ART AFICIONADO

Friday, January 27, 2023

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

Founder and Creative Director Véronique Vaillant von Siebenthal

Co-founder Laura Johansson

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

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

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

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

Monday, January 23, 2023

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.