Sunday, January 30, 2005

The painter Clyfford Still (1904-1980) was one of the 'founders' of Abstract Expressionism. Born in Grandin, North Dakota, he grew up in Washington State and in Alberta, Canada. He influenced many others, including Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman. When visiting New York in 1945, Rothko introduced him to Peggy Guggenheim, who shortly thereafter, hosted Still's first one-man show. Still was considered a member of the 'New York School', that also included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem deKooning. However, Still always tried not to be ascribed to any movement, and disliked verbal explanations of his art: "The paintings should be permitted to speak for themselves". Still was mostly a loner and aloof. In 1961, he moved to a small town near Baltimore to escape the New York art scene and focus on his art.

Today, many of Still's paintings can be viewed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (30+), the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. The MoMA in NYC has '1944-N' on display. A book (ISBN 0-87099-213-9) by Clyfford Still and John P. O'Neill (Ed.), published in 1979, is a catalog from an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Nov. 17, 1979 - Feb. 3, 1980. It contains all paintings from the large exhibition in color together with notes and letters by the painter. Recently, Denver has been chosen to receive Still's much desired 2,000+ piece private collection under the premise to create and maintain a museum devoted exclusively to his art.

Other Links:
Examples of Paintings
Clyfford Still: Short Biography


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Ecce Homo: When Pontius Pilate presented Jesus to the Jews demanding his Crucifixion, Pilate cried 'Ecce homo' (Behold the man). The words Ecce Homo have come to signify a type of devotional image that depicts Jesus after the scourging, crowned with a wreath of thorns, and with his face typically gaunt and drawn as he goes to his death. Also a famous writing by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, and paintings by Lovis Corinth and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.
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DVD: Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004): Directed by Quentin Tarantino. w/ Uma Thurman, David Carradine. The bride gets her revenge. More story than in Vol. 1, but some scenes are too sluggish. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Ravi Shankar: Sitar player. CDs: India's Master Musician (1963), Ragas and Talas (1964). Indian Classical music. Shankar has also collaborated with George Harrison in the 60s. John Coltrane was influenced by Shankar. Shankar's idea was to introduce the Western world to traditional Indian Music. The sitar is a plucked string instrument with 20 movable frets. It is retuned with different intervals for each piece. It has six or seven main strings and 13 symapthetic strings. The tamboura is another instument with 4-5 strings which are plucked witout stopping the strings in a constant drone. The tabla is a pair of drums played by hand. A raga is not a tune, melody, scale, mode, or any concept for which an English word exists. It is instead a combination of different characteristics, including a certain number of notes, modal structure, ascending or descending struture, and certain importance of notes. A tala is a recurring time-measure or rhythmic cycle.
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Music: Sitar player: Roop Verma. From the web site: "A world-renowned Indian musician; a master of the healing sounds of the Indian Sitar, a brilliant concert performer, teacher, and composer." He cannot be found in the AllMusic Guide though.
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Literature: Talbot Mundy was the bestselling writer of adventure stories during the 1920's and 1930's. His novels include King of the Khyber Rifles, Caves of Terror, Om: The Secret of Ahbor Valley, Black Light, and The Nine Unknown.
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Shopping: CNET Shopper for electronics. Reviews, recommendations, price comparisons.
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Life: The best thing about carrying home a large pizza take-out in the winter time is that it will keep your hands warm.
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Art: Abstract-Art.com. Impressive collection of modern art. Especially the 'Grandfathers and Influences Gallery' and the 'More Artists Galley'. Navigation buttons allow an easy 'walk-through'. Site design could be more imaginative, though.
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Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski (b. 1941), the director of the trilogy Trois Coleurs, has previously made Polish movies and a TV series called 'Dekalog'. Among them, 'A Short Film About Love ' (Krotki film o milosci), and 'A Short Film About Killing' (Dekalog, piec), both from 1988.
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Art: Photographer: Wolfgang Volz, Exhibition: ManMade Planet, Jan 28 – Mar 1, 2005, at the Chelsea Art Museum, Chelsea, NYC. Gallery opening 1/28/05; saw Christo & Jeanne-Claude there. Volz is the designated photographer of their art. Will also cover their project 'The Gates' in Central Park (Feb. 12 -29, 2005).
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Art: Chelsea Museum of Art also has a permant collection of Jean Miotte (b. 1926). 'L'Arte Informel' is the European equivalent to the American 'Abstract Expressionism'. Main artists: Jean Miotte, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Emil Schumacher and Kazuo Shiraga and others. Miotte reminds of Clyfford Still.
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Language: An epitome (Greek epitemnein = to cut short) is a summary or miniature form; it is also used as a synonym for embodiment. Many lost documents from the Ancient Greek and Roman world survive only now 'in epitome' referring to the practice of some later authors (epitomators) who would write distilled versions of now lost larger works (Wikipedia).
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Thursday, January 13, 2005


