Sunday, November 21, 2010

Jean-Dominique Bauby

Who is this Jean-Do? He is the featured character in Julian Schnabel's film, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, based upon Bauby's autobiography by the same name. He was the well-known French editor of Elle magazine who suffered a massive stroke at the age of 43 in 1995. Only his mind was left entirely intact by this injury while most of his body suffered paralysis. By using a technique of blinking only one eye as a transcriptionist repeated the alphabet over and over again out loud to him, he detailed his life before and after the injury. Glimpses of his relationships somewhat round out the picture of his character.
Quite a remarkable story, and I believe, even if the film takes liberties as films are wont to do, it does help us envision his unrelenting will to continue his journalistic role despite his physical condition. I have to wonder if it was a voluntary or involuntary compulsion. We have all known people who were meant to be singers or meant to be carpenters because it is such an integral part of them. So, did he have a choice or was there no choice for him?

I think the film also depicted the dignity that Jean-Do retained until his death fifteen months following the injury as he conducts a compare-and-contrast examination of his circumstances. He sees his physical state as being overcome, trapped and "drowned". The butterfly, of course, is his continued free flow of thoughts, still creative, not stifled, the part of him spared from paralysis.

For a more scholarly review of his book, please visit:
http://litmed.med.nyu.edu/Annotation?action=view&annid=1245

Monday, September 27, 2010

Brilliance from Mr. Twilight

There are lots of good movies about artists.  Quite a few years ago, I watched Basquiat.  I had never heard of him and still have never known anyone else to be familiar with his work.  However, he was famously in Andy Warhol's innermost circle, apparently was quite the rage during the 1980's and was the first artist of African descent to become an international art star.
Soft Watch at the Moment of First Explosion by Salvador Dali
Then a couple of months ago, I watched How to Draw a Bunny.  It was a collection of snippets of interviews of the acquaintances and friends of artist Ray Johnson, another artist obscure to me but who evidently produced ground-breaking work.  He was another friend of Andy Warhol's.
Salvador Dali
Then last night, I watched Little Ashes which portrayed the relationship between Spaniards Salvador Dali and poet Federico Lorca who met when attending art school in Madrid.  If Robert Pattinson has chosen some roles for their commercial value, he has atoned by blasting out formidable work in other films.  This is most certainly one of them.
Robert Pattinson as Salvador Dali in Little Ashes

Monday, July 26, 2010

Truffles

If some of you have been wondering if this blog has a mascot or not, I'm very pleased to report that it does! It is my teddy bear hamster, frequently referred to as "my hammie". This particular hammie is not only gorgeous and sweet-natured but he also represents the very best of artful hamster living - he eats his cucumbers and broccoli sprouts along with his fortune cookies and Häagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream. He particularly loves cannolis and discerningly rejects pickles.

Truffles, blog mascot


Thursday, July 22, 2010

Art Fair - Day Two

Because the weather was relatively pleasant today, I was able to cover a lot of ground.  Art Fair, for me, wouldn't be the same without a visit to see the fine art bronze castings of one of my favorite artists, Jim Budish.  As is the case many years, his son cheerfully manned the booth.


There are many variations of Chauncey and I love them all but Chauncey Blowing in the Wind is particularly whimsical.


I also really like  Moose.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Ann Arbor Art Fair!

One might think that the few days preceding this event always seems to be accompanied by the sound of thunder.  It's just the collective groans of those who view it with dread or disdain - nothing much to worry about.  It's likely that there will also be some resigned but civilized sighing - pay no attention to that either.

I, however, am one of those who loves the art fair(s) so today I'm thrilled that this version of commercial chaos has commenced.  Now, talk to me about the tumult and turmoil of the football season, and then I can be counted as one of the grumblies, but this week I'm delighted.  As tradition would have it, the weather is way too uncomfortable to make enjoyment of the fairs an easy pleasure so I intend to make several excursions so I can browse unhurriedly.

