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!!!

Abominations of the Apocalypse

Rodeo, Sakura, and Kaili from Tokidoki's Unicorno Series

There's a toy shop in the southern part of Torrance called Pop Monster, which I get to on infrequent occasions. I'm not big on collecting, but I can appreciate the interesting toys and artworks on display. Well, as I was strolling out of my local library a few days ago, I noticed that they put up a nice showcase of the types of goodies that can be found at the store.

Yeah, it's a bit twisted, but I adore toys with a sense of humor. Therefore, here are a few photographs for Silly Saturday. ;-)

Smorkin Labbit from Kidrobot.

And then there were a few critters from the Apocalypse.

Kidrobot's Dunny Apocalypse Series, with Road Warrior by Huck Gee, Meltdown by Chris Ryniak, and Illuminati by Jermaine Rogers.

Fun stuff!!!

Kelly Vivanco: Curious Snail

Curious Snail (2011) by Kelly Vivanco


Just an "Image of the Day" post. I adore Kelly Vivanco's work. It's whimsical, wonderful, and weird.

The Curious Snail makes for a nice weekend image. ;-)

And some music. . .

Humble Earthen Vessels

Detail of Teapot Peddlers (2011) by Gerit Grimm

I recently visited the Long Beach Museum of Art and saw an excellent ceramic exhibit, featuring the works of Gerit Grimm. The show, entitled "Beyond the Figurine", is comprised of these contemporary works that were inspired by the museum's collection of classic British and French figurines, with styles varying from the Rococo to Victorian bric-a-brac, which are also on display upon the nearby walls.

It's interesting to see how Grimm reinterprets the implied narrative of the figurine style. Her works capture the light-hearted feel of the traditional pieces, but convey a deeper sense of mystery or weirdness. The strange cat-faced heraldry, the diverse peddlers, and the circular gatherings, these elements create the feeling that Grimm has developed her own fantasy world. It's an interesting vision.

Detail of Monument (2011) by Gerit Grimm


This show will be ending on July 8. I definitely recommend checking it out before it closes.

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. ;-)

Days of High Adventure!

Promotional image for Conan the Barbarian (1982) featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger

Lately, I've been doing the "Thirty years ago" celebrations in regards to music. But tonight we'll consider one of my favorite movies of the era, Conan the Barbarian. It's not high art; it has no profound message. It isn't even a good adaptation of the original source material, short stories written by Robert E. Howard.

Nevertheless, for a teenage boy enthralled by "Sword & Sorcery" fiction, it was adventure and excitement. With awesome fight scenes, sexy ladies, dark magics, and an epic soundtrack, it set my imagination on fire. An age undreamed of. . .

I never got around to seeing the 2011 remake. The '82 Conan might be dated in terms of production and effects, but the spirit still holds strong. And, always, there remained the discipline of steel. ;-)

Conan the Barbarian (1982) promotional poster by Renato Casaro

So, what is best in life?

Save Versus Enchantment/Charm

"Vantastic Voyage" featuring new works by "Dirty" Donny Gillies, on view at CoproGallery

Unfortunately, while I've been away, many excellent shows have opened and/or closed. One of my favorites is closing tomorrow, March 17, "Dirty" Donny Gillies' "Vantastic Voyage" at CoproGallery.

Being a long-time gamer, I can't help but love this show. These works capture that late '70s fantasty feel of wizards and spaceships and giant d20s. And the frames feature "old school" lettering alongside silhouettes of classic spaceships, like the Millennium Falcon or Imperial tie fighters from Star Wars.

In short, Dirty Donny captures everything awesome from the genre. It's a critical hit!!! ;-)

A giant blue d20 in front of Stargasm by "Dirty" Donny Gillies

With only one day left, if you have even a drop of gamer geekitude in your soul, this is a "must see" exhibit.

I've Got No Strings

Pinocchio released from Stromboli's cage by the Blue Fairy

I can't let the day pass without posting a brief celebration for the anniversary of Pinocchio's release date, February 7, 1940.

As a child, this was my favorite movie. The plot, the music, and the characters all caught my imagination, sometimes with a thrill of terror, like when Pinocchio begins to transform into a donkey or the escape scene with Monstro the whale.

That whale scene put such a scare into me that I was not able to get on the Storybook Land boat ride at Disneyland, which begins by entering into the gigantic mouth of Monstro. ;-)

Pinocchio makes a jackass out of himself on Pleasure Island


I don't know if it's still my favorite Disney movie, but it's definitely a Top Five constant.

