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Monday, December 28, 2015

Julius Rietz


Music Appreciation

Julius Rietz was a German composer, conductor and cellist. At age 16, he joined the Königstädter Theater at the Alexanderplatz in Berlin, then six years later, he was appointed assistant conductor at the Düsseldorf Opera House. In 1847, he was appointed kapellmeister, in charge of music making and then as a conductor. At 48 years old, he became the kapellmeister at Dresden court.



via KuhlauDilfeng4


Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Rietz
http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Julius_Rietz

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Johnny Palacios Hidalgo


Art Appreciation

I came across a painting of a elder woman with hair of grapevine holding grapes in one hand and a lamp on the other. Levitating behind the woman is a child on box looking towards the grape leaves and box full of toys. The painting is by Johnny Palacios Hidalgo, a Peruvian artist known for his surreal hyperrealistic paintings of women and animal figures.

You can view more of his paintings HERE.


Buscando terreno fertil via tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica

Caballos de Neptuno via surrealistisch

La Pequeña Flama via artodyssey1


Sources:

http://johnnypalacios.pe/
https://www.facebook.com/palacioshidalgo.2/
http://mikephilbin.blogspot.com/2015/01/johnny-palacios-hidalgo-natural.html
http://catherinelarosepoesiaearte.blogspot.com/2012/09/johnny-palacios-hidalgo.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcQyubSpSi4
http://417423.artelista.com/en/
http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2010/08/johnny-palacios-hidalgo-here-here-and.html
http://elhurgador.blogspot.com/2012/05/johnny-palacios-hidalgo-pintura.html
http://surrealistisch.blogspot.com/2012/01/johnny-palacios-hidalgo.html

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Imagine


Music Appreciation

Considered the best-selling single of John Lennon's solo career, Imagine was released on October 11, 1971 during the height of the Vietnam War. The song encouraged listeners to imagine a world at peace, "Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too, Imagine all the people, Living life in peace..."

A year later, on December 23, 1972, Lennon and Ono released a documentary rock film that featured songs from the Imagine album along with footage of the couple's home, the recording studio in London, and New York City.





Monday, December 21, 2015

The Black Hole (1979)

Film Appreciation

I was three years old when The Black Hole was released in 1979. The Walt Disney Productions film was directed by Gary Nelson and starred Academy Award winners Maximilian Schell and Ernest Borgnine, Robert Froster, and Anthony Perkins (best known for his role as Norman Bates in Psycho).

I remember watching this on HBO when I was young and being fascinated with the idea of black holes. Perhaps my favorite character in the film was V.I.N.CENT, a hovering utility robot that served the U.S.S. Palomino.



via xussia


Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Hole
http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/V.I.N.CENT
http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/32917/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjHxWUE3jb0ZWIzpwiCSHYw

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Joe Stoneman

Art Appreciation

I came across a painting titled Her Majesty the Queen and Emu 1987 on a art blog I follow, La Conchiglia di Venere. The painting features the Queen of England naked carrying an emu puppet in front of her corgis and the two princes.

The painting is by Joe Stoneman, who is known as a portrait and contemporary artist. You can see more of his artwork HERE.


Her Majesty The Queen and Emu 1987 via conchigliadivenere


Seated Nude VII via conchigliadivenere


Sources:

http://www.joestoneman.co.uk/
http://www.saatchiart.com/joestoneman
http://www.modelmayhem.com/joestoneman
http://artq.net/ArtistWork.asp?artist_id=JLGBU1405636684519243
http://www.artistrising.com/shop/tags/joe-stoneman.htm
https://conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/joe-stoneman-english/
http://www.artdevon.co.uk/joe-stoneman-famous-paintings-of-people-2.html

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Han Solo, You're the Best

Film Appreciation

My son and I went to watch Star Wars The Force Awakens. Without spoilers, I do have to say I am very happy with the job JJ Abrams added to the Star Wars universe. As in Star Trek, he has added a new taste in the genre and a new perspective that makes me want more.

Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be the Han Solo, not Luke Skywalker. So, it was Han Solo I was excited to watch again on the big screen.

