In a Blue Frame of Mind

The Blue Room by Richard Jackson

Although the Orange County Museum of Art's exhibition of works by Richard Jackson, Ain't Painting A Pain, has closed up, I figured that I would share a couple photos with you all. It was a fun time, both entertaining and inspiring. Yes, the huge statue of Bad Dog was definitely my favorite piece, but I was charmed by the entire collection, from the stacked paintings to the crashed model plane.

Each piece had a whimsical inventiveness at its core, an inviting quality that played to the viewer's sense of humor. Thus engaged in mirthful appreciation, the viewer could be drawn in to consider the artistry and craft, the use of structure and serendipity together, in the creation of the work.

I found it to be a fresh approach, accessible both to the casual art enthusiast and the dedicated art critic.

Detail of Maze for Eugenia Butler by Richard Jackson

I'm very grateful to the OCMA for putting on such a wonderful exhibit.

Barbie de Mayo

Mexican Barbie and her chihuahua wish you all a Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

Enjoy!!!

Three Views of the Bad Dog

Bad Dog by Richard Jackson, on view at the Orange County Museum of Art, at twilight

Bad Dog by Richard Jackson, on a hazy day

Bad Dog by Richard Jackson, in the middle of a sunny day

Enjoy!!!

Holiday Cheer #1

Celebrating the season with an inflatable puppy and penguin

Well, I haven't much to say today. I think that the long malaise that has been plaguing my health, sapping my energy, may finally be leaving. That makes me very happy.

And, therefore, I'm up for some holiday cheer.

Let's listen to some music.

A Singing Chihuahua with Maracas

Cuddle Barn's "Chuey Bamba" sings and plays the maracas


Well, here's a Silly Saturday treat for you: a toy chihuahua that sings "La Bamba" while shaking the maracas.

I really don't like holiday shopping, but sometimes you can see the oddest of things. Among the singing toys on display, I thought Chuey Bamba had just the right mix of cuteness and absurdity. Then again, I didn't notice Chili Pepe. ;-)

Let's look at some vids:

Sights to Delight

Sculpture of a Feathered Serpent from the Mayan civilization at Chichen Itza, AD 850-1100, on view in LACMA's "Children of the Plumed Serpent" exhibit.

I have been fortunate over the past few weeks in being able to visit various art venues, museums and galleries. Although I plan on writing about a few of them individually, I figured that sharing a few images would make for a fun post.

So, I have recently gone viewing in four of the city's cultural centers: the Miracle Mile, Culver City, Bergamot Station, and Long Beach. It's been a great start to the Summer.

Midnight Ride (2006) by Deborah Kupinsky, on view at the Long Beach Museum of Art


Lots on interesting works on display. I'm especially happy to have visited some venues down in Long Beach, an area that I enjoy but rarely visit.

Seven Views of Balloon Dog (Blue)

Balloon Dog (Blue) (1994-200) by Jeff Koons

In my previous post, I discussed how I selected photographs of roses so as to drive viewers to read the poem that I had selected for Friday Flowers. Among my flower posts, the Rose get the most page views. However, in the back of my mind, I thought about Balloon Dog.

People are always doing searches for Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog. In my stats, it seems to pop up a few times a week. The funny thing is that I haven't actually made a post about it, only various works of art around it. But even with just cameo appearances, it puts up numbers that none of my flower posts can match, not even roses.

So, for all you Balloon Dog image pilgrims, here are some views of Balloon Dog (Blue) on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in the Jane and Marc Nathanson Gallery on the third floor of the Broad Contemporary Building. If you're looking for Balloon Dog (Yellow), sorry but I don't live in New York City. ;-)

Balloon Dog (Blue) by Jeff Koons

It's a cool sculpture for certain.

Here Comes Ol' Charlie Brown!

Lucy and Snoopy share an apple for Halloween.



On this day in 1950, the first Peanuts comic strip appeared. This began a fifty year run that had a readership of over 300 million. It earned its author, Charles Schulz, a billion dollars over the course of his life. The Peanuts gang has been merchandised as just about anything imaginable and have "endorsed" countless properties.

Personally, I wasn't a fan as a child. Sure, I liked Snoopy and seeing Charlie Brown attempt to kick the football. But, as a daily read, the strip felt old-fashioned. That's because it was. The characters already had over two decades of development before I started giving it a read. The creative energy wasn't tapped, but it wasn't in full flow either.

Now, I can look back on the entire body of the series and appreciate it in full. Of course there are lag points, but the overarching vision of the comic carries you through. Peanuts is still not my favorite comic, but I can see why it was for so many people.

