#i looked at haitian artists for this and also surprised! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pumpkinsy0 · 5 months ago

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OMG HI!!! I’ve been reading ur blog for the past hour and I’m absolutely thrilled to see it lol. I’ve always been a big papercut shipper and seeing other people ship them is a dream come true for my 13 year old self. I wanted to dump some of my headcanons for the outsiders/S.E Hinton Verse mostly because it’s so rare to find people who also like it

I personally see most of the greasers as white. Mostly because of what type of greaser culture the book describes, it’s leant towards white kids back then in the 60s rather than kids of color. But I’ve never seen the Shepards as white. It’s just never something I’ve seen. I grew on a block where everyone raised eachothers kids, as we grew older we joked we were one big mixed family. Ive always see the shepards as that Mexican-American family that I spent my after schools with while my parents were busy. But that could totally be me projecting Idk

for Johnny I’ve always pictured him as mixed. Probably African American-Italian. He’s described with features that look like people of that heritage look and in my opinion it’s probably one of the main reasons he was targeted.

For Two-bit I’ve always seen him as a super pasty, always sun-burnt white boy who is super into his European heritage. Like this man can’t deal with school but he’ll do deep dives on Scottish mythology and Vikings any day of the week.

Steve definitely has always looked like he does in the movie to me. He’s definitely a hillbilly, I have cousins who act exactly like him and it’s absolutely hilarious because the deep southern accent just makes them not understandable. I’ve personally viewed Steve having that deep accent and also having a lisp (wowza I’m just projecting on him lol) so no one understands him besides from Soda and the older women who come to the DX.

I’ve always viewed Dally as Italian also but he is the type that can not tan to save his life. His nearly white blonde hair is not just from the bleach he puts on it but from running around in the sun all day every day. There is this one artist that draws him like a gremlin that I love I’m pretty sure their @ is something among the lines of crow1121? I can’t find rn and it’s killing me lol. But the other artist is @/ nutsackx and I absolutely love their interpretation of the gang

Honestly with the Curtis’s I love ur interpretation of them being Arab-American but my little projecting heart (wow I do that a lot) always have viewed them as a German-Jewish and Romani as that’s what my family is and they lived very similar lives back in the 60s. It’s a small little head cannon I’ve always had and I’ve always held onto for the Curtis family. I can’t ever view them as non-immigrants tho.

Sorry this is so long sweetie. I just got super caught up in rambling and your blog really inspired me 🫶

HELLLOOOOO!!! glad u found this blog!!! we r all here for funsies and just doing whatever, glad to have u onboard<333

OKOK NOW LOOK☝🏽☝🏽i knooowwww SE Hinton wrote the outsiders w everyone but johnny being white in mind, but honestly i think what makes me change them some of em into poc instead is just bc i want to and its fun to me!!!! tbh, i like having different ideas on characters than others, plus part of it is just inspired by the ppl around me!!! at the very least tho, i do tryyyyyy to make it more historically accurate so its not like i just SHOVED them in there and i dont get 100% attacked by the “this isnt historically accurate grrrr” brigade, for example my haitian shepards, at the end of the day its mostly a self projection but i do have lore for them as to y theyre even in oklahoma, yknow??? doing things like that is fun to me!!!

WHEN IT COMES TO THE SHEPARDS, i will say, whenever i would see white shepards im like “oh i thought we all saw that they were poc guys</333” EVEN W THE MOVIE i was surprised tim wasnt a poc but whateverrrr we move onnnnn

BUT I DO LIKE UR ETHNICITY IDEAS!!!!, once again ANOTHER version of the characters put into my little multiverse right there w arab curtis family<3333

personally i hc dally to b italian, but considering the demographics of brooklyn back then, yea it is 100% possible he couldve been italian, and w johnny to me hes mexican/bengali, so i think its pretty cool that u see them as both being italian, im def rockin w it, it gives them something they can connect over a bit!!

and im happy to say we both see the curtis’ as being jewish, to me theyre ethnically jewish, i based the curtis’ off my gf im ngl

BUT ANYWAYS NO WORRIES!!! i love answering long asks and so happy my blog inspired u to share ur thoughts<333

#the outsiders

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conjuremanj · 1 year ago

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New Orleans Voodoo & Hatian Vodou Priest.

Pic courtesy of voodoo authentica.

BORN 1947 DIED 2021.

Elmer T. Glover, Jr. was a New Orleans Voodoo priest and a well-known karate teacher as well as my Martial Arts teacher & thought me voodoo but I haven't seen him since I was little now I looked him up and he had gone home to God.

He became a martial arts instructor and soon after developed his very own karate style, "Cho Chi Zen Karate," which translates to "knowledge of power through meditation and karate." It is a very spiritual and complex two-person kata technique.

He even taught the Black Panthers self-defense. Large sections of the New Orleans Police Department, male and female, black and white alike, secret service officers, taxi drivers, dancers, waiters, musicians, teachers, etc. Glover retired from his karate career after hurricane Katrina in 2005, when his studio was destroyed by the flood waters and his students had dispersed in all directions. He left his technique in the hands of his black-belt students.

But In the 1980s, Glover discovered what he considered "his true calling." A life-long to become a reader and seeker of religion and spirituality, his interest in the occult led him to the Haitian Vodou spiritual tradition and Louisiana's conjure and rootwork practices. In 1983, he was initiated as "Houngan Asogwe," the highest form of priesthood in the Haitian Vodou tradition, by his godfather Pierre Paul Sully of the Societé de St. Jean Baptiste (Society of St. John the Baptist) in Arcahaie, Haiti. Later Sully inducted him also into the Haitian Bizango secret society. Altogether, he went seven times to Haiti to participate in sacred rites at Sully's temple in Arcahaie.

Glover was a "son/ devotee of "Baron Samedi," /Papa Gede the king of the spirits of the dead, and thus he had a special connection with cemeteries and the magical powers of the ancestors. But in US, New Orleans Glover considered himself mainly a modern-day practitioner of the magical traditions of Marie Laveau. He went to her tomb and asked her to be his spiritual godmother. While continuing teaching martial art, he gained clientèle as "Dr. Glover," the Voodoo Doctor. He established himself not only locally but increasingly drew clients from all over the world. People would say "He is the real deal!" because his spiritual work was nothing short of astounding.

He always considered himself a solitary Voodoo Doctor or "bokor," which is the Haitian term for a "spiritual worker" like him, he also collaborated regularly with two local establishments: Brandi Kelley's now priestess herself her voodoo shop called "Voodoo Authentica" in the French Quarter. Is one of the most authentic shops of voodoo you can get real items there made by artist from Haiti and Africa.

He appeared on shows and documentaries, like CNN, Discovery Chanel, 20/20 and was invited as far as England, Germany, and Japan for Voodoo work.

If people, who were seriously in trouble and had nowhere else to turn, they would find him and would get the assistance they needed to overcome adversity and achieve their goals. Glover always insisted that Voodoo has nothing to do with witchcraft or devil worship. "That exists only in Hollywood movies," he maintained, "True Voodoo work is God's work!"

I won't be surprised if he have a veve for people to call apon him.

#New Orleans Voodoo #Vodou priest #like and/or reblog!#spiritual #google search #conjuring #Haitian Vodou priest #like or reblog #follow me #follow my blog #ask me anything

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art-now-south-korea · 4 years ago

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Passersby, Gaze, August, Jaeyeol Han

1. The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough -Ezra Pound 2. Sometimes, while walking through the crowded streets of a large city, it can be easy to forget that the people we pass are also going somewhere, meeting someone, or hoping for something. Those people are also ervous, happy, anxious and sad. We walk by each other thinking little of the other pedestrians, hardly seeing their aces, rarely wondering where they are going or who they are. We often just focus on ourselves. Artist Han Jae Yeol, however, pays attention to the passers-by and has introduced us to them in his paintings. “During my military service, I was dispatched to Haiti’s peacekeeping unit in response to the earthquakes.” Han said, “what was happening there was contained in {the Haitians} faces.” He continued, “I collected those faces and that’s how it began.” Though we are many, we are also individuals. Han hasn’t forgotten the importance and beauty of individuality. “A Crowd of humans flowing like a body of water,” Han says in his blog “negates individual energy and dissolves their existence.” Walking amongst a group of people makes us less likely to focus on any one individual. While Han walks amongst a crowd of people, he often begins retreating further into himself. His work is a response to that inward focus. Since his service in Haiti, he has turned his energy outward and created his project; a collection that encompasses over 300 paintings. Han believes that artists must “pay close attention to things, to give them the attention they deserve.” Han gives consideration to the “existential energy” of the people he observes and looks to capture its presence with oil paints. “I was first interested in the structural qualities of the human face,” Han said, “but later realized that this interest rose from a primitive force exerted from faces.” He decided to work with paint despite it being a traditional medium. Painting, Han feels, is the best way “to capture brief existences born between image and spontaneity.” Han’s work doesn’t show details of the subject’s face. The final outcome looks similar to what we may remember when trying to recall a face with which we are not familiar. Han’s portraits are blurred with color expressing the “existential energy” he sees in a person’s face. Han reveals the subject’s emotions and energy with the colors that he chooses to use. His work also speaks of a larger societal issue. “We avoid human relations,” Han said, “our lifecycles change to make living alone more comfortable and convenient.” He believes living too much within ourselves isn’t healthy, and we must communicate with others more often. “The age of excluding the others is over, but now the self exhausts the self, and violence is returned into the self.” Han’s work looks to expose this idea of the self, and to give us an experience with the faces we rarely take the time to examine. His paintings remind us that sometimes you should take a closer look at the people around you. The discoveries you can make with this simple act may surprise you. [b]racket magazine Whit Altizer 2014 3. “It is the job of the artist to pay close attention to things, to give them the attention they deserve. This series of paintings shows a distinction about the power of existence when complete strangers become objects of interest to me."

