Van Gogh's "Bedroom at Arles" - A discussion about the restoration in Amsterdam + Boston Baked Beans

August 29, 2013, 3:05 pm

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Ella Hendriks Senior Conservator at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam

Impression of the original colors of: The Bedroom, 1888 Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) Oil on Canvas, 72 X 90 cm located at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Van Gogh’s bedroom in 'The Yellow House at Arles' was simply furnished. With his brother, Theo’s, financial help Vincent had bought himself, among other things, a pinewood bed and 12 rush-bottomed chairs in anticipation of friends and guests. Van Gogh hoped to found an artists’ colony in Arles, together with his like-minded friends. His first visitor was to be Paul Gauguin, whom he sent a sketch of this painting.

"Bedroom at Arles" 1889, Oil on Canvas, by Vincent van Gogh Van Gogh did several drawings and versions of this subject. The above version is in the collection of The Art Institute of Chicago (IL) USA

Watercolor of the Yellow House in Arles. In May 1888, Van Gogh rented four rooms on the right-hand side of a house on the Place Lamartine in Arles. His living quarters were the ones with the green shutters. His bedroom lay beyond.  Vincent had finally found a place where he could not only paint but also welcome his friends. His goal was to establish a “Studio of the South,” where he and like-minded artists could work together.

ART:
"Slaapkamergenheimen"
Dutch for
Bedroom Secrets
from the
Van Gogh Museum
in Amsterdam

in this issue we share the text, photos and artworks provided by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Fine art restorer Ella Hendriks discusses her work regarding: restoring and reconstructing  "The Bedroom" at Arles by Van Gogh Ella Hendriks is senior conservator at the Van Gogh Museum. She has examined and restored numerous works by Vincent van Gogh. With the recent reconstruction of The bedroom, an effort was made to produce a digital reconstruction of this work estimating its original colors.

Hendriks sees herself as a privileged individual: ‘It is so extraordinary to have physical contact with Van Gogh’s work. Research can teach you a lot, but in treating a painting you come even closer to it; you have to understand it through and through. ‘I’ve literally examined Van Gogh’s works under the microscope. I want to become familiar with every square centimeter. If you can do that, then in some small way, you’ve truly made them your own.’

Ella Hendriks, senior conservator at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam investigates the painting under a microscope.

Van Gogh and discoloration
It has been proven that many of the original colors in Van Gogh’s oeuvre have altered with time. Hendriks has made a detailed study of this phenomenon in recent years: ‘By collaborating closely with scientists I have learnt a great deal about the use of color and discoloration; by now I have acquired almost as much expertise in this area as Van Gogh himself, who knew an enormous amount about theories of color and the science of his day!’ she laughs.

Professor Roy Berns

Understanding of discoloration
Professor Roy Berns, director of Munsell Color Science Laboratory (USA), with whom Hendriks collaborated closely in the reconstruction of The bedroom, provided the necessary scientific basis by making color measurements and mathematical calculations to enable the digital restoration of the colors. The increased awareness of the phenomenon of discoloration also influenced the treatment of the painting itself. ‘There is a big difference between this and earlier restorations of The bedroom’, remarks Hendriks. ‘In 1931 and 1958 the work was treated by the same conservator. Initially he thought that he had painstakingly restored the painting to its “original state”, as he wrote. Now we know that that is completely impossible, since a painting changes continuously from the moment it leaves the easel.’ In 1958 this conservator indeed had to confront the fact that the colors in the painting had changed since 1931, making it necessary for him to retouch his own retouches.

Best possible palette
‘We know a lot more now than we did in 1958’, she carries on. ‘We know the risks and are better able to reduce them, for instance by limiting exposure to light as much as possible to retard the discoloration process. You can't stop it completely, however, and that's something you have to bear in mind.’ Thanks to Berns’s work, Hendriks now possessed the best possible palette with which to retouch the painting. On the basis of his color measurements on the painting, he was able to advise a mixture of pigments for every damaged area that needed retouching, a mixture that would correspond precisely, at all times (in other words, under different light sources) to the original colour surrounding it.

Digital color reconstructions
Traces of the original colors can sometimes be found, under the frame for instance. This makes it possible to build up an impression of what the painting once looked like, but to actually see it, you need a digital reconstruction. These traces make it possible to create that reconstruction. With the Munsell Color Science Laboratory and a team of external and internal museum specialists, Hendriks succeeded, with The bedroom, in making a complete digital reconstruction of this kind for the very first time: ‘Although it will never be an exact replica of the painting, we now know far better what the work originally looked like.’

Reaccessing Van Gogh

Snow-covered field with a harrow by Van Gogh

This is the beginning of a four-year project involving the digital reconstruction of other works by Van Gogh. The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is funding the ReViGo (Reassessing Vincent van Gogh) project, which aims to create digital reconstructions of other works in the collection with the aid of an interdisciplinary team of experts. ‘In this project I'm working alongside computer technologists, physicists and art historians, for instance’, explains Hendriks. ‘It's incredibly interesting. The painting Snow-covered field with a harrow (after Millet), for instance, consists of extremely monochrome, cool colours. It has always been said that this use of color reflects Van Gogh’s solitary mood when he was alone outside in the natural world, but is this correct? This work too has undergone discoloration with the passage of time. I'm very curious to see its digital reconstruction!’

A comment by Axel Rüger, Director of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam:

Axel Rüger Director of the Van Gogh Museum

Much to my delight The bedroom is back ‘home’ in Amsterdam after having been on loan to Japanese museums for a period of several months. The painting was thoroughly restored before it travelled to Japan. We reported on this in the museum under the title Bedroom secrets. This culminated the presentation of the restored painting in the gallery. The public’s reactions were overwhelming.

We are presenting the opportunity of following the technical and scholarly decisions underlying the restoration,  in Bedroom secrets, once again.

Reconstructions in 2D and 3D

A special attraction has been added this year: a life-size reconstruction of the bedroom! The bedroom in the Yellow House in Arles has been faithfully recreated on the basis of descriptions in Van Gogh’s letters and naturally the painting itself. While the objects and the furniture in it are not authentic, they reproduce the room’s atmosphere to the extent possible. 

The museum's reconstruction of Van Gogh's bedroom in Arles

Monica Rotgans

A note from artist and writer, Monica Rotgans
"On the play of complementary colors: cool and warm, primary and secondary."

The clash of the primary colors

In its current restored state, Van Gogh’s The bedroom is a clean, crisp, vivid painting. Yet its cool atmosphere and lively colors are only part of the story. The bright blue walls suggest a spaciousness that turns out, on closer scrutiny, to be at odds with the relative proportions of the floor and the bed and with the painter’s description of the room in his letters. Currently, the three primary colors are in conflict, with blue predominating. From a painter’s point of view, the work is fraught with tension.

Digital reconstruction of original colors in the painting. An impression of the painting as it probably looked when it had just been completed. Technical analysis of the painting revealed that it had severely discolored in the course of time.

Color and tone

‘I had wished to express utter repose with all these very different tones,’ Van Gogh wrote to Gauguin. After staying indoors for two full days to rest his strained eyes, the first thing he had painted was the interior of his small bedroom.

Calm, or ‘repose’, is suggested in a painting by avoiding contrasts. This means using colors that are equally light or dark – in other words, equivalent tones. The quickest way to determine whether you’ve actually created a calm atmosphere is by squinting at the painting through your eyelashes, so that the details fade and only the main forms and contours remain. If we look at The bedroom this way, we immediately see what is wrong with it: namely, the walls and the blanket. The walls are too light in tone, and the blanket too dark. The digital impression restores the lavender color of the walls (by removing the white) and brightens the red of the blanket, bringing the tonal values into balance and restoring the sense of repose.

Vincent writes that the only white he wanted in the painting was the reflection in the mirror. As he puts it, the fourth pair of complementary colors, white and black, is represented by the mirror and its frame. At present, this effect is cancelled out by the abundance of white in the walls.

Cool and warm colors

The reconstruction shows the logic of the original color scheme, based on a single, dominant primary color and the interplay of mutually reinforcing, complementary secondary colors, both warm and cool.

The cool colors:

Purple (violet) – walls
Terracotta – floor
Lime green – sheets and pillow
Emerald green – window frame

The warm colors:

Scarlet – blanket
Chrome yellow – bed
Ultramarine – door frames

Van Gogh also uses a range of blues, such as cool Prussian blue, tending towards green, and warm cobalt blue, inclining towards red. Combined with white and the warm but unstable pigment known as geranium lake, which was a favourite of Van Gogh’s, cobalt blue gives a beautiful violet-purple hue.

Leading part for the blanket and the bed

The central color in the painting is red, which Van Gogh applied quite thickly. Around this primary color revolve several others, most of them complementary and secondary: cool purple (composed of red, white and blue), warm yellow and various warm and cool hues of green (composed of blue and yellow).

The eye is first drawn to the red blanket – which is currently a cool, discoloured red, comparable to Cadmium Red Dark – embedded in the warm yellow of the bed frame. The floor and the furniture are linked by their yellow and red elements and form the warm part of the scene. The distinct benefit is that, as a group, these elements clearly project themselves into the foreground and form the basis of the composition.

The walls and doors are a cooler variation on the pink of the floor and seem to embrace the foreground. At this stage the function of the green window, ensconced in the violet, becomes apparent. Green is complementary to the primary color red. Because green is composed of the other two primary colors, red and green reinforce each other and are often used in combination.

Against the faded blue-white of the walls in the painting in its present state, the green window frame is much too heavy and isolated. It seems to float free of the wall, drawn to the red blanket and the green lines at the foot of the bed. The violet of the walls in the reconstruction reveals the warm light entering the room from outdoors, softened by the shutters. This effect is currently overpowered by the bright bluish-white in the walls, which resembles a primary color. The reconstruction restores Van Gogh’s small, warm room in an old house with thick walls in the sun-drenched south of France.

Thanks to the latest technology and, even more importantly, to collaboration between the various disciplines that study art and color, we can now see and understand the artist’s work in the way he most probably intended. For me as a painter, knowledge of the original materials is an absolute necessity before I can form an opinion about a painting or offer an art-historical interpretation. Vincent would be greatly relieved to know that his intentions are now visible once again.

Ella Hendriks notes:

Compromises 

Despite the perfectionist streak common to most conservators, in fact many of the steps we have to take are based on compromise. This was certainly the case for the decision to re-varnish The bedroom after cleaning, despite the fact that the painting seemed not to have been varnished originally.

A new varnish

A main reason for this choice was the sensitivity to solvents of certain colour areas, which had made it impossible to remove the old varnish everywhere from the painting. For safety reasons, the varnish was left intact in the vermilion bedspread, as well as in smaller areas, such as the Prussian blue mirror frame.

Application of a new matt varnish would help to knock back the disturbing gloss of these areas, whilst slightly improving saturation of others, evening out the surface.

New retouches

In addition, removal of extensive old overpaint had revealed many spots of damage and open cracks scattered across the painting. A new brushed varnish layer was felt desirable to isolate original paint from the fillings and retouches I would apply to reintegrate these paint losses.

A ‘non-varnished’ look

As a final measure, a very thin layer of matt varnish with added wax would be sprayed onto the painting to avoid a varnished look. Unlike the dammar varnish applied by the previous restorer, stable and non-yellowing materials would be used that are anticipated to remain easily soluble in mild solvents if required (Regalrez 1094, a low-molecular weight hydrocarbon resin varnish with Cosmolloid 80H wax added) .

With this choice it is felt that both the safety and satisfactory appearance of the painting have been guaranteed.

Varnish removed and paint retouched - time laps below:

A retouching palette

Van Gogh and his contemporaries were keen to apply modern theories of colour science to the art of painting. For me, an innovatory aspect of The bedroom treatment was the opportunity to work together with colour scientist Roy Berns in order to select an ‘ideal’ retouching palette that I could use to touch in old paint losses (so-called ‘inpainting’). Based on the known spectral properties of the Gamblin range of retouching colors, it was possible to determine a recipe to match different spots of colour that had previously been measured on the painting. Importantly, this match is predicted to persist for different light sources, so that my retouches would not suddenly ‘change’ if the painting is hung in different lighting. I was curious as to how this process would compare to the usual trial-and-error approach of mixing and matching colors by eye.

Trial and error

Whilst waiting for the color recipes and some missing pots of color to arrive, I experimented with the Gamblin colors we had in stock. Intuitively, it turns out that I did reach the same choice of blue pigments that, based on calculation, would be recommended for use in the blue walls and outlines of the door panels (cobalt blue and ultramarine respectively) mixed with titanium white.

  

The recommended set of colours

However, I had problems with matching the elusive chrome yellow colour of the foot end of the bed with its aged greenish-brown translucent skin. Great was my delight when the recommended set of Gamblin colours arrived from America and indeed turned out to provide a very good basis for retouches in the bed frame (roughly equal quantities of  Naples yellow deep and Permanent green light with a little Dioxazine purple and Titanium white added).

Detail of the foot end of the bed after cleaning, before retouching.

The same area after retouching. Some old residues of brown overpaint that could not be safely removed have been touched out with new retouches.

Science and intuition

I am quite certain I would not have reached the same choice alone, since especially the rather lurid  Permanent green light seen in the pot was not an obvious candidate to me. Working with this basic set of colours, the old-fashioned skills of the conservator remained essential to make the subtle adjustments of colour, texture, opacity and layering required at each spot on the painting. As for Van Gogh, it seems that colour science and intuition can work well hand-in-hand.

Retouching materials and palette.

Professor Roy Berns:

Roy Berns making spectral reflectance measurements  of "The Bedroom".

During 2002 and 2004, I made spectral reflectance measurements of several areas of Van Goghs painting Daubigny’s Garden. Unusually, it is painted on a tightly woven, red-striped linen cloth known as torchon. Van Gogh prepared the canvas himself with a pink ground layer containing the red pigment geranium lake and lead white. Today that layer has faded to gray. I measured the gray ground layer and an area along the edge that, due to damage, revealed the fantastic pink colour shown below. 

Edge of the canvas of Daubigny's garden.

Daubigny’s Garden is painted on a tightly woven, red-striped linen cloth known as torchon.

This area was quite small and my spectrophotometer was averaging the pink and some of the surrounding gray. As a consequence, when simulating the ground color, I used spectral information from a paint-out of eosine dye, the chromatic ingredient of geranium lake, and titanium white gouache. 

