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

January 14, 2014, 5:18 pm

≫ Next: The Goldfinch, a Painting by Carel Fabritius Steals the Show from The Girl With the Pearl Earring, by Vermeer + FOOD: A No Sugar Oatmeal Cookie

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

One brass object in the Met Museum’s Collection of Indian Art is this graceful parrot, delicately perched on one leg from the late 18th century. It may have been used as a finial.

ART

SHOPPING

India's Art

Embodies

A Rich Culture

India's Fabulous Past is Partially Represented in America Through the Many Great Indian Masterpieces of Art and Jewelry in the Permanent Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

In this issue we take you on a tour of great and precious pieces of Indian jewelry and art, via reproductions available, in various forms, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gift Shop. (These pieces can be purchased at the Met Museum Shop, 1000 5th Ave. @ 82nd St., NYC 10028 or online at http://store.metmuseum.org/search?q=Mughal or by phone at (800) 468-7386.)

Mughal King of Elephants Plate

Within the Museum’s collection is a beautifully illustrated album leaf, meticulously painted in opaque watercolor and gold on paper, depicting a magnificent elephant ridden by a mahout. A Persian inscription identifies the image as a “picture of ‘Alam-guman Gajraj (the arrogant one of the earth, king of elephants) whose value is one lakh rupees,” or one hundred thousand rupees. The majestic plate is based on the original painting.

Glass. For decorative use only. 8 1/2''L x 12 1/2''W. Item# 80-010892

Price:	$50.00
Member Price:	$45.00

Mughal Elephant Plate

In the Museum’s collection is a sumptuously illustrated album leaf (sixteenth–seventeenth century) by Khem Karan (Indian, 1556–1605) in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. The glass plate is based on this striking image of a richly dressed prince riding an elephant outfitted with decorative trappings.

Glass. For decorative use only. 4''L x 6''W. Item# 80-010899

Price:	$20.00
Member Price:	$18.00

Mughal Elephant Mugs

In the Museum’s collection is a sumptuously illustrated album leaf (16th–17th century) by artist Khem Karan in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. These porcelain mugs are based on this striking image of a richly dressed prince riding an elephant outfitted with decorative trappings.

Includes 2 mugs. Porcelain, with decal application. Gift boxed. Dishwasher and microwave safe. 12 oz. each. 4'' diam. x 3 1/4''H each. Item# 80-010978

Price:	$40.00
Member Price:	$36.00

Mughal Buti Print Jacket

The repeating buti (small floral discs or circles) on this jacket are typical of those seen on splendid Mughal-period textiles in the Museum’s collection. Royal support for court painters, architects, weavers, and goldsmiths led to the development of a distinctive and unified Mughal style, which was characterized in the decorative arts by a wealth of floral motifs, rich colors, and fine workmanship.

Available in small, medium, and large. Mandarin collar, button closure, boxy silhouette, hits at hip, 3''L side slits, long sleeves. Cotton. Quilted contrast-pattern lining. Imported. Hand wash.

Size Chart:

Small (4–6) Item # 80-007981

Medium (8–10) Item # 80-007982

Large (12–14) Item # 80-007983

Price:	$160.00
Member Price:	$144.00

Mughal Peacock Watch

The Mughal Peacock Watch was inspired by a superbly painted portrait of the future emperor Shah Jahan and his son from the period of Jahangir in the Museum’s collection. The sumptuousness of court life is conveyed in the detailed depiction of the jewels they are admiring, the gilded furniture, the textiles, and, most spectacularly, the large bolster with its designs of figures and plants. The composition is further enhanced by the splendid border containing flowering plants and birds, including partridges, cranes, and the peacocks seen on this watch.

18K gold overlay case, with a stainless steel back. Matte finish. Leather band. Quartz movement. Band: adjusts from 6 1/2''L to 7 3/4"L; Case: 1 1/4''W. Water resistant case. Item# 80-003143

Price:	$95.00
Member Price:	$85.50

Mughal Elephant Correspondence Cards

In the Museum’s collection is a sumptuously illustrated album leaf (sixteenth–seventeenth century) by Khem Karan (Indian, 1556–1605) in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. It displays an image of a regally dressed prince riding an elephant, which has been adapted for our cards. The cards are based on this striking image of a richly dressed prince riding an elephant outfitted with decorative trappings.

25 gold-embossed white correspondence cards and 25 white envelopes per box. 6 1/4'' x 4 7/8''. Item# 80-010997

Price:	$24.95
Member Price:	$22.45

Mughal Carpet Ballpoint Pen

The Mughal Carpet Ballpoint Pen is adapted from a luxurious carpet in the Museum’s collection. This carpet features a floral pattern similar to Persian designs. However, the precision of the stemmed plants on the border is a mark of Indian achievement.

Ballpoint, black ink, medium point type, 1mm tip. Twist action. Brass barrel and clip with printed lacquer and silver overlay. 5 1/4''L. Gift boxed.

Refillable. Uses Schmidt P900 or standard Parker refill. Item# 80-007608

Price:	$35.00
Member Price:	$31.50

Mughal Jeweled Rosette Cuff

This Mughal Jeweled Rosette Cuff is based on the dazzling precious stone–bedecked centerpiece from a 17th-century gold bazuband (armlet) from northern India, which was later made into a brooch.

24k gold overlay, with glass pearls, glass rubies, glass crystals, green onyx, made with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. 1 3/8''W. 7'' inner circ. Box-and-tongue closure.

Item# 80-011437

Price:	$225.00 $90.00
Member Price:	$202.50 $81.00

Mughal Jeweled Rosette Pin

This Mughal Jeweled Rosette Pin is based on the dazzling precious stone–bedecked centerpiece from a 17th-century gold bazuband (armlet) from northern India, which was later made into a brooch.

24k gold overlay, with glass pearls, glass rubies, glass crystals, green onyx, made with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. 2 1/2''L. Item# 80-011436

Price:	$150.00 $60.00
Member Price:	$135.00 $54.00

Mughal Fringe Necklace

The Museum’s collection houses a late Mughal galaband, or choker. Fabricated in gold with precious stones, pearls, and glass, the necklace features a fringe of leaf-shaped drops tipped with pearls and enamel. This ornate piece is the source for our exquisite necklace.

24K gold overlay, with cultured freshwater pearls, green onxy stones, and colored glass cabachons. Lobster claw closure. Adjusts from 16" to 18" with extender chain. Item# 80-011435

Price:	$195.00 $97.50
Member Price:	$175.50 $87.75

Indian Golden Berry Necklace

For over five thousand years, India’s jewelry craftsmen have drawn upon the rich sources of gold and gems throughout their land. Gold and silver, the quintessential metals of Indian jewelry, are worked in various techniques including granulation, filigree, thewa work (a fused appliqué process), and kundan (an inlay process). In the Museum’s collection is an Indian necklace (18th–19th century) in the form of a circle of uniform gold beads, each pendant attached by a tiny flower, probably representing the flower and berry of the evergreen mulsari. Our stunning necklace adapts the berry-shaped pendants of this original gold piece.

22K gold overlay. Matte finish. Toggle closure. 18''L. Item# 80-011407

Price:	$225.00
Member Price:	$202.50

Indian Golden-Bead Multi-Strand Necklace

The striking necklace is adapted from an Indian original from the eighteenth–nineteenth century in the Museum's collection featuring five graduated strings of close-strung, multi-faceted gold beads.

22K gold overlay. Matte finish. Hook and eye closure. 17 1/4''L. Item# 09-009796

Price:	$295.00
Member Price:	$265.50

Indian Bead Cluster Necklace

Gold and silver, the quintessential metals of Indian jewelry, are worked in various techniques including granulation, filigree, thewa work (a fused appliqué process) and kundan (an inlay process). In the Museum’s collection is a gold ankle bracelet, probably made in Central India, adorned with tight rows of large and small gold beads. The original would have created a lively, jangling sound as the wearer moved. The Met's designers have adapted the clustered beads of the original anklet transforming them into this lustrous Indian Bead Cluster Necklace.

22K gold overlay. Matte finish. Lobster claw closure. 18''L with a 3'' extender chain. Item# 80-011378

Price:	$150.00
Member Price:	$135.00

South Indian Pendant Necklace

The Museum’s collection includes a sumptuous necklace (17th–19th century), from Southern India, which has double rows of gold beads decorated with two small pendants and a larger, central teardrop-shaped pendant. This elegant necklace displays a variety of traditional gold-working techniques.

22K gold overlay, hand enameled, with lapis beads. Hook and eye closure. 18 1/2''L; removable pendant: 2''L x 1 1/2''W. Item# 80-018101

Price:	$150.00
Member Price:	$135.00

Wonder of the Age: Master Painters of India, 1100-1900

By John Guy and Jorrit Britschgi

Traditionally, Indian paintings have been classified according to regional styles or dynastic periods, with an emphasis on subject matter and narrative content. This fascinating publication counters the long-held view of the anonymity of Indian art, emphasizing the combined tools of connoisseurship and inscription evidence to reveal the identities of individual artists and their oeuvres through an analysis of style. Enchanting color illustrations highlight over one hundred works spanning eight centuries.

The introduction outlines the origins of early Indian painting in the first millennium, which set the scene for the development of the art of the book. The chapters that follow examine manuscript painting as it developed from palm leaf to paper; the Sultanate and North Indian Hindu tradition; the Mughal school under the patronage of emperors Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan; the renaissance of the Hindu courts from 1650 to 1730; the later styles of the Punjab Hill and Rajasthani courts; Company School painting; and the coming of photography. Each chapter features a summary of the period and biographical essays of specific artists followed by a selection of their works. The eminent artists chosen are among the greatest in the history of Indian painting. Each could lay claim to the honorific bestowed by emperors on their favorite painters: Nadirai-i-zaman, "the wonder of the age."

224 pages, 155 full-color illustrations. 9 1/4'' x 10 1/2''. Hardcover; clothbound, with jacket. Item# 80-012412

Price:	$45.00
Member Price:	$40.50

Dancing Celestial Sculpture

In the Museum’s collection is an early twelfth-century Indian dancing celestial figure that is crisply carved in sandstone. The sculptor has twisted the figure into an extraordinary pose that captures the essence of her dance. Her swaying jewelry emphasizes her movement and contrasts pleasingly with her rounded body. Images of dancing semi-divine attendants often appear on the outer walls of Hindu temples, placed near the figures of gods to honor the deity. This Dancing Celestial is based on the original figure.

Cast resin. Hand patinated. 22''H x 5 1/2''W x 10''D including base. Item# 80-010965

Price:	$395.00
Member Price:	$355.50

Figure of a Parrot Sculpture

Skilled metalworkers in India have for centuries created courtly objects of distinction in a variety of styles, materials, and techniques. One such brass object in the Museum’s collection is in the shape of a graceful parrot (Indian, late 18th century), delicately perched on one leg, which may have been used as a finial. This delightful parrot figure, crafted of hand-patinated bonded bronze, is based on the original brass parrot.

Bonded bronze. Hand patinated. 9''H x 11''L x 3''W including base. Item# 80-010982 (Temporarily Backordered)

Price:	$375.00
Member Price:	$337.50

Mughal Medallion Necklace

The exquisite necklace is based on an eighteenth–nineteenth century jadanagam (hair ornament), probably from Madras. The original, made of gold inset with precious stones, consists of 12 graduated discs ending with a bead-and-tassel pendant.

22K matte gold overlay, hand enameled, with glass cabochons. Lobster claw closure. Adjusts from 15'' to 18''L with extender chain.