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Passersby-Gaze-August/325197/1623920/view

#jaeyeolhan #expressionism #abstractexpressionism #portraiture

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rockofeye · 4 years ago

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Maybe I'm nosey, but I am kinda curious about what happens for you 'offstage' outside of what you write here. What do you do professionally? Does it affect your work as an houngan? Is your husband Haitian? What is it like having a mixed family/relationship? Does his family know that you are a houngan? Apologies if this is all too personal!

Hi there,

It's true that I don't write a lot about my personal life, but I am not a person with only one dimension. For me, all the stuff I don't write about is as important as the stuff I do write about...it's all connected, even if a lot of it doesn't make it onto the internet.

My dayjob is as a social worker. For the last five years or so, I've been working in homeless services and housing. I run a few housing programs and, as COVID19 has radically changed everything in my field, I am also running a pilot program that is a collaboration between a federally funded org and a hospital aiming to house folks who are homeless who also have serious medical issues. Before I was in housing/homeless services, I worked in harm reduction programs doing health education and overdose prevention for folks who use IV drugs as well as in substance use treatment programs. I've been a social worker in one form or another for about 14 years now, and have also been a working artist for most of my adult life.

For me, my professional work is deeply tied to sèvis lwa in that I know without a doubt that the lwa have put me where they want me. My clients--people who are homeless who are sex workers, who use substances, who have persistent mental illness that interferes with their day-to-day, who are immigrants who have nowhere to go, who are elders who have no family left, who are people who were incarcerated and now have nothing, and more--are all the children of the lwa, and of Gede in particular, as he sees and understands all human suffering without judgement. When I go to work and do my job, I am doing my best to care for the children of the lwa whom I love and who have loved me through some really awful shit. When I was in some really hard times, it was other pitit lwa yo who helped me and I think about that a lot at work.

My husband is Haitian and is a houngan himself. He has been a priest longer than anyone else I know, which is a long damn time, and he's one of the best people I know. He has consistently been the biggest surprise the lwa have given me, as I was very much not looking for a relationship. I don't write about him a lot because our relationship is personal and I don't want him to feel like an accessory nor do I ever want it to come across that I am using him to prop myself up with. He and I both served the lwa long before we met the other and we complement each other's lives, versus completing them.

Being in a bicultural and bilingual relationship is an interesting ride. We learn so much from each other in that respect, because we grew up in very different places in very different cultures, and a lot of the very beginning of our relationship was really learning about the differences we each hold. That's always ongoing, but we have come to a place where our lives are so entwined that we've made something new, versus me fully moving into how his life plays our or him doing the same in mine.

His family does know I'm an houngan, and they're all practitioners themselves. I've been in ceremony with his mom and sisters and son, and we have all served the lwa side by side.

Thanks for the chance to brag on myself and my loved ones a little!

#vodou #haitian vodou #real vodou

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dustedmagazine · 4 years ago

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Listed: Ches Smith

Photo by Mimi Chakarova

Percussionist/composer Ches Smith displayed his varied interests almost immediately. He first came to prominence playing with indie rockers Xiu Xiu, but he was also playing with artists like John Zorn and Mary Halvorson. His playing expanded as a solo artist and bandleader. Throughout this time, he studied Haitian Vodou music, enjoying its polyrhythms and polytonality. A few years ago, he assembled the quartet We All Break to create music focusing on this interest, and they released their first album in 2015. Since then, Smith’s expanded the project, which has turned into an octet (including saxophonist Miguel Zenón) for their new release Path of Seven Colors. In his review, Derek Taylor said, “The results adapt Haitian Vodou music traditions as a blueprint for a vibrant hybrid of improvised music that taps directly into that hoary AACM adage, “ancient to the future.””

For this installment of Listed, Smith gives us a set of “People I know, knew, or wish I knew,” including a few surprises.

Junk Magic — Compass Confusion (Pyroclastic)

Compass Confusion by Junk Magic

Craig Taborn himself is magic. I've played with him a ton at this point and I've still never analyzed his harmonic language, especially what comes out in his compositions. I think I should, but something is holding me back. Not knowing is pretty enticing at the moment.

Trevor Dunn — Nocturnes (Tzadik)

https://www.trevordunn.net/releases/nocturnes

Trevor's “classical” writing, performed by his friends and collaborators. Getting to know Trevor very well over the last 20 years, this music seems to me like a quite natural expression of him, like he’s in a conversation with you. And the writing is really, really good.

Mary Halvorson — Meltframe (Firehouse 12)

Meltframe by Mary Halvorson

A solo record from 2015 from a close friend from way back. Like Dunn’s, but in a different way, this lets you into her thought processes. Although they are all covers, they feel like her tunes, in the same way her improvisations feel like her tunes.

James Brandon Lewis — Molecular (Intakt)

Molecular by JAMES BRANDON LEWIS QUARTET with Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones, Chad Taylor

Emotionally-charged, well-conceived music played by a great band of Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones and Chad Taylor. James is a friend, a straight-up guy with his own worldview, his own sound, and he is driven to get his music out. He doesn’t seem to concern himself with an “inside/outside” dichotomy. I can relate. We play together in one project with Josh Werner and Patrick Holmes. I am looking to do more with that group, as well as other opportunities to work with James.

Terry Riley — Shri Camel (CBS)

youtube

Minimalist modal masterpiece for Yamaha YC-45D combo organ tuned in just intonation, performed by the composer in 1977. I’ve listened to this album easily as much as Coltrane’s A Love Supreme or Slayer’s Reign In Blood. A great composer, and a great improviser. I experienced this first-hand playing in some groups of his with his son, guitarist Gyan Riley, and one of my percussion teachers Willie Winant.

Frisner Augustin — “Blue Djouba Alaso”

youtube

One of my teachers of the Haitian tanbou, the late, great master drummer Tikelep. You can really see what was going on with his hands on this one.

Pauline Oliveros — Anthology of Text Scores (Deep Listening)

https://popandmom.org/products/anthology-of-text-scores

A book of “sheet music” but it’s all in words. You don’t necessarily have to perform them, but there are tons of good ideas to practice in your improvising. Oliveros was a heavy influence on all of us coming out of Mills College.

Kool Keith — “The 98 Year Old Refrigerator”

youtube

Probably my favorite rapper. This is a video of him talking/art piece. So good. Hilarious and profound.

Motion Man — Adult Situations (442)

Adult Situations by Motion Man with Beats by Unagi & Jethroe

Also probably my favorite rapper. This is one of the best concept albums about love (and lust) relationships of all time. A classic.

Chelsea Wolfe — Hiss Spun (Sargent House)

Hiss Spun by CHELSEA WOLFE

vimeo

One of my best friends Devin Hoff and I got obsessed with this record at the same time and didn’t know the other knew about it till a few years later. I can’t describe it, just listen to it. You probably already know it. I was just looking for a favorite track, but they're all my favorites. The drummer Jess Gowrie rips. Here she is playing the track “Vex.” It cuts to a quick shot of what I think is Sacramento at dusk. I'm from Sacramento. Watching that image, I can smell the dirt and cowshit in the air.

#dusted magazine #listed #ches smith #junk magic #craig taborn #trevor dunn #mary halvorson #james brandon lewis #terry riley #frisner augustin #pauline oliveros #kool keith #motion man #chelsea wolfe

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abenidiedhiou · 4 years ago

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Abeni Diedhiou

4/19/21

PHO 101

remnants: After The Storm

1. Staring At Where His Home Once Stood, (2005)

2. Asha Standing On His Home, (2005)

A Tent Life Haiti

I decided to pick “remnants: After the Storm” and “A Tent Life Haiti” where Wyatt Gallery explored and shot spiritual sites around the world. But when he heard about the massive 2004 tsunami in South Asia was where he started to photograph. Wyatt took pictures from Hurricane Katrina, but he said “I was shocked by the destruction and the number of people who died in the region. I initially tried to raise money, but I really didn’t do a good job of it and nothing seemed to pan out. So, I decided I would fly there, take my camera and see what happened.” He knew from the destruction that happened it can show a piece of how everyone is living differently and not everyone can have the money to go straight to rebuilding.

Wyatt Gallery worked on remnants: After the Storm Hurricane Katrina they were shot and taken 4 X 5 inch, it showed survivors “I felt I should show a fresh view of the tragedy and inspire people to do something about it,”. What I think about the top 2 photos are honestly inspiring. It shows a certain culture and things they had disappeared as if they had nothing, the man sitting being sad looking at how his house is gone. They gave life to the people who’d lost the life they knew. You can tell from Wyatt photos that communities were more than a million homeless survivors. Asha Standing on His Home, (2005), explains the destroyed house he’s standing on his house this series defines an incredible balance between rich and poor but also life and death. “Tent Life Haiti”, was a devastating earthquake in Haiti, which is photo (3 & 4), he decided to visit Haiti with seven other artists from New York City, and they also volunteered their time and to bring smiles to Haitians while photographing and filming their heartbreaking story. Knowing they didn’t have anything, through a bunch of images, from portraits to dramatic shots of tents that seem to meet the horizon, Gallery decided to show how more than a million Haitians are living today. "I really hope my photos can do something to help the Haitian people struggling to survive in these camps,".

