by Sandy | Apr 10, 2014 | Art, Blogroll, Exhibits, Museums
“The first comprehensive overview of Italian Futurism to be presented in the United States, this multidisciplinary exhibition examines the historical sweep of the movement from its inception with F. T. Marinetti’s Futurist manifesto in 1909 through its demise at the end of World War II. Presenting over 300 works executed between 1909 and 1944, the chronological exhibition encompasses not only painting and sculpture, but also architecture, design, ceramics, fashion, film, photography, advertising, free-form poetry, publications, music, theater, and performance.”
Italian Futurism, 1909–1944: Reconstructing the Universe
Until September 1, 2014
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 89th St. and 5th Avenue, NYC
FYI: “Futurism…was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the aeroplane and the industrial city. It was largely an Italian phenomenon, though there were parallel movements in Russia, England and elsewhere.” Per WikiPedia
(Image:“Abstract Speed + Sound” (Velocità astratta + rumore), 1913–14, Giacomo Balla)
by Bob Martin | Apr 4, 2014 | Art, Directors, Movies
Gillian Anderson “The Fall”
Women criminal investigators have become a staple for television series. In most cases, they are seen as having some unusual or rare ability, like Poppy Montgomery in Unforgettable or Emily Proctor in CSI: Miami. Gillian Anderson as Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson might be a bit upsetting for viewers in the US. She has no special talents other then her ability to think and being unapologetic about being a woman. Bravo.
“We don’t Judge”
People who do dreadful things are more complex then we could ever imagine and The Fall, a British Crime Drama about a serial killer is full of complexities. He is the kind that person, when found out, will shock his neighbors, family and have cable news reporters resort to the list of former FBI Profiler to recite their poorly conceived rhetoric about what goes on in the mind of a killer. This is being played out today (shooting at the Navel Facility in DC) and the truth is that dangerous psychopaths are never profiled until it’s to late.
Real crime investigators judge people and that is the reason why there are so many mistakes made. They are looking for what they know and not for what they can learn. In The Fall, there are a ton of opportunities to follow old and proven patterns, and the writers have very cleverly moved us off that track. The first five episodes have not brought us any closer to understanding Detective Gibson or our serial killer Paul Spector, played by Jamie Dornan. There is a new season underway for 2014 and I hope that the writers continue to avoid the “usual traps” and keep things fuzzy. It makes for a bigger mystery and maybe something we can learn about our own judgement.
by Sandy | Mar 13, 2014 | Art, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, Culture
“Now Playing: Hand-Painted Poster Art from the 1910s Through the 1950s”
At the beginning of the last century, posters that hung in the lobby of the old neighborhood movie palaces were simple black and white drawings. Very quickly, theater owners realized that these cardboard advertisements brought in customers.
The posters then became more artful and sophisticated – pretty, or dramatic (Valentino), or scary (“King Kong”), or, just high style (Gloria Swanson rendered in Art Deco), to the lurid “Noir” films of the 50’s.
These examples of movie art have been collected into a nice coffee table book.
“Now Playing: Hand Painted Poster Art from the 1910s Through the 1950s”
(Academy of Motion Pictures/Angel City Press – hardcover, 14″ x 11″, 160 pages)
by Sandy | Mar 6, 2014 | Art, Blogroll, Exhibits, Museums
“MCA DNA: Alexander Calder traces the development of the artist’s ideas over a fifty-year career, in particular, his exploration of how art can move in response to its physical environment. The exhibition presents examples of Alexander Calder’s (American, 1898–1976), mobiles, stabiles, and works on paper dating from the 1920s to the 1970s—a selection of the museum’s in-depth holdings of the seminal artist’s work.”
MCA DNA: Alexander Calder
Until August 17, 2014
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
220 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL
Image: Chat-mobile (Cat Mobile), 1966
by Bob Martin | Mar 3, 2014 | Actors, Education, Movies
Photo by Anne Marie Fox – © 2013 – Focus Features
Over the years, actors who’ve transformed their bodies, in a commitment to a role, have been awarded for the changes in physical appearance. In the Dallas Buyers Club, both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto look to have also sacrificed their personal well being and I wonder could the story have been told without the physical trauma? Leto and McConaughey are both brilliant, and this story was or could have been much bigger.
The story takes place in the late 1980’s.One of my favorite parts of the movie was when the Woodroof character has to use a microfiche reader to find out which drugs were effective in treating HIV around the world. This was all pre Google and WebMD and most everyone prayed that they had a knowledgeable doctor who had time to care and worry about their health, and that getting a second opinion might be seen as a sign of betrayal. Woodroof’s time (he was not the only person) was our awakening to our own responsibility for our health. Doctors know what they know and they know that they don’t know everything.
Ron Woodroof was a big deal and he was a part of a revolution whose impact can be seen today in the sometimes unreasonable debate on healthcare and it’s cost. More than 80% of all prescribed medicines are manufactured outside of the USA (China, India, etc.) and these same drugs can be purchased in other countries at a fraction of the cost we pay in the States.
I wish that the movie had the resources to tell more about the number of people who benefited from his uncompromising commitment to living. The Dallas Buyers Club is a good movie and I am glad that it finally got made. Congratulations to McConaughey and Leto.
by Sandy | Feb 27, 2014 | Art, Blogroll, Books
Just in case you’re curious:
30,000 YEARS OF ART- THE STORY OF HUMAN CREATIVITY ACROSS TIME AND SPACE “…is an accessible, fun and informative compendium of world art that offers a fresh perspective on the whole of art history, from 28,000 BC to the present day. It debunks art historical classifications and hierarchies by presenting 1,000 masterworks of art in simple chronological order, demonstrating what was being created all over the globe at the same time.”
by Sandy | Feb 7, 2014 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Exhibits, Museums
I saw this image on greeting cards years ago, loved the flowers, didn’t know who painted them until now. I still think they’re beautiful.