Item# 80-011409

Price:	$245.00 $98.00
Member Price:	$220.50 $88.20

Source: http://store.metmuseum.org/search?q=Mughal

FOOD

Chopped Fruit,

Nut, Mushroom
& Spinach Salad

Ingredients

Strawberries
Apples
Mushrooms
Pecans
Spinach
Blueberries
Vinaigrette Dressing

Directions
Chop all ingredients into small pieces. Make a vinaigrette dressing, add and toss. Top with a strawberry and serve.

Basic Vinaigrette Dressing:
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of white, cider or wine vinegar
Squeeze of lemon juice
salt & black pepper

The pleasure of this chopped salad is: Each bite has the flavor of each ingredient!
(Source: Original Recipe from 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 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.

↧

The Goldfinch, a Painting by Carel Fabritius Steals the Show from The Girl With the Pearl Earring, by Vermeer + FOOD: A No Sugar Oatmeal Cookie

January 23, 2014, 1:50 pm

≫ Next: The Goldfinch, a Painting by Carel Fabritius Steals the Show from Girl With a Pearl Earring, by Vermeer + FOOD: A No Sugar Oatmeal Cookie

≪ Previous: 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

Carel Fabritius (1622-1654)
The Goldfinch, 1654 Oil on panel
13 ¼ x 9 in. (33.5 x 22.8 cm)(Image coutesy of The Frick Museum Press Department
and the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in the Hague)

ART

The Goldfinch

Painting by Care Fabritius

Oil on Panel (1654)

& The Inspiration for the novel

The Goldfich

The Frick Collection was the final American venue of a global tour of paintings from the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands. While the prestigious Dutch museum underwent an extensive two-year renovation, it lent its masterpieces which have not traveled in nearly thirty years.

At The Frick exhibition (Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals: Masterpieces of Dutch Painting from the Mauritshuis, which ended this past week) the star of the show was intended to be Vermeer's most famous painting, GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING, but another painting in an adjacent gallery stole the show! Among a wall of Dutch Paintings, a delicate and previously much less significant painting hung, painted by the artist Care Fabritius and titled: The Goldfinch.

The reason for this interest? A recently released novel, published by Little Brown, titled THE GOLDFINCH, has become an overnight literary sensation. The plot of the book is based on this exact painting by Care Fabritius (The Goldfinch). To the delight of New Yorkers the book's featured painting happened to be hanging in an exhibition at The Frick Museum on 5th Avenue in NYC, from October 2013 through mid-January 2014. People lined up around the block daily to see The Goldfinch and they also gave The Girl with a Pearl Earring a glance too, since that was a popular novel by author Tracy Chevalier.

ABOUT THE PAINTING:

THE GOLDFINCH

Fabritius uses a minimum of quick strokes to portray the house pet’s downy body. Such expert manipulation of paint to suggest form and texture may have been assimilated from Rembrandt, with whom he studied. Whatever the panel’s initial purpose — possibly a component of a birdcage or a cover for an encased painting — the little bird chained to his feed box is a masterpiece of trompe l’oeil illusionism. Vermeer — like Fabritius, a resident of Delft — was highly influenced by the artist’s pristine lighting and composed tranquility.

Acoustiguide Audio (English)

Click on the link above, for The Frick's accoustiguide commentary on The Goldfinch.
Use the back arrow to return to this issue of ARTSnFOOD.

(SOURCE: THE FRICK, NYC)

ABOUT THE NOVEL:

THE GOLDFINCH

The Painting becomes the inspiration for a novel:

"The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt,

(Story Line)

Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention,

of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate.

(SOURCE: Little Brown Book Group, Fiction - 784 pages)

ART

Girl with the Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer
(Image coutesy of The Frick Museum Press Department
and the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in the Hague)

The Girl with the Pearl Earring

At the Frick, a selection of fifteen paintings included the beloved Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665) by Johannes Vermeer. The exhibition continues the Frick’s tradition of presenting masterpieces from acclaimed museums not easily accessible to the New York public.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665) by Johannes Vermeer

The girl’s features may have been inspired by a live model, but her identity is unknown. Many subjects have been suggested, including the artist’s eldest daughter, but none of these proposals has been widely embraced. The painting belongs to a distinctly Dutch subcategory of portraiture known as the tronie. Tronies depict idealized faces or exaggerated expressions and often feature exotic trappings, like the turban and enormous earring worn by the girl.

Pearls appear in eight paintings by Vermeer, including the Frick’s Mistress and Maid. As no real pearl of this size has been documented, Vermeer’s model likely wore a glass drop varnished to look like a true pearl. The piece may also be the product of Vermeer’s imagination.

Girl with a Pearl Earring was the sole work on view in the Frick's Oval Room, with the other paintings shown together in the East Gallery. To accompany the exhibition, three works by Vermeer in the Frick permanent collection, Officer and Laughing Girl (c. 1657), Girl Interrupted at Her Music (c. 1658–59), and Mistress and Maid (c.1666–67), were grouped together in the West Gallery, where they could be viewed along with complementary Frick Collection paintings by the represented artists.

Acoustiguide Audio (English)

Click on the link above, for The Frick's accoustiguide commentary on Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Use the back arrow to return to this issue of ARTSnFOOD.
(SOURCE: THE FRICK, NYC)

Detail of Girl with a Pearl Earring
during varnish removal and before retouching.

During conservation treatment in 1994, one of three highlights on the pearl’s surface was revealed to be a flake of loosened paint. With the speck removed, the pearl appears again as Vermeer intended. A subtle highlight on the girl’s lip, made by Vermeer but overpainted during past treatment, was also uncovered. Finally, it was discovered that Vermeer applied a translucent green paint over dark underpaint to create the background. The pigments have discolored over time, making the setting appear completely black.

In the FRICK East Gallery:

In addition to Girl with a Pearl Earring the carefully chosen paintings from the Mauritshuis included portraits, landscapes, genre scenes, and still-lifes and demonstrated the themes that stirred artists’ and collectors’ imaginations during the Dutch Golden Age. Those on exhibition included: The Goldfinch(1654) by Carel Fabritius, Rembrandt’s Simeon’s Song of Praise (1631), Rembrandt’s “Tronie” of a Man with a Feathered Beret (c.1635), Rembrandt’s Susanna (1636), and Rembrandt’s Portrait of an Elderly Man (1667); Frans Hals’s pendant portraits Jacob Olycan (1596–1638) and Frans Hals’s Aletta Hanemans (1606–1653), both painted in 1625; Pieter Claesz’s Vanitas Still Life (1630); Nicholas Maes’s Old Lacemaker (c. 1655); Gerard ter Borch’s Woman Writing a Letter (c.1655); Jan Steen’s Girl Eating Oysters (c.1658–60) and Jan Steen’s “As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young” (c.1665); Jacob van Ruisdael’s View of Haarlem with Bleaching Grounds (c.1670–75); and Adriaen Coorte’s Still Life with Five Apricots (1704).

The Frick, New York Exhibition
was accompanied by a catalogue.
http://www.frick.org/shop

(SOURCE: INFORMATION, PHOTOS & SOME TEXT COURTESY OF THE FRICK MUSEUM, NYC PRESS OFFICE)
- SEE MORE AT http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/mauritshuis/670#sthash.OCBZhypY.dpuf)

(Editor's Note)

At this exhibition, I stood for most of an hour in front of Girl with a Pearl Earring trying to absorb my first face to face viewing of this painting. I am so familiar with the painting in reproduction and I wondered what the differences were between the original and so many of the reproductions. What did the reproductions portray improperly?

My thoughts mainly focused on the flesh tones of this original. In most reproductions of Girl with a Pearl Earring the flesh tones are rosy and youthful but on this, the original painting, her flesh tones are white and chalky with the green under-painting very much shining through.

The girl in Girl with the Pearl Earring was indeed very "alive" in this original, with her intense glaring eyes looking directly into every viewers eyes, no matter where they were in the oval room.

The dense solid black background of the painting was very noticeable to me in person and during my time staring at her. In many ways Vermeer uses a trick similar to black velvet paintings, where the black backgound makes the colors pop and more vibrant. Indeed the gold and blue colors of the cloth and coat are very intense next to this black.

Finally, I very begrudgingly said good bye to Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, I may never see her again, in person. It was a similar experience to saying fair-well to a friend who is leaving to live in a far-away land. Anyway, an hour is probably too long to look at any one painting, no matter how rare, so I moved on and absorbed the greatness of the rest of the exhibition, including Fabritius's exotic Goldfinch.
- Jack A. Atkinson

The Frick Collection
1 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021

Museum Hours
Tuesday through Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed
Mondays and holidays

FOOD

No Sugar

Oatmeal Cookie

For the person with a sweet tooth and on a weight loss regiment, here is a sweet treat designed to not throw you completely off track.

Ingredients
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 cups oats
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp vinilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions
Mix well, all ingredints
Spoon 1/2 inch balls of mixture onto a greased cookie sheet
(allow for spread)
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Enjoy!

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.

↧

The Goldfinch, a Painting by Carel Fabritius Steals the Show from Girl With a Pearl Earring, by Vermeer + FOOD: A No Sugar Oatmeal Cookie

January 25, 2014, 8:16 am

≫ Next: Ron Driscoll Does Balloon Dog + More Fun Balloon Animals

≪ Previous: The Goldfinch, a Painting by Carel Fabritius Steals the Show from The Girl With the Pearl Earring, by Vermeer + FOOD: A No Sugar Oatmeal Cookie

Carel Fabritius (1622-1654)
The Goldfinch, 1654 Oil on panel
13 ¼ x 9 in. (33.5 x 22.8 cm)(Image courtesy of The Frick Museum Press Department
and the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in the Hague)

ART

The Goldfinch

Painting by Carel Fabritius

Oil on Panel (1654)

& The Inspiration for the novel

The Goldfinch

At The Frick exhibition (Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals: Masterpieces of Dutch Painting from the Mauritshuis, which ended this past week) the star of the show was intended to be Vermeer's most famous painting, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, but another painting in an adjacent gallery stole the show! Among a wall of Dutch Paintings, a delicate and previously much less significant painting hung, painted by the artist Carel Fabritius and titled: The Goldfinch.

The reason for this interest? A recently released novel, published by Little Brown, titled THE GOLDFINCH, has become an overnight literary sensation. The plot of the book is based on this exact painting by Carel Fabritius (The Goldfinch). To the delight of New Yorkers the book's featured painting happened to be hanging in an exhibition at The Frick Museum on 5th Avenue in NYC, from October 2013 through mid-January 2014. People lined up around the block daily to see The Goldfinch and they also gave The Girl with a Pearl Earring a glance too, since that was a popular novel by author Tracy Chevalier.

ABOUT THE PAINTING:

THE GOLDFINCH

Acoustiguide Audio (English)

Click on the link above, for The Frick's accoustiguide commentary on The Goldfinch. Use the back arrow to return to this issue of ARTSnFOOD.

(SOURCE: The FRICK Collection, NYC)

ABOUT THE NOVEL:

"THE GOLDFINCH"

The Painting becomes the inspiration for a novel:

"The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt

(Story Line)

Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate.

(SOURCE: Little Brown Book Group, publishers of The Goldfinch - Fiction - 784 pages)

ART

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer(Image coutesy of The Frick Museum Press Department
and the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in the Hague)

Girl with a Pearl Earring

At the Frick Museum in New York City, a recent exhibition of fifteen paintings included the beloved Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665) by Johannes Vermeer. This exhibition continues the Frick’s tradition of presenting masterpieces from acclaimed museums not easily accessible to the New York public.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665) by Johannes Vermeer

The girl’s features may have been inspired by a live model, but her identity is unknown. Many subjects have been suggested, including the artist’s eldest daughter, but none of these proposals has been widely embraced. The painting belongs to a distinctly Dutch subcategory of portraiture known as the tronie. Tronies depict idealized faces or exaggerated expressions and often feature exotic trappings, like the turban and enormous earring worn by the girl.

