JMG Artblog

Roadents: C-Spot on Youtube.com

A friend asked me to watch The Roadents. He assured me it would be worth it. It is!!   

After a short visit to the United States, Michelangelo's David returns to Italy

A friend sent me an email a few days ago and I haven't stopped laughing and crying. The photo is a hilarious and sad symbol of the USA. What do you think?

Joe T. Green: 1936-2008

Joe Green and his sister Gyp
2007

My dad, Joe Green, passed away today, February 24, 2008, at 7am. He was a great friend and a caring father that will be sorely missed. His achievements included: Valedictorian of his class at Forest Park High School and at Oglethorpe University (BS Physics), nuclear physicist at the Oak Ridge Laboratories for Union Carbide, part owner of family business, E.D. Green Corporation and founder/owner of American Synthol (manufacturer of synthetic lubricants).

Viktor Schreckengost: 1906-2008

Viktor Schreckengost
Joshua Gunter/Plain Dealer

Viktor Schreckengost, Industrial Design Pioneer, died January 26, 2008 at age 101. John Spirk, a former student and owner of a Cleveland design firm, is quoted in a Wall Street Journal article as saying, "I think he was the most influential designer of the 20th century."  Adam Bernstein of the Washington Post wrote "Mr. Schreckengost was one of the world's most prolific artists of commercial goods, and his impact on the economy once was calculated at more than $200 billion." Read the articles below for a fascinating overview of this design giant's life.

Viktor Schreckengost Obituaries and Editorials:
Wall Street Journal Article
Washington Post Article
NY Times Article
Cleveland Plain Dealer Article
Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial

More Information on this great artist:
Viktor Schreckengost Foundation
JMG Artblog post 8/1/06

Banksy: Bristol, England Artist

Banksy Tag Climb
Drawing
Banksy

I recently was told about a British artist by the name of Banksy. It is my understanding that no one knows the real identity of Banksy but there seems to be a great deal of  speculation about it. Here is Wikipedia's summary:

Banksy is a well-known pseudo-anonymous^[1] English graffiti artist. He is believed to be a native of Yate (near Bristol^[1]) and born in 1974,^[2] but there is substantial public uncertainty about his identity and personal and biographical details.^[3] According to Tristan Manco, Banksy "was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. The son of a photocopier engineer, he trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1980s."^[4] His artworks are often-satirical pieces of art that encompass topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His street art, which combines graffiti with a distinctive stencilling technique, has appeared in London and in cities around the world.^[5]

His work is interesting, irreverrant and unusual. Check it out by clicking here.

Peter Reginato: Art in America Review

My good friend, Peter Reginato, sent me an email a few days ago telling me about a review of his work by Art in America magazine in the December 2007 issue. If you get a chance pick up a copy of the magazine and read about it. The review is not available on the internet presently so I will post it once I can.

Jeanne Ruddy Dance Company: Philadelphia, PA

Jeanne Ruddy Lecturing (center)
Peformance Garage
October 25, 2007
Photo by JMG (JMG Photoblog)

I just returned from an enjoyable and inspiring evening watching Jeanne Ruddy show off her dance troupe, JRD, at the Performance Garage.  The  informal showing consisted of  a sampling of  the Graham technique, as explained by Ms. Ruddy, in order to understand the duets that followed. Next came two 5 minute excerpts of finished works in preparation for JRD's trip to North Carolina for the ArtsMarket on November 6th and 7th. Overall a phenomenal night!

I encourage you to check out JRD whenever you have the chance. The art is spectacular, the dancers are amazing and the venue is delightful!

Click here to watch a portion of the Jeanne Ruddy Dance Wetlands performance.

Additional information about the ArtsMarket:
Download artsmarket_program_showcase_schedule.pdf

Communitas Art Show: "Honoring the Web of Life"

Etching made from leaves by artist Rona Satten.  She writes, "Sometimes leaves remind us of body with its organs, veins and cells.  They mirror our strength, fragility, complexity, beauty, and transitory nature.  We are all part of the mystery and majesty of the universe."

Communitas
Friday, October 5, 2007 5:00 -8:00 PM
Please join Communitas for an exquisite evening of beauty and friendship as they celebrate the works of this group of wonderful artists and the exploration of the topic "Honoring the Web of Life" through mixed media.

Todd Breitling * Jake Grossman * Judith Dawson * Marianne Heib * Judy DiCanio * Whitney Porter * Ron Greenberg * Rona Satten * Jane Warren

Call Shari Landau 610-980-HEAL (4325) for directions
Communitas 201 Sabine Ave., Suite 100 Narberth, PA 19072

For a review of the show by the Mainline Times please click here.

Great NY Times Interactive Article: Van Gogh Letter

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait: Three Quarters to the Right (detail), 1887, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam; Vincent van Gogh, letter to Émile Bernard, Arles, 18 March 1888, Letter 2 (detail), Thaw Collection, The Pierpont Morgan Library; Vincent van Gogh, Olive Trees (detail), 1889, National Gallery of Scotland.

The New York Times writers, Gabriel Dance and Tom Jackson, in conjunction with one of The Morgan Library &  Museum curators, Jennifer Tonkovich, created an extremely interesting analysis of a letter from Vincent Van Gogh to Emile Bernard.

NY Times:
Click here to check out the interactive letter.

For more information:
Morgan Libaray & Museum exhibit of Van Gogh's Letters.

Interactive Morgan Exhibit:
Van Gogh's Letters

Neall Alcott: 'Rittenhouse Square' Album Released

Neall Alcott, NJ singer and songwriter, has just released his newest album called Rittenhouse Square and has decided to use one of my photos for his cover shot.  Pretty cool!

Info about  the album from his press release:
My new album is called "Rittenhouse Square." It's my first full length album and thanks to the encouragement of listeners and friends, I decided to make the leap and go for a professionally produced CD.

Rittenhouse Square is a collection of 12 songs that I recorded between Jan. 2007 and June 2007. The songs are in the pop rock realm, with different influences (Beatles, XTC, Squeeze, Lindsey Buckingham, Michael Penn, U2, others) that are blended together.

I had a lot of fun putting the album together (maybe too much fun!) but I think it is worth it.

In order to push this baby out into the world, I created a special web page on my blog:

http://www.neallalcott.com

Photo by Jefferson Green, JMG Artblog

BUY Rittenhouse Square by Neall Alcott by clicking here.