Flowers Are for Friday

Cineraria

Purple -- is fashionable twice --

(Emily Dickinson)

Purple -- is fashionable twice --
This season of the year,
And when a soul perceives itself
To be an Emperor.

I owe Emily a link to her Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!

Pity Is Treason

Reign of Terror

On this day in 1758, Maximilien Robespierre was born. He was a leading figure of the French Revolution, who eventually came to dominance as the head of the Committee of Public Safety and a chief proponent of the Reign of Terror. It is possible that 40,000 people met their demise during the Terror, executed by guillotine. On July 28, 1794, the Terror was ended with the execution of Robespierre and his allies on the Committee.

It's hard to see such a blood drenched figure in a positive light. His advocacy of Terror and persecution outweighs his interests in egalitarian reform and in the creation of a society in which prosperity was a possibility for all. Certainly, he had good initial intentions, but his actions were unambiguously evil. People were executed merely for voicing criticism or even being suspected of voicing criticism.

I see the French Revolution as being an inspiring movement at the beginning. The Age of Kings needed to be put to an end and their "Divine Rights" forever rejected. There was so much potential good that existed as a part of the Revolutionary Spirit. However, it was coopted by small-minded men, unwilling to work together to form a cooperative government. Instead, there was Anarchy and Terror.

Many people are to blame for the failure of the Revolutionary Spirit, but Robespierre deserves being singled out for special vilification.

Here's a vid about Robespierre:

Here's a link to Robespierre's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!

Porque Cantando Se Alegran

Mexican tourism poster "Senorita and Parrot"

Well, it's that time of year again, but this time I've got a blog. ;-)

Happy Cinco, mi amigos. Don't go too hard on the tequila or cerveza. And here's a classic Mexican song:

Enjoy!!!

What You See Is What You See

Red-1966 by Thomas Downing (1966)

The Norton Simon Museum is currently featuring an exhibit entitled "Surface Truths: Abstract Painting in the Sixties." It's an interesting study of the post-painterly abstraction, specifically in the minimalistic or color field modes. I've never been a fan of this movement. Certainly, there are a few works that capture my interest and I certainly have respect for works within this movements, but it just doesn't "speak to me."

Well, it still isn't my thing, but I feel that my ability to appreciate it has been improved by this show. The various works on display come from the Norton's vault. When the current museum took over the old Pasadena Art Museum, they inherited as part of the deal a bunch of contemporary art. Given Simon's dislike of contemporary art, that's a bit ironic.

The Pasadena Art Museum was ambitious in its acquisitions. This eventually led to the financial woes which would turn it into the Norton Simon, but it also brought in some of the finest post-painterly art of the era.



Damascus Gate I by Frank Stella, 1969


Viewing these works in context definitely enhanced appreciation. On one wall, you have this colossal Stella masterpiece of minimalism. One a nearby wall, you have this richly textured Color Field piece by Frankenthaler. You can compare the hard edge compositions with the stain work compositions. You can compare geometric structuring with organic compositions. Yet, as different as these works are in appearance, they are all very open in compositional technique. There is no obscurity or deceit here. The clarity of expression is very engaging.




Adriatic by Helen Frankenthaler (1968)


Adriatic by Helen Frankenthaler is my favorite of the show. It sealed the deal for my in my appreciation for this exhibit. When critics discuss the energy and vitality of Abstract Expressionism, the term "Dionysian" occasionally pops up. It generally means sensuous, passionate, and chaotic. For these post-painterly works, it is appropriate to use the term "Apollonian" for they are creations of reason, clarity, and order.

Frankenthaler's work is created using the soak stain technique, where the paint is applied to raw canvas. This creates a watercolor-like effect in which the paint soaks and spreads into the texture. This creates engaging halo effects and color gradations. Yet, Frankenthaler utilizes this "chaotic" effect with clarity and structure. Looking at the Downing or Stella pieces above, it's easy to see how they are "Apollonian" works. But when you see Adriatic in person and observe the deliberate "stain" placements, you can see how it too is "Apollonian."

I unexpectedly really enjoyed this show. I highly recommend checking it out.

Here's a link to the Norton Simon Museum's website.

Here's a link to Thomas Downing's Wikipedia page.

Here's a link to Frank Stella's Wikipedia page

And here's a link to Helen Frankenthaler's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!

I Don't Want Anybody Else

Christina Amphlett

Twenty years ago, Amy Grant's "Baby Baby" topped the Billboard chart. My first reaction was "Wow! That was really a terrible time for popular music." Honestly, Amy Grant has a pleasant voice and a inoffensive style, but this song is anodyne and forgettable.