Wrapped in Love

I was catching up with a friend who hasn't attended since her solo excursion in 2002.  She is an artist herself of great warmth who could undoubtedly appreciate technique and form in a much more informed way than I can so she is going to get updates from the field, so to speak.

 Halo of Love

Who was the first artist I had the honor of meeting this year?  He was an absolute charmer - Terry Ferguson of Stone Carvina.


More fun and more exploring and hopefully
better weather and another update tomorrow!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Happy Birthday, Albrecht!

Today is Albrecht Dürer's 538th birthday!  Known for his prints, paintings and woodcuts, he is regarded by some as the greatest Renaissance artist in Northern Europe.  I first mentioned Dürer in my post of November 20, 2009, in which I mused about his rock star appearance.
It seems somewhat prophetic considering the first image below, a fusion of Albrecht's self-portrait and Photoshop.  Several "portraits" were generated as submissions for an Advanced Photoshop competition.

 

To see more examples from this competition, many of which are rather amusing, please visit the links referenced above.  Included are "portraits" of Barack Obama, Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Gollum, Julia Roberts and other celebrities.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

International Museum Day

Who knew!  Evidently I've been in the dark for quite some time because this started in 1977!  In 1992, it was determined that a theme would be established annually.  It's date is set as being around May 18 every year in order to accommodate cultural variations around the world.
This year's theme is "Museums for Social Harmony" with almost 100 countries participating.  Some museums will offer free admission for the day or have extended hours.  Others will have special presentations.  I missed it this year but now I have a whole year to decide which museum I will visit to celebrate next year!
I love the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago :)

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Chihuly Exhibit at Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

Another awe-inspiring exhibit of Dale Chihuly's work officially opened to the public on April 30 and will continue until September 30th.  The exhibit is distributed at 15 sites throughout the Gardens.

I last saw one of his exhibits in November in the Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art.  It was beautiful beyond description.

Chihuly himself is expected to be present at the Gardens on my birthday - what a nice gift! ;-)

 Blue Moon

Red Reeds

 Yellow Boat

Chihuly said he used more red than ever before to create this exhibit.  Red - my favorite color.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

GOOD 'Shop/bad 'shop Redux (see also 03.03.2010)

This is a badly-taken picture of little Clarence sitting on an air-conditioning vent.  The picture is quite old as is evidenced by the linoleum and curtains.  Clarence deserves a much more attractive setting, don't you think?  First, let's improve the floor.

I'm not going to be able to fix everything but the curtains will be the next thing to go.  ;-)

The beauty and fun of Photoshop!

Similar Palettes

Grand Canyon, Arizona

 Sunrise by Claude Monet

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Power Center

Under the auspices of the UMS (University Musical Society), the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dance troupe returned to Ann Arbor to perform on  Thursday, April 22, through Saturday, April 24.  Each night the program would vary slightly to showcases their diverse repertoire.

I attended tonight's performance with a former co-worker who has been an angel during times when I've really needed one.  Her behavior is dictated by what she knows to be righteous, not what is politically or socially beneficial to her.  It is a rare display of gentility and graciousness that is seemingly outdated.  For me, she exemplifies humanity in the most forthright, unprissy manner.  How lucky I have been to know her.  It has been at least two years since we've done anything together in a social setting so tonight was a treat for me in many ways.

Walking Mad

The performance was all it was touted to be.
Extraordinary.  Innovative.  Mesmerizing.
On their next visit to Ann Arbor,
I hope to see them again.
http://www.ums.org/assets/pdf/PressRelease/Hubbard_Street_Dance.pdf

Monday, April 19, 2010

Joanne Leonard, Photographer/Collage Artist

Tonight I attended a presentation by Joanne Leonard about the work encompassed in her book, Being in Pictures: An Intimate Photo Memoir.  Ms. Leonard is a renowned photographer who recently retired from her professorial position in the School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan.  She entered the field of photography in the 60's when it was still a male-dominated field.  Within the book are stunningly personal photographs including one of a former husband shaving and others of people sleeping.  Particularly artful is Sonia, 1966, a photograph of her very pregnant sister-in-law that is still highly praised for Ms. Leonard's use of light.

