Never Gonna Say Goodbye

Detail of cover photo from Natalie Cole's album, Unforgettable. . . With Love (1991)

After a couple dark, haunting art posts, I figured some uplifting songs were in order to brighten up the blog, chasing away the shadows with some catchy grooves. So, taking a look at today's birth date list, I brought away an odd blend of music.

On this date in 1945, reggae legend Bob Marley was born. In 1950, R&B singer Natalie Cole was born. In 1962, Axl Rose, lead singer for Guns N' Roses, was born. And, in 1966, dance-pop icon and viral internet sensation, Rick Astley was born.

That will make for an interesting playlist. ;-)

Image from Rick Astley's video for Never Gonna Give You Up (1987)

Let's listen to some music!

Biomechanical Nightmares

Detail of Trumpets of Jericho by H.R. Giger

Although I'm fond of dark, haunting imagery, I've never found the work of H.R. Giger appealing. There's too much authentic nihilism and a pervasive feeling of ill-will, especially towards women, to become the objects of my admiration. To be blunt, they feel malevolent.

Now, I can certainly admire the creativity and talent that went into designing such monstrosities. For all of its luridly depraved and diabolic content, Giger's work stands out as visionary masterpieces, giving form to unthinkable perdition, birthing alien horrors to stalk our nightmares. Only Hieronymous Bosch has created such powerful hellscapes.

I really don't like the subject matter, but I must admire the artistry.

Detail of The Alien by H.R. Giger

So, in honor of Giger's birthday, born in 1940, let's look at some of his works.

Muffled Under Dark Blankets of Night

Detail of Ghost on Santa Monica Pier (2011) by Helen K. Garber

"Encaustic Noir" is an exhibition of works by Helen K. Garber, on display at dnj Gallery. Although it keeps with her traditional theme of neo-noir cityscape, this body of work adds a unique twist; the images are all layered in beeswax, enveloped into an encaustic depth along with various mixed media, such as book pages and twine.

With her haunting noir imagery as the compositional focus, the layers of wax add a sense of distance, both in space and in time. Like the accumulated tarnish of years gone by, dulling memory to hazy impressions, so too does the wax blur the photographic image, turning places and people into shades. However, there is an odd sense of perseverance to these works, an enduring echo of life. Generally, photography captures an image, freezing the moment eternally unchanging in time, but these works are not frozen, instead are caught in an eternal process of fading away, receding endlessly into obscurement.

The mixed media additions, the twine, book pages, and wooden panel, add to this sense of obsolescence. They speak of a distant place, disjointed from the here and now, lost like a restless specter from a world that was or might have been.

Detail of Bike Path Fog II (2011) by Helen K. Garber

"Encaustic Noir" is on exhibit at dnj Gallery until February 25, 2012. Helen K. Garber will discuss her work on February 11 at 4:30 pm at the gallery.

Friday Flowers: Tulipomania

Purple tulips to commemorate Tulipomania (1637)

Colored Hats
(By Gertrude Stein)

Colored hats are necessary to show that curls are worn by an addition of blank spaces, this makes the difference between single lines and broad stomachs, the least thing is lightening, the least thing means a little flower and a big delay a big delay that makes more nurses than little women really little women. So clean is a light that nearly all of it shows pearls and little ways. A large hat is tall and me and all custard whole.


I adore Gertrude Stein and her amazing skill at crafting sound, combining words in such a manner as to create new meaning and significance through cadence and imagery and juxtaposition, going on and going on, with repetition and resonance rolling the words off the tongue, through the mind, almost hypnotic, entrancing, in their flow. ;-)

Purple tulips in a glass vase

And what of the tulips? Well, I was going to put up another camellia post, but I realized that today marks the collapse of the Dutch tulip craze of the 1630s. I couldn' pass up on that.

Size Doesn't Always Matter

"Scooters: Size Doesn't Always Matter" is on exhibit at the Petersen until May 28, 2012

It's been a while since I posted about automobiles or similar matters. So, let's take a look at some scooters!

The Petersen Automotive Museum currently has an awesome exhibit going on, showcasing scooters from their earliest days to the modern era. Normally, I'm not the kind of person who would get excited by scooters, but the breadth and depth of the display won me over. The developmental history of both the technology and style made for a fascinating show.

And, of course, it reminded me of undeniable coolness of the Vespa. ;-)

1951 Vespa 125

It's always exciting when you go into an exhibition with low expectations, but come out of it enthusiastic and inspired.

Madrona Musings: Blogging for TAM

Detail of the Torrance Art Museum's entryway mural

I've been toying with the idea of starting up a second blog for a while now, one focusing on a specific topic, but I kept vacillating between ideas, incapable of sealing the deal with any of my pressing interests.

Then the idea came to me; maybe I could blog for a cultural venue that I enjoy and admire. Previously, I had noticed that the Torrance Art Museum (TAM) was in need of somebody to manage their blog. Therefore, it was a logical match; I was looking to extend my blogging efforts and they were looking for a blogger.

So, I contacted the curator, Max Presneill, and volunteered my services. After some discussion, he accepted my offer. :-)

Torrance Art Museum (TAM) Logo

I now have set up a second blog, Madrona Musings, which is dedicated to the events and artists associated with the Torrance Art Museum. It will not be as frequently updated as this blog, but I intend to have a few posts each week, including artist spotlights, critical considerations, and general information sharing. It'll be fun. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Time for a Schubertiade

Schubertiade (1868) by Moritz von Schwind

Franz Schubert is my favorite composer. He has influenced me more than any other creative genius, in any of the arts or sciences. No works of art resonate within my mind with the potency of his music.

Why? There are too many reasons to articulate in a coherent and accessible manner, but I think it can be boiled down to two main points: Romanticism and Melody.

