To see a world in a grain of sand...

 

by Raphaela Vaisseau

"In my work, I give you color to heal and bless you, images to inspire you and bring you joy, words to assist you in being aware of your innate self-worth, quotes to assist you in staying focused on your goals, and words to say what's in your heart to people you love."

I just found this homage to William Blake's styled illustration to this famous quote made by Raphaela Vaisseau.

Charles Girard's White Mountain Puzzles

 "Charlie Girard was born and bred in Rhode Island, where he still lives. Married with children, he plays guitar, collects stamp and baseball cards, and loves the ocean. In real life his job is in finance but his passion for puzzles, inherited from his mother, led him to us. He built so many puzzles that the ones he found on the market all seemed a little boring, with no one making the kind of puzzles he wanted to do - like collages! He created some images and emailed them to "pretty much" every puzzle company in the U.S. but didn't hear from anyone for six months, until White Mountain Puzzles made the brilliant decision to add his collage of beer labels which became our Cheers! At that time he also sent us Candy Wrappers, and the rest is history. Charlie has become one of our most popular puzzle designers ever with his seemingly endless supply of ideas and creativity."

I just found Charles Girard from the puzzles' collection. We have a little of each collage of the American city he created.  

The Temples of Cambodia

I just came across with this picture. It is Bayon Temple in Cambodia. There are countless amazing sculptures like this

Do a little research to see more temples and sculptures and you'll end up with a smile on your face and at peace.

Mary Magdalene by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Left: Mary Magdalene, Dante G Rossetti 1877
Right: Mary Magdalene, Dante G. Rossetti, 1867

I don't feel like saying anything about these paintings. I took a glimpse and found biographical references, historic background and some other articles that say nothing about the art or analysis that speaks more about the person who is writing than the artist's aesthetics.
Lately I feel like watching without the need of words.
If I wanted words I would read Rossetti's poems.

Art: numerous connections and ways to see 2

On top: Woman playing acoustic guitar (detail), Renoir, 1841 Right: the painting, Left: Another detail.


I wrote a post about an experience in Beaubourg museum and promise to write about others connections with art, especially visual.
Another way of appreciation is when I go to an exhibition of the artist with numerous pieces from different periods.
I remember a Renoir collection set on Petit Palais.
Funny that in some exhibitions I go from one painting after another but when I look a the whole room nothing happens.
It was not the case of this experience. After watching each picture I took a glimpse at the whole and all l of a sudden I focused my eyes in a way where I could feel the seven colors in Renoir's white.
Renoir juxtaposes colors - watch the detail on the right - but not the seven colors that makes white. Still my mind made this decomposition of the white in seven colors.

That was a great feeling and I'll never forget it.

Beyonce, money and Beethoven

According to his biography Beethoven was forced to study music by his father who wanted to turn the young boy into a prodigy in order to help increase the low income of the family.
In the beginning Beethoven didn't like studying the musical instruments but his father made him practice day and night which led to boy to tears.
But for our lucky the genius kept this career.
Some centuries later would a father encourage his son to be a musician?
Would a father buy a guitar, a bass or drums to his boy with the same aim Bethoven's had in mind?
It doesn't sound probable. He would rather boss the lad to become  a footballer and make him practice till tears.
The world don't value great culture anymore, on the contrary, money, propaganda is destroying real art.
In the music spectrum clones are doing what is expected from them and those who become rich in this field lack not only talent but creation. Their souls are bought - reference: Beyonce. 
I think about Beethoven. He worked hard to keep his profession... and the irony of losing his hearing. Still it was in silence he wrote his most important master pieces.
As far as money is concerned he didn't care about it and what we cherish is the wealth of his imagination.

Image: Ludwig van Beethoven in his Study; from a painting by Carl Schloesser. (circa 1811)

Art: numerous connections and ways to see

In one of many visits to Beaubourg "museum" I stood in front of a Picasso's painting and it was like being transported to someplace else.
I don't remember the painting. 
It's difficult to describe the feeling when in front of certain art works something happens that prevents any judgement, any critic, any thought.
Time standstills, I feel mesmerized, the space surrounding me disappears and there's only me, the painting and this incredible feeling of wander.
This is one of the numerous ways I appreciate art.
I'll try to talk about the others.
This is the first one

Images: from the movie "Pride and Prejudice"

Lee Kang-bin's miniature paintings in a cup of coffee

I would never drink drink this coffee. Yes, it is art on a cup of coffee done by the South Korean artist Lee Kang-bin.

