Jean-François Millet

Art Appreciation

Born on October 4, 1814 in Gréville-Hague, France, Jean-François Millet was a French painter best known for his paintings of peasant farmers.

Millet is one of the founders of the Barbizon School of painters, which was part of the Realism movement. The major theme for Barbizon painters was the French landscape, especially the area around the Forest of Fontainebleau.

One of Millet's famous paintings is titled The Gleaners. It's a painting that portrays the daily struggle for survival of peasants who clear the field of grains left after harvest.

From the Barbizon movement came Impressionism and the practice of en plein air painting. Millet influenced many future painters such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Eugène Louis Boudin, Georges Seurat, Salvador Dalí, and Vincent Van Gogh.

You can learn more about Millet HERE.

The Gleaners (1857) via commons.wikimedia.org

The Bather (1863) via conchigliadivenere

Academie masculine (1837) via if-hommes-nus

Sources:

http://www.jeanmillet.org/
http://conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/jean-francois-millet-1814-1875-french/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Millet
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/millet/
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/millet_jean-francois.html
http://thepalmhq.blogspot.com/2009/04/song-of-lark.html
http://agustinmarinschz.blogspot.com/2011/04/jean-francois-millet.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Millet_-_Gleaners_-_Google_Art_Project_2.jpg
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bfpn/hd_bfpn.htm

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Film Appreciation

Known as one of the best horror films in cinema history, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was written and directed by Austin native Tobe Hooper. The low budget film also starred one of the original "scream queens" and University of Texas alumni Marilyn Burns.

The film was controversial and banned due to the onscreen gore, yet it grossed over $30 million dollars at the box office.

Sources:

http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/31028/en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Texas_Chain_Saw_Massacre
http://variety.com/2014/film/news/marilyn-burns-who-starred-in-texas-chainsaw-massacre-dies-at-65-1201276500/

Cosplay... Is An Art: San Diego Comic Con 2014

via SneakyZebra

The Killers - Mr. Brightside

Music Appreciation

Formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, The Killers released their debut single "Mr. Brightside" in 2003. The song, written by band members Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, depicts a man's suspicion of his significant other's infidelity.

The burlesque theme music video, which was released in 2004, starred Flowers, Polish actress Izabella Miko, and Eric Roberts. The music video won an MTV VMA in 2005 for Best New Artist in a Video.



via TheKillersVEVO


Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Brightside

Jessie Mann

Art Appreciation

Jessie Mann is an American abstract expressionist artist. She is best recognized as the young girl who appeared in many symbolic photos by her mother, Sally Mann.

Jessie's art work is heavily influenced by her appreciation of nature. In an interview with the photoblog Subjectify, she states, "The paintings are selfless and abstract. They are more about the nature of reality—organic patterns and light, than about any specific aspect of life or culture. I don’t feel that I am trying to go anywhere when I paint, or that I am trying to bring myself to anything, but rather that I am trying to expose something about where I already am."

You can see more of her work HERE.

Black and White via subjectify

Horizons via alicewellingcmp

Sources:

http://www.jessiemann.com/
http://subjectify.blogspot.com/2008/05/jessie-mann-interview-final-part.html
https://georgewaincmp.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/emmett-jessie-and-virginia/
https://alicewellingcmp.wordpress.com/author/alicewellingcmp/page/2/
http://www.danzigergallery.com/exhibition/jessie-mann-and34self-possessedand34-photographs-by-len-prince
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/11/06/jessie-again
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/25/AR2007012500556.html

Bill Owens

Photography Appreciation

Bill Owens is an American documentary photographer known for his photographs of middle-class suburbia life. There is an amazing interview by Doug Lang HERE.

via craigdouglasfmp

Richie via photomcc

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Owens_(photographer)
http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/21445/bill-owens-american-born-1938/
http://138.23.124.165/exhibitions/suburbia/#
http://www.artagogo.com/interview/owensinterview/owensinterview.htm
http://www.gregkucera.com/owens.htm
https://christycookmoduless.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/further-artist-research-5/usa-bill-owens/
https://fansinaflashbulb.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/working-to-break-up-the-break-celebrate-international-coffee-day/
https://craigdouglasfmp.wordpress.com/photographers/bill-owens/
http://loristevenschico.blogspot.com/2010/06/bill-owens-photographer.html
http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/20/suburbia-captures-the-american-dream/
http://blog.livebooks.com/2009/08/after-staff-a-closer-look-bill-owens-the-distiller-published-a-book-of-art-photography-once/

Hello Autumn!

via overvanillaskies