Don't do it, Charlie Brown!!! It's a trick!!!


And the football trick still amuses me. ;-)

I Would Have Gotten Away With It. . .

Scooby Doo, Where Are You! episode 15 "Spooky Space Kook" (1969)


On Saturday, September 13, 1969, Scooby Doo Where Are You! debuted on CBS. As a child, I spent countless hours watching this and subsequent Scooby Doo shows, even into the horrible Scrappy Doo era. Although the simplistic plotting and horrible jokes are not to my adult tastes, I still have a warm spot in my heart for the gang of Mystery, Inc.

Wikipedia has a solid synopsis of virtually every Scooby Doo episode:

Each episode featured Scooby and the four teenaged members of the Mystery, Inc. gang: Fred, Shaggy, Daphne, and Velma, arriving to a location in the "Mystery Machine" and encountering a ghost, monster, or other supernatural creature, whom they learned was terrorizing the local populace. After looking for clues and suspects and being chased by the monster, the kids come to realize the ghost is anything but, and - often with the help of a Rube Goldberg-like trap designed by Fred - they capture the villain and unmask him. Revealed as a flesh and blood crook trying to cover up crimes by using the ghost story and costume, the criminal is arrested and taken to jail, often saying something to the effect of "...and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!"

The formula is a classic. ;-)

"Jeepers, It's the Creeper!" Episode 21, 1970


Those meddling kids!!!

"Hassle in the Castle" Episode 3, 1969

On the Surface of an Egg Shell

Reflection on the surface of Jeff Koons' Cracked Egg (Red) at LACMA


It's a holiday weekend, which means that posting will be sparse until Tuesday. Have a great weekend!!!



The Jane and Marc Nathanson Gallery at LACMA featuring Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog and Cracked Egg (Red).

 Enjoy!!!

Summoned By The Jade Emperor

Ai Weiwei's Circle of Zodiac Heads on public display at LACMA (Rat and Ox)

As promised here are some photos of the current public exhibition of Ai Weiwei's Circle of Zodiac Heads at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It's a really cool display, recreating the famous bronze heads from the Zodiac Fountain of the Chinese Imperial Palace in Yuan Ming Yuan. The originals were looted by foreign troops during the 2nd Opium War in 1860.

The pieces are expressions of Chinese nationalist iconography, especially as testaments against western colonialism. However, they are also designed to be separate from any fixed location, being wanderers of the world's cultural venues. It's an interesting contrast of thematic emphasis.

In any case, they are wonderful sculptures of the Chinese Zodiac animals.



Ai Weiwei's Circle of Zodiac Heads (Tiger and Rabbit)


Unlike the western zodiac, the Chinese assign a sign for the entire year. We are currently in the Year of the Rabbit.

Blessings for the Beasts

Listening to the Service

A Dog

(By Gertrude Stein)

A little monkey goes like a donkey that means to say that means to say that more sighs last goes. Leave with it. A little monkey goes like a donkey.

I had the good fortune to be able to attend the Blessing of the Animals last weekend at Wayfarers Chapel. Seeing animals participate in peaceful religious ceremonies always charms me. First, I'm amazed that chaos doesn't break out derailing the whole event. Seriously, how do you gather together a group of semi-wild beasts and not have mayhem prevail? Dogs and cats, bunnies and snakes, these creatures can be querulous at any given moment. How is it that they become relatively well-behaved at these types of events?

Second, the compassion that the human participants have for their beastly companions is touching. Bringing their pets to the ceremony is important to the pet owners. The wish to share the spiritual consolations of the faith with their beloved animal "family members" is admirable. It is an obvious expression of love and charity. And that's why I find it so moving.

I'm happy that modern American spirituality has mostly rejected the old Creation hating attitude that has dominated most of the Christian tradition. With a few notable exceptions, such as St. Francis of Assisi, animals have been considered soulless creatures, unworthy of affection. Bah!!! I say good riddance to Medieval human arrogance and meanness of empathy.

These beasties might not have the gift of advanced reason, but they can certainly feel pleasure and devotion towards their human friends. So, why wouldn't a loving and benevolent Divinity extend blessings unto them?

Fat Americans

Taste the Patriotism!!!

Alright. This is going to be another rant post. Be warned. . .

In my youth, I was an avid reader of superhero comic books. Captain America wasn't my favorite character, but I had a fondness for his style and personality. He was totally square, but honest, hardworking, and responsible. He was a paragon of good ol' American virtue, with very little of the jingoism or provincialism that one might expect in an overt nationalist icon.

