Modern Art

I'm not quite sure why the subject of modern art popped into my head today, but it lingered long enough for me to feel compelled to write a blog entry about it. Let me first say this: I LOVE ART. I have always loved it and I can't get enough. If I ever thought I could make money owning an art gallery, I would do it. I like lots of different genres and artists. Art is like visual music to me. I can like Fiona Apple and Johnny Cash and its OK. I can like Korn and Portishead. It's all ok. There are many genres of art, just like music. Impressionism, surrealism, cubism, Art Nouveau, modernism and pop art are all genres of interest for me.

Brief overview you ask? Sure, pencils ready, please.

Impressionism

Impressionism is generally equated with the usual suspects: Monet, Manet, Renior, Cassat and Degas. However, this is an artist who wasn't as famous. Her name was Eva Gonzales (1849-1883). This piece is called "Woman in White" and was painted in 1879. What is impressionism, you ask? Why, according to answers.com, it is defined as: "A theory or style of painting originating and developed in France during the 1870s, characterized by concentration on the immediate visual impression produced by a scene and by the use of unmixed primary colors and small strokes to simulate actual reflected light." This paintings tend to be on the realist side and are painted as the artist sees them. Many of our most treasured pieces are from this genre.

Surrealism

Salvador Dali (the artist of this piece) is probably the most well known surrealist painter. Others in this genre are Frieda Kahlo and Max Ernst. Surrealism definition also from answer.com;
"A 20th-century artistic movement that attempts to express the workings of the subconscious and is characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtaposition of subject matter." This is good stuff. You hang it on your wall and your friends go "...really? Eggs?" Oh yeah, I love it.

Cubism

The most famous and most prolific painter in this genre is who you are looking at right now. No, not her, that's the model. This is a piece done by Pablo Picasso in the 1950's. Definition please...
"A nonobjective school of painting and sculpture developed in Paris in the early 20th century, characterized by the reduction and fragmentation of natural forms into abstract, often geometric structures usually rendered as a set of discrete planes." This is a fun genre to work in. I have plans to pick up my oil pastels over Christmas break and bust out a little cubism up in here.

Art Nouveau

I cant tell you who designed this particular piece, but I think its pretty damn cool. There really aren't any really well known artists in this genre that I know of, and I am by no means an expert, I just like the stuff. You are begging for a definition, I can feel it.

"In design Art Nouveau was characterized by writhing plant forms and an opposition to the historicism which had plagued the 19th century. There was a tension implicit throughout the movement between the decorative and the modern which can be seen in the work of individual designers as well as in the chronology of the whole. Its emphasis on decoration and artistic unity links the movement to contemporary Symbolist ideas in art, as seen in the work of the Vienna Secessionists, but the movement was also associated with Arts and Crafts ideas and, as such, Art Nouveau forms a bridge between Morris and Gropius (recognized by Pevsner in his book, Pioneers of the Modern Movement, 1936). "

Modernism

Modernism takes many forms, and many artists are considered to be modernist painters. For example, one of the U.S.'s most famous female artists is Georgia O'Keefe. Most of us have seen her flowers and other pieces and can easily identify her work. Another one? Cezanne. He helped mold the movement. The evolution in his pieces is amazing. This particular artist, though is Jasper Johns. He can also be included in the next category. He just died a few years ago, but created quite the library of work over his lifetime. If you are interested at all in modernist or pop art, Jasper Johns is a good place to start. You know what time it is:

"Modern Art is a general term, used for most of the artistic production from the late 19th century until approximately the 1970s. (Recent art production is more often called contemporary art). Modern art refers to a new approach to art where it was no longer important to literally represent a subject (through painting or sculpture) -- the invention of photography had made this function of art obsolete. Instead, artists started experimenting with new ways of seeing, with fresh ideas about the nature, materials and functions of art, often moving towards further abstraction."

Pop Art

Pop art is another genre in which people can identify it when they see it. I can safely say that at least 90% of the people reading this blog have seen pieces done by Andy Warhol. Keith Haring is another famous example of this style and Jasper Johns fits in this category also. This particular piece is done by Tom Wesselmann. He does a lot of nudes, and some of them are a little cartoon-looking. Their vivid colors and simple lines make them appealing to the eye. Mister definition if you please:

"Pop art is an artistic movement that is a rejection of abstract expressionism and aims to return to figurative art while incorporating themes and techniques from mass culture. The term was coined in 1956 by British critic Laurence Alloway but didn't entirely stick until well into the 1960s. In the meantime the movement was being called Neo-dada, a name which reveals some of the thinking behind this type of art. There is a strong influence of Dadaism in Pop art. "

Thanks for reading. You're welcome. Today's lesson in art history will be $50. Thanks.