Pearls appear in eight paintings by Vermeer, including the Frick’s Mistress and Maid. As no real pearl of this size has been documented, Vermeer’s model likely wore a glass drop varnished to look like a true pearl. The piece may also be the product of Vermeer’s imagination.

Girl with a Pearl Earring was the sole work on view in the Frick's Oval Room, with the other paintings shown together in the East Gallery. To accompany the exhibition, threeworks by Vermeer in the Frick permanent collection, Officer and Laughing Girl (c. 1657), Girl Interrupted at Her Music (c. 1658–59), and Mistress and Maid (c.1666–67), were grouped together in the West Gallery, where they could be viewed along with complementary Frick Collection paintings by the represented artists.

Acoustiguide Audio (English)

Click on the link above, for The Frick's accoustiguide commentary on Girl with a Pearl Earring.Use the back arrow to return to this issue of ARTSnFOOD.

(SOURCE: The FRICK Collection, NYC)

Detail of Girl with a Pearl Earring
during varnish removal and before retouching.

During conservation treatment in 1994, one of three highlights on the pearl’s surface was revealed to be a flake of loosened paint. With the speck removed, the pearl appears again as Vermeer intended. A subtle highlight on the girl’s lip, made by Vermeer but over-painted during past treatment, was also uncovered. Finally, it was discovered that Vermeer applied a translucent green paint over dark under-paint to create the background. The pigments have discolored over time, making the setting appear completely black

In the FRICK East Gallery:

In addition to Girl with a Pearl Earring the carefully chosen paintings from the Mauritshuis included portraits, landscapes, genre scenes, and still-lifes and demonstrated the themes that stirred artists’ and collectors’ imaginations during the Dutch Golden Age. Those on exhibition included: The Goldfinch (1654) by Carel Fabritius, Rembrandt’s Simeon’s Song of Praise (1631), Rembrandt’s
“Tronie” of a Man with a Feathered Beret (c.1635), Rembrandt’s Susanna (1636), and Rembrandt’s Portrait of an Elderly Man (1667); Frans Hals’s pendant portrait Jacob Olycan (1596–1638) and Frans Hals’s Aletta Hanemans (1606–1653), both Frans Hals painted in 1625; Pieter Claesz’s Vanitas Still Life (1630); Nicholas Maes’s Old Lacemaker (c.1655); Gerard ter Borch’s Woman Writing a Letter (c.1655); Jan Steen’s Girl Eating Oysters (c.1658–60) and Jan Steen’s “As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young” (c.1665); Jacob van Ruisdael’s View of Haarlem with Bleaching Grounds (c.1670–75); and Adriaen Coorte’s Still Life with Five Apricots (1704).

The Frick Collection, New York
This exhibition
was accompanied by a catalogue
available through the Frick Gift Shop.
http://www.frick.org/shop

(SOURCE:Informaton, Photos and some text courtesy of The FRICK Collection, NYC -Press Office)- SEE MORE AT http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/mauritshuis/670#sthash.OCBZhypY.dpuf)

(Editor's Note)

The girl in Girl with a Pearl Earring was indeed very "alive" in this original, with her intense glaring eyes looking directly into every viewers eyes, no matter where they were in the large oval room.

The dense solid black background of the painting was very noticeable to me, in person. In many ways Vermeer uses a trick, similar to black velvet paintings, where the black background makes all colors pop and more vibrant. Indeed the gold and blue colors of the cloth and coat are very intense next to this solid black.

Finally, I very begrudgingly said good bye to Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. I may never see her again, in person. It was a similar experience to saying farewell to a good friend who is leaving to live in a far-away land. Anyway, an hour is probably too long to look at any one painting, no matter how rare, so I moved on and absorbed the greatness of the rest of the exhibition, including Fabritius's exotic The Goldfinch.

- Jack A. Atkinson

The Frick Collection

1 East 70th Street

New York, NY 10021

Museum Hours

Tuesday through Saturday

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Sunday

11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Closed

Mondays and holidays

FOOD

No Sugar, Oatmeal Cookie

For the person with a sweet tooth and on a weight loss regiment, here is a sweet treat designed to not throw you completely off track.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup apple sauce

2 cups oats

1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup raisins

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

- Mix all ingredients well

- Spoon the mixture (as 1/2 inch balls) onto a greased cookie sheet, allowing for the cookies to spread

- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Enjoy!

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.

↧

Ron Driscoll Does Balloon Dog + More Fun Balloon Animals

January 28, 2014, 4:48 pm

≫ Next: The Winter of Discontent is also Beautiful! A Photo Essay of Snow.

≪ Previous: The Goldfinch, a Painting by Carel Fabritius Steals the Show from Girl With a Pearl Earring, by Vermeer + FOOD: A No Sugar Oatmeal Cookie

ART

Balloon Dog & More!

Jeff Koons' balloon dogs are bringing record breaking prices at auction.

Jeff Koons’s Balloon Dog has been lauded as one of the most beloved of all contemporary sculptural forms, having graced the rooftop of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Venice’s Grand Canal, and Versailles Palace outside Paris. This past auction season, the artist’s monumental Balloon Dog (Orange) — a timeless and universal monument to the joys of childhood—came to New York's Christie's Auction House as a leading highlight of their Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale. Having sold for $58.4 million, this Jeff Koons sculpture is now the most expensive artwork by a living artist ever to have been sold at auction.

He has done other balloon sculptures also, rabbit, snake, flowers, Venus....

We thought it would be fun to show a real master of inventive balloon sculptures, the artworks of Ron Driscoll.

These are made from real balloons!

Enjoy!

Until Later,

Jack

↧

The Winter of Discontent is also Beautiful! A Photo Essay of Snow.

January 31, 2014, 11:51 pm

≫ Next: Art (the visual arts) cannot be considered GOOD or BAD

≪ Previous: Ron Driscoll Does Balloon Dog + More Fun Balloon Animals

ART
Photography of Snow
A Walk Up To
and Through a Park
in Denver, CO
on a Cold Winter's Day!
A Photo Essay by Jack A. Atkinson

This winter has been brutal across the entire USA, but let's not forget that winter's snow is also a beautiful sight!

(All Photos © Copyright Jack A. Atkinson, 2014)

FOOD

Baked Fruit and Vegetable Casserole

3 pounds freshly cooked candied yams (see recipe below)
4 slices canned pineapple in syrup, can substituted pineapple tidbits
3 bananas sliced lengthwise & cut each half in half across
1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup raisins
1 cup light brown sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup Triple Sec

Drain yams and pineapple, reserving liquid. Layer yams, pineapple, bananas, apple and raisins in a baking dish, sprinkling each layer with brown sugar. In a saucepan, mix the liquid from the yams and the liquid from the pineapple. Add butter, cinnamon and Triple sec. Boil until reduced by half and pour over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Serves 8.

Candied Yams (recipe)

3 pounds yams, peeled
1 stick butter or margarine
1 ½ cups water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch allspice
Pinch mace

Slice yams in half lengthwise if large; leave whole if small. Put all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil over fairly high heat. Lift and rotate yams with a spatula as they cook to make sure they cook evenly on all sides. Cook for about 25 minutes with lid ajar. Drain and reserve liquid.

Source: Atkinson Family Cookbook

Until Later,

Jack

↧

Art (the visual arts) cannot be considered GOOD or BAD

February 5, 2014, 4:44 pm

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

≪ Previous: The Winter of Discontent is also Beautiful! A Photo Essay of Snow.

"A Wild Ride!"

By Jack A. Atkinson

Ink on Arches Paper,

Painted from Life, in Real Time, During an 8 Second Ride

at The National Western Rodeo, Denver, CO

EDITORIAL
(Editor's Note: A story on a recent art show will be posted soon.)

ON ART

Deep Thoughts About Art
(On a cold day in the USA)

Art (the visual arts) cannot be considered GOOD or BAD we can only ask "Do I personally appreciate it (enjoy it) on some level?"

We all have different standards coming to bare on how we evaluate art:
- does it show skill?
- does it make me think?
- does it show emotion?
- is it something I can relate to?
- does it make a statement?
- does the scale, color, technique or content interest me?
- does the shock, freshness or creativity draw me in?
- Do I say, "In art, I like the familiar!"
or
- Do I say, "In art, the Same Ole, Same ole bores me!"

I have been an artist (or worked-in-the-arts) my entire life. There are very few people who have seen all of the various artworks, in the various media, approaches and venues as I have had the privilege to see, all over the world. Yet, I still cannot tell you exactly what art is GOOD or BAD! There are many works, which upon first viewing, I thought were "bad", but I have now grown to love or at least appreciate.

There are immature works, uninspired works, student works, cliché works, misguided works and artworks where a technique or thought process has not yet been resolved. I find it hard to say these artworks are good, but occasionally, upon revisiting them much later, some are.

The "Art World" chooses, as if by divine intervention, their art royalty: some are fabulous; some are frauds. The "Art World" is a business exactly like the recording industry. The people promoting the artists are only interested in making money off of their stable of artists, and in little else. Although the "New York Art World" is mostly responsible for the modern and contemporary artists, students study in art schools today.

The only advice I give to anyone wanting to bring art into their lives - collect or surround yourself only with artworks you like, not what you think will be a "good investment". And be especially wary of anyone promoting an artist or telling you a work is GOOD. Allow others to show you what's out there, but only you can make the determination about which artworks you believe to be GOOD!

- Jack A. Atkinson

Above Art & Text © Copyright Jack A. Atkinson, 2014

FOOD

Mandarin Orange Cake

1 Box Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix

¾ c. Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
2 11oz. cans Mandarin Oranges (drain 1)
Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and juice from 1 can of oranges. Fold in oranges (Momma leaves them out). Pour into 3 greased & floured cake pans. Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Cool and fill with frosting.

Frosting for Mandarin Orange Cake
Mix:
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 (9 oz) Cool Whip
1 can Angel Flake Coconut (1 1/3 cups)

Mix together and fill between layers and to top and sides. Keep refrigerated. It is better if made a day ahead.

This is a great cake!
(Source: Atkinson Family Cookbook
© 2014)

Until Later,

Jack

↧

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

December 17, 2013, 6:36 pm

≫ Next: Master Class in Drawing - Graphite, Chalk & Ink - From the Met Museum Collection + Chopped Fruit, Mushroom, Spinach & Nut SALAD

≪ Previous: Art (the visual arts) cannot be considered GOOD or BAD

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)

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to All!

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.

↧

Master Class in Drawing - Graphite, Chalk & Ink - From the Met Museum Collection + Chopped Fruit, Mushroom, Spinach & Nut SALAD

February 9, 2014, 8:09 am

≫ Next: Valentine's Day Celebrations: Music, Cards, T-Shirts, Video Art and Poem + A Valentines Double Chocolate Cake

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

Detail, Ingres, General Louis-Étienne Dulong de Rosnay, 1818

ART

Drawings

Selections from the Met Museum's Permanent Collection

(Examples of how a few master artists made their drawings, including a selection of portrait drawings by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres {1780–1867})

- Last year the Metropolitan Museum of Art pulled some gems out of their vault of drawings.

- The exhibition included a selection of highlights of recent acquisitions in the area of French drawings.The French Baroque, the eighteenth century, the Neoclassical, early Romantic periods and nineteenth-century drawings were represented.

- Much can be learned from a close look at master drawings!

Jean-Baptiste Joseph Wicar, Gaetano Rossi Napoletano, Conté crayon

Detail, Jean-Baptiste Joseph Wicar, Gaetano Rossi Napoletano, Conté crayon

Ingres, Mrs. Charles Badham, 1816 graphite

Detail, Ingres, Mrs. Charles Badham, 1816 graphite

Antoine Watteau, Seated Woman Holding a Fan, 1717 chalk

Detail, Antoine Watteau, Seated Woman Holding a Fan, 1717 chalk

Ingres, General Louis-Étienne Dulong de Rosnay, 1818

Detail, Ingres, General Louis-Étienne Dulong de Rosnay, 1818

(See detail of this drawing at top af this issue.)

