Paintings by Alex Gross & Other Images

The artist featured below, Alex Gross, in his own unique way reminded me of a couple of other artists.  He garnered attention some time ago via BoingBoing -- the seal of hipster approval on the absurd, curious, and/or thought-provoking.  Subsequently, I went searching on alexgross.com and found many other works to relish.

The formal family portrait below and its rich decorative textures harken back to a favorite from Flemish master Jan Van Eyck.  While echoing the pose of the Van Eyck and the female's deep green attire, the male figure's right hand-positioning, which resembles the kartari mudra (the "Gesture of Discord"), seems to confirm the possible root his bride's side-ward glance.

Redemption

oil on canvas 65" x 44" © Alex Gross 2007

alexgross.com

The Betrothal of The Arnolfini (1434)
oil on oak panels 32.4" x 23.6" by Jan Van Eyck
desarte.com.br

Gross' use of natural iconography (roses, skull, butterflies) immediately evoked Frida Kahlo's self-portraiture, especially in the following painting with its stone-smooth skin tones and dreamlike background. 


The Mandolin

oil on canvas 50" x 30" © Alex Gross 2008

alexgross.com

Self Portrait as a Tehuana or Diego in My Thoughts, 1943

oil on masonite 30" x 24"

art-glossary.com

In several of his other paintings, some of the formality Gross uses in his composition seems to play a tight counterpoint to his more satirical subject matter. Still others with a more blatant comedic bent conjure up the iconic "loteria" squares of Mexico.

Alex Gross  - Explore the entire catalog

Star Wars Mexican Loteria Cards - just for fun, a series by Austin, TX artist Chepo Peña

Jiro, the Fish, & the Giant Rep

Whether you're a seafood fan or not, this is about the best example of mastery of an artform as I've ever seen -- on film, at least. Like the old grocery shopping edict, don't watch hungry or you may be tempted to book a flight to Tokyo and a reservation at Sukiyabashi Jiro.

The Master, Jiro Ono ~ more about the film from Magnolia Pictures

Charles Bradley's "How Long": Live in Athens, GA

Here's an early attempt at capturing the energy of a live performance. The performance part is definitely Charles Bradley's specialty--along with his amazing, soul-baring voice, of course!  Check out the "bearing the burden" maneuver--classic allusion!

*A wee disclaimer: my proximity to the excellent speaker system at the GA Theatre helped to "c l i p" the sound a little bit, which was a tad disappointing, but lesson learned for next show. Still, Bradley's showmanship and well-honed vocal talents, as well as the extremely tight backing from His Extraordinaires, trumped any technical difficulties.  Check out the inspiring story of his long rise to finally become a recognized R & B / soul star.

The bill that night was shared by The Budos Band, the instrumental group whose name stems from a preference for facial hair -- thus, 'barbudos' . Both acts are on Daptone Records, the stellar outfit from Brooklyn, NY, where else?  Their analog approach to record production has made them a highly respected label in recent years; that crisp but warm Motown / Stax Records sound consistently comes through like it's always existed in the catalog of essential tunes.  I've mentioned Daptone previously around here when Sharon Jones first shook my world , like she always will,  as 'The Hardest Working Woman in Show Business'!

Here Jones sings a tune by a familiar name; the backing rhythm by The Dap Kings is totally infectious, even after the hundredth time!

Breaking the Ice with Mr. Rogers

Oooooh, it's been frigid around here! I'm so long overdue for a much needed "heating element" to get me going again with posts: oddities, observations, new and classic sounds, and so on.

This little ditty has been reverberating around the webs and for good reason; Fred Rogers was a saint who helped raise every kid in my generation, and he deserves every click of "viral" interest this garners. I generally despise AutoTune but I loved this.

Now, I'm going home to change into my house shoes and don my zip-up sweater.

Explore more at FredRogersCenter.org

Academy Awards Contest ~ Take 3!

Competition time is here again, and even though Fassbender (honestly, can't place him) got passed over, a full Academy boycott wouldn't be prudent.

If you're anything like me,

most films you've yet to see.

Nonethless, without duress,

select the winners-to-be.

...........................................................................................................

Directions:
Copy the entire ballot into your comment; then leave only the category and your picks from the following nominees:

...........................................................................................................

Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"

Actor
Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Actress
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

Director
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
JC Chandor, "Margin Call"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"

Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, "The Ides of March"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

Animated Feature
"A Cat In Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"

Foreign Language Film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)

Original Score
"The Adventures of Tintin," John Williams
"The Artist," Ludovic Bource
"Hugo," Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse," John Williams

Original Song
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets; Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio," Rio; Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Art Direction
"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse"

Cinematography
"The Artist"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

Costume Design
"Anonymous"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Jane Eyre"
"W.E."

Documentary Feature
"Hell and Back Again"
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
"Pina"
"Undefeated"

Documentary Short Subject
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement?"
"God Is the Bigger Elvis"
"Incident in New Baghdad"
"Saving Face"
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"

Film Editing
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"

Makeup
"Albert Nobbs"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"

Animated Short Film
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Live Action Short Film
"Pentecost"
"Raju"
"The Shore"
"Time Freak"
"Tuba Atlantic"

Sound Editing
"Drive"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Sound Mixing
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Real Steel"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"

Good luck, y'all!

Charles Bradley on WNYC

America still hasn't lost its soul. 
And here's proof.



Find more music from Charles Bradley on Daptone Records.

Check out more videos from WNYC's Soundcheck.

"Pass the fetal learning, please!"

It's becoming quite the little vlog around here isn't it?  That's not intentional, but time does dictate the word count, unfortunately.  Here's a little something you might enjoy: interesting facts about in utero learning. 

This one goes out to K.A. who's been 'round town for a few trimesters now, pretty much. I hope the lil guy has been having some spicy, good times so we can enjoy habaneros and chili chutney and piri piri when he starts on the solid foods!  Ay!

And  N.S. I know you'll find this fascinating too.  Enjoy.

Revien on 11.11.11

Although the date itself is full of cosmic foreboding, nothing cataclysmic will happen on Friday EXCEPT the new Athens, GA chamber trio
Revien will be playing at Hendershot's Coffee Bar. 
Hopefully, jousting string frequencies won't set off a chain reaction which rends a giant fissure in the time space continuum, but Doc Brown has said there's still a chance.

Here's the "gig skinny" from Revien's tumblr spot:

And here's a little taste of Ellington from last time at Hendershot's:

Revien - official site

Revien - on the Book, Face that is.

Live review of Revien's debut - Music-loving Athenians (redundant?), you don't have to go far for quality this high.  Don't be saddled with regret; just be there!  

The Odd Trio: Lo-Fi Hi-Jump Review

Although the title cut from The Odd Trio's debut packs a viciously funky wallop, the surrounding tracks also cover a varied topography of tight, avant-garde compositions alongside liberating improvisations.  On the whole, Lo-Fi Hi-Jump is an essential jazz fusion tasting menu from a group whose work has only just begun to ripen.

listen to it all right...over...here.

"Do What Now" features the three classically trained musicians on their tippy toes, reaching for the fruits of guitarist Brian Smith's songwriting labors.  As a member of the Georgia Guitar Quartet, and now a new psyche-chamber ensemble called Revien, Smith deliberately leaps between tricky syncopation with saxophonist Marc Gilley (the HEAP) and alternatingly liquid yet sometimes heavily-shredded metal riffs.  Drummer Todd Mueller (Arasmus Ensemble) drives the trio's evident "interest in shifting meters" deftly holding together this taut theme. 

On "Lost Man's River", The Odd Trio most closely approximates its fevered live explorations.  According to some succinct liner notes, this spontaneous track was recorded at the group's very first session, yet it already has the feel of years spent together in the discipline of jazz creation.  With an utter sense of openess, nothing is lingered upon, no single melodic phrase or rhythm drops anchor, so the entire piece rocks and meanders without ever becoming capricious.

"Indian Summer" serves up a considerable dose of Latin seasoning that underpins floating alto-sax lines from Marc Gilley, Flamenco-style classical guitar accents from Smith, and driving rimshots with shuffling pandeiro from Mueller.  On the whole, this one drums up pastels, the art-deco Miami waterfront, choppy Atlantic waves reflecting off chromed rides, at least for this reviewer.  The echoing melody contrasts brightly against one of the more understated electric guitar solos of the collection.

With a two-year anniversary on the horizon, there's no indication of letting up for The Odd Trio.  The three crafty musicians have, by now, become attuned to one another's nuanced playing, especially in live performance.  If anything, what Lo-Fi Hi-Jump tends to hold on reserve is delivered at full amplitude on stage.  Expect the recorded catalog to grow; these songs represent just one vintage from a vast cellar of highly energetic, consistently inventive artistry.

