resignation on his care worn concerned face.
’Dear, it was a long time ago, perhaps we should just forget about it and accept what this nice woman tells us, it is not an antique, the antiques store is to blame so let’s go home’, pleaded the suffering man as he looked at her with loving soft eyes.
‘It is your fault, you and your , ‘we must buy a nice French antique as a reminder of our honeymoon’, well this is where another of your stupid ideas have got us’, the woman in the net wagged her head and shoulders as she quoted her embarrassed husband in an even more shrill voice which bordered on a scream.
‘It wasn’t even your money, it was my daddy’s money you spent on that worthless French Antique’, continued the woman in the net. ‘Daddy was right, you were a fake, a pretender, an imitator of a real man’, screamed the woman at her now very pale and downcast husband. ‘All we had that we cherished after fifty years was that now worthless antique,’ she poked him in the chest with her bone like finger.
‘A fake for a fake, it was to be the start of a great collection of French antiques, you said, an heirloom for out children,’ she continued to poke him even harder. The Antiques roadshow Antiques appraiser was between two minds, ‘should she interfere in this now domestic row or should she just quietly slip into the crowd’. ‘Well now we have no French Antiques and we certainly have no children, you were a fake there too’. The lady in the net was crying now and her pokes were devoid of energy just open handed pats against the flat of his chest.
He reached for her shoulders and gently pulled the lady in the net into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head and turned her away from The Antiques Roadshow appraiser of antiques. She gestured to the worthless example of fake French Antiques that lay almost forgotten on the green blaze of the antique card table. He waved it away with a flick of his wrist saying, ‘Give it to charity, we have forgotten about it already, our son is waiting in the car for us.’
Reality dawned on the antiques appraiser and on the near faces in the crowd. ‘Could I not have pretended, just this once’, silently The Antiques Roadshow antiques appraiser admonished herself with sad tears in her eyes.
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Long Lines – Original Poem
Fifth Beatle: Stuart Sutcliffe – Gone But Not Forgotten
Two guys sitting in a bar having a great time and very much intoxicated, they amusingly mimic a girl singing on stage. They are very humored by this form of entertainment while completely suspended from sensibility. Next thing they know one of them is pinned to the ground and gets the beating of his life! His best friend, John Lennon, tries to defend him the best as he could and even gets his wrist broken in the process. Bludgeoned and almost covered in blood, Stuart Sutcliffe gets kicked in the head extremely hard, which many believed is what triggered the brain hemorrhage that lead to his death in 1962. The Beatles will never be the same again.
Born on the 23rd of June, 1940, Stuart Ferguson Victor Sutcliffe was a quiet, good looking, but very shy lad. He had personal charisma and looks comparable to James Dean. He would often reserve away from the female gender, but still would not have any trouble having them as companions. His passion for art was not just a hobby but more of a way of life. Every stroke of paint that he put onto a canvass was an expression of a different aspect of himself. By the age of 19, he was already considered as one of the most promising and talented students at the Liverpool College of Arts. While Sutcliffe was a gifted artist, he also had an interest with music; this was mainly influenced by his friendship with John Lennon. Stu would hang around with John’s group during gigs and rehearsals while doing his work. This almost brought a concern to his fellow artists that he might abandon his first love, painting. But nevertheless, he was still just as interested in art as he always had been.
As Stu and John’s college years progressed, they developed a remarkable friendship that would be envied almost by everyone around at that time (who wouldn’t!) they would rely on each other for anything anytime. Stu would influence John to express his creative side while John on the other hand, would tell Stu to relax a bit more and teach him how to connect with others. Both of them cherished this and became the best of friends. As Stuart further expounded his skills for art he decided to enter some of his paintings for the John Moore exhibition which was regarded as one of the best around for its type. John(Lennon) was so excited for Stu that he even brought his Aunt Mimi to the exhibit to flaunt his best friend’s work. This also caught the attention of the host (John Moore) and even bought one of Stu’s paintings for an unheard sum of 65 pounds! Having received this large sum of money, Stu didn’t exactly knew what to do with it. Sure he had a few debts here and there or maybe he should buy more painting materials to further support his craft, but instead John convinced him to buy a bass guitar (Hofner President) and join his group, Johnny & the Moondogs. Although Stu didn’t really know how to play and had to turn down John a couple of times, he finally decided to give it a go and this would turn out to be one of the most important decisions that he would make in his life. Never mind that he couldn’t play he would eventually pick it up by self-teaching and “with a little help from his friends.”