The lady in the photo in the tent name was Vanessa and her baby and I also found out it was born eight days after the earthquake that killed her husband. She lived with her brother Wilson in a tent, Wyatt Gallery spent more than a decade photographing life in the Caribbean. He also went and saw the aftermath of disasters like the Southeast Asian tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Haiti which killed more than 200,000. He wanted to photograph the vast tent cities that mushroomed around the capital, he encountered "an intense sense of hope, resilience, and, at times, joy.” In my opinion about the work, I think it’s very interesting, especially the colors behind the photos from the building to the lady in the tent. The picture with the baby probably affected me the most because the mother is all alone knowing the father died in the hurricane. So, they don’t have anywhere to go but the tent, but from reading more about this I understood that he wasn’t trying to make money off these specific photos. He felt “But it feels really good to donate, even though you see it come out of your bank account,” he says “I would feel guilty making money off of this. When I go to Haiti, I realize how much I have to be grateful for, so I’m happy to help. And there are many people doing much more than I am.” which didn’t catch me by surprise because nowadays a lot of people don’t help the poor or people of color because they automatically think they don’t need anything. I can compare and contrast these 2 bodies of work, because regardless of if they have the same meaning behind the hurricane some are different because in some photos it shows destruction of homes, but one photo is a mother and her baby so basically survival. The different angels he took the photos he made sure to capture everything, the background also puts a lot of attention towards the picture because the surrounds of it.

References

https://www.wyattgallery.com/PROJECTS/Remnants:-After-The-Storm/23/caption-share

https://repeatingislands.com/2011/07/18/new-book-tent-life-haiti/

https://www.popphoto.com/american-photo/after-catastrophe-photographs-help-rebuild/

https://potd.pdnonline.com/2011/02/04/8232/

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makedathomasinstitute · 5 years ago

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Making Stage II: Practicing Upwards

10 years ago, with a pregnant belly, I welcomed the first artist to the Institute. Forward to today, with The Dance and Performance Institute having engaged over 800 artists from around the world through its programs: the founding Artist-in-Residence Program has hosted over 30 international artists and scholars; the annual New Waves! gathering in Trinidad & Tobago (in 2014, the program travelled to Haiti); a Carnival Performance Studies program that grew into New Waves! Mas - which produced for Trinidad Carnival (2019) and Brooklyn’s West Indian American Day Carnival (2017, 2018); and a Scholarship Program offering dance studies to local artists in Trinidad & Tobago, and for Caribbean artists in the diaspora to study dance with leading institutions, artists and scholars in NYC. In 2018, “Making Stage: Dance Curation in Trinidad & Tobago” was published in “Curating Live Arts: Critical Perspectives, Essays, and Conversations on Theory and Practice”, documenting the New Waves! Commission Project. This is the season to take great pleasure in all this activity; this labor. Adrienne Marie brown’s “Emergent Strategies” affirms (and has offered new tools for) many of the practices we’ve engaged as a community over the years. It reminds me to also celebrate and give space for the smaller grand gestures - the E-susu Program, which saw four rounds, allowing artists to fund projects, pay bills, and save; the Malcom Fellowship for the Arts, which has funded all local artist residencies; the many acts by many individuals throughout Trinidad & Tobago who’ve supported the Institute with their presence and support. To celebrate is the birthright of the Institute - to mark 10 years of important work by independent artists for dance and performance artists in and of the Caribbean and its Diasporas.

The Ways. We have built a [strong: agile, networked] community, in which programs have intersected in beautiful and surprising ways: Artist Residencies have been held concurrently with and incorporated into New Waves!; New Waves! participants have returned as Artists-in-Residence, and vice versa; many from each group, and also Faculty, have played for Carnival with New Waves! Mas; Scholars-in-Residence have served as mentors for scholarship recipients; Institutional Partners have initiated Scholarship Programs. We’ve partnered and/or collaborated with over 30 Caribbean-based organizations including the University of Trinidad & Tobago/Academy for Performing Arts (a main partner for New Waves! Institute for 8 years), University of the West Indies, the National Council on Indian Culture, Alliance Francaise, Jouvay Ayiti, and when in Haiti, with Haiti Cultural Exchange, FOSAJ, and Exadans, among others. In NYC, the Institute partnered with Movement Research and Dancing While Black - both powerhouse organizations - to forward our conversation about Diasporic Dance. New Waves! participants have become Staff; and Guest Artists will become Board Members, as will be announced during New Waves! 2020.

What the Institute has done over the last decade, is create space and a community of intellectual and imaginative inquiry for hundreds of dance artists and scholars of the Caribbean and its Diasporas. Placed within the multiplicity of the Caribbean historical and cultural context - in an organizing principle of ‘Emancipation’ - the Institute has served as a site of creativity, experimentation, and critical thought about contemporary art-making processes inextricably linked to community: how the understanding and formation of sustainable community for the Caribbean and its global diaspora may be supported by art practice, curating and organization. As we look forward to the next decade, we center on the meditation of how to practice upwards.

For New Waves! 2020, more than 30 Guest Artists are invited to invoke a practice that includes dance, song, word, and play; to create a space where “dancers could dance and be healed from the laborious hierarchies of imperialism and colonization; a space where we could “each re-strategize our own personal vision”. Through four days of performance, movement and reasoning sessions, screenings, communal meals, and informal limes, New Waves! 2020 will explore how dance artists, scholars, teachers, administrators, those in dance production (lighting and costume designers, musicians), and other leaders in the field of dance galvanize, play, workshop, commune, disrupt, engage, celebrate, mourn, heal, and move. Our vision is to embody the depth and spirit of contemporary dance and performance practice in the Caribbean and its Diasporas - in an organizing principle of ‘Emancipation’ - and connect in essential ways that alters and brings out light in one another.

New Waves! 2020 is full of light. Independent of the academy, New Waves! 2020 will be held through a village of creative spaces throughout Port of Spain - including Splice Studios, Trinidad Theatre Workshop, and LOFTT Gallery. Guest Artists include: Catherine Denecy with a performance installation, E G O that will run the course of New Waves! 2020; Dr. Ras Mikey C, who will lead a workshop in Ethio-Modern Dance; Adam Ade Ola, will lead Ori Bata and Jean-Sebastian Duvilaire, Haitian Dance (both engage live singers and drummers); Rennie Harris, with House Dance, featuring a live DJ; Michelle Gibson, with Second Line Aesthetic, which returns to New Waves! in a special iteration for the Emancipation Day Procession; and a Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE workshop in Contemporary Dance, taught by Arcell Cabuag. New Surfers include Jamie Philbert, with Kalinda Technique, Shamar Watt, who will lead a workshop Contemporary Dance and perform along with another new surfer, NIC Kay, on a program that includes Sheena Rose, Akuzuru, Fana Fraser, Neila Ebanks, and new work by Sonja Dumas’ Continuum Dance Project. Three films will be screened in a separate program: Millicent Johnnie returns to New Waves! with La Diablesse and Bamboula is Not Bamboozled, and Maya Cozier will screen She Paradise. And finally, the Pearl Primus Archive Project returns to New Waves! 2020. Full of light.

New Waves! 2020 kicks off with an Open House on Wednesday, 29 July at 7pm at Splice Studios, located at 7 Francis Road in Maraval.

Let’s Dance!

#New Waves! 2020 #Trinidad #dance #performance #scholarship #community

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fromtheringapron · 6 years ago

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Observations from ‘92 WWF Episodes of Superstars

After years of demand, the WWE Network has finally uploaded episodes of WWF Superstars, although not without a catch. They can’t yet upload any episodes before April 18, 1992, which is when the show’s named was shortened from Superstars of Wrestling to simply Superstars due to some legal wrangling over the “Of Wrestling” part. This date also happens to be just a couple of weeks after I was born, so please begin your conspiracy theories on how these two events are somehow related.

Regardless of the controversy, these episodes are a blast. Each hour is packed with the perfect amount of nostalgia and leaves you wanting more. Wrestling on Saturday mornings as a concept may seem like a such strange one to audiences in 2019, but there’s so much to these episodes that three-hour Monday Night Raws can certainly learn from. It’s also a nice glimpse into what the WWF was like in 1992, which was just as much a transitional year on-screen as it were a tumultuous one off of it. Allegations of steroids and sex abuse had damaged the WWF’s public image, familiar faces who’d been on the roster for the past several years were beginning to disappear seemingly by the week, and the wrestling business in general had entered a recession. Perhaps the biggest game-changer was the absence of Hulk Hogan, which caused Vince McMahon to start shifting focus to the likes of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

I’ve been breezing on through these episodes as of late. They’re a sweet treat that goes down easy, like a tube of mini M&M’s. I’m up to July 1992 in my binge watch, and here’s the most notable stuff from them so far:

The WBF and Grade-A Beef

The first few months of episodes on the Network are stuffed with Vince hyping his failed venture into bodybuilding, the World Bodybuilding Federation. He can’t stop talking about the weekly show WBF Bodystars, the WBF magazine, and the upcoming the WBF pay-per-view special (which turned out to be a commercial dud and ultimately spelt the end for the organization). Worst of all, he refers to both his wrestlers and bodybuilders as “100% Grade-A Beef” which makes me vomit just thinking about it. Note to anyone: referring to any appendage on your body as any sort of meat is disgusting. Seriously, I get grossed out when dudes on Grindr refer to their piece as “beef.” It’s just not a good look. Interestingly enough, a few of the articles in the WBF magazine talk about the dangers of steroids, which feels like Vince desperately trying to deflect attention of himself. This also marks the beginning of the ICOPRO era and to be honest, all these years later, I still don’t know what the fuck Vince was thinking if he believed the kids in the audience would’ve cared about creatine.

Unscripted Promos

Each episode features cuts to the Event Center hosted by Sean Mooney, where the superstars give promos on their feuds, grudges, house show programs, plans to challenge Bush Sr. and Clinton in the presidential election, etc. The magic of these promos, outside of the excellent characterized green-screen backgrounds, is how unscripted and ad-libbed they are. In a time where superstars are now force fed lines from TV writers, there’s something about this approach that feels so refreshing in contrast. Truthfully, a lot of what comes out of these guys’ mouths is nonsense but, in a way, that’s precisely why it comes off more realistic. If a reporter held a mic to Tom Brady right after his umpteenth Super Bowl win, chances are that he’s not gonna give this five-star, ultra-rehearsed promo. He’ll probably ramble on a bit, give a vaguely satisfying answer, and move on. The characters and storylines are still campy as hell, but still feels like something within the realm of real-time sports. That’s exactly how this era works best.