Schubert's Romantic style fully embraces the wandering and dark musings of the imagination. However, he maintains Classical tightness and eloquence, avoiding the overblown excesses that weigh down the work of later Romantic composers. For Schubert, all of the passion and inspiration of the Sublime can be articulated, with effectiveness and efficiency, into a tightly structured, highly melodic song

As regards melody, it is through this that the Romantic narrative is expressed. Moreover, these tales of sound and emotion have the narrative purpose at their core, as their premise. Sometimes the story is vague, simply a progression of emotion, and, sometimes, it is direct, programmatic in design. In either case, one can't listen to this music within being drawn into Schubert's narrative mindscape.

Portrait of Franz Schubert (1825) by Wilhelm August Rieder

I could go on endlessly about these two topics, as well as countless other aspects of Schubert's music. However, in celebrating his birth date, born 1797, I think it is only fitting to let his music make its own case.

Hasta La Vista, Baby

Detail from Jody Watley's 1987 self-titled album

When it comes to the R&B dance divas of the '80s or '90s, one of my favorites is Jody Watley. In terms of technique and variation, I'd say that she was the best.

Sadly, she never gained the popularity of her peers, such as Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston. That's a pity, seeing as how she was more experimental in incorporating diverse dance music traditions, from freestyle to New Jack to downbeat. I guess that mix of style might have been the problem, making her music a tougher commodity to market.

Regardless of the lack of long-lasting chart-topping fame, I still regard her as one of the defining voices of R&B dance.

Jody Watley in 1990

Anyways, let's wish Jody a Happy 53rd Birthday!!!

Beavis and Butt-Head Are Not Role Models

Beavis and Butt-Head in Kevin Kirkpatrick's Dill Hole on view at CoproGallery


Don't try this at home. ;-)

I don't normally visit CoproGallery. It's a mighty cool place, but the exhibits generally aren't my thing. So, when visiting Bergamot Station, it's toward the bottom of my "must visit" list. Normally, I run out of energy before getting to it.

While strolling around Bergamot this week, I happened to wander over and decided to have a viewing. There were plenty of fun hardcore "lowbrow" works on display, but my attention was immediately caught by this sculpture of Beavis and Butt-Head by Kevin Kirkpatrick. It takes the express train down into the Uncanny Valley!!!

You almost expect to hear "Fire! Fire!" or "Uhhhh. . . this sucks! Huh huh huh."

2012 Weekly Wrap #3

Detail of Tiny Demons (2011) by Jon Flack, on view at the Torrance Art Museum

Similar to Week #2, this week had a modest rate of production, but good things are in the works. ;-)

The topics were again clustered into Art, with five of the eleven posts. Music had two. And, because of our "long weeks", we double dipped our Friday Flowers. Yeah, I need to slightly up my rate and throw in some variety. With so many interesting topics to consider, it seems a shame to overly focus on just one or two.

However, I'm happy with the overall feel of this blog. Certainly, Paideia can get seriously artsy from time to time, but, in the general outlook, the mix is good. Most importantly, I'm having fun.

Detail of Vase with Dragon (c.1890s) by Adachi Kinjiro

Let's look at the eleven posts.

We had five art posts. Birthday celebrations were given for Jeff Koons and Claes Oldenburg. I attended two Opening Night events, the Torrance Art Museum's "To Live and Paint in LA" and the Norton Simon Museum's "Hans Memling: Portrait of a Man". Finally, I gave an update on my recent activities in regards to the Pacific Standard Time activities.

For music, there were two posts. We had a bittersweet birth date celebration for the recently departed Etta James. Then we threw a Mozart-fest, in celebration of the great composer's birth date.

Two Friday Flowers graced our "week". Rhododendrons were matched with the poetry of Edward Hirsch. Later, the poetic nonsense of Lewis Carroll paired up with some colorful Snapdragons. ;-)

Our one dedicated literature post celebrated the birth date of Edgar Allan Poe with images and videos regarding his poem, "Annabel Lee".

Finally, the Year of the Dragon has begun!!!

And that's the Weekly Wrap.

The art of Jeff Koons on display at the Broad Contemporary at LACMA

Enjoy!!!

Why is a Giant Lipstick on Tank Tracks?

Giant Pool Balls (1967) by Claes Oldenburg

Oh, I used to despise Claes Oldenburg, as I would see his Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks on a near daily basis.

It wasn't that I thought that all art should be serious, although that was my general bias. Rather, it's that art ought not to be overtly silly. Soft sculptures of hard objects, giant versions of small items, and tank-like lipsticks, these are all goofy ideas, too absurd to regarded with respect.

But age has brought me a more laidback attitude, an appreciation for the playful and cheeky. I now look upon Oldenburg's work with fondness, both for its distinct aesthetic and for how it marks my maturity as an art enthusiast. ;-)

Giant Soft Ketchup Bottle with Ketchup (1967) by Claes Oldenburg

During the Pacific Standard Time activities, I've been able to see quite a few of Oldenburg's works. So, in celebration of his birthday, born in 1929, here are a few photos of works that I've recently seen.

Friday Flowers: Year of the (Snap)Dragon

Antirrhinum: Red Snapdragons


Jabberwocky
(By Lewis Carroll)

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.


Yeah, I'm in a whimsical mood tonight. ;-)

Taking the theme of dragons, I decided to celebrate Lewis Carroll's birth date, born in 1832. It's not my normal type of poetry selection, but Jabberwocky is an interesting change of pace. The occasional dash of literary nonsense is a good thing.

Antirrhinum: Orange Snapdragons

Likewise, the snapdragons earned another Friday Flower appearance as part of the draconic theme. Additionally, I had a whole bunch of photos from a recent trip to the Huntington Gardens that I wanted to share with you all.