http://art-design.umich.edu/people/detail/joanne_leonard

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Tradition Transformed

Also today at UMMA I viewed the Tradition Transformed exhibit featuring the work of Chinese master painter, Chang Nu-kien, a member of Taiwan's fabled Seven Friends Painting Society.  The exhibit showcased his transition from his early very formal traditional Chinese painting to a much more personal and expressive technique.  The exhibit had been running since January 23 and was scheduled to close tomorrow.   Even for the untrained eye, his evolving style was evident.  His landscape scenes in Taiwan contrasted nicely with his North American landscapes to provide perspective.  I was especially struck by a simple sketch he did on a sheet of styrofoam which may have served as a cooler lid at some point.  I wish I could remember what the piece was entitled - it was something like True Food and pictured a carrot and other vegetables - a pleasing piece of whimsy.

Taiwan Cross-Island Highway

Valley Curtain - collage, 1971

The first Christo and Jean-Claude work collected by Herb and Dorothy Vogel was a collage entitled Valley Curtain, a preliminary piece for their environmental installation in Rifle, Colorado, 1970-1972, by the same name.  The addition of the collage to the Vogel collection led to a friendship spanning almost 40 years.
                               collage                               installation

There was a missed opportunity earlier this year to see a Christo/Jean-Claude exhibit in Detroit which may have been especially meaningful since Jean-Claude unexpectedly and suddenly passed away last November - a lesson for me about hesitation. 

"You Can't Spell Heart Without Art"

Today I met a friend at UMMA to see the Economy of Means exhibit.  The exhibit is less about the artwork displayed and more about the married couple, a postal worker and a librarian, who managed to build a world-class art collection.  The documentary film, Herb and Dorothy, chronicles their story.

Friday, March 26, 2010

The Nature of Diamonds - The Milky Way


My Favorite, Truly A Work of Art

I saw a picture of  The Milky Way necklace designed by Toronto artist, Dieter Huebner, before I went to the exhibit and had marveled at its sheer beauty and extraordinary sculptural design.  However, this turned out to be another case of having an unexpectedly magnified impression when seeing something in person. I had imagined myself attempting to pull off wearing something like this at an elegant fundraising event perhaps, but when I saw it, I knew the whole scenario would have to be reconsidered because for one thing, I had the scale all wrong - the dimensions were so much more sumptuous than what I had visualized in my head!


The exhibit portrayed this piece as capturing the look of billowing fabric - a very apt description indeed!  It contains exactly 2000 diamonds on a platinum grid and won the award at the De Beers Diamonds International Awards 2000 Exhibition in Paris for creative commemoration of the new millennium.

Huebner noted the design is a nod to nature and to the stars.


Yum~!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Nature of Diamonds - The Incomparable

Even though the Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice exhibit was very interesting, The Nature of Diamonds exhibit is the reason I went to Chicago yesterday.  This exhibit will close at the Field Museum on Sunday.  It was fabulous!  The first part was a meticulous and extensive scientific examination of how diamonds are formed, their physical properties such as light dispersion (of which, surprisingly enough, are exceeded by CZs~!) and thermal conductivity, why they are concentrated in certain areas of the world, etc - quite thorough and informative but not really the part I wanted to see.

The second part was an awesome display of jewelry and unmounted stones.  It was SO worth my long, long day!

The exhibit included The Incomparable, graded by the GIA in 1988 as a 407.48 carat internally flawless diamond categorized as having a fancy brownish-yellow color.

The Incomparable, initially named The Golden Giant,
was exhibited with some of its 14 "satellite" stones - all gorgeous.