Background Detail - Ingres, General Louis-Étienne Dulong de Rosnay, 1818

Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson, French 1767-1824, Portrait Louis-Francois Bertin the Elder c. 1808, chalk

Detail, Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson, French 1767-1824, Portrait Louis-Francois Bertin the Elder c. 1808, chalk

Antoine Watteau, French 1684-1721, Study - Woman's Head & Hands

Detail, Antoine Watteau, French 1684-1721, Study - Woman's Head & Hands

Georges Seurat, French 1859-1891
Study "The Models" 1888 pen & ink over graphite

Detail, Georges Seurat, French 1859-1891, Study "The Models" 1888 pen & ink over graphite

Ingres, Armand Bertin, 1842, graphite

DETAILS, Ingres, Armand Bertin, 1842, graphite

Ingres, Madame Armand Bertin, graphite

Detail, Ingres, Madame Armand Bertin, graphite

Ingres, detail-hands, Madame Armand Bertin, graphite

DETAIL, Ingres' signature, Madame Armand Bertin, graphite

INGRES, Portrait of the Artist Henri Lehman

DETAIL, INGRES, Portrait of the Artist Henri Lehman

Ingres, Portrait of a Lady, graphite

Detail, Ingres, Portrait of a Lady, graphite

Ingres, Jean-Joseph Frournier 1815, graphite

Detail, Ingres, Jean-Joseph Frournier 1815, graphite

Louis Lafitte, French 1770-1828, Portrait of a Man 1793, conté crayon

Detail, Louis Lafitte, French 1770-1828, Portrait of a Man 1793, conté crayon

Michelangelo, Italian 1475-1564,
Male Nude c. 1560 chalk

Detail, Michelangelo, Italian 1475-1564, Male Nude c. 1560 chalk

Théodore Chassériau, French 1819-1856, Portrait of a Seated Man, conté crayon

Tiepolo, Italian 1696-1770, St. Jerome in the Desert c.1728

Detail, Tiepolo, Italian 1696-1770, St. Jerome in the Desert c.1728

Jean-Baptiste Joseph Pater, French 1695-1736, Man Leaning on a Wall, Red Chalk

Detail, Jean-Baptiste Joseph Pater, French 1695-1736, Man Leaning on a Wall, Red Chalk

Veronese, Italian 1528-1588 (Studies c. 1582) pen & ink w/ wash

Detail, Veronese, Italian 1528-1588 (Studies c. 1582) pen & ink w/ wash

(Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photos taken with permission)

FOOD: SALAD

Chopped Fruit, Mushroom, Spinach & Nut

Ingredients

Strawberries

Apples

Mushrooms

Pecans

Spinach

Blueberries

Vinaigrette Dressing

Directions

Chop all ingredients into small pieces. Make a vinaigrette dressing, add and toss. Serve and top with a strawberry.

Basic Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of white, cider, or wine vinegar (not balsamic)

Squeeze of lemon juice

pinch salt

pinch fresh-ground black pepper

Until Later,

Jack

↧

Valentine's Day Celebrations: Music, Cards, T-Shirts, Video Art and Poem + A Valentines Double Chocolate Cake

February 14, 2014, 2:30 pm

≫ Next: Richard Hambleton, The Godfather of NYC's Street Artists + Moist Turkey Meatballs in a Rich Tomato Sauce

≪ Previous: Master Class in Drawing - Graphite, Chalk & Ink - From the Met Museum Collection + Chopped Fruit, Mushroom, Spinach & Nut SALAD

THE ARTS

VALENTINE'S DAY

"Life is better, shared with someone else!"

Singer Songwriter, Michael Franti says it all in his song "Life is Better With You".

_________

A Valentine's Card for today's modern romance!

_________

Here are some Valentine's T-Shirts from England that will make today special.

Red Heart Comme des Garçons t-shirt, Start-london.com, £72

Kiss Me slogan Light grey tri marl super soft sweat, Topshop, £29

Take me on Vacation, The Breckenridge Nantucket Sweater, SpottedOnCeleb.com, £115

Rich Boys Slogan print t-shirt by Philipp Plein, Farfetch, £196

Blah-blah-blah Grey Valentines t-shirt, New Look, £7.99

KISSEZ Baron Von Fancy tank, StyleBop.com, £125

LOVE 100% organic cotton top with heart printed in pink, PeopleTree.co.uk, £28

Stripe, Cloud and Heart print Short sleeve Moschino Cheap & Chic printed t-shirt, Flannels, £185

Be Mine PUG t-shirt, New Look, £7.99

Unknown manufacturer.

(Source for T-Shirts & Card: www.mydaily.co.uk)

_________

What is more romantic than a kiss! Here is a kiss shown in an animated, colorful artwork by Rafael Rozendall!

http://www.muchbetterthanthis.com/

Use the back arrow to return to ARTSnFOOD blog after going to this link!

_________

E-Cards for Valentine's Day

Above Cards from www.smilebox.com

Above Cards from www.americangreetings.com

_________

"Good Union"
A Poem about Being Together
by Jack A. Atkinson

Life is most enjoyed
with experiences shared:
goals;
dreams;
stories;
menus;
music;
home;
family.

Select your backdrop,
build your stage.

"Purr" your contentments,
"ROAR" for victories shared.

A Good Union makes for:
mutual respect;
mutual memories;
constant dialogue;
and great opportunity:
to create a unique life
Together!

(Good Union © Jack A. Atkinson September 8, 2012)

FOOD
Valentines Double Chocolate Coca Cola Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup Coca Cola (original only, not diet versions)
1/2 cup oil
1 stick butter
3 Tablespoon cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:
1 stick butter
3 Tablespoon cocoa
6 Tablespoon of cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar

In a saucepan, mix Coca Cola, oil, butter and cocoa and bring to a boil. In another bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Pour the boiling Cola mixture over the flour mixture and beat well. Add the eggs, buttermilk, soda and vanilla and beat well. Pour mixture into a greased and floured 13 x 9 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees or 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pan. Cool for about 10 minutes before frosting.

Frosting:
Combine the butter, cocoa, and milk i
n a saucepan and h
eat until the butter melts. Beat in the remaining ingredients and spread on the cake while it's still warm.

(Source: Arkansas Cooks)

Until Later,

Jack

↧

Richard Hambleton, The Godfather of NYC's Street Artists + Moist Turkey Meatballs in a Rich Tomato Sauce

February 15, 2014, 8:28 pm

≫ Next: Celebrity Icons With Cartoon Eyes for Fun! + Naked Chile Rellenos Casserole

≪ Previous: Valentine's Day Celebrations: Music, Cards, T-Shirts, Video Art and Poem + A Valentines Double Chocolate Cake

Hambleton's Art on the Berlin Wall.

Hambleton's "Marlboro Man"

Hambleton's "Shadow Man"

ART

Richard Hambleton

NYC, in the late 1970′s and early 1980′s, was the canvas for a street artist named Richard Hambleton. Long before "graffiti" was considered as "art", long before graffiti art stars like Banksy came on the scene and long before organized art tours were created to see the graffiti of New York City, artist Richard Hambleton painted black figures, in bold brushstrokes, on many of the walls and back alleys of Manhattan.

The artist calls his life-sized paintings “Shadow Men”. One art researcher said, "His art was originally inspired by the shadows of victims vaporized in the atomic blast at Hiroshima, Japan, implying: in the end, all that is left of us are our shadows, or what we project onto this world."

Richard's start came as a part of a famous trio of artists who worked together and regularly gathered to discuss their latest street artworks - even collaborating at times. The other two artists in this fabled group were the legendary Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat.

These works of street art are now long gone, but these three artists were the first to interest and engaged the art world in "Street Art" during the 1980s. Although Richard Hambleton has been given the unofficial title "Godfather of Street Artists", he is the "Shadow Man" of this collective. Now is the time to place Richard Hambleton's contribution and influence into the art world's bright spotlight!

Hambleton (above), Basquiat & Haring
worked closely inventing 1980's Street Art

Street Artist Jean Michel Basquiat

Street Artist Keith Haring

Hambleton - A Version of Shadow Man

Hambleton - A Version of Marlboro Man

Hambleton - A Version of Shadow Man

A Colaboration of Shadow Man by Hambleton & Basquiat

Hambleton - A Version of Shadow Man

Richard Hambleton Video (1)

Richard Hambleton Video (2)

Hambleton - A Version of Shadow Man

Hambleton's Gallery Show at Woodward Gallery, NYC

Hambleton - A Version of Shadow Men

Hambleton - A Version of Shadow Man

Richard Hambleton's art on the Berlin Wall

Richard Hambleton's art on gallery walls.

Richard Hambleton Video (3)

Richard Hambleton (born June, 1954) is an artist-painter currently living and working in the Lower East Side of New York City. Richard Hambleton is the surviving member of a group who, together with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, had great success coming out of the New York City art scene during the booming art market of the 1980′s. Much of Hambleton’s work is compared to graffiti art, however, Hambleton considers his work to be “public art”.

(Sources: The Museum of the City if New York, Phillips de Pury & Company, Woodward Gallery, NYC, CNN & YouTube)

FOOD

Moist Turkey Meatballs
in a Rich Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1/3 LOAF of Sara Lee 45 calories Healthy Multi-Grain bread cut into cubes (8 slices of a 1 lb 4 oz loaf), crust left on.
1 cup whole milk
1 pound ground turkey
2 large eggs
2 tbs dried chives
5 Grinds of salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried summer savory seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white wine
1 bottle (24 oz) of tomato sauce (Classico Spicy red Pepper Pasta Sauce)
1 tsp of Pickapepper sauce

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine bread pieces and wholemilk in medium bowl, pressing on bread to submerge; letstand until milk is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Squeezeout most of milk from bread; discard milk. Place bread in large bowl.
Add ground turkey, 2 eggs, 2 tbs chopped chives, 1 tbs dried basil, 5 grinds of salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 3 shakes of red Tabasco sauce, 2 tsp steak seasoning, 2 shakes of Southwestern Seasoning and 1 tbs dried summer savory seasoning.
Mix well with clean hands.
Transfer meat mixture to blender and process until well blended - mixture will become a paste.
Drop large spoonfuls of the loose mixture into mounds (meatballs) into small muffin pan cups or onto a cookie sheet.
Bake meatballs 10 minutes. Set meatballs aside.
Melt 2 tbs butter with 2 tbs olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add meatballs to skillet and sauté until brown on all sides, about 1.5 minutes per side.
On med-high heat, whisk 1/2 cup of white wine, tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon of Pickapepper sauce, and a knob of butter into the skillet - bring to boil.
Add the meatballs into the sauce and continue boiling (stirring frequently) for 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, sauce will thicken (stirring frequently).

Transfer meatballs to a serving bowl and sprinkle lightly with dried parsley flakes.
Serve.

Makes 24 meatballs.
(Source: Original Recipe, 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 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

↧

Celebrity Icons With Cartoon Eyes for Fun! + Naked Chile Rellenos Casserole

February 20, 2014, 11:02 am

≫ Next: Artist Nickolay Lamm Creates an Average-is-Beautiful Doll to Promote Positive Self-Images + Pan Seared Scallops

≪ Previous: Richard Hambleton, The Godfather of NYC's Street Artists + Moist Turkey Meatballs in a Rich Tomato Sauce

A post from "Huffington Post" that's worth repeating, their link is below:
(www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/rui-pinho_n_4790655.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000022&ir=Weird+News)

ART:
What Celebrity Icons
Would Look Like
With Cartoon Eyes!
By Artist Rui Pinho

You should try your own celeb/cartoon combos
created from photos found online. Or, better yet,
try out your family and friends with cartoon eyes!