“The acclaimed international tour of The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute concludes in Houston at the MFAH. Showcasing the Clark’s renowned holdings of 19th-century French painting, this spectacular exhibition features more than 70 works of art by a stellar lineup that includes Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Also represented are Pierre Bonnard, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Jean-François Millet, Berthe Morisot, Alfred Sisley, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.”
The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
Until March 23, 2014
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX
(Image: “Roses in a Bowl and Dish”, 1885 – Henri Jean Fantin-Latour)
by Sandy | Jan 6, 2014 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Culture, Exhibits, Museums
The Studio Museum in Harlem offers an installation that looks at visions of prospects to come thru art. “The Shadows Took Shape is a dynamic interdisciplinary exhibition exploring contemporary art through the lens of Afrofuturist aesthetics. Coined in 1994 by writer Mark Dery in his essay “Black to the Future,” the term “Afrofuturism” refers to a creative and intellectual genre that emerged as a strategy to explore science fiction, fantasy, magical realism and pan-Africanism. With roots in the avant-garde musical stylings of sonic innovator Sun Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, 1914–1993), Afrofuturism has been used by artists, writers and theorists as a way to prophesize the future, redefine the present and reconceptualize the past.”
“The twenty-nine artists featured in The Shadows Took Shape work in a wide variety of media, including photography, video, painting, drawing, sculpture and multimedia installation. Participating artists include Derrick Adams, John Akomfrah, Laylah Ali, Edgar Arceneaux, Sanford Biggers, Edgar Cleijne + Ellen Gallagher, William Cordova (in collaboration with Nyeema Morgan and Otabenga Jones & Associates), Cristina De Middel, Khaled Hafez, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Kira Lynn Harris, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Wayne Hodge, David Huffman, Cyrus Kabiru, Wanuri Kahiu, Hew Locke, Mehreen Murtaza, Wangechi Mutu, Harold Offeh, The Otolith Group, Robert Pruitt, Sun Ra, RAMM:ΣLL:ZΣΣ, Lili Reynaud-Dewar, Larissa Sansour, Cauleen Smith, William Villalongo and Saya Woolfalk.”
The Shadows Took Shape
The Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 West 125th Street, NYC
by Cybel Martin | Jan 3, 2014 | Art, Education, Film, Photograhy
BY CYBEL MARTIN
APRIL 8, 2013 12:58 PM
4 COMMENTS
It began with an innocent curiosity in a box of 64. Amplified by a French balloon. Hit a frenzy with yellow smoke and the smell of napalm.
I’m the type to discuss, ad nauseum, whether an object is aubergine, plum or violet. Not only am I fascinated by color nuances, but how their effect and interpretation can vary. I love bedrooms painted cerulean blue. Reminds me of the perfect summer sky. But others feel like they’re drowning. Imagine the power you have as a filmmaker with a solid understanding of color?
The cheapest way to increase the production value of your film is through color. You don’t need a gazillion dollars to live and dream in Pantone or Lee Filters. If you have a rigorous discussion of which colors to use and why during prep, you can spend your budget more wisely.
Let me expose you to my color addiction. If you’re short on time, bookmark this article and in the interim, click on“The Psychology of Color : A Guide for Designers” and flip through the books “If It’s Purple, Someone’s Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling” and “Interaction of Color” by Josef Albers.
Much like my article on camera movement, I’ll certainly forget to mention several important films. The ones mentioned may not be the first to use color in a certain way nor the best example of it. What they did do is ignited previously dormant neurons in my brain through their use of color.
I love films that use color to represent two worlds or two states of consciousness: a filmic diptych. Of course, The Wizard of Oz comes to mind. It’s black & white. Wait! It’s color! Pretty effective. I adore Lynch’s “Lost Highway”. No one seems to agree on what the film means but for me, the key shift in the narrative occurs when Arquette’s hair changes from dark brunette to platinum blonde. Sounds simple but Lynch makes it terribly disturbing. “Silent Hill”, perhaps not the strongest horror film, made excellent use of a common way to differentiate two worlds: shifting in color temperature (from warm light to cool). (more…)
by Sandy | Dec 26, 2013 | Art, Blogroll, Exhibits, Museums
Balthus, (Balthasar Klossowski, 1908 – 2001), is currently featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. “Focusing on his finest works, the exhibition will be limited to approximately thirty-five paintings dating from the mid-1930s to the 1950s. Between 1936 and 1939, Balthus painted his celebrated series of portraits of Thérèse Blanchard, his young neighbor in Paris. Thérèse posed alone, with her cat, or with her two brothers… Never before shown in public will be the series of forty small ink drawings for Mitsou, in which the eleven-year-old Balthus evoked his adventures with a stray tomcat and which were published by the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke in 1921…This is the first exhibition of the artist’s works in this country in thirty years.”
Balthus: Cats and Girls—Paintings and Provocations
Until January 12, 2014
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
5th Ave and 86 Street, NYC
“The first comprehensive overview of Italian Futurism to be presented in the United States, this multidisciplinary exhibition examines the historical sweep of the movement from its inception with F. T. Marinetti’s Futurist manifesto in 1909 through its demise at the end of World War II. Presenting over 300 works executed between 1909 and 1944, the chronological exhibition encompasses not only painting and sculpture, but also architecture, design, ceramics, fashion, film, photography, advertising, free-form poetry, publications, music, theater, and performance.”
