Category: Art

Photo of the Day: Best of 2007, Photo Gallery – National Geographic

Photo of the Day: Best of 2007, Photo Gallery – National Geographic:
Found only on the islands of Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii, the happy face spider, such as this one guarding its eggs on a leaf in Maui, is known for the unique patterns that decorate its pale abdomen. Scientists believe Theridion grallator may have developed its distinctive markings to discourage birds from eating it.
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Dalí: Painting & Film

Dalí: Painting & Film:
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Last evening, I visited the Dalí: Painting & Film exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Overall, it was a fantastic exhibition and I learned quite a great deal about Salvador Dalí’s interest in film that went far beyond his collaborations with Buñuel, like the famed “Un Chien Andalou.” Dalí created wonderful storyboards and set designs for quite a few unrealized films, including a collaboration with the Marx Brothers! Here’s a quote from a 1937 letter Dalí wrote to surrealist André Breton: “I’m in Hollywood, where I’ve made contact with the three American Surrealists, Harpo Marx, Disney and Cecil B. DeMille.” I also hadn’t realized that Dalí created the dream sequence for Alfred Hitchock’s Spellbound (1945). Apparently, a phantasmagoric ballroom scene was shot for this sequence but ended up on the cutting room floor. Dalí’s artwork and notes for this part of the dream are quite remarkable. It’s sad that the footage was lost.

Link to Spellbound clip, Link to Dalí: Painting & Film at the LACMA

Previously on BB:
• Salvador Dalí on “What’s My Line?” Link
• Salvador Dalí TV commercials Link

Pressure Printing: Ryden and Mothersbaugh

Pressure Printing: Ryden and Mothersbaugh:
Mothersbaugh Images Cyclops Cnt R1 C1

Ryden Images Ryden Cnt R1 C1

The amazing artisans at Pressure Printing announced two magnificent new signed and numbered prints from a couple of my favorite living artists. At left is DEVO co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh’s “Grandpa Cyclops,” a portrait from his Beautiful Mutants series that’s near and dear to us Happy Mutants. This 4.75″ x 3.375″ print is encased in a hand-cast resin frame with curved glass. Produced in an edition of 50, it’s $350. And at right is the long-awaited Pressure Printing edition from Pop Surrealist star Mark Ryden. Titled “Madonna & Karl,” this 5.5″ x 6.5″ intaglio embossed prints is mounted in a hand-made and hand-gilded wooden frame. With only 40 produced, how much will the lucky few on the waiting list pay for their little bit of Ryden magic? $5? $500? No… $5000! Link

University of York, Department of Music

2007-Worldscape
University of York, Department of Music:
As part of the performance, Apple has linked with the University of York for world’s largest laptop orchestra. The Worldscape Laptop Orchestra (WLO) will perform new music written with new software on laptops donated by Apple Computer Inc. Musicians, each with a laptop, will be seated on the floor, and surrounded by video screens in an atmospheric lighting scheme, creating a stunning spectacle. The highly unusual sound of the orchestra will combine with this to produce an ‘immersive’ multimedia performance.

Pete Lit: Six-Word Stories

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Pete Lit: Six-Word Stories:
Six-Word Stories

Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in six words. Rumor has it that he considered his result (“For sale: baby shoes, never used.”) to be his greatest work. In its most recent issue, Utne reprinted a piece from the Fall 2004 issue of BlackBook in which that magazine asked 25 big-name writers to write their own six-word stories. Unfortunately, neither magazine had the story online, but here are some of the highlights:

Diana Camera By Lomo- bonnie’s Pick!! – Lomo – Home Furnishings – Unica Home

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Diana Camera By Lomo- bonnie’s Pick!! – Lomo – Home Furnishings – Unica Home:
Bonnie says, “They are back! The Diana, considered a toy by some and the simplest camera by art school students is making a comeback. Unsophisticated at best, the Diana has been out of production for over 25 years. We have them once again. Explore your inner “art school student” with a new diana!”
originally produced by the great wall plastic factory in hong kong in the 1960’s the diana has become a cult classic, known for producing soft and dreamy images due to light leakage. given away by reader’s digest as a freebie, the diana has been out of production for almost 35 years. a light, inexpensive medium (120 film) format camera, the ‘new’ diana has 4 f-stops and comes with a booklet, camera strap and lens cover. an additional change is that the camera has a removable lens, allowing for pinhole camera action!

available in october, 2007. now accepting advance orders.