1. Alfred Hitchcock with Casper eyes!

2. Amy Winehouse with Belle eyes!

3. Brigitte Bardot with Snow White eyes!

4. Charlie Chaplin wuth Bart Simpson eyes!

5. Cristiano Ronaldo with Sonic the Hedgehog eyes!
crs

6. Yuri Gagarin with Buzz Lightyear eyes!
yuri

7. Jacques Cousteau with Nemo eyes!

8. Kate Moss wirh Betty Boop eyes!
kate

9. Marilyn Monroe with Sleeping Beauty eyes!
marl

10. Michael Jackson with Simba eyes!

(source: Portuguese artist Rui Pinho)

FOOD:

Naked Chile Rellenos Casserole

Ingredients:
- 12 to 24 flame roasted Poblano Peppers
- Mexican Blend or Cheddar (pre-grated cheese)
- Jar of Medium heat Tomato Salsa (use a tomatillo salsa if you prefer)
- Can of Chopped Black Olives
- Green Onions (fresh/chopped)
- Optional ground turkey (pan cook the meat with salt & pepper before adding)
- Sour Cream

Preparation
- Buy a bag of mild roasted Poblano Peppers from your local farmer's market or
- Roast the pepper over the open flame of your stove or your bbq grill until blackened all over.
- Remove skins, stem ends and tough veins
- wash away all seeds and any left over skin

- Use a 9 x 9 glass baking dish sprayed with pam
- Lay down a layer of roasted Poblano pepper flesh
- Cover with a layer of salsa
- (Optional layer of ground turkey)
- (Optional layer of sour cream)
- Sprinkle a layer of chopped black olives
- Sprinkle on a layer of green onions
- Cover with a solid layer of grated cheese
- Repeat all layers one or two more times with cheese on top

- Bake in a 400º oven for 30 minutes
- Cut casserole into squares with a sharp knife (to cut through the peppers)

(If not using options above, serve with a dollop of sour cream on the side)

Mmmmmmmm!

(Source: Original Recipe - Atkinson Family Cook Book)

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

↧

Artist Nickolay Lamm Creates an Average-is-Beautiful Doll to Promote Positive Self-Images + Pan Seared Scallops

February 27, 2014, 8:27 am

≫ Next: "ENERGY PHOTOS" Museum Shadow Prints by Jack A. Atkinson - Capturing the "light energy derived after-images"

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Artist Lamm created the normal Barbie because he "wanted to show that average is beautiful."
PHOTO: Nickolay Lamm / MyDeals.com

ART:

A MORE REALISTIC DOLL FOR YOUNG GIRLS

Artist Nickolay Lamm of MyDeals.com has created a rendering of what a Barbie doll would look like if it better resembled a real teen. He used the Center for Disease Control (CDC) measurements of the average 19 year old female in the US, to make his 3-D model. He dressed it up like Barbie, then photographed a standard Barbie doll next to his model to show the difference.

Artist Nickolay Lamm created a 3-D rendering of a "normal" Barbie (pictured at right) next to a standard Barbie by using the CDC's measurements for an average 19-year-old American woman.PHOTO: Nickolay Lamm / MyDeals.com

“I created normal Barbie because I wanted to show that the average (female) is beautiful. If average-looking Barbie looks this good and if there's even a chance of Barbie negatively influencing young girls, why not make one?”

PHOTO: Nickolay Lamm / MyDeals.com

Lamm noted that there can be “different interpretations” of what is considered an “average’’ body type, but that using the CDC measurements makes his creation “pretty close.’’

PHOTO: Nickolay Lamm / MyDeals.com

On MyDeals.com he wrote “some people say that we shouldn’t pay attention to the body proportions of Barbie because she is just a toy.” However research suggests Barbie may lead to heightened body dissatisfaction among young girls, unhealthy eating behaviors, and a desire to eat less in order to achieve her extremely slim body.

PHOTO: Nickolay Lamm / MyDeals.com

This doll is a singular prototype, created with a 3-D printer. The “Normal" doll, resembling Barbie has drawn attention for having a larger backside and singer Demi Lovato, an advocate of preventing eating disorders in young girls, has tweeted her approval of Lamm’s proportions to her 15 million+ followers.

Nickolay Lamm says, “Normal Barbie shows you are beautiful, just the way you are.”

(Source: Nickolay Lamm / MyDeals.com)

Photo by Jack A. Atkinson

FOOD

Pan Seared Scallops

Ingredients
Sea scallops - fresh or frozen (completely thawed in fridge)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
Steak Seasoning (pepper, salt, garlic, etc...)

Directions
- Remove the small side-muscle from the scallops
- Rinse scallops with cold water
- Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels
- Sprinkle steak seasoning on the crust side of the DRY scallops
(Prepare other parts of meal before cooking scollops.)
- Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan on high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, place 5 scallops seasoned side down, do not crowd.
- DO NOT TOUCH OR MOVE to allow a crust to form. Sear the scallops for only 3 minutes on first side.
- Flip over, you should see a golden crust
- Cook for only 1 to 1.5 minutes on the 2nd side, quickly remove from heat. (Don't overcook (1 minute is fine) the scallops should be translucent in the center, they continue to cook and become more dense the longer out of the pan.)
- Drain on a paper towel.
- Plate and serve immediately.

Serve with wine, tossed salad and some buttered rice.

Mmmmmm.

(Source Atkinson Family Cookbook)

Until Later,

Jack

↧

"ENERGY PHOTOS" Museum Shadow Prints by Jack A. Atkinson - Capturing the "light energy derived after-images"

March 1, 2014, 11:57 am

≫ Next: It's Armory Arts Week in New York City - Here is a list of the Art Fairs for 2014 + The Whitney Biennial is up!

≪ Previous: Artist Nickolay Lamm Creates an Average-is-Beautiful Doll to Promote Positive Self-Images + Pan Seared Scallops

ART

Museum Shadow Prints

Photographs by Jack A. Atkinson

In addition to the digital artworks Atkinson titles "Energy Paintings"...

An example of a
Digital Energy Painting
by Artist
Jack A. Atkinson

his photography picks up the same idea using the "light energy derived after-images" found among the shadows of works of art in various museums.

(Editor's Note: On occasion I write up my own personal artworks. Even though I discuss the artist using the 3rd person, the artist is indeed me, the author.)

Until Later,

Jack

↧

It's Armory Arts Week in New York City - Here is a list of the Art Fairs for 2014 + The Whitney Biennial is up!

March 4, 2014, 10:47 pm

≫ Next: Armory Arts Week, 2014 ADAA - Adam Gopnik's Discussion "Is Art more than an Investment?" + Boston Baked Beans

≪ Previous: "ENERGY PHOTOS" Museum Shadow Prints by Jack A. Atkinson - Capturing the "light energy derived after-images"

It's ART WEEK in NYC!
Besides the hundreds of Gallery Shows up this week in New York City, there are thousands of other artists being shown during Armory Arts Week.

Adam Gobnik discusses whether "Art is just an investment or is Art only a worthwhile intellectual pursuit" and can these two camps co-exist and support each other.
"Who is leading the conversation - Galleries, Auction Houses, Art Historians or Artists?"
at ADAA's The Art Show.

Here are some of the Art Fairs and a Museum Biennial showing the latest, the edgyist and most prestigious art in the world today!•-The Armory Show - This year the focus is on China

& the Modern section of the show will feature work by female artists.

Newts & Red No. 8, 1958 Female Artist: YAYOI KUSAMA watercolor/pastel on paper w/ nylon netting

When: March 6–9 / Thursday–Sunday: 12–7pm ($40) Where: Piers 92 & 94 (12th Avenue at West 55th Street, Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan)

•-ADAA Art Show - museum-quality work
When: March 5–9 / Wednesday–Friday: 12–8pm; Saturday, 12–7pm; Sunday, 12–5pm ($25) Where: Park Avenue Armory (643 Park Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)

Ann Hamilton portrait.

Ann Hamilton directs portraits
being taken at
Carl Solway Gallery's booth.

•-FUƧION NY - featuring curators of color - organized by the West Harlem Art Fund (a one-day fair)
When: Thursday, March 6, 12pm–9pm (Free) Where: Four Points by Sheraton (66 Charlton Street, Soho, Manhattan)

Yasmin Hernandez's installation
is a tribute to her deceased biker brother.

•-Independent - Many Contemporary European Galleries
When: March 7–9 / Friday–Saturday: 12–7pm; Sunday, 12–6 ($20) Where: 548 West 22nd Street (Chelsea, Manhattan)

•-New City - Japanese contemporary art
When: March 6–9 / Thursday–Saturday: 12–7pm; Sunday, 12–6pm (FREE) Where: 529 West 20th Street, 2W (Chelsea, Manhattan)

•-The Whitney Biennial -Last time at the Breuer Building.
When: Friday, March 7–May 25 ($20) Where: The Whitney Museum of American Art (945 Madison Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)
•-The Clio Art Fair - “anti-art fair?”
When: March 6–8 / Thursday–Saturday: 10–7pm (Free) Where: 508 West 26th Street (Chelsea, Manhattan)
•-Fountain - Indie spirit meets commercialism
When: March 7–9 / Friday–Saturday: 12–7pm; Sunday, 12–5pm ($10) Where: 69th Regiment Armory (68 Lexington Avenue, Kips Bay, Manhattan)
•-Moving Image - video art
When: March 6–9 / Thursday–Saturday: 11–8pm; Sunday, 11–4pm (Free) Where: Waterfront New York Tunnel (269 Eleventh Avenue, Chelsea, Manhattan)

•-Scope - Contemporary Galleries
When: March 7–9 / Friday–Saturday: 11–8pm; Sunday, 11–7pm ($25) Where: Skylight at Moynihan Station (312 West 33rd Street, Penn Station, Manhattan)
•-Spring/Break - Youthful Organizers
When: March 6–9 / Thursday–Sunday: 12–8pm ($5) Where: Old School (233 Mott Street, Nolita, Manhattan)
•-The (Un)fair - Think Summer Street Fair
When: March 5–9 / Wednesday–Sunday: 11–8pm (Free) Where: 500 West 52nd Street (Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan)
•-Volta- A branch of the Armory Show - One Artist Shown at each gallery space.
When: March 7–9 / Friday–Saturday: 10–8pm; Sunday, 10–5pm ($15) Where: 82 Mercer Street (82 Mercer Street, Soho, Manhattan)

↧

Armory Arts Week, 2014 ADAA - Adam Gopnik's Discussion "Is Art more than an Investment?" + Boston Baked Beans

March 14, 2014, 3:15 pm

≫ Next: INDEPENDENT art fair - European Contemporary Art Featured - Armory Arts Week NYC 2014 + Julia Child's Perfect Menu (meal)

≪ Previous: It's Armory Arts Week in New York City - Here is a list of the Art Fairs for 2014 + The Whitney Biennial is up!

Adam Gopnik gives "The State of the ART WORLD" at the ADAA's ART SHOW.

ART

Armory Arts Week, 2014

(Arts Week Coverage #2)

Armory Arts Week in New York City is one of the most intense weeks for any person immersed in the contemporary art world today. Along with the gigantic Armory Show at piers 94 & 92 (55th & 12th Ave. NYC) there are a half dozen, or so, other good satellite art fairs, some quite large. Plus there's the hundreds of art shows at the many NYC galleries. It is an impossible feat for a single person to see it all.