Years later George (Harrison) would recall in one interview: “Stu had no idea how to play, we all showed him what we could but he really picked it up by coming around with us and playing onstage.” Although it became clear to everyone including John, that Stuart would never be as excellent a musician as he was a brilliant artist. The group would turn his amp off whenever he couldn’t follow a song or was having a difficult time finishing it. Stu on the other hand, would rather turn his back to the crowd during live gigs for them not to notice his flaw.
However because of this, he was able to embody that distinctive sense of style and mystery to the band’s appearance. Shortly after a few gigs in their local area, the boys got an invitation to play in a club somewhere in Hamburg. But before flying-off, they had to undergo a series of modifications of their band’s name; from Johnny & the Moondogs, to the Silver Beetles, until finally Stu came up with just “The Beetles.” Stuart was thinking of a name that would resemble Buddy Holly & the Cricketts since John and Paul (McCartney) were into them at that time.
Later the second “e” was dropped and instead was replaced by an “a” since John had specified that “we’re a beat group.”
Meanwhile back in Hamburg, a couple were having a lover’s quarrel when the guy, Klaus Voorman (who later went on to design the cover of Revolver) decided to walk out and just wander the streets of Hamburg for some fresh air until he found himself walking into a club and heard a performance by a group of musicians from Liverpool. He was also so enthralled by this and ran back to his (then) lover, Astrid Kircherr, to tell her about them. They began to talk to these boys after the performance and right away there was an immediate connection between Stuart and Astrid. Even though there was a huge communication gap, the two fell in love instantly with each other.
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OFFF Cincinnati 2013:OFFF’s founder, Hector Ayuso – curating the interactive exhibition
English: Offf Logos Deutsch: Offf Logos (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
OFFF Cincinnati is an event for the entire creative community, bringing artists and designers from around the world to share their work and inspiration with you! What differentiates OFFF from other conferences is the passion and diversity of techniques that the presenters share, from analog and handcraft to cutting edge digital processes. Because of last year’s sold-out success, we’ve moved the conference to a bigger venue–theAronoff Center.
Once again, OFFF Cincinnati features some of the world’s biggest names and brightest minds exploring design and technology today, including coders, illustrators, motion graphic designers and more.
Presenters:
Sara Blake (New York)
Jon Burgerman (New York)
Brendan Dawes (Manchester)
Ramon Escolá (Barcelona)
Multitouch Barcelona (Barcelona)
James Paterson (Montreal)
Onur Senturk (Los Angeles)
James Victore (New York)
*Joshua Davis (New York) FRIDAY NIGHT PRESENTATION
*PARTY: Friday, March 8
OFFF’s founder, Hector Ayuso, is curating the interactive exhibition, ON! Handcrafted Digital Playgrounds, to coincide with the conference. The OFFF Cincinnati celebration continues with the exhibition’s opening eventson Friday, March 8 at the CAC, where you can party with the presenters. The evening starts with a special presentation by OFFF super-star (and ON! exhibition artist) Joshua Davis, followed by a huge night of entertainment with Brooklyn-based DJ /rupture and cool participatory projects by Joshua Davis and Multitouch Barcelona. NOT to be missed.
OFFF Cincinnati 2013 partners: Sterling Brands, AIGA Cincinnati, Deskey Branding, Interbrand, Landor Associates, LPK, P&G Design, Seemless Printing and ArtsWave Coporate Partner: GE Aviation.
: $50 ($30 students) bit.ly/OFFFCincyTIX
When March 6th, 2013 9:00 AM through 6:00 PM
Related articles:
- 13 Conferences to attend in 2013 (datavisualization.ch)
- offf CCCB Barcelona (offf.ws)
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Anything You Have Experienced In A Regular Singing Lesson, Can Ignite An Amazing New Singing Ability Within You?
Cheerios packaging sold in the U.K. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you have ever taken singing lessons, or even online singing lessons, you have probably been exposed to singing scales. But have you ever wondered why singing training traditionally always involves singing scales? Would you also be curious enough to know why this process holds you back tremendously?