The Fan Reaction Shots Are Everything

These episodes also unintentionally serve as audiovisual evidence of what human beings in 1992 looked like, in case you didn’t know. As with anything in the early ‘90s, there’s a lot in terms of fashion that still makes everything look like the ‘80s. The hair is still pretty big and teased out, the neon is bright and unrelenting, and you’re bound to find a few dads in the crowd with some pretty thick mustaches (and if there’s isn’t a mustache, you can except some thick-rimmed glasses instead). Crowd reaction shots are an underrated aspect of getting an angle or character to over to the audience. A more modern example would be that shocked, hapless Edvar Munch painting of a man when the Undertaker lost at WrestleMania 30. Here is no exception. I particularly love the shots of terrified children when Papa Shango walks down the aisle, most notably an adorable little red-headed child who looks like he just saw a ghost.

Cartoon Violence! Cartoon Violence Everywhere!

At some point during the early ‘90s, the WWF had successfully captured the feel of a darkly humorous comic book, and these episodes boast plenty of it. The Berzerker tries to stab The Undertaker with a viking sword! Rick Martel stealing Tatanka’s feathers and blinding him with cologne! The Repo Man hanging the British Bulldog! The Mountie shocking Sgt. Slaughter with a jumbo-sized shock stick! What makes these angles so fun is that they’re completely ridiculous yet manage to stay true to the characters. Of course The Repo Man wouldn’t just use a steel chair or any other ringside weapon on the Bulldog. Of course The Model would try to maim Tatanka while also promoting his signature fragrance. Sure, Lou Thesz wouldn’t have liked it, but you can’t deny it sells the characters to the audience pretty well.

The Papa Shango/The Ultimate Warrior Saga

And speaking of a darkly humorous comic book, the Papa Shango/Ultimate Warrior feud is perhaps the most infamous of this particular era in Looney Tunes hijinks. As you may know, this involved Shango putting a curse on the Warrior, which later caused the Warrior to spew green vomit Exorcist-style and have black goo drip out of his head. A visual feast, indeed. The craziest part is that none of this resulted in a huge blowoff on TV, which would be considered a cardinal sin in today’s climate. It was instead used to promote house matches between the two. Maybe they thought people in Fort Wayne, Indiana or wherever the fuck would attend their shows hoping Warrior would puke all over them? I don’t know, but I can’t help but the feel all of this was supposed to be some sort of artistic statement. Was this commentary on our collective ennui? A hard look at the appropriation of Haitian voodoo in pop culture? An obscure nod to the then-recent fall of the Soviet Union? Send me your thesis papers, grad students!

The Big Bossman Deserved to Get His Ass Kicked

The Bossman/Nailz feud has aged poorly. It was easier for viewers to gobble up the narrative the WWF were trying to sell back in 1992 but we, in 2019, know better due to the shift in rhetoric surrounding law enforcement and the abuse of power that system can often breed. If you’re not familiar, promos began to air in the spring of ’92 where a mysterious voice accused the Big Bossman of abusing him when he was in prison. The man later turned out to be Nailz, who then attacked the Bossman on an episode of Superstars and gave him an absolutely brutal thrashing.

And the Bossman deserved it. You see, for as much as Vince McMahon tried selling the Bossman’s innocence, there’s plenty of evidence supporting Nailz’ allegations. From day 1 of his WWF tenure, the Bossman loved to beat poor, defenseless jobbers with his nightstick and handcuff them to the ropes, even when he turned into a happy, smiley babyface. In fact, right before Nailz beats him up, he can be seen taking his anger out on a barely conscious jobber. It’s not that much of a stretch to believe he did the same to several of his inmates in Cobb County. And don’t even get me started on the Confederate flag on the Bossman’s sleeve, or else this post will take a seriously dark turn on the extent of his brutality and prejudice. When you consider all of that, is there any surprise this is the same man who killed Al Snow’s dog and crashed the funeral for Big Show’s dad later in the Attitude Era?

The Tornado’s Last Spin

I hate to discuss an even darker topic, but I was so stricken by how these episodes are essentially some of the last recorded moments of Kerry Von Erich’s career and, ultimately, his life. It’s often forgotten that he lingered on in the WWF until August of ’92. He was arrested for forging painkiller prescriptions in February, which led to his suspension from the company. He made his return to the ring two months later and would toil around on the undercard for the next four months before leaving/getting released altogether. It’s next-level tragic to watch him cut promos on repurposing his life toward God and his family, knowing he’s making allusions to all the trouble he’s found himself in. It’s even sadder knowing how much more trouble he’d find himself in before his untimely death, including a possible prison sentence that, had he served fully, wouldn’t have seen him released just a few years ago.

The Jobbers Are Ugly

This is going to sound mean, but the jobbers on these shows are not attractive men. I mean, seriously, some of these dudes look like they just got off their shift at the local liquor store before they hit the arena for their scheduled thrashing. I do wonder how much of this was a deliberate choice by the bookers themselves. You need guys who are going to make Nailz and Sgt. Slaughter look appealing by comparison because that only enhances their star power. The lone exception to this rule is Ron Cumberledge, who would be classified as a hunk in any decade. A true renaissance journey man.

Squash Matches Galore

Even if you’re only slightly familiar with the WWF’s old syndicated weekend shows, you’d know most of the matches were these quick squashes where a superstar would easily trounce one of the jobbers I discussed previously. Matches between name superstars would only happen occasionally on TV, as it this was still an era where those were kept to draw buys to pay-per-views and house shows. While it would be highly unrealistic for the WWE to just revert back to them 100%, and they still do them on the main roster occasionally, it’s definitely something they’d benefit using more. And don’t just give your top talent squares either. In these episodes, Virgil gets squash matches. The Bushwhackers get squash matches. Repo Man gets squash matches. Obviously none of these guys were key players or anything, but it still gave them TV time and wins under their belt. Imagine if they did that today for, like, No Way Jose or Dana Brooke. It doesn’t seem like much, but it goes a long way in building credibility to your roster.

So that’s that. Or at least for now, anyway. I’ve still got plenty more episodes to watch for 1992, and who knows? Maybe in the future the Network will upload episodes from 1993, 1994, and so on. In the meantime, I’ll go back to chilling out, binge-watching, and daydreaming about Ron Cumberledge.

#wwe #wwf superstars #wrestling #wwe network

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geniusorinsanity · 8 years ago

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i would like to her ur nursey family feels pls!! (i have plenty of my own & made a post but i need All the nursey content)

ahaha YOU JUST OPENED THE FLOODGATES BUDDY

Okay, so,Nursey’s birth parents:

Amal Hassan Nurse

born in Morocco, but spent the first ten years of herlife moving all around northern Africa and the Middle East because her fatherworked as a security consultant and would spend a few years in various placesdesigning systems for different companies

speaks both dialects of Arabic fluently, but willalways prefer Moroccan, because it sounds like home to her

moved to the States when she was thirteen and her dadgot a permanent job working for a security firm in Manhattan. Grew up in theprivate school system and never left

has a BA from NYU and a JD/PhD from Columbia. Is asenior partner in an NYC firm specializing in foreign and comparative law.smarter than all of us.

Elijah Nurse

grew up in Washington, DC. As a child, was 100%convinced that his father was a spy, because he traveled all the time and nevertold him what he did.

his mother is Haitian and from a very strict family inPort au Prince. Was not a fan of Nonsense and this had a pretty significantimpact on how Elijah related to other kids

Raised speaking English and French, but never spokeFrench outside the house because he associated it with his mother scolding himor his siblings

Got his BA in economics from Georgetown and then wentto do his MBA at Columbia, which is where he met Amal

This marriage was Not a Good Idea

Very tried and true case of people who are physicallycompatible but VERY NOT COMPATIBLE IN MOST OTHER WAYS

Amal is emotive and a little scatterbrained, Elijah isstrict about routine and doesn’t communicate feelings well

Not a Good Combination

They got married anyway to piss off their parents

Don’t do that, kids.

They got divorced two years after Derek was born. Itwas not friendly.

They agreed on split custody of the kids, Derek and hisolder sister Farah (more on Farah, Love of My Life, later).

About two years after the divorce, Amal reconnects witha friend from college, Gabriela Torres.

“Reconnects” = They literally crash into each other inthe subway #thatNYClife

promptly has the following thought process:

“Was she always this hot?”

“Was I always this gay?”

“This explains SO MUCH.”

they get married a year later.

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT NURSEY’S STEP MAMA GABRIELA

first generation Chilean American. Both her parentswere artists who moved to go to school in California.

she’s a ~San Francisco child~ in that she is: veryqueer, unfazed by a lot of strange things happening around her, and fucking hates the cold.

her parents are a strange blend of Liberal Artist andOverprotective Catholic, in that they want her to follow her dreams but willalso guilt the fuck out her if she misses mass and/or isn’t home for Christmas.

It’s not a total surprise to them that she decides tomove to New York for college but they still guilt the fuck out of her for it.

Everyone cries, but they get over it.

goes NYU all the way through her degrees: BA in ArtHistory, PhD in Fine Arts.

Her dream is to be a full-time painter, but she isRealistic and knows that shit is not how it works.

Gets scooped up by the curator of the gallery where she’sdoing one of her internships.

Works her way up to co-director of the gallery because#womensupportingwomen, and has her own studio on the side

Elijah also remarries, about two years after thedivorce, to a pediatrician living out in Westchester. They have two more kidsin pretty quick succession, and both Nursey and Farah try to ignore how muchmore their dad seems to be around for those kids when they’re little than heever was for them.

It doesn’t really work.

They’ve got some baggage about this.

SPEAKING OF MY BABY GIRL FARAH NURSE.

Farah is four years and five grades ahead of Nursey.