Because geranium lake was also used in The bedroom, I revisited my measurements of Daubigny’s Garden. Using light absorption and scattering theory and nonlinear optimization, I was successful in estimating the color properties of Van Gogh’s geranium lake. A concentration series with lead white is shown below. Clearly, this colorant would have been very appealing.

In the Daubigny’s Garden painting Van Gogh prepared the canvas himself with a pink ground layer containing the red pigment "geranium lake" and "lead white". Above are the possible color concentrations of the ground layer.

During 2008, I measured over 50 locations on The bedroom: mainly to evaluate imaging accuracy (to determine the current colors of the painting), but also to help Ella Hendriks choose appropriate pigment combinations for retouching. 

Here’s a close up of one area I measured and you can see that there is a large mismatch in colour between retouchings from 1931 (pinkish) and the surrounding original paint (purplish). It appears that the floor has continued to fade since 1931. 

Detail of the floor  with retouches that do not match with the original paint.

A question was posed, ‘Could the geranium lake from Daubigny’s Garden be added (computationally) to the color of the floor of The bedroom and match the 1931 retouching?’ The answer was, ‘yes’, and here is color series showing the result of adding back to geranium lake, both to match the 1931 retouch and earlier in time, though going back earlier is speculative because we don’t know the original concentrations.

Possible color concentrations  of the floor of The bedroom.

In letters to his brother Theo, Van Gogh described the walls and doors as having a ‘violet’ color; today they are blue. I did a similar computation for a measurement I took of the door, and indeed, adding geranium lake, reveals a violet.

Possible color concentrations of the doors and walls in The bedroom.

Although I have already started with some tests, I hope that in the future I can attempt a digital rejuvenation of the entire painting.  For now, here is a preview, of the possible colors of the floor in 1931.

Digital rejuvenation of the floor.

Detail of the floor in current colors.

Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho
is curator of prints and drawings at the Van Gogh Museum

Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho Curator of Prints and Drawings Van Gogh Museum

When you write about the use of color as an art historian, it is very important to realise that you can base your remarks solely on the object itself. For most reproductions of artworks are far from reliable. That is because every camera, every film, every scanner, and every computer screen produces its own color variations. Just try browsing the Internet for The bedroom and you will be astonished at the different variants that appear on your screen!

To illustrate how great these differences may be, I am showing four of the search results I obtained myself. Not one of these four reproductions resembles the actual painting.

   

It was long believed that the dissemination of art reproductions – at first in the form of photographs and today also through the Internet – would lower the status of the original work. After all, these days anyone can hang a reproduction of an important work of art like The bedroom in their own home. But the unreliability of these images actually has the reverse effect: the original becomes all the more important.

We have already mentioned that the intensity of the colours of The bedroom have changed, moving away from the intentions of the artist.

The Van Gogh Museum is conscious of the difficulties that surround the reproduction of works of art, and therefore has its own ‘colour management’. A photographer specially hired for the purpose and an image specialist are busy all day producing accurate images of the items in our collection. The images of The bedroom that are shown on this site can therefore be described as reliable. Well, except … have you checked the color settings on your monitor?

Ella Hendriks:

In theory, one could choose to overpaint the floor to return it to how it looked around 1931, using the peachy color of the preserved strip of original paint along the bottom edge and of Traas’ first retouches as a guide. However, nowadays, such integral overpainting is not an option, since we prefer to show as much as possible of Van Gogh’s own paint. Furthermore, any such attempt would have a "too speculative" character. Instead we will try to exploit modern technologies to digitally rejuvenate the color scheme of the painting in a computer image. This might give us an idea of how it could have looked when made. Besides adjusting the colors of the floor, this may include a reconstruction of the ‘pale violet’ walls and ‘lilac’ doors described by Van Gogh, which, again as a result of faded Geranium lake, have now turned to light blue.

The disturbing mismatch of retouches in the floor provides a dilemma for the current restoration. Should I try to remove part or all of Traas’ retouches and attempt new ones that provide a better match to the present colors of the floor? And if it is chosen to replace the old retouches, will the original colors of the floor continue to slowly change, despite the stringent museum conditions of light and climate under which the Bedroom is now kept?

Ella Hendriks

Van Gogh's oil painting of The Yellow House where his bedroom was located is shown below, followed by a photograph of that same house.

FOOD:

Boston

Baked 

Beans

Few things take longer to cook and are more delicious than slow cooked Boston Baked Beans.
This recipe takes days, but these beans can only be made LOW AND SLOW - THE OLD FASHIONED WAY! 

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds of navy beans or great northern beans (look carefully for rocks and pick ALL out, rinse and soak over night)

1 large onion, halved, sliced and individual rings put in the bottom of the bean pot

1 large onion quartered to set into the top of the pot of beans 

2 tsp of kosher or sea salt in pot

1/4 cup of dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons of dry mustard

2 bay leaves crushed and added to the bottom of the pot

6 whole cloves in the pot

1/4th teaspoon of cinnamon

4 canned plum tomatoes

1 good shake of Tabasco sauce into the pot

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper in pot

1 tsp ground of black pepper in pot

bean pot with lid

5 cups of water or veg. broth

1/4 cup molasses

1 to 4 chunky pieces of salt pork

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 275 degrees F.

Soak beans in a container overnight in just enough cold water to submerge them completely

Place the onions, tomatoes, dark brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, pepper, cayenne, dry mustard, crushed bay leaves, 6 whole cloves, cinnamon plum tomatoes and Tabasco sauce in the bottom of the bean pot

Pour in beans

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt on top

Pour in water

Give the pot a stir top to bottom

pour 1/4th cup of molasses over top of beans

push the quartered onion into the beans

place salt pork on the top of the beans

COOK

With the cover on, bake in the middle of the oven, on the middle rack at 275 °F for 8 hours - take out and check for softness of the beans - if needed put them back in the oven, increase to 350 °F for 1 hour or until soft (beans should never be crunchy).

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks  © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

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FARMER'S MARKET - A photo essay by Jack A. Atkinson + KALE & ONIONS with QUINOA

August 31, 2013, 11:42 am

≫ Next: Halloween Costumes for You, Your Dog & Your Infant/Toddler + Halloween Party Fruit Snacks

≪ Previous: Van Gogh's "Bedroom at Arles" - A discussion about the restoration in Amsterdam + Boston Baked Beans

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ART

The Joy of a Farmer's Market

A Photo Essay by Jack A. Atkinson

Summer of 2013 is coming to an end and we have enjoyed our weekly visits to buy fresh produce from the growers responsible for the quality. Before September starts here are a few photos of the beautiful produce and products at a local farmers market. 

 

For now, enjoy the last, warm days of Summer and consider buying from your local farmer's market. (All photography for this Farmer's Market photo essay is © Copyright Jack A. Atkinson. See last year's photo essay on the same subject: ARTSnFOOD August 20, 2012 issue.)

FOOD

KALE & ONIONS with QUINOA

Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Onions and a side of Quinoa with cheese.

Ingredients:
KALE
1 bunch of organic Lacinato Kale "small leaf kale" with large stems removed

1/2 large white onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tbs olive oil + 1 tsp

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

seasoned cast iron skillet

QUINOA

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups water

English cheddar cheese cut into small cubes

Preparation:

Kale

Wash and remove stems of Kale, chop or tear into 1" bite sized pieces.

Brown onions and garlic then add kale to the skillet.

Cook until tender, add apple cider vinegar and salt / pepper to taste.

Serve warm.

Quinoa -

(KEEN-wah)
Now that you know how to say this super-healthy seed from South America, preparing it can still be tricky.
SO keep THESE things in mind:


The first mistake people make is thinking that quinoa is a grain. It’s actually the seed of a grain-like crop closely related to beets.

You must rinse it well! There is a bitter coating on the tiny seed that needs to be rinsed away and if you don’t do it, it’s going to taste wrong. Use a fine-mesh strainer, the seeds are tiny!

Quinoa can get mushy ! 

Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. 

Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.


Quinoa holds lots of water, so you have to make certain you drain it thoroughly (fine-mesh strainer again) after it’s cooked, otherwise it will be watery.

Return the quinoa to the pot after you drain it and fold-in the cheese. COVER and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff and serve!

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness, the Arts aNd Food."™ All rights reserved. Concept, Original Art, Text & Photographs are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All gallery, museum, fair or festival photographs were taken with permission. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Halloween Costumes for You, Your Dog & Your Infant/Toddler + Halloween Party Fruit Snacks

September 4, 2013, 12:26 pm

≫ Next: Discovery: A NEW Van Gogh! + Advice from Writers on How To Write! + Easy, Slow Cooked Pork Chops

≪ Previous: FARMER'S MARKET - A photo essay by Jack A. Atkinson + KALE & ONIONS with QUINOA

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Prisoner Pup $28

ART

SHOPPING:
COSTUMES FOR DOGS
Halloween is just around the corner! 

ChasingFireflies.com offers an array of dog costumes that will have everyone howling! See their offering below, followed by some great adult costumes for you and a few for your infant or toddler.

Halloween FUN is all about a wonderful costume that helps create an alter ego!

Cave Dog $20.00

Dogosaurus $38.00

Dorothy $18.00

Elephant $38.00

Elvis $18.00

Hot Doggie $12.50

Patriotic Girl Pup $18.00

Patriotic pup $18.00

Pirate Dog $28.00

Princess Leia $18.00

Punk Dog $34.50

Queen / Princess $20.00

Spiderman $12.00

Superman $14.50

Wonder Woman $18.00

Batman $19.50

Batman - the dark knight $18.00

Yoda $18.00

Devil Dog $15.00

Link to ChasingFireflies Site for Dogs below:

http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/dog-costumes/products/138/

ART:

COSTUMES FOR YOU!

From ChasingFireflies.com:

They offer some great adult costumes to wear while you walk your dog. 

Carmen Miranda Head Piece $28.00

Carmen Miranda $99.50

Carmen Miranda Maracas $10

Carmen Miranda Necklace $5

Carmen Miranda Sequin Ball Earrings $8.50

Elvis Las Vegas $88

Elvis Wig $28

Elvis Glitter Microphone $5

Elvis Sun Glasses $9.50

Genie - Granting Wishes!  $99.50

Joan of Arc $109.50

Joan of Arc Cross Necklace $10

Knight of the Crusades $109.50

Knight of the Crusades Sword $19.50

Mario $44

Pirate Captain $169.50

Pirate Captain Eye Patch & Earring $4

Pirate Captain Paints $18

Pirate Captain Sabre $18

Lady Pirate $119.50

Lady Pirate Cameo Choker $14.50

Prince Charming $119.50

Fairy Tale Princess $179.50

Fairy Tale Princess Gold Tiara $29

Princess Cameo Pearl Choker $14.50

Sock Monkey $79.50

Sock Monkey (female) $79.50

Sock Monkey (female) Pom-pom Earrings $8.50

Superman $54.50

Superman - Kryptonite Crystal $10

Wicked Witch of the West $60

Wicked Witch of the West - tall witch hat $29.50

Wicked Witch of the West broom $20

Wicked Witch of the West pointy witch shoes $34.50

Wicked Witch of the West black fishnet stockings $6

Wonder Woman $58

Captain America $88

Captain America Gloves $14

Captain America Shield $38

Link to ChasingFireflies Site for adult halloween costumes:

http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/adult-costumes/products/137/



ChasingFireflies also offers many cleaver and high quality infant/toddler costumes.

Billy Goat $39.50

Elephant  $58

Elf $54.50

Garden Gnome $49.50

Horse $49.50

Lion $58

Monkey $58

Mouse $39.50

Penguin $49

Pink Bunny $49.50

Pink Chick $39.50

Pink Elephant $34.50

Puppy $58

Shaggy Dog $49.50

Snowman $39

Teddy Bear $58

Tree Frog $58

Turkey $49.50

Walrus $49.50

Link to ChasingFireflies Site for infant & toddler halloween costumes:

http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/baby-costumes/products/47/1/0

PLAN AHEAD AND HAVE A SAFE, FUN AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
(All photography of the costumes above was supplied by Chasing Fireflies.)

FOOD:

HALLOWEEN FRUIT SNACKS

Here is an awesome Halloween Party snack idea, designed by Beth Mansfield.

Ghosts made from bananas using chocolate chip minis for the eyes, then switch to regular sized chocolate chips for the mouths.

Pumpkins are made from peeled tangerines with a piece of cut down celery stuck into the top, for the stalk.

**Tip to keep the bananas from browning - after peeling - sprinkle them, dip them, or spritz them with a little bit of citrus juice (orange, grapefruit, tangerines, pineapple, etc). 

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks  © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Discovery: A NEW Van Gogh! + Advice from Writers on How To Write! + Easy, Slow Cooked Pork Chops

September 12, 2013, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: New Art Museum Buildings, Coming Soon! + Crunchy and Delicious Baked Broccoli

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“All research indicates: this work (Sunset at Montmajour, 1888) is by Van Gogh”

ART: 

A NEW 

Vincent van Gogh

painting is discovered!

‘Sunset at Montmajour’

The Van Gogh Museum has discovered a new painting by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890): Sunset at Montmajour (1888). The long-lost Vincent Van Gogh painting spent years in a Norwegian attic because it was thought not to be authentic. It is the first full-size canvas by the Dutch master discovered since 1928. Director Axel Rüger: “A discovery of this magnitude has never before occurred in the history of the Van Gogh Museum. It is already a rarity that a new painting can be added to Van Gogh's oeuvre. But what makes this even more exceptional is that this is a transition work in his oeuvre, and moreover, a large painting from a period that is considered by many to be the culmination of his artistic achievement, his period in Arles in the south of France. During this time he also painted world-famous works, such as Sunflowers, The yellow house and The bedroom. The attribution to Van Gogh is based on extensive research into style, technique, paint, canvas, the depiction, Van Gogh's letters and the provenance.” Sunset at Montmajour will be shown in the exhibition Van Gogh at work in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam from 24 September. 

Detail of the brush strokes.

“We carried out art historical research into the style, the depiction, use of materials and context, and everything we found indicated that this is a work by Van Gogh. Stylistically and technically speaking, there are a plenty of parallels with other paintings by Van Gogh from the summer of 1888. By means of research into literature and records, we were also capable of tracing the earliest history of the provenance of the painting. It belonged to Theo van Gogh's collection in 1890 and was sold in 1901.

