#2020 Focus St Colours

[nfkjournal]

Week 2 - David Hockney

Unfortunately I wasn't in for this lesson because I felt ill after the trip to the Eden Project so I created photomontages inspired by David Hockney in my own time by going out and taking some pictures of scenery and indoors. I did this in Photoshop by using the polygonal lasso tool and making rectangular shapes and then copying and pasting a part of the image and then moving it on top of another section to create a distorted similar to David Hockney's work. I am happy with my outcomes and believe that my photomontages tell a narrative of the viewer moving down the road and moving across the corridor in a distorted manner.

David Hockney is also a painter, stage designer, printmaker and draughtsman as well as a photographer and is considered one of the most influential British pop artists of the 20th century. It was in the 1980s he decided to create photomontages and by connecting multiple perspectives of a single subject into one photomontage and called this a "joiner." He first used Polaroid snaps of a living room while painting a picture of this living room, using different perspectives and glued them together to create one image. He then realised that this created a narrative and took the viewer on a trip around the room, like a storyboard. He then created many more of these, providing different visual narratives each time as well as giving us different ways to look at an image.

Storyboarding and narrative has always been a key aspect in the industry and is the backbone of animation - without it drawing and animating scenes will be very difficult as there will be no visual concept of what is happening in each scene of the story. The technique of storyboarding has been changing since the beginning of the 1920s, when Disney started making his first films, particularly from traditional to computer. The first storyboard shown above is a series of 12 storyboards for Peter Pan which was released in 1950 but was worked on since the 1930s. The storyboards were created  graphite and conte taped to a piece of animation paper. There is dialogue from the film written in conte pencil underneath the storyboards such as "We were kidnapped" and "I knew Peter Pan" and there are rough pencil smudges on the paper to show that pencil has been erased, possibly to show many changes in how the storyboard artist wanted the dialogue to go.

The second storyboard is from Pixar's WALLE from 2004 which has been created using a story reel/leica reel on a computer, which is a frame-by-frame arrangement in sequence and was created from around 125,000 storyboards which is an average number for a film lasting around 1 hour 30 minutes. The film, especially the second and third act, was changed a lot but the first act was not which is why these storyboards are recognisable, this is important in storyboards as the audience needs to see the communication between characters. The storyboards are more focused on colour than the Peter Pan storyboards, particularly the light. Because only the light/fire is coloured in the storyboards we can assume that it has significance in the story and therefore the animators should pay close attention to the light when they are animating.

The third and fourth storyboards are from The Owl House and Gravity Falls from 2013 and 2020 so they are a lot more modern than the other two, and are also from shows rather than films. The writing underneath the Owl House storyboards seem to focus on the actions being done in each scene and what characters will appear, unlike the writing beneath the Peter Pan storyboards which focused only on the dialogue. The Gravity Falls storyboards tend to show the rough idea for what is going to happen in each scene rather than directly showing what is exactly going to happen as it shows the beaver in Dipper's hand in one scene, and in the next it is already halfway in mid-air so it would be particularly hard to animate using these storyboards as a base alone. Also, both of these storyboards look more like they were drawn with pen whereas the older storyboards look rougher and more pencil drawn, and they don't focus on shading or lighting at all and tend to leave the backgrounds white.

[anewswire]

Rio Ferdinand Net Worth, Biography, Age & More

Rio Ferdinand Net Worth, Biography, Age, Wife, Height, Weight, and many more details can be checked on this page. Rio Ferdinand is an English former professional footballer who has a net worth of around $80 million in 2023. Rio Ferdinand is a football player who has won a lot of awards. During his career, both on and off the pitch, he has won a lot of awards. Rio Ferdinand has done a lot of great things in his life, from winning the Premier League to helping people in need. Because of this, a lot of people want to know about his life and how much money he has. Rio Ferdinand Net Worth Rio Ferdinand, a famous ex-football player, has a net worth of $80 Million. Several websites, like Wikipedia, Forbes, and Bloomberg, say that the most famous former football player, Rio Ferdinand, is worth around $80 million. Name Rio Ferdinand Net Worth (2023) $80 Million Profession Former football player Monthly Income And Salary $0.5 Million + Yearly Income And Salary $7 Million + Last Updated 2023 Rio Ferdinand Net Worth Growth Net Worth in 2023 $80 Million Net Worth in 2022 $73 Million Net Worth in 2021 $66 Million Net Worth in 2020 $60 Million Net Worth in 2019 $54 Million Net Worth in 2018 $49 Million Rio Ferdinand Biography Rio Ferdinand is a professional soccer player who used to lead England. He is known as one of the best defenders in the world. Ferdinand had an interesting childhood before he became a famous person all over the world. On November 7, 1978, his parents, Janice Lavender and Julian Ferdinand, brought him into the world at King's College Hospital in London, United Kingdom. He was half-British and half-Caribbean because his mother was from Jamaica and his father was from Saint Kitts. Ferdinand lived with his family in Peckham, South London, for most of his childhood. At the age of eight, he started playing football at Senrab, a local youth club where future stars like John Terry, Ledley King, and Jermain Defoe also played. After joining West Ham United's youth programme when he was 14, he quit school to focus on football full-time. Real Name Rio Gavin Ferdinand Nick Name: Rio Ferdinand Birth Place: King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom Date Of Birth/Birthday: 7 November 1978 Age/How Old: 44 years old  Height/How Tall: In Centimetres – 190 cm In Feet and Inches – 6′ 3″ Weight: In Kilograms – 84 Kg In Pounds – 185 lbs Eye Colour: Dark Brown Hair Colour: Dark Brown Education: Camelot Primary School Religion: Christian Nationality: British Zodiac Sign: Scorpio Gender: Male Sexual Orientation: Straight Kids/Children Name: Lorenz Ferdinand, Cree Ferdinand, Tia Ferdinand, Tate Ferdinand Profession: Former football player Net Worth: $80 Million Rio Ferdinand Relationship & More Affairs N/A Girlfriend   N/A Best Friend N/A Spouse  Kate Ferdinand (m. 2019), Rebecca Ellison (m. 2009–2015) Divorce N/A Children Lorenz Ferdinand, Cree Ferdinand, Tia Ferdinand, Tate Ferdinand Parents Janice Lavender, Julian Ferdinand Siblings    Anton Ferdinand, Jeremiah Ferdinand, Anya Ferdinand, Remi Ferdinand, Sian St Fort, Chloe Ferdinand Rio Ferdinand Career Rio Ferdinand is an English football player who has played professionally for a long time and done well. The most famous thing about him is that he played for Manchester United from 2002 to 2014. During his time at the club, he won the Premier League six times and the Champions League. Because of how well he did on the pitch, he has become one of England's most well-known footballers. Ferdinand began his professional career with West Ham United in 1996. He played more than 150 games for the club before moving on to Leeds United in 2000. At Leeds, he played on a team that made it to the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. They also finished fourth in the Premier League, which was their best finish since 1992–93. When Ferdinand left Leeds in 2002, he joined Manchester United, where he would have a lot of success. Rio Ferdinand Social Media Accounts Instagram Almost 5.6M Followers Click here Twitter Almost 11.6M Followers Click here Facebook Almost 9.3M Followers Click here YouTube Almost 899K Subscribers Click here LinkedIn N/A Click here Pinterest N/A Click here Rio Ferdinand: Income & Assets Rio Ferdinand plays football professionally and has become one of the most famous players in the world. He started playing football at a young age and had a successful career with Manchester United and Leeds United, where he used to play. Through his long career, he has built up a lot of assets, sources of income, and a large net worth. The Englishman has many expensive properties all over Europe, including a mansion with five bedrooms in Cheshire that was said to be worth £1 million. Rio also bought a very expensive flat in London's trendy Notting Hill neighbourhood in 2010. The flat was thought to be worth around £50 million. His other investments include property management companies, restaurants, nightclubs, and other businesses in the Manchester and London areas. Conclusion Rio Ferdinand is an English footballer who played professionally for many years and is now retired. He played for both Manchester United and England. He played for the Red Devils more than 500 times and for England 81 times. People have said that he is worth about $80 million. In this article, we look at Rio Ferdinand's life story and how much money he has. We looked at the best parts of his career, the awards he's won, and anything else interesting about him. We also talked about his business ventures outside of football, which are said to have helped him make a lot of money and give him a net worth of $80 million today. Rio Ferdinand is one of the most successful players in Premier League history. During his long career, he won multiple trophies with both Manchester United and England. Frequently Asked Questions What is the net worth of Rio Ferdinand? Rio Ferdinand‘s total net worth is around $80 Million. How old is Rio Ferdinand? Currently, Rio Ferdinand is 44 years old (7 November 1978). How much does Rio Ferdinand make annually? Rio Ferdinand earns an estimated salary of $7 Million per Year. What is the height of Rio Ferdinand? The height of Rio Ferdinand is 1.90m. (6’ 3”). What is the name of Rio Ferdinand’s wife? Rio Ferdinand was married to Kate Ferdinand (m. 2019), and Rebecca Ellison (m. 2009–2015). Read the full article

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

Arina and Nina used to only meet once a week - at activities organised for the care home where Nina lived. Now, Arina is applying to become Nina's guardian, giving the 27-year-old hope she might finally be able to leave the institution where she has lived her entire adult life.

For the past few months Nina Torgashova has been able to enjoy an independence that had always been out of reach for her - shopping, cooking and washing her own clothes.

Things that would be every-day life experiences for most 27-year-olds.

But not for Nina, who has always lived in institutions, and moved when she was 18 to what, in Russia, is called a psycho-neurological care home. When the pandemic hit, she was able to savour life outside the home, with a volunteer, Arina Muratova.

Nina recalls the moment she found out she was leaving.

"I never thought anyone would take me. I had thought: "Oh no, I am going to be stuck in the care home."

It was April 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic forced Moscow into lockdown. As visits to Nina's institution were stopped, charities lobbied for volunteers to be allowed to take responsibility for some of the residents until they could start up again.

Arina, a market research expert who loves nail art and embroidery, offered to look after Nina.

But when the 27-year-old got a taste for the freedom she'd never had, she decided she didn't want to go back.

Her 31-year-old friend was faced with a life-changing decision.

Arina has been involved in voluntary work for a decade - starting with helping children with learning difficulties and their families. She then became involved in adult care, which is when she met Nina through a Russian charity called Life Route. The charity organises trips and classes for the residents of some Russian psycho-neurological care homes (known as PNIs).