She was an Angel Baby but a Demon Toddler--Nursey beingborn flipped her back into being a reasonable child because all of a suddenthere was this Small Person Thing who was kind of interesting but also madenoise and Huh, Okay.

fiercely fiercelyfiecrely protective of her baby brother. They’ve never been in the sameschool, but she is intensely aware that he’s a soft, sensitive kid, and shewill claw someone’s eyes out if they mess with him.

really, really intomedia and how it influences people, particularly the way queer people, peopleof color, and QPOC are influenced to see themselves and develop theirself-worth based on media depictions. Starts getting into critical analysis ofart and news and movies and TV in like, eighth grade.

Gabriela is SO PROUD.

has gone back and forth on wearing hijab a few timesthroughout her life. Talks to her mom about it a lot. Amal tells her consistently that it’s always her decision,that she can change her mind whenever she wants, and that as long as shechooses to wear it (or not) for reasons she feels okay about, she supports her.

The only time she ever feels guilty is when she thinksabout wearing it at Andover just as a fuckyou to the guys who talk about how Muslim women are Always Oppressed. Shedecides not to wear it.

follows her moms to NYU, where she meets her boyfriendRami, who’s an Arab Jew. They move in together their senior year. She is super nervous about meeting his parentsfor the first time at their house in Brooklyn. They take one look at her, tellher she’s too skinny, and attempt to adopt her.

She’s 5’11” and has never been told she’s too skinny byanyone in her life.

She wants to adopt them.

Rami’s parents have brunch with her moms every month and gossipabout when they’re going to get married.

I’m getting off-track but I love her.

The shared custody thing goes okay for awhile--the kidsdon’t really like going out to Westchester for half the week because it makestheir commute to school so long, butit’s part of the job. Eventually, Amal gets sole custody--Elijah isn’t doingthe emotional work of parenting, and the kids aren’t happy when they’re withhim.

I also have sad headcanons about shit that went down ifyou read my fic but that’s not crucial to this family HC necessarily.

for awhile, Nursey and Farah stay in touch with Elijahfairly frequently, but he’s not big on Feelings, and they’re not big on beinggaslighted about the fact that he’s really emotionally distant and his momyells at them a lot, so as they get older they really only talk to him on theirbirthdays, Father’s Day, his birthday, and major holidays.

Amal really tries to get them to keep in touch moreoften, because she’s really close with her dad and she wants her kids to have arelationship with theirs, but like...she’s not gonna force it.

Also, like...no one fucks with her babies.

So now: the Nurse-Torres Household:

one high-powered lawyer, one artist/gallery director,one super-analytical and overprotective child, and one sensitive,clumsy-as-fuck baby hockey player.

My. Loves.

there are a Lot of Languages in this House

Amal teaches the kids Moroccan Arabic literally as soonas the divorce is finalized--Elijah didn’t want her to teach them while theywere married because he didn’t like them having a language with her he didn’tknow, but NOPE.

Nursey soaks it up like a sponge. Farah’s seven so shehas a little more trouble, but like fuck is she going to let her baby brotherbe better than her at something so

Gabriela laments thefact that her step-children speak fluent Spanish but their accents are afucking mess because the nannies they learned from were from Guatemala, thenSpain, then Argentina

Other languages spoken, scattered across multiplepeople, in varying degrees of fluency: French, Portuguese, Mandarin, Italian,Latin, Haryanvi, Hebrew.

family dinners are mandatory--anyone who’s home musteat together, sitting down, at the table, without electronics.

Nursey refuses to come to dinner for a week after Farahleaves for Andover because it won’t be The Same

there’s a Lot of physical affection: hugs, cuddles,forehead kisses, hair-playing, etc. Lots of wrestling between Farah and Nursey.Nursey usually loses.

Nursey always loses.

once both kids are at college, there are regularlyscheduled Family Google Hangouts

Also mandatory

Basically family dinner

Nursey does it in the Haus once and everyone freaks outat how hot everyone in his family is

he’s Aware, thanks dudes

This is four full pages long in a google doc and I needto stop but basically: Nursey has a really complicated and strainedrelationship with his dad, and he misses his half-sisters sometimes, but he’s so so so loved by his moms and hissister and he’s so supported and he loves them so much and i have about amillion feels and i could go on forever please stop me.

also it’s not a family member but their next doorneighbor has a pit bull named Lupe who loves Nursey and every time he comeshome he takes it for a walk in central park and he wants a dog so much and he’s counting the minutesuntil he can get one

thank you for your time.

i’m crying now.

#derek malik nurse my hipster poet son #holy shit this got so long i'm so so sorry #nursey headcanon #derek nurse #nursey #headcanon post #nonbinarydereknurse

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migosyoungrichsucessful-blog · 8 years ago

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Migos: Young, Successful, and out of the Bando

“Who the heck are the amigos?” A question I constantly hear from the older generation. “No it’s Migos…not amigos. And they are the future generation of hip-hop,” I repeatedly explain. Migos is a term commonly, used in the Bando, referring to drug transportation. A Bando, also known as “trap house,” is an abandoned house, located in the “hood”; drugs and weapons are usually concealed in this location. Quavo, the “Beyoncé” of the group, is the uncle of Takeoff and the cousin of Offset. These three grew up in the Bando of Lawrenceville, Georgia. Influenced by their upbringings in Atlanta, Migos have been able to project and popularize catchy street slang into the public. Some of the most commonly used terms are “Dab”, “Gas”, “Nawf side” (North side), “Dat Way,” and of course “Bando.” Their first music video was shot in the Bando of Atlanta. The video displayed an authentic setting of their lifestyle. While repping their “Free Offset” T-shirts, Quavo and Takeoff repeat the chorus, “Trapping out the house with the boards on the windows.” Offset, who at the time was in prison for selling drugs, had a verse that went, “serving all my patients, get it from the Haitians, smoking loud my eye look Asian….. Get a brick from Venezuelo, meet the plug his name is Pedro.” Migos glamorize the drug life. They made music that connected and heavily related to their lives, as well as the lives of people who lived in the same conditions as the trio.

Migos’ music was mainly appealing to those in the “nawf side” of Atlanta until, Drake, a well-known hip-hop artist, hopped on Migos’ 2013 “Versace” track. Because of Drake’s popular fan base, “Versace” became a smash hit. The lyrics: “Versace, Versace Medusa head on me like I'm 'Luminati…. Versace (x10)” echoed not only the Atlanta scene, but also the radio scene. Drake helped the Atlanta trio push their music closer to mainstream media. With their popularity rising, they eventually came out with a music video, which caught the attention of many. Migos’ music video presented a gleaming lifestyle full of Versace clothing, a huge mansion with a lot of women in gold, and a cheetah gracefully running down a spiral staircase. The lifestyle shown in the video was the complete opposite of what Migos previously perceived themselves in music videos. “Versace” became a “money making” song because it was able to follow the steps of what Irving Berlin’s notion of what a popular song should consist of. Firstly, “Versace” is an extremely catchy song. Secondly, the title of the song is in the song and it appeals to both men and women. The song consists of easy words and simple phrases. And finally, the sound is completely original. A combination of these factors provided a minor platform for Migos’s musical capability.

Although Migos’ “Versace” was a hit, people believed that, Versace would be the only hit Migos would ever make. Many thought they would live up to the “one hit wonder” title. At the time, Migos was not signed to a label, they were independent artist, but with their unique flows, memorable fashion sense, and “hood rich” accent, Migos was able to prove everyone wrong. They were undoubtedly able to make a name for themselves. It is said that, “the industry is too huge, and too beholden to clients’ wishes, to make drastic changes happen quickly”, but it didn’t take long for Migos to solidify their spot in the hip-hop game, even without a record label under their belts (Taylor).They continued to surprise the industry by creating hit after hit.

Migos transformed hip hop lyrically by epitomizing catchy terms to their songs. Their sound is unique in comparison to other hip hop artists. Their music is known for having, a “fast, stuttering flow over” with “basic-heavy experimental beats.” They are mostly known for their rapid, yet hyperactive ad libs yelled after each verse in a song. In 2013, the same year they released “Versace,” the trio released songs like “Hannah Montana”, “Rich then Famous”, and “Chirpin.” The one quality that appeals Migos to individuals is their raunchy, yet well construed lyrics. Migos are modern hip-hop poets. If one were to listen to Migos’ lyrics closely one would find sediment and meaning to their songs. In their song “FEMA” the trio raps about hurricane katrina. The hook starts off with Quavo repeating,

“Katrina, call FEMA

Katrina, call FEMA

Katrina, call FEMA”

FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency, which prepares the readiness of people against environmentmental disasters, like Hurricane Katrina, which became the deadliest tropical cyclones of 2005. Quavo then continues to create a metaphor comparing the twist of hurricanes to making cocaine in a pot by mixing it like a disastrous hurricane.

“Hurricane wrist, hurricane wrist

Hurricane wrist, hurricane wrist

Hurricane, hurricane, hurricane…”

His attempt in this was to show awareness of an important issue, while at the same time glamorizing their lifestyle of making and distributing drugs. Their slight metaphorical mentions have appealed to the greater youth. These songs attract people who are mostly in the club scene. Their music has inspired a variety of artist who have eluded from Atlanta, including 21 Savage, Lil Uzi, and Lil Yachty.