While waiting for the movie to begin, Flix Brewhouse showed this snippet from Robot Chicken: Star Wars, which I thought it would be cool to share on my blog. Enjoy.



via Adult Swim UK

Friday, December 18, 2015

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Lucio Amitrano


Art Appreciation

While browsing one of my favorite art blogs, La Conchiglia di Venere, I came across this painting of a beautiful woman disrobing and exposing her breast. It's a sensual painting by Lucio Amitrano, a well-known contemporary Italian artist. He's known for painting nude women in intimate and sensual settings.

You can check out more of his artwork at one of the blogs listed below.


via conchigliadivenere


Sources:

http://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2014/03/Lucio-Amitrano.html
http://maherartgallery.blogspot.com/2013/12/lucio-amitrano.html
http://www.kaifineart.com/2014/11/lucio-amitrano.html
https://conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com/2013/11/28/lucio-amitrano-1950-italian/
http://catherinelarosepoesiaearte.blogspot.com/2015/03/lucio-amitrano.html
http://fasci-arte.blogspot.com/2014/10/lucio-amitrano.html


Saturday, December 12, 2015

UPDATED: George Takei's message to Trump regarding Internment Camps


Acting Appreciation

I rarely do post political entries; however, this does deal with the invitation for Donald Trump to watch the musical production, Allegiance.

Soon after the terrorist attacks in Paris, France and in San Bernandino, California in 2015, presidential candidate Donald Trump made some serious comments regarding Muslims and internment camps.

He stated that the U.S. should ban Muslims from entering the country, "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."

This then triggered the national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic, Ibrahim Hooper, to ask "Are we talking internment camps? Are we talking the final solution to the Muslim question?"

During an interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulous, Trump responded: "...what I'm doing is no different than what FDR. FDR's solution for Germans, Italians, Japanese, many years ago... this is a President that was highly respected by all, he did the same thing..." FDR authorized the internment of tens of thousands of Japanese ancestry and resident aliens in Executive Order 9066. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that incarceration without cause was illegal, and the internment camps were closed. Many Japanese Americans lost homes and businesses.

George Takei, best known for his role as Star Trek Captain Hikaru Sulu, posted a video message on his Facebook page inviting him to watch the Broadway musical loosely based on his experience in the internment camps, "If you want to see how tough it was from the comfort of your seat, you can be there with us in the camps and get a glimpse of what it was like for families like mine who were unjustly imprisoned thanks to a politics of fear much like the one you're campaigning on."





Donald Trump recently said he might have supported the internment camps of WWII. I felt I had to respond, and in the best way I could.
Posted by George Takei on Wednesday, December 9, 2015


EN ESPANOL







Friday, December 11, 2015

The Super Bowl Shuffle

Music Appreciation

Yes, this actually happened. The Chicago Bears, during one of their best regular seasons (1985), made a godawful rap song and music video, written and produced by Richard Meyer, called The Super Bowl Shuffle which featured the Great Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, Otis Wilson, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, and many others from the team.

The single, which was released on December 11, 1985, went platinum and reached No. 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Profits from the song and music video originally went to the Chicago Community Trust; however, a lawsuit was filed in 2014 by six ex-Bears against the Julia Meyer, who holds the copyright, arguing that all proceeds should go to charity.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Super_Bowl_Shuffle
https://archive.org/details/SuperBowlShuffle
http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/dec11.htm
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/31/six-ex-bears-involved-in-super-bowl-shuffle-lawsuit/
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/85bears/regular?id=5401544




Thursday, December 10, 2015

HFPA nominates Patrick Stewart for Blunt Talk


The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the nominees for the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards. This awards ceremony is considered the precursor to the Academy Awards ceremony held in February.

The nominee list includes a lot of usual names like Cate Blanchett, Bryan Cranston, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Matt Damon. But the one I'm more excited about is the nomination of Patrick Stewart for his portrayal as a British newscaster in Starz cable sitcom Blunt Talk.

He'll be up against Aziz Ansari, Rob Lowe, Jeffrey Tambor and Gael Garcia Bernal for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical. However, I think the HFPA should give him the award merely for his graciously awesome tweet and fashion coordination.