Arina started volunteering in PNI 22 - where Nina was living with hundreds of other residents - about four years ago. The care home looks after adults with a wide range of disorders, thought to relate to both cognitive disabilities and mental illness of varying severity.

Arina and Nina got to know each other through the charity Life Route which organises camps for the care home residents

Nina's diagnosis remains confidential to everyone except her care home director. This is usually the case for those residents the state judges are unable to live independently. So neither she nor Arina know why she is in the home, but Arina is surprised that she is.

Although Nina struggles with literacy and maths, Arina says she is very capable.

"She is such a quick learner and is well-adapted in everyday living," she says.

Nina was admitted to a home for disabled children when she was very young, before transferring to the PNI at 18. It is not clear whether she was taken to the children's home by her parents or was forcibly removed from their care.

She says they visited her there once, but she was frightened and hid under the bed.

"They were drunks. I was afraid. They stank of alcohol," she says.

Arina says Nina always stood out during her visits with Life Route, taking an active role in the activities and trips organised by the charity

"Nina was a very active person at her care home," says Arina. "She took part in various creative activities: amateur dramatics, arts and crafts workshops. She took part in sporting competitions, too: she played darts, she played football. Football was something she really missed after leaving the home."

When the lockdown last spring made these visits impossible, Arina suggested Zoom calls with the residents instead. But from the start is was clear this wasn't going to work - the home's internet simply wasn't strong enough. Other charities helping other care homes in Moscow and St Petersburg were facing similar problem

So these charities pressured the authorities to allow some care home residents to be released for the lockdown.

"It was all arranged in a day, and the next day the person was out. I cannot imagine anything like this before the pandemic," says Life Route's director Ivan Rozhansky.

Nevertheless Arina admits she was nervous when she made the initial decision to look after Nina. She was counting on Nina's relative independence, given she needed to work from home.

"There was a certain calculation in taking Nina. I had a lot of work to do, even during the lockdown. I realised I had to live with someone who'd be able to occupy themselves - at least some the time. With Nina it was clear that I'd be able to say: 'Now I have to work for three hours but afterwards we can make lunch together!'"

But Nina's move into the flat the charity had given the pair to live in during lockdown did get off to a slightly rocky start.

"She had very few possessions with her, just a small rucksack. She looked lost. While I was signing papers brought by the care worker, she walked around the flat. She didn't look especially overjoyed, and I had been counting on that.

"When I saw Nina looking so lost, I wondered if this had been a good idea. It's one thing to ask a person in a text if they want to move, but it's quite different to actually move them."

But not long afterwards, Arina shared a selfie with the other volunteers of herself with a grinning Nina, arms raised in joy.

Not only did Nina start shopping for food and cooking for herself, Arina arranged for her to have a maths tutor - important now she was buying things on her own.

"It's not that Nina doesn't understand things. She just never needed maths before," Arina says.

Arina herself began helping Nina with her literacy - she could read and write, but slowly and with difficulty.

"I need to be able to read and write," says Nina. "To be able to cook for myself, to go to work. I do want to have a job.

"I could make and sell friendship bracelets. I asked Arina: 'Do you know anyone who might want one?' She asked her mum, her mum was quite keen. I said: 'I will sort this!' Her mum picked the colours, Arina showed me a photo [of the colours], and I started making it."

Arina says she wanted to make sure she gave Nina responsibility for herself, rather than always taking charge, even if this did not always go to plan.

She cites the example of Nina wanting to learn to draw. Arina found another volunteer who could teach her over Zoom, and explained to Nina that she should make sure she joined the lessons. But after a while she discovered Nina had been missing some sessions.

"I don't want to chase another grown-up and pester them," says Arina. "I felt this was the kind of responsibility Nina could sustain, and we had conflicts around it."

But on another occasion Arina wanted to be more involved in Nina's life than regulations allowed.

Nina had complained of a terrible stomach ache and was admitted to hospital for several days of tests. Arina was not allowed to stay with her because she was not a relative or guardian.

"Pleas, send Nina some reassuring messages," she texted to the volunteer group chat. "Poor thing's terrified, she is having a third blood test and is scared."

Thankfully there was nothing seriously wrong.

As the Moscow lockdown eased in June, the Life Route charity was faced with a challenge.

"It became obvious that those people our foundation took to the assisted living flats for the duration of the quarantine did not want to go back to the PNI," says Ivan Rozhansky, the charity's director.

These institutions have been a focus of concern for some time.

In early 2019, Russia's deputy prime minister Tatiana Golikova ordered an inspection of living conditions in 192 psycho-neurological care homes. A consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, discovered violations of health and safety and other regulations in around 80% of them.

In January of this year Russia's Ministry of Labour introduced a number of structural changes to the provision of care for those in PNIs, including a move to help social workers provide assistance for some people in private homes rather than in state institutions.

"Obviously, all these changes will not be realised immediately on January 1, 2021, but step-by-step the situation will be changing," Golikova said.

Maria Sisneva from the charity Stop PNI says the quality of life in Russian care homes is poor.

"At a PNI you will have 500-1,000 people living in close quarters, but with very different levels of ability, and different backgrounds, different needs. They live in extremely cramped conditions, at best they'd be two to a small room, often in corridors, in spaces similar to military barracks, isolated from the outside world. They barely have any real social experience."

The director of PNI 22, where Nina was living, is clear about the benefits of care homes, however.

"The main advantage of psycho-neurological homes is security," says Anton Kliuchev. "The residents are looked after by professionals, who know exactly how to help and support them, how to talk to them, how to take care of them."

Care homes for people with specialist needs and mental illness exist all over the world. But from the mid-20th Century in the US and some European countries, a process of deinstitutionalisation started, aimed at replacing long-stay closed facilities with care within the community. Yet, in Russia care homes are still the predominant model.

According to Russian government statistics, as of February 2020 there were more than 150,000 people living in PNIs.

Unlike many countries, Russia's assisted living provision is only in its infancy. National charities believe that if this alternative system were more established, many care home residents could leave their institutions.

"Right now the system in Russia is such that if a person is believed to be insufficiently independent by the state, there is nowhere for them to go apart from a PNI, or [for those with physical disabilities] an invalids' home," says Sisneva.

Life Route began to discuss how the assisted living arrangement could be made permanent for the nine people they rehoused during lockdown. The charity rented four apartments, including one for Nina to share with fellow care home residents Sergey and Ivan. Arina moved back to her own apartment, and began instead to spend one night a week at Nina's new accommodation on rotation with other volunteers.

But there was another hurdle.

The PNI can only release their residents' care permanently to Life Route if those people have what is termed "legal capacity" - in other words, the state considers them able to function independently in theory, even if in practice they are in a care home.

Nina does not have legal capacity - all decisions about her life are made for her by the director of her PNI. As Nina is so functionally able, it is not clear why this is, though experts say it can be simply a foible of the system. If, like Nina, someone has arrived from previous care such as a children's home, and has never been properly assessed, their legal status might never be challenged.

So Arina has applied to become Nina's guardian.

"One day it just sort of clicked. And I realised I had to do it."

If her request is granted, Arina will become responsible for every element of Nina's life - financial, practical, emotional and medical. As her guardian the PNI will finally share Nina's diagnosis with her.

The process won't be straightforward, she says, involving extensive financial, physical and psychological check-ups on Arina.

"Emotionally [the decision] wasn't easy either," says Arina. "But once I took Nina out of the care home, she became my responsibility."

This all-consuming obligation might explain why there are so few people who volunteer to become legal guardians in Russia.

While Arina waits to be granted Nina's guardianship, the PNI could demand that Nina - whose state benefits they are currently losing out on - return to them at any time.

Meanwhile, Arina says she is still working out the exact role she plays in Nina's life.

"I can never be Nina's mum. I will never be able to give her the childhood she deserved."

But she accepts that Nina sees her as much more than a friend. Nina expects her presence on all important errands: to the dentist, to get her ears pierced, to get registered at the local GP.

And these new responsibilities have come at a time when life has been tough for Arina in other ways.

"It wasn't just Nina who went through a big emotional change. I went through a lot emotionally, too - during this time my salary was cut; I have had complicated developments in my personal life."

But Arina says all this has brought them closer together.

"Once you have gone through all these experiences [alongside another person], it is hard to backpedal.

"I won't say I'm not anxious about it. I'm incredibly anxious. And there are certain people around me who freak me out even more. They keep asking me. 'Have you thought it through? It's for life!'

"I calm myself down by saying that we have a plan."

That plan is to work towards eventually restoring Nina's full legal capacity.

Nina needs to be deemed independent by the state if she ever wants to live alone or get a job.

Other than Arina, she has one other close relationship - with a man called Sasha, who she met in PNI 22, and who is now in assisted living in a different apartment. Nina regularly meets up with Sasha in the city, and is clearly fond of him. Arina is aware that Nina may want to eventually marry and she would need legal capacity for that too.

So Arina hopes Nina's tutoring will give her the option to be assessed at some point.

"Examiners look closely at a person's reading, writing and counting abilities," Arina has heard.

The process is not publicly available but anecdotal accounts suggest it can include everything from being expected to dance or sing a song, or even know the price of a loaf of bread.

Arina says they won't apply for Nina to take this test until she is as prepared as she can be.

In the meantime, Arina is involved in all the important moments of Nina's life.

"Maybe I'm just the type of person that is not afraid of responsibility. It is an unexpected - but actually a good thing - that has happened to me.

"I love her. There's not much to it. I love her very much."

My Friend from a Care Home is available to watch now on YouTube.

[possiblyjad]

So I noticed that I have had a bunch of new followers over the last month or so and I haven't taken the time to send you guys love and a proper intro! So here we go:

Hi! My name is Jade, but you can also call me Jad. I'm 27, Canadian (I live in Niagara Falls), and super queer. I use both she and they pronouns. I have two conflicting aesthetics of super cutesy pastel stuff and emo renaissance. I love fashion, makeup, and body modification as outlets of expression. I go to school VERY soon to be an esthetician, and I'm currently looking into the possibilities of getting a piercing apprenticeship.

Under the cut will be 25 random facts about me. Click to see them:

1. I grew up in a smallish town called Bowmanville, which is about an hour east of Toronto. It's rapidly expanding but in the heart of it is a bevy of picture esque historic neighborhoods lined with centuries old mansions. If you ever go, the one place I highly recommend food wise is Norm’s Deli downtown. The handmade pierogis and cabbage rolls are unmatched. Also, if you’re a tattoo fiend like me, some of my all time favourite artists are in Bowmanville/Oshawa.