The members of the trio are incredibly humble individuals, who continue to surprise fans. In a 2015 interview at the ‘Breakfast Club,’ Takeoff reveals that “if you come to the Migos studio, you ain’t going to see no paper, no pencil, no pad, no nothing...straight off top of the dome.” The interviewer, Angela Yee continues by asking, “So the three of you don’t write anything...all three of you go straight off the head?” Takeoff continues, “Yeah let the beat marinate for a lil minute, then say what you want to say.” Artist nowadays don’t write their own music so their ability to just freestyle makes their music ten times more interesting in the sense that it is authentic. They are the bosses of their own flows and lyrics. Advantageously, Migos have even used their music to popularize a dance move called, “The Dab.” “Dab” was a song that Migos had mentioned in previous songs prior to the dance’s popularity. The definition of “dab” is synonymous to the word “swag,” meaning you have a lot of fashion. After the dance craze arose, the trio created a song called, “Look at my Dab.” Frustrated about how the word was being inappropriately used and how little credit was given to the group, Migos were able express their feelings through song. The lyrics repeated, “Look at my dab, b***h dab” and towards the end of the song, Takeoff is heard saying,

“Ni**a thinkin' that it's just a dance

When dabbin' is a way of fashion

See I'm tryin' to teach y'all the rules and regulations

Cause there's a lot of ni**as out here perpetrating”. After the release of the song, people gave Migos their recognition. To make things better people started “dabbing” to Migos’ song “Look at my Dab.”

On January 27, 2017, Migos released an album titled “Culture.” The album is a representation of the advancement Migos has provided to the hip-hop scene. In an interview at the breakfast Quavo says, “We need the world to respect us… they consume a lot of our hits and just act like we did not provide the hits,” he continues to add, “we the culture, we brought so much into the game.” Some critics say that Migos are “mumble rappers,” which makes it harder for people to hear exactly what they are saying. Offset argues and says, “The flow is so advanced.” Beside the fact, Migos took off in October 2016, with their #1 hit “Bad and Boujee.” The song features, new artist, Lil Uzi Vert; Fans and critics came together to support the song, helping it become popular. The song began its popularity from the hook, “Rain drop, drop top, smokin on cookie in a hot box.” This hook became a social media sensation. Many memes and post emerged. One tweet read, “Raindrop, drop top Kevin James's Paul Bart mall cop.” Another tweet read, “Raindrop, drop top my weight is never going to drop drop.” There were even pages, titled that contained tons of formulated tweets on the subject manner. Offset also starts his verse with a memorable part. As the beat drops, he yells “Offset, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo!” This verse caused a lot of video recreations on social media. Many people who hadn’t heard of Migos got a chance to really hear about their talent from Donald Glover, who is the creator and producer of the show “Atlanta.” During Donald Glover’s Golden Globe acceptance speech for his television show “Atlanta,” he paid homage to the Migos. "I’d like to thank the Migos — not for being on the show, but for making ‘Bad and Boujee," said Glover. Backstage, Glover was caught saying, “"I think that they're the Beatles of this generation and they don't get a lot of respect, I think, outside of Atlanta," "Not that they don’t get respect, but there's a generation, sort of like the YouTube generation that I kind of came up with. There's a generation of kids that are growing up on something that's completely separate from a whole group of people. "Honestly, that song is just fly" added Glover (Lamarre). The day after Glover’s shoutout, “Bad and Boujee” skyrocketed to #1 on the Billboard Charts. Migos is slowly receiving the recognition they deserve. “Bad and Boujee” only helped solidify their status as superstars, Donald Glover just confirmed their “greatness” in the hip-hop lane.

youtube

Migos have also risen to fame not only for their music, but also for their smart moves in the industry. They have built their own brand. Instead of building their brand through fragrance lines or clothing lines, Migos began their own recording label called “Young Rich Nation (YRN).” The trio is also the face of Rap Snack, a chip brand. They have their own flavor called, “Sour cream with a Dab of Ranch.” A day after their “Culture” album released, Migos taught their own culture class at New York University. Migos gave lessons on how they reached the high platform in the rap industry and how their background in the Bando helped express themselves musically. Migos are the modern day innovators of hip-hop because they provided a new sound to fans from all the world. People have appreciated their music because people find a connection to their authenticity and humbleness.

youtube

#dab

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art-now-south-korea · 4 years ago

Photo

Passersby, Gaze, August, Jaeyeol Han

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Passersby-Gaze-August/325197/1623920/view

#portraiture #abstractexpressionism #expressionism #jaeyeolhan

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mandab97-blog · 8 years ago

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Week 6

Your reflections on the reading

For this week’s reading, there was a ton of information and I learned a lot. I was surprised by how many categories and methods there are. I have never really done anything with printmaking, so these methods were new for me. I actually really enjoyed Gus Mazzocca’s, Haitian Dance Fantasy. There is so many colors, and so much going on in this piece, that it is a little overwhelming at first. The motion of the dancing woman is apparent in the whole piece.

Your reflections on the videos/media

The video on John Baldessari was a little confusing for me, so I had to go back and watch parts of it. However, I thought it was interesting. I especially enjoyed the part when he was standing in front of a plain wall and when he moved he said, “I am making art.” He then states that because he said it was art, he was believed. I thought this was funny, but also eye opening because I suppose it is art. All of his art seem to challenge my, and others, understanding of art. Though I am a bit hesitant to call his works “art,” I also do not think that they aren’t “art.” He seems to want to challenge the idea of what art is, while also challenging people to see meaning in these simple pieces. For example, he puts circles on top of faces of people in pictures to show that they are actually interchangeable. He also does similar things with words and pictures. He said they are both ways of communicating and can be interchanged. Many of his pieces are writing on simple backgrounds.

Connections/comparisons you find between the two

I think what Baldessari was doing with the writings on simple background is typography, which was discussed in chapter seven. He even combines pictures with words, using them as a description. It seems like many of the artworks shown in these chapters are created in very unique, out of the box, ways. Baldessari also seems to create more unique, yet simple, pieces.

Connections to another artist's work from the "Relevant Artists" section of the course content

I chose Yinka Shonibare as my relevant artist for this week. His work is also very interesting to look at! Much of his artwork is colorful, busy, and seems to have a story, which reminds me of the Haitian Dance Fantasy piece I mentioned earlier. I was a bit surprised by how similar his work is to Baldessari’s. Shonibare’s work, like Baldessari’s, features headless people. In some of his pieces, he will put a globe in place of their heads. This immediately reminded me of how Baldessari put circular stickers in place of people’s heads. Unlike Baldessari, many of Shonibare’s pieces seem to have an obvious meaning or story. However, his pieces can also be seen as“strange” and out-of-the-box, like Baldessari’s are. I think this is especially apparent in this piece of his, where this lady is walking a few cheeta’s.

#week 6 #chapter 6 #chapter 7

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papermoth-bird-blog · 6 years ago

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New Orleans: Stranger & more familiar.

There is a Kurt Vonnegut quote that Asa referenced the other day that has been ringing in my ears ever since. It goes something like “Strange travel plans are like dancing lessons from the universe.” Being both a lover of dancing (above most things) & a true believers in *signs*, it has been on my mind. There are so many levels to it-the trust for your dancing partners, learning to let go, making the most out of everything, forgiving yourself for the fumbles, etc. Mostly, trusting your gut.

I few days ago, I found a little bit of loneliness seeping in. Not an overwhelming amount, but as someone who really loves heart-full chats, I realized it had been some time since I’ve really talked to someone with my heart. I noted that, and kinda kept it in my brain, filling “maybe try to make friends” on my to-do list. I really like my alone time. I also really like my social time. It’s funny, that recently I kind of waver back and forth between the extremes- spending so much alone time that I start to feel lonely, and then spending way too much time around people that I find myself getting ever-so grumpy (which isn’t usually part of my demeanour). It is about balance, and I think this trip has been an excersize it that so far.

The past few days, I’ve made an effort to slow my pace a little more. I spent one day in City Park. Which is a very big park on the “lakeside” of the city. It’s one of two big parks in the city (the other being Audubon park one the far west side of the city; which I went to the following day). City park is the home of the Museum of Art, the sculpture garden, golf course, a theme park called Storyland & a really beautiful botanical garden. Audubon park hosts a golf course, the city zoo & the most lively, filled duck pond I’ve ever witnessed. The parks were nice for sure, but the trees themselves were amazing- in particular the ones in City Park. Many of them are well over 500 years old, & my favourite one of all was estimated to be around 860 years old. I sat in the roots of that tree really trying to sink in and ground. I held on the obsidian stone Mare gave me before I left & did our grounding ritual- hugging the tree and following its roots all the way down into the earth, then to the core of the earth itself, then back again. It worked in part, but I did kind of wish I had another witch to sit in the ritual with. It did feel so, so, nice to sit at the base of that tree though. It felt like a great-grandfather I’d never met before. I felt it’s basey-vibration and felt so oddly comforted. It was like all the high-frequency, anxious energy just got absorbed & ceased to exist under the (very very wide) canopy of that tree. I sat there a long time. Even as the tour groups passed & they all kind started at me half-hugging the tree. It felt dis-loyal to leave just because of on-lookers, and so, I stayed.

There were a few other huge oaks throughout the park as well. The other notable one is known as the singing oak, which happens to be my friend Troy’s favourite tree (it’s the first thing he told me I should do when I got here). It houses wind-chimes of all different sizes- really huge base ones, to teeny-tiny fairy-like ones. Apparently they are tuned to fill out the scale of African music. Which I thought was cool.

The museum was also pretty interesting (Although the Ogden was still my favourite). It contains a lot of the typically expected pieces- oils from dutch masters, a mogdalini, a picasso, a warhol, etc. My favourite exhibit was actually the one being displayed in the front hall. It was Tina Girourard’s work (in collaboration with Haitian artisans) called Bondeye: Between & beyond. It was a collection of Voodoo flags based one what to appeared to be a slightly different archana of Tarot cards. It was stunning. bright, detailed, full of thought, history. Very provoking, memorable-- and very New Orleans.