Out of the four intense days of Armory Arts Week, the best hour I personally spent was at Adam Gopnik's talk about the art world as it exists today. - Jack A. Atkinson, editor

Interesting inlays in the 1880's Park Ave. Armory ceiling
decorating the auxiliary room where Gopnik gave his talk.

Adam Gopnik was the scheduled speaker for The ADAA Art Show. He spoke to a standing room only audience on March 7th, 2014 at 6pm in one of the ornate auxiliary rooms at the Park Ave. Armory, in Manhattan. Adam Gopnik is a art historian and writes for The New Yorker magazine where he has won three National Magazine Awards for essays and criticism.

The lecture and interactive discussion mainly looked at rolls of the current players in the ART WORLD: the "Art Sellers" (gallerists & auction houses), the "Art Influencers" (the art historians, critics, professional art consultants, and the curators), the "Artists", the "Art Collectors" (museums, private and corporate collectors).

Gopnik started his talk by saying that all of the problems within the arts started with Galileo (1564-1642). His work brought on the dawn of the age of Science and Technology challenging the Humanities (Arts and Letters) as the apex of intellectual thought, although there has never been a time in human history and culture where the arts did not matter. The humanities define humans more than anything else our species does, but science and technology has urged us to analyze everything and look for the cause and effect.

Gopnik shared a personal thought, "I have recently sent my son to a very expensive East Coast liberal arts college. Even though I am one of the most ardent supporters of the humanities as being the best foundation for all careers, I have recently questioned if it is smart to pay $50,000 plus a year to send my child to an institution where the main activities seem to be smoking weed, having sex and watching old movies!" Still the world of commerce and careers is always improved through exposure to the aesthetics and thoughtfulness found within the humanities. Gopnik's father taught English at the university level. It was the mantra in his household that the pursuit of teaching, especially within the arts, brought with it financial sacrifice. The up-side of a career done for the greater good was the opportunity to immerse yourself into a passion near and dear to your soul.

The study and production of art today is ultimately linked to "The Art Sellers", but more importantly, the art market relies heavily on "The Art Influencers", people who have a deep and professional level of knowledge in contemporary art and all of art history. As in so many "Professional Careers", i.e.: the Law, Medicine, etc., "The Art World" at its core, is based on intense and specifically focused knowledge. It requires participants to know critical information about the key philosophical backdrops supporting each current and historical artistic movement. Plus they must understand the intimate interrelationships between each specific movement and their various accompanying philosophies. How and why did each piece of art come to be created? How was the artwork influenced by the work of others? Most importantly, the timeline of art is a continuum and in an interesting way, all art overlaps.

Today there are two great players in the art conversation, the "Sellers" and the "Influencers". Art is essentially a priceless cultural contribution of our times, but the question now is, "Has the market run away with the flag and today the "Sellers" dictate what is good or bad, appreciated or not discussed?" Gobnik enjoyed the privilege of spending a day alone in a gallery room analyzing "The Scream" by Edvard Munch (1863-1944) before it was auctioned by Sotheby's for $120 million in 2012.

"The Scream" by Edvard Munch being auctioned
by Sotheby's for $120 million in 2012.

Because a large part of the value of any artwork comes from the "Influencers" and the marketplace looks to them for advice, Gopnik wondered if the high price received by Sotheby's should raise the intellectual bar for the amount of attention the "Influencers" place on this work of art and it's creator, Munch? His conclusion was: the auction market is made-up of museums and the best collectors - people who through their actions, demonstrated they value this work as being one of the most important of our time. Nothing raises the market value of an artist more then having pieces included in important collections.

The system for evaluating art and its importance appears to work in the United States. We are the art capitol of the world and in New York we are surrounded by artists. Are some people left out or unable to create their work due to finances? Yes, but our system seems so much better than the French and the Canadian systems, where funds are distributed to artists to support them and their work. But it doesn't seem to be working for either country, they are not leading the art world. A question came from the crowd, shouldn't artists be leading the conversation here in the art market, rather than the "Sellers" or "influencers"? Are galleries leading the conversation simply to promote their stable of artists, for their own personal gain? Gobnik reminded the crowd that the market and the price of a piece of art make us stop and consider each artist and what they are saying, but when galleries turn to cheerleading, they have gone too far. Pure hype is not good for the artists in the long run. Ultimately there must be a consensus between the "Sellers" and the "influencers" for values to last past the short term and certainly over time.

Gopnik added another personal story. When he took his kids to the Chelsea Galleries for a day of art viewing, he always gave them a budget and let them take notes to mentally spend up to their fantasy dollar limit during their gallery tour. He learned from this game, nothing focuses your attention on art, the thinking behind an artwork and if you truly appreciate it, more than considering a purchase. Spending money focuses the mind like only a few things do - thoughts regarding value, enjoyment and worthwhile content call you to action or make you decide to walk away.

- The "Sellers" hold most of the cards as to which artists get exposure, but there are many casualties along the way. Once in the spotlight an artist promoted by "Sellers" must have an Act 2 and an Act 3 to survive.

- The "Artists" are still the thinkers, the creators and the reason there is an Art World, they are the ones who actually make the cultural contributions. Artists mostly suffer from the inability to articulate easily and clearly what they are trying to accomplish.

- The "Influencers" make their mark through intellectual endorsements. One "BIG" review, in the most important media of the time, can secure an artist's career for a lifetime.

- The "Collectors" including the museum collections finance the whole system.

Ultimately our Art Market, in the United States, works because each of the players is important and no one group can outsmart the checks and balances of the system, over time.

Is ART more than an INVESTMENT?
Most importantly the humanities (the arts) are exactly what the word implies, they reinforce the joys of being human. The least important part of this entire art world puzzle is the investment aspect in the art market. Art purchased as pure investment is a huge gamble and can go either way - it can be a home run or a giant bust. Art ownership only considered as an investment or as a hedge on inflation, in many ways, takes away the joy of this unique business.

Is ART more than an INVESTMENT? The financial approach to art is just the ETHER of the ART WORLD, nothing of importance in comparison to the contribution the artists and their artworks make to our "REAL WORLD".

Beautiful 1880's light fixture
at the Park Ave. Armory.

(Source: A visit to the ADAA Art Show and Gopnik's talk. Information in the text is from hand written notes and covers the speaker's comments in spirit, but except for the quotes, the text is not verbatim.)

FOOD

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

We served these beans at a special New England themed dinner party. Nothing has ever taken more time to prepare, but few things have been more delicious!

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of navy beans or great northern beans (pick out rocks, rinse and soak over night)

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

1 large onion quartered and set into the beans at the top of pot

2 tsps 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

4 whole cloves in the pot

1/4th teaspoon of cinnamon

4 canned plum tomatoes

shake of tabasco in pot

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper in pot

1 tsp ground of black pepper in pot

pour beans in the pot

cover with 5 cups of water or veg. broth

top with 1/4 cup molasses

top with 4 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

- Pour in water (give the pot a stir)

- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt on top

- 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

- Cover, place in the middle of the oven, on the middle rack and cook low and slow at 275 °F for at least 8 hours, up to 12 hours.

Until Later,

Jack

↧

INDEPENDENT art fair - European Contemporary Art Featured - Armory Arts Week NYC 2014 + Julia Child's Perfect Menu (meal)

March 18, 2014, 1:26 pm

≫ Next: The Armory Show - Contemporary & Modern Fair - NYC March 2014 + FOOD: Arabian Squash FOOD II: Savory Florentine Layered Crepes

≪ Previous: Armory Arts Week, 2014 ADAA - Adam Gopnik's Discussion "Is Art more than an Investment?" + Boston Baked Beans

An artist, deconstructing her wooden sculpture.

The remains of a work undone.

The decapitated woodsman, screams in pain.

ART
the
INDEPENDENT
art fair, 2014
(Armory Arts Week issue #3)

The INDEPENDENT art fair was mostly an exotic stroll through contemporary European Art Galleries, along with all of Europe's sophistication. Much of the art was so edgy, you dare not ask about the meaning or what the artist might be trying to accomplish, so as not to appear bourgeois or too "American" to get it.

Simply enjoy this inexpensive trip to Europe, the edge of high end art, with the visual delights and aesthetic challenges these artworks, at the INDEPENDENT, presented us this year.

The art crowd at the INDEPENDENT this year.

There were some very good New York Galleries included in the INDEPENDENT art fair also and they were showing artists on the edge, too.

Antoine Catala "Logo for Self-Improvement"
wood, pump, electronics, tubing, silicone rubber, paint, Resin.

Antoine Catala (& Dan Graham, text) "A Dolphin's Smile"collage.

Apt. 302 - String Drawing - Le Corbusier's Cite Radieuse Marseille.

Broadway 1602

Burn painting, detail.

Burn paintings.

Campoli Presti Gallery
postcards

Ceramic sculpture

Ceramic sculpture on metal sculpted pedistal.

Ceramic work, on a display shelf.

Chto Delat? - "Knowledge is Power, 2011, mixed textiles.

Clement Rodzielski, Untitled, 2014,
Paint on wood. small sculptures
Campoli Presti Gallery

David Ostrowski
F (a thing is a thing in a whole which it's not) 2014
Acrylic and lacquer on canvas

David Ostrowski F (Love, Sex and War) 2014
acrylic, lacquer, dirt and cotton on canvas, wood.

Floor sculpture made of wire and lights.

Floor sculpture.

Galleria Franco Noero

Gaudel de Stampa painting.

Moving Sculpture

Anonymous, "Untitled" mixed medoia on paper 37.5 x 28.5 cm

Andrew Kreps Gallery
Honza Zamojski

Andrew Kreps Gallery
"Monument"
Honza Zamojski

Andrew Kreps Gallery
Honza Zamojski

Andrew Kreps Gallery

Gavin Brown's Enterprises
Found Prints mounted under thick plex

Gio Marconi at Neue Alte Brucke

Gio Marconi at Neue Alte Brucke
(detail)

Hanging sculpture

Hanging sculpture, close-up

Ignacio Liprandi

Installation "I'm in Miami bitch"

Jacob Kassay "Untitled (Radikal) 2013 10 lithographs edition of 2

Julia Wachtel "Champagne Life" Oil, lacquer ink and flashe on canvas - 5 panels

Julia Wachtel, "Girl" 3 panels

Karma Gallery, close up of singular painting

Karma Gallery, overview of their display

Kerry Schuss Gallery

Martos Gallery - wooden floor sculpture

Maccorone Modern Art (detail)

Meyer Riegger Gallerie

Office Baroque painting

Reality Print - Boxers & Jeans

Reality Print - Winter Vest (rubbing)

Real Fine Arts - painting

Richard Nonas, McCaffrey Fine Art

Roman Singer - Grand Piano - fans - ping pong ball (blown up and down the strings)

Ramiken Crucible - salad in aspic (resin sculpture)

Sewn drawing & type

Spruth Magers - Berlin London
Alexandre Singh - Vernon Montgomery Spruce
bronze #2/3 + 2AP

Spruth Magers - Berlin London
Alexandre Singh
"N.2014" detail of photo print #2/3

The Box Gallery - Floor Sculpture

The Modern Institute

Tomas Espina - Gunpowder on paper
IGNACIOLIPRA arte

Instalation

Valentina Liernur - #1 Interior Paulista (White and Crude) 2013 acrylic on canvas

Valentina Liernur - #6 Interior Paulista - denim and pink - acrylic on canvas
Campoli Presti Gallery

Vilma Gold

Flavin site specific lights in staircase

The Independent Art Fair

FOOD
Julia Child's Perfect Meal

Once Julia Child was asked if she could sit down to her favorite meal for each course, what would the menu be? The following was her answer.

