Rodolphe Töpffer

Art Appreciation

Born in Geneva, Switzerland on January 31, 1799,  Rodolphe Töpffer is considered to be one of the earliest and most influential cartoonists and graphic novelists in history. He is credited with creating the first comics and graphic novels, which he called "récits en estampes" or "narratives in prints."

Töpffer became a school teacher in Geneva. In his early 20s he established his own boarding school for boys. He was then appointed Professor of Literature at the University of Geneva in 1832. 

It was his short stories and caricatures he drew to entertain his students that made him famous. His comics were a combination of text and illustrations, and featured a wide range of characters and genres. 

Historie de M. Vieux Bois (1837) is considered to be the first graphic novel. It was published in the United States in 1842 as The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck. 

The process he used to create his works was a form of lithography known as autography, which allowed for quicker reproduction.

Töpffer's comics were not only a new form of entertainment but also a new way of storytelling, allowing him to express his thoughts and ideas in a new and innovative way. His comics were a fusion of art, literature and humor which was a new concept in the 1820s.

Before his death in 1847, he wrote on child art and creativity in Réflexions Et Menus-propos D'un Peintre Genevois Ou Essai Sur Le Beau Dans Les Arts that children often displayed greater creativity than trained artists, whose creativity was often overshadowed by their technical skills. 

Histoire de M. Vieux Bois (created 1827)

Histoire de Monsieur Cryptograme (1830)

Essais d'Autographie (1842)

Sources: 

Wikipedia

https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/topffer.htm

whf c. ai (25%)

Dance: SZA - Shirt

Choreography: Yechan

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Cosplay is an Art: Heroes Dutch Comic Con 2022

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Fashion is DEFINITELY Art: The Label Edition - Summer Spring 2023

Founder and Creative Director Véronique Vaillant von Siebenthal 

Co-founder Laura Johansson

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Luis Marden

Photography Appreciation

Luis Marden was a renowned photographer and explorer who made significant contributions to the field of underwater photography. 

Born Annibale Luigi Paragallo in Chelsea, Massachusetts on January 25, 1913, Marden was introduced to photography at a High School chemistry class. At the age of 19, he wrote a book on 35mm color photography called Color Photography with the Miniature Camera.

He began his career at a Boston radio station (WMEX) photography program which he hosted. He would then become a freelance photographer for The Boston Herald.

The self-taught photographer then landed a career as a photojournalist for National Geographic magazine in 1934.

Marden's passion for underwater photography began in the 1930s, when he was sent on a mission to document the Caribbean's coral reefs. He quickly fell in love with the beauty and mystery of the underwater world and dedicated much of his career to exploring and photographing it.

He also pioneered the use of new underwater photography techniques, such as the use of flash and color film, which helped to bring the beauty and detail of the underwater world to the surface. 

Marden's work not only gave people a glimpse of the beauty of the underwater world but also helped in raising awareness of the importance of marine conservation. 

Throughout his career, Marden received numerous awards and accolades for his work, including the prestigious Royal Photographic Society's award for Underwater Photography. 

Self-portrait in front of Chichen Itza, Mexico (1936)

"Three fishermen regard an antique mariners' 

compass off the cost of Amalfi, 1959"

National Geographic

"Divers swim in the Indian Ocean as part of 

Jacques Cousteau's expeditions in the 1950's"

National Geographic

Sources:

Wikipedia

National Geographic

https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2013/01/1976-luis-marden-rolex-ad.html#/page/2

whf c. ai

Robert Motherwell

Art Appreciation

Born in Aberdeen, Washington on January 24, 1915, Robert Motherwell was an American painter and printmaker and considered an important figure in the development of Abstract Expressionism. He was one of the youngest members of the so-called "New York School" of painters, which included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. 

His early work was heavily influenced by surrealism and often incorporated elements of automatic drawing and collage into his paintings. He later developed a more minimal style, focusing on large expanses of color and simple, geometric shapes.

Motherwell received a BA in philosophy from Stanford University. At Stanford, he was introduced to modernism through literature by Mallarmé, James Joyce, Edgar Allan Poe, and Octavio Paz. This would become a major theme to his works. 

