Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye would have been 71 years old today. He created beautiful, joyous, and heart-wrenching music. Few artists can approach the talent of this man (IMO, Stevie is one of the very few). Above is my favorite clip, notice the completely entranced, even hypnotized, audience...

Textures - red

It has been a while, this is true. What is also true is that I love pictures with texture. It doesn't necessarily have to be pretty, but if a photograph conjures up a certain taste, touch or smell, not always necessarily a pleasant one, then I will most certainly be drawn to it. It not only looks like life, but it reminds me of life. It also reminds me that I'm not the only one who notices the fabric of a pair of red stockings, and how it shimmers down to a pair of equally red leather pumps. Red on red. Like in the photograph below. This outfit can easily be deemed quite ugly, but the picture calls attention to the liveliness of it in its drab surroundings. It makes me uncomfortable, just thinking about wearing those tights makes me itchy, but the pic also captures the various textures in play: the cheap carpeting, the leather armrest, the suit pants - and then the audaciousness of red on red on red - bright red at that. Mainly it reminded me of that feeling when you are in a crowd, say waiting to board a train or on line at the grocery, and you are looking down and notice something that leads you to think, "What?" But you like it, you like that someone can do that. And I like that this lady dressed up like this. And I like that the photographer noticed and took a picture, exactly from that angle of surreptitiously noticing something in derision and delight.

It is titled "Vienna, Austria, 2001" by Gueorgui Pinkhassov:
















And here's another, by the same photographer, red on red. Such a powerful color. I had a similar leotard as a child in dance class, and the contrast of the bright red with the stark white stockings, and the black dance shoes thrilled me. This is a beautiful photo of texture, light, and lines. It's titled, "Paris. Palais Garnier, 2001."

Snake charmers

I didn't pick these photos out for their sophisticated composition or artistic execution or something like that, but rather for their pure energy. I really like these two photos taken from a news article I read a few months ago. I found the images so compelling that I saved them on my computer and I'm finally posting them. The little girl is just plain looking at this flared snake slithering up just a feet away from her, as if she's having a casual conversation with it. It is both intense and informal. And every time I look at the second photo, I find that the kids sitting there on the floor are just as interesting to look at as the cobra snake, if not more so. Their expressions, their clothing, their demeanor, the snake...there is a lot to look at in each pic. Two really rich photos. I'd hate to ruin them with too blabbing, but here's a link to the article if you're interested in reading the background story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1192122/Indian-village-children-young-taught-snake-charmers.html

Please click on photos to see the much better enlarged versions.

Photos: Barcroft Media

Seamless

A fashion magazine shot from the '50's that seems like an outtake from an Antonioni or Hitchcock film. Beautiful.

Photo by Lillian Bassman for Junior Bazaar, 1950

Moonwalkers

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." -John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961

This 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission leads one to marvel at the great feats of man, and how we are capable of so much. JFK clearly stated the goal years beforehand, and somehow, a group of individuals collaborated their genius and made it happen. Humans walking on a celestial body over 200,000 miles away for the first time ever - and they made it home safely. Is Mars next?


Pictured from left to right: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin. Click on pic to enlarge.

Kate, 2008

A modern day chiaroscuro in Austin, Texas. Lovely. Photo by Lisa Sarfati, Magnum.

Rest in Peace Michael

Shadows and Light

How fascinating are airplanes?? They never fail in capturing my wonder and imagination, and is it childish of me to still get excited when boarding a plane? All that shiny, molded metal, full of people and objects, smoothly gliding across the blue sky and disappearing into fluffy white clouds. It's absolutely mesmerizing. Here's another perfect photograph by William Eggleston. It seems to perfectly encompass the beauty and anticipation of air travel. The colors of the light seen through the cocktail and the little clouds visible through the window...very nice.


(I'd love to find a more Hi-def version of this pic..)

Rhyme or reason

So what's the story? This was a rough week, in terms of newsworthy events, both national and international. I can't make sense of the shootings or the earthquake, of course not. I read somewhere a long time ago that the exact number of birds in the sky above you at any given moment portends to something or has some sort of meaning, maybe it was an old Greek philosopher who said so. Anyways, I saw this pic and it reminded me of a few things, like going to the deli on the corner as a kid, eating my chips and staring at the junk collected along the sidewalk, wondering where it all came from, whose fingers touched it last. It also reminded me of the idea mentioned earlier about birds, whether that logic applies to other objects that populate the landscape. In any case, the color here is striking and the photo altogether masterful. There is a lot to look at and wonder about.