The relatively large painting (93.3 x 73.3 cm) has been technically researched by our restorer Oda van Maanen, in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (Rijkdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed) (RCE), with X-ray photos and computer analyses of the type of canvas used. The pigments used have also been identified. Microscopic research has been carried out into the various layers of paint. Everything supports the conclusion."

The location of the painting has been identified - the landscape not far from Arles near the Montmajour hill, with the ruin of the abbey with the same name - and, moreover, there are two letters from the artist from the summer of 1888 that literally refer to the painting. Van Gogh writes that he had not succeeded, which can be explained, because the painting shows very strong and typical characteristics of Van Gogh, next to weaker and less convincing elements.

(source: The Van Gogh Museum)

MUSEUM SHOW:
THE MORGAN LIBRARY

WRITER GIVE TIPS
ON HOW TO WRITE!

AN EXHIBITION AT THE MORGAN LIBRARY

J.D. Salinger's letters of writing advice to young writer Marjorie Sheard.

Currently on view at the Morgan Library, is the exhibition: “‘Lose not heart’: J.D. Salinger’s Letters to an Aspiring Writer.”

After reading the short stories of a then-22-year-old J.D. Salinger in magazines such as Esquire and Collier’s, young Canadian writer Marjorie Sheard reached out to the author for guidance. Still a decade from publishing The Catcher in the Rye and his subsequent seclusion, Salinger gladly obliged, between 1941 and 1943 J. D. Salinger penned nine letters and postcards to her. The previously unseen notes offer insight into Salinger’s early creative process, as well as the creation of his most famous character, Holden Caulfield. A highlight among the letters is one in which the young author writes to Sheard of "the first Holden story" about a "prep school kid on his Christmas vacation." 

In "Lose not heart" The Morgan will display the complete correspondence, the first public presentation of these revealing letters.

(Source: The Morgan Library, 225 Madison Ave, at 36th St, 212-685-0008, themorgan.org)

In honor of the MORGAN exhibit, Time Out Magazine, New York asked a number of present-day writers to give their advice to budding scribes. We share a few of those comments here. 

For all 15 bits of good advice for aspiring writers (and all creative types), go to their link:http://tmout.us/oMEJX 

Joe Garden
Writer/producer for AdultSwim.com, former features editor at The Onion (theonion.com)

“Work shitty jobs that you loathe, but there’s that one bright spot that makes it momentarily bearable. Work shitty jobs that imbue in you the desire to do something different, something tolerable—and I don’t mean law school. Work shitty jobs, but don’t treat it like research or you’ll be sniffed out as a condescending prick. Work shitty jobs that you can forget the moment you go home so you can work on something you love.

Reza Aslan 
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (Random House, $27) 
“The best advice I can give an aspiring writer is the one I received years ago: Nobody cares about you or your work like you do. Your agent, your publisher and your publicist are all wonderful people who work their hardest for you to succeed. But in the end, your success as a writer depends almost wholly upon your own tireless efforts to promote your book and make sure it gets the attention it deserves.” 

Mike Burns
Power Moves: Livin’ the American Dream, USA Style (It Books, $15.99)
“I believe you should be emotionally bonded to the people you write about, whether they be real or fictional. Feel sad for their hardships and happy for their triumphs. If you aren’t truly attached to your subjects, chances are the reader won’t be either. Music is very important to my writing process. I’m fascinated by the idea of using letters as a way to transform sound into images and colors in another person’s brain like some sort of sensory alchemy. Just like great films, great writing needs a great score, even if it can’t be heard.”

Edwidge Danticat
Claire of the Sea Light (Knopf, $25.95)
“It might sound corny but listen to your heart. Let that inner voice guide you, the one closest to your truest self. The story you are most afraid to tell might be your truest one, your deepest one. Don’t let neither success nor failure deter you. Remember the excitement of those first days, those first words, those first sentences—and keep going.”

Ben Dolnick
At the Bottom of Everything (Pantheon, $24.95)
“Get a kitchen timer. Writers are ingenious at redefining what qualifies as doing work (‘If I just spend this morning cleaning my desk…’). A kitchen timer tolerates no such nonsense. Set yourself a daily writing quota (as little as a half hour is fine at first), set the clock and get to work.”

Anthony Marra
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (Hogarth, $26)
“Read widely. Write for three hours a day, six days a week. Throw out the red pens and retype your work. When the frustrations accumulate and you want to give up, keep in mind that your solitary struggles to shape language into meaning will become the most profound moments of your creative life. Enjoy yourself.”

James McBride
The Good Lord Bird (Riverhead, $27.95)
“Rewrite everything. Even letters.”

Stuart Nadler
Wise Men (Reagan Arthur Books, $25.99)
“A fact: You will always feel like your work isn’t good enough. As a salve, or simply as a way to stay sane, be in the world. Ride the train. Listen to strangers. Occasionally, if you’re brave, speak to them. Walk in the city you live. Pay attention…."

Rob Sheffield
Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love and Karaoke (It Books, $25.99)
"’Tis of no importance what bats and oxen think,’ as Ralph Waldo Emerson said. You can’t control who reads your work or how they respond. What you can control is how much your writing means to you—if you write about things that fire up your passions, things that stimulate your neurons, writing will probably make your life better, whether anyone else reads it or not. That’s not the only reason to write, but it’s a good reason.”

Choire Sicha
Very Recent History: An Entirely Factual Account of a Year (c. AD 2009) in a Large City (Harper, $24.99)
“Don’t ever show anyone who isn’t your editor your writing before publication. That’s for goths and drama queens and dramatic goths. Either you’re a narcissist and you shouldn’t be writing, or you’re showing people drafts as an excuse to not rewrite. In any event, most of the time, they’ll send you the wrong way, and then you’re just a dramatic lazy goth with a bad piece of writing. But you didn’t have to be! You could have been an awesome goth, if you’d just holed up in your room one more night tweezing wrong words and rotten sentences!”

Adelle Waldman
The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. (Henry Holt and Co., $25)
"…When you can describe people in ways that are both meaningful and consistent and survive the vicissitudes of your moods, then you know you’re getting somewhere.”

(source: Time Out Magazine, New York http://tmout.us/oMEJX )

FOOD

EASY SLOW COOKED 

PORK CHOPS

4 3/4" thick boneless pork chops

1 can of Cream of Chicken soup

1 packet dry Ranch dressing mix

Place all ingredients in a ceramic bean pot and cook with the lid on, centered on the middle rack of the oven, @ 200 degrees [f.] for 5 hours.

OR: In a crockpot, layer pork chops, add the cream of chicken soup, then sprinkle dry ranch dressing over chops.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours OR Low for 6 hours.

The pork chops come out tender with an excellent flavor! You also get some good gravy to pour over your mashed potatoes! Enjoy!

(Source: Facebook Friend)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks  © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

New Art Museum Buildings, Coming Soon! + Crunchy and Delicious Baked Broccoli

September 20, 2013, 5:32 pm

≫ Next: Closely Looking at Edward Hopper's "Early Sunday Morning" at the Whitney Museum of American Art + Japanese Salad Dressing

≪ Previous: Discovery: A NEW Van Gogh! + Advice from Writers on How To Write! + Easy, Slow Cooked Pork Chops

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Exterior of The Broad Collection, in Los Angeles at 2nd Street and Grand Avenue (image courtesy of The Broad and Diller Scofidio + Renfro)

ART
New Museum Buildings
Coming Soon!

The Broad Collection, a public museum of contemporary art and headquarters of The Broad Art Foundation’s worldwide lending library, will construct a new museum building on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. The museum is designed by the world-renowned architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro for philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad.

The 120,000-square-foot museum will cost between $80 million and $100 million to build for the museum / garage and the land will have a long term lease. The Broad Art Foundation will also set up an endowment of $200 million to cover ongoing annual operating expenses.
(source the Broad Art Foundation)

The New Aspen Art Museum

The Aspen Art Museum selected archi­tect Shigeru Ban for the design of their new building, after they acquired the land at the cor­ner of Spring Street and Hyman Avenue in downtown Aspen, Colorado. Con­struc­tion started in the fall of 2012 with 30,000 sq. ft. total area for art, education and culture. In this sophisticated and art loving community, the design includes an appro­pri­ate amount of Gallery Space (12,500 sq. ft.) for both art pro­duc­tion/education and the quality pre­sen­ta­tion of exhibitions. Design and construction of the new Aspen Art Museum is 100% pri­vately funded and construction is being overseen by the AAM New Building Committee. The project completion date is set for the sum­mer of 2014.

In 1979 the Aspen Art Museum opened its doors in the old Holy Cross Power Plant down on the banks of the Roaring Fork River. For 33 years that facil­ity served the mis­sion of the orga­ni­za­tion well, fos­ter­ing a pro­gram of art, dia­logue, and cre­ativ­ity that has grown into a major cul­tural insti­tu­tion serv­ing Aspen residents, the Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado's western slope, and the year-round, world-wide visitors to Aspen. In recent years the museum has seen a 200% increase in money available for contemporary art exhibitions, the num­ber of stu­dents served, and its annual vis­i­tor base. The Aspen Art Museum has transitioned from being a small town art venue to showing world-class artist exhibitions. 
(source: THEASPENARTMUSEUM)

University of California, Davis - Art Museum

The new Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at the University of California, Davis advances the way museum architecture is integrated into a college campus and is considered a new approach for 21st century campus architecture.

Designed by "SO-IL" in partnership with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the plan incorporates a 50,000 square foot steel structure that floats atop a series of interconnected interior and exterior spaces. The gallery alone, will take advantage of 29,000 of those square feet.

The distinct Canopy shaped open ribbed roof will extend over the site to create a landscape for various activities - generating a venue for all of the arts, plus becoming the new central focus for the campus as infrastructure and for events. 
(source: shrem museum - ucdavis)

The Pérez Art Museum in Miami

The Pérez Art Museum, Miami is the new name of The Miami Art Museum, following a donation of $40 million from Jorge M. Pérez. The new museum has been designed by the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron which plans to open this December during Miami's Art Basel, an annual major international art fair. The grand opening will feature an exhibition by controversial contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.

Ai Weiwei: According to What? at The Pérez Art Museum, December 4, 2013 through March 16, 2014

  (source: The Pérez Art Museum, Miami)

The Lucas Cultural Arts Museum in San Francisco.

The George Lucas 

Cultural Arts Museum

From Classical Illustration 

To New Frontiers In Digital Film Making & Art

In The Service Of Visual Story Telling

"I'm a storyteller at heart, and I understand the power of a visual image to tell a story. I know how works of art can ignite children's imaginations and even change their lives. They changed mine.

Even before I could verbalize what I was feeling, I was drawn in by Norman Rockwell's ability to tell a complete story in a single image. And so much of that imagery captured American cultural truths and aspirations. It was then that I began to learn the art of visual storytelling. As my career as a filmmaker grew, so did my love of art and passion for collecting.

The Bay Area has always been home to forward-thinkers and artistic innovators-people who push to do things that haven't been done before, like Eadweard Muybridge, Philo Farnsworth, Steve Jobs and companies like Pixar, Adobe, and Facebook. The history of invention here is as exciting as it is infectious. That's one of the reasons why I'm here, why I raised my family here, and why I chose to start my own business here. It's also why I chose this remarkable region for a new museum.

I want to create a gathering place where children, parents, and grandparents can experience everything from the great illustrators such as Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth and Maxfield Parrish, to comic art and children's book illustrations along with exhibitions of fashion, cinematic arts, and digital art. The Bay Area was the birthplace of digital arts three decades ago.

The Lucas Cultural Arts Museum will be a center highlighting populist art from some of the great illustrators of the last 150 years through today's digital art used to create animated and live-action movies, visual effects, props and sketches. They're all united by their ability to capture our shared cultural story-from Rockwell's pencil sketches to computer generated moving images. More than just exhibiting illustration and technological innovation, this cross-section of art can help to describe and define our culture-its past, present, and future. It provides a unique way to see what's emotionally important to us as a society and how we communicate those feelings without words. The best way to truly understand art is to experience it." ~ George Lucas

To find out more about the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum, click on the center arrow of the video below.

(source: The Lucas Cultrural Arts Museum)

The new Harvard Art Museum on campus, designed by architect Renzo Piano.

The new Harvard Art Museum, opening in fall of 2014, with a building that combines The Fogg Museum, The Busch-Reisinger Museum, and The Arthur M. Sackler Museum in a massive $350 million project that embraces the old brick façade of the Fogg, expands the footprint and adds the Italian architect’s love of soaring glass!

With the previous three museums, the internal joke at Harvard was: each museum was so independent, none would ever lend [artworks] to any of the other two Harvard museums - this singular Harvard Art Museum resolves that problem!
(source: The Harvard Art Museum)

Crunchy and Delicious

Baked Broccoli

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375°

• Chop a head of broccoli (do not rinse, immediately prior to preparing!)

• Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic

Directions

• Put broccoli, garlic, 2 tbsp. olive oil, and a few shakes of salt and pepper in a ziploc bag.

• Shake it up!!

• Spread out on baking sheet, place on top rack, and bake for about 30 minutes.

• Broccoli will be crunchy and delicious! 

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks  © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Closely Looking at Edward Hopper's "Early Sunday Morning" at the Whitney Museum of American Art + Japanese Salad Dressing

September 27, 2013, 6:43 am

≫ Next: Sarah Anne Ward: Art as Just Desserts! + Where to Find NYC's Best Burgers & Doughnuts.

≪ Previous: New Art Museum Buildings, Coming Soon! + Crunchy and Delicious Baked Broccoli

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"Early Sunday Morning" by American Artist Edward Hopper 1930 - Oil on Canvas  60" x 30" In the permanent collection of The Whitney Museum of Art, NYC.

ART

"Early Sunday Morning"

A Painting by Edward Hopper

"Early Sunday Morning" A detail showing the 1930's yellow fireplug and its long, purple shadow.

From time to time we enjoy looking closely at famous works of art, in order to notice all of the details. This week we have selected an iconic American painting by a wonderful American master from the first half of the 20th century, Edward Hopper (1882-1967). "Early Sunday Morning" is one of his most admired, most interesting and most beautiful paintings!

Gail Levin, an art historian, quotes Hopper on why he chose certain subjects to paint. "I do not exactly know," Hopper said, "unless it is that I believe them to be the best mediums for a synthesis of my inner experience." Lloyd Goodrich, a former director of the Whitney Museum of Art, wrote in 1970, "Hopper had no small talk. He was famous for his monumental silences; but like the spaces in his pictures, they were not empty." Hopper definitely preferred to leave all explanations to the viewer's imagination, best summed up in another of his quotes, "If you could say it, there'd be no reason to paint."