Most people who have taken singing lessons, or have read about how to sing better on the Internet, are encountered with the standard advice that you need to learn how to “breathe correctly” or use “stomach support”. You may have been told you need to “stand with good posture”, or that you should “place the larynx” in a certain position. Perhaps you have even been given instructions to “sing from your mask” or “feel as if you are yawning”.
Unfortunately, this well-meaning advice becomes exceptionally limiting – even destructive – for the majority of people trying to improve their singing voices. The reason will become abundantly clear when you watch the FREE VIDEO that you get on this page.
On the other hand, when you engage in a process – a process that you are about to learn here – through which you develop an extraordinary awareness of your body and mind, you can immediately FEEL the restriction your body and mind have unconsciously been holding on to. The beauty is that you also discover how to RELEASE these restrictions.
You FEEL how muscles that used to become engaged in the attempt to produce sound, can now let go. As a result, you can rather immediately sing with more power but with far less effort. Your voice becomes more flexible and your range increases rapidly.
Most importantly, you FEEL good!
Yes, it feels good to sing – just as it should. You also notice that when it feels good it also sounds good, simply because the sound isn’t restricted. And you SING ON KEY with much greater accuracy.
You now not only sound better than ever before, you can now sing with greater passion, in the style you want to sing. And with this newfound confidence and freedom you can truly bond with the audience. Now you become a singer who is attractive and captivating. Now the audience LOVES you.
… in your local choir or band… or when you sing by yourself for your own enjoyment.
——————————————————————————————————————-
I found these video’s helpful; there are many out there to suited to our personal interests . As an artist {painter}, as noted in these videos, in expectation of an implied talent. people often say to me “how do you do that”… No, the acclimation that talent is innate may have been be overblown. There is a lot of practice, training via self or by an expert. Admitting to myself to trust and let go, to not be a champion, at will.. Sounds easy? I have found ; If I make mud out of all my beautiful paints–I make mud. Trust yourself. Love mud. Then do something with it-step back: take a trip to the museum and look around at all the mistakes, other greats that you admire.. Then start asking questions. Just like a child– it is the “why why why”. Looking is a great tool. Feelingly is a great tool. Creativity is a great tool. Hearing is a great tool. Although not equal, we all possess these innately. Even a disability , pronounces itself in another voice. To one extent every gift vacillates over on other and each “endeavor” over another over an other. Trying to do our best and not to be critical is one of the tools– I’ve have had one of the greatest wrestling matches with. Trying NOT to out think my ‘ intuition’ { what I think I already know verse what I don’t know}. What I don’t know is; one of my greatest assets { a learning device that sounds like it has ricochshaded to the thousandths}. So trusting myself when I am ready, when is it time is positive verse putative – the how the “why” can be intra- gated after the self interrogation…
…even if sounds like a ‘ learning element’ that has been consecrated and impounded . Creativity, that has and is a questionable; thoughtfulness, that keeps re-occurring {as long as is cognoscente and it is in an adverbially perspective}. Feedback, though is quite astute in our memories. Regenerate from others, even with the best of intent, can be difficult and gestational. Perspectives help us sift through our own filter’s and try to understand other’s. No small challenge. I would rather eat the breakfast of champanions. Cheerios‘s is Cheerios. Therefore forcing us to value to what we think or question, commits us to be makers or un -makers of our own inviability or the spinnability of our audience.
Whether is thought or action is congregational, throughout yourself, myself albeit friends, a painting, a memory, a song , a new attempt of bringing a part of history albeit politically antithetic, or a slight kinesthetic action such as shaking someone’s hand- is worth while.
For growth, impairment of even the greatest of our own attributes, is one of our greatest strengths.
Singing is indeed for everybody
as writing
as fashion
as are political speeches.
as are interpersonal relationships.
and so forth…
So goes for creativeness.
and love.
Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head.
.
Singing 
is joyful.
Related articles: to think about.