Sunday, December 6, 2015

Jorg Dubin


Art Appreciation

It was a painting titled The Birth of Venus I came across while visiting Anwar Nada Art blog that caught my attention of American artist Jorg Dubin.

Mostly self-taught, Dubin is known for painting provocative intimate scenes of women. As one stated about his artwork, "...what is really on display is the artist himself, his relationship with sexuality and brutality, culture and isolation, anger and beauty, hard and soft, judgment and fear."

You can find more of his art HERE.

Luchadore, Blue Demon (2006) via artodyssey1

The Birth of Venus (2007) via anwarnadaart

Cuffed (2004) via conchigliadivenere


Sources:

http://jorgdubin.com/
http://www.robertbermangallery.com/artists/jorg-dubin
http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/orange/jorg-dubin.html
http://www.qartsalon.com/jorgdubin.html
http://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Jorg-Dubin/907DF37700CD4B47
http://sdgallery.com/catalogs/dubin/gallery/index.htm
http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2012/01/jorg-dubin.html
http://pmikos.tumblr.com/page/1384
https://conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/jorg-dubin-1955-american/
http://anwarnadaart.blogspot.com/2014/02/jorg-dubin-american-artist.html




Friday, December 4, 2015

Arthur Meehan

Photography Appreciation

While surfing the internet, I came across a photo of Danish fashion model Malene Knudsen staring straight at the camera wearing only a sheer top and panties. The image is incredibly sexy that I needed to know more about the photographer.

Arthur Meehan is an American photographer best known for his images of flowers and nude women. What makes his photographs a lot more like paintings is that he uses film and hand prints.

You can see more of his work HERE.


The Muse via arthur-meehan

Exit via arthur-meehan


Malene Knudsen via uwwaaarainbow


Sources:

http://arthurmeehan.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Arthur-Meehan-101620500007760/
https://twitter.com/arthur_meehan
http://pictify.saatchigallery.com/user/ArthurMeehan
https://www.behance.net/new
http://arthur-meehan.tumblr.com/
https://quitedelightfulproject.com/13093/
http://www.lolitas.se/index.php/2009/01/14/arthur-meehan/
http://www.theenglishgroup.co.uk/blog/2015/03/30/arthur-meehan/
http://mynakedstyle.blogspot.com/2011/08/arthur-meehan.html
http://uwwaaarainbow.tumblr.com/post/25366928275


Thursday, December 3, 2015

Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me


Music Appreciation

Crash Into Me, by the Dave Matthews Band (DMB), was released on December 3, 1996. Inspired by his wife, Ashley Harper, the song was written by Dave Matthews.

"Touch your lips just so I know, In your eyes, love, it glows so, I'm bare-boned and crazy for you, When you come crash, Into me, baby, And I come into you..." Dave Matthews explained on VH1 Storytellers that the song is about "the worship of women."


via DaveMatthewsBandVEVO


Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_into_Me
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dave+matthews+band/crash_20175538.html

Monday, November 30, 2015

Museum of Fine Arts Houston


While my parents spent the day shopping at the Houston Galleria, I visited the Museum of Fine Arts (MFAH).

While there, I learned about Buncheong, traditional Korean stoneware, Chaturanga, an Indian strategy game board, and viewed a wonderful collection of Pre-Columbian gold from Houston philanthropist Alfred C. Glassell, Jr.

I also viewed a great exhibit by photojournalist Roman Vishniac who captured Jewish refugees in Poland before the start of World War II, which is reminiscent to today's Syrian refugees.

At the museum, there were paintings by Camille Pissarro, Eugene Louis BoudinWilliam Adolphe BouguereauWinslow Homer, Gilbert Stuart, Frederic S. Remington, Edward Hopper, Leon Kroll, and Georgia O'Keefe.

MFAH (November 2015) taken with an iPhone 5S


Sources:

http://www.mfah.org/


Sunday, November 29, 2015

Dylan Lisle


Art Appreciation

If you follow my blog, you'd probably recognize my appreciation for paintings of a woman's nude back.

There is one particular painting that I recently came across while surfing one of my favorite art blogs, Art Odyssey. The name of the painting is Chorus and it's by figurative painter, Dylan Lisle.

