The Police - Wrapped Around Your Finger

Music Appreciation

I'll start with the music video because I recall being mesmerized by "Wrapped Around Your Finger," particularly the captivating candles and the man with blonde hair prancing around the maze. Directed by Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, the video features Sting navigating a labyrinth of towering candle-filled candelabras, creating a striking visual representation of the song's themes of manipulation and power.

Written by Sting, "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is from The Police's fifth and final studio album, Synchronicity, released on July 8, 1983, in the UK. Sting described it as "a spiteful song about turning the tables on someone who had been in charge." He added, "This song is vaguely alchemical and probably about a friend of mine, a professional psychic and my tutor in tarot, with bits of Doctor Faustus and The Sorcerer's Apprentice thrown into the pot for good measure."

via The Police

Sources:

Wikipedia

Devon Cole - W.I.T.C.H.

Music Appreciation

While scrolling through TikTok in the summer of 2022, I stumbled upon a video of a young girl in a blue jean jacket and studio headphones, smiling as she sang "W.I.T.C.H." into a recording microphone.

The song, written by Canadian alt-pop singer Devon Cole along with songwriters John Mark Nelson and Alexandra Soumalias, was released through Arista Records on July 7, 2022. In 2023, Cole was nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

In an interview with The Hidden Hits reporter Alissa Arunarsirakul, Devon explained the song's significance: "To me, ‘W.I.T.C.H.’ is a song that reclaims the witch as a symbol of women’s resistance. It celebrates women’s strength, autonomy, and rebellion – traits that contradict the patriarchal idea of what a woman should be and how she should behave.”

The music video, directed by Martin Klapperbien and choreographed by Michelle Hanitijo, features Devon and six other girls in prairie dresses and Mary Janes dancing along a dirt road and open field, playing with a Ouija board, and prancing around a bonfire.

via Devon Cole

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://thehiddenhits.com/2022/07/08/devon-cole-witch/

https://www.thesoundcafe.com/post/toronto-based-devon-cole-signs-with-arista-and-releases-earworm-w-i-t-c-h

https://weconnect.lgbt/devon-cole-releases-empowering-single-w-i-t-c-h/

Dance: Polesque Show 2023 - Margo

Choreographer: Margo

via i. POLEBOTE

Cosplay is an Art: Dream Con 2025 in Houston, Texas

via mineralblu 

Fashion is DEFINITELY Art: Rick Owens' Mens "Temple of Love" Spring/Summer 2026

Fashion Designer: Rick Owens

 

Happy Fourth of July!

 

Patrick Puckett

Art Appreciation

I'm excited to blog about an artist my wife and I both admire—Patrick Puckett. We've attended several of his shows at the Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, and we always make a point to see his latest work whenever we visit the gallery for other exhibitions.

Born in 1979 in Jackson, Mississippi, Patrick Puckett earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2002, studying under Professor James Meade. He moved to Austin in 2005, a shift that marked a turning point in his artistic journey. After a six-year break from painting, he returned to his practice with renewed focus and has painted almost daily ever since.

Puckett's art draws heavily from his Southern upbringing. His bold, expressive works often feature anonymous figures that feel both familiar and archetypal. Using thick brushstrokes and rich colors, he explores light, shadow, and emotion with a style that's been compared to Wayne Thiebaud, though his voice remains uniquely his own. Works like The Garden, The Vase, and The Butterfly exemplify his expressive approach. His "Western Civ." series and other exhibitions at Wally Workman Gallery highlight his ongoing exploration of identity and culture in the American South.

Western Civ., 2024

The Butterfly, 2023

The Vase, 2023

An Experiment in Love, 2021

Sources:

https://www.patrickpuckett.com/

https://www.instagram.com/patrickpuckett/?hl=en

https://www.thecommercegallery.com/posters

https://www.wallyworkmangallery.com/patrick-puckett.html

https://moutoniere.com/collections/patrick-puckett-collection?srsltid=AfmBOor-lGyPP53CfFmCFGU3lblinQaRwwR-g1jehOTUhaLQCdneibJh 

https://tribeza.com/uncategorized/patrick-puckett-austin-artist/

https://www.austinarttalk.com/4

https://www.penick.net/digging/?p=94338

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O-v2KP610w

https://glasstire.com/2013/07/19/patrick-puckett-at-wally-workman/

https://www.fischergalleries.com/artists/patrick-puckett