Francesco Albani

Art Appreciation

Italian Baroque painter Francesco Albani is best known for his Roman frescos and Rococo-like biblical and mythological paintings.

Albani was born on March 17, 1578 in Bologna, Italy.

Assumption of the Virgin via Wikipedia

Holy Family with Angels (1630-1635) via kelly-mann

The Annunciation via artexpertswebsite

Diana and Actaeon (1617) via aclassicaday

Sources: http://www.artexpertswebsite.com/pages/artists/albani.php; http://www.russianpaintings.net/russian_paintings.vphp?author=152&sort=views; http://aclassicaday.blogspot.com/; http://kelly-mann.blogspot.com/2011/08/happy-birthday-francesco-albani.html; Wikipedia; Britannica

Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Music Appreciation

If you're around age, you probably remember catching a music video on MTV or VH1 of an attractive girl wearing a Chinese dragon t-shirt and sweater singing in her apartment about her relationship that is drifting apart. The song was Torn, and it was performed by singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia. It was her first released single from her her debut album Left in the Middle.

Originally written by Ednaswap, an alternative rock back from L.A., the version sung by Imbruglia sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, according to everyHit.com, and won her international recognition with and MTV Video Music Award, MTV Europe Music Award, ARIA Music Award, and a Billboard Music Award.

The song still gives me butterflies in the stomach, when I listen to the song. Mainly because it reminds me of an important chapter in my young adult life when I fell in love in the wrong time.





Sources: Wikipedia; http://www.everyhit.com/bestsellingsingles.html

Santiago Carbonell

Art Appreciation

As many of you know, I enjoy looking at art. What I appreciate most is learning about the creator. Many times, you can get a better understanding of the art after you become familiar with the artist.

Recently, I've found interest in realism and hyperrealism--art that resembles a photograph. While searching through samples of this type of art, I came across Santiago Carbonell.

The Ecuadorian-born artist, who currently resides in Querétaro, Mexico, is recognized for his realistic oil paintings and murals. Perhaps telling of his ideology is the mural he was commissioned to paint in Mexico's National Supreme Court building, where he tributes women, the poor, and the forgotten.

You can see more of his work on his website, HERE.




Hombre con turbante naranja via tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica

El Abrazo via mariamagnolia2

Mirame y no me toques via multipleinsertions

Bendito sea tu vientre via tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica

via ginocchiogaleria


Sources: http://www.santiagocarbonell.com/; http://ggalleryslo.blogspot.com/2011/11/santiago-carbonell-mexico.html#!/2011/11/santiago-carbonell-mexico.html; http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2010/09/22/cultura/a04n1cul; Wikipedia

Annie Dover

Art Appreciation

Annie Dover is an American self-taught artist who's recognized for her realistic oil paintings of everyday life.

I came across her work while flipping through the 2012 Essential Guide to Santa Fe and Taos, a magazine on art galleries in the Santa Fe and Taos area. The painting that caught my attention was the one titled "Choices." It is a painting of a woman seated in a restaurant looking at a menu. Above her are two items--perhaps a reference to her choices.

You can see more of her work HERE.




Choices via canvoo.com

Mona Lisa via readingandart



Sarte a la Carte via readingandart



Offering via mongoose1

Sources: http://anniedover.com; http://mongoose1.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/artist-annie-dover/; http://readingandart.blogspot.com/2012/12/annie-dover.html; http://www.essentialguide.com/








 

Martha Mayer Erlebacher

Art Appreciation

American contemporary realist painter, Martha Mayer Erlebacher is highly regarded and recognized for her classical techniques with modernism in her figurative and still-life paintings.

Many of her figurative paintings are metaphorical, such as the series titled The Cycle of Life, where she expresses the various stages of life to the four elements (air, fire, earth, and water).

You can see more of her wonderful work HERE.

Flora (2003) via womenpaintingwomen

Form and Void via americangallery

The Cycle of Life, Fire: Youth (2006) via studioincamminati

The Cycle of Life, Earth: Adulthood (2009) via artodyssey1

The Cycle of Life, Water: Old Age (2007-08) via figurationfeminine

Similar artist: Giuseppe Muscio



Sources: http://www.marthamayererlebacher.com/; http://figurationfeminine.blogspot.com/2009/09/martha-mayer-erlebacher-1937.html; http://studioincamminati.blogspot.com/2010/10/realist-art-around-philadelphia-martha.html; http://www.sullivangoss.com/martha_mayer_erlebacher/; http://www.independent.com/news/2012/oct/04/still-life-martha-mayer-erlebacher/; http://womenpaintingwomen.blogspot.com/2012/01/martha-mayer-earlbacher.html; http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2010/09/martha-mayer-erlebacher-martha-mayer.html; http://americangallery.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/martha-mayer-erlebacher-1937/; http://seraphin.squarespace.com/martha-mayer-erlebacher-the-cy/; http://poetsandartists.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/pa26lo.pdf

Vicente Romero

Art Appreciation

Spanish painter Vicente Romero is known for his oil and pastel portraits of beautiful women in intimate settings. Born in Madrid, Romero studied at the most prestigious art school in Spain, before moving to Costa Brava, the coastal region of northeastern Spain on the Mediterranean.

What caught my attention, besides the paintings of beautiful women, was his use of light and shadow to create transparency and depth. For example, the portrait of a lady in a sheer dress holding up a embroidered lace sheer throw against the Mediterranean light delicately outlines her body.

His work captures intimate moments he wishes to share with his viewers. For example, the lovely ballerina sitting at a corner after or before practice. Romero's use of reflection is wonderful. Notice how he places detail on the subject rather than the other non-important things in the setting. You see this again in the painting of a naked woman holding her sheer robe below her waist looking out into the Mediterranean.

You can see a lot more of his wonderful work HERE.

via pondly

 

via pondly

via cuded

Sources: http://vicenteromero.wordpress.com/; http://www.cuded.com/2011/11/paintings-by-vicente-romero/; http://www.pondly.com/2011/10/women-painting-by-vicente-romero-redondo/; http://www.artelibre.net/ARTELIBRE1/ROMERO/vicenteromero.htm; http://impressioniartistiche.blogspot.com/2011/07/vicente-romero-redondo_3335.html; http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/pastel/romero-figure-gallery; http://everythingis-art.blogspot.com/2012/08/recommended-artist-vicente-romero.html#!/2012/08/recommended-artist-vicente-romero.html





 

Genesis - I can't dance

Music Appreciation

Music videos during the late 80's and 90's were heavy on fashion and style. For example, George Michael's bleach torn Levi's in Faith or the hip hop style in Bell Biv DeVoe's Poison. The ad placement in music videos was perhaps the smartest thing to do since it caused kids, like me, to ask our parents to buy the various styles.

Phil Collins and Genesis decided to highlight this "false glamour" in their video I can't dance.
Released on December 30, 1991, the song, reached top ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

The music video is best remembered for Phil Collins' parody of Michael Jackson's solo dance at the conclusion of Black or White, which was released a few weeks before I can't dance.

Previous Blog on Genesis' Land of Confusion.

Sources: Wikipedia