- Singing Lessons – Singing Lessons – Singing Lessons (slideshare.net)
- clear vocal sound question (gearslutz.com)
- Learn the song, learn the skill. (teacherlingo.com)
- Top tips for practising singing (warmmeup.wordpress.com)
- Vocademy Singing Lessons Introduce Their Own Graded Qualifications (prweb.com)
- Crisp clear sound? (gearslutz.com)
- Pre amp problem (gearslutz.com)
- Advantages Of Attending Formal Singing Lessons (candlesmusic.com)
- PGPs: Objectives (aroadlesstaken.org)
- Anything You Have Experienced In A Regular Singing Lesson, Can Ignite An Amazing New Singing Ability Within You? (tigergroves.wordpress.com)
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Corinne PONDELL Holt – Muhammad Ali Art Show
MUHAMMAD ALI IN ACTION SERIES
“Float like a butterfly sting like a bee” eyes of an eagle, stomach of steel. His humanitarianism, his dedication to Allah, his charisma, his confidence, his beauty, his will to win (even when being booed), and of course, his hometown, are all reason’s I have chosen Muhammad Ali as my subject for a series of drawings.
I became interested in boxing after watching an HBO special profiling the lives of two boxers about ready to fight each other. There is an extreme passion, dedication, and discipline to prepare the body for the best physical condition it can be in, so as to beat and not be beaten. The possible physical damage a boxer puts his body through is extreme. As a figurative artist I find it absolutely amazing what these bodies endure and how they recover to preform again and again.
One thing that struck me as I watched the boxers fight in slow motion was how graceful the bodies looked as they danced together. Dancing to find the right opportunity to make a swing most effective. It is a perfect combination of violence and beauty, coming together to see who is stronger, who is faster, and who will ultimately win the match. Finding a series of Ali’s fights on DVD, gave me a chance to watch him in action, frame by frame. I selected the images I found most compelling and captured the power of his and his opponent’s bodies in water-soluble crayon, pen, charcoal, and soft pastels. I’ve been involved with this project for more than a year and continue to be inspired by Ali as a subject.
Related articles
- Muhammad Ali’s ‘Candid Camera’ Segment Hilarious, Touching (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
- Ten Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Muhammad Ali (neatorama.com)
- Jim Brown Nearly Boxed Muhammad Ali Once Upon A Time (sportsgrid.com)
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Snow Tiger by YUSEF KOMUNYAKAABY
Ghost sun half
hidden, where did you go?
There’s always a mother
of some other creature
born to fight for her young.
But crawl out of your hide,
walk upright like a man,
& you may ask if hunger is the only passion
as you again lose yourself
in a white field’s point of view.
In this glacial quiet
nothing moves except—
then a flash of eyes & nerves.
If cornered in your head by cries from a cave
in another season, you can’t forget
in this landscape a pretty horse
translates into a man holding a gun.
Source: Poetry (April 2012).
BIOGRAPHY
In his poetry, Yusef Komunyakaa weaves together the elements of his own life in short lines of vernacular to create complex images of life in his native Louisiana and the jungles of Vietnam. From his humble beginnings as the son of a carpenter, Komunyakaa has traveled far to become a scholar, professor, and prize-winning poet. In 1994, he claimed the Pulitzer Prize and the $50,000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for his Neon . . .
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- Stagnant Ice: an Exotic Fantasy Setting (mqallen.com)
- The Dance of Words (teenchange.wordpress.com)
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“Painting Abstraction: new elements in abstract painting” by Bob Nickas.
Oregon College of Art and Craft Library:
“Painting Abstraction: new elements in abstract painting” by Bob Nickas.
Featured Artist: Michelle Ross
She is well known for her contemporary abstract paintings, which “[traverse] the history of abstraction, design, decoration and the love of language” (here). Her work has been likened to Mondrian, Hans Hoffman, Giorgio Morandi, Agnes Martin, Mary Heilman, and Robert Mangold. Ryan Pierce has stated that “Ross’ paintings are firmly grounded in the tropes and traditions of modernism,” they are “refreshingly free of the gimmicks that crowd a lot of abstraction these days,” and they “link the classical and the modern with grace and reverence, leaving plenty of open space for whatever happens next” (from a 2007 review on PORT).
More images of her recent work can be seen on the Elizabeth Leach Gallery website.
“Painting Abstraction: new elements in abstract painting” by Bob Nickas.
For this week’s library pick, we have selected a title that showcases many of Michelle Ross’ contemporaries and other artists pushing the limits of abstract painting. The book is Painting Abstraction: new elements in abstract painting by Bob Nickas.