Photo by William Eggleston. Click to enlarge.

Pasqualino Settebellezze

Here are two clips from one of my favorite films, Lina Wertmuller's "Pasqualino Settebellezze," titled "Seven Beauties" in English. It stars the great Giancarlo Giannini, who completely encapsulates the macho but lovable Italian male stereotype here. Wertmuller's direction is like Sergio Leone transferred to the Bay of Naples, overly-dramatic, operatic, sensuous. The first clip has no dialogue, only music, so it plays similar to how they used to display silent movies with an accompanying music section. The second clip, starting at minute 8:00 is one of my absolute most favorite scenes in film, does have dialogue, but no subtitles, only in Italian. Sorry! However, as I said, the acting, editing and direction in both clips is so good, you can follow along without really knowing the words. I love good movies.

The Congo

I visit a photography website called The Big Picture pretty often and it posts photographs from around the world on a regular basis, usually dealing with news happenings and world events. I've been aware that there is some sort of hell on earth going on in the Congo for a while now, but several months ago, TBP posted a series of photos from the Congo that are truly devastating. This picture above is one that really just, I don't know, it leaves the viewer speechless. I've been meaning to post it, but I hesitated because it's so personal. I've always wondered how photographers are able to take pictures of people when they are in such dire circumstances, it seems like a violation of privacy. On the other hand, I guess if they didn't take the photo, how would the rest of the world know of the atrocities going on there? I know this is a bit different than the pics I usually post and I have no idea what to do or how to help the people of the Congo, but the look in this man's eyes and his determination to take care of these children, most likely his own, is something I think about. I don't know what else to say except that I hope the conflict in the Congo is resolved quickly and soon. And that this man and his children are alright.

Here is the link if you'd like to learn more: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/conflict_in_congo_refugees_on.html

(YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images) Click on pic to enlarge.

Spring colors of NYC

Sky-high glass and steel with little earthbound blossoms. Happy Springtime!
Photo by Paul Romaldini

Dolphins - part deux

See what I mean about Dolphins? In this photo Mavrick, a 14-month-old male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, goes to greet Akaasha, a six-month-old female Bengal tiger at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif. on Thursday, March 5, 2009. This photo is amazing, even a bit surreal, no? Who you?? Park animal staff strolled by the dolphin exhibit as they escorted the tiger cubs on their daily walk around the park. (AP Photo/Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Nancy Chan) Click to enlarge.

Dolphins are special

Well, all animals are special really, but dolphins (and dogs) are just something else. First of all, they always look like they are smiling. Second of all, just check out this video of dolphins blowing bubble rings, it will make you smile.

Women 4,3,2,1

Dinner Party - 1957
















Film still from Pedro Almodovar's Volver
















(REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly)

















Film still from Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura

This probably seems like a weird combination of pictures, and I guess it is, but I find all four pretty intriguing in composition and also in that they capture women at different unsuspecting moments. The dinner party photo is a bit funny - the regalia and the expressions. The next one from Volver has such rich color and there is so much drama in the photo alone, never mind that it is from an Almodovar movie. I love looking at film stills almost, if not just as much, as watching the movie. Frozen images that reveal detail and story. The next picture depicts not women but two girls, sisters, refugees of the Congo. It is a more serious photo which reminds me of the old photos you sometimes see of immigrants just arriving to America who simply stare at the camera. Their expressions tell so much beyond their years and the way they tentatively hold hands is so moving. The last photo is of the great Italian actress Monica Vitti from L'Avventura . She had an incredible face and here she is staring at it. Why? See the movie! Although it is a bit abstract, it's Antonioni after all.

(Btw, click on photo to enlarge, particularly "Sisters")

Welcome to the world little Nico!!

This is a happy pic for a very happy day.

(ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images)

Chrysler Building

New York City makes me dream a lot. Walking around all the time, looking up at those great feats of man - the skyscrapers- and millions of people all bunched onto a little island getting to where they are going and where are they all going? I think it's a magical place, although it does drive me crazy. As someone put it, the City of Ambition. I love this pic. Please note that it is not strictly black and white, there is some yellow in there! Click photo to enlarge. Photo by Paul Romaldini (aka P-Boogie)

Napoli, 1938

Stevie

Purple rain drops...What a great picture of the master, in the '70's surrounded by keyboards. I'd love to meet him one day, just to thank him.

Pacaembu

Beatriz Milhazes - 2004 - Brazilian artist