Arthur Rothstein

Photography Appreciation

My undergraduate studies included many photojournalism classes. In fact, I thought photojournalism would be my career.

During my studies, I learned about the great photojournalists who captured events and life during wars and the Great Depression. One such photojournalist was Arthur Rothstein.

Rothstein is considered America's premier photojournalist. He is most recognized for chronicling life of the rural poor during the Great Depression. Many of his photographs are used when teaching about that era.

Perhaps one of the most captivating photographs he took is of a girl looking out the window. Striking is the juxtaposition of the framed black girl and the framed advertisement of a white woman on the newspaper.

You can learn more about Rothstein HERE.

Rehabilitation Client, Smithfield, North Carolina (1936) via fotografiadecallejon

Artelia Bendolph, Gee's Bend, Alabama (1937) via lis471

Cotton Plantation, Kaufman County, Texas (1936) via anthonylukephotography

Young Members of Drake Family, FSA Camp, Weslaco, Texas (1942) via historyinphotos

Sources:

http://arthurrothsteinarchive.com/
http://anthonylukephotography.blogspot.com/2013/03/photographer-profile-arthur-rothstein.html
http://irwinvillega.wordpress.com/category/fsa-photographer-arthur-rothstein/
http://fotografiadecallejon.blogspot.com/2014/03/un-fotografo-por-semana-arthur-rothstein.html
http://lis471.wordpress.com/arthur-rothstein/
http://www.theseamericans.com/fsa/fsa-arthur-rothstein-pittsburgh-pennsylvania-1938/
http://historyinphotos.blogspot.com/2012/05/arthur-rothstein-more-kids.html
http://historyinphotos.blogspot.com/2012/08/arthur-rothstein.html
http://georgiainthedepression.wordpress.com/tag/fsa-photographer-arthur-rothstein/

"1 in 6 marriages occurs because the couple met online"

"One in six marriages occurred because the couple met online." That's a pretty amazing statistic. That basically means that we are resorting to online dating websites or even Craigslist to meet partners.



Check out Pomplamoose YouTube Channel

Stephen Pentak

Art Appreciation

I came across Stephen Pentak while thumbing through The Essential Guide Santa Fe & Taos book, which highlights artists and galleries.

Pentak is known for his landscape paintings of trees and branches against reflective bodies of water and surrounding hills.

Check out more of his great work HERE.

IX (2012) via jfelker

Sources:

http://www.stephenpentak.com/
http://jfelker.blogspot.com/2012/06/simplicity-of-lands-and-trees-so.html
http://www.markelfinearts.com/artist/Stephen_Pentak/works/
http://www.karanruhlen.com/artist.asp?aid=63
http://www.bonfoey.com/Pentak.html
http://punchjordanhome.blogspot.com/
https://artsy.net/artist/stephen-pentak

Longhorn chicks were hot 70 years ago

In the 2014 premier issue of Austin Way, an article by Jane Kellogg Murray highlights women at the University of Texas during the World War 2. In the article, she discusses how the university actively recruited women to keep the school afloat. You can see the rest of her article HERE.

One thing is for sure, the women in this photograph are beyond hot.

via austinway.com

Babies in gas masks

There's been a lot of fear going around because of Ebola. The fear is more spurred because we don't know how exactly one gets Ebola. The only thing we know is that Ebola kills.

According to news agencies, the sale of gas mask and protective suits have increased in the past few weeks because of the fear of Ebola. You can see the articles HERE and HERE.

I came across a picture on Twitter of nurses carrying babies in gas masks. The photo was taken during the 1940s when Germany was bombing London. The British government issued millions of gas masks to its citizens in case German planes would drop gas bombs.

But would gas masks or hazmat suits protect a person from getting Ebola?  Craig Spencer followed Doctors Without Borders' strict procedures while treating Ebola patients, meaning he wore a hazmat suit. Yet, he still got Ebola.

Rather than invest in hazmat suits and gas masks, perhaps we should focus all our resources in finding a cure and mass produce the serum.

i.imgur.com

Sources:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/01/wwii-britain-gas-mask-photos_n_5424744.html

Francisco Goya

Art Appreciation

I came across a great article in the October 27, 2014 issue of TIME Magazine that previewed the exhibition by artist Francisco Goya at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

The article started by making a comparison of the 18th Century Goya with the 20th Century Alfred Hitchcock--both liked to put themselves into their creations. The article further provides a history of Goya and even evaluates some of his paintings.

The Spanish romantic painter Francisco Goya was born on March 30, 1746. He is best recognized as the Spanish royal court's artist who painted kings and queens and dukes and duchesses, such as Charles IV and the Duchess of Alba.

You can read more of his interesting biography HERE and view his amazing paintings HERE.

Goya's exhibition runs until January 19, 2015. For more information, visit mfa.org/exhibitions/goya.

Self-portrait with Doctor Arrieta (1820) via commons.wikimedia

Duchess of Alba (1797) via venetianred

The Naked Maja via wikiart.org

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Goya
http://www.franciscodegoya.net/
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/goya/hd_goya.htm
http://www.biography.com/people/francisco-de-goya-9317129
http://venetianred.net/2009/06/24/a-history-of-lace-in-seven-paintings-series-prologue/goya-duchess-of-alba/
http://arthurthinks.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/naked-maja.jpg
http://www.wikiart.org/en/francisco-goya/nude-maja-1800#close
Lacayo, Richard. Only Goya: A retrospective for the Spanish master who saw things in the dark. TIME Magazine, October 27, 2014, p. 48.

Steve Perry - Oh Sherrie

Music Appreciation

"Hee hee... Teetees!" That's what I said when Steve Perry's music video "Oh Sherrie" would play on MTV or TBS Night Tracks. I was only eight, but I knew seeing tits, even if it were covered, was taboo.

We're all adults now (plus, that was 30 years ago), so my take on this song and music video will be pure appreciation.

Steve Perry wrote the ballad "Oh Sherrie" with Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf, and Bill Cuomo for his then-girlfriend Sherrie Swafford. The song was his biggest hit as a solo artist and was recently ranked by Rolling Stones Magazine as No. 89 of 100 Best Singles of 1984.

The music video, which was shot at the historic Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, featured Steve Perry in a movie production set of what could be of a Renaissance wedding that turns into a ballad to Sherrie Swafford who comes to visit him on the set.

The braless Sherrie is wearing a white tank top, white ruffle skirt, and red stockings to go with the white pumps. Oh yes, the style of 80's.

She holds a fedora hat and coat, which she brings to Perry to lure him away from the set.

I too would be tempted if a very attractive blonde came to my work in a tank top, skirt and red stockings. Yes, the red stockings does do it for me.



via StevePerryVEVO


Sources: 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/steve-perrys-sherrie-is-she-587735
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-singles-of-1984-pops-greatest-year-20140917