- Caviar, Russian vodka sauce, and oysters with Pouilly-Fuisse wine

- 1962 Romanee-Conti

- Foie Gras
- French Bread

- Pan-roasted Duck with onion and Chanterelle Mushrooms
- Pomieres (potatoes) Anna and Fresh Asparagus

- French Bread with Roquefort and Brie

- Sorbet with walnut cake
+ créme brûlée
+ ripe pears and green tea.

Until Later,

Jack

↧

The Armory Show - Contemporary & Modern Fair - NYC March 2014 + FOOD: Arabian Squash FOOD II: Savory Florentine Layered Crepes

March 23, 2014, 5:46 pm

≫ Next: New City, Japanese Art Fair 2014 + Juicy Energy Smoothies

≪ Previous: INDEPENDENT art fair - European Contemporary Art Featured - Armory Arts Week NYC 2014 + Julia Child's Perfect Menu (meal)

Chinese Performance Artists
were featured at this year's Armory Show.

ART
The Armory Show
Contemporary Fair

The Armory Show is one of New York’s most important annual fairs for contemporary and modern art. The fair welcomed more than 65,000 visitors during its five-day run in March and featured over 200 galleries from 29countries. Strong sales were reported and the attendance included key collectors and institutions from the United States, Europe, China and beyond.

This year’s edition coincided with the opening of theWhitney Biennial, further establishing March as a key moment in New York City's arts calendar.

The Armory Show, 2014 edition, devoted a section of Pier 94, to the contemporary cultural landscape ofChina, presenting an exciting selection of galleries from the Mainland and Hong Kong.

At the connecting section between the Contemporary and Modern sections were several small booths displaying Chinese Contemporary artworks, sculptures and painting.
(Above: Gallery: Aike Dellarco, Shanghai)

Chinese
sculptural playground.

Chinese performance section, artworks tossed.

Chinese performance art section,
various artworks are tossed
into the air, from inside a box.

Galerie Krinzinger/ShanghART
Sanghai, Beijing
(above & below)

Chinese performance art section.

Chinese performance art section,
Pay to Punch a photo for prizes.

Chinese performance art section,
pay $10, burst a balloon, learn your prize.

Xu Zhen painting "Under Heaven-2802CF3312"
oil on canvas mounted on aluminium
Madein Gallery

The Armory Show's Modern was the 2nd half of this art fair and flowed through-out Pier 92. It featured a section dedicated to many of the Female Artists of the 20th Century.

Yayoi Kusama
"Nets & Red No. 8, 1958
Watercolor and pastel on paper with nylon nettin 8" x 10"
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
(featured female artist)

Georgia O'Keeffe, No. 36 - Special 1920,
Watercolor on very thick, white, rough wove paper
Gerald Peters Gallery
(featured female artist)

Lee Krasner - Water No. 2, 1968/69
Gouache on Douglas Howell paper
James Barron Art Gallery, Rome
(featured female artist)

Agnes Martin
Untitled #19, 1965
Ink on paper 11.8" x 9.8"
Armand Bartos Fine Art
(featured female artist)

The following art pieces are not separated by Modern or Contemporary, because some galleries showed both eras. Here is a very small look at the thousands of pieces shown at the Armory Show, 2014.

Carsten Holler - edition for Parkett 77

Art wall at Armand Bartos Fine Art

Bjorn Melhus - "Heaven" 2013
video on vertical screen
Dirimart

Chris Jordan, 3 panels (total 8'x11')
archival digital pigment prints
face mounted to plexiglas, ed.3 + 2APs
Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
{After Hokusai, depicts the 2.4 million pieces of plastic that enter the worlds oceans every hour. All of the platic in the image was collected from the Pacific Ocean.}

Chuck Close, 'Zhang Huan II, 2013, ed.60,
silkscreen 48" x 40"
Two Palms Gallery

Elizabeth Peyton, "Zidane" 2006,
Monotype on paper
Two Palms Gallery

Jeff Koons - puppy vase

Leila Heller Gallery
Hadieh Shafie paper works
Ink acrylic and paper
with printed and hand-written Farsi Text
"Eshgh" translation: "Love/Passion"

Hadieh Shafie paper works
(detail)
Leila Heller Gallery

"Democracy" - Iluminated glass tubes, by Leila Pazooki
Leila Heller Gallery

Repeated pattern painting.
Fredericks & Freiser Gallery

Richard Prince
"Jerry's Girl, 2013"
A composite of the 57 girlfriends
of Jerry Seinfeld's character
who appeared on screen in the TV series
"Seinfeld"
pigment print on canvas ed of 57
TWO PALMS Gallery

Serge Alain Nitegeka installation
Marianne Boesky Gallery, NY

Serge Alain Nitegeka
Tunnel Study 2013
Paint on wood
Marianne Boesky Gallery

engraved sharpened black pencils
John Szoke Gallery, NY

"WHEN THE JUSTICE PROPERLY WORKS, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPASSION"
engraved sharpened black pencils
John Szoke Gallery, NY

Yoshitomo Nara, Y.N. (Self-Portrait)
Etching and aquatint
printed in colours, 2002 (ed. 35)
Sims Reed Gallery, London

Alison Rossiter - series FOURS
Kokak Kokabromide E3
expired March 1945 processed 2014

Yossi Milo Gallery

Alison Rossiter

Yossi Milo Gallery

J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere (Nigerian, 1930-2014)

Hairstyles series 1963

Yossi Milo Gallery open edition

Frances Newton Souza - drawing on paper
Aicon Gallery

Frances Newton Souza
drawing on paper
Aicon Gallery

Henry Koerner - The Showboat, 1948
Oil on Masonite - 48 1/2" x 26 "
Jonathan Boos Gallery

Mark Toby (1890-19767) Released Energy, 1957
Sumi ink on paper 23" x 34.25"
Driscoll/Babcock Gallery

Pablo Picasso - "Tet de Femme IV, Portrait de Dora Maar", 1939 (20 April)
ed. of 104 - 14" x 11"

Cesar Galcia - life sized painting (tompe L'oeil)

completely drawn from life studies,

no photograpy is used - oil -

"The Boxer" (1988)

FORUM GALLERY

Cesar Galcia - life sized painting (tompe L'oeil)

completely drawn from life studies,

no photograpy is used

- oil -

"The Boxer" (1988)

FORUM GALLERY

(detail)

Forum Gallery
digital print
face mounted on plexiglas

Forum Gallery
digital print
face mounted on plexiglas
(detail)

Afred Leslie
Pink Saquare
Hill Gallery

Robert Vickery (1926-2011) Shutt Patterns in the corner
tempera on board, 12.5" x 17"
Jonathan Boos Gallery

Andrew Ohanesian, Oceans, 2013, San Jamar Tear-N-Dry Hands Free Paper Towel Dispenser, Natural Kraft Brown Roll TowelPierogi Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

Daniel Joseph Martinez, "Holiness or Hell", South L.A., Roberts & Tilton Gallery

Daniel Joseph Martinez, "Martinez", South L.A., Roberts & Tilton Gallery

Jimmie Durham, "Honest Self-Portrait 1", 2009,
charcoal on Canson paper
Christine Koenig Gallerie

Jimmie Durham, "Honest Self-Portrait 2", 2009,
charcoal on Canson paper
Christine Koenig Gallerie

Jimmie Durham, "Honest Self-Portrait 3", 2009,
charcoal on Canson paper
Christine Koenig Gallerie

Dan Flavin light sculpture.
Galerie Thomas, Munich

FOOD

Arabian Squash

1 (1&1/2 lb) acorn squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed (add 1 or 2 more cloves, to your taste)

Juice of 1/2 lemon (or whole according to your taste)

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)

Salt to taste

Garnish with Olive oil and chopped parsley

Instructions:

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.

Brush with olive oil and bake uncovered at 325º for 1 1/2 hours or until very tender and the pulp starts to brown a bit.

Allow to cool and dig out the soft pulp, discard skins.

Place the pulp in a mixing bowl add the remaining ingredients, except garnishes.

Mix well with a wooden spoon

Top with garnishes.

Serve with pita bread.

FOOD II

Savory Florentine

Layered Crepes

Crepes are interleaved with alternate layers of creamy spinach and tomato fillings to form a succulent stack, they are transformed into an elegant dinner party dish.

Make:

- Herb Crepes

- Tomato Filling

- Spinach Filling

INGREDIENTS:

HERB CREPES:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

a pinch of salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups milk

light olive oil, veg oil or butter

(for greasing pan)

chopped fresh basil & dill

(small handful)

TOMATO FILLING:

1 x 8 oz can tomatoes

1 tbs butter

1 med onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese + more for sprinkling

2 tbs chopped oregano

salt and pepper

SPINACH FILLING:

10 cups baby spinach leaves

2 tbs butter

2 tbs milk

2 tbs cornstarch

2/3 cup heavy cream

a pinch of grated nutmeg.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1: Make the crepes and keep them warm while making the fillings.

----------

CREPES instructions:

a) Put the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the egg and some of the milk into the well. Whisk the liquid, gradually incorporating the flour to make a smooth paste. Whisk-in the remaining milk, then pour the patter into a measuring cup with a pouring spout. Allowing it rest, if desired. Add the herbs.

b) Put a little oil or butter into a 7-inch crepe pan or heavy-based skillet and heat until it starts to smoke. Pour off the excess and pour a little batter into the pan, tilting it until the base is base is coated with a thin layer. (or if you prefer use a small ladle to measure the batter into the pan.) Cook for 1-2 minutes until underside begins to turn golden.

c) Flip the crepe with an offset spatula and cook for a further 30-45 seconds until it is golden on the second side. Slide the crepe out of the pan and make the remaining crepes, greasing the pan as necessary.

Makes 8-10 crepes

----------

2. to make the tomato filling, puree the tomatoes in a food processor or blender or press them through a sleeve. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion, and cook gently until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Blend in the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens. Add the cheese, oregano, and salt and pepper to fast then heat gently for 1 minute.

3. To make the spinach filing, wash the spinach and put it in a saucepan with the water that clings to the leaves. Add the butter, cover the pan, and cook gently until wilted. Blend the milk with the cornstarch and set a side. Add the cream to the spinach with the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer to 2 minutes. Stir in the blended cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens.

4. To serve, layer the crepes on a warm serving platter with alternating layers the tomato and spinach fillings. Serve hot, sprinkled with Parmesan and cut into wedges.

Serves 4

(Source:original variations of old recipes)

Until Later,

Jack

↧

New City, Japanese Art Fair 2014 + Juicy Energy Smoothies

April 1, 2014, 3:30 pm

≫ Next: FUSION NY ART FAIR 2014 - Curators, Digital and Street Artists of Color + Créme Brûlée

≪ Previous: The Armory Show - Contemporary & Modern Fair - NYC March 2014 + FOOD: Arabian Squash FOOD II: Savory Florentine Layered Crepes

Jumpei Yamamuro, "Landscape in Somewhere" oil on canvas, Gallery TEN

ART

New City Art Fair

The New City Art Fair was a small fair which took place during Armory Arts Week NYC 2014, in an upper-floor gallery at 529 West 20th Street (Chelsea Arts District), Manhattan. The fair exclusively featured Japanese artists and galleries.

New City Japanese Fair's Gallery Displays

New City Japanese Fair's patrons look at the artworks.

Katsunori Kobayashi, "5 round bottles" 2013, wood & natural pigments

Kazuko Kaneda, " No. 34" 2013. Japanese Ink on paper, Gallery TEN

Paintings using flat color and black line.

Saduma Asuka, "Doodle Drawings", brown ink on paper (mounted).

Sakuma Asuka, brown ink drawings, detail.

Shintaro Miyake at Tomio Koyama Gallery

Shintaro Miyake (detail of wall drawing) at Tomio Koyama Gallery

Shintaro Miyake artwork detail.

