Thursday, July 31, 2008
Eyebrow contact |2:53 PM| I was at the Japanese print exhibit at the Blanton with Suzy on Thursday, which was very much worth the trip. I was fascinated at the cross over of influences between European impressionists and Japanese print makers, and once it had been mentioned on one of the blurbs I couldn't help but notice it. Particularly striking to me was the sudden changes to perspective from the decidely 2d to the inclusion of a vanishing point, of a landscape background, etc) in the Japanese prints after the artists' exposure to the impressionists of Europe. (Sadly I cannot find the examples I was looking for, as the Blanton does not have them online)
The impressionists themselves began including aspects of Japanese prints in their own work.
Japan had had its versions of iconoclasms, the banning of images of Kabuki actors or "large head posters" (The glamor shots of the day) etc. This led to a sudden burst of landscape prints.
The multi-woodblock printing system for the color prints was a marvel of craftsmanship, an early version of offset printing.
A silly addition to all this was Suzy noticing an odd facial expression of mine.
A long time ago I was reading up on how facial expressions are universal, products of evolution, and thus are common among all cultures. This guy Ekman studied it.
Clip!
I could already do the one ear at a time thing, so on a lark I learned how to raise the outside of my eyebrows while lowering the inside, the "worthless" Kabuki expression. I had no idea I've been doing to express...confusion? Concern? Deep thought? All I know is Suzy and I were talking when she told me to make "That face" again.
"Which one?" I asked.
"The eyebrow one! It's from Kabuki theater!"
I was floored, not only had I been doing this for ages without my knowledge but someone recognized it.
(2) comments
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I am far slippier |5:24 AM| Over the weekend was the Conspiracy Party. Excellent party. My main contribution was the construction of this:
Which was then painted and made awesome by Cass and Jessi:
They had started to lose momentum during the project, and when I came back from picking up coolers they had an idea that had re-inspired them.
Real chest hair was needed on the fat Elvis stand up. Being part of the project or being the only good enough sport for it, I doffed my work shirt and proceeded to rusty razor/ electric buzz cut the majority of my front insulation. You can see it in the above photo.
A bit of reciprocating saw work, some sanding, and voila, a wonderful set piece.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Cecil137/ConspiracyParty/photo#5217450334157687538
The party was an absolute damned blast, rivaled only by the preparation for said party, injuries and all. Thanks to this my tetanus shot is now up to date.
The rest of the photos tell in that gallery tell a better story, diving and water balloons, gas masks and booby trapped pinatas.
(0) comments
Eyebrow contact |2:53 PM| I was at the Japanese print exhibit at the Blanton with Suzy on Thursday, which was very much worth the trip. I was fascinated at the cross over of influences between European impressionists and Japanese print makers, and once it had been mentioned on one of the blurbs I couldn't help but notice it. Particularly striking to me was the sudden changes to perspective from the decidely 2d to the inclusion of a vanishing point, of a landscape background, etc) in the Japanese prints after the artists' exposure to the impressionists of Europe. (Sadly I cannot find the examples I was looking for, as the Blanton does not have them online)
The impressionists themselves began including aspects of Japanese prints in their own work.
Japan had had its versions of iconoclasms, the banning of images of Kabuki actors or "large head posters" (The glamor shots of the day) etc. This led to a sudden burst of landscape prints.
The multi-woodblock printing system for the color prints was a marvel of craftsmanship, an early version of offset printing.
A silly addition to all this was Suzy noticing an odd facial expression of mine.
A long time ago I was reading up on how facial expressions are universal, products of evolution, and thus are common among all cultures. This guy Ekman studied it.
Ekman and Friesen decided that they needed to create a taxonomy of facial expressions, so day after day they sat across from each other and began to make every conceivable face they could.
I was trying to follow along with him, and he looked up at me. "You've got a very good five," he said generously. "The more deeply set your eyes are, the harder it is to see the five. Then there's seven." He squinted. "Twelve." He flashed a smile, activating the zygomatic major. The inner parts of his eyebrows shot up. "That's A.U. ---- distress, anguish." Then he used his frontalis, pars lateralis, to raise the outer half of his eyebrows. "That's A.U. two. It's also very hard, but it's worthless. It's not part of anything except Kabuki theatre.
Clip!
"Moving one ear at a time is still the hardest thing to do. I have to really concentrate. It takes everything I've got." He laughed. "This is something my daughter always wanted me to do for her friends. Here we go." He wiggled his left ear, then his right ear.
I could already do the one ear at a time thing, so on a lark I learned how to raise the outside of my eyebrows while lowering the inside, the "worthless" Kabuki expression. I had no idea I've been doing to express...confusion? Concern? Deep thought? All I know is Suzy and I were talking when she told me to make "That face" again.
"Which one?" I asked.
"The eyebrow one! It's from Kabuki theater!"
I was floored, not only had I been doing this for ages without my knowledge but someone recognized it.
(2) comments
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I am far slippier |5:24 AM| Over the weekend was the Conspiracy Party. Excellent party. My main contribution was the construction of this:
Which was then painted and made awesome by Cass and Jessi:
They had started to lose momentum during the project, and when I came back from picking up coolers they had an idea that had re-inspired them.
Real chest hair was needed on the fat Elvis stand up. Being part of the project or being the only good enough sport for it, I doffed my work shirt and proceeded to rusty razor/ electric buzz cut the majority of my front insulation. You can see it in the above photo.
A bit of reciprocating saw work, some sanding, and voila, a wonderful set piece.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Cecil137/ConspiracyParty/photo#5217450334157687538
The party was an absolute damned blast, rivaled only by the preparation for said party, injuries and all. Thanks to this my tetanus shot is now up to date.
The rest of the photos tell in that gallery tell a better story, diving and water balloons, gas masks and booby trapped pinatas.
Labels: Art, Parties, Pictures
(0) comments
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