Hopper's paintings are loved by many and have been reproduced over and over again in art books and articles. He seems to capture something deeply-rooted in the modern American experience. An experience we still feel today as we try to create individual lives among the masses around us. His paintings are quiet, yet you hear the sounds or the wind or the lack of sound, surrounding his subjects. There is also tension in an ever-present sense of loneliness, but Hopper always finds the essential beauty inherent in his private spaces and environments.

In "Early Sunday Morning" we see his appreciation of a row of attached buildings at W. 15th Street and 7th Avenue in 1930's New York City (Manhattan) with shops on the street level and apartments above.

The first experience of the painting is the stillness that Sunday mornings always exude. We have all lived this moment on Sundays, when everyone else seems to be sleeping-in or taking-it-easy after a long work week and a late Saturday night. The peacefull world around us seems to be ours alone.

The second thing we notice is the palpable glow of the building in the long, warm rays of early morning sunlight and the shadows that light casts.

The structure is painted in red and green, complementary colors on the color wheel, which create a natural contrast and a vibrating effect in the eye.

Complementary colors are directly across from each other on the color wheel.

When you walk up to this painting, your eye first goes to the tilted and slightly off-center barber's pole, because the pure white paint against the dark window is the point with the most contrast and the white globe adds a highlight to the whole work. Along with the fireplug, the barber's pole also interrupts the repeated horizontal pattern created by the windows and both give the eye unique places to stop and focus.

Upon close inspection, the windows also have their own unique personalities, representing the individuals inside, and the storefronts represent each individual business.

Notice how each window is different, various window coverings with shades at different levels. Who lives in these apartments? Are the unseen people still asleep or are they reading the newspaper and drinking their morning cup of coffee? Are these people older, younger, male, female, couples or families?

Likewise each storefront is unique, with different business signage, different types of awnings, or no awning, one store is painted red and there are two hanging store signs balancing each side of the painting. 

Through his genius, Hopper has painted the business names on the glass of each storefront window using his perfect scribble. From a distance, they look exactly like hand-lettered, gold leaf signs, but in reality there is no definition to his typography. 

The words are actually one or two blurred strokes of yellow paint with an impressionistic wiggle of the brush on top. Up-close it looks wrong, as if the technique would not be effective, but it is. Hopper has made his signage anonymous, which adds to the timeless mystery of this work.

The store fronts also appear to be vacant, but at least one door is open. In some deserted, ghost towns a person may see a vacant building with the door open, but never in New York City. This store is most definitely occupied, with someone inside on this lazy Sunday morning.

The top green pediment of the building is quickly rendered with a few messy brush strokes. 

Interestingly, none of the brushwork is precise or mechanical, in fact the whole painting seems to have been very quickly painted. The oil paint on the canvas is mostly applied in a thin layer. In many places the canvas itself, or its weave texture, shows through the scumbled paint.

The long deep shadows of this painting add to the vertical and horizontal essential geometry of his composition. Its simplicity is its beauty: quiet; glowing; enigmatic. 

Edward Hopper's "Early Sunday Morning" is full of mystery and a painting very difficult to explain. Why is it so attractive to the viewer? The eerie stillness of this painting is best described by American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson who called such experiences "alienated majesty."

------------

The Whitney Museum of American Art is currently showing ‘Hopper Drawing’ an exhibition of Edward Hopper's preliminary sketches and other drawings, displayed near many of his paintings, including "Early Sunday Morning." The exhibition continues through October 6, 2013 - for more information go to whitney.org. 

Old photo of actual building Hopper used  as his inspiration for "Early Sunday Morning."

The building was torn down soon after Hopper did his painting, "Early Sunday Morning."

(Sources for this article, The Whitney Museum and archives from the New York Times.)

FOOD

"Japanese Salad Dressing"

One of the favorite parts of eating in a Japanese restaurant is the salad. The seaweed salad, octopus salad and chopped green salads. What they all have in common is the Japanese salad dressing.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup julienned carrot strips 1/2" long

1/4 cup diced shallots

1 knob of ginger root, grated

2 tablespoons of dried miso soup mix

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/8 cup sweet rice wine, mirin

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1/2 cup light vegetable oil (walnut)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

toasted sesame seeds on the side to top the salad

Directions:

Put all ingredients, except carrots, into a blender and mix well

Add carrots.

Put into a covered container and keep chilled.

Ladle over salads and top with toasted sesame seeds.

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks  © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees. 

Sarah Anne Ward: Art as Just Desserts! + Where to Find NYC's Best Burgers & Doughnuts.

October 3, 2013, 2:55 pm

≫ Next: David Byrne asks: Is Gentrification Eliminating the Artists Who Make NYC the Cultural Capitol of the World? + Cantonese Lobster Hot Pot + Are You too Old for the Arts?

≪ Previous: Closely Looking at Edward Hopper's "Early Sunday Morning" at the Whitney Museum of American Art + Japanese Salad Dressing

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Jeff Koon's "Balloon Dog" via Twinkies Photo: Sarah Ward Food Styling by Michelle Gatton ART: FOOD IMITATING ART By Photographer Sarah Anne Ward with Food Stylists  Heather Meldrom  and Michelle Gatton "Yellow, Lavender, White & Rose" Rothko via ice-cream, icing & cake Photo: Sarah WardFood Styling by Heather Meldrom Artist history has recently been re-recreated in the form of dessert photograpy by New York-based artist/photographer Sarah Anne Ward, in collaboration with food stylists Heather Meldrom and Michelle Gatton. Sarah Anne Ward has this to say about her ART / FOOD photography: "I don't even remember how I first got the idea for this project, but the Rothko ice-cream cake was my first in the series." “When approaching each dessert, I always pull out my good ol’ art-history book and dive in. It’s not just making the picture with food, it’s making it in a way that it can be served, eaten, and also recognizable.” Mondrian via Jell-O Photo: Sarah Ward Food Styling by Michelle Gatton “The biggest challenge thus far is making it recognizable. I often eat alone and see random things in my food, but that does not always translate to a general audience – which is what I am trying to do here. It’s about combining a little nostalgia with art history. The project is also so much about the collaboration with food stylist, another one of my favorite parts of the process. As I chat and brainstorm with the stylist we combine both ideas to perfect each dessert. Braque's cubism as shown via pinwheel cookiesCubi Photo: Sarah Ward Food Styling by Michelle Gatton “...most of the time is spent in preparation of, or testing before the actual shoot. There are always many chains of emails and inspiration ideas sent between the stylist and me before we finalize. Shooting is usually the easy part!” Damien Hirst's Skull via dot candy Photo: Sarah Ward Food Styling by Michelle Gatton “I want to tackle a female artist next. I realized every work I’ve done so far has been inspired by the art of a male artist, so I need to bring in some girl power soon! Jackson Pollock drip painting via Rice Krispie treats Photo: Sarah Ward Food Styling by Heather Meldrom “...I just love food and art. The idea of a perfect day off for me is going to a museum or gallery, drinking good wine and having a good meal with a close friend! In photo school they always told us to shoot what you love, so I am!”

Seurat's pointillism via sprinkles on sheet cake  Photo: Sarah Ward Food Styling by Michelle Gatton

Sarah says she is working on more "ART" photos to flush-out a future gallery exhibition based on these works.

(Photos were used with the personal permission of the photographer. Quotes are courtesy of the photographer's website via Grub Street, Huffington Post, Parade Magazine, and Design Taxi, sarahanneward.blogspot.com)

FOOD:

NYC Maps 

Show Us

Where to Find 

the Area's

Best Burgers 

and Doughnuts!

- Brooklyn-based publisher All-You-Can-Eat Press prints two maps to help all foodies find the best burgers and the best doughnuts in New York City.

- Order yours online here!

- The publisher has also printed some "Burger Post-Cards" for personal use or if you have a desire to sell them, you can buy them in bulk, wholesale.

(Source: allyoucaneatpress.com)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks  © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees. 

David Byrne asks: Is Gentrification Eliminating the Artists Who Make NYC the Cultural Capitol of the World? + Cantonese Lobster Hot Pot + Are You too Old for the Arts?

October 8, 2013, 2:03 pm

≫ Next: FIRST EVER Digital Art Auction at a Major Art Auction House + Chicken Enchiladas in a White Chili Sauce

≪ Previous: Sarah Anne Ward: Art as Just Desserts! + Where to Find NYC's Best Burgers & Doughnuts.

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ART PICTURED: Peter Halley, Indexed, 2007

ART 

David Byrne: 

Will Work for 

Inspiration

David Byrne considers New York City's present and future ahead of the 2013 Creative Time Summit: Art, Place & Dislocation in the 21st Century City. 

(2013 Creative Time Summit can be viewed via Livestream on October 25–26)

This piece was commissioned by and first appeared in Creative Time Reports. The story has also appeared in The Guardian. This story is being re-posted after asking for permission from Creative Time Reports

David Byrne:

I’m writing this in Venice, Italy. This city is a pleasantly confusing maze, once an island of fortresses, and now a city of tourists, culture (biennales galore) and crumbling relics. Venice used to be the most powerful city in Europe—a military, mercantile and cultural leader. Sort of like New York.

Venice is now a case study in the complete transformation of a city (there’s public transportation, but NO cars). Is it a living city? Is it a fossil? The mayor of Venice recently wrote a letter to the New York Review of Books, arguing that his city is indeed a place to live, not simply a theme park for tourists (he would like very much if the big cruise ships steered clear). I guess it’s a living place if you count tourism as an industry, which I suppose it is. New York has its share of tourists, too. I wave to the double-decker buses from my bike, but the passengers never wave back. Why? Am I not an attraction?

New York was recently voted the world’s favorite city—but when you break down the survey’s results, the city comes in at #1 for business and only #5 for living. Fifth place isn’t completely embarrassing, but what are the criteria? What is it that attracts people to this or any city? Forget the business part. I’ve been in Hong Kong, and unless one already has the means to live luxuriously, business hubs aren’t necessarily good places for living. Cities may have mercantile exchange as one of their reasons for being, but once people are lured to a place for work, they need more than offices, gyms and strip clubs to really live.

New York is funky, in the original sense of the word—New York smells like sex.

Work aside, we come to New York for the possibility of interaction and inspiration. Sometimes that possibility of serendipitous encounters—and I don’t mean in the meat market—is the principal lure. If one were to vote based on criteria like comfort or economic security, then one wonders why anyone would ever vote for New York at all over Copenhagen, Stockholm or some other less antagonistic city that offers practical amenities like affordable health care, free universities, free museums, common spaces and, yes, bike lanes. But why can’t one have both—the invigorating energy and the civic, intelligent humanism?

Maybe those Scandinavian cities do in fact have both, but New York has something else to offer, thanks to successive waves of immigrants that have shaped the city. Arriving from overseas, one is immediately struck by the multi-ethnic makeup of New York. Other cities might be cleaner, more efficient or comfortable, but New York is funky, in the original sense of the word—New York smells like sex.

Immigrants to New York have contributed to the city’s vibrancy decade after decade. In some cities around the world, immigrants are relegated to being a worker class, or a guest-worker class; they’re not invited to the civic table. New York has generally been more welcoming, though people of color have never been invited to the table to the same extent as European immigrants.

I moved to New York in the mid-1970s because it was a center of cultural ferment—especially in the visual arts (my dream trajectory, until I made a detour), though there was a musical draw too, even before the downtown scene exploded. New York was legendary. It was where things happened, on the East Coast anyway. One knew in advance that life in New York would not be easy, but there were cheap rents in cold-water lofts without heat, and the excitement of being here made up for those hardships. I didn’t move to New York to make a fortune. Survival, at that time, and at my age then, was enough. Hardship was the price one paid for being in the thick of it.

I don’t believe that crime, danger and poverty make for good art. That’s bullshit.

As one gets a little older, those hardships aren’t so romantic—they’re just hard. The trade-off begins to look like a real pain in the ass if one has been here for years and years and is barely eking out a living. The idea of making an ongoing creative life—whether as a writer, an artist, a filmmaker or a musician—is difficult unless one gets a foothold on the ladder, as I was lucky enough to do. I say “lucky” because I have no illusions that talent is enough; there are plenty of talented folks out there who never get the break they deserve.

Some folks believe that hardship breeds artistic creativity. I don’t buy it. One can put up with poverty for a while when one is young, but it will inevitably wear a person down. I don’t romanticize the bad old days. I find the drop in crime over the last couple of decades refreshing. Manhattan and Brooklyn, those vibrant playgrounds, are way less scary than they were when I moved here. I have no illusions that there was a connection between that city on its knees and a flourishing of creativity; I don’t believe that crime, danger and poverty make for good art. That’s bullshit. But I also don’t believe that the drop in crime means the city has to be more exclusively for those who have money. Increases in the quality of life should be for all, not just a few.

The city is a body and a mind—a physical structure as well as a repository of ideas and information. Knowledge and creativity are resources. If the physical (and financial) parts are functional, then the flow of ideas, creativity and information are facilitated. The city is a fountain that never stops: it generates its energy from the human interactions that take place in it. Unfortunately, we’re getting to a point where many of New York’s citizens have been excluded from this equation for too long. The physical part of our city—the body—has been improved immeasurably. I’m a huge supporter of the bike lanes and the bike-share program, the new public plazas, the waterfront parks and the functional public transportation system. But the cultural part of the city—the mind—has been usurped by the top 1 percent.

In New York there has been no public
rejection of the culture that led to the financial crisis.

What then is the future of New York, or really of any number of big urban centers, in this New Gilded Age? Does culture have a role to play? If we look at the city as it is now, then we would have to say that it looks a lot like the divided city that presumptive mayor Bill De Blasio has been harping about: most of Manhattan and many parts of Brooklyn are virtual walled communities, pleasure domes for the rich (which, full disclosure, includes me and some of the Creative Time team), and aside from those of us who managed years ago to find our niche and some means of income, there is no room for fresh creative types. Middle-class people can barely afford to live here anymore, so forget about emerging artists, musicians, actors, dancers, writers, journalists and small business people. Bit by bit, the resources that keep the city vibrant are being eliminated.

