Alebrijes

Alebrije (1977) by Miguel Linares, on display at the Museum of Man in San Diego

Over the weekend, I took a trip down to San Diego. Since I was in the neighborhood, a quick visit to Balboa Park and some of its fine museums was on the schedule. There were plenty of interesting pieces on view, but, today, let's look at a few examples of Mexican folk art, the Alebrijes, colorful nightmare creatures given form in paper mache.

Created by Pedro Linares in the 1930s, these weird creatures were inspired by a fever dream, in which the grotesque critters frolicked within a dream forest and hallucinatory clouds. Throughout the bizarre vision, the creatures kept on repeating the nonsense word "Alebrije". So, upon recovering from the illness, Linares fashioned their likeness out of paper mache, brightly painted.

The tradition has since been passed on through the Linares family and has become a popular form of Mexican folk art, especially in Oaxaca.

Alebrijes by Ricardo and Miguel Linares, on display at the Mingei Museum

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Paradise

Strelitzia: Bird Of Paradise

Dreams

(By Langston Hughes)

Hold fast to dreams 

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

Crane flowers and a blue sky

Did you know that the Bird of Paradise is the official flower of the city of Los Angeles? Given the way that they thrive out here, it doesn't surprise me. Even in the midst of an unusually cold winter, these hardy plants are still thriving.

Well, it's certainly nice to see these bright colors. ;-)

Sublime Chance

Detail of Moonrise over the Sea (1822) by Caspar David Friedrich

Yeah, I'm a Romantic at heart.

Today we celebrate the birth date of Caspar David Friedrich, born on this date in 1774. His works have a moody darkness to them, with figures overwhelmed by the sublime beauty and grandeur of Nature. They are pensive visions.

In these landscapes, humanity seems so small, so fragile. Yet, there is a peacefulness within, an awareness of the transience of life in the face of the ancient cycles of the world. I find myself swept away into Friedrich's quiet world.

Detail of The Chasseur in the Forest (1813) by Caspar David Friedrich

And we can't pass up on celebrating the centennial of John Cage's birth. I'm really not much of a fan, but he certainly had a significant influence in the philosophy of aesthetics, from musical composition to poetic structure. I could write a vast commentary on his works, but gjuum llokdd hid, maqucf fronticly, dna kltovit ahendwei magdran. ;-)

Needs a Hit of Something Strong

Powerpuff Girls: Bubbles punches Fuzzy Lumpkins

Wow!!! I've been busy, but the past few days have brought with them a total energy crash. At first, I thought it was just the consequence of getting some exercise back into my daily routine. But I think there's something going unwell with my health.

I've had low-grade headaches for the past week. I'm constantly tired. My joints hurt, especially my elbows. Consequently, I've been in a sour mood, very irritable. Certainly, I try to keep a friendly demeanor, but recently it's been slipping a whole lot.

As regards blogging, I'm embarrassed by the lack of new material here at Paideia. I keep on hoping to visit some art galleries or celebrate some notable birth date. It's not like there hasn't been a whole lot of interesting things about which to write. I just haven't had the energy.

A detail of Bill Willingham's cover illustration for The Secret of Bone Hill (1981)

Oh well, maybe next week, after the Memorial Day Weekend, when I'm rested and recovered, or so I hope. ;-)

Where the Wild Thyme Blows

Sleep to Dream (2011) by Stella Im Hultberg


When rousing from a vivid dream, the awakened mind echoes with the whispers and unravelling figments of unconscious desires and dreads. The disjointed narratives of our slumbering spirit fade and grow still, but leave a lingering resonance, a haunting sense of another place that can only be entered through the gateways of sleep. This is the feeling that Thinkspace Gallery's exhibit "In the Wake of Dreams" seems to be evoking.

The show features the art of Amy Sol, Audrey Kawasaki, Mari Inukai, and Stella Im Hultberg. Each artist deals primarily with figural depictions, signifying the beings of the "dreamspace" be it the dreamer or the subject of the dream. With distinct approaches to aesthetic oneiromancy, these artists explore the complexity of identity within the illogical realms of the night.

Stella Im Hultberg is the most traditionally western in her studies of a single raven-tressed woman. Her style has vague symbolist hints, but steers clear of the ornamentation and opulence that characterizes such art. Her images have a placid but deep simplicity in which the dreamer becomes a disembodied visage. Meanwhile, the awakened self is wrapped in lush fabrics that weigh upon the her like the memories of profound imaginings.

Sea Mallow (2011) by Amy Sol

The Self as traveler in an idyllic dreamscape is the premise of Amy Sol's work. Whether it's reading tea leaves in the bough of a great tree alongside a giant bird or watching sea monsters frolic upon a moonlit loch, the dreamer experiences a fantasy realm of peace and amity. Technically, her utilization of the wood grain within the composition gives the work an organic feel. The natural patterns of the material give the paintings depth and a sense of vitality to the featureless setting.

We're Off to Never Never Land

Metallica (Black Album) released in 1991

It's weird to think that it's been twenty years since Metallica's Black Album was released. I was an enthusiastic fan of their previous album, . . . And Justice for All, and was looking forward to this new album. I wasn't a hardcore thrash fan, but I found their style compelling. When the Black Album came out, I was mixed in my assessment.