Don't believe me? Here the vid for "Baby Baby":

But then I remembered that some of the more interesting music of the era never had mainstream success. Various subgenres of popular music had great creativity going on. Alternative, metal, and dance were undergoing definitive changes at this time.

Here's a charming pop gem from early 1991:

And here's a unique dance hit of the year:

I guess my point in this post is that we need to avoid superficial appraisals. If you just look at the mainstream hits, you're not going to appreciate the fullness of available options. Beneath the popular pablum, there's a lot of interesting music.

Here are some links:

Amy Grant's website and Wikipedia page.

Divinyls Wikipedia page.

Enigma's Wikipedia page.

And here's a list of the Billboard Hot 100 for 1991.

Enjoy!!!

She Was In Their Song

Today is Bird Day!!! In 1894, Charles Babcock established this day of celebration. The intention is to encourage conservation of the avian creatures with whom we share this world. It's a day for everybody to try their hands at birdwatching.

I'm not a Birder, but I occasionally dabble in it. Primarily, I try to take photos of birds. Sadly, I'm a terrible spotter, so I usually see the bird as it's flying away. Moreover, I'm totally ignorant of bird identities. To me, they are all "birds". ;-)

Here are a few recent photos that I took:



Drinking at a fountain



Sitting in the tree


Another interesting thing about birds is their songs. Again, I can't identify birdsong, but I can appreciate their sounds. Here's a vid with a collection of bird songs:

Here's a link to the Audubon Society.

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!!!

Biodiversity Crisis

Wired has a disturbing article entitled Australia Pistachio Disaster Hints at Agricultural Breakdown. It's an interesting read about how the development of a crop monoculture opened up the entire production to devastating disease vulnerability. In this case, the fungal infestation of anthracnose wiped out over half of Australia's pistachio crop. Although fungicides are helping in containing the problem, it is only a matter of time until a resistant strain of anthracnose develops.

The risks of crop monoculture are well known. Even before the pistachio crisis, the big worry was in regards to wheat rusts, a similar fungal disease that threatens a vital grain staple. If a pistachio crop fails, that is a sad but limited economic crisis. If a wheat crop fails, that can result in widespread starvation.

Moreover, history provides dramatic examples of catastrophic crop failures resulting from monocultural farming. The Gros Michel banana was once the dominant cultivar in the world's banana supply, but a fungal infestation wiped it out. Its successor, the Cavendish, faces a similar threat.

I understand that the efficiencies of production are wildly increased by crop monocultures. But that's focusing on the short-term benefits. Yes, there is greater profit to be immediately gained, but at some point the crop will fail and somebody will be left with economic ruin. A polycultural system may be less efficient, but over the long term it will prove more enduring. So, isn't that the more ethical path?

Here's a link to the Wired article Australia Pistachio Disaster Hints at Agricultural Breakdown.

Here's a link to the Wikipedia page on Monoculture.

And here's the Banana Wikipedia page.

Learn!!!

Take Up Our Quarrel

California Poppies

96 years ago, John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields." This poem has never rested easily with me. On one hand, it is obviously proper to honor the lives of the dead. But on the other hand, it seems foolish to pursue a course of action just so as to not "break faith" with those who have died in this cause. If the living do not take up the quarrel, it is an admission that those who have died have died in vain, for a bad cause. It is only natural to feel that this would dishonor their sacrifice.

But to continue sacrificing people to a bad cause dishonors and disrespects the living. And that is the priority. The Dead are beyond our ability to help. We can only remember them. The Living have potential in this world. This should not be squandered pursuing a foolish course of action.

I guess my feeling is that our ethical obligations are for the Future, not to the Past. Sad though it may be, the Dead are of the Past. There is no moral justification in risking the Future by keeping faith with the Past. There is no redemption in pursuing a failed cause.

Here is a link to the Wikipedia page for In Flanders Field.

Peace.

Find Me Waitin'

It was 30 years ago that Sheena Easton's "Morning Train (9 to 5)" charted at the #1 position of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It's a song about a woman who lives her day in anticipation of the arrival of her man from work. It's probably not a favorite among feminists.

Funny how radically popular sentiments have changed in such a relatively short period of time, at least by historical standards. Contemporary depictions of a woman who waits eagerly at home, like a faithful dog, would probably be subject to vocal outrage. In all probability, such sentiments were probably on the outs even in the early Eighties. Notice in the video how Sheena is active and out of the house; she's not at all the dependant homebody of the lyrics.

We like independent women nowadays, and that's a good thing. But we can still enjoy a happy song from back in the day. ;-)

Here's a link to the song's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!