This city doesn’t make things anymore. Creativity, of all kinds, is the resource we have to draw on as a city and a country in order to survive. In the recent past, before the 2008 crash, the best and the brightest were lured into the world of finance. Many a bright kid graduating from university knew that they could become fairly wealthy almost instantly if they found employment at a hedge fund or some similar institution. But before the financial sector came to dominate the world, they might have made things: in publishing, manufacturing, television, fashion, you name it. As in many other countries the lure of easy bucks Hoovered this talent and intelligence up—and made it difficult for those other kinds of businesses to attract any of the top talent.

A culture of arrogance, hubris and winner-take-all was established. It wasn’t cool to be poor or struggling. The bully was celebrated and cheered. The talent pool became a limited resource for any industry, except Wall Street. I’m not talking about artists, writers, filmmakers and musicians—they weren’t exactly on a trajectory toward Wall Street anyway—but any businesses that might have employed creative individuals were having difficulties surviving, and naturally the arty types had a hard time finding employment too.

If young, emerging
talent of all types can’t find a foothold in this city, then it will be a city closer to Hong Kong or Abu Dhabi than to the rich fertile place it has historically been.

Unlike Iceland, where the government let misbehaving banks fail and talented kids became less interested in leaping into the cesspool of finance, in New York there has been no public rejection of the culture that led to the financial crisis. Instead, there has been tacit encouragement of the banking industry’s actions from figures like Mayor Bloomberg. The nation’s largest financial institutions are almost all still around, still “too big to fail” and as powerful as ever. One might hope that enlightened bankers might emulate the Medicis and fund culture-makers—both emerging artists and those still in school—as a way of ensuring a continued talent pool that would invent stuff and fill the world with ideas and inspiration, but other than buying blue-chip art for their walls and donating to some institutions what is, for them, small change, they don’t seem to be very much interested in replenishing the talent pool.

One would expect that the 1 percent would have a vested interest in keeping the civic body healthy at least—that they’d want green parks, museums and symphony halls for themselves and their friends, if not everyone. Those indeed are institutions to which they habitually contribute. But it’s like funding your own clubhouse. It doesn’t exactly do much for the rest of us or for the general health of the city. At least, we might sigh, they do that, as they don’t pay taxes—that we know.

Many of the wealthy don’t even live here. In the neighborhood where I live (near the art galleries in Chelsea), I can see three large condos from my window that are pretty much empty all the time. What the fuck!? Apparently rich folks buy the apartments, but might only stay in them a few weeks out of a year. So why should they have an incentive to maintain or improve the general health of the city? They’re never here.

This real estate situation—a topic New Yorkers love to complain about over dinner—doesn’t help the future health of the city. If young, emerging talent of all types can’t find a foothold in this city, then it will be a city closer to Hong Kong or Abu Dhabi than to the rich fertile place it has historically been. Those places might have museums, but they don’t have culture. Ugh. If New York goes there—more than it already has—I’m leaving.

But where will I go? Join the expat hipsters upstate in Hudson?

Can New York change its trajectory a little bit, become more inclusive and financially egalitarian? Is that possible? I think it is. It’s still the most stimulating and exciting place in the world to live and work, but it’s in danger of walking away from its greatest strengths. The physical improvements are happening—though much of the crumbling public infrastructure still needs fixing. If the social and economic situation can be addressed, we’re halfway there. It really could be a model of how to make a large, economically sustainable and creatively energetic city. I want to live in THAT city.

Question:
Are You Too Old?

FOR THOSE WHO ARE ASKING: 

When do I start doing
what "I" want to do? 

(SOURCE: Tony Robbins  tonyrobbins.com) 

Everyone always thinks they are too old. I hear 20-year-olds often say they are getting "so old". I also hear 30-year-olds saying the same. I hear 50-year-olds say they worry that their best years are behind them. I hear 60 and older people say they are too old to make changes or to still make plans for future accomplishment? Do you think you are too old ?  What is your mind set?

Inspired means "In Spirit"! By following your passion, you will be naturally "inspired".

Pleasure last for a short time.

Achievement is different for everyone.

Fulfillment makes you feel alive and gives your life meaning. - Fulfillment comes from your contribution, give to the world your passion. Give to others what you do best.

Don't blame yourself, others or events that have or do effect your life.

Clear focus creates priorities. The choices are your focus vs all distractions.

Focus on your passion, by making decisions and focusing on the things you CAN control. 

You can read about and study how others did it, then you can create success by emulating success. No matter your age, take action toward fulfillment. 

MORE  

Are You Too Old? 

Making it in Music

Originally posted on Echoes by Scott James of the Independent Rockstar Blog ALSO posted by diymusician.cdbaby.com  Kevin Breuner

Musicians I know hold a dream to someday ‘make it’ in the music business. To play in front of huge crowds and live a lifestyle that they can only imagine. Many of us believe that we’ll someday get there. Unfortunately most of us find ourselves growing older with an ever increasing fear that we’re missing the boat.

We’re conditioned to believe that if we’re going to make it then we have to do it at a young age. I had already started to have this feeling when I was in my early 20′s. I felt like I was slacking because I hadn’t ‘made it’ yet.

So how old is too old? Well, I think what we need to look at is the fundamental equation the whole business boils down to. It’s a value exchange between the audience and the artist. The audience pays money for the value they get from the artist. So ask yourself: how old would a performer have to be before you stopped receiving value from them? Would you not pay for a great artist who was 65 years old? I would. One of the best performances I’ve ever seen was a rock and roll band of men who were all in their 80′s!

So if people are willing to pay for good music then what’s standing in your way?

I saw an artist last night who didn’t mention her name once. There were no visual cues to let me know who she was. She never mentioned anything about CDs or merchandise for sale. No website. No mailing list. Nothing. When the show was over, she walked off the stage and into the dressing room.

It’s easy to look at her and see what she did wrong. What’s more difficult to see is that to one degree or another, most of us are making similar mistakes. A lot of musicians fall into the trap of thinking that either they’re going to be ‘discovered’ or nothing is going to happen at all, so there’s no real need or urgency to actually do the right things to grow an audience and a career.

So I urge you, instead of having your head in the imaginary future all the time, to take an honest look at where you are now. You have positive things going for you right now. It’s time you capitalize on those things and make the most of what you’ve got in front of you. Success is created in the present, not the future. You may never get to play Wembley Stadium or sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, but you can absolutely have more and more fans coming to your shows. You can have a room full of people screaming your name. It may not be a 60,000 seat venue, but believe me, it will feel good.

What you need to do is let go of the belief that someday someone is going to make it easy for you and instead take 100% responsibility for your career. Have CDs and merchandise for sale and take responsibility for learning how to sell them. Have a mailing list and learn how to get people on it and how to use it. Take responsibility for letting people know who you are and how they can stay connected to you. Good things will happen in the real world when you step up to the plate, and believe me it will feel even better than when they happen in your imagination, no matter how old you are.

FOOD

Cantonese Lobster 

served with rice noodles 

and XO broth.

Last night I went for a walk, not expecting to eat out, but I came across "Confucius", my favorite Chinese restaurant in Jersey City, NJ. The manager greeted me at the door and quickly told me he had made a good deal on Lobsters and this evening his lobster dishes were no-more expensive than a regular entry. 

Peter (the manager) is from Hong Kong and all of his chefs are Cantonese also. He recommended the "Lobster in X.O. Sauce."

Cantonese is an Asian cuisine with a focus on the "Hot Pot". A large pot with everything you eat served in steaming broth and one big pot. The pot is either kept over the heat or presented at the center of the table and all parties are given some rice with their own bowl, ie: you serve yourself, family style. Everyone eats the solid pieces with chopsticks, while drinking from their bowl and slurping the noodles out by pushed them into your mouth with the chopsticks.

Cantonese dishes are not typical served in most Chinese restaurants. This dish is a real Hong Kong treat. Like all Chinese cooking, the meat, shellfish, fish, etc. are chopped-up, bones, shell and all. In this case the chopped lobster made eating it a challenge for me, with lots of picking at the meat and trying to suck it out of the shells, not to mention constantly extricating the small pieces of hard shell from my mouth along with those fins of cartilage in the claws. 

BUT I am painting the wrong picture here, the overall experience was nothing short of magnificent! I felt like I was back in Hong Kong. That city always reminds me of James Bond movies and I am certain, James would have ordered Lobster in X.O. Sauce, after downing his Martini.

Lobster in X.O. Sauce

Ingredients:

- X.O.Sauce:

The exact circumstances surrounding the birth of spicy XO sauce are unknown. It is likely that the combination of dried chili peppers, dried shrimp, dried scallops, garlic, and other seasonings first graced the table of one of Hong Kong's pricier dining establishments. Furthermore, it's probably not a coincidence that the creators of XO sauce chose to name it after a popular but decidedly expensive brandy: ordering a bottle will add dollars to your restaurant bill. 

- Vermicelli rice noodles: 

Rice vermicelli are thin noodles made from rice. They are sometimes referred to as rice sticks, but they should not be confused with cellophane noodles, which are another type of vermicelli.

- Live Whole Lobster, (remove intestine, then chop into bite-sized pieced, shell and all)

- Scallions, chopped

- Celery, chopped
- Garlic, diced

- Cornstarch

- Oil & butter

Directions:

- Put water into the pot, add condensed X.O. sauce (see below) bring to a boil. - Taste for richness, adjust with more X.O.Sauce or water.

- Chop-up lobster and coat all pieces in cornstarch. Sautee the lobster in sesame oil & butter along with chopped scallion greens and whites plus chopped celery and diced garlic, sautee all until cornstarch begins to brown, then pour into the X.O. broth and stir.

- Bring broth back to a boil, and cook lobsters until done.

For X.O. Sauce

1/4 cup dried scallops

1/3 cups Chinese sausage

1/4 cup dried small shrimp

1/4 cup dried crab meat

1/2 cup minced ginger

1/2 cup minced shallot

1/2 cup minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper

3 tablespoons fermented bean paste

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup sesame oil

1. Cover the dried scallops, shrimp and crab meat with boiling water and rehydrate overnight in the refrigerator.
2. The next day, drain the water from the seafood. Render the fresh sausage carefully, going for a deep golden brown without burning. Pour off the fat except for 1/2 cup.
3. Meanwhile, slice the dried scallops, shrimp and crab meat until finely chopped. Reserve. Once the sausage has caramelized, add the red pepper and cook 30 seconds, then add remaining ingredients including the reserved 1/2 cup sausage fat (but not the sesame oil) and cook very slowly, stirring frequently. The idea is to lightly caramelize the mixture by cooking slowly for 20-45 minutes.
4. Once desired color has been achieved, add sesame oil. Combine well and adjust seasoning.

Until later,

Jack
ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

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FIRST EVER Digital Art Auction at a Major Art Auction House + Chicken Enchiladas in a White Chili Sauce

October 16, 2013, 6:04 pm

≫ Next: Alice Walton of Crystal Bridges Museum Honored! "Her Mission" = Art, like the beauty of our natural world, should be accessible to everyone.

≪ Previous: David Byrne asks: Is Gentrification Eliminating the Artists Who Make NYC the Cultural Capitol of the World? + Cantonese Lobster Hot Pot + Are You too Old for the Arts?

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Rafael Rozendaal,"ifnoyes.com", 2013

ART:

A WHOLE "NEW"

ART WORLD!

The First Ever

Digital Art Auction 

Titled: "Paddles ON!"

PHILLIPS -

10.10.2013

PHILLIPS, the world's third largest auction house, has a new facility on Park Avenue in NYC. and last week did something that has never been done before... Phillips Auction House gets the credit for hosting the historic first contemporary art auction dedicated exclusively to "Art in Digital Media." No other major auction house has ever focused exclusively on digital art for a singular sale. 

"Paddles ON!" was put together in conjunction with "tumblr" and the night presented works by 18 different artists, all of whom are exploring digital technologies as their medium. The works were comprised of software design; digital output prints; digital videos; sculpture incorporating digital output; unique digital paintings; linticular-image changing works; digital animations; and a interactive digital light sculpture. 

The auction was held on October 10th and offered twenty items, all sold.

The collaborative concept for "PADDLES ON!"was done by the three young women pictured above. (from left to right: Annie Werner of Tumblr, Megan Newcome of PHILLIPS and PADDLES ON! curator Lindsay Howard of 319 Scholes)

Molly Soda takes a "selfie" standing in front of her digital video.

THE DIGITAL LOTS AUCTIONED:

"…the small show has the potential to open up a market in the world of auctions that didn't really exist before."

KATE STECIW "BirthDeath" ,2013 c-print, custom frame, decals 60" x 40" Unique

MARK TRIBE, "Black Creek", 2012 archival pigmented print - 44" x 69" - edition of 5; 1ap

MOLLY SODA, "Inbox Full", 2013, webcam video 8 hrs, 16 min, 49 sec.

PETRA CORTRIGHT, "r_sept.psd #1", 2013

PETRA CORTRIGHT,"RGB,D-DAY", 2013 edition of 5, 1 ap

RAFAEL ROZENDAAL, "Into Time 13 08 2013", 2013 Unique (lenticular painting) 64" x 48"

SABRINA RATTE,"Aurae", 2012 digital video loop [00:02:24] edition of 3

SILVIA BIANCHI & RECARDO JUAREZ "clay_def.jpg", 2013 digital output on silk 78.74" x 55.12"

SILVIA BIANCHI & RICARDO JUAREZ "Turning the World Upside Down", 2013 sculpture digital output on fabric + embroidered seat belt pads, hadlebar grips, nylon strap and carabineers 78.74" x 59.06"

CLEMENT VALLA location: 43*5' 22.0776" N, 79* 4' 5.9838" ESeries: "Postcards from Google Earth", 2010 - Ongoing lot 14

CLEMENT VALLA location: 48*24' 31.4528" N, 122* 38' 45.531" ESeries: "Postcards from Google Earth", 2010 - Ongoing lot 14

CLEMENT VALLA location: 40* 26' 29.6664" N, 79* 59' 32.9184" E Series: "Postcards from Google Earth", 2010 - Ongoinglot 14

ILJA KARILAMPI "New York Minute", 2012 digital video [RT 00:01:00]

JAMIE ZIGELBAUM, "Pixel", 2013 glass, Corian, LEDs, custom electronic and firmware (touch to change the color) edition of 8

JOE HAMILTON, "Hyper Geography", 2011 digital video [RT 00:01:00] edition of 3

ADDIE WAGENKNECHT,  "Asymmetric Love Number 2", 2013 steel, CCTV camera and DSL internet cables Unique

ALEXANDRA GORCZYNSKI,"PLUR Piece" 2013 archival pigmented digital output with embedded 9" touchscreen tablets playing unique digital videos 48" x 60" Unique

RAFAEL ROZENDAAL, "ifnoyes.com", 2013 website, Javascript & HTML

CASEY REAS, "American!", 2013 custom software, variable computer screen dimensions Unique

AUDE PARISET, "Hosted Ceremony/Klack tray (Warehouse)", 2013 digital output, inkjet print and liquid fixative on found tray 57.5" x 37.5" x 6.8" Unique

BRENNA MURPHY, "glyphgraft-cavrncode", 2012 archival pigmented digital output 40" x 30" edition of 3, 2 aps

NICOLAS SASSOON, "Waterfall 6", 2013 animated GIF 1920 x 1080 px (full HD) Unique, 1 ap

The artist represented in the night's auction were:

Silvia Bianchi + Ricardo Juárez
Petra Cortright
Alexandra Gorczynski
Joe Hamilton
Ilja Karilampi
Brenna Murphy
Aude Pariset
Sabrina Ratté
Casey Reas
Rafaël Rozendaal
Nicolas Sassoon
Molly Soda
Kate Steciw
Mark Tribe
Clement Valla
Addie Wagenknecht
Jamie Zigelbaum

(Source for text and photos: this reporter attended the event + PHILLIPS' and TUMBLR's web sites.)