Friday Flowers: Feverfew

Feverfew


Afterwards
(By Muriel Rukeyser)

We are the antlers of that white animal
That great white animal
Asleep under the sea
He forgets and dreams so deep he does not
Know his whiteness in the sea-black
Among the plants of night.
His antlers have legs and arms.       Our heads
together being joined
Journey tonight, dreamed in his ocean.

Where we lie afterwards, smoke of our dreams
Goes coiling up, a plant in the dark room.
You were a young boy, you sang in the Polish woods
Limping away away.       I in this city, held
In a dream of children.       Some mythic animal
Rises now, flies up, white from the sea-floor.
In all our death, the glow behind his eyes
Speaks under all knowing : our lives burn.


That's a trippy poem, but I felt that its themes of whiteness and burning went well with our floral selection, the charming feverfew. Moreover, I wanted to celebrate Muriel Rukeyser, a totally underappreciated poet, whose birth date was yesterday. This is one of my favorite of her poems. I totally admire the surreal imagery of that antlered, pale sea monster with glowing eyes; it captures my imagination.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

It reminds me of the type of disturbing image that one would have during a fever dream, which is also why I've paired it up with the humble feverfew, a plant which has been used in traditional herbal folk medicine to treat fevers. Although modern science has not backed up this belief, we may appreciate the folk lore that grants flowers magical properties, and locates monsters at the bottom of the sea. ;-)

To Infinity . . . and Beyond!

Buzz Lightyear action figures


On November 22, 1995, Pixar's first feature film, Toy Story, was released.

It's hard to imagine that 16 years have passed. But when you pause to consider all the Pixar movies that have since come, things fall into perspective. Including Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and WALL-E, these films have set the standard for cinematic CGI animation. Yet, this success was founded upon a simple story about the secret life of toys.

The Toy Story trilogy is among my favorite series of films. Each movie is a "stand alone" feature, but continues to build upon character interaction and delineate personality nuances. Although accessible for children, the stories are equally as engaging for adults. In terms of plot, each movie presents a distinct type of conflict, resolved with a compelling mix of thrills and humor, in defiance of memorable antagonists.

Toy Story poster (1995)

Fun Stuff!

Friday Flowers: Bitter Roses

Rose: Prima Donna

This Is A Sin
(By C. K. Williams)

right off we started inflicting history
on each other day after day first thing this
is historical and we gave dollars for it
and this and we gave movies and sad poems
and obviously newspapers and a little less
valentines and sometimes it got right
up against us and into us we would squeeze
it out like a worm it would come back
by itself through the pancreas through
the eye or womb and with great tenderness
on the faces of wives and babies we
would reinflict it until there was
such beauty it was unbearable because
it was too much history too much suffering
and also birds suffering their leaps
from branches dogs
lifting their dark mouths the paths
of mantises cows plopping were we afraid
of what would be left of us? sometimes
a person was erased entirely
and children dead of shame stuck
upright in the snow like pipes the wind
screaming over them or I would forget
you darling your breasts the wind
over them our lips
moving darling the child the wind breasts
our lips over them


Today we're wishing a Happy Birthday to C. K. Williams, born on this day in 1936. The intensity of his poetry makes it a hard read, drumming a rough rhythm into the head, evoking images in disturbing juxtapositions, but it drives the mind into serious contemplation, which is what I most admire in poetry.

Rose: Lime Sublime

And I'm pairing his poem with roses because I want people to read it. No other flower gets flow through internet traffic like a rose. Not orchids, dahlias, fuchsias, magnolias, begonias, sunflowers, hibiscus, plumbago, marigolds, irises, or daisies. In the assessment of the Google Image search, roses reign supreme. ;-)

Freight Fright

"G" scale model train track set up among the cacti.

Ever since I was a child, model train sets have ignited my imagination, inspiring me into daydreams of foreign lands or past eras, serving as sculpted tableaux upon which my fantasy may ride the rails across the boundaries of time and space.

