Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Monday, January 28, 2013

Is It art Or ART?


Tucson Weather Today

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While attending Elementary School In the 1940s my art teacher in my art class taught that art was the act of drawing pictures on a sheet of paper with a pencil, an ink filled pen, a stick of charcoal, or a loaded paint brush. And at times, finger paint.

Then I got into High School and learned that this was still a good description of what art is: The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture.

Some synonyms for art are: craft - skill - artifice - science - workmanship - knack

But that is art, not ART.

While art can connote a sense of trained ability or mastery of a medium, I'm told that ART is an act of expressing feelings, thoughts, and observations.

LINK

Cave painting of a horse from the Lascaux caves,
circa 16,000 BP

Choreography, according to some, is an art. To others, it is an Art. Others call it a craft.

Some laud Ulysses, the novel by the Irish author James Joyce; as being a work of ART.



Others brand it as trash.

Go figure.




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WORD FOR TODAY

choreography

noun
-  The art of creating and arranging dances or ballets.
-  A work created by this art.
-  Something, such as a series of planned situations, likened to dance arrangements.

Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek. A choreographer is one who creates choreographies by practicing the art of choreography.

The word "choreography" first appeared in the American English dictionary in the 1950s and "choreographer" was first used as a credit for George Balanchine in the Broadway show On Your Toes in 1936. Prior to this, stage and movie credits used phrases such as "ensembles staged by" "dances staged by" or simply "dances by" to denote the choreographer.

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Historical Clip

The space shuttle Challenger exploded just after liftoff on this day in 1986, killing the seven astronauts aboard.

 The Challenger shuttle crew, of seven astronauts died tragically in the explosion of their spacecraft during the launch of STS-51-L from the Kennedy Space Center about 11:40 a.m., EST, on January 28, 1986. The explosion occurred 73 seconds into the flight as a result of a leak in one of two Solid Rocket Boosters that ignited the main liquid fuel tank. The crew members of the Challenger represented a cross-section of the American population in terms of race, gender, geography, background, and religion. The explosion became one of the most significant events of the 1980s, as billions around the world saw the accident on television.

The spacecraft commander was Francis R. (Dick) Scobee. The pilot was Michael J. Smith. Judith A. Resnik was one of three mission specialists. Ronald E. McNair was the second of three mission specialists aboard. Ellison S. Onizuka, was the last of the three mission specialists. The last two members of the Challenger crew were not officially Federal government employees. Gregory B. Jarvis, a payload specialist, worked for the Hughes Aircraft Corp.'s Space and Communications Group in Los Angeles, California, and had been made available for the Challenger flight by his company. The last member of the crew was Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space.

President Ronald Reagan postponed the State of the Union address that was scheduled for that evening and instead addressed the nation about the tragedy. He appointed a commission to investigate the accident and the shuttle program was put on hiatus.

Details HERE

Personal note: The spacecraft commander, Dick Scobee, was born on my birthday, May 19, 1939.

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BORN ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY



Born Jan 28, 1936
Age:  76 years old

Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo, better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his roles as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H and Arnold Vinick in The West Wing. He is currently a Visiting Professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Journalism and a member of the advisory board of The Center for Communicating Science.



Born Jan 28, 1950
Age:  62 years old

Barbi Benton is a Jewish American model, actress and singer. She was featured on the cover of Playboy several times (initially credited as Barbi Klein) and in nude photo layouts in the March 1970, December 1973, and January 1975 issues.

A Work Of art ART
(Not the photograph)

Benton is known for her years as a regular on the country music series Hee Haw, appearing in comic skits with other cast members. She left the program after four seasons to concentrate on a more Hollywood-oriented career. She also starred in the short-lived ABC-TV comedy series Sugar Time! about an aspiring female rock group in 1977.



 Born Jan. 28, 1912
Died Aug 11, 1956

Paul Jackson Pollock, known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his uniquely defined style of drip painting.





Born Jan 28, 1873
Died  Aug 3, 1954

Colette was the surname of the French novelist and performer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. She is best known for her novel Gigi, upon which Lerner and Loewe based the stage and film musical comedies of the same title.

A controversial figure throughout her life, Colette flaunted her lesbian affairs.

Truman Capote wrote a short story about her called "The White Rose".


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An artist is always alone if he is an artist.
No, what the artist needs is loneliness.