2. I currently have 4 tattoos and 12 piercings, with the strong desire to get more.

3. My favourite colours are pastels mainly, baby blue, mint, lavender, and millennial pink.

4. I have a caffeine addiction which is usually fueled by coffee (mainly iced) and sugar free energy drinks.

5. I don't really care for alcohol too much, I like the occasional beer at Taps or a cocktail on a hot day, but I hate getting drunk and I'm also not fairly comfortable around drunk people unless I'm also drunk. (I don't really do parties anymore for that very reason)

6. I've been pescatarian since Feb 2020 and I've been trying my hardest to use cruelty free personal care products since the beginning of 2020.

7. My favourite CF makeup brands are Colourpop, Milk Makeup, Sugarpill, and Anastasia Beverly Hills.

8. Even though I'm trying really hard right now, I am USELESS when it comes to hair. I don't really know how to curl hair, I don't know how to braid, and I cannot be trusted with bleach (I won't fry your hair, it'll just be very uneven). I'm trying to learn hair curling now, though!

9. I smoke weed almost everyday. Depending on what I smoke with, it actually levels me out anxiety wise and allows me to focus and think like a normal person. I also smoke before bed to help treat my insomnia. On occasion though, I DO like to get mind numbingly stoned.

10. I actually have a hard time getting close to people, predominantly because of my past relationships with toxic people. My broken brain automatically considers most relationships temporary until proven otherwise, in an attempt to protect myself from further heartache. I always want to make new friends, I swear! Just keep interacting with me and I'll open up at some point.

11. I don't shut the fuck up. Ever. I'm either talking my friends' ears off or I'm complimenting a stranger because I can. Let’s just say that I’m a hit with my friends’ parents or family.

12. I LOVE TTRPG, it’s likely my biggest creative outlet right now. I play both DnD 5E and Pathfinder 1E. I partake in 5 games right now.

13. I’m a first time DM! I started a campaign for a bunch of people who are relatively new to DnD a few months ago and it’s been a hit so far! I absolutely love flexing my creative muscles and writing for my friends!

14. I also write as a hobby as well. Mainly fantasy drabble based on my TTRPG characters, but it’s still something.

15. I’m almost always either listening to music or finding new musicians to listen to. I curate playlists all the time and daydream to songs constantly.

16. My favourite artists/bands right now are: Lights, Marianas Trench, Mothica, BMTH, Halsey, Ashnikko, Billy Talent, Stand Atlantic, and a plethora more.

17. I’m technically the oldest in my family. I have a younger brother (also queer and trans, he recently started HRT!!), and a little half sister who is the literal light of my life.

18. I LOVE animals! I have a senior cat, Willow, who does not look or behave like a senior cat. I also have a lionhead/dwarf rabbit named Theodore, or Theo. I’d get more pets if it weren’t for the fact, we don’t really have the room for other animals in our apartment, and also the fact that Willow hates other cats.

19. I’m TERRFIED of bees/wasps. I understand their importance to the world and they can vibe and save the planet as far away from me as possible.

20. My favourite food is sushi. I’m also a massive sushi snob and I have strong opinions on many of the places I’ve been to in my lifetime. The best I’ve had is still this place in Freehold, NJ that I don’t remember the name of. In Ontario, thus far, is tied between Oishi Maki in Whitby, ON, and the St Catharines location for Wind.

21. I’m also a sucker for good bubble tea. It’s one of the easiest ways to win me over.

22. I just love tea in general. Hot or iced. You should see my tea/coffee cupboard, it is PACKED. I’m a huge David’s tea fan but I also like trying other loose-leaf teas as well, and I prefer herbal/fruit infusions over most other teas. Except for chai, you can win me over with a good chai.

23. I marched in a pride parade once! It was the Durham Pride Parade in Oshawa in 2014! I was still very much in the closet at the time, but I did get photographed by the news and everything! I would LOVE to go to Toronto Pride once in my life with a bunch of my other Alphabet Mafia fiends when things die down.

24. I am a shameless collector of Pokemon and Alpacasso plush.

25. Back when we could, I used to go to conventions a lot! I’ve been to Anime North, Fan Expo, and Con Bravo thus far. My favourite out of all of them is easily Con Bravo, but I would LOVE to check out other Ontario conventions when things open up!

[bluemoonroseart]

Surrealism: The Art of Dreaming

Using artworks by Surrealist artists René Magritte, Dorothea Tanning and Salvador Dalí, I’m going to broadly look at the movement and compare their approach to tackling subject matter that most artists fear to tread. They have a similar style in the way that some of their work has illusionistic quality to it, and as well as working in the Surrealist movement they also worked with abstraction. 

Surrealism was a revolt against formalist art that started in Paris in 1924 and ended in 1966. Experimenting with pure psychic automation, the surrealists aimed to revolutionise the human experience, rejecting a rational vision of life in favour of one that asserted the value of the unconscious and dreams. Essentially, the word ‘surrealist’ suggests ‘beyond reality’.

Dorothea Tanning's self-portrait 'Birthday' (1942) may appear tame for a surrealist painting, especially in comparison to her wild, nightmarish depictions of sinister sunflowers and twisted fairy-tales. However, I think that despite its more minimalistic façade there is a lot of underlying meaning to interpret, and it becomes more surreal the more that you study it.

Tanning is shown standing with her weight in her toes, tipping forwards as if ready to flee. Unlike most self-portraits, this is strangely unrevealing of her true personality, like she’s a character in her own story, the way that she used to invent make-believe worlds for herself to delve into when she was a child. The paint has a luminescent quality, lending to the dream-like narrative woven evocatively into it.

The turbulent, difficult to decipher perspective of the composition leads the eye to the background, behind and beyond her, into the overlapping multitude of doors, perhaps representing an invitation into the complex state of her psyche. Tanning's gaze is slightly off-centre, like she’s looking at someone or something behind us, and the way that she clutches the doorknob is almost like she's inviting them into the corridor, for her to follow after them into this portal of limitless possibility. This quickly snowballs and leaves the viewer in wonder, yearning to join and discover whatever location that it leads to.

Her idiosyncratic Jacobean-style garments make me wonder whether she has come from the unknown land beyond the doors and returned to bring someone back with her. Fantasy art often draws upon natural materials like plants to clothe their characters, so Tanning could be referencing this in the vine-like tendrils coiling off from the sides of her dress.

Although Tanning rejected being labelled a feminist, it is difficult not to see her work in this light. Sexual motifs of fetishized female body parts recur in Tanning’s work, and clothing makes no attempt to cover her chest in this portrait. Additionally, she was key in challenging preconceptions and defining her individual Surrealist style at a time where the critics commonly perceived women artists to have a passive role.

The fantastical bat-like creature has a peculiar timidity and sits beside her bare feet. Instead of appearing demonic, its small scale and stance make it appear vulnerable and creates a sort of pathos in the viewer. I think that it could be a mythological personification of the dark side of her tumultuous mind, and the fragility that perhaps isn't always visible.

Although it was painted around her birthday, the title’s intention was to suggest rebirth from the real into the surreal.

Unlike Tanning’s paintings, which some suggest frequently carry an erotic undertone, despite the title, René Magritte’s ‘The Lovers II’ (1928) is the opposite. This is a companion piece to ‘The Lovers I’ (also 1928) which depicted a man and woman posing for a photograph with white hoods covering their heads, a shocking juxtaposition of the peaceful backdrop of the countryside. However, the latter piece has a darker tone and is much more intimate, exploring the complex theme of ‘surrealist love’.

Supposedly the same couple are yet again the protagonists of this offbeat narrative, still with opaque hoods over their heads, but this time there is an added intimacy of the fact that they appear to be kissing inside a private space. As a viewer, it seems like we've stumbled into a personal moment that we shouldn’t have, but now that we’ve arrived in this room the piece is so transfixing, we can’t leave.

The application of paint is more romantic than some of his other more flatly painted works. There is a realism in Magritte's use of tone, and the chiaroscuro, murky colour palette and dark ambiance lends to the shrouded mystery of it. The enigma is further deepened by the ambiguity of the abstract background; we are given no clues to their backstory. The idiosyncratic contrast of the muted blue and deep, passionate red painted walls perhaps suggests the complexity of their relationship.

Furthermore, their concealed faces mean that they have no perceivable identity, so Magritte calls into question not only individual experience but a collective, universal human narrative. They are archetypes of people, perhaps representing an emotional barrier between everyone, no matter how intimate the relationship. Potentially it is not that they cannot understand each other, but that an onlooker could never truly comprehend the meaning of the connection between strangers. 

The fact that the pair seem to be oblivious to their veils leads me to further believe that it isn’t physical fabric at all, but a manifestation of their emotional state. Although the stance of the man is more dominant, the fact that the fabric is wrapped around his neck makes it feel like he's being strangled by his situation. Additionally, Magritte's compositional decision to include the ceiling adds a sense of claustrophobia.

This painting has now become an iconic image in the time of coronavirus, and surreal as our everyday life is now, it has spawned many imitations, including a masked kiss on a Vogue cover.

 After an era of irreverent and explicit anti-Catholicism, in 1951 Salvador Dalí painted ‘Christ of Saint John of the Cross’. Some have claimed that it is ‘kitsch, shallow, and obvious’, however, others believe that it is the best painting ever produced.

In a “cosmic dream” on ecstasy, Dalí saw that the “nucleus of the atom” was in fact Christ himself. He found this confirmed by a drawing by St John of the Cross, which inspired this painting. The stark, black backdrop of nothingness further illuminates the figure of Jesus.

I think that in this image Dalí is strongly playing with the concept of life after death. Underneath the cross is a lake with two people and a boat, offset by a strikingly expressive sky. A theory that I have is that it's potentially an allusion to the ferryman taking people to the underworld in classic mythology. This can be backed up by his exceptional use of foreshortening - referencing the way that a priest holds out a crucifix for people to kiss when they're on their deathbed - and Dalí's personal interest in mythology.

The lack of details such as sweat and nails takes the suffering out of the image and emphasises the religious belief that the Son of God sacrificed himself because he wanted to, not because he had to.

 All three of these thought-provoking surrealist paintings lead the observer into an unpredictable narrative, and their use of colour, composition and paint application make the unbelievable contents believable, strongly influencing the viewer’s response to the work. Their compelling nature makes it feel as though these paintings are just the surface of a much wider story, an analysis of human psychology: the intense and ungraspable sense of fear and love, driven by the power of the subconscious. Tanning, Magritte and Dalí have all let strangers into their own dreams and nightmares, giving us the rare insight to be a witness to the manifestations of their own internal universe and lending brief escapism from our own.