So, it was with great enthusiasm that I had the opportunity to make a quick visit to the model train show at the South Coast Botanic Gardens. There were many fine sets on display in the primary exhibition hall, some with a Halloween theme, but I was especially thrilled to see that a few tracks had been set out in the Cactus Garden. Of course, I adore fabricated terrain and admire the design skills required to create a quality land set, but watching the trains course their way through real cacti, over authentic ground, and around sets arranged within a natural environment is a rare treat, specifically in that it can't be unpacked from a garage cabinet for a Sunday afternoon. ;-)

I've never had the happy conjunction of free time, disposable cash, and ample set space to pursue the model train hobby myself, but, if I ever get to a comfortable state of retirement, it's on my wish list. As a table top gamer, I love designing encounter settings, creating them on the cheap with paper and colored pencils. There is something exhilarating to this playful bit of world-building.

"G" scale train traverses a land with enormous flora.

I've been considering starting a new blog to focus on my game-related interests, which are a bit too niche to share here at Paideia. It might be cool to share various setting design posts with you all. We'll see if I have sufficient time to do a proper job of it. ;-)

Mysterious Galaxy

Mysterious Galaxy, an independent bookstore specializing in Mystery and Speculative Fiction.


Today was the Grand Opening of Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in Redondo Beach.

Of course, I had to head over to support a local indie bookstore. It's been years since Los Angeles has had a quality Science Fiction/Fantasy retailer, ever since Dangerous Visions in Sherman Oaks closed down in 2002. Likewise, westside Mystery fans have been left without a good indie option since the Mystery Bookstore in Westwood shut its doors in January of this year. So, this opening is a fantastic event!

Mysterious Galaxy is an expansion from San Diego, where the store has been a vital part of the SF/Fantasy and Mystery community for years. Author signings, book groups, and miscellaneous book events are frequently sponsored by them. It's a huge boon to the fan communities to have an organized and professional independent store in the region.

And they had cake! How can you beat that? ;-)

Yum!!! Cinnamon cake!!!

Considering that the event occurred at 10 am on a weekday, there was a decent crowd that turned out. Hopefully, this is indicative of a strong community that will support the store. As you all may recall, I am not a fan of physical books. Nevertheless, I made sure to make a purchase. It is imperative that those who love reading sustain those special places wherein such habits are developed and cultivated.

The ceremonial ribbon cutting

As regards this store in particular, I like it's location. It's only a few blocks west of the 405. So it should be fairly accessible to anyone on the westside of LA. There is a good selection of SF/Fantasy, Mystery, and Horror. And the facilities are generous for hosting book signings or other social events.

Epic Adventures in Imaginal Realms of the Self

Bad News Bat (2011) by David Jien

The Richard Heller Gallery is currently exhibiting "The Plight of the Who" works by David Jien. These drawings depict a fantastic world in which humanity and their free-spirited anthropomorphic allies, the Who, are in an epic struggle against the immoral and homogenized forces of the lizardmen and their blue egg-headed allies. Set within a weird realm that seems drawn from a role-playing game, the warring sides contend to determine the fate of an important child.

As a life-long gamer, these works caught my enthusiasm at first sight. They portray scenes from the fantastic narrative of the Who's epic adventure, although this show is focused only on "Chapter One" of the story. There are moments of discovery, as when the Who Riders come across the Statue. There are moments of decadence, as depicted at the unsettling interspecies orgy between the lizard men and the human women. And then there are moments of heroism, as when the Who Riders faces overwhelming odds against the hordes of their reptilian foes. Even the pictures of the Collector viewing his collection has an implied narrative significance.

The Who Riders (2010) by David Jien

But it isn't just the narrative or fantastic imagery that makes this show so compelling. Jien's attention to detail is superb! Minute elements of texture or pattern are delivered with precision and with cohesion to the overall composition. Each subject of each picture is designed with meticulous consideration. Even the uniform figures of the lizardmen and the blue egg-heads are given focused articulation. It's an awesome display of craftsmanship.

Umbrellas and Brooms

Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice is featured in a scene of Fantasia (1940)

We've got a few Disney-related events to celebrate today.

The French composer, Paul Dukas, was born on this date in 1865. His most famous work was the Sorcerer's Apprentice, which has become inextricably connected with the Disney interpretation in the 1940 cinematic feature Fantasia. I have a special love for the Sorcerer's Apprentice because of how it serves as an example against the modern Disney-influenced concept of intellectual property.