Chorus features a woman in black panties exposing her bare back. In the background is a painting of a crumbled red fabric. The crumbled red fabric and white fabric frames to perfection the smooth curves of the woman's back.

Lisle, who is known for his female nudes, has many wonderful paintings on his blog, http://dylanlisle.blogspot.com/


Downward Spiral via tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica


Chorus via artodyssey1


Sources:

http://dylanlisle.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dylan.lisle.50
https://twitter.com/dylanlisleart
https://www.instagram.com/villainousdylan/
http://www.uniongallery.co.uk/artists/dylan-lisle
http://www.saatchiart.com/dylanlisle
http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2009/11/dylan-lisle-i-am.html
http://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2011/11/dylan-john-lisle-1978-england.html
https://gandalfsgallery.wordpress.com/page/25/
http://fonface.blogspot.com/2014/12/dylan-john-lisle.html
http://www.traceymcnee.com/index.php?page=lisle

Thursday, November 26, 2015

When Harry Met Sally...


Film Appreciation

When Harry Met Sally... is perhaps my all time favorite Rob Reiner movie.

Released on July 14, 1989, the romantic comedy starred Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as well as Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby. Harry Connick, Jr. provided the wonderful soundtrack, which is a must on my holiday music playlist.

Of course, the most memorable part of the movie is the restaurant orgasm scene where Sally proves that woman can fake an orgasm.




via The World of Trailers



Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Harry_Met_Sally...





Sunday, November 22, 2015

Friday, November 20, 2015

David Seymour


Photography Appreciation

David Seymour, also known as Chim, was a Polish photographer and photojournalist. He was the co-founder of Magnum Photos with Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, George Rodger and William Vandivert and is best known as the first international photographer commissioned by the UNICEF to travel and document WWII refugee children.

You can see more of his wonderful photos HERE.



A Disturbed Child in a Warsaw Orphanage (1948) 
via wikimedia


Pablo Picasso In Front of Guernica in Paris (1937) 
via nga

Sophia Loren posing in her home, Naples, Italy (1953) 
via icp


Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Seymour_(photographer)
http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/index_69785.html
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Catalogue/David-Seymour.html





Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Politics: Video that may explain who is ISIS


It's rare that I post something that relates to politics. I mean, come on, this blog is about art and photography, right?

In the past few days, however, we have been exposed to stories and images of the terrorist attacks in Paris. The Islamic State (formerly ISIS or ISIL), the Jihadist militant group in Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack. But how did this all begin and who is the real threat? This video may provide answers to these questions:



via VOX


VOX further explains why the Islamic State would attack Paris HERE.


Monday, November 16, 2015

"Where do we draw the line between art and pornography?"


Definitions

Art: "Something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings" Merriam-Webster

Pornography: "Movies, pictures, magazines, etc., that show or describe naked people or sex in a very open and direct way in order to cause sexual excitement" Merriam-Webster

This is a topic I have followed for years. If art is created to show beauty and express a feeling, then wouldn't pornography be considered art? Or as Stephen Colbert asked in the video below, "What is art? Where do we draw the line between art and pornography? And what if that line looks like a butt crack [Shows close-up of Picasso's Les Femmes d'Alger, Version O]?"




Source: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Steve Harris


Art Appreciation

As I've stated in previous blogs, I usually spend a couple of hours surfing my favorite art blogs and blogging about artists that catch my attention. One such artist that caught my attention recently is Steve Harris, a self-taught painter from New Zealand. He is known for realistic still life paintings of objects such as toy cars and things we take for granted.

You can see more of his amazing artwork HERE.


Chalkboard via artodyssey1



Sources:

http://therealsteveharris.com.au/
http://robingibson.net/artists/steve-harris
http://www.firstartgallery.com.au/artist-profile-steve-harris
http://www.withoutpier.com.au/gallery/SteveHarris
http://www.fernergalleries.co.nz/default,3284.sm
http://www.paintboxfineart.com/artist.php?id=85&profile=true
http://gallery-one.com.au/exhibition/steve-harris/
http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2013/11/steve-harris.html


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Carrie (1976)


Film Appreciation

Based on Stephen King's novel, Carrie is a horror film directed by Brian De Palma. The movie, which was released on November 3, 1976, starred Texas native Sissy Spacek.


via SuperUnknown




Sources:

http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/31586/en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_(1976_film)
https://youtu.be/VSF6WVx_Tdo





Sunday, November 1, 2015

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Oogie Boogie


For the past few years, I have painted various characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I first start with projecting an image of a character and tracing the image on plywood. After tracing the image, I start layering--first with the background and then with the character. Using a jig saw, I trimmed around the corners and added finishing touches.