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Video: Smoke (1995). Director: Wayne Wang. Written by Paul Auster. w/ Harvey Keitel, William Hurt (Lost in Space), Stockard Channing (Grease). 112 min. Life in and around a New York cigar store in 1990. Some good lines and intriguing stories.Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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WWW: Search engine for scientific information: Scirus . Searches Journal and the Web.
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Tuesday, January 11, 2005


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DVD: Kandahar (2001); aka 'Safar e Ghandehar'. Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. w/ Nelofer Pazira, Hassan Tantai. Mixture of movie and documentary. Shortly before the last solar eclipse of the century. an Afghanistan-born Canadian woman (Pazira) tries to reach Kandahar to save her sister from suicide. On her journey she is exhibits much of the Iranian-Afghan culture, poverty, mutilation by landmines, and the situation of women in the area. Exotic. Informs about very different issues. DVD also has a version with explanations by Nelofer Pazira. Overall rating: 7 out of 10. Hassan Tantai (aka David Belfield) is under indictment in the United States for the 1980 murder of the former Iranian diplomat Ali Akbar Tabatabai, a supporter of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. More about Belfield in the New Yorker, Issue of 2002-08-05.
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Sunday, January 09, 2005


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Video: Lord of the Rings I, II, III: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003). An extensive story. After seeing the movie, I would want to read the book. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Video: Moulin Rouge (2001). w/ Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor. Director: Baz Luhrman (Romeo and Juliet). Unusual love story. Lots of sung scenes; sometimes cuts are too short; interesting mixture of well known songs in modern versions; 'Roxanne' is best interpretation; overall poor story; spectacular costumes; bizarre acting; Nicole Kidman should know by now that her singing is even worse than her acting. Overall rating 3 out of 10.
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Metropolitan Museum 10/24/04: 1.) Roof Garden: Andy Goldsworthy on the Roof. 2.) German Drawings and Prints from the Weimar Republic (1919-1933). Otto Dix, George Grosz, Max Beckmann and others. Senses the situation after WW-I and shows many mutiliations. Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity). 3.) China: Dawn of the Golden Age, 200-750 AD. Han Dynasty was ~ 300 BC to 300 AD. Fine sculptures and textiles. 4.) George Washington: Man Myth, Monument. A collection of GW portraits. Dauguerrotype with young woman standing in front of GW portrait.
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Video: Matrix Reloaded (2003): pointless, useless, dull, waste of time. 2 out of 10.
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Video: Trois couleurs: Rouge (1994); aka 'Red'. French with English subtitles. Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski. w/ Irene Jacob as Valentine Dussaut, Jean-Louis Trintignant as The Judge. Captivating movie about a model who, by coincidence, meets a retired judge who is spying on his neighbors. A movie about love, betrayal, and life in general. Excellent tempo. Third part of the trilogy. Perfect acting. 9 out of 10.
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Video: Trois couleurs: Blanc (1994). aka: 'White'. Polish and French with English subtitles. Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski. Bizarre story; man becomes crook after his wife left him; planning for revenge; no magic in the story; disappointing; 4 out of 10.
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Video: Trois couleurs: Bleu (1993); aka 'Blue'. French with English subtitles. Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski. Woman loses man and daughter in a car accident. She mourns her loss by starting a new life, away from old companions and memories. Only after realizing that her husband had a long-term affair with another woman, she regains the strength to abandon her misery. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Stop Telemarketers: federal and NJ.
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Video: Excalibur (1981): Cheezy tale about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Overall Rating: 5 out of 10
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Video: Trainspotting (1996). Drug addict tries to leave the Edinburgh scene, but is held back by his friends. Overall Rating: 5 out of 10.
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Video: Women in Love (1969). 131 min. Directed by Ken Russell; after the novel by D.H. Lawrence; w/ Alan Bates (Rupert Birkin), Oliver Reed (Gerald Crich), Glenda Jackson (Gudrun Brangwen), Jennie Linden (Ursula Brangwen). Exploration of the relationships, personalities, and philosophies of two men and two women in the high society of the early 1900s (IMDB). Multi-layered tale about love, friendship, and the philosophy of life. Glenda Jackson won the Oscar for 'Best Actress in a Leading Role' in 1970. Good acting, bizarre story. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Video: Vendredi Soir aka 'Friday Night' (2002). Directed by Claire Denis. Woman wants to move in with her boyfriend. Gets stuck in traffic. Meets another man. Spends night with him, and leaves him. Slow story. Overall rating: 5 out of 10
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DVD: Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003): Directed by
Quentin Tarantino. w/ Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu. Developing story. Comic strip brutality. Overall raiting: 7 out of 10. Want to see Vol. 2.