Let me explain. The history of the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" story spans over 2000 years. In ancient Egypt, there was a believe that magical funerary figures, ushabti, could be enchanted so as to perform one's work in the afterlife. Playing off of this belief, the ancient Greek satirist, Lucian of Samosata, created the basic narrative as we now know it in his work, the Philopseudes, written c.150 AD. Centuries later, the German writer, Goethe, does a "remake" of the story in his poem Der Zauberlehrling. This poem inspired Dukas to create his tone poem. And Disney uses the music as the basis for the wonderful scene in Fantasia.

It's really cool to see how different minds shaped the underlying source material over the centuries. It's too bad that modern "property" restrictions make creating works of derived influence a risky legal endeavor. Fortunately, contemporary "mash up" projects in music and literature are bringing the Disney "property" paradigm into question.

Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins


And we're also celebrating the birthday of Julie Andrews. Happy 76th Birthday!!!

Dragon, Goddess, and Osprey at the Library

Frank Mando's Pele - Fire Goddess on display at the Manhattan Beach Civic Plaza

Continuing on my public art viewing, I visited the sculpture garden at the Manhattan Beach Civic Center. Over the past couple of years, there have been year long exhibitions of sculptures in front of the library, police department and at the entry to the civic plaza. It really enhances the public space.

Here are some photos of the five at the plaza.

Osprey by Maria T. de Castro



Frazetta and the Martian Princess

". . . Nor could any apparel have enhanced the beauty of her figure!"


My earlier post focused on colored artworks, but some of my favorite illustrations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series are Frank Frazetta's pen and ink interior illustrations. Here are two from Princess of Mars. Good stuff!!!



"Scarcely had his hideous laugh rung out when I was upon him. . ."



Grant Any Wish

I Dream of Jeannie, starring Barbara Eden, ran for five seasons (1965-70)

You may have guessed after more than 200 posts about wildly diverse topics, but scarcely a mention of a television episode, that I don't watch much tv, except for the commercials. That's kind of true. I have never been a reliable series watcher. Sure, I'll grab a show here and there, but I rarely pick up a full season of anything. My television series familiarity generally comes from reruns long after the initial broadcasts. I have better things to do during Primetime than sit in front of the television.

But that doesn't mean that I dislike the "television episode" artform. I can certainly appreciate a good twenty minute story of any type of genre. Moreover, a season presents an excellent way to create an overarching narrative arc that is comprised of the smaller episode stories. When done well, that's an impressive accomplishment.

So, in celebration of Barbara Eden's birthday, here's my first overt television post at Paideia.



Jeannie in her bottle


I Dream of Jeannie was the first television series towards which I became enthusiastic, not including cartoon shows. The concept of a wish-granting beautiful magic lady captured my youthful imagination. Major Nelson's total blockheadedness was a constant source of amazement. Asides from Barbara Eden's hotness, my main interest was that the show had an interesting and fantastic problem in each episode. In my youth, that made for good television. ;-)

Half Sick of Shadows

The Lady of Shalott (1888) by John William Waterhouse

Alfred Tennyson was born on this date in 1809. His works have become the paragons of Victorian poetry. To commemorate his legacy of beauty, here are a few stanzas of my favorite Tennyson poem.

The Lady of Shalott (Stanzas 2-5)

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.

By the margin, willow veil'd,
Slide the heavy barges trail'd
By slow horses; and unhail'd
The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
Skimming down to Camelot:
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?

Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly;
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy
Lady of Shalott."

There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.



The Lady of Shalott (1905) by William Holman Hunt

 Absolutely beautiful.

Curiouser and Curiouser

"Golden Afternoon" scene from Disney's Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Today we're celebrating Alice in Wonderland. I would have done so on the publication date earlier this month, July 4, but I was on vacation. So the 1951 Disney movie release date is the next best thing. ;-)

To be honest, my first exposure to Alice in Wonderland was through the Disney movie. It caught my imagination and I read the book shortly thereafter. As a child, I was never big on fairy tales like Snow White or Cinderella. But Alice isn't a fairy tale. It's literary nonsense, a weird fantasy adventure. I was enthralled by this bizarre world of insane characters and illogical happenings.

Even after all these years, I still have to list Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as one of my favorite books. It had a lasting influence in my love for the fantastic and personal aesthetic of the strange. Alice has shaped my own approach to fantasy writing to an even greater degree than such classics of the genre as the Lord of the Rings or the various adventures of Conan the Barbarian.



Alice's Adventure in Wonderland (1866), illustrated by John Tenniel


My enthusiasm for Alice extends to the various remakes, sequels, and parodies that have been made. Alice is even my favorite Disney theme park ride!