After a prefatory essay on the “persistence of abstraction,” the book is broken up into six parts: “hybrid pictures,” “Rhythm and Opticality,” “Color and Structure,” “Found/Eccentric Abstraction,” “Form, Space, and Scale,” and “the Act of Painting.” About a dozen or more artists have been selected for each section and a short text describes how each particularly addresses some issue related to that section’s theme.
For example, Nickas asks “Is the hand of an artist more visible to us when drawing and line are central to her paintings?” (139). He then demonstrates how this question can be answered in the “affirmative” by a close investigation on the work of Allison Miller. Several large, full-color reproductions of her work follow in order to illustrate his point.
Painting Abstraction is an authoritative compilation that addresses the key issues in the field of abstract painting from the last five years and profiles 80 different contemporary abstract artists including Mark Grotjahn and Amy Sillman. Bob Nickas work is an excellent balance of research, critical analysis, and, what all great art books so often have: art, art, and more art.
Related articles
- New Possibilities: Abstract Paintings from the Seventies – in pictures (guardian.co.uk)
- Abstract art painting | Creating, drestroying & transforming a painting (yasoypintor.com)
- The 9 most stunning abstract art facts of the year (yasoypintor.com)
- Dance of form and formlessness (thehindu.com)
- Peter Schjeldahl: “Inventing Abstraction, 1910-1925,” at MOMA. (newyorker.com)
- Automatic Photo Paint Abstraction with Studio Artist – MSG (pixiq.com)
- Hyperrealistic Oil Paintings by Alyssa Monks (sandroesposito.wordpress.com)
- Unspoken stories (thehindu.com)
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British pre-Raphaelite barn owl painting discovery
British pre-Raphaelite barn owl painting discovered
From the Huffington Post:
Attic Owl Painting Sells For Nearly $1 Million At Christie’s Victorian Art Sale (PHOTO)
Posted: 12/17/2012 12:31 pm EST | Updated: 12/17/2012 12:31 pm EST
Everyone dreams of finding that one priceless item hiding in the corners of a dust-ridden attic. One UK teacher recently experienced the joy of rescuing such a forgotten antique, all thanks to an old owl painting that turned out to be worth nearly a million dollars.
Jane Cordery, an art teacher in Hampshire, discovered the detailed bird portrait in her attic after attempting to clean the space for a plumber. She’d never seen the ornate owl, but the painting’s intricate brushwork caught her eye and she decided to e-mail a photograph of the find to Christie’s auction house. According to the Daily Mail, One look at the owl and art expert Brandon Lindberg knew that that the work was worth much more than anyone suspected.
The auction house determined that the painting, titled “The White Owl,” was created by pre-Raphaelite artist William James Webbe, and experts valued the work at £70,000 ($113,449). Beyond the British masterpiece’s hefty price tag, it was also revealed that the UK’s Royal Society had exhibited the owl in the mid 19th century, exposing the piece to leading art critic, John Ruskin, who described it as “a careful study” with excellent brown wings.
The attic artwork hit Christie’s auction block last week, far outselling its estimated price — the winning bid was £589,250 ($951,050). Cordery maintains that she had never even seen the painting before her impromptu winter cleaning, while her partner, James Ravenscroft, remembers receiving the work as a present from his mother. “It’s a complete shock,” Cordery told the Daily Pioneer after the sale. “We were not imagining that in our wildest dreams.”
The owl depicted in the painting is a barn owl.
The motto of the painting is inspired by this poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Related articles
- The Lure of Long-Lost Art: James Webbe’s White Owl (artmarketblog.com)
- There’s a £70k Pre-Raphaelite owl in my attic: Teacher’s joy after stumbling across battered old painting by eminent artist (dailymail.co.uk)
- Portrait of a Barn Owl (leighdiprose.com)
- Indian owls threatened by superstition (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
- The Beautiful Art Revival: Passion for Pre-Raphaelites (theepochtimes.com)
- Ruskin and Pre-Raphaelitism (cultureandanarchy.wordpress.com)
- Pre-Raphaelite art exhibition in London
- Mild weather brings bevy of exotic bird species (jsonline.com)
Re-posted from (dearkitty1.wordpress.com) who nominated this blog for 2012 Best Blog!
Thank You. I am honored by this wonderful blogger! Of course I don’t have all six stars, but as you can see by the re-post above why am so appreciative.
TIGERGROVE 