In conclusion, through trying to understand themselves through Surrealism, perhaps they have handed humanity the key to unlock our own true nature, and why this movement is so treasured is simply because as humans we love to dream.

  Bibliography

Piper, D (2004). The Illustrated History of Art. 5th ed. London: Bounty Books. p422.

Unknown. (2020). SURREALISM. Available: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/s/surrealism. Last accessed 26th Jan 2021.

Feigel, L. (2019). Dangerous appetites: the weird, wild world of Dorothea Tanning. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/feb/08/dangerous-appetites-the-weird-wild-world-of-artist-dorothea-tanning. Last accessed 26th Jan 2021.

Unknown. (2020). Dorothea Tanning Artworks. Available: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/tanning-dorothea/artworks/. Last accessed 28th Jan 2021.

Gilles, N (2000). Dali. Germany: Taschen. p74-75.

Bazan, C. (2017). The Surrealist Love and Bizarre Romance of Rene Magritte. Available: https://musartboutique.com/surrealist-love-rene-magritte/. Last accessed 29th Jan 2021.

Unknown. (2020). The Lovers II, 1928 by Rene Magritte. Available: https://www.renemagritte.org/the-lovers-2.jsp. Last accessed 29th Jan 2021.

Bradley, F. (2020). Work in focus: ‘Christ of Saint John of the Cross’ by Salvador Dalí Talk. Available: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/event/work-in-focus-christ-of-saint-john. Last accessed 29th Jan 2021.

[evacurleyfmpyr1]

Conscious Clarity Menswear - Dior spring 2020

The Dior spring summer 2020 collection was designed by Kim Jones in collaboration with the artist Daniel Arsham. Kim Jones is an English fashion designer. He is a graduate of Central St Martins College of Art and Design and Daniel Arsham is an American artist. The collection mixes functional minimalism with futuristic tailoring with intricate utility detailing. All together the architectural style of the collection pushes to the consumer the idea of investing in items of lasting value as durability and longevity are becoming increasingly more important in the industry which links to the context sustainability. Kim Jones’ collection is almost seasonless and the versatile pieces feature timeless neutrals that can be combined easily with existing wardrobes and lifestyles. A heavy amount of outwear and classic tailoring mixed with utility style accessories and details from the outdoor sector show the fuse of traditional menswear with new technologies. Daniel Arsham created a set for the runway that featured the dior lettering, a dior clock and a gradient pink sand runway for the models to walk on. The giant dior letters in the runway appeared to have experienced a geological transformation with parts missing and crystals growing. Arsham’s concept was to focus on what the archaeology of today would look like in thousands of years from now and the main themes were the idea of destruction and reconstruction which mirror in the collection itself.

Kim Jones’ Dior mens SS20 campaign was directed by Steven Meisel, the campaign shows the silhouettes and accessories designed by Kim Jones in collaboration with American artist Daniel Arsham, who also reveals his perspective in the Future Relics series. The aim of the campaign was to reflect Dior’s past and future in a cool and timeless way. The photographs feature a stainless steel statue of a futuristic car with a hole quartz crystal, dubbed the "Archaeologist of the Future". Hidden gems like pearl flowers can be found , which Dior's founding designer thought it brought luck, and DIOR OBLIQUE, designed by Marc Bohan in 1967. With its striking and iridescent colours, there are special designs made with the luxury suitcase house RIMOWA with graphic patterned logo ornaments that are like an indelible signature. Aluminium cabin and luggage suitcases, handbags, and clutches are combined with modern Dior icons. Kim Jones designs, already iconic, take a time travel to the future with the favourite objects of Monsieur Dior. The designs reinvent Christian Dior's favourite colours, gray, and blue,like the Tailleur Oblique series. The transparent boots lend modern elegance to the models, while paired with jackets and trousers. While the Dior logo used on the jewellery is designed with cracks giving the appearance of "used", the earrings are decorated with crystals reflecting the philosophy and works of the famous artist. The campaign carries the spirit of the runway show and connects the past, present, and future, opening a new era in the history of the fashion house, offering an unprecedented tribute to its heritage.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Deca-Dence 4 | Maou-jou 2 | Fruits Basket 2 24 (49) | Magatsu 1 | IWGP 2 | Koi to Producer 11 - 12 (FINAL) | HypMic 3

Still chugging away at these summer and spring anime...sorry for the delay...(LOL, that rhymed without me meaning to.)

Also, I’ve been on the fence about whether to keep Golden Kamuy, since almost no one I read the reviews of follows it now and it’s a week’s wait (when accounting for my AniList challenge)...so I’m putting it on pause so I don’t have to suffer later.

Deca-Dence 4

“…who possesses the will to fight.”

…Great. Kurenai is absolutely tethered to Kaburagi in a one-sided love. Just when I thought Natsume had an independent role model to look up to.

Maou-jou 2

Oh, this is from Shonen Sunday? Didn’t know that until now.

“Demon Shroud: A demon with 99 clans. A cloth demon that puts on airs that it won’t be used before it’s finished off, due to its wonderful fabric. It is full of beautiful ghostly power, so its skin is smooth. However, the hero (who commonly uses things he finds in his surroundings) caught one, so now the princess has zeroed in on them. The princess doesn’t need the hands or the head of these demons, so it’s a cycle of killing and taking revenge for them. Their fighting style is squeezing the life out of things.”

Apparently, the teddy is acceptable, LOL.

I like how the window stopped displaying text at one point.

I saw someone with a huge plait in the ED. The queen, maybe…?

I noticed the laughs dropped off significantly in comparison to last time, but it’s still good. I can flex my translation skills even if I can’t laugh at one part.

Fruits Basket 2 24 (49)

…jumping to the 2nd-last episode in a season is pretty unprecendented, but I’m going to watch this for the sake of Jon’s Creator Showcase…then again, I need to finish this anime anyway, so it’s just cutting and changing the order for something I already know the outcomes of.

I used to lose myself in movies so much that I would lose all sense of who I was and would have to “regain the bearings of myself”, so to speak. I would have to reconstruct who I was, even though I technically hadn’t “been broken” and I knew once I did that, it felt different. Like I’d travelled through time and past me would never be the same as present me. That’s why I kind of get what Machi means.

Oh, I didn’t listen to this OP much…probably because I’m emphasising bingeing the spring and summer series I left behind and now that I can skip the ads on most of my anime, I’m leaving behind the anime I’ll be slower on.

The manga was written when there weren’t as many cell phones around, much less smartphones.

Rin’s on bad terms with everyone…

…if I remember the year of the dragon correctly, the last one was 2012, then the one before that is 2000…around the turn of the millennium, huh? Froob is showing its age here, albeit unintentionally.

Now that I’m closer to the Musketeers’ age, I can kind of empathise with their scenes a bit more.

“If I always blame someone or something, I’ll never change.” – True. I realised I’ve been a bit too haughty lately (what with the HypMic anime going on and it being the first thing I could research extensively before the anime’s debut, my feelings are of course reaching fever pitch – combine that with continued COVID lockdown and you get me being all defensive of HypMic, for better or for worse) and so I may have acted like a jerk to someone, but since I only know them online and generally when I try to apologise to people online they don’t see the things I apologise for as things in need of apology, I know the fault lies with me to rein myself in. I guess this means changing yourself is the only way to move forward.

I wonder how Hatori did his doctor training while avoiding hugs from girls who aren’t Sohmas…?

Shigure vs. Gentaro (of HypMic, of course)…a writing competition! That would be fun.

…Crow’s note here makes sense (<- this is why I changed the order). Shigure was clearly asking a question there.

Come to think of it, HypMic and Froob have some similar characters. The stoic doctor is Hatori/Jakurai, the energetic smol one is Momiji/Ramuda, the teasing author is Shigure/Gentaro…that could make for some good fanfic material, really.

Magatsu 1

…that title is an absolute killer, man. Anyways, I’m here for the director, who also worked on Hataraku Maou-sama.

Is this a no guns thing, like IWGP is a no drugs thing?

…this OP has lyrics?! I just hear strange squeaky noises, the kind you hear on some autotuned sogs to make them seem more ominous (I can’t remember if there’s a similar sound in G-Anthem of Y City or Yokohama Walker, but one of the MTC songs has similar noises).

I kinda guessed Leo’s package was the one Schaake and her partner were looking for. I was right.

That CGI (on the truck) is…kinda conspicuous.

These backgrounds are gorgeous.

“The definition of in dubio contra reum is "in doubt, against the accused", meaning that, where there is doubt, the accused in a trial is not given the benefit of that doubt; they are assumed guilty.”

I wonder: how many protagonists start out as absolute wimps, unwilling to fight because they either know or don’t know their own power? It’s a pretty standard introduction for things with fights.

This battle track is nice. I listened to some of the Magatsu music under Masaru Yokoyama’s name on Spotify and it’s pretty cool, but since it’s background music, there’s not a lot of demand to listen to it (from me or anyone else, I don’t think).

Why is there only a single shield if they know the enemy has heavy artillery?

…what the heck is a Zeits? Update: You can see a “Zeits” (or however it’s spelt) in the credits list, suggesting Zeits is a character in this.

I knew this was my last premiere and this might have made or broken my entire watching schedule, but this is just a pretty down-to-earth premiere for a fantasy mobile game. While that cliffhanger compelled me to continue, I don’t think it’s good enough to beat its competition in the long run.

IWGP 2

I know I said Magatsu was my last premiere, but just to be sure, I’m watching this one.

This dance scene is beautifully orchestrated. The fact there’s no music means you focus entirely on the motion.

The OP seems to trade more in colour and spectacle than actual “cool factor”.

…wow, $2.90…? That’s some cheap food.

You know I hate 1st person cam with a passion, right? So…uh…

Eyyyyyyyy…this is basically McDonald’s, curry style.

I think I can almost see Ichiro of HypMic in how the G-Boys seem to mostly be reformed delinquents or actual delinquents.

…yeah, but what’s your name, random messenger guy? Update: We find out later his name is Isogai.

“It’s because I suck at working and communicating.” – Yep, that me.

Ikebukuro licence plate. I still have no idea exactly what places get licence plates in Japan.

There are actually 2 characters before “Hospital”, but no one confirms the reading of those characters…which is probably why they’re omitted.

