Tutankhamun

In 1922, archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter, with the financial support of English aristrocrat George Herbert, Earl of Carnarvon, discovered the tomb belonging to the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun.

We all know the story of King Tut.  He was the young pharaoh who died at a young age. That's the extent of our knowledge of his story.

Tutankhamun reigned over Egypt 3,350 years ago. He was a young king that was admired and respected by his people. Perhaps the reason for that respect was due to his knowledgeable advisers. 

The young pharoah ascended to the throne when he was nine years of age. He was wed to his half-sister, Ankhesenamun (daughter of Nefertiti). They had children but were both stillborn. 

It's still a mystery as to how Tutankhamun died. Recently, scientists believe he died of a combination of malaria and a broken leg. Regardless, the debate as to his death continues.

A few days ago, my parents took my son and I to the Tutankhamun exhibit at my alma mater--University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg. The exhibit showcased artifacts found in the young pharoah's tomb. It also contained the mummified King in his coffin; although, I question its authenticity.

Regardless, the exhibit provided guests a glimpse of Tutankhamun's life, death, and its discovery by Carter. 




Inside the Tutankhamun exhibit

The Pharoah's Curse

The Ritual Couch

Nefertiti, aunt to Tutankhamun

The anubis shrine guard King Tut's internal organs

Alabaster canopic chest held King Tut's internal organs

Golden Shrine and Tutelary Goddesses

The Pharaoh's coffin

Sources: Wikipedia; http://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/dess_home/admissions_home_new/visit_home/kingtut_home

Harry Connick Jr. - It Had To Be You

Music Appreciation

Film director Rob Reiner asked Harry Connick Jr. to provide the soundtrack for the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. The soundtrack won him his first Grammy the following year.

Source: Wikipedia

Nicéphore Niépce

PHOTOGRAPHY APPRECIATION




Set Table (1827)



Ever wondered who captured the first photograph? 



Although the camera obscura has existed since before Christ (BC), capturing images permanently proved to be challenging up to the early 1800.

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, born in 1765, found a way to use  hydrocarbon coating known as bitumen to permanently capture images. He called this process heliograph. 



Man leading a horse (1825)



The bitumen coated glass or metal plate hardens when exposed to light. Once the plate is washed with a lavender oil, the hardened bitumen produces a photograph. 







Source: Wikipedia

HK's doodles



Here is the first of hopefully many postings from my friend's doodle pad. 

From personal observations, HK is a great cartoonist and sketch artist. His doodles are creative and hilarious.

Visit my blog at http://photographywritingandmore.blogspot.com/.

AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long

Music Appreciation

In the 90s, Karaoke was the cool thing to do. Restaurants, bars and dance clubs would reserve a day or space for Karaoke. People loved doing it; especially after a few drinks. 

After a long week of college classes, my friends and I would go karaoke-ing. One night we found ourselves at Klub X, which is now Metropolis, in McAllen.

Let me back up a bit and develop this story a bit further. While in college I was known to imitate people's voices. When caller ID was new and popular, I would answer the phone with my dad's voice and trick his students. I could even mimic girls voices and voices that was raspy.

It was the raspy voice that lead me up on stage to sing like Brian Johnson and AC/DC's signature song, You Shook Me All Night Long.

After a brief hiatus, following the passing of lead singer Bon Scott, AC/DC released Back to Black, the second highest selling music album of all time, in 1980. 

Source: Wikipedia

Happy Thanksgiving!

Visit my blog at http://photographywritingandmore.blogspot.com/

Blur - Girls and Boys

Music Appreciation

If I were asked to name one song that defined the lifestyle ambience of the late 90's, I would have to choose Blur's "Girls & Boys." 

In the 90s, Blur was a Britpop band that eventually reinvented themselves to be more alternative rock and mainstream.  From their Parklife album, released in 1994, their discoesque "Girls & Boys" found an audience in the states and popularity reaching 59 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

When I moved to Austin, 13 years ago, I remember hearing "Girls & Boys" as a background track on 101X The Morning Show with Sara and Jenna--I believe they used this as their intro and promos.

"Love in the 90s, is paranoid." This was perhaps more apparent living in Austin and bar and club hopping on 6th Street and the Warehouse District, where "Girls who are boys, Who like boys to be girls, Who do boys like they're girls, Who do girls like their boys," was the norm.

Source: Wikipedia

Tony! Toni! Toné! - Feels Good

Music Appreciation

I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, deep South Texas, where the majority of the population is Hispanic, a few Anglos, and we knew the handful of Blacks in our community.

During the time I was in middle and high school, clothing style defined you--similar to today. I recall shopping with my mom at JC Penny and choosing all the "cool" clothes I had seen on MTV. 

Yes, I had the baggy pants and the oversized colorful shirts.  One mustard color long sleeved shirt had a hootie with drawstrings. I remember wearing a rayon dress shirt with baggy black slacks and a gold neck chain to a school dance. Although now embarrasing, at the time, it looked great and felt good. 