Christophe Coppens, "Rabbit Mountain Toy"

Tskato Yamamoto, "Contemplation", pencil cartoon drawn for a painting.

Yayoi Kusama, "infinity Nets" 1998, acrylic on canvas, $65,000.

Yayoi Kusama, "Nets", acrylic on canvas, 1998, $75.000.

Yayoi Kusama, "Untitled" 1985, mixed media, 4.1" x 3.9".

Yayoi Kusama, Lithograph, collage, $65,000.

Yoshiyuki OOE, "Flower Head #2" 2013, mixed media, TezukayaMa GalleRy

Kouzo Takeuchi, "Modern Remains Glacier" 2013, porcelain.

Takao Sakai, "Beards", seeds and lacquer.

Tomoyuki Ueno, "Elements of National Anthems", 2014, ink jet print.

Tomoyuki Ueno - detail - "Elements of National Anthems", 2014, ink jet print.

Yoshiyuki OOE, "Who Owns It", 2011, mixed media.

Toshiyuki Shibakawa, "Beckoning Cat (Good Luck)" large and small, mixed media corroded by chemicals.

Yasuo Nomura, "Method for Namiura - Structure and Power" 2014, acrylic and silicone on panel.

FOOD

JUICY ENERGY
SMOOTHIES

Need a boost? Why not try a energy fruit smoothie, especially great as breakfast. What a way to start your day!

The Vision Finder
Carrots, beets, celery and citrus trio (orange, lemon and lime juice trio) – great for the eyes.

Feel the Burn
Carrots, ginger, apple and orange (ginger is a natural antibiotic)

Oats Blend
(breakfast on the go)
Raw oats, berries, banana and skim milk.

Flax Energizer
Banana, silken tofu, milk, cocoa powder, flax seed.

Green Goddess
Peeled cucumber, green apple, celery and lots of lime juice – helps
heartburn and digestion.

Green Zing
Green pepper, arugula,celery, green apple, parsley and ginger.

Rasta Frappe
Pineapple, citrus trio (orange, lemon and lime juice trio), mint and crushed ice.

Kizel’s “Monkey’s Bite”
Banana, peanut butter, milk and crushed ice.

Tropical Delight
Sweet peppers, carrot, pumpkin, pineapple, guava and citrus trio (orange, lemon and lime juice trio) –
great source of vitamins and calcium.

(All drinks can be made with whole, skim milk, or soy milk. Protein powder can be added to any drink. Source: Cafe Med)

Until Later,

Jack

↧

FUSION NY ART FAIR 2014 - Curators, Digital and Street Artists of Color + Créme Brûlée

April 2, 2014, 11:35 am

≫ Next: "Artist" George W. Bush - Amateur? or Contemporary Genius! - His art can be viewed on many levels! + His favorite food: Cheeseburger Pizza

≪ Previous: New City, Japanese Art Fair 2014 + Juicy Energy Smoothies

Yasmin Hernandez's installation of bandannas.

ART
FUSION NY
Art Fair
Curators, Digital and
Street Artists of Color

The FUSION NY Art Fair took place in two rooms of the Four Point Sheraton Hotel in Soho, for one day only, during this past Armory Arts Week NYC 2014. This curator driven platform focused on "art people of color", with roots taping into Puerto Rico, Central & South America, Asia, and Africa.

In years past, many art fairs were located in hotels around Manhattan, but this was the only fair at a hotel for 2014. Although hotel rooms can be awkward venues, often making it difficult to display art and a challenge for visitors to view it, hotel venues do offer smaller fairs a workable and inexpensive option for showing talented artists overlooked by the mega fairs.

FUSION NY Lead Curators and Fair Producers: Savona Bailey-McClain & Yves Marie Vilain.

Participating curators:" Ina Archer, Badder Israel, Richard Beavers and Suave Rhoomes.

Participating artists: Ina archer, Brian Convery, Dianne Dwyer, Dan Ericson, Scherezade Garcia, Chris Harris, Yasmin Hernandez, Ariel Jackson, Shani Peters, Joshua Reynolds, adrienne reynolds, Jaml Shabazz, Madeline Schwartzman, Shiro, Dianne Smith, Toccarra Thomas, and Yves Marie Vilain.

(For more information about the artists shown at FUSION NY or other specific information about this art fair email FUSION NY: <fusionartny@gmail.com>)

Yasmin Hernandez's installation of bandannas - a tribute to her deceased biker brother.

Diane Dwyer digital-video of a Circus Performance "Hand Elephant"

"I JOCK MYSELF"

"BLACK SKIN" digital-video (above and below)

Ina Archer's Reel with excerpts from The Lincoln Film Conspiracy, Il Giallo della Paine, and Leben_Kino. http://vimeo.com/46266786

Digital-video images projected inside a frame.

Installation with photos and digital-video.

Installation with photos and digital-video (detail of wall section)

Kenly Dillard water color.

Joshua Reynalds' Moving Train photo with text.

Brian Convery - Painter with his imagined worlds, above and below.

Dan Ericson - Paintings on Stop & Caution Signs.

SHIRO - Japanese Graffiti Artist

Jamel Shbazz Photos of Children Playing in Urban Settings.

Rappers talking, singing and dancing on subway cars. (digital-video)

Badder Israel - former combat soldier - Socio-Political Painting

FOOD

Créme Brûlée

Enjoy the elegant and rich taste of this dense vanilla custard dessert, dressed with a crisp crust.

Ingredients

4 moist vanilla beans

(check before you purchase they are not dried out)

9 large egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup chilled whole milk

3 cups créme fraîche

(or heavy cream)

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

(6" wide porcelain baking dishes needed or replace with smaller ramekins)

Directions

- Flatten the vanilla beans and cut them in half length-wise. With a small spoon, scrape out the seeds and place them in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitter with the whisk. Add the egg yolks and sugar to the bowl and whisk at high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the cold milk and the créme fraîche. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours to allow flavors to blend.

- Preheat oven to 250º F

- Arrange the baking dishes on two baking sheets. Pour the mixture into the dishes. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake until the custard is set. 40 to 45 minutes.

-Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover the cooled custard with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

- At serving time, preheat the broiler or get out the blow torch.

- Cover with brown sugar (unclump through a strainer) over the top of the custard.

- Heat the brown sugar until the it forms a golden brown crust, being carefully not to burn it.

-Serve immediately.

(source :Friend Jaques Shuette's personal recipe)

Until Later,

Jack

↧

"Artist" George W. Bush - Amateur? or Contemporary Genius! - His art can be viewed on many levels! + His favorite food: Cheeseburger Pizza

April 7, 2014, 10:52 am

≫ Next: "Van Gogh Repetitions" at Cleveland Museum of Art - Questions the Trite and Stereotyped Image of Vincent's Art Process + The Seder Plate

≪ Previous: FUSION NY ART FAIR 2014 - Curators, Digital and Street Artists of Color + Créme Brûlée

The art exhibition and display of gifts and photos
at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

ART

Former President

George W. Bush,

PAINTER!

Painted Portraits by former President George W. Bush.

Former President George W. Bush has taken up painting, inspired to some degree, by the writings and artworks of Winston Churchill. A major exhibition of his work opened on April 5, 2014 at the one-year-old George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, on the SMU campus. There his Library and Museum provide access to presidential materials, the archives and the artifacts of the George W. Bush Administration (including 80 terabytes of digital information, more than 200 million e-mails and more than 43,000 artifacts).

(Above) The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
is the 13^th such resource in the nation operated by
the National Archives and Records Administration, a federal agency.

The George W. Bush Presidential Center is comprised of his library, institute and foundation. It occupies a 226,565-square-foot-building on the SMU campus, surrounded by Texas prairie landscaping.

The George W. Bush Institute (pictured) is an independent public policy organization,
reporting to the Bush Foundation.

The museum's art exhibiton is titled "The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy". It features more than two dozen never-before-exhibited portraits of world leaders whom George W. Bush met on the world stage, during his tenure as the 43rd President of the United States, plus a self-portrait and a portrait of his father.

A painted portrait of the artist's father,
the 41st President of the United States,
George H. W. Bush

Helping to make this exhibition more interesting to visitors who are not interested in art, each painting is surrounded by photographs of President Bush's encounters with that leader and below the artwork are "objets d'art" (personal gifts and other memorabilia) associated with that specific leader or country.

Vladimir Putin, Tony Blair, Hamid Karzai, The Dalai Lama and Jiang Zemin are some of the paintings of presidents, prime ministers and other world leaders currently on the walls of the G.W.B. Presidential Center.

Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

Tony Blair of Britain.

George W.Bush started painting only two years ago, after reading "Panting as a Pastime", an essay by WWII English Prime Minister and painter Winston Churchill.

Winston Churchill's studio and paintings.

At first George W. Bush experimented with his iPad sketch application, then he got serious and turned to private instructors, artists Bonny Flood and Gail Norfleet, to teach him the craft of painting.

The first of his artworks seen by the public were somehow gathered through social media and leaked onto the internet. They included a portrait of his Scottish terrier Barney and his self-portraits (one in a bath tub and the other in the shower).

Bush's Scottish terrier "Barney."

George W. Bush, self-portrait in a bath.

George W. Bush, self-portrait in a shower.

A painted portrait was presented to Jay Leno, the talk show host, by former President Bush on national television before Leno's job with "Tonight" show ended.

Jay Leno's Portrait by G.W.B.

Bush and Leno looking at the former President's art gift.

Other U.S. Presidents who took up painting include Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter. As former President Bush puts it, he is trying to bring out his inner Rembrandt.

Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

If Rembrandt's style is his goal, his current primitive and amateurish works need practice. On the other hand, if a Chelsea gallerist or museum curator were to view his painting as an unknown emerging contemporary artist, his work would catch their eye and compete very well when compared to current art stars like Elizabeth Peyton and Billy Sullivan. To President G.W. Bush's credit, there is also a consistency of technique throughout this entire exhibition, which is admirable for an artist.

A painting by current art star Elizabeth Peyton.

The detail of a painting by the
contemporary artist Billy Sullivan.

Former President George W. Bush is receiving tremendous press coverage over his new career and has received a 99.9% positive rating for what he is creating. Everyone seems to be wishing him well on this new frontier - The Art World!

Self-portrait by former President George W. Bush.

The ticketed exhibition is open to the public at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, SMU campus, Dallas, Texas, during normal business hours until June 3rd, 2014. For more photos of the exhibition go to: https://www.flickr.com/photos/georgewbushcenter/13622415065/in/photostream/

Collectibles for sale.

(Source, The George W. Bush Presidential Center, Google, Wikipedia and information gleaned from various news organizations covering this subject.)

FOOD

Cheeseburger Pizza

In July of 2007, then White House chef Cristeta Comerford revealed that, for dinner, President George W. Bush most enjoyed what they called his "cheeseburger pizzas." Just as it sounds, every ingredient of a cheeseburger is included in or piled on top of a Margarita pizza.

Ingredients

Cornmeal, for the baking sheet

Flour, for shaping 1 pound(s) pizza dough, thawed, if frozen

5 Tbs marinara, tomato sauce 4 oz. mozzarella cheese

8 ounce(s) lean ground beef

1.5 ounce(s) extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1/4 cup)

3 fresh basil leaves, rolled and cut into strips

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon each of Kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a 14- to 16-inch oval, circle, or rectangle and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the marinara sauce.
Spoon the beef mixture over the dough and sprinkle with basil and the Mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses. Bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile in a large bowl, toss the lettuce, tomato, red onion, oil, a 1/4 teaspoon each salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Arrange this salad over the hot pizza and serve immediately.

(Source: original recipe modified from: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/cheeseburger-pizza-recipe-wdy0912)

Until later,

Jack

↧