…oh gosh, if this were a BL, Mitsuki and Masaru would be star-crossed lovers…*sigh*

Maybe it’s an unrelated 3rd party??? (In mysteries, you can never dismiss the work of a 3rd party.)

You can tell exactly which group is which based on the colours they wear. Makoto isn’t affiliated with anyone, so he’s wearing black and had yellow earlier.

I think an anime is cowardly – or trying to save budget – if they deliberately choose an angle where they can’t show the moment of impact clearly.

E! News, LOL.

Archangel, huh? So like a 2nd in command?

I think IWGP is moving in the direction of pushing the gangs against each other in the way Makoto describes in ep. 2.

As for what I think of it now, it's decent if you want something down-to-earth, but it seems to be missing some kind of "wow factor". Like it's afraid to commit to deeper characterisation, even though it has Makoto as the ostensible lead/viewpoint character.

Koi to Producer 11

“Cognitive Science Association” - I thought it was the Cognitive Psychology Association…? (Psychology is shinrigaku, science is kagaku.)

My boy (Lucien)…why must you be so evil??? Why do I keep falling for the tall but mysterious doctor??? (<- guilty as charged re: Jakurai)

…that’s some funky seatbelts.

What’s that look in Victor’s eyes…? Fondness, or something more…?

…ah, so there is “Science” in the place’s name. It was just being less loosely translated then.

Oh dang. Stuff escalated really fast, huh?

You actually set this in 2020, huh, staff? What happens ten years from now and people watch it, only to realise 2020 and 2030 aren’t so different? That’s what happened when people had the Y2K bug.

That yellow sign on the side says “exit”. It’s not of any use.

That’s not a recoloured Kiro, is it? It’s not Shaw, either (who I think we saw somewhere in the previous episodes)…so then who is it?

…geesh, they even changed Helios to Ares. I guess it makes sense: Helios is the god of the sun, but Ares is the god of war.

Koi to Producer 12 (FINAL)

I read on the wiki Lucien’s power is copying powers. No wonder I couldn’t get a solid handle on it!

So that Helios wasn’t a mistake in the credits list in the previous episode???

Can we even hear what Helios says when Protag-chan is pulled away? Based on the lack of subs, probably no, but I wanted to ask anyway. (Or maybe he said “Watashi”, since that’s the pronoun Protag-chan goes by?)

…so that really is Kiro, huh?

Military…what? When did Protag-chan’s father have a military squad???

LOL, at the very end you can see Gavin gesturing at Greenie (the pot plant, presumably a succulent). I logged on to the game 7 days straight (they have a Discord channel!) and got a Gavin R card with Greenie on it, which is how I know about it.

Anyways, that was a fun show. Not the best, but still fun.

HypMic 3

*snickers* Just look at my boi! He’s so tall, he has to bend down for kids! (I don’t mean that teasingly, I mean that endearingly, but lately I’ve been no good at expressing myself…Must be the lockdown.)

If TsudaKen was a guest last time, then Degarashi and Irihatoma could be voiced by guest seiyuus too…

What is Jakurai, hmm? (A Transformer, LOL?...I’m kidding, of course.)

All I knew about this episode going in was that it was an MTR episode. Maybe they’ll cover the stalker story from the manga…?

More literally, Hifumi’s sign says “will you monopolise me until morning?”. This reminds me of the MTR truck one of the servers I was in was talking about…it looked like a giant billboard.

“The most notable thing about Doppo is that he has no notable characteristics.”…and yet, he’s still one of the most popular characters of the series.

Suddenly, HypMic becomes a mystery…? I’ll take it!

Yup, “Doppomine” is now confirmed as “Doppo-chin”.

If all the mysteries I’ve consumed say one thing, it’s “never forget there might be someone out there with a grudge against you willing to pin a crime on you”…or alternatively, “never forget there may be an unrelated 3rd party who would be willing to pin a crime on you”.

These guys (Tom etc.) are just food critics, I swear…(LOL)

Oddly enough(?), googling “Shinjuku waffles” reveals there are several waffle places in Shinjuku…you wouldn’t expect so many waffles away from the home of waffles (probably Belgium), but there you go.

All the results on Shinjuku French toast point to this Café Aaliya (give or take an H at the end). Apparently, it’s so popular, people line up for it on weekdays.

Oh, so Tom’s a (street) photographer…what are Iris and Rex then?

The CGI on that car looks really bad, man. It may be dark to disguise it, but it still looks bad.

Jakurai’s dad car strikes again!...Was it white? I don’t remember, but I’m pretty sure it was a lighter colour than this.

I was quite worried about how much swearing they were going to throw in the MTC episode, but then…they kicked it down a week. So…start worrying about next week, folks!

I…thought he would call Jyuto for some reason. (giggles) I’ve never seen Samatoki look so happy in relation to Jakurai, but maybe that’s because he’s just chilling. (Or maybe he was meant to have a neutral but slightly happy face and they messed up the angle. I know I do that sometimes in fanart.)

There’s Jyuto, right on cue…LOL, that kick to the guts was so random it became epic!

Uwabami…what sort of snake is that, again? *checks* Giant snake. That’s no help. (That host could have a guest seiyuu too.)

Ooh, I’m fairly sure that’s an automatic car.

Jakurai went Jitsu wa kyoumi bukai desu ne?. “Fascinating” isn’t a wrong translation, but they did forget “In fact…” or “Really…” from the start and possibly the “?” at the end (depending on interpretation). Update: It might actually be Jitsu ni, but same deal.

They struttin’ down Kabuki-cho all fancy-like…Doppo sure does get a lot of punchlines, though.

This random guy at the club could also have a guest seiyuu…

…what’s with the random Tahoma?

…oh, hey. If Hifumi’s jacket acts as a security blanket of sorts against women and he gave it to Doppo for extra warmth (presumably), then…he’s trying to protect Doppo, even in his own sort of unique way.

Mimimi vs Hifumi? This is gonna get confusing…(hey, did they actually make a flourish noise when Hifumi put on his jacket? Does the distinction need to be that clear…?)

…see, never forget the presence of an unrelated 3rd party.Wait, so we have motive…what’s the relationship of Mimimi and the dude she killed? Who is that dude? Update: We find out later.

Notice Mimimi says “Hifumi-kun” – she’s still on an outside layer compared to Doppo, who just uses Hifumi’s name. Also, I noticed Mimimi called herself Hifumi’s “onna” – “woman” – explicitly, as if she belonged to him. The subs reflect that, but it seems to have less meaning in English because they outright translated it as such.

Well, they got to demonstrate Doppo’s snapping. I’m more than happy with just that. Also, Hifumi calls Doppo with a -kun here.

LOL, this song is gonna be known as “catchy”, ain’t it? Anything with an easy-to-sing-along chorus like “nananana” is. Update: Or maybe not even a chorus, it’s just lyrics.

Hmm…I noticed the “use Mr with me” line isn’t actually reflected in the subs, but the lyrics are so fast, I don’t know how they are reflected.

Did you notice the da in the lyrics in romaji?

…and s*** goes ka-blooey, as you’ve come to expect by now.

Mimimi-kun…?

Oh, so the background from Hypnosis Mics can get caught in photos? I never thought of that.

It’s almost as if they’re nodding at the Doppo fans through the 4th wall regarding his appeal.

It seems they’re not switching out this Buster Bros track, which is…okay, but I was hoping for an MTR ED. (Tofubeats was on this track IIRC and the anime website didn’t list a future ED, so that’s why I’m okay with it.)

…Okay, so Irihatoma is Mutsumi Iwanaka, who’s a rookie in the seiyuu world. *goes to consult Anime News Network*

Oh! Mimimi Hibakari! I get it! (It means “me, me, me all day” when written differently to her name.)

Uwabami was Shugo Nakamura and Degarashi was Mitsuaki Hoshino. I’ve never heard of these guys – except for Nakamura’s role as Teru in Idolm@ster Side M – so it’s interesting they contrasted TsudaKen with them…eh? Heilong? Whossat? (Probably the guy whose…parts…almost got crushed by Jakurai with a billiards cue.) This Hiroya Eto is even more underground than those guys.

A-hah! Today’s new song is “WELCOME U” (that’s how it’s spelt, don’t diss me for it!) by Kohei from SIMONSAYZ.

Update: I thought that kid at the beginning was Yotsutsuji, so it scared me for a second.

[kirraleelivingstone]

CMN150 Task 1A

The image below is captioned “Bushfire Evacuation Centre” and was taken by Sean Davey for Agence France-Presse on the 31st of December 2019 (World Press Photo, 2019). It shows a family forced into evacuation in a New South Wales town due to the ravenous bushfires effecting Australia from late 2019 to roughly march of 2020. The subject of the photograph shows several young children centred in the middle of the shot, signifying they are the main intended focal point. The cars, caravans, dog, and yellow haze is the remaining content which adds detail to the subject’s story. Before focusing on the elements which most encapsulates the meaning and purpose of this photograph, there is also prominent use of composition and framing. Having this image shot in landscape view, with the subjects in the middle front of the frame in seemingly natural poses, shows the authenticity of the photograph and the situation it captures. It shows that the Australian bushfires of 2019/2020 affected many innocent peoples lives, hence why children, who are commonly associated with innocence, may have been used as the subject to spread that specific message. The landscape view also helps to showcase every aspect of their new living conditions while the natural disaster ravaged many innocent communities. It shows the family’s cars in which they would have had to fit everything they could bring in there with them and caravans some family’s may own giving themselves a nicer more secure place to stay during this unprecedented event. Now onto the lighting and colour, which were great elements to further create mood and feeling within this photograph. The lighting used in this image is a combination of back light created by artificial lights from buildings and cars and the other kind of back light present is the light emitting from a nearby fire. The light coming from the nearby fire adds a sense of urgency and danger to the photograph, and the warm tones of it creates a moody feel as it is not bright and clear, as well as casting some shadows. A vignette effect has also been added to further create that same effect, as well as drawing focus to the centre of the image where the subject is, then outwards to the additional content. Lastly, the colour used in this photograph, specifically yellow adds an ominous feel to the image, and the shade of yellow along with the ashy texture could be used to symbolise the heat and haze coming from the nearby fires. Through the use of photography elements such as framing and composition, lighting, and colour, this photograph emotes a personal moody response while complimenting the viewers eyes and painting a clear story using the subject and content to add further detail. 

