Steel Drums

This is the Exodus Steel Orchestra in Trinidad as they prepare for one of their annual panorama competitions at their panyard in East Trinidad in the Caribean.  This was recorded on March 12 2007, but I couldn’t find the name of this particular piece.  That really isn’t that important as I showcased this piece to be a representative of the steel drum bands in general.  As in all music there are varying degrees of quality but I am more concerned with the idea of how the music is produced.  The drum was introduced in Trinidad during the early years of the 20th century.  Old rubbish tins, car parts and stolen garbage can lids formed the first “Iron Bands”, which led to the realization that a dented section of a barrel head could produce a musical tone.  They were able to change the tune and by deforming, more or less the metal to match the bands needs.  Talk about resourcefulness!

There is also something therapeutic in the music produced by a steel drum band.  I don’t know if it is the association of this island music to the idea of relaxation and vacation or if the music would have that affect regardless.  Really, what difference does it make?

Western view from Africa

The Dressing

This painting, The Dressing, was done by Richard Onyango in 1990.  Richard is a Kenyan artist that seems to have something to say in his painting.  It is held in a private collection by Jean Pigozzi as is many of Onyangos’ paintings.

Richard Onyango was born in 1960 in Kisii, Kenya but lives and works in Malindi, Kenya.  For the first 30 years of his life Richard worked multiple occupations.  He became facinated with the signs of industrial development and as a child recorded such impressions in a series of sketches he called “photo pictures” in leu of a camera.  Thus started his artistic career.

The reason I thought this painting worth posting is I think it is screaming something about the opulent western world.  How silly it must seem to a culture that many have to struggle just to survive while we have it so relatively easy.  The character’s weight speaks of excess, as do her accesories.  Her vanity or self-interest , albeit inaccurate, is shown by her gazing in the mirror with her blue hair and tight green dress.  I don’t need to keep pointing out the obvious symbolism but I thought it worth mentioning the trophy african wildlife head on portrayed on the wall.

I may be reading too much into this and wrongly assuming the lady is from the west, but even if he didn’t intend it to show that way, it can certainly fit the bill.

Public art

It seems this time period has left me wanting with the exception of the public art of which I will show you a few examples.  I seems as time pushs forward, my appriciation and maybe my understanding of art regresses.  So much of it seems based on shock value alone without any accompanying talent.  For example of this google Karen Finley.  Is is that we have run out of good ideas so we have to search for something new?  Anyway, that is my struggle with the art of the period with the exception of this street art of sidewalk art.  I choose two artists’ work to showcase, Kurt Wenner and Julian Beever.

Julian Beever is an English, Belgium-based chalk artist who has been creating  chalk drawings on pavement surfaces since the mid-1990s. His works are created using a projection called anamorphosis,  and create the illusion of three dimensions when viewed from the correct angle.  (wikipedia)

Kurt Wenner born in Ann Arbour, Michigan  is an artist best known for his realistic steet painting and chalk murals also using anamorphosis. These 3D chalk drawings on pavement have been featured in many newspapers and on several television shows. (wikipedia)   He attended both Rhode Island School of Design and Art Center College of Design. He was employed by NASA as an advanced scientific space illustrator, creating conceptual paintings of future space projects and extra-terrestrial landscapes according to the latest scientific information provided by the Voyager spacecraft. (hubpages)

The first group of drawings are from Julian Beever.

About to Meet Mr. Newt

I think this is fantastic in how the photo shows this little girl trying to fish in this all too real life drawing.  I am sorry she will have to be disappointed.  I also am disappointed I couldn’t find any other information about this work.

Polititians Meeting Their End

Who, other than a polititian does not like this drawing?  Even a polititian has to like quality maybe not the content.

Make Poverty History

This sidewalk drawing by Julian Beever, was requisitioned by Live8 support the pressure campaign on the G8 in Edinburg city centre.

Waterfall

Like the little girl trying to catch a fish, this guy is going to be disappointed!  Julian’s drawings are so life like, you can hardly blame them for trying.

Grazier-di-Curtatone-Italy-1

This life-like sidewalk drawing by Kurt Wenner was painted at the 2003 sidewalk painting competition in italy.  What a good way to get a bunch of free artwork.  It seems to me that Wenner’s work seems to be a bit more criptic (in general) that Beever’s.  Another example is the next one Gears of War 2.

Gear of War 2

The motive was inspired from the action game, Gears of war, depicting locust and other Gears of War monsters coming up from a hole in the floor.  Not quite the uplifting depicitons of Beever.  Amazing still in both of these artists is their ability to surround you with their work, to make you feel as if you are part of it.  This is evident, literally, by the two photos showing people “engaging” the work.