He completed a year in a Ph.D. program in philosophy at Harvard and took courses in art history at Columbia University in New York City. 

He became friends with American art historian Meyer Schapiro, who then encouraged Motherwell to focus on painting. Schapiro introduced him to Parisian surrealists, which included Max Ernst.

While in Mexico with surrealist Roberto Matta, he met Maria Emilia Ferreira y Moyeros, his first wife. He would then dedicate his time to painting. 

In his return from Mexico, Motherwell played a significant role in laying the foundations for the new movement of abstract expressionism, aka the New York School.

Motherwell's first one-man exhibition was at Peggy Guggenheim's "Art of This Century" gallery. He became a leading spokesman for avant-garde art in America. He and Mark Rothko would eventually start the Subjects of the Artist School.

Motherwell's work has been widely exhibited and is held in many important collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Tate Gallery in London. He received numerous awards and honors during his lifetime, including the National Medal of Arts in 1989.

Elegy to the Spanish Republic (c. 1940s)

Pancho Villa, Dead or Alive (1943)

Dublin 1916, with Black and Tan (1964)

Sources: 

Wikipedia

https://www.boreasfineart.com/artist/Robert_Motherwell/biography/

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/pr/97/19032.html

https://app.cuseum.com/art/robert-motherwell-dublin-1916-with-black-and-tan

whf c.ai

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Steps Down

Pardon the Interruption

Last week, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden announced she was stepping down from the leadership to spend more time with her partner and daughter. She also indicated that she was unable to commit to another four years as Prime Minister. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gained international recognition for her effective leadership in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While other countries made the pandemic a political theater, Ardern implemented strict lockdown measures and a comprehensive testing and tracing program, which helped to eradicate the virus from the country. 

Ardern's empathetic and compassionate approach to crisis management, as well as her focus on prioritizing the well-being of citizens, has been widely praised. 

Ardern has also been an influential advocate for women's rights and the fight against climate change.

Photographed by Derek Henderson for Vogue, March 2018

Sources:

https://www.vogue.com/article/jacinda-ardern-new-zealand-prime-minister-vogue-march-2018-issue

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Dance: Nicki Minaj - Super Freaky Girl

Choreographer: Brian Esperon

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Cosplay is an Art: Linc-Con 2022

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Fashion is DEFINITELY Art: Dior Men - Fall 2023

Artistic Director: Kim Jones

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Reflecting on a 30 year old Article on Ticketmaster's Anti-competitiveness

In fall 2022, Ticketmaster was in the headlines after its website were flooded with Swifties attempting to get tickets to their favorite singer, Taylor Swift.

This led to two lawsuits filed alleging Ticketmaster engaged in "fraud, price-fixing, and antitrust violations" and "anticompetitive and misleading conduct."

This is nothing new for the ticket giant. In 1994, a congressional subcommittee brought in those in the music industry who testified on Ticketmaster's anticompetitive ticket pricing and service charges without considering an artist's input. 

Music critic Dave Marsh wrote a column highlighting the subcommittee hearing in the November 1994 issue of PLAYBOY magazine, which he attended and represented ticket buyers.

In the column, he explained 90's alternative rock band, Pearl Jam, filed a complaint with the Justice Department's antitrust division regarding how Ticketmaster "had prevented them from touring... by refusing to meet the band's ceiling price for tickets at $18, with a service charge of $1.80." Equivalent to $40 (2022).

He continued, "Their complaint centered on both a major business matter -- the rising cost of concert tickets -- and important First Amendment issues. From an artistic point of view, if there are no alternate venues or competing tour sites, there is no free expression. Whoever owns the stage calls the shots," and adds, "Ticketmaster has an ironclad cartel."

Ticketmaster's counsel argued that it doesn't set the ticket price or service charges and... "They are determined through negotiations with Ticketmaster's clients."

Dave Marsh does raise a good point that still resonate today. We are customers and we should have a say in pricing. However, because of Ticketmaster's strong hold in the market, the people's voice is not heard.