"SEOUL: South Korean barista Lee Kang-bin is taking coffee art to the next level, creating miniature imitations of famous paintings on foamy cups of java at his central Seoul cafe.

With meticulous strokes of tiny brushes and spoons, Lee, 26, recreates the likes of Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night" and Edvard Munch's "The Scream" using thick cream stained with food coloring atop a cup of coffee.

Take a look at  Lee Kang-bin's Instagram pages to watch his work.

Source: Sunday Chronicles.

Art of coloured sand inside a glass

It requires a lot of patience to make such a beautiful scene made of coloured sand.
It's one layer after another with tiny little spaces where another colour creates a little shadow, a tiny bird, a moon, a bush...
Even though there is a lot of these work in Brazil I always like looking at the places they are sold.
Click on the numbers 1 or 2, to go to the blogs where there are more works of these artists.
Have a great week!

Mona Lisa parodies

A quick "Mona Lisa" search on Google will show numerous Gioconda's parodies.

I did chose this one because I believe that the sister is tired and bored of not producing anything.

I believe she will portray Leonardo, da Vinci not di Caprio, but I have not idea if it will be in a thankful or in a revengeful way.

What do you think?

Lipstick: 50 shades of red and Anish Kapoor

I can't get enough of red lipstick. Sometimes I try a pink or another colour but it doesn't look nice.I thought it was my perception so I asked some friends and they agree with me that red is the best colour for me. 
One of the shades I like the most is the one that has a touch of blue. Yes, there are red colours with a bit of blue that enhances the colour. It is being difficult to find this colour at the moment.
The image above I took from Pinterest. I thought about this post and I decided that the title would be  "50 shade of red", how original. I did google it and there it was: this picture that makes me feel like eating the colours.

Some month agoI watched a documentary with Anish Kapoor, who speaks about his art in a way that captivates, and he talked about the red colour. 
In his exhibition "My Red Homeland", a monumental installation being composed of 25 tons of red, Kapoor talked to Raúl Martínez Fernández and he said:

"“I have always thought of the colour red as a colour of the centre, like a path to emotional exploration”. Red is the colour of blood, of passion and emotion; red is the colour of meat, here turned into wax and Vaseline – organic but imperishable. The red colour is thus more than just a simple connection between the works that have shaped this exhibition – furthermore, it assumes a fundamental role in the sculptures of Anish Kapoor, one of the most important sculptors of contemporary art. From his first sculptures – simple geometrical or biomorphic forms coated in pigments – to his latest work formed from metal, wax and Vaseline in which the monochromatic effect creates a never-ending optical illusion, the application of colour indicates a constant in his works: the search for Immateriality and Spirituality."

Courtesy: CAC Málaga & Lisson Gallery

Rembrandt: Which is the copy?

Spot the original and watch the video for the answer.


Image: From a BBC Documentary "Rembrandt by Himself" an exhibition showing 70 auto-portrays of Rembrandt.

The Tombs of Santa Croce and the grumpy british critic

"It is hideous beyond believe."
That's what  David Sewes think about the Basilica, the statues... in short everything in the Basilica, the square, maybe Florence, 
It is amusing such a display of narcissism coming from a critic.

Basilica's history:

"The  Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy is much more than just a church. Santa Croce is one of the oldest and largest Franciscan basilicas in the world and by far the most magnificent. Some of history’s most influential artists have made their mark on the church, from frescoes by Giotto and Agnolo Gaddi, to architecture by Brunelleschi and Donatello. While many basilicas in Italy contain the works of great artists, Santa Croce is unlike any other in the fact that it contains more than just their art; it contains their remains as well. Dubbed “The Temple of the Italian Glories,” Santa Croce contains more skeletons of Renaissance masters than any other church in Italy.

Santa Croce was built in 1294 of a design by the great architect Arnolfo di Cambio. Its most notable features are its 16 chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs designed by artists of the Renaissance. The church has lived through more than seven centuries of history and has an artistic and cultural heritage so profound that it has become one of the best-loved and most visited sites in Florence.

Santa Croce was established as a Franciscan church and was decorated as such. A fundamental feature of early Franciscan churches was the frescoed narration of the stories of Christ and saints. Several of the great Florentine families, including the Bardi, the Peruzzi, the Alberti, the Baroncelli and the Rinuccini, acquired the patronage of chapels in Santa Croce, thereby assuming the honor of decorating and furnishing them.