Lo-Fi Hi-Jump ~ listen and buy the debut release from The Odd Trio
The Odd Trio ~ the official band page

Fela Soul by Amerigo Gazaway

This guy has a way with amalgamation.  I couldn't resist sharing this collaboration put together by one Amerigo Gazaway (then in Nashville with Gummy Soul), which blends De La Soul's classic Three Feet High and Rising with samples of Fela Kuti, from the vaults, along with a handful of other recognizable artists -- Gorillaz, for one.

Kuti started his jazz career on trumpet at London's Trinity College of Music, in case you need more Nigerian horn after hearing the diamonds in Gazaway's tracks below. 

"Trouble In The Water" slings a hip-hop arrow carried aloft via a classic afrobeat saxophone riff by Nigeria's legendary native son.  "Itsoweezee" slips a skankin' vibe beneath De La Soul's original tune to make, in the words of the late Peter Tosh, a "brand new secondhand".

And so on. Enjoy.

* Please be advised of some rough language right from the start.  Ear muffs, y'all little ones.

Chrome Narcissism

I did it once and I've done it again! It seems like I'm always seeing myself in these classic beauties.  Maybe it was the charm and the shine of my dad's Model A Ford -- the one he built piece-by-piece after countless swapmeets and nights in the dimly-lit, dilapidated garage, and before eBay, finding those original parts took some real legwork.  I snapped these low-res shots at an Athens, GA car/art/fashion show called "The Mystique of the Automobile".

ⵜⵏⵔⵓⵏ Tinariwen: Making of 'Tassili'

With the prospect of finally seeing Tinariwen, a Touareg group out of Northern Mali, I went sifting and found this beguiling documentary short which features the band, 'in situ', laying down tracks amidst the wind and sand and crackling fire of Tassili n'Ajjer located in southeast Algeria.

The album, called simply Tassili, promises to entrance listeners as ever, although this time leaning more heavily on acoustic instruments rather than the electrified mesmerizations of the group's past projects.  Take a moment to drift with Tinariwen.

For the observant, the guys in this video "thumbnail" are Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe of the American indie rock band TV On The Radio who decided to make the trip over for some desert collaborations on a handful of tunes.

Tinariwen - official website

Tassili - more on this wind-sculpted region, like an Arches or a Zion N.P. of North Africa.  Actually, it turns out, because of its amazing rock formations and abundant cave paintings, Tassili is a national park, too!

Paulo Coelho: Follow a Wise Rabbit Down the Hole

Remarkably, the renowned Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho is a vocal proponent of the piracy of his own works.  Piracy has such a powerful connotation that "sharing" may be a more apt description.  Coelho's books have been translated by other writers and fans into myriad languages, and now they bounce around in digital form for anyone to enjoy.  Like most creators who share their work in this way, Coelho depends upon the premise that those who take pleasure in his writing will eventually buy hard copies.  And when this model of dissemination works, it really works.

Read on about the author's views on piracy and much more at paulocoelhoblog.com

Of course, I've read The Alchemist with its intoxicating, timeless narrative.  Like any great work, its simplicity and exoticism make it a classic fable.  For me, next on deck from Coelho must be The Pilgrimage, which follows his autobiographical journey on the famed Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

This one, O Livro dos Manuais, is a "practical guide for your life" according to the jacket, and I perused the work in it's entirety online, for free.  Although you should check it out in .pdf form, it'd be worth buying for the vibrant illustrations alone!  Que linda obra de verdade!

Say what?

The time has come again, as it tends to do without much prompting, to change the name around here.  I'd say, based on the length of these posts, that I've not exactly adhered to my previous intent with the title ad rem but at least I can say I've tried to "keep to the point."  I can also say, however, that I've probably poached a decent number of hits from the recently defunct rock band of legend -- not that they missed 'em any!

So, onward with the next phrase to go by: quis leget haec? 

I'll use this title for a spell because I'm still curious about you.  I explore topics that interest me, and it seems others have an interest, too, but you're a woefully silent crew. 

Who are you?  What do you think?  Speak up...please, with a cherry on top?



Hit the "like" button.  Oh, whoops! Wrong place.
Use your words like a big boy or girl. 
All jokes aside, I value your perspective, for real!