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Politics: What is a "lame duck" session? When Congress (or either chamber) reconvenes in an even-numbered year following the November general elections to consider various items of business. Some lawmakers who return for this session will not be in the next Congress. Hence, they are informally called "lame duck" members participating in a "lame duck" session. For more U.S. politics terms see U.S. Senate glossary.
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Culture: Bad Fads: A virtual museum of fun and nostalgic fashions, collectibles, activities and events which are cherished by some and ridiculed by others.
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Theater: Symphonie Fantastique. Dodger Stages, 350 W 50th St, NYC. 60 min. Created by Basil Twist. Abstract under water puppet theater to the music of the same name by French romantic composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869). Intriguing effects with shapes, clothes, and light in a 1000 gallon fish tank. Visualizes the music. Unusual idea.
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DVD: Benjamin Franklin. An Extraordinary Life (2002). PBS documentary. 3.5 hours. Well narrated biography of the versatile 18th century man, who invented the lightning rod and played an important role in creating the United States of America.
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Theater: nytheater.com. Theater listings and reviews.
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Movies: Actor Danny Aiello can be found often at Tutta Pasta in Hoboken, NJ
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Movies: Actress: Jessika Cardinahl. Renowned from the German comedy movie 'Otto, der Film'. Now successful as a painter.
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Video: The Day after Tomorrow (2004). Directed by Roland Emmerich. The world freezes over as a results of environmental pollution. Not as bad as I thought it would be. Overall rating: 7 out of 10
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Video: The House of Mirth (2000). 140 min. Directed by Terence Davies after a novel by Edith Wharton. w/ Gillian Anderson, Eric Stoltz, Dan Aykroyd. Woman in New York in Victorian times refuses to marry and paves the way for her destruction. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Video: Finding Forrester. w/ Sean Connery. Hermit writer coaches black kid with writing ambitions. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Food: Beth's Farm Kitchen. Jams & Chutneys. Favorite: Mighty Hot Pepper Jelly with jalopenio peppers, and red and green bell peppers. NYC Greenmarket: Fri. and Sat. at Union Square.
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Culture: Auroville: City in Southern India founded in 1968. The Auroville concept is that of an ideal township devoted to an experiment in human unity. Important figures are Mirra Alfassa (The Mother) and Sri Aurobindo (Aurobindo Ghose, 1872-1950).
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Movies: Ebert & Roeper: Movie reviews.
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Music: Donny McCaslin: January 2, 2005 at 55 Bar. Donny McCaslin - Saxophones, Ben Monder - Guitar, Ben Street - Bass, Adam Cruz - Drums. All four are talented musicians.
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Google now offers the beta version of a search engine called 'Google Scholar'. The engine helps finding scientific papers and web pages of all kind. The nice thing is that the search also yields the number of citations the paper has been cited in, allowing a crude estimate of its impact. You can click on the 'Cited by' link in the results section to list them. Also, the 'Advanced Scholar Search' includes additional search options. The down side may be that it is not as up-to-date as, for example, PubMed/Medline.
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Culture: Eating 12 Grapes on New Year's Eve. For a long time, Spanish people have had a traditional custom to celebrate New Year's Eve. On the last day of the year, the 31st of December , they wait until twelve p.m. Everybody has to have twelve grapes ready to eat when the clock starts to chime. It is traditional to listen to the clock from Puerta del Sol in Madrid.
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Web: Washed Ashore: casting a message in a bottle into the world wide ocean. A personal site by Ben Discoe, rich in ideas.
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DVD: Fa yeung nin wa (2000), aka In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong: English title and USA), aka Hua yang nian hua (Hong Kong: Mandarin title). The Criterion Collection (2 DVDs). Director: Wong Kar-wai (Kar Wai Wong); w/ Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung. In Hong Kong in the 60s, two neighbors discover that their spouses have an affair, and reenact their story. Film was shot without a detailed script. Very subtle story and movements. Interestingly, the 'deleted scenes' section and the included documentary of the making of the film included on the DVD unfolds a very different story. Overall rating: 7 our of 10. Sequel: 2046 (2004). Earlier movie by Wong Kar-Wai: Days of Being Wild (1991).
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Fashion: Cheongsam, also known as Qipao (Ch'ipau), is one of the most typical, traditional costumes for Chinese women. Characteristic is the high and tight fitting collar. Qipao was originally the costume worn by the Manchus (17th centruy). Cheongsam was brought back to vogue by a movie called "In the Mood for Love" (see above).
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History: In 1644, the Manchus united China and established the Qing Dyansty which lasted until 1911. History of China. Time line.
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Museum: MoMA in NYC. Re-opend after renovation in November 2004. Interior was completely re-designed. Wide, open spaces. Reminds a bit of a hybrid between a modern airport and a department store. Lacks smaller, more quiet rooms to retreat a bit. Some interesting views in the distance though. Collection is exceptional.
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Tuesday, January 04, 2005