Some of the 14th century decoration has survived, including that painted by the great Giotto, who frescoed the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels with scenes from the life of St. Francis and scenes from the lives of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Giotto’s closest followers, Taddeo Gaddi, Bernardo Daddi and Maso di Banco, painted frescoes in the chapels patronized by the Baroncelli, Pulci, Berardi, and Bardi di Vernio. In the mid-14th century, the walls of the aisles and the Sacristy were frescoed by Andrea Orcagna, Giovanni da Milano, Niccolò di Pietro Gerini and Agnolo Gaddi. The 14th century decoration was crowned by Agnolo Gaddi’s frescoes for the chapel of the high altar, commissioned by the Alberti and illustrating the Story of the True Cross.

In the 15th century, Santa Croce received important architectural additions. In 1429, Andrea de’ Pazzi undertook the construction of the Chapter House (known as the Pazzi Chapel), which was designed and begun by Filippo Brunelleschi but not completed until long after his death. It is one of the most harmonious buildings of the Florentine Renaissance and is decorated not by frescoes but by glazed terracotta roundels created by Luca della Robbia and his followers. In the late 15th century, sculptural works, tombs, altars and pulpits were created by some of the greatest Florentine masters, including Donatello, Antonio and Bernardo Rossellino, Desiderio da Settignano and Benedetto da Maiano.

Santa Croce underwent an architectural transformation in the late 16th century which involved the erection of large altars embellished with paintings by the greatest Tuscan artists of the time. However, it was with the construction of the tomb of Michelangelo that the basilica became a favorite resting place of Italian greats and would earn its title as “The Temple of the Italian Glories.”

Upon entering Santa Croce, the first tomb visitors encounter is that of Michelangelo. Legend has it that the Renaissance master chose this spot so that the first thing he would see on Judgment Day, when the graves of the dead fly open, would be Brunelleschi's dome through Santa Croce's open doors. Michelangelo died in 1564 in Rome, miles away from his beloved Florence. However, the people of Florence were so determined to return Michelangelo’s remains to his home that a group broke into Rome’s church of Santissimi Apostoli, stole the great artist’s body and smuggled it back to Florence. Michelangelo is buried beneath a monument with allegorical figures of sculpture, architecture and painting designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1570. The structure was so beautiful that it served as a model for all other tombs that would be built in the church.

Directly across from Michelangelo is the tomb of Galileo who died in 1642. The great astronomer was born in Pisa, yet spent the later part of his life in Florence under the patronage of the Medicis after the Roman Inquisition had intimidated him into recanting his belief that the earth revolves around the sun. His monument was not constructed until 1737 when his remains were finally allowed a Christian burial. The structure was designed by Giovanni Battista Foggini.

Nearby the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo is a 19th century tribute to Dante Alighieri. The remains of Italy’s greatest poet are buried in Ravenna, as he was exiled from Florence for his political activities in 1302 and was not allowed to return. Dante died in Ravenna in 1321 and the city had refused to allow Florence to reclaim his body.

Nearly halfway down the nave of Santa Croce stands the tomb of Niccolò Machiavelli, the political theoretician whose brutally pragmatic philosophy so influenced the Medici. Though he died in 1527, his tomb was not built until 1787. Despite his reputation as a contemptuous political theorist, Machiavelli was an honest servant of the Florentine state. The great Italian statesman could have easily taken bribes from competing parties, yet he never did. Machiavelli’s monument is a marble structure created by Spinazzi that bears the inscription, “Tanto nomini nullum par eulogium,” or “No elegy is equal to such a name.”

The tomb of Lorenzo Ghiberti, creator of the bronze doors of the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral which Michelangelo called the "Gates of Paradise," is far simpler than that of his contemporaries. Ghiberti’s remains are marked by the emblem of an eagle on the floor of the basilica.

Further into the church adjacent to the magnificent “Annunciation” sculpture by Donatello is the tomb of Leonardo Bruni. A renowned orator and Florentine diplomat, Bruni was an eminent scholar known for his translations of Plato and Aristotle and his writings on the history of Florence. When Bruni died in 1444, his last wishes were for his remains to be housed in an antique-style funerary monument. The structure, executed by Bernardo Rossellino, features ancient Roman art rather than religious imagery, thus complying with Bruni’s final request.

At the very end of Santa Croce’s nave is the tomb of opera composer Gioachino Rossini, who died in 1868. Rossini penned 39 operas, including the famous “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and “La Cenerentola.” Until his retirement in 1829, Rossini had been the most popular opera composer in history. His monument was created in 1900 by Giuseppe Cassioli.

