Body Art: Paul Roustan - Naked but Painted at the Beach

Artist: Paul Roustan

Model: Daisy

via Roustan 

Stone Temple Pilots - Wicked Garden

Music Appreciation

On September 29, 1992, Stone Temple Pilots released "Wicked Garden" as part of their debut studio album, "Core," and while it wasn't issued as a commercial single, it stands as one of the band's most significant hits. Written by Scott Weiland, the song's abstract and metaphorical lyrics invite listeners to apply their own experiences and emotions onto it, with many interpreting it as an exploration of personal struggles and inner demons.

The accompanying music video, directed by Graeme Joyce, begins with scenes of two children and a man tending to a garden. The video then transitions to Scott Weiland and the band performing on stage, surrounded by an exuberant audience and a mosh pit – an area within the crowd at a live music event characterized by intense, spontaneous, and physical dancing, reflecting the song's energetic and emotional essence.

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7080204/

John Mayer - Daughters

Music Appreciation

"Daughters," released on September 24, 2004, is the third single from John Mayer's 2003 studio album, "Heavier Things," and it received critical acclaim, earning the 2005 Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

Drawing from his own experiences with troubled relationships, the song serves as a heartfelt plea for fathers to provide nurturing care to their daughters during their formative years.

In the music video directed by Mario Sorrenti, Mayer is seen in grayscale, playing the guitar and singing in a dimly lit studio. Interspersed with these scenes, colored video clips featuring Australian supermodel Gemma Ward create a visually captivating narrative that effectively complements the song's lyrical message.

Sources:

Wikipedia

Fashion is DEFINITELY Art: Maison Close - THE CRAZY CATWALK SHOW

Designer: Monsieur le Français

via Maison Close

Lewis Hine

Photography Appreciation

Born on September 26, 1874, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Lewis Hine had a profound impact on the world of photography through his commitment to social change. He initially pursued an education in sociology, earning degrees from the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and New York University. 

As a young teacher at the Ethical Culture School in New York City, Hine encouraged his students to use photography as a tool for educational exploration. He believed that the camera was not only a means of creative expression but also a powerful device for documenting reality and raising awareness about societal issues. This philosophy would later influence his life's work, making him a pioneer in documentary photography.

Hine was a man ahead of his time, using his camera to expose the grim realities of child labor. Through his work with the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), Hine's images documented young children toiling in dangerous conditions, contributing to the eventual passage of child labor laws that protected minors from exploitation. His belief that photography could be a powerful tool for social change left a mark on both photography and labor rights. Yet today, as proposals like those from Project 2025 emerge, his legacy and the protections his work helped create are being undermined.

Project 2025, a set of policy recommendations championed by some conservatives, including the GOP presidential candidates, threaten to weaken these hard-fought labor protections by advocating for fewer regulations on child labor. If enacted, these proposals would allow minors to work in hazardous conditions with reduced oversight, echoing the very horror that Hine's images sought to eradicate. While Project 2025 promotes deregulation in the name of economic freedom, it ignores the human cost. Just as Hine's famous image of Addie Card -- an exhausted young girl working at a textile mill -- highlighted the exploitation of children, we must question why the protection of vulnerable workers is being sacrificed for corporate gain.

These proposals are not labor-friendly and should be of serious concern to all Americans. Weakening child labor laws is not just a step backwards -- it is a direct threat to the safety and well-being of minors. As Hine demonstrated through his photography, allowing children to work in dangerous, unregulated environments is not only unjust but deeply harmful to American society. Americans should be vigilant in opposing efforts to roll back protections that have been in place for decades, remembering the lessons Hine taught us through his documentary photography. 

Addie Card (August 1910)

Glassworks. Midnight. Location: Indiana (1908)

Manuel, the young shrimp-picker, five years old, 

Biloxi, Mississippi (February 1911)

Little Lottie, a regular oyster shucker in Alabama Canning Co. 

(Bayou La Batre, Alabama, 1911)

Baseball team composed mostly of child laborers 

from a glassmaking factory. Indiana (1908)

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/285844

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/project-2025-would-exploit-child-labor-by-allowing-minors-to-work-in-dangerous-conditions-with-fewer-protections/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/04/project-2025-trump-unions-overtime-pay

https://www.loc.gov/collections/national-child-labor-committee/about-this-collection/

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/hine-photos#:~:text=Lewis%20Hine%2C%20a%20New%20York,the%20National%20Child%20Labor%20Committee.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/09/02/the-incredible-photos-that-inspired-the-end-of-child-labor-in-america/

RANDOM WEDNESDAY: Space Ghost #1

Cover Artist: Michael Cho (2024)

 

Album Cover: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Album Cover

Album:  Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Released: September 24, 1991

Art Direction: Gus Van Sant