Unfortunately, I feel nothing has changed in terms of congressional oversight over this matter. Like 30 years ago, I bet they will consider this more of a business dispute. Dave said it best in his column, "Getting tickets to the public at a fair price isn't just a business issue. Pop music is entertainment, but it's also culture. For a lot of us it's the most important culture, the only kind that speaks both to us and for us. By running up service charges, Ticketmaster, along with the venues and promoters that are its partners, are restricting access to this culture to those who can pay high premiums." 

Sources:

Marsh, Dave. "Ticket to Ride?" PLAYBOY, vol. 41, no. 11, November 1994, p. 52.

https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-fans-file-second-lawsuit-against-ticketmaster-over-eras-tour-debacle/

https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-concert-ticket-demand-culminates-in-ticketmaster-canceling-public-on-sale-date/

Impeccable Timing

 

Brian Savage, PLAYBOY (November 1994)

Body Paint: Roustan - Roller Girl

Artist: Roustan

Model: Sawyer Croft 

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Dance: Nicki Minaj - Super Freaky Girl

Choreography: Matt Steffanina and Paige Taylor 

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Cosplay is an Art: Tekko Anime Convention,

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Fashion is DEFINITELY Art: Rami Kadi - Spring Summer 2023

Creative Director: Rami Kadi

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Luis Fonsi - Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee

Music Appreciation

The Latin pop song Despacito by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi and featuring Daddy Yankee was released on January 12, 2017. 

The song was written by Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Erika Ender, Brazilian Panamanian singer and songwriter. It was originally composed as a cumbia and pop song, but it was decided to add an "urban injection." The sensual lyrics are implicit with many allegories. 

Puerto Rican director Carlos Perez directed the music video for Despacito featuring Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and 2006 Miss Universe and Puerto Rico native Zuleyka Rivera. The music video received a Latin Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video and a Billboard Music Award for Top Streaming Song (Video).

A remix version, which featured Justin Bieber singing in the Spanish for the first time, help propel the song's chart performance.

via Luis Fonsi

Source: Wikipedia

Johannes Zick

Art Appreciation

Born in Lachen, Switzerland on January 10, 1702, Johannes Zick was a German painter during the Baroque period known for his frescoes and religious themed paintings. 

He started his career as a blacksmith. It's said his work was discovered by a traveling painter. From 1721 to 1724, he was apprenticed to Jacob Carl Stauder. During his time as an apprentice, they painted the frescoes of the Church of Mariahilf in Munich. 

In 1728, he moved his family to Munich where he was appointed court painter to Prince Bishop Duke Johann Theodor of Bavaria. 

Later in his years, he became somewhat an interior decorator painting frescoes on the ceiling of St. Martin's Church in Biberach an der Riß, a town in southern Germany, at the Würzburg Residence, a palace southeast of Frankfurt, and furnishing the residence of Prince Bishops of Speyer in Bruchsal. 

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Heiliger-Joseph-mit-dem-Kind/94DFDAA493B2B5BB

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Zick_Anbetung_der_Hirten_c1746.jpg

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/jakobs-segen-johannes-zick.html

https://www.wga.hu/bio_m/z/zick/father/biograph.html

Body Paint: Maurice Sagot - Harley Quinn

Artist: Maurice Sagot

Model: Endys Carrillo

via Studio Gama Producciones

Manuela Arcuri

Acting Appreciation

Manuela Arcuri is an Italian actress, model, and sex symbol. Born on January 8, 1977 in Anagni, a small town southeast of Rome, Manuela became a fashion model at at the age of 15.

After high school, Manuela enrolled at Accademia d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, but opted for a sociology degree. In 1995, she began taking on roles in soap operas before landing film roles in Pappi Corsicato's I buchi neri (Black Holes) and Leonardo Pieraccioni's I laureati (The Graduates). 