FOOD:
Chicken Enchiladas
in a White Chili Sauce 

INGREDIENTS

10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked chicken (from 1 grocery store rotisserie chicken, shredded)

2 cups shredded Tex Mex cheese or Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until white sauce thickens and bubbles.

4. Stir Greek yogurt and chilies into the white sauce. Melt to blend, do not bring to boil, you don't want yogurt to separate.

5. Pour white sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Alice Walton of Crystal Bridges Museum Honored! "Her Mission" = Art, like the beauty of our natural world, should be accessible to everyone.

October 22, 2013, 12:05 pm

≫ Next: Nic Hess at The Daimler Collection + SCOPE Miami 2013 + Cold Sweet Tea Fried Chicken

≪ Previous: FIRST EVER Digital Art Auction at a Major Art Auction House + Chicken Enchiladas in a White Chili Sauce

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Alice Walton

Tonight, Alice Walton, Chairwoman of Crystal Bridges’ Board of Directors will be the recipient of the 2013 Archives of American Art Medal from the Smithsonian Institution.

As a long-time art lover and collector, Alice Walton conceived the idea of creating a national art museum in her hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, so that people of the region would have access to great works of art. She planned to build the museum on a 120-acre stretch of natural Ozark forest that had belonged to her family for many years. The land had special meaning to Alice and her brothers, who had played together in these woods as children; and it was important to the family that the land’s natural character be maintained. Alice presented her idea to the Walton Family Foundation, who agreed to fund the project.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is the first national museum dedicated to the work of American artists in more than a generation. By design, Crystal Bridges is a wholly remarkable museum: in its collection, which spans five centuries of American art; in its dramatic architecture; in its lush natural setting; and in its geographical location in the heart of the country, far from any coastal metropolis.

These elements alone make the Museum distinctive among its peers, but the spirit of Crystal Bridges runs deeper than these outward emblems. From its beginning, Crystal Bridges has been guided by certain key principles: the Museum offers the finest examples of American art available, and holds education at the very core of our mission, and strives to be a welcoming and inspirational place for everyone.

A rendering of the Museum Complex.

This last is one of the reasons it was essential that Crystal Bridges be located in Bentonville, Arkansas, surrounded by the beautiful Ozark landscape, where the citizens of the region—for whom most of the country’s finest museums are hundreds of miles away—can experience great works of art as part of their everyday lives, and where visitors from anywhere in the world can enjoy American art amid the beauty of the American landscape. Crystal Bridges shares a belief that art is at the center of what it means to be human and art, like the beauty of our natural world, should be accessible to everyone.

Hors d'oeuvres + a great view from the restaurant, "Eleven."

Nature is a part of the building and a part of the beauty to be found in and around Crystal Bridges Museum.

21st Century: Evan Penny "Old Self: Portrait of the Artist  as He Will (Not) Be. Variation #2" (2010)

\

18th Century: Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stewart (detail 1797)

Asher Brown Durand Kindred Spirits (detail) 1849 oil on canvas

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

See ARTSnFOOD's full coverage of the Crystal Bridges Museum at:  http://www.artsnfood.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-crystal-bridges-museum-has.html

(Source: Press release from Crystal Bridges Museum, Photos of art taken by Jack A. Atkinson.)

FOOD

Apple Praline Bread + NYC Pizza Cook-Off

NYC Pizza Cook-Off

How about a Birthday Pizza!?!

On October 20, New York pizza lovers gathered to celebrate New York's best loved food - PIZZA, at the New York City Wine & Food festival. After tasting wood-fired, oven-baked and grilled tomato & cheeze pies, there was a vote for "Best Pizza." Luzzo's was the winner!

The cook-off nominees:
Co.
Da Mikele
Don Antonio by Starita
FORCELLA
Fratelli La Bufala
Luzzo's
Motorino Pizza
New York Pizza Suprema
Nicoletta
Numero 28
Ovest Pizzoteca
Pizza Luca
ReNapoli Old Greenwich
Rossopomodoro
Rubirosa Ristorante
San Matteo Pizza & Espresso Bar

Suffragettes eating pizza in 1921.

(Sources: sliceharvester.com & Time Out New York)

Apple Praline Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped

1 cup nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside. (I used stoneware loaf pan for perfect cooking)

Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed for a couple of minutes until well blended. Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, leavening agents and salt. Continue to beat on low until well combined.

Fold in the apples and half the nuts into the batter. Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan.

Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the loaf pan for about 20-30 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. So it doesn't get too dark.

Praline Sauce

Ingredients:

¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup butter

Instructions:

In a small sauce pan, place the butter and brown sugar. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely.

Until later,
Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Nic Hess at The Daimler Collection + SCOPE Miami 2013 + Cold Sweet Tea Fried Chicken

December 2, 2013, 7:42 am

≫ Next: Photographer, Najee Amor Smith at LIU's S.A.L. Gallery + Easy Way to Peel Oranges

≪ Previous: Alice Walton of Crystal Bridges Museum Honored! "Her Mission" = Art, like the beauty of our natural world, should be accessible to everyone.

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Nic Hess, "highways and byways. together again", installation view with painting by Oli Sihvonen. Photo courtesy of Daimler Contemporary, Berlin; Photo by Hans-Georg Gaul, Berlin.

ART

The Daimler Collection

Nic Hess

Wall Painting Installation

Exhibition up until March 16, 2014

Artist Nic Hess paints on walls, using the existing art on the gallery walls as his point of departure, at Daimler Contemporary, Berlin.

Nic Hess does wall paintings around the other art on exhibition.

Nic Hess at The Daimler Art Collection.

Artist Nic Hess (born 1968, Switzerland, lives in Zürich) uses industrial paint, collaged images, colored tapes, light projections and neon elements to take possession of walls, ceilings and entire rooms. The Daimler Art Collection, Berlin, was started in 1977 and currently includes about 1800 works by German and international artists. The collection focuses on abstract and geometrical pictorial concepts, from which it derives its distinctive character.

( Source: "highways and byways. together again." Group Exhibition - images courtesy: Daimler Chrysler Collection: Daimler Contemporary - Alte Potsdamer Straße 5, 10785 Berlin, Germany)

ART SCOPE Miami Dec. 4 - 8 2013 SCOPE MIAMI BEACH PAVILION NEW LOCATION ON MIAMI BEACH 1000 Ocean Drive at 10th Street Miami Beach, FL 33139

With tremendous enthusiasm, SCOPE MIAMI has announced its new location on the sands of Miami Beach. Situated on the most highly visible location in Miami, SCOPE Miami Beach’s 70,000 sq. ft. pavilion will feature an outdoor beach lounge and stunning views of the ocean, nestled amongst the iconic architecture of Ocean Drive at 10th Street. Working closely with the City of Miami Beach, SCOPE will show an extraordinary presentation of emerging contemporary art.

100 International Exhibitors and 15 Breeder Program galleries will be at SCOPE Miami Beach, it will also feature a wide range of curated projects, sponsor programs and VIP tours. With an emphasis on activating emerging galleries and artists, attendees to SCOPE are seasoned collectors, curators and taste makers looking for new discovery. SCOPE Miami Beach will run December 4 - 8, 2013.

For the second year in a row, SCOPE – the preeminent launching pad for emerging contemporary art – continues its collaboration with VH1, which through its own "You-Oughta-Know" initiative has helped launch some of music's hottest artists.

FOOD

COLD SWEET TEA

FRIED CHICKEN

Sweet-Tea Fried Chicken

Ingredients

1 quart brewed tea, double strength

1 lemon quartered

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup kosher salt

1 quart ice water

8 chicken leg quarters, cut into thighs and drumsticks

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 cups cornflour 

2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

8 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

peanut oil

Directions

Combine tea, lemon, sugar and kosher salt - simmer for 5 minutes or until salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Pour in ice water and cool brine completely. 

Submerge thighs and drumsticks in brine for 48 hours.

Remove to a wire rack and allow chicken to drain.

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of cornflour.

Add the measurements Old Bay, chili powder, salt and pepper to the bowl.

Place remaining cup of flour in a medium bowl.

In a third bowl combine eggs with buttermilk and beat until mixed.

Line up all three bowls next to each other.

Coat the chicken in the flour only, then the egg & buttermilk, then in the "seasoned" flour & cornflour mixture. 

Apply pressure to ensure even adherence.

Put the floured chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill before frying.

Pour at least a 3 inch depth of oil into a heavy pot.

Heat oil to 300˚(Fahrenheit).

TO FRY:

Submerge chicken in the hot oil for 15 minutes, turning if needed.

(Internal temp should be 170˚ for dark meat and 160˚ for white meat)

Drain chicken on racks, over paper towels.

Cool Chicken to room temperature and place, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and no more than 24. 

Sweet Tea Fried Chicken is intended to be served cold.

Yield 8 servings.

( Source: From: "Fried Chicken, An American Story" by John T. Edge - Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons - 800-788-6262 or www.penguinputmnam.com)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Photographer, Najee Amor Smith at LIU's S.A.L. Gallery + Easy Way to Peel Oranges

December 9, 2013, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: 2013 Holiday Gift Guide + Santa Strawberries

≪ Previous: Nic Hess at The Daimler Collection + SCOPE Miami 2013 + Cold Sweet Tea Fried Chicken

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"LA X" by Photographer, Najee Amor Smith

ART
FLY BY NITE... 
Photographs by 
Najee Amor Smith

Last month at the Hillwood S.A.L Gallery, a part of Long Island University POST, located at 720 Northern Blvd. Brooklyn, Najee Amor Smith showed off his recent black & white prints. (Exhibition dates: Nov. 19-26) 

Editors Note:
By chance I was riding on a plane (over Thanksgiving) sitting next to his father and later through his recommendation I found this photo show. Young talent rarely gets a break, so here for all the world to see is the show: "FLY BY NITE..." Photographs by Najee Amor Smith! Enjoy.

(Second Editors Note: We are working hard on our holiday gift guide, which we will publish later this week.)

Photographer Najee Amor Smith

Najee's peeps at the exhibition.

(All Photographs, above are © Najee Amor Smith, 2013)
FOODA new & easy wayto eat oranges,without peeling!

(Source: Jewelpie.com)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

2013 Holiday Gift Guide + Santa Strawberries

December 15, 2013, 8:42 am

≫ Next: Holiday Lights at David Zwirner Gallery, New York + Fresh Apple Cake

≪ Previous: Photographer, Najee Amor Smith at LIU's S.A.L. Gallery + Easy Way to Peel Oranges

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Yayoi Kusama Self-Portrait, designed 2008 200 - piece jigsaw puzzle 16 h x 11 inches (assembled puzzle) edition of 1,000 $75.00

ART

2013 

Holiday

GIFT GUIDE

After weeks of catalog searches, visiting museum gift shops both on line and brick & mortar shops, we found a wonderful "art gift" web-site: artwareeditions.com. This guide focuses on selections from the artware editions site. 

Jonathan Van Dyke Six Cups, designed 2007 hand-cast and pigmented Hydrocal plaster and Renaissance wax dimensions vary edition of ten in each design $110 - $210

Rob Wynne Plates (various titles), 2011 hand-painted ceramic plate 10½" diameter signed and dated $125.00

Louise Bourgeois 10am is When You Come To Me, 2011 set of four bone china coffee mugs 4 h. x 3 diameter inches, each limited edition $100.00

Barbara Kruger beach/bath towel, designed 2012 100% cotton 70 x 60 inches limited edition $95.00

MICHELE OKA DONER Rados Candles wax two sizes available: small: 14" h. x 4.5" $170.00 large: 16" h. x 7" $250.00

DAVID SHRIGLEY  25 Postcards for Writing On box of 25 A6 postcard designs approx. 4 x 6 inches; 148×105 mm $21.00

Yinka Shonibare "Untitled" (Dollhouse) various materials 11 1/2 h. x 8 x 9 1/4 inches limited edition $900.00

DAMIEN HIRST Spot clock approx. 14" diameter (350 mm) white-powdered metal case and metal back German Quartz movement $750.00

Seltzer & Rosenblum Hand-painted glasses, designed 2011 acrylic on glass old fashioned, highball, or collins glasses open edition, Each of these glasses is unique. fabrication time is 3 – 4 weeks. $70.00

KEITH HARING Baby Pull Toy solid painted wood with string 5 x 7 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches $80.00

STEVE KEISTER Plates

STEVE KEISTER Plates hand-made terracotta with food-safe glaze approx. 2 3/8" h x 9 3/4"x 9 3/4" open edition / each work unique $75.00 NOTE ON AVAILABILITY: Immediately available inventory is constantly changing. We will do our best to fulfill your order as quickly as possible, but there may be a 2-3 week fabrication time for production on some orders.