Death of an Icon

One of the most important women in history died last night and she was one of my personal heros. Her name was Rosa Parks. She was not just a tired black woman who wouldn't give up her seat on a bus. She was an activist. She was putting her body on the line for social change and refused to give up not only her seat, but her dignity. In a time when white people had continually robbed African-Americans of their rights, their freedom, and often their lives, Rosa Parks had had enough. For those of you who don't know her like I did, here is a brief history:

Rosa Parks was born in Tuskeege, Alabama in 1913. She grew up poor. She became a seamstress and married Raymond Parks in 1932. They became active in the voters league in the 30's and 40's. In December 1943, Parks became active in the American Civil Rights Movement and worked as a secretary for the Montgomery, Alabama branch of the NAACP. She continued as secretary until 1957 when she left Montgomery. Just six months before her arrest, she had attended the Highlander Folk School, an education center for workers' rights and racial equality.

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Parks refused to obey a public bus driver's orders to move to the back of the bus to make extra room for whites. She was arrested, tried, and convicted of disorderly conduct as well as of violating a local ordinance.

The following night, 50 leaders of the African American community, headed by the then relatively unknown minister Martin Luther King, Jr (pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama) gathered to discuss the proper actions to be taken as a result of Mrs. Parks’ arrest. What ensued next was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The entire black community boycotted public buses for 381 days. Dozens of public buses stood idle for months until the law legalizing segregation in public buses was lifted. This event helped spark many other protests against segregation. Through her role in initiating this boycott, Rosa Parks helped make other Americans aware of the civil rights struggle. Dr. King wrote in his 1958 book, Stride Toward Freedom, "Mrs. Parks' arrest was the precipitating factor rather than the cause of the protest. The cause lay deep in the record of similar injustices...Actually no one can understand the action of Mrs. Parks unless he realizes that eventually the cup of endurance runs over, and the human personality cries out, 'I can take it no longer.'"

In 1956 Parks' case ultimately resulted in United States Supreme Court's ruling that segregated bus service was unconstitutional.

Afterwards, Parks became an icon of the civil rights movement. Unable to find work and at the urging of family who feared for her safety, in 1957, she moved first to Hampton, Virginia and then to Detroit, Michigan. She worked as a seamstress there until joining the staff of Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) where she worked from 1965 until 1988.

The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development was co-founded in February 1987 by Mrs. Rosa Parks and Ms. Elaine Eason Steele in honor of Rosa's husband Raymond Parks. The institute runs "Pathways to Freedom" bus tours introducing young people to important civil rights and underground railroad sites throughout the country.

She served as a board member for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

She continued to reside in Detroit until her death on October 24, 2005. She had been diagnosed with Progressive Dementia in 2004.

*Excerpts from Wikipedia.com*

I loved Rosa Parks. Not only for what she did for the African-American community, but what she did for all of us. She made a statement that changed the world. Yes, there were others before her (Mary Church Terrell, Lucy Parsons, and Ida B. Wells, just to name a few) and I am sure there will be many to come after her. I hope I can be one.

Rest in peace Rosa, we will pick up your pen.

Hurricanes

Here we go, again. Wilma cometh. What's up with this? What could possibly be the explanation?

Global Warming!!!

Yes, the Reagan administration blamed global warming on cow farts, but really, the blame lies in us. With our cars and our factories and our complete and utter disregard for the environment. We give no thought to how our lives affect the lives of creatures around us. We never think about how litter, toxic waste, and gas emitions might harm the earth. Well, here you go. Hurricane after hurricane. I don't have the energy for this!

New subject:

Aspen goes in for dental surgery tomorrow. Truth be told...I'm terrified. I'm so scared. I know its irrational and dumb, but I am...Irrational and dumb. Everything will be fine, Im sure, but that doesn't stop me from worrying! She's going to have a bunch of cavities filled and some crowns and stuff put on. Hopefully that will help some how in insuring the health of her next set of teeth.

Harriet Miers

Ok. So, obviously Bush didn't learn from his past mistakes (yet again). Many times he and his administration has nominated people to posts that they are not qualified to handle.

*case 1: former FEMA head, Michael Brown-"While attending law school he was appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee of the Oklahoma Legislature as the Finance Committee Staff Director, where he oversaw state fiscal issues. His background in state and local government also includes serving as an assistant to the city manager with emergency services oversight responsibilities and as a city councilman." Taken from his official bio on the FEMA website. The problem is, he was never an assistant to the city manager with emergency services. It's worded to make individuals think that he had decision making capabilities and such, but he did not. He was the city manager's administrative assistant (secretary). He was also the Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association (IAHA), from 1989-2001. After numerous lawsuits were filed against the organization over disciplinary actions, Brown was forced to resign.