It wasn't until her role in Giorgio Panariello's comedy film Bagnomaria that caught the attention of Italian moviegoers, in 1999. A year later, she appeared in PLAYBOY Italy magazine October issue, which, in my opinion, took her international. My opinion in that she caught my attention.  😉 

The sex symbol not only become a TV and film star, but she also became a regular in Italian tabloids, linking her romantically with celebrities and football (soccer) players. 

In 2007, Manuela appeared in Prince's music video "Somewhere Here on Earth." A year later, she landed an important role in an Italian mini-series called lo non dimentico (I do not forget). 

Tabloids and gossip columns when crazy when Manuela married Giovanni Di Gianfrancesco, a rather private person out of the limelight, different from her other boyfriends. 

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/manuela-arcuri

https://www.italyonthisday.com/2019/01/manuela-arcuri-Italian-actress-glamour-model-birthday.html

http://7citaly1.weebly.com/manuela-arcuri.html

Cosplay is an Art: LA ComicCon 2022

via Justin Cosplay 

Fashion is DEFINITELY Art: Mes Demoiselles - Spring Summer 2023

Designer: Anita Radanovich

 

via Mes Demoiselles

Yves Tanguy

Art Appreciation

French surrealist painter Yves Tanguy was born in Paris on January 5, 1900. 

In his early 20s, at the end of his military service, he was inspired by a painting by Italian surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico to become an artist. Through his friend, French poet Jacques Prévert, he was introduced into the circle of artists around principal theorist of surrealism, André Breton. 

He developed a unique painting style which led him to get his first solo exhibition in Paris in 1927. It's said his style is immediately recognizable for its nonrepresentational surrealism of vast abstract landscapes populated with abstract shapes.

Tanguy lived a bohemian lifestyle of a struggling artist, until his art work was exhibited at Peggy Guggenheim's gallery Guggenheim Jeune in 1938. Supposedly, he had an intense affair with Peggy Guggenheim which may have contributed to his divorce of his first wife, Jeanette Ducrocq. 

Around that time, he met American surrealist artist Kay Sage, who he later married. He would follower her back to the United States where they spent the rest of their lives.

 

Mama, Papa Is Wounded!, 1927

Le soleil dans son écrin, 1927 

Toilette de l'air, 1937

Source: 

Wikipedia

https://www.surrealists.co.uk/viewPicture/233/

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/4034

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/78701

My Choices for AVN Awards

Every year, during the holidays, I lock myself in my room and jackoff to porn. Okay, not really. 

I do, however, look forward for the AVN Fan Award nominees every year. Like previous years, I have a technique in selecting my choices. I look at the category that interests me and develop a tournament bracket -- similar to the one you see during March Madness but for porn. Porn Madness. 

Going through the bracket is harder than you think, figuratively and literally. Watching these great performers and figuring out how much more turned on I am over the other is hard work. But I do it because it's fun.

This year I'm excited because I get to vote for a great podcast I have enjoyed listening to this past year, Girls on Porn. Laura Ramadei and Rachel Napoleon make my 30 minute commute enjoyable as these two entertain with theme-of-the-week factoids and porn reviews in a non-judgement and open way.

Selecting favorite female, male, and trans porn stars was super hard, especially with the bracket format. But I am happy with the outcome because these are great performers. Sybil is gorgeous. Dante Colle is hot. Khloe Kay is stunning. 

It was a toss-up between Kelly Collins and Theodora Day for newcomer. But it was the elegance Kelly illuminates that attracts me.

The five-foot-two 41 year old Aaliyah Love is a MILF, and the five-foot-six 38"/34"/53"Alex Blair is a Big Beautiful Woman.

I love tits and ass, so these categories were probably the most difficult to get through. But it came down to Autumn Falls for spectacular boobs and LaSirena69 for amazing ass. But I have to admit, I do like Elisa Laurenne's 34C breasts. 😍

Finally, I've been following Bailey Rayne for a while and so it was easy for me to select her as my favorite cam girl. 