--Henry Miller


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

The Significance Of Insignificance

 
Tucson Weather Today

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I am so darned sick and tired of writing such trivial ephemera in this, my daily blog. It is no mystery as to why I have so few loyal readers. It is because my entries are so boring and so nearly meaningless and lacking in importance, lacking any great significance or value.

Such a sad state will probably continue unless I can bring myself to effect a radical change in presentation, such as perhaps creating a series of fictional or semi-fictional stories loosely based on events that actually happened during my lifetime.

If I can do that, it might strike some interest in enhanced future readership.

That would be a lot of work, though.

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WORD FOR TODAY

ephemera [ee-FEMM-uhr-uh]
noun

Ephemera (singular: ephemeron) is any transitory written or printed matter not meant to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogs, greeting cards, letters, pamphlets, postcards, posters, prospectuses, stock certificates, tickets, and zines.



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Example Of Ephemera



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Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life.
--Michael Korda


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Arts And Crafts




I have some thoughts regarding last night's State Of The Union speech, but I believe that I should give myself some time to muse upon those thoughts. And the thoughts of established columnists and political writers. So, if I decide to share my opinions about the speech on the blog I will do so tomorrow.
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I am not a musical person. I could get along quite well without any music at all in my life. Most music, to me, is nothing more than a distraction. I am aware of music playing in the background but only because it tends to disturb the focus of my thoughts.

I think that I can recognize a well crafted piece of music whether the craftsmanship be in the choice of words selected to create the song, its instrumental accompaniment, or the depth of emotion the singer brings to the song's delivery. But I, unlike most other people, cannot detect exactly how or when a well-crafted piece of music is transformed into a Work Of Art.

But at times I find myself mysteriously moved by a particular piece of music, or by the sound of a singer's voice, and I ask myself is that then, ART?

All I can say, about music, is: "I know what I like."


Born On This Day

Etta James


born January 25, 1938
died January 20, 2012

Etta James passes away -- announcement, information, and videos, including At Last.


My non-recognition of Art and Artistry also exists within the realm of literature.


Margaret Atwood



In The Blind Assassin Margaret Atwood wrote: "The only way you can write the truth is to assume that what you set down will never be read. Not by any other person, and not even by yourself at some later date. Otherwise you begin excusing yourself. You must see the writing as emerging like a long scroll of ink from the index finger of your right hand; you must see your left hand erasing it."

Margaret Atwood is another author who has written many books that I have never got around to reading, although I have meant for a long time to read them all. And I know that I had better get to it without further delay.

As for the craftsmanship or the artistic quality of the written word...

"I know what I like."

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"If we were all on trial for our thoughts, we would all be hanged."
--Margaret Atwood

Sunday, January 15, 2012

I Read Somewhere That . . .


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Martin Luther King, Jr.


January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

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Recently, I read somewhere (don't remember where) the description: "Sister Lynn, who is in her thirties and has a warm, librarian-like voice..." and I thought about this, wondering what a "warm, librarian like voice" sounds like. I tried to recall the voices of the many librarians I've encountered throughout my lifetime, but could not identify a single one of them as being especially 'warm' or in any way similar to all the other librarians' voices I'd heard.

I still don't know what a warm librarian-like voice sounds like. My lack of identification with the adjectives is quite likely due to my often displayed admissions of cultural ignorance.

But, the panegyric must have some validity.

Panegyric
(noun)
A public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.


In an interview with Michael Neilsen
I read the following: "We don’t yet have a group da Vinci. We can’t take a thousand people and get something like the Mona Lisa." -- "Oh yeah," I said aloud (even though I was alone at the time) -- and I asked myself, "How can you possibly know that?"

Have a thousand people ever actually come together and conspired to create a potential work of art? If so, even if they failed have there been other attempts by other thousand-member groups to do so? How many? Were there attempts by a sufficient number of such groups to (even statistically) prove that the desired result could not be eventually obtained?

Or is this merely an example of, "Oh, everybody knows that."

And what's so special about the Mona Lisa? Because it is 'Great Art?' Because it's a 'Masterpiece?" simply because someone once declared it to be a Masterpiece of Great Art? and other people took up that opinion and finally enough people agreed with the original evaluation that it became accepted as Truth?

What's my point?

My point is that the statement, "We can't take a thousand people and get something like the Mona Lisa." is a baseless personal opinion.

That's my point.