Steve Keister Tumblers hand-made terracotta with food-safe glaze approx. 4¾" h x 2 1/8" x 2 1/8" open edition / each work unique $35.00

Barbara Kruger Don't be a jerk 100" cotton t-shirt limited edition $26.00

RENÉ MAGRITTE Bird Tote 100% cotton canvas 16 h. x 14 inches $32.00

RENÉ MAGRITTE L'Oiseau du Ciel Tray melamine 10 1/4 x 14 3/4 inches dishwasher safe $43.95

DAVID LACHAPELLE Untitled (Nativity), Tupac Shakur Cards gift box of 12 cards & envelopes inside reads: Joy to the World $12.00

WOODPOINT & KINGSLAND Unisex Triangle Crew soft cottons S, M, L, XL $60.00

E FOR EFFORT Unisex Pinstripe Sweatshirt or T-Shirt 50% polyester, 46% cotton and 4% rayon / hand-screened Eco Tru navy with white silkscreen print machine washable XS, S, M, L Unisex Pinstripe Sweatshirt XS is like a women's S S is like a women's S/M M is like women's M/L or men's S/M L is like men's L $80.00 Men's T-Shirt $50.00

(pinstripe detail)

Yves Klein  Table rose designed 1961/1963 rose pigment, glass, plexiglass, wood, and steel 14¼ h x 49¼ x 39¼ inches placard of authenticity affixed to the underside  Price on request

PRUNE NOURRY AND JR Je Te Mangerais Dans La Main Dinner Service

PRUNE NOURRY AND JR Je Te Mangerais Dans La Main Dinner Service set of 6 porcelain plates with digital print (two each of three different designs) 10.6" diameter signed and stamped on verso fabricated by Bernardaud $720.00 "In this project, Prune and I wanted to focus on a man's most essential "tool," his hands, which can function as a drinking cup or as eating utensils. As Darwin put it: "Man could not have attained his present dominant position in the world without the use of his hands." Here, our hands have been photographed.... Prune and I live in New York where we initiated a community of artists that holds big dinners every month. Everybody cooks, everybody brings something. The dinner table is a nerve center where we share a taste for good things, the art of living well!

Michelle Lopez Brass Nut Ring, designed 2012 brass variety of sizes available $98.00

MARCEL DZAMA Sea Salt & Jester Shakers porcelain 3" high each edition of 2,500 $100.00

NARA Little Wanderer Injection molded and Rotomolded plastic 11 h. x 6.5 w. x 6.5 d. inches open edition $145.00

Cindy Sherman Tea Service Madame de Pompadour (née Poisson), 1990 21-piece porcelain set: 1 teapot edition of 75 in each of four available color options $7,000.00

WILLIAM WEGMAN Cane Cards gift box of 20 cards & envelopes inside reads: Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a peaceful new year $15.00

MALIA JENSEN Ask Me About My Cat tee shirt, 2013 100% cotton tee shirt made in USA machine washable $45.00

The Pig / Le Porc Dinner ServiceBY SOPHIE CALLE

The Pig / Le Porc Dinner Service BY SOPHIE CALLEset of 6 different porcelain plates with text in platinum(available in English or French)10.6" diametersigned and stamped on versofabricated by Bernardaud $460.00 This dinner service by Sophie Calle consists of six porcelain dinner plates fabricated by Bernardaud. Each plate tells a portion of a story told by Calle entitled, "The Pig." When read in sequence the story is told in full and makes for a unique dinner party experience. The verso of each plate shows details of the service, the artist's signature, and Bernardaud's stamp. This service is available in French or English. Dishwasher safe. The story reads: It is a silly story. I was about thirty. A man phoned to say that he and I were making similar work and should meet. I always worry I might miss out on something so I agreed. When he arrived he told me his art consisted of stopping women in the street and asking them to sleep with him. Well, he said, wasn't one of my projects all about getting strangers to spend time in my bed? He told me he was taking me to a barbecue. I spent the whole evening playing the maid, grilling sausages, serving and cleaning up. Time goes by faster when you're busy. Later he dropped me off outside my door. He leaned into me and saught my lips. I pushed him away. "What makes you think I'd want to kiss you?" I protested. "Well, anyway," he answered, "you eat like a pig." Even today, after all these years, his words haunt me. I can't remember a thing about him, yet he's still sitting at my table.

MEN'S GRAMERCY RED BIKE $899.00 Size: 20.47 inches martonecycling.com

FOOD

Santa

Strawberries

for your parties!

Strawberry Santas - Easy Christmas Party Food Trim the greens off the strawberries and cut the tops off for hats. Use whipped cream for the head, beard, buttons and hat pom-pom. Then finish the illusion by using chocolate sprinkles or black sesame seeds for the eyes.

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Holiday Lights at David Zwirner Gallery, New York + Fresh Apple Cake

December 17, 2013, 6:36 pm

≫ Next: 2013 HOLIDAY ART GIFT GUIDE #2

≪ Previous: 2013 Holiday Gift Guide + Santa Strawberries

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Artist Yayoi Kusama inside "Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away", 2013 at David Zwirner Gallery, New York

ART
A Light Show
at David Zwirner,
New York
Artist Yayoi Kusama's 
"Infinity Mirrored Room
- The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away"

With the Holidays in full swing in NYC art lovers are flocking to David Zwirner Gallery for 45 seconds in Yayoi Kusama's mirrored light box, just enough time for a selfie to post on social media sites. ENJOY these holiday lights!

David Zwirner Gallery 525 W. 19th St., New York, NY 10011
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 AM – 6 PM.

The last day to see the infinity mirrored room is Saturday, January 21, 10 AM – Noon.

Yayoi Kusama  I Who Have Arrived In Heaven
David Zwirner Gallery

November 8 - December 21, 2013 

Photograph courtesy David Zwirner and Yayoi Kusama Studio Inc.

FOOD

Fresh Apple Cake

A Holiday Treat

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 Cups vegetable oil

1 1/2 Cups sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups diced peeled apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 Yeald 12 servings

INSTRUCTIONS

In a mixing bowl combine oil and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients. Add to batter and stir well. Fold-in apples wallnuts and vanilla. Pour into a greased and flured shapped cake pan. Bake at 325º for 1 1/2 hours or until the cake tests done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place on a cooling rack. Serve at room temperature with heavy cream poured around base.

(Source: Atkinson Family Cookbook)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

2013 HOLIDAY ART GIFT GUIDE #2

December 19, 2013, 11:38 am

≫ Next: 2013 HOLIDAY ART GIFT GUIDE #3

≪ Previous: Holiday Lights at David Zwirner Gallery, New York + Fresh Apple Cake

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Laser-Cut Stainless Steel Nutcracker Mantel Piece Made in the USA / cannot be gift boxed  16" x 4" with 1 1/4" wide wood base. $135 / $121.50 Members AIC Item #137895

ART

SHOPPING
at

Art Institute of Chicago's
Gift Shop

Japanese Screens Boxed Notecards Fold these cards to simulate Japanese screens. Cover detail from Sun and Moon over the Musashi Plain (Sun).  The original artworks can be found in the museum’s collection. 20 cards, 4 each of 5 designs. Each is 4 1/4" square. 13 3/4" x 5 7/8" when open. $18.95 $17.05 Members AIC Item #47787

Wood American Gothic Poster This familiar image was exhibited publicly for the first time at The Art Institute of Chicago, winning for Grant Wood (American, 1891–1942) a $300 prize and instant fame. The impetus for the painting came while Wood was visiting friends in the small town of Eldon in his native Iowa, where he spotted a farmhouse in a style called "carpenter Gothic," with a single oversized window. The original work is in our Department of American Art. Our poster reproduction is 26" x 36". $18.95 $17.05 Members AIC Item #67671

Iris Glass Panel An everlasting artistic floral arrangement, perfect for any window. Handcrafted from glass soldered together with copper foil. Includes two 7" chains for hanging. 9" x 20" $215 $193.50 Members AIC Item #100804

BOOK Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors to Crave with Wines to Match Learn how to capture the Mediterranean wine bar lifestyle in your own home with simple, unpretentious city-by-city recipes and ideas that take you from Lisbon to Rome. Penned by acclaimed restaurateurs Cathy and Tony Mantuano.  These and other epicurean creations crafted by Tony can also be savored at the Modern Wing’s Terzo Piano restaurant.  Hardcover; 208 pages and signed by the authors. 8" x 9" x 7/8" $27.50 $24.75 Members AIC Item #116708

Recycled Silk Sari Purse All the colors of the rainbow–and then some! Layers of lightweight sari silk, repurposed into flirty ruffles, adorn this cotton-lined purse. Zip top closure with no interior pockets. Handmade in Nepal. Handmade textiles can be found in the museum's permanent collection. 6 1/2" x 8" x 2" $46 $41.40 Members AIC Item #128558

Ceres Sculpture This sculpture of the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres, sits atop the Chicago Board of Trade building. Carrying a sheaf of wheat and bag of grain, she is a fitting and symbolic choice for the building that houses one of the world's busiest grain markets. Created by John Bradley Storrs (American, 1885-1956) in 1928, a smaller version can be found in the museum's collection. Resin with chrome plate and a felt-lined bottom. 13" $110 $99 Members AIC Item #132178

Wright Saguaro Forms Throw The design for this throw is adapted from one of Frank Lloyd Wright's® (American, 1867-1959) Saguaro Forms and Cactus Flowers compositions for the cover of Liberty magazine in 1927. Made in the USA. Cotton. Works by Wright can be found in the museum's permanent collection. 51" x 69" $90 $81 Members AIC Item #137718

Painter's Palette Tray Make a masterpiece of your hors d'oeuvres buffet with this unique ceramic tray. Impress your guests by artistically displaying fine cheeses or other tasty delectables. To keep the look authentic, the tray features a rainbow of colors, and even has a thumbhole! Dishwasher and food safe. Ceramic objects can be found in the museum's permanent collection. 15" x 11 5/8" $40 $36 Members AIC Item #137837

Van Gogh's The Bedroom Mug Waking up in the morning is a lot easier with a good cup of coffee, and our mug featuring Vincent van Gogh's (Dutch, 1853-1890) famous painting The Bedroom. From the AI of Chicago's collection, this mug will give you a lift every time you use it. Approximately 11–12 oz. Hand wash. $9.95 $8.95 Members Item #127208

The French Cat One of the most successful animal photographers in the world today, Rachael Hale turns her lens toward France—her newly adopted home—and the charismatic cats that inhabit this picturesque backdrop.  The result is The French Cat, a stunning exploration of the country and its felines.  Remarkable French landscapes, both urban and rural, are populated with cats brimming with personality—whether languidly strolling in a quaint village or regally perched on the doorstep of an elegant château.  Rachael also tells the story of her new life in France with her husband and new baby in tow.  This heartwarming narrative—along with engaging quotes from famous French cat lovers and literary greats—accompanies the images, making the eclectic and lushly illustrated record of Rachael’s journey an all-around delight for Francophiles and cat lovers alike. Hardcover: 168 pages with 179 illustrations. 8 1/2" x 11 1/4" x 3/4" $29.95 $26.95 Members AIC Item #131395

Essential Guide to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2013 This revised and expanded edition of the Essential Guide features 330 works of art, over fifty of them new additions to the book. The entries represent some of the finest pieces from—and were selected with the assistance of—the museum’s eleven curatorial departments: African Art and Indian Art of the Americas, American Art, Ancient and Byzantine Art, Architecture and Design, Asian Art, Contemporary Art, European Decorative Arts, Medieval to Modern European Painting and Sculpture, Photography, Prints and Drawings, and Textiles. Each work is reproduced in full color and discussed in a brief and lively entry. This convenient volume offers the reader a generous sampling of the celebrated works of one of the country’s most highly esteemed museums. 352 pages with 330 color illustrations. Softcover. 6" x 9" $19.95 $17.95 Members Item #136634

Exotic Garden Tie by Kurt Seligmann Surrealist painter Kurt Seligmann (American, b. Switzerland, 1900-1962). Made in Italy. In the museum's permanent collection. Dry clean only, 55". $65 $58.50 Members AIC Item #137884

Snow Dog Tie by School of the Art Institute's Sher Schier. Dry clean only, 57". $48 $43.20 Members AIC Item #128556

Seurat A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884 Large Matted Print Georges Seurat (French, 1859-1891) tackled the issues of color, light and form in his painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884 . Inspired by research in optical and color theory, he juxtaposed tiny dots of colors that, through optical blending, form a single and, Seurat believed, more brilliantly luminous hue in the viewer's eye. A popular painting in the collection of The Art Institute of Chicago.Our matted print is 16" x 19". $15 $13.50 Members AIC Item #38225

Sky Umbrella Turn gray skies to blue every time you open our collapsible umbrella. 10" closed length; opens to 37" diameter. $40 $36 Members AIC Item #101235

(Source The Art Institute of Chicago http://www.artinstituteshop.org/)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

---

2013 HOLIDAY ART GIFT GUIDE #3

December 19, 2013, 1:05 pm

≫ Next: Merry Christmas ALL ! From ARTSnFOOD! + 2013 Shopping Finale + Cooking a Moist Turkey

≪ Previous: 2013 HOLIDAY ART GIFT GUIDE #2

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0

0

HOFFMANN MASTERPIECE BROOCHJosef Hoffmann Designed 1907 - 14 karat gold and lapis lazuli. Produced by First Edition. Sterling silver armature set with hand-hammered panels of 14 karat gold and lapis lazuli. May be worn as pendant or brooch. 2 x 2 in. $8,300

ART
SHOPPING
at the
Neue Gallery
Gift Shop
(NYC)

DAGOBERT PECHE STONEWARE BOWL Dagobert Peche Designed ca. 1922 Produced by Gmundner Keramik Glazed stoneware with airbrushed décor H. 4½ x D. 15¾ in. "Dagobert Peche was the greatest ornamental genius Austria has produced since the Baroque." -Josef Hoffmann  Photography: Ellen Silverman, courtesy Rizzoli International Publications $1,600

Josef Hoffmann BROOCH $8,700 Designed 1908. Produced by First Edition. 14 karat gold and sterling silver set with agate, amethyst, carnelian, chrysoprase, coral, lapis lazuli, malachite, moonstone, obsidian, onyx, opal, and turquoise. May be worn as pendant or brooch. 2 x 2 in.