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Theater: The Adding Machine (1923). Expressionist play by the American playwright Elmer Rice (1892-1967). Medicine Show Theatre, 549 West 52nd Street, New York, NY. Sept. 9-12, 2004. Dreary life, death, and after-life of Mr. Zero, a white-collar drone who learns that, after twenty-five years, `the Boss' has fired him in favor of a machine. Depicts dehumanization of society in the technocratic age. Other Plays by Elmer Rice.
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Literature: Paul Auster opened the new season of Works & Process on September 12-13, 2004, by reading from his Collected Poems at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, NY. In addition, Works & Process has commissioned vocal music settings of his poetry from five leading composers (world premiere performances). The composers are Milton Babbitt, Lee Hyla, Louis Karchin, Roger Reynolds, and Charles Wuorinen; and each of the works is a duet for one voice and one instrument, performed by The Group for Contemporary Music.
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Book: Der Sommer der lachenden Kühe by Arto Paasilinna (in German). Story of a former sergant and a cab driver on a scurrile tour through Finland. Entertaining, but not too philosophical.
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Video: Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003). Directed by Peter Webber. After a novel by Tracy Chevalier. w/ Colin Firth (Johannes Vermeer) and Scarlett Johansson (Griet). In the 1660s, a maid is hired into the services of the painter Vermeer, becomes more and more intimate with her master, and finally poses as a model for the famous painting. A story made up for a painting. Probably little historical. Good cinematography. Many of the scenes look like Vermeer paintings. Ratig 6 out of 10.
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