In 1990, R&B and new jazz swing group Tony! Toni! Toné! released Feels Good.  The song hit gold and made the top 10 of Billboards Hot 100. 



Source: Wikipedia

Visit my blog at http://photographywritingandmore.blogspot.com/

The blue in blue jeans

Portrait of Adolf von Baeyer

Blue jeans are a part of American culture.  James Dean wore them and defined cool.  Brooke Shields wore them tight and made them look good.

The indigo color in blue jeans, however, would have not been possible without the help of German chemist Adolf von Baeyer.

Baeyer devised a method to create synthetic indigo dye--the color blue used for blue jeans--which earned him a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1905.

Sources: http://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/famous-scientists/chemists/adolf-von-baeyer-info.htm; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_dye; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_von_Baeyer

Visit my blog at http://photographywritingandmore.blogspot.com/

Taco - Puttin' on the Ritz

Music Appreciation

"If you're blue and you don't know where to go to why don't you go where fashion sits, puttin' on the ritz."

I was my son's age (seven) when I first saw strange-looking men in tuxedos dancing like mannequins in Taco's "Puttin' on the Ritz" music video. 

Originally written in 1929 by famous American composer Irving Berlin, Puttin' on the Ritz gives us insight of Harlem nightlife of the 20s. 

In recognition of the era and the composer, Taco's 1983 version of Puttin' on the Ritz, incorporated other Berlin recordings.  The music video also included Fred Astaire's tap-dancing sequence of Puttin' on the Ritz that was performed in the movie Blue Skies.

Source: Wikipedia

Tears for Fears - Everybody wants to rule the world

Music Appreciation

Remember the days when having a mullet or a rattail was cool?  Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith from the new wave band, Tears for Fears, sport these hairstyles which everyone--at the time--loved in the 80s. 

Rad hairstyles aside, Everybody Wants to rule the World, released in 1985, reached the number one and two spot on the U.S. Billboard charts.

A Native American doodle

A few days ago, I was cleaning out an old box that had random papers and notes I had been collecting for years.  Yes, I admit, I am a pack rat.  Not a hoarder.  Just a pack rat. 

Anyways, I found an old spiral bound notebook that had a few notes and doodles of when I was an intern in DC.

"Headdress" Sketched in 1996

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

Music Appreciation

For the past year, I have been sharing music videos that somewhat had an impact in my life from Harry Belofante to George Michael to Collective Soul.

Let's start this year with a fun music video.

Mike Myers introduced us to two guys broadcasting from a basement on late-night cable public access television in Aurora, Illinos. "Party on Wayne!" "Party on, Garth."

However, it was the film in 1992, Wayne's World, where Myers and Dana Carvey's characters, Garth, reintroduced Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. It sounded new to my generation, although the song was about 20 years old.

Bohemian Rhapsody perfectly describes Freddie Mercury's music masterpiece. Recorded in 1975, the song encompasses a ballad, an opera and heavy rock.

Sources: Wikipedia; Youtube

Visit my blog at http://photographywritingandmore.blogspot.com/

Giovanni Segantini

ART APPRECIATION

Raised in poverty, Giovanni Segantini became one of the most famous and innovative artist in Europe during the 19th century. 

Born on January 15, 1858 in Arco, Trentino (north of Lake Garda), the neo-impressionist was known for his paintings which depicts the connection between people and nature. 

Segantini died of peritonitis, inflammation of the peritoneum, at the age of 41 on September 28, 1899.

Ave Maria a trasbordo

Alpine Triptych 1

Alpine Triptych 2



Alpine Triptych  3

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Segantini; http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/segantini_giovanni.html; http://www.wetcanvas.com/Museum/Artists/s/Giovanni_Segantini/index.html

Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy

Considered one of the worst songs ever by Blender and AOLRadio, "I'm Too Sexy" epitomized America's "sex sells" obsession.

The music video featuring the two muscle jock brothers, Richard and Fred Fairbrass, walking the catwalk and city streets with guitars, fishnet sleeveless shirts and see-through tank tops, while hounded by paparazzi girls in bikinis.

I recall watching this video when I was about thirteen and afterwards taking a serious interest in female supermodels. After watching this music video and George Michael's Freedom '90, my bedroom was covered with Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington posters and pictures cut from my mom's magazines.

Source: Wikipedia

James Carroll Beckwith

ART APPRECIATION

Born on September 23, 1852 in Hannibal, Missouri, American Impressionist painter James Carroll Beckwith was a respected artist known for candid portraits and en plein air landscapes.

Mark Twain, 1890

Old Pier Glass, c.1900

Sources: http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/horo_beckwith.shtm; Wikipedia

Visit my blog at http://photographywritingandmore.blogspot.com/

Collective Soul - Shine

Music Appreciation

Ed Roland and Collective Soul brought us Shine -- a song that renewed many people's belief in a higher being without endorsing a religion.

