maandag

NOT MY CHOICE


What a tremendous idea, Niet Mijn Keus [Not My Choice].
A present for someone, everyone, always a surprise, also for yourself!
Read reactions of users under this link.

In Dutch, but translated some sound like this:

-On Saturday morning there was a gentleman of Borent at the door with a mini excavator, supposed to be digging trenches for sewers. Hired for one day, but not my choice. My son (12) and I took it for a ride. On fallow land, we built a sand castle. Certainly two meters high, surrounded by a deep moat. Gasoline turned out not to be included, but it was worth the fun. Thanks!

Or

-Got 10 lobsters, but what to do now? Keeping them in the bathtub until I know what to make of it.



dinsdag

WAYS OF SEEING / JOHN BERGER

The other day, I was reorganizing my books. It seems the books I own longest are still my treasures and some later aquisitions could be disposed of rather easely. 
I rearranged my collection and first of all I put all books together that I keep for their images, not their text. One wonders how their could ever be a world without books. Art history for instance: I can't imagine you can compare on a computer screen? 
My second catagory are books I find teaching treasures. I only have to look at the book to know how I can use its content in my teachings. John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” is one of my favorites. An in depth look on art, the way people view it and the influences that traditional oil painting has had on society and modern day publicity. The beginning of the book goes into the issue of how people now look at art versus how people in the past look at art and how reproduction has effected this.  The relationship between social status and the subjects of oil painting, particularly the female nude is discussed as well. Berger turns to modern day and explains the role that publicity takes in our daily lives and how it is modeled after the traditional oil painting of the past. It's all there. 

Now in YouTube's era, I thought I'ld give it a go and yes, someone has taken the trouble to upload it all. 
Thanks manwithaplan999
He has also shows later series of Ways Of Seeing.

 

Episode one

 

Episode two

  

Episode three

  

Episode four

zaterdag

LEGENDARY PARTIES [1922 - 1972]

On a google spree for some facts on Curzio Malaparte, I came across this book: Legendary Parties 1922-1972, by Jean-Louis de Faucigny-Lucinge. It was publised in 1986 and is now only available on Amazon as a used item. Intriguing is the price of a copy... it varies from 450 to 650 dollar.


 The text describing the book says:
The author, who traces his family to the 11th century when they ruled the Barony of Faucigny in Savoie, and who is active in French political and banking circles, records details of certain rarefied fetes held in France between 1922 and 1972, which he hosted or attended as a guest. He recalls the lavish costume balls presided over by such glitterati as the Count Etienne de Beaumonts, the Viscount de Noailleses and the Baron Guy de Rothschilds. In 1928, the author and his first wife "Baba," now deceased (he describes her as "exotically beautiful" and "one of the most elegant women in Paris"), gave a soiree, based on the theme of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past, which ended at six in the morning under the Eiffel Tower. There are handsome photographs by Cecil Beaton and reproductions of drawings by Pablo Picasso and Yves Saint Laurent, and of Christian Berard's hand-painted screens. Those who travel, like the author, in the bosom of French society, may want to reminisce amid these pages, but the volume's appeal will escape the general reader.

For some this is a walk down the fabulously rich and fragrant memory lane of social life in the last century.  For others it is a delightful key to open the door on a world not known by the younger generation. Prince Jean-Louis de Faucigny-Lucinge provides commentary and Brooke Astor sets us up with an introduction to a rarified world of entertaining on an Olympic scale. Bal masques, fetes, jubilees, soirées and veritable orgies of the very crustiest of the upper crust are noted in remembrances and photographs and works of art.

Gerald and Sara Murphy | Agraria.com

Gerald and Sara Murphy at Comte Étienne de Beaumont’s Automotive Ball by Man Ray, 1924.

Daisy Fellowes | Agraria.com

Daisy Fellowes as La Reine d'Afrique (in Christian Dior and attended by James Caffery, as her page) Image courtesy of: http://blogs.vogue.es/

Baba | Agraria

Oliver Messel, Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolf) and La Princesa Jean-Louis de Faucigny-Lucinge (Baba)


Bal Oriental | Advocate.com

Alexandre Serebriakoff’s illustration of the Hercules Gallery decorated for Le Bal Oriental given by the baron and his friend and neighbor Marie-Helene de Rothschild in 1969.

The whole thing totally reminded me of my time in the Maliestraat, where my landlord was Bas. He was quite of age those days, but had a fine way of telling stories from way back went. He used to be a free 'kept' boy in the thirties and have some great names among his clientèle. The whole secret homosexual life of The Hague was explained to me, including the walk of life of Louis Couperus and some royalty and politicians. The warning systems in bars and restaurants, the way the police protected certain people... It was all revealed. 
I specially liked his stories about the Parisian Balls. He must have been a good looking guy, those days, because he was invited to attend quite some, over the years. The Ball Des Quatres Arts was the most famous one. He told me of one where he was carried into by four black men, dressed as a Roman child emperor. 




MINDMAPPING [1] COMBATTING GLOBAL WARMING

Mindmapping always has our interest, so let's start a compilation...

This one explains how we have to work on global warming.


To see where this in it's original context, press: link 

JIM DENEVAN [LAND ART 1]

Today I discovered Jim Denevan. Some pictures on FaceBook / design-dautore.com made me curious. Jim makes temporary drawings on sand earth and ice that are eventually erased by waves and weather. Contrary to the seventies land-art, this, in my opinion doesn't try to bear more importance then it can offer us: an extra way of seeing the specific beauty of a place...

There is also a certain kind of contemplating quality in the making of these works. Listening to the story in this film, you recognize the meaning of the work for himself.


vrijdag

LE CORBU A PARIS


Maison LaRoche-Jeanneret (1923-25)

Maison LaRoche

Some years ago, I had the chance to visit Le Corbusier's works done between 1959-1968 at Firminy: the Maison de la Culture, the stadium, the recently completed church - and his Unité d'Habitation. I will publish some of my pics one day.
The World Of Interiors [jan 2011] gives us the chance to see more of his earlier projects in Paris and vicinity: Maison LaRoche-Jeanneret (1923-25), designed by Corbu. Enjoy the sculptural forms, playing with light, framing and especially COLOUR!
Buildings or sculptures; paintings or rooms/spaces; are they spaces meant for living or observing?

Maisons LaRoche-Jeanneret

Maison LaRoche, interior restored 2009 by Agence Pierre-Antoine Gatier. Note gray color of radiators; this is the original color as determined by paint analysis.




Maison LaRoche

 Maison LaRoche, interior restored 2009 by Agence Pierre-Antoine Gatier

 A glance at the past....


 To see how and where, visit the Fondation Corbusier.

200 COUNTRIES / 200 YEARS / 4 MINUTES

Visualizing some development always catches my eye. O, that's what's going on... This film in a way is sort of reassuring. The world is not doing so bad. Well, eh, a lot of people are doing great, even. But that creates the next problem... And so on, and so on.
 Watch and enjoy!