Second Weekly Wrap Up

Don't Stare into the Light

This is our second weekly wrap up here at Paideia. It's been a busy week. In fact, so busy that I'm writing this a day late. Oops!!!

Anyways, here's a list of this past week's fun and games:

We started the week with I am Vengeance! I am the Night! taking note of the 72nd anniversary of the publication of Detective Comics #27, introducing Batman to the world.

In First Lady of Song and In a Mellow Mood, we celebrated the birth date of one of jazz's greatest singers, Ella Fitzgerald.

Then I dabbled in "dream blogging" in Keep His Eyes Covered, featuring some Schubert lieder and a creepy image from Caniglia.

In The Wellspring of Good, we paid homage to the greatness of Marcus Aurelius, my favorite Roman Emperor, who was born on that date in the year 121.

Another birthday that we celebrated was that of Giorgio Moroder in I Always Tell the Truth. Plenty of fun music was featured.

Isn't It Funny, How a Bear Likes Honey? was a whimsy post featuring some poetry by Emily Dickinson and some music by Camera Obscura. That's not a combo that you'll often see.

One of the most beautiful pieces of music was celebrated in Für Elise. Thank you, Mr. Beethoven.

We discussed a study regarding birds with big brains and their ability to adapt to an urban environment in Down These Mean Streets.

Another birthday celebration, this time we give a Happy Birthday to Sheena Easton in A Form of Appreciation.

I reported on a poetry reading by Traci Kato-Kiriyama in Signaling in the Library. Good stuff!!!

We did a bit of "art blogging" in Precarious Transition from Girl to Woman, featuring the "Sparrow Lane" photographs of Holly Andres and their use of Nancy Drew-like imagery.

Another birthday commemoration. This time for Blossom Dearie, a jazz singer and pianist, in Girly Talk. As the title implies, I discuss her unique vocal qualities.

In One of the Lonely People, I mock Karl Lagerfeld and his chocolate suite, a publicity event for Magnum Ice Cream.

Then we celebrated the birth date of Duke Ellington over the course of three posts, Got Lots of Class, Beyond Category, and It Don't Mean a Thing. Very good stuff!!!!!

Friday Flowers Again featured Amy Lowell's poem, "Lilacs".

We returned to the Torrance Art Museum for another look at it exhibit in Gateway: Japan Revisited. Yes, it had yet another photo of the Capitoline Donkey. ;-)

Then I reported on my trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Sweet Music Soft and Mellow. I discussed a performance by Denise Donatelli, photographs of Liz Taylor, sculptures by David Smith, and the Magna Carta. Who could ask for anything more?

Than we had a light humor post featuring GameStop's ads in Buck the Bunny and the Perilous Platforms.

Finally, we reported on Torrance's Japanese Festival in Bunka Sai. There were kotos, bonsai, naginata, and ikebana. Who could ask for anything more? ;-)

Anyways, thanks for reading this blog. Hopefully, this upcoming week is even better. Any comments or critiques on how I might improve this blog are much appreciated.

Enjoy!!!

Bunka Sai

Hina-Ningyō

The South Bay of Los Angeles is home to a fairly diverse ethnic community. The city of Torrance in particular is home to a notable Japanese-American community. And this is really excellent because every year they hold a Japanese Festival at the city cultural center. It's called a Bunkasai festival, which means that it focuses primarily on demonstrating the accomplishments of students or amateur performers. There is a wide arrangement of activities on display.

Among the crafts on display were various Japanese dolls (ningyo), miniature trees (bonsai), and floral arrangements (ikebana). Here are a couple photos:



Bonsai Bougainvillea



Ikebana on display

 There was also a performance stage at which various things were being demonstrated, including music and martial arts. Here are a few that I was able to view:



Koto performance

 The koto is a traditional Japanese instruments with 13 strings. It has a gentle, zither-like song. I was very happy to catch this brief performance. Lovely.

Of course, one of my favorite traditional weapon martial art forms is the naginata. It's essentially a curved blade on a pole. Of course, the demonstrations use practice weapons. ;-)



Naginata demonstration

 I love the sweeps and thrusts of the weapon. There is a dance-like grace to the motions. Moreover, it is traditionally associated with women, although not exclusively so. Fun stuff!!!

Finally, there was some fine Japanese food to enjoy. Yum!!!

This was the 39th annual Bunka Sai festival in Torrance. Good times.

We can't let an opportunity to play some koto music pass. Here's a vid:

Here's a link to Ikenbana Society of America.

And here's a link to Southern Californa Naginata Federation.

Enjoy!!!