Here's a picture of it with its special stand:

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Mammoths and Mastodons - Lyuba - 37,000 year old baby

The Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age exhibit opened at the Field Museum in Chicago on March 5 and will run through September 6, 2010.  Undeniably, the wholly intact baby woolly mammoth was the star of the exhibit.  She was only approximately one month old when she suffocated from mud inhalation and had remained in permafrost until she was discovered only three years ago in Siberia.  Lyuba, named after the wife of the reindeer herder who discovered her, is so perfectly preserved that scientists were able to find mother's milk in her stomach and collect DNA.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Life Coming to Life . . . Finally!

It is 12:31 p.m. on Saturday, March 6, 2010, and precisely 43.3 degrees with abundant sunshine.
Clear
43.3 °F
Clear

I was scheduled to work today but since I don't work Saturdays anymore, I'm FREE. Free to walk around in the sunshine today and shed my heaviest winter coat. Free to have a leisurely browse at the bookstore after breakfast. Free to stroll down to the art center to see what workshops are still open.  Free to meet a new friend to lunch with at Dalat and to visit a new exhibit at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti.

Free!   Free!   Free!

Now that I am FREEr than I have been in a long time, I feel obliged not to take this for granted. When I'm able to attend ignite3 on a Thursday evening, I really must relish it and remember that not so long ago, I did NOT have the FREEdom.

Another one of my long-winded points:  I know it's hard to be grateful and upbeat every moment, but really, sometimes to keep things in perspective, we have to imagine what our lives would be like without what seems to be the smallest things.  Would I have ever thought about knees in the same way if after three years I wasn't still struggling with the aftermath of shattering my right one?   Hmmm.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

good 'shop/BAD 'Shop (see 05.06.2010)


This is "Bad 'Shop" before and after . . .

Gorgeous Dignified Harvey

Punker Harvey

I'm having a little too much fun learning Photoshop.  Obviously!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Klezmer and Shtetl and Sephardic, OH MY!

Today, out of sheer curiosity, because I'm not Jewish and know nothing about Jewish music and culture, I attended a presentation at the downtown Ann Arbor library branch entitled, "The Silver Age of American Jewish Music is Happening Now!" by Jack Zaientz.  Evidently, he had given a five-minute presentation at Ignite2 on the same topic last year on June 30th which led to an invitation to do a more comprehensive presentation.  He had a very useful handout categorizing different genres of Jewish music with corresponding website addresses.  Who knew that there was hip-hop Jewish music and jazz Jewish music!  It would have been remiss of him not to play a variety of selections, and he did not disappoint.  He was enthusiastic and joyous throughout, and one selection was even a favorite of one of his little girls.

He used the term "Ashkenazi" several times which was not on the handout so I had to try several phonetic variations until I was finally informed by Wikipedia which leads me into a mini-rant.  I really don't care what people say about Wikipedia being an unreliable source of information because it has given me at least a starting point innumerous times!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkenazi_Jews

Anyway, the presentation was interesting enough that I now have to seek out more information (whenever my life slows down enough to pursue another peripheral interest) and more music!  An audience member added that Anat Cohen will be appearing in Detroit at Cliff's Bell on March 20.  She is a clarinetist and saxophonist cross-genre musician who is most renowned for her jazz work.  Jack was not familiar with her music but promised to give her a mention on his blog.  Actually, after reading the reviews, I really want to hear her as well.

Jack's blog dedicated to this passion is at:

La Chaim!
(I had to look that up, too!  LOL!)