FAVORITE ADULT PODCAST

1. Girls on Porn

2. Holly Randall Unfiltered

3. The Pornhub Podcast with Asa Akira

FAVORITE FEMALE PORN STAR

1. Sybil

2. April Olsen

3. Vanna Bardot

4. Charly Summer

FAVORITE MALE PORN STAR

1. Dante Colle

2. Dredd

3. Ricky Johnson

4. Rocco Siffredi

FAVORITE TRANS PORN STAR

1. Khloe Kay

2. TS Foxxy

3. Jean Hollywood (fka Ella Hollywood)

4. Natalie Mars

HOTTEST NEWCOMER

1. Kelly Collins

2. Theodora Day

3. Molly Little

4. Ruby Reign

HOTTEST MILF

1. Aaliyah Love

2. Jessica Ryan

3. Reagan Foxx

4. Ariella Ferrera

FAVORITE BBW STAR

1. Alex Blair

2. Karla Lane

3. Rose D Kush

4. Lily Lovely

MOST SPECTACULAR BOOBS

1. Autumn Falls

2. Elisa Laurenne

3. SunFlowerB

4. Angela White

MOST AMAZING ASS

1. LaSirena69

2. Savannah Bond

3. Blake Blossom

4. Abella Danger

FAVORITE CAM GIRL

1. Bailey Rayne

2. Diney

3. Natalia Rae

4. Grace Ryan

Source: pornhub.com, avn.com, boobpedia.com

PLAYBOY: Axioms of the Mafia Manager

Digging through a trough of PLAYBOY articles, I came across one that lists management axioms, Mob style. Naturally, being in management, these axioms caught my attention and I've listed a few that I may or may not have used or witnessed. I've said too much.  

"

If you can't win by fighting fair, fight foul. Or have a third party do your fighting.

Teach your tongue to say, "I don't know."

If you must strike out at someone when you get angry, be careful not to strike yourself.

It is much better that your enemies think you are crazy than reasonable and rational.

Nothing weighs less than a promise.

If you must hurt a man, do it so brutally that you need not fear his revenge.

The only way to keep a secret is to say nothing.

In any venture, overvalue the negative estimate of your prospects by two. Undervalue the positive estimates by half.

If you must lie, be brief.

Some defeats are better than victories; unfortunately, some victories are worse than defeats.

Often you lose the bait when you catch the fish. This is a necessary loss.

The best armor is to keep out of range.

If you are forced to bow, bow very, very low. And hold that bitter memory until you take your revenge.

Never knock someone else's racket. (You never know when you may be pulling the same stunt yourself.)

You can't put a good edge on bad steel.

When you are angry, close your mouth -- and open your eyes.

Money is welcome even if it comes in a dirty sack.

If you don't spot the mark in your first half hour at the table, you're it.

Out of 15 who flatter, at least 14 lie.

If you are the anvil, be patient; if you are the hammer, strike.

For peace, be ready for war.

Let your adversary talk. When he has finished, let him talk some more.

Don't teach your soldiers all of your cunning, or you may fall victim to yourself.

Better that your enemies overestimate your stupidity than your shrewdness.

To deceive an enemy, pretend you fear him.

After a victory, sharpen your knife.

If others fold every time you bet a good hand, you play to their eyes.

No one dies twice.

Victories are always temporary; so are defeats.

The best theories often make the worst practices.

Many a difference can be resolved between the sheets.

"

Source: V. (January 1996, volume 43, number 1). Axioms of the Mafia Manager. PLAYBOY. 103.

Heinrich Rauchinger

Art Appreciation

Heinrich Rauchinger was a Polish-born painter born on January 1, 1858. He was known for his history paintings and portrait paintings.

He studied at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. After graduating, he spent two years in Italy learning landscape painting.

He lived as a freelance artist in Vienna, Austria where he participated in several exhibitions. 

Although he converted from Judaism to Catholicism, late in life, he was arrested and deported to Theresienstadt, a Nazi concentration camp.

W Katordze (1886)

Zaloty

Bildnis der MME, Mitzuko Araki (1926)

Sources: 

Wikipedia

https://www.askart.com/Auction_Records/Heinrich_Rauchinger/11063833/Heinrich_Rauchinger.aspx?lot=6279171#preview-1

https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/ZALOTY/038202432818871E