As I waited for the streetcar (which was very late) I spotted some familiar faces in the crowd. A couple I have actually sat behind in the ride up to the park, and then again at several points in the museum. When the streetcar finally did arrive, I again, happened to have sat right behind them. The woman in the pair spun around & told me she had seen me earlier & we got to talking. Olga is from New York via Arizona via Azerbaijan, but now in LA- Not Louisiana (as she’s had to correct people), but Los Angeles. Sam is born & raised in Los Angeles, but a francophile & lover of travelling too. We chatted a bit- they thought I was a local (lol) and were asking me for recommendations, which I gave them. We talked for a long while about travel & they told me to text them when I’m LA. Which is cool. Olga also gave me a bunch of recommendations for Arizona, which was really nice, because, in terms of travelling, that’s the area that makes me a little more nervous- just because I don’t have a car.

I actually ended up running into them the very next day at a little cafe in the French Quarter called Cafe Beignet. We again, swapped things-to-do lists. I was just coming from Audubon park & they were just going, so we parted way... But in a small place like this, I’m sure we’ll cross over again soon. I stuck around the quarter, because it was the weekend & all the busking musicians were out. Holy Moly. They are great here. I wish I could have spent hours listening to each one. Or more so, I was really wishing for a swing dance partner (but to be fair, even in Halifax I can’t always find one). There are also other types of booth/tables set up. Especially along Royale. Tarot card readers, artists-- my favourite of all time was a lady that was live-painting.... using a marionette.

P.s! I found my all-time favourite place for noms. The Cafe Verti, which is also on Royal (if I remember correctly). I mean, as a vegitarian, I expected to miss out on many of the New Orleanian classics-- but this cafe does a veggie version of the PoBoy called “the green giant.” It was also recommended that next time, I get the green giant with olive tempanade as well. I’m already planning on going back there in the next few days. It is a very hole-in-the-wall type of place--- so honestly, you probably wouldn’t find it unless you were specifically looking for it. It’s sooo worth it though.

Later on, Asa & I ended up taking Kozmeaux for a stroll to Cafe Flora. Which, for those familiar with the old establishments of the northend of Halifax, is very much like The Good Food Emporium. Everyone knows everyone, or every will know everyone eventually. Of course, it has it’s NOLA twist to it- you sit under palm trees, etc. Across the street is Big Daddy’s which is apparently the after-hours hang out spot in the Marigny. We sat around talking about weird paranormal stuff & life yadda yadda. One of the humans that works there is named Sal Geloso. Apparently he was voted New Orleans best street musician by Rolling Stone magazine. I’ve never seen him play, but I tell ya he dresses like a rock star for sure. We met one of the regulars Jeremy. Who is a super brilliant mathematician & physicist. Who used to be a hypnotist. Who now does massage one the side. (!!!! um hello signs from the universe).

Actually Asa did talk to me about the zebra races from the day before (Which I missed because my stoopooood American SIM isn’t working properly- so I missed his text). Apparently it only happens like once a year! And I only missed it by happenstance! What are the chances of that! He also told me about a fight that almost/kind broke out in front of the house the night before between drunken people outside the Hangover Club. He felt the argument really coming to a peek, so he grabbed his Ocarina & hid, softly playing. There was something about the strange melody that broke the spell of inebriated anger... and it broke up like pretty much right away. And now I know, I should always carry an Ocarina on me. Just as a side note too- Asa & Leon’s circus is called the Magic Bean Circus. They are trying to put together a ten-year anniversary of this tour they did, with a festival they are going to call BeanStock. Which sounds veryyyyy much like a cousin of white rabbit. They aren’t entirely sure where it’s gonna be yet, it seems- either upstate New York, or New Orleans. They are gonna get Odetta Hartman, Leon’s sister to kinda headline it seems. I looked her up & she’s great. If it gets proper legs, I’d definitely go if I could make it happen.

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Last night, I stayed out late... which honestly was a challenge because I’m still runnning on what I call “farm time” which means waking up at 6:30 and going to bed around 8. Honestly, it’s allowed me to utilize my days really well. It was worth changing for this show last night tho. It was a Gasa Gasa which is a punk venue in Uptown. The line up was Nick Shoulders & they okay crawdads, Baby Tony & the Teenies, and Max & the Martians. Nick Shoulder’s band is old-country, on the susp of punk- mostly in aesthetics, but definitely comes through in the music to a lesser extent too. They did a Hank Williams-esque version of Blonde’s Heart of Glass which I was a fan of. Honestly, this band in particular was right up my alley. Female drum player. Folk-punk vibes. They had solid chemistry as a group. More importantly though. Nick’s yodelling made my heart melt. (lol) ---I mean. I loveeeeee old country & bluegrass. It’s kinda why I came down to the south in the first place. As soon as they started- I felt a wave of “oh yeah, this is why I came here”.

Baby Tony & the Teenies is a super unique duo. If I were to try to describe them, it would probably be something like “freak-doowop” or “Alien Rock n’ Roll.” B-52s would be the closest relative I’d say. It was super fun. And there were a few people that got up to dance (which---- TANGENT TIME---- people are sooooo dang good at dancing down here. I mean. I shouldn’t be surprised. This is where the two-step is alive and well. Apparently in Lousiana, they have the cajun-two step, which is a double-step one direction, double-step the other. I was so jealous though, but too shy to ask a stranger at the time. Next time, I refuse to be shy).

When I walked in I was literally the only one there. Actually. Well, besides those performing. I felt so much pressure to be engaged with the music (which honestly, wasn’t hard). It’s been so long since I’ve been uncomfortable like that. I mean, in Halifax, I go to things by myself all the time... but it never really feels that isolating. I either know the performers, or run into someone, or at the very least the venue is familiar to me. This was all freaky-fresh & so I just tried to casually lean... without unintentionally sinking in the wall beside me. After a while, more people showed up-- but they were obviously friends of the band.

A cool card is something I don’t really like trying to carry around in my pocket. So I kinda vowed to myself that I wouldn’t leave without talking to someones--- I mean I honestly did come all the way across town (well, canada originally) to see them play. So I went up to Eli from Baby Tony, to introduce myself. Sometimes I forget I can be an interesting person. I always kinda underestimate myself in being able to bring an interesting story into an interaction (I don’t know why, honestly, my life is super strange & wonderful). Anyways, we very quickly found common ground, exchanged Instagrams & agreed out art styles would definitely get along. Their band is finishing up a mini-tour, just coming up from Florida, then back home to Athens, Georgia. They mentioned that if I was ever in Georgia, I should message them via “the world wide web.” I said the same about Canada. It would be super cool to see them play in Halifax, but I especially think they’d go over well in Montreal.

The show ended & I stopped by the okay crawdads to say I really enjoyed their set-- because I really did. I told Nick I was jealous of his dancing & he said he was about to ask me to dance but was feeling shy. But he then did invite me to the St. Roch tavern tonight for more country music. Asa & I are going to Preservation Hall, but I think we will go afterwards. Nick also told me to go to Country Tuesday-- which is the thing Milly is playing, so as it happens I was planning on going anyways. New Orleans is definitely a small, interwoven place like Halifax. It’s certainly nice to slowly be integrating in that way. In some part, I wish I was staying longer too, but I guess that’s part of the excersize itself. Not going to lie though, I’m having very vivid daydreams about coming back here for longer. Maybe for Mardi Gras. And maybe bringing a few friends. There are definitely some people in my life that NEED to meet this city-- I’m definitely thinking of Steph Rybczyn here, but there are many others too.

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The Ten of Cups.

My friend Kirsti is organizing a collaborative project between a whole bunch of artists in the northend to make a Tarot Deck. We each get assigned a card that was randomly selected. Mine is the Ten of Cups. Which is the card representing Divine love, Blissful relationships, Alignment & Harmony. More simply; joy, peace & family. Feels pretty good having that card, but I don’t know what I’m going to do it yet. My Illustrations tend to be a little darker than that usually. I am kinda looking at it as a guiding card on my whole trip tho.

It’s also nice I can start thinking about it now. I’ve definitely had my mini-sketchbook in my pocket, while I stop in the little gallery & shops, making little sketches of elements I find inspiring. I’m sure many of the sketches will make some sort of more concrete appearance in my card.

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uribearaceli · 6 years ago

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Week 6

Reflection of printmakers reading? I learned the prints with Fugi were very popular in Japan.The printing picture books were economical books p.245. Also, I learned the pictures were inspiring to the artist. printing a picture and transforming the picture into a piece of art. Just reprinting the pictures adding colors to the pictures the view the project is beautiful. The artist putting a picture changes and transferring into from plain picture to the paper, wood, and books, the artist used colors like grays, black, red to create better art. The artist captures the audience attention printmakers.The background is black and brown,and purple. The yellow represents the fishes and the red flower pops up in the center of the picture on p. 249 by Joseph Raffael, Mattew’s Lily,1984. What I learned in chapter six is the artist used a picture to transform the picture into his enviroment and imagination to create pieces of art and adding colors to make brigth pictures with to dark background colors, artist also,used photocopies to create art from their imagination to think what the artist wanted to project to people in the piece of art.

Your reflections on the videos/media?well on the video art John Baldessari is man who knew what he wanted.He used art to create a job he loved. Jonh Baldessari printed pictures from diffent people like local,political,common people on the street. Covering people with objects and uses his imagination to create art. In addion, John Baldessari used the color wheel on his printings to give the touch of his imaginati to teach n.John Baldessari said, “ the art is to have communication.

Connections to another artist's work from the "Relevant Artists" section of the course content? Well they used photograhy to create art.

What surprised you in this week's content?what surprise me in this chapter is the photography used to create art, the images on each page the artists focus on the center of piece of art. The artist makes a big image in the center to attract the viewers to see artwork.

Has your opinion or understanding of art changed at all? How? Yes, before I just saw the pictures and said it’s art, but I didn’t look in detail at what really is art. Also, now I look at a piece of art and look at the color the artist is using, the shapes, to see what art means to the artist and wants to transmit. I look for the message the artist that is giving to other people.