On one hand, I wanted more of the style that they had developed through their early work. On the other hand, although the style was significantly different, the music was engaging. Twenty years later, I can comfortably say that this was a good record. We can play "What if. . ?" games regarding Metallica's thrash style, but the answer to the "What did. . ?" question is clear: the band changed their style and created a compelling heavy metal classic that would appeal to a more mainstream rock audience.

More importantly, I like it. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

In Honor of Satchmo

Louis Armstrong, born August 4, 1901

It's been a while since my last Jazz post. But today marks the 110 year birth date of one of the greatest Jazz musicians, Louis Armstrong. Perhaps more than any other performer, Armstrong popularized the Jazz movement as an American and global style. With an instantly recognizable voice and charismatic presence, he became the first African-American "cross over" performer and media star.

Although Jazz techniques and styles have changed radically over the decades since Armstrong's time, his music retains its potency and charm. Not only does it capture the vibe of the era, but it still speaks to the listener with authenticity and resonance. He served as an inspiration for generations of musicians, even when his style become "old fashioned" and "moldy" as the Bebop musicians would describe it.



Armstrong and his ever present handkerchief


His time in the spotlight lasted nearly half a century, during which the Jazz movement went from an obscure regional style from New Orleans to a high style art form. Armstrong's influence through the course of this development was profound.

Stile Floreal

Detail of Poetry (1898) by Alphonse Mucha

On this day in 1860, the Art Nouveau master, Alphonse Mucha, was born. If you've been a frequent reader of this blog, then you know that I admire his works. I'll take any excuse to post one of his images on my blog. And his birth date is the perfect excuse!

So, here are my top three Mucha images. (Caveat: they are my top three right now. I might have another top three tomorrow. LOL!)

Number One, is the image above, Poetry. It's the first Mucha that I remember noticing and appreciating. In college, I would often walk by a reproduction of the image on the hallway wall of my dorm. So, she feels like an old friend.

Number Two is:



Reverie (1897) by Alphonse Mucha


Reverie embodies that daydream quality. The composition is gentle and captivating, like a sweet thoughtful pause on a hectic afternoon. I love her.

Psychological Impulses Personified

Treading Through an Untrimmed Memory (2011) by Tran Nguyen

Thinkspace Gallery is currently exhibiting "The Synapse Between Here and There", a solo show of new works by Tran Nguyen. These works have a look that blends early 20th century fantasy illustration and Art Nouveau. Yet, there is a compassionate quality that allows the viewer to empathize and identify with the imagery. These are not aesthetic icons, to be kept separate and above the viewer. They are like beautifully designed Rorschach patterns, into which the viewer may engage their own creativity to impart a personal significance to the work.

Perhaps a better analogy than a projective test is to consider these images as "dreamscapes" to which the viewer brings their own distinct interpretation. The art has no "correct" meaning, but instead holds a multiplicity of meanings as determined by the current psychological disposition of the interpreter. That's how I understand the title of this show. It is not about the Object or the Subject but about the Communicative Impulse between them.



Just Another Oscillant Deposition (2011) by Tran Nguyen


Certainly, there is a guiding parameter which is expressed by the title and by the use of colors, shapes, and compositional arrangements. These are not infinitely open abstractions. Nevertheless, these works possess a fertile ambiguity similar to that found in classic Symbolist aesthetics, such as in the works of Gustav Klimt.

Keep His Eyes Covered

A Paler Shade of Being by Caniglia

I've been doing some research on blogs, blogging, and the various styles and genres of such. One type of blog that caught my attention was the "dream blog" which is one part dream journal and one part public discussion of symbolism. I'm not really into dream analysis but I am into symbols and images.

Anyways, I thought that I might give it a try. However, I had two concerns. First, I was a bit worried that my dreams would be boring or only appropriate to an "Adult" blog. Second, I normally can't remember my dreams unless I wake up in the middle. Fortunately, my unconscious mind decided to cooperate with today's project. Here it is:

At a library, I met some tall, scrawny, bearded, long-haired hipster who could spontaneously generate tiny beetles from his hair by whipping his head around like you see in various shampoo or hair treatment advertisements. I was totally skeptical, but, upon extensive review, that claim was confirmed. So I started researching the topic, aided by my sister, flipping through the massive tomes that this library held. Somehow, we eventually discovered and obtained a thin wand of tightly wrapped paper, like an artist's paper stomp.

Apparently, blowing at the end of this wand would result in the manifestation and projection of little white flies, similar in shape to the critters in the image above. We gave it to a friend to blow upon, as we took observations and notes. However, our friend is apparently an imbecile and he decided to project the flies at random, like a kid with a peashooter. This made my sister very angry. She snatched the wand away from him and berated him for his stupidity. Meanwhile, I was brushing myself down, making certain that there were no little white flies on me.

Upon waking up, I identified a song with this dream, Schubert's "Des Baches Wiegenlied". Here's a performance of the work:

I doubt it has any meaning beyond random subconscious associations, but it certainly is a curious imagining. This dream blogging thing is kind of fun. ;-)

Here's a link to Caniglia's website. Plenty of haunting images can be found there.

And here's a link to the Wikipedia page on Die schöne Müllerin.

Enjoy!!!