Thursday, January 29, 2015

Simple as a flower, and that's a complicated thing . . . (the art of Transcendentalism and the Hudson River School)

Song selection - Love and Rockets "No New Tale to Tell"

I am not a fan of Transcendentalism or Romanticism (I blame my English teachers), but they are significant.  Today's art comes from the Transcendental period.

Wikipedia article for Transcendentalism and the Hudson River School

USHistory.org article for Transcendentalism

Thomas Hampson's show on PBS I Hear America Singing - Transcendentalism and the Hudson River School









Tuesday, January 27, 2015

I ache for the touch of your lips dear . . . (the art of Romanticism)

Those of you who know my feelings about Romanticism and Transcendentalism might appreciate the song selection - Tom Lehrer's "Masochism Tango"

Wikipedia page for Romanticism

Metropolitan Museum of Art page on Romanticism










"More real, than real, that is how the real is abolished." . . . (the art of Audrey Flack)

Today's title comes from a quote by Jean Baudrillard instead of a musical selection.

Wikipedia article on Baudrillard

Wikipedia article on Hyperrealism

Wikipedia article on Postmodernity

I also wanted to keep with women artists, so today is Audrey Flack.

Wikipedia article on Audrey Flack and Audrey Flack's website. While the sculptures are obvious, what appears to be photographs are actually paintings.











Monday, January 26, 2015

She's totally committed to major independence . . . (the art of Louise Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun)

I wanted to continue with female artists and with new artists to my experience...Madame LeBrun meets both criteria.

Wikipedia entry for Madame LeBrun

Music selection - Bob Seger, "Her Strut" as performed by Gretchen Wilson










The following is a possible painting by LeBrun



Saturday, January 24, 2015

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Oh Death, won't you spare me over til another year? (the art of Death)

I lost a friend earlier this month - still processing. Death, such a strange companion, feared by some and sought by others. I do not bless the name of Death this season. I did not bless the name when a friend lost her life to a gunmen or when another lost her life to cancer. However, when Death took the pain and suffering away from those who had grown weary, I felt relieved and comforted. I seek wisdom from platitudes, but I know that life endures.

Music selection Jen Titus's "Oh Death"













However, I am reminded...we are all star stuff.




I'm the kind of woman I'm supposed to be . . . (the art of Artemisia Gentileschi)

I didn't realize until I went looking for Art Nouveau artists how much art is produced by men, so for today's selection is a female artist, Artemisia Gentileschi, from the Baroque period.

Today's Music selection - Storm Large's "My Vagina is 8 Miles Wide"  (The song is awesome and hilarious, but NSFW because I guess?)

Wikipedia entry for Artemisia Gentileschi

Wikipedia entry for Baroque















Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Our armor stained with blood, we kill the dragon . . . (the art of dragon slayers)

Isaiah 27.1 -  In that day the Lord with his hand and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

A friend, Thad, introduced me to a comic called Horobi. In the comic, two people take up the mantle of Susanoo and Yamata no Orochi - the hero and the dragon.  Our mythology is full of warriors who slay monsters until the monster or civilization finally slays them.

Music - Dream Evil's "Chosen Ones"

Wikipedia for Susanoo

Wikipedia for Thor

Wikipedia for St. George

Wikipedia for Marduk

Wikipedia for Chaos (and struggle against Chaos)