Link for photograph- https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2020/39614/1/Sean-Davey

[beautifulpaxielreads]

June Wrap Up

Books completed (ratings out of five stars)

Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman (★★★★)

The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman (★★★1/2)

Green Valentine by Lili Wilkinson* (★★★★)

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman (★★★1/2)

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (★★★★)

Books currently in progress

Saga Land by Richard Fidler* and Kári Gíslason*

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

*Australian author

Challenges, Games, and other Booklr interactions

Posted a photograph of Onyx & Ivory (Rime Chronicles #1) by Mindee Arnett for @myownlittlebookcorner’s monthly Shelf-Confidence Book Photography Challenge (June 10th)

Good Reads/Storygraph 2020 Reading Challenge: 31 books out of 70. I’m a bit behind!

Finished 1 book on my backlist, unofficially as part of @bookbandit​’s Beat the Backlist challenge

Original Posts on Tumblr

Posted photograph of my copy of The Priory of the Orange Tree to celebrate my completion of it (June 26th)

Posted quote by Samantha Shannon about libraries (June 26th)

Posted update of my initial experience using Storygraph (June 24th)

Posted a notice regarding the creation of my new user account on Storygraph (June 18th)

Posted a photograph of my then-current library haul (June 2nd)

Reflections on June’s Reading Goals

I finished The Priory of the Orange Tree! I know I said I was going to take my time over it, but the last 200 pages or so set such a cracking pace that I had no choice but to read it to the end. I’m proud of myself for finishing this one, more so than anything else I’ve read so far this year.

Finished Harley in the Sky and Green Valentine. I DNF’d Onyx & Ivory in the end because I felt the plot was too familiar and was riddled with cliched tropes. Or maybe the Throne of Glass series ruined me for books of this nature.

Still did not start any e-books, and to be honest, I’m not sure if I’m going to get to them anytime soon. I still prefer the feel of physical books. But the e-books aren’t going away so I will get to them. Eventually.

Finished The Toll. Overall I enjoyed it, although I felt like it was a bit long, and the ending felt rushed. I also feel like the villain of the story did not get a satisfying comeuppance for all his acts of evil. I think Shusterman perhaps tried to cram too many ideas into this one, and it confirmed what I’d initially thought about these books – the romance did not need to be there!

Didn’t reread The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but TBH I pretty much expected that. My heart isn’t ready yet!

Not as much Booklr interaction this month – but I think it’s always going to be a bit up and down, so I’m not TOO worried. Yet.

Still behind on my reading goal for 2020. I’m getting there though!

Started Saga Land (see above). I’m finding it a little difficult to get into fully, but I’m going to persevere with it for now. I suspect it’s one of those books that works well if you read it slowly, so that’s what I plan to do.

No more moodboards for now. I’m not so motivated to do them, especially as the first one I did received literally no attention.

As for reading authors of colour, see my notes under “Interesting observations” and “reading goals for July”.

New followers

66 FOLLOWERS! HOLY -! I have no words. Seriously, you are all amazing.

On a side note, I’m now less than 70 followers away from reaching that big old 1K mark. Think I can get there?

Interesting observations

I signed up for Storygraph this month. I read raves on Tumblr about how good it was (especially as compared with Good Reads), so I decided to give it a go. It’s got some neat features and I’m looking forward to seeing what the developers bring to it in the future. I’m keeping my Good Reads account for now, mainly because it lets me update my progress which Storygraph doesn’t yet (although here’s hoping they’ll do it in future).

The Black Lives Matter movement had a definite (and positive impact) on my reading and book blogging this month. For the time being, I’ve decided to focus on reading books specifically by Indigenous Australian authors because I want to relate to the BLM movement as it exists here. I plan to read more books by non-Australian authors of colour in the future for sure though!

Reading (and reading-related) Goals for July

Read more books by authors of colour, particularly those by Indigenous Australians. I just finished (as of July 1st) Catching Teller Crow but I also have Growing Up Aboriginal (edited by Anita Heiss), The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf (The Tribe #1) by Ambelin Kwaymullina, and Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson on my TBR shelf.

Finish my current reads, Saga Land and Thorn.

Make a start on the other books on my TBR shelf (besides  the ones I mentioned in my first point on this list): The Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1) by Marie Rutkoski, Dark of the West (Glass Alliance #1) by Joanna Hathaway, Caesar’s Women (Masters of Rome #4) by Colleen McCullough, and Please Don’t Hug Me by Kay Kerr.

Participate in more book photography challenges – I felt this month was a bit lacking.

Catch up with my goal of reading 70 books in 2020 – I’m up to 32, so I want to reach at least the halfway point this month (I’ve been a bit behind lately).

I think I have a habit of setting myself too many goals with my reading and end up falling short, so this is where I’ll leave things for now. Hopefully, these July goals will be a bit more manageable.

See you all in August for my July wrap-up!

[dansnaturepictures]

21/02/20-More pictures during a working day: Peregrines, Lakeside blossom and early spring colour

2 weeks after last doing it and taking all sorts of photos from the categories above I brought my bridge camera to work with me today with the main focus being to try to photograph signs of spring at Winchester Cathedral in possibly a bit of sun. As it happened the sunny intervals that were likely never really materialized with the sun only threatening to break through a few times whilst I was out of the office but it was still really fun to be out with the camera. This was a way to raise my photography spirits a little after two weekends with dark days due to storms. 

As I walked to the railway station I noticed a big sign of spring as I walked by Lakeside Country Park, the white cherry blossom on trees. I have not cut across Lakeside on the way to work or on the way home for months because it’s too muddy to be going there in work gear. But passing it in the mornings and some evenings a little bit lately with them drawing out now I had noticed the blossom on many of the trees there throughout the landscape. This evening I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of a tree in blossom at Lakeside. It always looks so remarkable and stands out so well against a bare and therefore dark landscape at this stage in a year as winter’s end seems near. I also admired a tree in pink blossom when in Winchester on the way to work. 

This lunch time I relished the opportunity to look for the Winchester Peregrines and try to photograph them again. I felt very nostalgic as I noticed yesterday the webcam of the nesting area (with an additional camera to last year) has been switched on, link to it here: https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/the-peregrines-return-in-2020/ So just like the initial period where I started following these birds more regularly this time last year and photograph them occasionally a period of time I look back on fondly which I am celebrating being 12 months from of late, I could have a look on the webcam and see if the birds were there and they were just before I headed out to lunch. It informed my decision not to visit St. Thomas Church the other place they go but go straight to the cathedral. That I did today and when I got there after taking the view in the first picture in this photoset I felt the magic of then seeing these iconic birds in the flesh. I took the fourth, fifth and sixth pictures in this photoset of the two Peregrines today. 

I watched for a little bit and took photos of both birds. One flew away but then noisily flew back in. The other moved around a bit on the north tower ledge and dropped in above the nesting tray for a bit on the webcam I had seen one on the nesting tray this morning. I was humbled once more to be observing and getting the chance to photograph these amazing birds. All the exciting and joyful feelings I have obtained when watching these birds over the last year were there today. I was even more honoured by the fact I’ve seen both birds at both locations on Fridays I had my camera this month after photographing both birds at St. Thomas Church two weeks ago today. I just feel extremely lucky I’ve been able to do this adding to a portfolio of pictures I’ve taken of these birds which I am really happy with. 

I am so happy that February was the first month I managed to take pictures of both these birds at both locations in as February was the month it all started in 2019 for my regular Peregrine photos or photo attempts when I first took my camera in my work bag to photograph a Peregrine. I shared today as I did last year on Valentine’s Day when there with my camera that immense excitement for the spring ahead with these birds and generally this time of year. I think my heart swells for the Peregrines even more in breeding season which it’s hit me we’re now in really due to how lucky we are to have the birds nesting in Winchester. It’s a unique buzz around the whole thing I had today that I also had that day last February. 

As I went through the cathedral grounds to Abbey Gardens and a look at the River Itchen where I ate lunch I captured more of the sights of early spring with some in between these locations today too. I took the second and third pictures in this photoset of Snowdrops and Daffodils two flowers I have been enjoying here so much recently. I took the seventh picture in this photoset of pink blossom when walking through Colebrook Street car park. At Abbey Gardens and the river I felt I got a bit creative with getting lovely bright flowers photographed by taking ones of them with the landscape behind. The one I did in Abbey Gardens the eighth in this photoset. Something it was fun to try out and the bridge camera does so well. It was also interesting to for my first time ever see some water from the river over the footpath a little after all the rain recently. I took the ninth and penultimate picture in this photoset of this I have seen fields beside the River Itchen flooded this week in the area of the scene I captured from the train two weeks ago. Another fantastic and varied working day with my bridge camera this month which I felt lucky to have. 

Wildlife Sightings Summary: One of my favourite birds the Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, House Sparrow, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull and I heard Blue Tit and Song Thrush.

[enginerumors]

2020 focus ST Specs, Release Date, Engine

2020 focus ST Specs, Release Date, Engine

2020 focus ST Specs, Release Date, Engine – Any innovative Focus ST seemed to be recently spied inside Nurburgring, Germany. Getting exposed any 4th-technologies motor vehicle with regard to the European industry a few days earlier, this excellent various design could be anticipated to be the Saint-hatchback version.

2020 focus ST 

Based on the details that had been undertaken throughout this…

[arthistorydorm-blog]

The One About Op Art: In Focus

‘Op Art: In Focus’, an exhibition currently being held at Tate Liverpool, houses prestigious artists of the Op Art movement. As part of Tate’s series ‘In Focus’, the exhibition aims to showcase a full overview of the Op Art movement. The exhibition is open from the 21st July 2018 until the 5th July 2020, making it one of Tate’s longer exhibitions.

Optical Art occurs when an image is created in order to trick the mind, occasionally when ‘two periodic structures are superimposed’. Characteristic works include sequential lines superimposed against each other at confounding angles or repeated pattern manipulated to distort dimensions, inducing the feeling of movement. This optical effect is achieved through most of the artists using ‘systematic and precise manipulation of shapes and colours’ which can be established either on ‘perspective illusion or on chromatic tension’.

The statement piece in this exhibition I would argue is Lambie’s ‘Zobop’ which features bright, multi-coloured tape flooding two of the three exhibition rooms ‘The bands of colour vibrate and dance’, leaving the room without this installation appearing dull by comparison. If the installation flooded the entire exhibition, the primary room would feel more energetic and cohesive with the other spaces in the gallery. If one could view the floor separately from the works on the wall, then each could be truly appreciated in their own right.