What artworks did you strongly like or dislike and why? I like couple of pieces of art, for example, Gus Mazzocca’s Haitian Dance Fantacy “petwo” portrait of Ann Mazzoca, 2005. Digital/screen printing (p.265). How does this relate to your life and interests? I like it because it is traditional, but I dislike it because it has a lot of bright colors. The red pops on the center and makes the piece art too bright for me.

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edc-creations-blog · 7 years ago

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“Art, like love, redeems, and love, like beauty, is imperfect.” – Beautiful Imperfections

Wabi sabi, a Japanese term for finding beauty in imperfection, perfectly describes Keith James, “the girl with the boys’ names,” who travels from the Midwestern U.S. to Toronto and on into the world of fine art and big money. Like pieces of raku pottery amidst the porcelain, Keith, her mentor, a brilliant Haitian-born art historian, and the handsome Jewish art dealer who becomes her husband, are all standouts in a world that views them as outsiders. Through loss and love, they discover that art, like love, redeems, and that love, like beauty, is imperfect.

Top Amazon Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars By Darlini Martinion I am so impressed with the writings of Marjorie Vernelle! Not only is this novel a page turner, but the amount of information revealed about the art world is amazing. In some ways, It almost feels like an art class! Not knowing much about Toronto, it was very interesting to not only learn a lot about Canada, but what its like to attend University outside of the USA. Woven in between and all around the story is a beautiful love story. I found Keith to be an amazing character and so admire her courage and strength to overcome all of the obstacles presented to her. Trust me, you will not be disappointed with the ending in this novel.

5.0 out of 5 stars By Galen Hazelhofer This is a wonderful story especially if you are interested in art. If you are not, there is a lot you can learn here. The references are wonderful and you feel like you are in the middle of the art world yourself as Keith does her gallery work and hangs out in the upper echelons of society from San Francisco to Toronto and her visits in between. It is a wonderful story line and I would love to see the movie!

5-Star Review by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite

Beautiful Imperfections is a literary fiction novel written by Marjorie Vernelle. Some might think that the Survey of Art History class that Keith James took to fulfill the Religious Knowledge class in her first year at the University of Toronto was the defining moment in her life, and indeed, in many ways, it was.

Dr. Lucien Montreux, the brilliant, assured and enigmatic Haitian professor and art expert, immediately enthralled her with his energy and fire, his intelligence that seemed to gleam from his eyes, like flashes of diamonds. He was the guardian of the mysteries of the art world and, in introducing them to her in his own inimitable way, he became her mentor, friend and inevitably her lover. The young Nebraskan sophomore’s eyes were caught not only by the lovely and charismatic man conducting the class as if it were a symphony, she was also drawn to the very pale and beautiful young man sitting just a few seats away and down one aisle. She was fascinated by his long, dark curls and lustrous black eyes, his intelligent and measured responses to Montreux’s lecture. David and the professor would become the two most important people in her life, satellites orbiting her world, but her defining moment had actually taken place some days earlier when Sadie Lee Celestine James attended the Frosh dinner as a new student, and in a moment of clarity and inspiration, had become Keith James, someone who was “jazz, sharp, modern, improvised, like a cool, clear note blown straight from the trumpet of Miles Davis and well worth consideration.”

Even more than that transcendent first lecture where Keith meets Montreux and David. I was stunned by the passage quoted above relating Sadie Lee’s transformation into Keith.

Marjorie Vernelle’s literary fiction novel, Beautiful Imperfections, is as grand and glorious as the Turner landscapes Keith loves so much and as complex and nuanced as Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain. The art lover and aspiring artist in me instantly felt at home in Keith’s world and loved learning with her the intricacies of her craft as an art expert and gallery owner. Vernelle’s descriptions of life in San Francisco had me feeling like I was back there myself, and the spell she weaves about Toronto made me almost consider braving those winters to experience that city first-hand. There’s music in these pages, and not just the jazz evoked by Keith’s brilliant name change — add a bit of Stravinsky and some discordant new classical works and then stir in some rich classical symphonies as those three lives swirl, clash and continue their endless striving to connect. But most of all there’s the art, the Turners, the five little De Koonings that mean so much in so many different ways and cause oh, so much pain, the hidden Old Masters that could save Keith from the total tragedy that befell after the San Francisco earthquake.

And there’s her own art, Keith’s own visions of light and color. All these things swirl and conspire to delight the reader. I love this book. It’s beautiful and perfect. Beautiful Imperfections is most highly recommended.

Purchase Beautiful Imperfections by Marjorie Vernelle Link: http://a.co/0ahoFYv Women’s Contemporary Fiction

Chapter Excerpt: Beautiful Imperfections by Marjorie Vernelle

Keith James, a young black woman and her mentor Lucien Montreux, a Haitian art historian, are at a fundraiser in which people’s valuables are being appraised in hopes of finding some treasure. Keith finds her treasure in Dr. Montreux.

I set up the table for an appraiser, had reference books at the ready, and took the tickets of those who came, making sure that they matched the number of items they had paid to have appraised. Then I observed. It was painful really. The jade dish that someone’s great grandfather had brought back from his adventures on the China Sea turned out to be nothing but soapstone, proven when the appraiser could scratch the bottom of the dish with a coin and leave a tiny mark. The printed picture brought lovingly across the sea from Ireland by a great ancestor in the 18th century was just that century’s equivalent of a calendar picture: no value then, no value now. I had to admit that my aesthetic tastes, still developing at the time, let me know when some of these family treasures were just ugly junk, then, now, and forever.

I performed my duties professionally, though, without comment or expression. Lucien Montreux was there working on Saturday, just across the room from where I was. I was surprised to see him at this more ordinary event, as he had been very present on Thursday evening to work with the wealthy patrons of the gallery. After taking the ticket and getting each client settled for his or her appraisal, I would sit with one ear attuned to what the appraiser was saying and with both eyes on Montreux. I could not hear what he was saying, but I could watch his manner. Each appraiser received the next client in line, but I noticed that some of those shown to Montreux seemed to hesitate, showing reluctance. Obviously, it was a bit odd for them to see a black specialist sitting there, though Hamilton-Colbert only hired the best appraisers. Montreux for his part was completely unconcerned, greeting each client with charming and gracious manners. As he talked about the object they had brought to him, I would see them lean forward in interest. From time to time, an assistant for one of the other appraisers, someone younger and newer to the business, would come asking for advice. Seeing their expert be the man whom others went to for advice seemed to convince the skeptical. I found out later that Montreux always volunteered to be of assistance to those new to doing public appraisals, which created a visible acknowledgment of his talent that smoothed his way with the reluctant public. I marveled at his strategy. “Sly old fox,” I thought.

As I watched Lucien Montreux, a memory came to me of a Japanese raku teacup I had seen at Hamilton-Colbert. It might have belonged to Sen no Rikyu, the 16th century master of the tea ceremony and vassal of Lord Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Oddly shaped, that cup was far from the static, pure, porcelain beauty of Old Japan. However, its dark surface had an attractive shimmer. The irregular rises and falls in its form pleased the hand, finding a way to fit perfectly no matter how the cup is held. Sitting by itself it attracted the eye by its difference. Among other pieces of raku, it held its own, playing its unique part like an instrument in an orchestra. Lucien Montreux was that masterpiece of raku. He did not fit the porcelain model. The irregularity of his being in this setting caught the eye. The beauty of his talent and expression drew one to him, just like the soft shimmering finish and odd form of that teacup moved one to desire it. He was the prize, the rare object, by some standards imperfect in form, yet beyond measure in its beautiful allure.

I noticed from across the room that Dr. Montreux would look up from his appraisal work and smile at me. I had sent him a formal letter of thank you, but I had not contacted him otherwise since that windy day on campus when our paths had crossed. As things wrapped up on that Saturday, I excused myself for a moment to go across to talk to him. He looked up and watched me as I approached.

“Hello there,” he said.

“Hello,” I started. “I was happy to see you here because I hadn’t had a chance to thank you in person for arranging this job for me.”

“No need. I received your lovely letter, and from what I hear and see, you are doing well.”

“Thank you. It is an exciting world.”

“Yes, It certainly can be,” he smiled. Then he added, “Would you like to have a drink with me some evening?”

“Well,… of course,” I replied, smiling on the “of course” because I had hesitated after the “well.”

“How’s Wednesday at 5:30, lounge at the top of the Park Plaza Hotel?”

“Yes, that would be nice.”

“All right then. See you there. You can tell me more about your adventures at Hamilton-Colbert.” He turned then to address someone who had come up beside him. Stunned though I was, I took the cue and returned to my table to begin packing up the items that had to go back to Hamilton-Colbert. Drinks at the Park Plaza Hotel with Dr. Lucien Montreux. I did not know exactly what to think, but one thing I knew: my school girl days were over

( Continued… )

© 2017 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Marjorie Vernelle. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

About the Author

Marjorie Vernelle, a born traveler, likes to soak up local cultures. Four years in Canada, one year plus in Mexico, ten years in France and 19 in California (a separate country?) provided her with experiences from which to create fascinating characters in interesting situations. Earning a B.A. in Asian Studies and Spanish and an M.A. in English, she also picked up both French and a love of art. All of this comes in handy when writing fiction set in international locales. She now lives in Colorado, where she paints and spins tales of art, love, beauty, and the human mystery.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mvernelle1 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VernelleStudio Author: http://www.amazon.com/author/marjorievernelle Books: https://www.amazon.com/Marjorie-Vernell/e/B001K8PNPI

Purchase Beautiful Imperfections by Marjorie Vernelle https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Imperfections-Marjorie-Vernelle/dp/1542917646 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beautiful-imperfections-ms-marjorie-vernelle/1125906137

Beautiful Imperfections by Marjorie Vernelle "Art, like love, redeems, and love, like beauty, is imperfect." - Beautiful Imperfections Wabi sabi, a Japanese term for finding beauty in imperfection, perfectly describes Keith James, "the girl with the boys' names," who travels from the Midwestern U.S.

#Drama #Women’s Fiction

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