I apologize in advance as to the lack of specific data on some of these works, it was very limited and hard to find.  It would be nice to know but it doesn’t detract from the realistic protrayal of life-like scenes these two artists were able to create.

Early Modern

Casa Mila, by Antoni Gaudi, at Barcelona, Spain, 1905 to 1910.

If you have been following any of my posts to this point, you have a jist of my predispositions, and are wondering why I choose this work as my showcase.  I am much more of a form follows function kind of guy and generally feel that there  is too much focus on the cosmetic  aspects of things, whether it be people, buildings,or cars, you name it, we put substantial effort in it.  So the question is, why of all things did I choose, Casa Mila?  It is ALL about form.

I’ll tell you why, BECAUSE IT IS ………N’ COOL!!!!!!

This building should be the poster child for “if you’re going to do, do it well”.  I could not believe some of the stuff Antonia Gaudi did on this building alone, not including his other projects.  I have never seen anything like, yesterday or today with all our high powered computers.  I now have a new destination in my “things to see before I die”.  Look at the railing on some of these apartments.  Can you imagine living there?  Not only did he create art, it had to function as a safety device and hold up to the elements like it has for almost a hundred years.  I you have time, it is worth looking at some other pictures of this and other works of his, it is amazing.

From the caption under the photo by Michael-Leonard Creditor you can see when Casa Mila was worked on but it was finally finished in 1912.  This put it before the first world war, so we can rule out the idea that it was a product of Dada or Surrealism.  That being said I think it was created under the same ideals.  It has many similarities to abstraction in art.  The explosion of science and technology  mixed with Gaudi’s early abstract talents, allowed for this to be created.  What I don’t understand is, how after all these years, Casa Mila still stands out on its pedestal.

Casa Mila was created for the married couple, Rosario Segimon and Pere Milà. (Wikipedia)  Segimon was a wealthy widow and Milà was a developer often criticized for his love of money and opulence.  Together they provided the perfect platform for which to allow Gaudi to create.  I guess in this instance, I am thankful for the “flaws” of focusing on the cosmetic in Rosario Segimon and Pere Milà.

Impressionism vs. Realism

The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet

Beethoven

True to form, I chose one of the most recognizable music peices known to man in all its’ history.  I know, I like to push the limits.  Its not that I am being lazy, its just that I am the type that if you know what you like, why waste a opportunity  listening to something that may not be as good.  Before you label me closeminded (which might be a decent arguement in this instance), lets talk about this music.  As the post descripes, it was written by Ludwig Van Beethoven and was  commonly referred to as Beethoven’s Fifth. It  was first performed in Vienna‘s Theater an der Wien in 1808 which leads me to believe it was written before that.  Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770 but practiced his career in Vienna.

I choose this peice for the some of the same reasons it held appeal to the masses during the classical era.  It has a relatively simple style with a strong melody.  I don’t know if this is a recipe for the middle class but it sure worked on me.  As this type of music held broader groups attention, it popularized classical music.  One thing I found amazing is that Beethoven started losing his hearing in 1796, that means that this amazing work was created in a period when his hearing was gone or at least was very bad.  Incidently, he did later in life regained some hearing.

I would like to tell you that I like to practice my conducting to that first line of  music, my hair flying all around,  but I can’t, I just like to listen to it.

Baroque

This is a painting by Georges de La Tour titled, St. Joesph.  He painted it in 1642 and it currently resides at the Louvre.  La Tour was a french born artist but he spent time at different locations during his life.  There are a few reasons why I chose this painting as my representative for the baroque period.  First, I just liked its simplicity in color and context, alot like regular life.  Its context it what really got to me though.  It looks to me like a father immersed in his craft while his son looks on eagerly, with interest and admiration.  I am a father of a four year old boy and can easily relate to its situation.

Renaisannce

Above is a photo of David done by Donatello in the 1440′s as I am sure you are aware of at this point.  I chose this picture because it represented the change happening in the renaissance.  The sculpture some say represent some form of homosexuality that at the time was practiced but not legal.  Not only was this risky for Donatello but for his employer and friend, Cosmo Medici.  From wiki, “The statue originally belonged to Cosimo de’ Medici, and was placed in the courtyard of the Palazzo Medici in Florence.”  Ironically enough, it was religious in nature in that it was a sculpture of biblical David and his slaying of the evil Philistine, Goliath.  It seemed to me that Donatello probably created the sculpture with a bit of a devious smile.

Wintertime

Just a little picture of my favorite boy and what used to be my favorite sport.  I used to race sled dogs but retired 4 years ago, my wife Stacy still races.  My son connor is pictured hear with our family dog, Lexie.  This is my first blog spot and subsequently my first blog post.  It seems I will be visiting this new part of my life a fair bit in the next 3 months or so.  I bet you can’t wait!!!

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