‘Zobop’ was completed by getting a small group of students, of Fine Art from Liverpool John Moore’s University to lay down the tape in the gallery, starting at the wall and progressing towards the centre, the students went around different objects such as the columns or the copper plates on the ground. The video of the students putting up this impressive artwork is available at the Tate website (located at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/exhibition/op-art-focus ). The students laid down the 2 millimetre vinyl tape in two foot pieces to achieve the finished appearance with a thin layer of plastic laid on top of the tape in an attempt to stop the tape being destroyed over the two years that this exhibition is on. However, upon visiting the gallery one can observe that there are scuffmarks on the floor, taking away from the visual and optical effect of the tape.

Kinetic art plays a key role within this exhibition, with art such as ‘Continual Mobile, Continual Light’ by Julio Le Parc, which is an aluminium mobile that casts light on the wall behind the piece. This piece may be one of the most entrancing pieces in the exhibition, because of the way that the light and shadows move around at the slightest disturbance from the visitor. Light is also playing a key role in this exhibition, whether that be the reflections of light in ‘Continual Mobile, Continual Light’ or ‘Aluminium 4’, which are four boxes of light on the floor.

I felt that a number of artworks did not fit the overall theme of the exhibition with ‘Anthraquinone-1-Diazonium Chloride’ by Damien Hirst, and the Abstract Expressionist work in third gallery space of this exhibition. With these cases it would have been bennificial if the inclusion of these works were expressed on the wall texts beside the work.

This exhibition is not altogether representative of the original movement, therefore this exhibition fails in the Tate’s aim to teach the public about Op Art. The general public may be aided if the website and gallery provided more information on Op Art and movements it was influenced by or went on to inspire on a wall panel, rather than expecting their audience to have a prior knowledge of the movement, the exhibition could be improved through the provision of Tate’s expertise. Nonetheless, this exhibition overall is a disappointing exhibition, certainly worth seeing if one has a prior knowledge of this movement, but not very educational to those without. Despite all these drawbacks it is an interesting exhibition and worth the visit.

[disruptioncamouflage]

Meeting notes:

Lecturer Notes:

1. John Reynolds wearing ghillie suit in Art New Zealand https://www.art-newzealand.com/Issue122/contents122.htm

2. Deleuze and Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus, attached PDF. It’s a tough read so even just focus on the orchid and the wasp analogy in the first approx. 15 pages. Let the thinking wash over you for now and make some notes/brainstorms. As Dan mentioned: is the orchid imitating the aesthetic form of the wasp to attract pollination? Or is the relationship more reciprocal, more rhizomatic, where the wasp then also imitates the aesthetics of the orchid and they keep imitating each other in a feedback loop? Maybe camouflage/imitation doesn’t work in one direction?

3. Yinka Shonibare, artist who uses mannequins as sculptural form/installation.

4. ‘King of the Fools’ or the ‘court jester’ – are they making fun, or more political commentary? Are they the butt of the joke, or in power/control? Carnival - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Carnival and Mardi Gras (New Orleans, Sydney) are release valves, the purge or ejaculation or release that lets people behave/misbehave the way they want outside of ordinary responsibility – an inversion of the ‘status quo’  

5. Rachel Harrison https://www.artforum.com/print/202001/hal-foster-on-the-art-of-rachel-harrison-81631

6. Isa Genzken https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/2784-isa-genzken/

7. Dubuffet Coucou Bazar https://www.artnews.com/feature/jean-dubuffet-who-is-he-famous-works-1234569877/ and https://www.dubuffetfondation.com/focus.php?menu=40&lang=en

8> WWE wrestling – performance, entertainment, hype, art? https://www.npr.org/2014/04/16/303652716/drag-is-raw-wrestlers-queens-and-gender-as-performance-art(Dan I think this is the one you meant, but couldn’t read my own writing! Please correct if not 😊) 

9. Susan Blackmore, TED talk https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_blackmore_memes_and_temesJeremy Deller https://www.jeremydeller.org  and this brainstorm https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/deller-the-history-of-the-world-t12868

10. Mark Leckey Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/leckey-fiorucci-made-me-hardcore-t11817

11. Westie culture, rave culture – to you have to walk down Queen St trying to make a scene as an opposite (wearing ghillie suit or whatever, in contrast to lawyer in suits etc.) or can you just live your life and drink beers in the garage on a Friday night with friends wearing outfits instead? What happens if you photograph your outfit every day as a diary? Maybe it’s more natural to just live your life as art, instead of setting up a separate ‘performance’ or ‘event’

Artists thoughts:

I thought before I looked into these notes I’d build a base for me to work off, which is this idea of capturing ghillie suits in environments there not meant to be in. I call this concept ‘Unnatural Habitats’, innately just wearing a ghillie suit in a urban environment makes it stand out as its already out of place. But I think going to a deeper level is to play with the colours of the ghillie suit, I found that wherever I took the suit, there was somewhere it always blended in, even when it stood out everywhere else. My lectures thought it would be a good idea to work though these notes and ‘see what sticks’, so that my plan. On first glance there are already things that I think work quite well, just from titles, such as ‘King Of The Fools’ and the ‘Court Jester’. As I had been playing around with the humors of wearing a ghillie in public, and how wearing the ghillie made me feel like the true form of a jester. Not laughed at, but laughed with, a way of making people smile. 

1. Ghillie as humor with expected context: 

John Reynolds ideas of ghillie suits revolve around humored appropriate attire for the current pandemic and social climate, in a quote from a house visit by ‘The Big Idea Editor’ on 13 May 2020. The author writes, “Self-portrait at home in full Level 3 attire, contemplating a jigsaw”. 

https://www.thebigidea.nz/stories/blurring-things-is-our-job-description

John Reynolds interpretation of ghillie suits resonates with my ideas around the humor, but with more of a twist towards covid. This also plays on my ideas of ‘the jester’, how I perceive a jester is someone that makes people laugh and smile, without it being at there own expense. So in terms of wearing ghillie suits around in public, I think its largely to do with how you perceive your self, and positive reactions bounce of how you carry your self. I also quite like this quote from the article, “[visual art] It’s a solitary occupation, punctuated with moments of compressed socializing and occasional collaborative professional misbehaving”. I agree with what he is saying here, because of how difficult is to express my goals around public interaction with my ghillie suits due to covid. Last year I had planned to publicly test my ghillie suits, but we went into lockdown making it near impossible, and even for presentation I had planned to have people walking around on the opening night. So I guess this year I'm taking any opportunity to achieve all the elements of my honors project that I couldn't last year. 

2. Paragraph from A Thousand Plateaus:

The orchid deterritorializes by forming an image, a tracing of a wasp; but the wasp reterritorializes on that image. The wasp is nevertheless derritorialized, becoming a piece in the orchid's reproductive apparatus. But it reterritorializes the orchid by transporting its pollen. Wasp and orchid, as heterogeneous elements, form a rhizome. It could be said that the orchid imitates the wasp, reproducing its image in a signifying fashion (mimesis, mimicry, lure, etc.). But this is true only on the level of the strata-a parallelism between two strata such that a plant organization on one imitates an animal organization on the other. At the same time, something else entirely is going on: not imitation at all but a capture of code, surplus value of code, an increase in valence, a veritable becoming, a becoming-wasp of the orchid and a becoming-orchid of the wasp. Each of these becoming's brings about the deterritorialization of one term and the reterritorialization of the other; the two becoming's interlink and form relays in a circulation of intensities pushing the deterritorialization ever further. There is neither imitation nor resemblance, only an exploding of two heterogeneous series on the line of flight composed by a common rhizome that can no longer be attributed to or subjugated by anything signifying. Rémy Chauvin expresses it well: "the aparallel evolution of two beings that have absolutely nothing to do with each other."

Rémy Chauvin in Entretiens sur la sexualité, ed. Max Aron, Robert Courrier, and Etienne Wolff (Paris: Pion, 1969), p. 205.

3.

4. The butt of the joke, or in power/control:

The jesters were given a power that no other person in the kingdom was granted: the power to openly mock any noble he saw fit, even the King or Queen. So long as it was done in a jesting manner, a jester could get away with poking fun at any of the nobles shortcomings.

https://medievalfactsexaminer.weebly.com/articles/medieval-jester-more-than-just-a-fool

Unpacking this quote:

The jesters were given a power, the power to openly mock any noble he saw fit, even the King or Queen. When I think about this idea in a modern setting, where most people see themselves as the center of there universe, its very hard to give a jester that much power, people are far to self aware and afraid to being mooched or floored. However the jester gains power in the modern world by how they carry themselves, there wisdom, and there ability to be altruistic ( showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish.). This can be see as self-awareness, and it provides a huge amount of power in a moment.  

Thinking from Y, in terms of Mardi Gras:

Mardi Gras (New Orleans, Sydney) are release valves, the purge or ejaculation or release that lets people behave/misbehave the way they want outside of ordinary responsibility – an inversion of the ‘status quo’

Artist thought about this idea:

Interestingly I see some connection with this idea to John Reynolds when he talks about “[visual art] It’s a solitary occupation, punctuated with moments of compressed socializing and occasional collaborative professional misbehaving”. Much like Mardi Gras, there is limited moments for the Provocateur to get his exposure in the public eye. This exposure being that of  an inversion of the ‘status quo’, or normality that people expect. I think a good example of this was when we turned up to the exhibition, there was this formality, or expectation of proper dress. But as soon as that was broken by Mel and I, there is this moment of serotonin release from the viewer. So when elaborating on that thought, am I the provocateur providing a moment of Mardi Gras for the viewer?

In that case am I the jester controlling the joke, controlling the narrative of how the viewer is meant to perceive me. My attitude, my posture, an interesting point with that, most of the time I forget I'm wearing a ghillie suit. There was a moment when I was driving home from Devonport, we pulled up to a pedestrian crossing, the people saw me stop and walked across staring at me, double taking even (looking back over there shoulder). I thought to my self why are they staring so much, looked down, and exclaimed, “ahh that's why”, and began giggling to my self. 

5. A devil-may-care assemblage artist

definition: cheerful and reckless

6. 

7. 

9.

10.