Since the days of WWII, the USA has experienced amazing prosperity. This material abundance has led to Americans becoming both figuratively and literally fat. The US is the most obese nation in the history of the world!!! Therefore, I find the Dunkin' Donut ad campaign totally annoying! Our national superhero is shilling the lowest of junk food. Even a McDonald's or Wendy's hamburger has a better nutritional value. Seriously!!!!!



Fat Captain America (2010) by eimrehs


Given our obesity epidemic, I can't see that it would be in character for Captain America to do a promo for Dunkin' Donuts. Yeah, I know he's not a real person, just a fictional figure from the comic books. However, this character embodies certain principles of national virtue. Those of us who care about the integrity of character have a right to complain.

Feel Like Running and Dancing for Joy



Caroline Wozniacki, Seed #1


The French Open has begun.

Yeah, I enjoy watching tennis, especially when it is played on clay. The surface characteristic of clay takes away the advantage of "serve dependant" players. On clay, you need to volley. That means a lot of athleticism as you run back and forth across the court. And it requires a strong tactical approach, as you attempt to maneuver your opponent into providing an opening.

There's no winning solely from baseline at Roland Garros. For instance, the most dominant female players of the past decade have been the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena. Both are dominant servers and highly focused upon power plays from the baseline, but, between the two of them, they have only one French Open singles win (Serena in 2002).

And so I find watching the French Open to be the most engaging of the Grand Slam events.


Jelena Janković, Seed #10


So, who am I rooting for?

Whippet! Whippet Good!

Photo of leaping whippet from the Whippet Club of Great Britain.

Although I am not a big fan of owning pets, I am very fond of dogs. I think that they are amazing companion creatures. Each breed seems to have a strong and distinct personality type. Consider the whippet. This breed is known for its gentle temperament, but energetic disposition. They are traditionally bred for hunting and running.

Personally, I admire their sleek appearance. Their long faces are extremely expressive. That's why this commercial caught my attention:

The unimpressed look on the whippet's face is wonderful. I actually dislike the ad because it feels very mean-spirited, but I can't help chuckling when the whippet takes off at the end. The guy is such a loser that even his dog abandons him.

Anyways, here's a vid of some whippets racing:

Here's the Whippet Wikipedia page.

And here's a link to the American Whippet Club.

Enjoy!

Isn't That a New Fur Coat?

Promotional Image for the 1996 movie

Born on May 3rd, 1896, Dodie Smith is best known for her novel, The Hundred and One Dalmatians, written in 1956. This novel has been adapted into a movie twice, an animated feature in 1961 and a live-action movie in 1996. In both cases, the movies were box office successes and spawned sequels. And a Broadway musical!!!

It's a children's story, so the plot isn't complex or overly coherent. However, the somewhat remedial story is saved by a truly memorable antagonist, Cruella de Vil. Asides from the fact that she wants to skin the puppies to make a fur coat, she's just a loathsome and aggressive character. She's so extreme in her villainy that she becomes iconic. Cruella defines the archetypal vain rich lady who needs to get whatever catches her fancy, ethical or not.

Another element to the Hundred and One Dalmatians is that it presages the whole anti-fur trend that came into prominence in the early '90s, most notably in the social campaigns of PETA and the Humane Society. In the history of animal welfare, this novel is published right at the beginning of the modern trend toward animal rights. It is therefore an interesting expression of this zeitgeist.

Here's a vid:

Here's a link to Dodie Smith's Wikipedia page.

Here's a link to The Hundred and One Dalmatian page.

And here's a link to the Humane Society's website.

And here's PETA.

Now, get those puppies!!!

Crunch to Munch???

Image from Cheezburger.com

Wow! I just found out about the horrific Doritos Locos Tacos, a test menu item from Taco Bell. As implied by the name, the taco shell is made out of a Dorito-like material. It's hard to believe but the evil geniuses over at Yum! Brands found a way to make their tacos even more vile.

And you get a hideous orange stain on your hands and lips for the extra sign of culinary degradation. Truly, Taco Bell must want to give their brethren over at KFC a challenge for the title of most loathsome fast food idea. It's like an arms race of repulsion. What's next Cheetos toppings at Pizza Hut? Funyun breaded fish at Long John Silver's?!!

The end goal: Mutually Assured Disgust!!!

On the other hand, Doritos is in my good graces for producing this ad:

Here's a link to the article at Foodbeast.

Here's a link to the Yum! Brands Wikipedia page.

And here's a link to Frito-Lay's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!