Mona Lisa



Besides, what's so great about the Mona Lisa, anyway? I've heard and read the popular opinions that have praised, for instance, the mysterious smile of the painted lady.

To me, the praise is overblown. To me, all women at times smile in a mysterious manner. The Mona Lisa does not move me. Never has. I see in it nothing superior to any other image of a seated lady, be they paintings, drawings, or modern photographs.

Just because I have been bombarded all my life with proclamations extolling the greatness of the DaVinci painting does not mean I have to accept it as being so. The Mona Lisa, is nothing special. To me, it is just an old painting of a lady. That's all.

So that makes me an ignorant lout?

Oh yeah? So who's arguing?

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I just want to do God's will.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

What Makes Art Art?


I discovered long ago that I know nothing of Art. Nor do I even wish to learn. Sometimes I can recognize (what I believe to be) a work of art. But not often.

I am a pragmatic soul.

pragmatic
(adj.)
Dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.

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Is it truly Art?
I couldn't say.


Is this Art?


(I seriously doubt it)



produces works of art
and I like those works

“Deep in each man is the knowledge that something knows of his existence. Something knows, and cannot be fled nor hid from.”
--Cormac McCarthy


is not accused of producing Art,
but I like his work . . . art or no.

“When the Fox hears the Rabbit scream he comes a-runnin', but not to help.”
--Thomas Harris

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It might be artistic if I were to insert a piece of Art here.

But I won't.

No time.

I am busy working on another project.

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“There is no God and we are his prophets.”
--Cormac McCarthy

“How seldom we recognize the sound when the bolt of our fate slides home.”
--Thomas Harris


Monday, December 5, 2011

Detail Oriented To A Fault



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I like to watch reruns of certain TV shows. After viewing an episode several times I am familiar with the plot, -- And that gives me the opportunity to seek out trivial items that most people fail to notice. For example: in a Two and a half Men episode, housekeeper Berta's granddaughter is a sexy 16 year old, and I wondered who the actress was, so I watched the closing credits and discovered it was Megan Fox.



Six minute YouTubevideo from the above mentioned episode.

It has been reported that Ms Fox is bi-sexual and at one time was interested in...



Can't help it... that's just the kind of guy I am, and have always been -- one who pays attention to seemingly trivial details.


Diedra Alexander is a young writer who will (in my opinion) soon become a famous author.

The above was copied from
Diedra's Blog

Golly Gee! I seem to be obsessed for some reason with pictures of sexy young women.

Don't know why.
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WARNING!

A sick-art website.

Don't go there unless you are extremely tolerant and believe that 'art' is in the eye of the beholder and that a searcher can find it everywhere.

I visited the site and wasted more than a half hour scrolling endlessly through all the deathwish-inspired pseudo-art.

You've been warned.
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Men Untrained to Comfort
is a poem by Wendell Berry that I read at The Writer's Almanac. Although it is one of those writings that often bewilder me as to whether it is truly a poem or merely a prose piece with unconventional line breaks, I declare that, in this case, it does not matter.

I liked it.

(perhaps because I am old and it reminded me of persons I knew when I was young)


Definitions of Prose and Poetry

Poetry is language spoken or written according to some pattern of recurrence that emphasises relationships between words on the basis of sound as well as meaning. This pattern is almost always a rhythm or metre (regular pattern of sound units). This pattern may be supplemented by ornamentation such as rhyme or alliteration or both.

Prose is the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse. matter-of-fact, commonplace, or dull expression, quality, discourse, etc.

Prose is the form of written language that is not organised according to formal patterns of verse. It may have some sort of rhythm and some devices of repetition and balance, but these are not governed by regularly sustained formal arrangement. The significant unit is the sentence, not the line. Hence it is represented without line breaks in writing.

The above was copied from:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Poetry_vs_Prose


The difference between is a website that can be a valuable resource for the casual researcher For example: if you need to know the basics between a cow and a heifer but do not want to wade through complex research papers, you can visit HERE.
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...art is a product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered.
--Al Capp

Friday, August 6, 2010

And Habitual Laziness, Perhaps...

The reasons as to why I neglected to write an entry in yesterday's blog are two-fold: first because I simply did not feel adequate to the task of investing the necessary mental effort to compose any profound or even vaguely rational text, and second because I spent the allotted time in a much more pleasant pursuit, that being the continued re-reading and careful examination of the style and craftsmanship (not mere artistry) of Thomas Harris novel: Hannibal.

More about that later . . .