11. I'm doing this!

Westie culture, rave culture – to you have to walk down Queen St trying to make a scene as an opposite (wearing ghillie suit or whatever, in contrast to lawyer in suits etc.) or can you just live your life and drink beers in the garage on a Friday night with friends wearing outfits instead? What happens if you photograph your outfit every day as a diary? Maybe it’s more natural to just live your life as art, instead of setting up a separate ‘performance’ or ‘event’

Artist notes:

2

[peaamlipoetrydoctor]

Happy New Year 2022

[[Alt Text - the image is a screengrab from my Instagram account, so it appears in the square 3x3 format that has become such a well-established visual language in mainstream social media. The images are all taken from my daily walks during or shortly after First Lockdown 2020. TL peach-coloured roses. TC the statue of the shepherd plus sheep in Paternoster Square. TR a glimpse towards St Pauls through the Paternoster Square development. CL a sandstone church, Myddleton square, at dusk. CC the trouser legs of the statue of Fenner Brockway, Red Lion Square. CR from the shoreline of the Thames, looking back towards the steps and up to the sky and to the cranes above. BL the bright turquoise painted shop front of Epic Pies, with the image of me taking the photo appearing reflected in the glass door of the shop. BC two young men in smart casual business wear walk in front of a graffiti'd monster, with the Barbican towers in the background. BR inside the Barbican complex this time, two red hot poker flowers in the garden in front of a tower.]

Apologies in advance that this might be quite a dull post for anyone else who comes across it but I haven't yet summarized my year in writing for 2021 and it's finally occurring to me that if I don't, no-one else will... My plan, then, is to write up the summary today and over the next couple of days, I'll put a copy of the poems that are already "out in the world" into the few posts following, for future reference.

So, first up, I have to acknowledge that 2021 was when I completed my doctoral thesis and had the corrections accepted:

Working through climate grief: A first person poetic inquiry.

It's on its way into the British Library ETHOS database and can also be found on my supervisor's website, Dr Steve Marshall / writing.

Turning to poetry, I think I will always have a special heart-leap of joy at the thought of Allegro Poetry, which was the very first poetry journal to publish any of my work - and double bless the editor Sally Long, who took a piece both in March (Lockdown, issue 26) and September (Spring Equinox in Leeds, issue 27).

Next up, I was included by Dissonance Magazine in their month-long special focus on NaPoWriMo writings , April 2021(National Poetry Writing Month).

This was "I Come From" which was one of my early doctoral poems about the shifting consciousness of coming to see myself as within-Nature and from-Nature, not separate-from or superior-to, as is still quite normal, I think, in many Western culture contexts.

NB I see that Dissonance had to go on hiatus in May 2021 due to a personal emergency, and I vm hope that the emergency is loosing its grip and normality is returning...

Also linked to NaPoWriMo, my poem "Rage is the Thing with Wings" was a featured poem in response to one of the daily prompts, chosen towards the end of the month (Day 25) by convener and curator, Maureen Thorsten. A sort-of nonsense poem, but a fun one to write.

In May, Muse Pie Magazine accepted "Small Talk" for Shot Glass, an online journal for short poetry (14 lines or fewer).

In the summer, Wingless Dreamer accepted a villanelle about Midnight, "The Midnight Hush" and (yeay!) it placed as one of the 10 finalists in that competition; I had another piece accepted in the Decembre competition later in the year, "Hope in Mid-Winter", although that one had to content itself with simply being published.

In October, another moment of great gratitude - three poems published in issue 2 of Paddler Press who, to my astonishment and joy, then picked one of these to be one of their Pushcart Nominations for 2021 - "Before Lockdown, I Used to Walk to Work..."

In November, "The Postman's Park" appeared in the 2021 City Lit anthology of creative writing, Between the Lines 2021.

And then, at the end of November, another joy, another first - placed as a finalist in a competition that carried a modest cash prize for all 10 finalists. This is officially the first time I've received ££ for any of my writing. And there's been QUITE a bit of writing over the years.

This was "To My Executors" for the Literary Taxonomy competition. The challenge is to write a new piece linking someone else's first and last lines. Here, the source material was from Katherine Mansfield.

[architectnews]

Santiago Calatrava unveils Qatar Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava has designed a curved structure that pays homage to Qatar's coat of arms for the country's pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Calatrava's Qatar Pavilion opens today with the rest of Expo 2020 Dubai, which was rescheduled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and will now take place until March 2022.

The Qatar Pavilion is informed by the country's coat of arms

Representing Qatar at the international event, the pavilion was informed by the country's national emblem adopted in 1976.

Qatar's coat of arms includes two curved and crossed swords, illustrated to look as if they are holding a patch of seawater, on which a traditional dhow boat and an island with palm trees are positioned.

Neutral colours are used for the pavilion's interiors

According to the architect, the sweeping shape of Qatar's pavilion echoes the essence of this insignia, through a design that exudes "movement, mobility, strength and tradition."

"The Qatar Pavilion pays tribute to the country's coat of arms, which is rooted in its rich history and cultural heritage," said Calatrava, who heads his eponymous practice.

"Each element informed the curvilinear design of the pavilion which evokes the image of sails on passing ships," the office of Santiago Calatrava told Dezeen.

"The structure’s surroundings tell as much of a story as the building itself. The entrance to the pavilion is marked by a sculptural monument that represents two intertwined palm trees and is surrounded by water features that serve as an homage to the Arabian Gulf which encompasses the nation of Qatar."

A gold-coloured structure represents palm trees

The pavilion's curved structure is the same neutral colour as a lower building that intersects it, with both volumes encompassing 960 square metres.

Nearby, a gold-coloured structure intends to echo the palm trees on Qatar's coat of arms, while the pavilion's soaring angles reference the curved form of the dhow.

"The pavilion’s design emulates a modern interpretation of Qatar’s progressive outlook of the future and history," the studio said. "We hope visitors will walk away truly understanding the essence of Qatar."

Inside, two main galleries and exhibition spaces aim to provide an immersive and experiential education on the history of Qatar, along with sections that focus on the country's present and future.

"The project draws inspiration from the urban fabric from which it rises, to serve as an extension of the country," added Santiago Calatrava CEO, Micael Calatrava.

Galleries inside the pavilion provide information on Qatar's rich history

Though Santiago Calatrava isn't a Qatari studio, it feels "part of the nation," it added.

"We have a team on the ground in UAE, run by Micael Calatrava (Santiago Calatrava’s son)," the studio said. "The Calatrava International office was settled in Doha, Qatar, before relocating to Dubai many years ago, so we are very much a part of the nation and understand it on a deep level."

"Aside from that, our firm process always includes immersing ourselves in the region’s built environment before designing a structure."

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava founded his international architecture office in 1981. The firm is currently constructing The St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York as part of the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site.

The photography is courtesy of Santiago Calatrava.

Expo 2020 Dubai will run from 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Santiago Calatrava unveils Qatar Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 appeared first on Dezeen.

[erhiem]

Success travels in the company of hard work, there is no trick, there is no easy way, this line is proved very well by Harris Kimberley Faulkner, widely known as Harris Faulkner, is an American newscaster and television host. In addition, he is best known as the host of the daily daytime show, Outnumbered Overtime, along with Harris Faulkner.

In addition, Harris achieved great fame as the winner of six Emmy Awards, including Best Newscaster and Best News Special in 2005. Recently, she came into limelight when she started her new show called The Faulkner Focus in early 2021.

Born on 13 October 1965, this beautiful personality has turned 55 in the year 2020. Her height is 175 cms and 5’5 inches feet and inches. Moreover, she is very conscious about her physique and figure and takes care of her weight which is 56 kgs and 123 lbs pounds.

She maintains herself with the size measurements of 35 inches breast, 24 inches waist and 35 inches hips. She has a beautiful doll-like face which is complemented by her dark brown eyes and dark hair.

According to the sources, the estimated net worth of Harris Faulkner is around $2 million.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States of America, Harris belongs to African-American ethnicity. She is the lovely and talented daughter of Bob Harris (father) and Shirley Harris (mother).

His father was a retired lieutenant colonel, Army aviator, and a US Army officer who served three tours in Vietnam. As part of his education, he enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication.

nick name harris faulkner birth place Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Date of birth 13 October 1965 Ages 55 years (as of 2020) height In Feet and Inches: 5’9″

in centimeters: 175 cm

weight In kilograms: 56kg

In pounds: 123 pounds

eye color dark brown hair color Black profession TV reporter sexual orientation Straight School not known University University of California, Santa Barbara Religion Christianity the nationality American hometown Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Zodiac sign Libra father’s name bob harris

Harris Faulkner with his father

Mother’s name shirley harris

Harris Faulkner with his mother

Brothers not known Sister’s not known

Talking about his career, Harris took the first step towards his career by working as a freelance business writer for LA Weekly where he was paid $50 per article. Later, she began her television career at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles, where she was a trainee.

In addition, she moved to Greenville, North Carolina where she worked as an anchor and reporter for WNCT-TV. In addition, Faulkner also served as an evening anchor for WDAF-TV in Kansas City from 1992 to 2000. Also, in the year 1999, she published a book, Breaking News: God Has a Plan – An Anchorwoman’s Journey Through Faith.

However, while working in Kansas, Harris became the victim of stalking and harassment by a former acquaintance who was following him from North Carolina. After that, she worked as an evening anchor at KSTP-TV in Minneapolis-St. Paul. In the year 2004, she left Minneapolis and joined Fox News in 2005.

Also, in 2005 for the revival of A Current Affair, she debuted as a correspondent. But at the end of 2005, the show was canceled. In addition, from 2011 to 2017, she anchored her first solo network newscast Fox Report Weekend. Similarly, he also made a guest appearance on the nightly satirical show, Red Eye.

In the year 2014, Harris began working as a co-host on the Fox News show Outnumbered. Then in the year 2017, she became the anchor of Outnumbered Overtime. Later, in the year 2018, this versatile personality also published another book: 9 Rules of Engagement – A Military Brats Guide to Life and Success.

Harris is a married woman who is married to Tony Berlin who is a former reporter at WCOO-TV. Moreover, the couple tied the knot with each other in the year 2003. Later, the couple was blessed with two lovely daughters. As of now, she is living a happy and blissful life with her family.

Lover not known marital status married Husband Tony Berlin

Harris Faulkner with her husband

children Two daughters (name not known)

Harris Faulkner with his daughter

Here we are providing the list of Harris Faulkner’s favourites:

Favourite Actor not known favorite actress not known favorite destination not known favorite musical instrument not known favourite sport not known favorite food not known favourite colour not known

His zodiac sign is Libra.

In the year 2018, he covered the midterm elections.

In 1998, Harris won the Amelia Earhart Pioneering Lifetime Achievement Award for her humanitarian efforts.

He is also quite popular on Instagram and has more than 109K followers.

Harris has also lived in different places as a child, including Stuttgart in West Germany.

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