The American band hit mainstream soon after Nirvana and Soundgarden during the post-grunge era. They had a couple of hit CDs namely, Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid and their self-titled Collective Soul CD.

I bought many of their CDs and even created my own compilation CD, which almost mirrors their greatest hits CD, 7even Year Itch. Yes, I was still am a big Collective Soul fan.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_soul

Fiona Apple - Criminal

Music Appreciation

Perhaps CK model Kate Moss started it, but Fiona Apple maybe made it mainstream in the 90s for girls to feel insecure of their image and strive to be a size zero.

Don't get me wrong. I liked skinny girls when I was in my teens and early twenties. In fact, there were several girls I was about head over heals for and they were as thin as Fiona Apple. Unhealthy as it was, skinny was the trend.

Nonetheless, Tidal is perhaps one album that should be in any person's music collection. Criminal received many critical reviews that awarded her a Grammy for Best Rock Song.

Source: Wikipedia

Ur Nina

Music Appreciation

This week's music appreciation takes us 4500 years ago to Eastern Syria. 

Yes, there were music legends like Madonna and Elvis back then. 

One such music legend was Ur Nina. 

As a resident of Sumerian King Iblul-il's kingdom, she entertained his court by singing popular and religious songs and playing the lyre.

Sources: http://artres.com; Uppity Women of Ancient Times by Vicki Leon, 1995

Yoshitomo Nara

Art Appreciation

Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara is known for his neo-pop art that depicts cute vulnerable children and animals in unusual and unconventional themes.  His art is influenced by pop music, life and fantasy.

I came across this artist while visiting a local bookstore and finding a children's book he wrote and illustrated called The Lonesome Puppy.

You can follow him on his twitter account where he posts working projects: http://twitter.com/#!/michinara3.

Sources: http://asiasociety.org/arts/asia-society-museum/past-exhibitions/yoshitomo-nara-nobodys-fool; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/arts/design/10nara.html; http://www.headwrong.com/55/; http://sites.asiasociety.org/yoshitomonara/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshitomo_Nara; http://www.stephenfriedman.com/#/artists/yoshitomo-nara/artwork; http://twitter.com/#!/michinara3

Tears for Fears-Sowing the Seeds of Love

Music Appreciation

When I was in my early teens, I remember watching this video on MTV.  I quickly absorbed the imagary and the message of Tears for Fears Sowing the Seeds of Love.  In a sense, this has had an influence in my own personal ideology--"the end to need and the politics of greed."

Source: Youtube

George Goodwin Kilburne

ART APPRECIATION

Born in 1839, George Goodwin Kilburne was known for his paintings of the rich and prestige of the 1700s and 1800s in thier luxury.

He became a sought after and well known English artist during his tenure with Brothers Dalziel.  In 1863, his works were exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

The New Spinet (1924)

Sources: Wikipedia; http://www.haynesfineart.com/artists/george-goodwin-kilburne-uk.htm

Deee Lite - Groove is in the Heart

Music Appreciation

"How do you say degroovy? How do say DEGORGEOUS!?"  You know what's next.

At one point or another, we've heard of Deee-Lite.  Whether if it was dancing on the livingroom couch or at a dance club or driving lip-syncing to the rap verse with Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip, we know Groove is in the Heart.

Lady Miss Kier, Super DJ Dmitri and Tōwa Tei, Deee-Lite, gave us a sound mixed with disco, funk and hip hop and introduced us to a very groovy seventies in the nineties with Groove is in the Heart.  Using samples from Herbie Hancock, Ray Barretto, Eddie Jefferson, Billy Preston, Groove is in the Heart connected the baby boomers and the Gen-Xers together on the dance floor.

Sources: Wikipedia

Sugar Hill Gang - Rapper's Delight

Music Appreciation (A Retrospect)

It was August 1979 when the Sugar Hill Gang introduced hip hop to the disco scene with "Rapper's Delight," sampling Chic's Good Times as its instrumental background sound.

What was I doing when this video came out?  I was about three years old.  I actually don't remember watching this music video until I was already in middle school.  By that time I was into other hip hop with rappers such as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince , RUN DMC, and Kid N' Play.

Back then, I didn't understand or care when or where hip hop or rap originated. All I cared was whether others thought it was cool to listen to.  And at my school, it was pretty cool to listen to hip hop.

It was probably not until Rosie (Ellen Albertini Dow) sang it in The Wedding Singer, when I really paid attention and wondered where and when hip hop originated. 

So who started it all?  DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa are credited by most as being the pioneers of hip hop music.  Their new style of music incorporated several songs to make a new sound, rhythm and song.  Needlesstosay, their influence continues to have a role in pop culture for years to come.

Source: Wikipedia