Update on Friday, March 5, 2010:  I attended ignite3 in Ann Arbor last night which was very interesting, and it will get its own post later.  During the closing remarks, Jack Zaientz was acknowledged as the first and only speaker at the ignite1 or ignite2 events in Ann Arbor so far who, as a result, was invited to give an extended presentation.  Another round of congratulations to Jack!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Another Cultural Find - Stargazey Pie

As ET keeps us updated with daily entries in her blog about her travels, first Lebanon and now Syria (and next Iran - yikes!), her description of the culture is often even more intriguing than the places she visits and the things she sees.
http://www.elisabeth-thoburn.com/

I'm on somewhat of a Daniel Brühl  jag right now as I just saw him recently in Inglorious Basterds.  Then last night I watched him in Ladies in Lavender with Maggie Smith and Judi Dench (can't go wrong with those two!).   The story is set in Cornwall, England, an area that apparently has a traditional culinary Cornish dish called stargazey (aka stargazy) pie that appears in the movie.  It is, without a doubt, one of  the most "interesting" if not especially appetizing entrees I've ever seen.  Because the fish heads are pointing skyward, they are therefore, evidently, "star gazing".


Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A Serendipitous Nugget!

When I watched Inglorious Basterds (see post below) recently, the movie featured an outstanding example of a cultural difference that would have never occurred to me otherwise.  That alone made the movie worth watching.

SPOILER ALERT!
An American impersonating a German military officer was undone because he held up his index, middle and ring finger to order three glasses of scotch.  He had unwittingly given himself away because the German way to indicate "three" is with the thumb, index finger and middle finger!  Who would have thought!  Or as ET would say, "Go figure!"

 German "3"
(actually most Europeans indicate "three" this way)

 American "3"

So, what is my point?  Be open to new experiences.  Inglorious Basterds is not a foreign film, but I was rewarded with a very interesting insight unexpectedly anyway.  If I can discover something like this without even trying, what else might I come across if I just said, "Ok, let's just see what this is all about."  Life should be an adventure and that means there should be treasure hunts!

So, consider experiences that are heretofore (I love the excuse to use that word) unventured (is that a real word?) as one way to enrich your life!

Inglorious Basterds

This past Saturday I watched Inglorious Basterds.  I usually don't get too excited about films by Quentin Tarantino since he is so violence-oriented, even if it is what a male friend of mine calls "light-hearted violence", whatever that might be.  Anyway, I enjoyed the movie very much.  Diane Kruger just gets better and better, and Brad Pitt was in his usual top form.  But it was Christoph Waltz, nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor, who was absolutely amazing to watch and who stole scene after scene.  His character was wickedly exuberant as he delightedly carried out his unspeakable duties of an SS officer.  Oh, the casting gods were watching over this endeavor!

Update: Christoph Waltz won for best supporting actor!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Speaking of Damascus . . .


Why am I posting Caravaggio's depiction
of St. Paul's conversion?

Was Caravaggio from Syria?     No.

Was he ever even in Damascus?     No.

Well, why then?

Conversion of Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus,
Caravaggio, 1601

It's because of Corey's comment made on day 15 of ET's blog   ;o
http://www.elisabeth-thoburn.com/2010/01/30/day-15-damascus/

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Another Fabulous Landscape Painting

Gorgeous!
 A View of Toledo by El Greco, 1596-1600

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_of_Toledo
"View of Toledo, is one of the two surviving landscapes painted by El Greco. The other, called View and Plan of Toledo lies at Museo Del Greco, Toledo, Spain.  
Along with Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night and some landscapes by William Turner, it is among the best known depictions of the sky in Western art, and features sharp color contrast between the sky and the hills below. Painted in a Mannerist (or Baroque) style, the work takes liberties with the actual layout of Toledo (some buildings are depicted in different positions than their actual location, but truthfully depicts on the side the Castle of San Servando). It is signed on the lower right corner by El Greco."

Monday, February 1, 2010

The Thinker ( s )

Today's post was inspired by another blog,
that made mention of The Thinker.
Familiar to most people is this one:
The Thinker
(originally intended to depict Dante in the Divine Comedy)
Auguste Rodin, 1902

But, the one mentioned by ET upon visiting the Gibran
Museum in Bcharre, Lebanon, is this one:
The Thinker by
Kahlil Gibran,
(I'll have to do some research to get the date.)

It is interesting to note that in 1908 Gibran went
to Paris to study art with Rodin for two years.
Hence, the name of his work?    Not sure.