This guy was fit to hold millions of lives in his hand? He couldn't even handle the politics of horses, let alone immediate hurricane relief. I am still pissed about Katrina, but my anger doesn't lie with Michael Brown as much as the man who gave him the job.

*case 2:Current Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove- Oh Karl. I have so much to say about Mr.Rove. First of all, in 1970, Rove used a false identity to enter the campaign office of Illinois Democrat Alan Dixon and stole some letterhead, which he used to print fake campaign rally fliers promising "free beer, free food, girls and a good time for nothing," and distributed them at rock concerts and homeless shelters. He admitted to this in 1999.

Secondly, on August 10, 1973, as a protege of Donald Segretti (later convicted as a Watergate conspirator), in the midst of the Watergate Scandal, Rove was the subject of a Washington Post article titled "Republican Party Probes Official as Teacher of Tricks." The article, which was sourced to tape-recorded conversations, reported how the 22-year-old Rove and a colleague had been touring the country giving young Republicans "dirty tricks" training, complete with stories of derring-do such as the incident at the Dixon headquarters. Rove was questioned by the FBI. Rove's contemporary Lee Atwater signed an affidavit stating that the admissions caught on tape, including the Dixon incident, were made merely "in jest." The Republican National Committee investigated and exonerated Rove, who blames political opponents from his chairmanship race for spreading false allegations. Watergate veteran and Republican critic John Dean corroborates the investigation of Rove during Watergate: "...Based on my review of the files, it appears the Watergate prosecutors were interested in Rove's activities in 1972, but because they had bigger fish to fry they did not aggressively investigate him."

Thirdly, Rove dropped out of the University of Utah in 1971. The man couldn't hack classes at the University of Utah, but gets one of the most powerful jobs in the world? WTF?

Fourth, and this is the funny one...In 1976, Rove married Houston socialite Valerie Wainright, who divorced him in 1979 (reportedly due to his homosexuality).

And here it is...his "professional" record (I use that term loosely). Here we go:

1986 William Clements, Gubernatorial campaign

In 1986, just before a crucial debate in the election for governor of Texas, Karl Rove claimed that his office had been bugged by the Democrats. The police and FBI investigated and discovered that bug's battery was so small that it needed to be changed every few hours, and the investigation was dropped. Critics suspected Rove had bugged his own office to garner sympathy votes in the close governor's race.

1992 George H. W. Bush presidential campaign

In 1992, "Sources close to the former president George H.W. Bush say Rove was fired from the 1992 Bush presidential campaign after he planted a negative story with columnist Robert Novak about dissatisfaction with campaign fundraising chief and Bush loyalist Robert Mosbacher Jr. It was smoked out, and he was summarily ousted" (Esquire Magazine, January 2003). Robert Novak provided some evidence of motive in his column describing the firing of Mosbacher by former Senator Phil Gramm: "Also attending the session was political consultant Karl Rove, who had been shoved aside by Mosbacher." Novak and Rove deny that Rove was the leaker, but Mosbacher maintains that "Rove is the only one with a motive to leak this. We let him go. I still believe he did it."

2004 George W. Bush presidential campaign


Rove has professional ties to the producers of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth television ads that quoted Kerry reporting stories in front of Congress that he had personally heard from U.S. military personnel in Vietnam who "had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads," "randomly shot at civilians," and "razed villages in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan." Another ad from SBVT accused Kerry of lying to win his Vietnam combat medals.
President George W. Bush thanked Rove in his 3 November 2004 acceptance speech, just after defeating John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, calling Rove "the architect". A few months after the controversy over the Killian documents during the 2004 campaign, it was suggested (by liberal Representative Maurice Hinchey(D-NY), among others) that Rove might have planted fake anti-Bush documents with CBS News. Allegedly, his motivation would have been the hope that CBS would rush to report the story with unverified documents, thereby deflecting attention from Bush's avoidance of military service during the Vietnam War. Rove has denied that he had any involvement.

Of course he denies any involvement. Its Karl Rove for god sake!

So back to the beginning. Harriet Miers. I shouldn't have to say much about this. First of all, she's never been a JUDGE! That worries me! She's a Bush crony and has been for years. I believe she would be the most activist judge on the court if she were to be confirmed. Hopefully she will not be. The Democrats won't support her and a lot of the Conservative Republicans have reservations about her also. Hopefully they will go with thier guts and not confirm her. She's dangerous and her confirmation spells the end of reproductive rights, individual rights and privacy. It also ushers in the probability for us to binundateded with religious propaganda at every turn (the 1commandmentsts in courthouses, prayer in schools and even MORE god in government). Yea. So those of us who have belief systems outside the church get our civil liberties stepped on even more. Welcome to America.

Sorry Harriet, go back to Texas.