In the late 19th century, Santa Croce became not only a resting place for the greatest Italians, but for ordinary individuals as well. Private tombs inspired by a romantic mourning for lost affections also found their place in the Basilica.

The great Italian writer Ugo Foscolo, whose remains were transported from London so that he could be buried in Santa Croce, once wrote that the tombs of Santa Croce were “urns of the strong, that kindle strong souls to great deeds.” These words could not be more true, as those put to rest in the church of Santa Croce are among the most inspirational individuals in history."
Source: The Tombs of Santa Croce
The Italian Tribune 
27 March, 2014 at 14:21 

Terry Eagleton: "The Death of Criticism?"

Lately I'm listening to a lot of lectures and it was a pleasure to find Terry Eagleton's videos.
As I have a degree in literature I have read two of his books that was translated into Brazilian Portuguese.
Terry, may I call you like this master?, has a great sense of humour and raises numerous important issuers this world is facing.
I feel like buying some of his books but now that I can listen to the sound of his voice I'll buy it in the original language.
I'm going to listen to another of his lectures. Have a great day!

Excerpts from this video: "What sort of society is it where the possible is always superior to the actual?"

34:04 "I mean, of course, the second 9/11, not the first (...) in 1971 where the US violently overthrew the democratic elected government of Salvador Allende of Chile and installed in his place a odious dictator who went on to kill far more people that ever were killed in the World Trade Centre."

The Brazilian Portuguese version of two of Terry Eagleton's books.

It was read and will be read again.

Seung Mo when the material strikes

Beautiful sculpture, isn't it? It is made in bronze or any other metal?
Yes, another metal: it is aluminum! Aluminum wires.
I came across with the work of Seung Mo because today, yes today, I started my first attempt to do anything with aluminum wires. I bought the wire, two pliers and there I go! I decided to take a look at something simple to start and... the irony I came across with Korean artist Seung Mo.
It if was made in bronze that would not be that relevant to me.
It would be beautiful, period.
But it is made of wire on a fiberglass base form.
Visit this site to take a look at Seung Mo's work.
Me? I did bend three beautiful curves on a half meter wire. Perfect!

Toulouse-Lautrec portrayed Melanie Griffith

It was watching the movie "Shining Through" that I recognized who is the woman Toulouse-Lautrec took as a model for the painting on the left.
It was Melanie Griffith.
I hope that this fact is recognized by the art-world and historians dare to accept the truth.

Bob Dylan awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature

In 2012 Bob Dylan received from the Nobel Peace prize president Obama the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Today Bob received Nobel Prize " "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".  This is the reason for a literature prize.

I like Bob Dylan but it seems to me that this is another one for the list of those controversial Nobel Prizes. Literature is the leading Nobel Prize of controversy.
Perhaps Nobel Prize permanent secretary Sara Danius who said: "He is a great poet in the English tradition." confused "lyricist" for "lyric".

I'm sure that those who are from the literary field are very disappointed but the majority of people think it is fair and well deserved. A book, is a book, is a book.

I have a bachelor degree in literature and whenever someone comes up with a very beautiful lyric claiming it is "poetry" I ask the person to read it aloud.
Usually, they cannot do read it with a good intonation.
Call me old-fashioned but I don't mix the two arts. I have even already read lyrics as a poem in class to call the attention of students but I always explained to them that it is just like comparing a book and the film based on it. They are different arts.

Tango: Internal Struggle Of Lust by Leonid Afremov

Leonid Afremov paintings are at DeviantART and I just found his work Leonidafremov.
What strikes at a first glance are the colors and the lights. Tiny brushstrokes are used to construct numerous effects.
I did choose this painting because I found it very powerful and the way they are united is amazing. There is no background since it created the "room" where they're dancing, surrounded them giving movements and made them keep dancing.

DeviantART: My page

DeviantART is a great site to find creative artists that are not in the galleries. I did join it back in 2011 but just now I'm uploading some of m stuffs. This is my page. Click at the above slide show to have a glimpse.

Two prostitutes: a touch of Toulouse-Lautrec

This piece, "Two Prostitutes", by Hong Kong's artist cellar-fcp, reminded me of Toulouse-Lautrec the second I saw it.
Cella-fcp, Deviant Art's codename, favourite style of art: Manet, Monet, klimt, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Schiele, Hiroaki Samura, Nihei Tsutomu, Yukito Kishir.
I could write about it analysing in detail characteristics of the painting, similarities and differences of this and that, and, many other aspects.
Lately, I rather "watch and feel" so this is the most important comment left at cellar-fcp page:
"I dunno why I like this."