OSKAR KOKOSCHKA EXHIBITION POSTER "Martha Hirsch (Dreaming Woman)," 1909 Exhibition poster for "Oskar Kokoschka: Early Portraits from Vienna and Berlin, 1909-1914" 24 x 36 inches $10

HOFFMANN KUNSTSCHAU WALLPAPER Josef Hoffmann Designed 1908 Hand-printed by Studio Printworks. Roll: 27 x 180 in. $195

MICHELE OKA DONER GOLDEN WALL SCONCE Michele Oka Doner for Neue NOW Designed 2012 Inspired by Dagobert Peche Hand-cast and finished bronze Hand-burnished with white gold leaf or 23.5 karat gold leaf H. 18½ in. W. 9 in. D. 6 in. Custom order Priced individually or by pair, A sales associate will contact you regarding delivery time. 23.5 karat gold leaf / Matched pair - $3,750.00

  

HOFFMANN FACET-CUT PEDESTAL BOWL Josef Hoffmann Designed 1923 Available in cobalt, beryl, rose, and dark violet Produced by Moser Hand-faceted and polished Bohemian cut crystal H. 5 in. D. 8 ½ in. $1,595

HOFFMANN CANDLE HOLDER AND VASE Josef Hoffmann Designed 1911 Mirror-polished brass Removable candle insert H. 6 ¾ D. 4 ⅜ in. This bell-shaped candlestick from 1911 shows Hoffmann at the height of his artistic powers. The absence of surface ornamentation draws attention to its pure, geometric forms, which are a hallmark of modern design. Meticulously modeled from brass and hand-polished by superior craftsmen, our re-creation is left unlaquered to promote the graceful patina of the original. $280

Josef Hoffmann Designed 1904 HOFFMANN COAT HOOK H. 5 in. W. 2 in. D. 5 in. Hand-forged solid brass. Mirror-polished or nickel-plated, with matching screws. $425

MARIANNE BRANDT BOWL Marianne Brandt Designed 1928 Produced by Alessi Mirror-polished stainless steel H. 2 in. D. 7 ½ in. $122

HOFFMANN STENCIL FOR THE BIACH BEDROOM Oak tag stencil. 36 x 28 in. $50

Book Store (212) 994-9492 bookstore1@neuegalerie.org

SHIPPING AND HANDLING For more information about expedited shipping options and availability, please contact the Book Store or Design Shop during regular business hours. Messenger service is available for deliveries within Manhattan. 

Book Store (212) 994-9492 bookstore1@neuegalerie.org Design Shop (212) 994-9496 designshop@neuegalerie.org

(SOURCE: Neue Gallery http://shop.neuegalerie.org/collections/department)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignee.

Merry Christmas ALL ! From ARTSnFOOD! + 2013 Shopping Finale + Cooking a Moist Turkey

December 23, 2013, 4:18 pm

≫ Next: Happy New Year Art Lovers!

≪ Previous: 2013 HOLIDAY ART GIFT GUIDE #3

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The Nutcracker Ballet A annual holiday event in many cities worldwide!

HAPPY 

HOLIDAYS!

A little humor to get us through the holiday rush. Artwork by John Faught @ Lisa Cooley Gallery, NY.

LAST 
MINUTE
GIFTS
2013

FROM LACMA's GIFT SHOP:

Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari 'Horse' Mug $20.00 USD Member Price $18.00 Made of durable enamel metal ware, this Horse mug's design is taken from the image-only Toilet Paper magazine created by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari. In the bi-annual publication's pages, they could play with surrealism as they created each illustration from scratch. Maurizio Cattelan, considered a trickster of the artworld, has two works of art in LACMA's permanent collection. The horse is a reoccurring theme in Cattelan's work. - Durable enameled metal - 3-1/2 inches high x 4 inches in diameter LACMA SKU #555

Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari 'Horse' Plate $22.00 USD Member Price $19.80 See mug for info.  - Durable enameled metal - 1 inch high x 10-1/4 inches in diameter LACMA LASKU #557

Charles and Ray Eames 'House of Cards' Espresso Set $75.00 USD Member Price $67.50 Great for gift-giving, perfect for your own home, this House of Cards espresso set comes beautifully boxed. These cups were inspired by and reproduce details from the House of Cards, a set of cards that could be build into structures, designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1952. The images were chosen by the husband and wife team to celebrate "familiar and nostalgic objects from the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms."  Charles and Ray Eames lived in Southern California and their living room was featured in the LACMA exhibition California Design, 1960-1965: Living in an Modern Way. LACMA's permanent collection includes over sixty objects designed by Eames Office. - 4 bone china espresso cups and saucers - Gift boxed - Each cup 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches - Dishwasher and microwave safe - Imported by LACMA SKU #1714

Louise Bourgeois Champfleurette #2 Tea Towel $40.00 USD Member Price $36.00 This Louise Bourgeois Champfleurette #2 tea towel is 100% linen and is both screen printed and embroidered. The design was inspired by Louise Bourgeois's work CHAMPFLEURETTE #2 (1999). Bourgeois was a renowned French-American artist and sculptor, best known for her contributions to both modern and contemporary art, and for her spider structures, titled Maman, which resulted in her being nicknamed the Spiderwoman. She is recognized today as the founder of confessional art. Louise Bourgeois grew up surrounded by the textiles from her parents’ tapestry restoration workshop, and helped them by drawing in the sections of the missing parts that were to be repaired. Her work was seen in In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States, organized by LACMA. - 100% linen - Gift packaged - Approximately 28 x 20 inches - Cold wash only, a warm iron may be used on reverse, do not bleach - Imported by LACMA from Australia SKU #25478

FROM THE NEIMAN MARCUS CATALOG:

Jeff Koons's Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus PRICE: $20,000 What You Get: Mirrored sculpture modeled after Jeff Koons's original art piece, Balloon Venus What You Don't: A bottle of Dom Pérignon, oddly Ideal For: That special gallerina (or gallerino!) in your life Choice Catalogue Snippet: "Resting on its perch, the bright figurine is void of any facial expression. But, look closer at the mirrored surface, and you'll see your own broad smile reflecting back." Courtesy of Neiman Marcus

FROM UNCOMMONGOODS.COM:

Baseball Game  $48.00by Ryan and Kim McDanielHandcrafted from the beautiful maple wood veneer inserted with protective metal eyelets, this high-quality board game is built to last for generations of gamers. Turn off the TV, silence the smartphone, and gather 'round as you enjoy hours of old-fashioned fun with loved ones. Handcrafted in St. Louis by a family-run company. Finished with a gentle water-based clear acrylic. Game includes a pair of dice, dry erase marker, five chrome pegs, four brass pegs, and directions. Play ball!

AMERICA BLOCK SET

AMERICA BLOCK SETHandmade$100.00What's the capital of Iowa? The state bird of North Carolina? How about the motto of Nebraska? Teach your child facts about the 50 United States of America

PLUSH ORGANS

PLUSH ORGANS $14.00 - 24.00 Created by anatomically-obsessed illustrator Wendy Bryan, this charming line of stuffed innards can help ease the tension for patients with health problems. They can be used to teach health to children and  they can make medical subjects less scary, even bringing a little humor to the ever-awkward "birds and the bees" chat.

PLUSH ORGANS

A HISTORY OF EXISTING LIFE

by Jennifer Berlinger

$200.00 (275.00 Framed)

Jennifer and Mark Berlinger began to research the vast family of life on earth and discovering most of the available charts were either too academic or oversimplified - they applied their creativity to create this beautiful tree of life. Filled with the broad spectrum of life on earth, bacteria, fungi, insects, mammals and more, are rendered in watercolor with startling detail. The limbs of an ancient tree help guide the eyes through the related families, helping observers of all ages visually explore the connections and differences between each. A timeline along the side illustrates how long ago each new branch appeared.

 

Bad Dog Mugs  $35.00

 

Cat Tao Tumblers (4) by Patricia Carlin$35.00

FROM MOBYDICKGAME.COM:

Moby Dick Or The Card Game Just off the press, a card game for intellectuals - experience Melville's book as if you were on board the whaling vessel stalking the great white whale. Harpooner - Physical Game $30 Until Jan 1, 2014 mobydickgame.com/officialsite

ART

Coke Ads Started Featuring Santa during the 1920sCoca-Cola commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising images using Santa Claus — showing Santa himself, not a man dressed as Santa.

fOOD:

THE PERFECT

MOIST TURKEY

(source: The Atkinson Family Cookbook)

Buy a whole turkey.

Remove neck, giblets, etc from inside
Remove pop-up valve (use only if you want dry meat)

Rinse And Dry The Bird

Fill the main cavity with quartered onions and quartered apples

Pre-Heat Oven to 450º

melt a stick of butter
pour butter evenly over the entire bird

sprinkle The Entire Bird moderately to generously with salt & pepper

put turkey on a rack in a low sided turkey roasting pan

place turkey in oven uncovered for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes, turn heat down to 325º

and cook 1 hour 

check to see if bird is 160º with meat thermometer near the breast & thigh

wiggle legs to see if loose and feel cooked

Remove Turkey from oven and Allow Meat To Cool 5 Minutes
Remove both drumsticks cutting at the joint
Cut each breast away from the breast bone, in one large piece

Cover this meat with foil of plastic wrap on a plate & refrigerate.

if other meat needs more time, put bird back in the oven for 30 minutes upside down to brown the bottom.

Remove from oven and trim off all  meat from bones
Remove meat from the drumsticks 
Slice the Breast meat

Arrange all meat on a serving platter

serve

(This Is Not An Exact Science - obviously the larger the bird the longer it will take to cook, - but the legs and breast meat cook first, Removing them early results in moist meat., BUT Remember to cook until at least 160º internal temp and let rest for 5 minutes to continue cooking, This is important for killing all bacteria.)

CHECK OUT ALL OF OUR 2013 GIFT AND HOLIDAY ISSUES:

• 2013 HOLIDAY ART GIFT GUIDE #3
• 2013 HOLIDAY ART GIFT GUIDE #2
• Holiday Lights at David Zwirner Gallery, New York ...
• 2013 Holiday Gift Guide #1 + Santa Strawberries

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Happy New Year Art Lovers!

December 31, 2013, 8:41 pm

≫ Next: Jan. 1, 2014

≪ Previous: Merry Christmas ALL ! From ARTSnFOOD! + 2013 Shopping Finale + Cooking a Moist Turkey

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Until Next Year,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2013 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Jan. 1, 2014

January 1, 2014, 4:16 pm

≫ Next: Closely looking at "Paris par la fenêtre" (Paris through the window) by Marc Chagall + Orange Shake

≪ Previous: Happy New Year Art Lovers!

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We wish you all
a fabulous 2014!

Artist Lauren Purje posted her New Year's Card.

Until later,
Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Closely looking at "Paris par la fenêtre" (Paris through the window) by Marc Chagall + Orange Shake

January 6, 2014, 9:32 am

≫ Next: The Beauty of India's Historic Visual Arts and Jewelry are Reproduced at The Met Museum Shop in NYC. + Chopped Fruit, Nut, Mushroom & Spinach Salad

≪ Previous: Jan. 1, 2014

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Paris Through the Window, 1913, Oil on Canvas, 54 inches × 56 inches Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

Marc Chagall's painting

Paris Through the Window

A Close Look by Jack A. Atkinson

(Editor's Note) This painting by Chagall is one of my favorites. I have had a reproduction of this masterpiece rotating on and off my limited wall space for years. Chagall did not give explanations of his paintings, but felt his art was an evocation of dreams and emotions. Here I offer my best effort at a visual interpretation.  

In this painting it is clear that the artist prefers the mind, the memory, and magical symbolism over purely realistic representation. Let's now look very closely at Paris Through the Window. 

Artist Marc Chagall (Russian and Jewish) moved to Paris from Russia in 1910, but he missed his homeland tremendously. This painting shows his heartfelt longing for Mother Russia, especially the artist’s hometown of Vitebsk.

As the artist looks out of his window in Paris, we see both the interior and exterior spaces plus the past and the present. Imaginary subjects are mixed with the real. The artist was creating a self-portrait of his life in that moment. 

Shortly after arriving in Paris, Chagall, the artist, embraced the latest avant-garde styles of his new Parisian associates. Paris Through the Window is an experiment inspired by his friend, Robert Delaunay's cubistic style. Notice his use of semi-transparent cubistic blocks of color in the sky above the city and the rainbow of bright colors painted onto the window frame. 

Paris Through the Window, detail

His painting of the Eiffel Tower is a metaphor for Paris, and for Chagall the image also represents modern Western society itself. Next to the tower Chagall placed a parachutist dropping to the ground. The artist was inspired by both a recent successful test of a parachute jump off the top of the Eiffel Tower and the fact that a Russian inventor was the creator the first workable knapsack parachute. It seems likely the artist also included this man, falling from the sky  into Paris, as a reference to the leap of faith he has just taken with his new Western lifestyle and the new contemporary art forms he is now embracing. 

The 1911 test of a parachute in Paris.

Inventor Gleb Kotelnikov. 100 years anniversary of knapsack parachute test. Stamp of Russia, 2012.

The blue and white Janus-like figure in the lower right corner represents the artist himself, looking both forward to a new life in the West, with the blue side representing Chagall looking back towards his emotional home, Russia. In addition to the sadness his blue skin tones imply, the artist painted a golden heart shapped lockette in the palm of his blue hand. Growing from the window sill is the image of a red flower in a green field butting up next to his face, the green, green grass of home.

Paris Through the Window, detail

Chagall was so strongly influenced by his orthodox Hasidic upbringing that he almost always included images of Judaism in his paintings. His cultural and religious legacy is depicted here above the blue face. Notice the Hasidic Jewish couple floating/dancing in their traditional black clothes and hats, head to head. The Chabad Hasidim of Chagall’s childhood believed it possible to achieve communion with God through music and dance. One of the reasons the artist left Russia was the discrimination inflicted upon his family because of their Jewish faith. Tsarist soldiers occasionally were forcefully billeted in his family home in Vitebsk.

Paris Through the Window, detail

The artist’s nostalgia for his homeland is also represented by the upside down railroad train to the left of the cat in the center of the painting. This represented his inability to return home. Speaking of the yellow cat, notice its human face. The Jewish people often thought of cats as sinners who have passed on, but have returned to this life via the feline form to haunt family members.

Paris Through the Window, detail

Finally Paris is a dense city of medium height buildings and flowers were mainly for pots inside your apartment, as shown with the vase of flowers in the chair at the lower left corner of the painting.

Paris Through the Window is a magical painting full of color, meaning, emotion, excitement for life and a promise for the future. 

FOOD

Orange Shake

(like at the mall)

Ingredients

1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions

Mix the orange juice concentrate with 1 cup water in a large measuring cup or bowl. (You can also use 2 cups orange juice instead of this mixture.)

Transfer the orange juice to a blender. Add the milk, vanilla, both sugars and 1 cup ice and blend until smooth and frothy. Divide among 4 chilled glasses.

Until Later.

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food."™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.