Friday, October 30, 2015

Oasis - Wonderwall


Music Appreciation

I was a freshman in college and the girl I was dating had a cassette tape playing in her car of Oasis. The song I remember her singing to was Wonderwall, and she knew every lyric to the song.

Released on October 30, 1995, the song was written by Noel Gallagher and performed by his brother Liam Gallagher. The music video featured the band using the various instruments included in the song along with clowns which may be a subliminal message of the song.


  via Oasis

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderwall_(song)
https://prezi.com/f6oxipskvbut/music-video-analysis-2/
http://reflectproductions.blogspot.com/2010/11/music-video-analysis-wonderwall-oasis.html








Sunday, October 25, 2015

Cindy Press


Art Appreciation

I came across Cindy Press, a well known and respected freelance fashion and portrait artist, while surfing the web for Peter Max. Before becoming a full-time artist, she was a fashion designer for Neo Max, clothing inspired by Peter Max.

Her current watercolors and oils present of attractive women in sensual and empowering settings. You can see more of her work HERE.


Gossip (2015) via toyastales

Sources:

http://cindypress.com/home.html
https://www.artfinder.com/cindypress
http://www.saatchiart.com/cindypress
http://parimastudio.com/blogs/the-blog/30182275-cindy-press-and-new-works
http://toyastales.blogspot.com/2015/05/art-of-day-cindy-press.html


Friday, October 23, 2015

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation


Music Appreciation

"We are a nation with no geographic boundaries bound together through our beliefs we are like-minded individuals sharing a common vision pushing toward a world rid of color-lines"

I was thirteen years old and dancing when I first watched Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation music video on MTV. I knew all the words and the moves like any other kid did at the time.

The music video was directed by Dominic Sena and featured a cool military-funk Janet Jackson in a post-apocalyptic warehouse setting. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.



via JanetJacksonVEVO


Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_Nation
http://www.metrolyrics.com/pledge-lyrics-janet-jackson.html

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

HAPPY #BTTF DAY!!! - OCT 21, 2015


I guess this comes close to the hoverboard I was promised 26 years ago: http://amzn.to/1W4zVdb.




via MovieClips



The Dead Zone


Film Appreciation

The Dead Zone is probably one of my favorite thriller films. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, was directed by David Cronenberg and starred Christopher Walken.


  via Paramount Movies




Sources:

http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/34684/en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dead_Zone_(film)








Monday, October 19, 2015

Night of the Living Dead (1990)


Film Appreciation

Released on October 19, 1990, Night of the Living Dead was a horror film directed by Tom Savini and starring Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman. The movie was a remake of the 1968 horror film by George A. Romero.


Friday, October 16, 2015

Paul Strand


Photography Appreciation

Paul Strand was an American photographer and filmmaker known for his early abstractions and establishing photography as an art form in the 20th century. Early in his career, his work was promoted in Stieglitz and Steichen's 291 art gallery and photography publication Camera Work. He's also a founder of the Photo League, a group of New York photographers known for promoting social and political causes through their art.

You can see more of his photos HERE.


Wall Street, New York (1915) via bostonglobe

Rebecca (1922) via washingtonspeaks


Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Strand
https://www.artsy.net/artist/paul-strand
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/S/strand/strand.html
http://www.philamuseum.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/arts/paul-strands-lifetime-of-photography-at-philadelphia-museum.html?ref=design&_r=1
https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2014/11/22/paul-strand-making-photography-modern/GQlHLKr84n9iffRcpGPeoM/story.html
http://bolsh-july.livejournal.com/52153.html
http://washingtonspeaks.blogspot.com/2012/11/sex-and-serials-at-national-gallery-of.html