#museum worthy photography

[fracturedporcelaindoll]

Beautiful~

[bloomingheartache]

normad studio and cafe˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆

[lufyuu]

,, One more picture ''

Idol! male reader x Photographer OC

Tw/s: quite vanilla, not sure to put any. Reader goes from being dominant to submissive.

Not too long ago, you were asked to be an ambassador of Louis Vuitton. The moment Louis Vuitton had announced you became an ambassador of their brand, your fans, and group members were so excited, it went all over the news globally. You flew all the way to Paris for a photoshoot. They would have you model for them wearing their bags, jewelries, etc while also attending events wearing them. The moment you stepped out of the car, you were swarmed with fans, they were all trying to get your attention. Whether that'd be by screaming your name or having their hands out with gifts for you. Fortunately, you had very good security guards, they managed to keep the fans from touching you or getting too close. The first day you were seen wearing the outfit Louis Vuitton had provided you with, it sold out in the matter of hours.

Due to this opportunity, you had many scheduled photoshoots for Louis Vuitton. The first thing that caught your eye was Eun Hyunwoo. Eun Hyunwoo was the photographer in your first photoshoot. He was absolutely breathtaking. He had the kind of look that would make people turn around to stare. A kind of look that belonged to the museum. It was both gentle and dashing. It was such a shame he didn't want to be an idol or anything like an idol. He finds photography to be much more interesting. He finds joy in taking pictures. "Photography captures life's beauty" is his reason to want to pursue it.

You found him to be quite an interesting man. A life of fame and money stared at him all day long and yet he never even once looked its way. The more you saw him, the more you saw his charms. It wasn't just his looks that charmed you. It was the way he would talk, describe things. "[Name]-nim, I will never be able to describe you in a word...", was what he said when you told him to. He said he's not good with describing people, especially you. That made your heart flutter. It felt as if butterflies were eating you from the inside out. Eventually, you even developed sexual thoughts about him at work. When you'd be backstage and have random thoughts of being fucked by him. Something about a gentle man being rough with you made your legs turn into jelly. You'd have to excuse yourself to the bathroom because of these thought. This man had you going crazy.

Click Click Click, the sound of a camera clicking accompanied by bright light aimed at you. "That shot was gorgeous as always," the photographer commented. The staff all agreed with him, "as expected from [Name]," they would say. Others only nodded in agreement. "Thank you, everyone, for your hard work!"you said, bowing to everyone in the room as a sign of respect as a few people removed the props. The photographer looked through the camera roll, the pictures he had captured of you were flawless, you looked elegant, your aura radiating through the small screen. Just as he was admiring your beauty, you approach him. "Eun Hyunwoo-shi," you tap his hand, which startles him a bit. "Ah..! [Name]-nim, what's the matter?"He looks a bit down to face you. Though he doesn't really make eye contact, how could he when you're quite literally the number one most sought out idol at the moment? He didn't feel worthy. "Could you perhaps send those pictures to me? I want to take a look", a smile spreads across your face, a gentle smile that convinces him even if he's been told not to. "Oh.. Of course, should I send it through your work email?", he scrambles to find his phone, which is in his right pocket. You shake your head, indicating he's wrong about that assumption. You stretch out your right hand to take the phone, and he hesitantly gives it to you. You typed out your number on his phone, "Just text me them here." He takes back his phone as you walk away, looking down at his phone and then looking back to the direction you were walking towards until your figure disappears behind the door. His face turned a bit red as the other staff members asked him to help with dismantling the set.

After an hour, you finally returned back to your hotel. Your phone lights up with a ding!, it was the「Lum¡n☆ry」group chat.

➤Woohoooo: @[Name] we miss uuuuu

➤4Sp☆rks: Are you done with the photoshoot?

➤Cho_Sangwoo: You guys are disturbing him. He's probably still at the photoshoot.

Looking at the group chat, you couldn't help but let a smile spread across your face. Texting them back quickly, you informed them that you're now at the hotel. Though, no matter how much you had been distracted, a certain person was at the back of your mind. A man with short and messy black hair. The way his soft blue eyes looked at you was unforgettable. Your heart thumped at the thought of him, the thought of being on your knees, unzipping his.. ding! a sudden ding snapped you out of it. You went to open the dm, it was from an unknown number.

➤+82 XX XXXX YYYY: [photo] +10 more

They were your photoshoot photos. You immediately connected the dots and realized it's not a random stalker. It's Eun Hyunwoo. Taking a good look at the pictures, they are definitely breathtaking, but you spot something. The third picture he had sent was odd. The angle was wrong. As the professional man you are, you point it out.

➤+82 XX XXXX YYYY:

-Ah...

-I'm sorry for the trouble [Name]-nim, should we retake the picture?

You thought of it for a moment, it sure would be an inconvenience for you. It'd totally mess up your schedule, too. Plus, there's other pictures to make up for it. You'll only be missing a singular picture, what harm could that do? Honestly, it would be better for everyone, including yourself, if you just said no.

➤You: Sure!

You sure are thinking with your dick right now.

➤You: Are you still at the photoshoot place? I can go there right away while I still have my outfit and make up on

➤+82 XX XXXX YYYY: I'm not sure if that's a good idea, [Name]-nim...The other staff members have already gone home, it'd be a complete mess, wouldn't it?

➤You: We can make it work. Besides, you're the best photographer I know

➤+82 XX XXXX YYYY: If you say so [Name]-nim, I'll be waiting.

And with that confirmation, you got up from the sofa, grabbing your bag and sprinting to the place. Not literally of course, you took a taxi there.

When you get to the place, the lights are almost all off. There's a person waving at you with a camera around their neck. "[Name]-nim!", as you get closer, you see a gentle smile on his face. "Eun Hyunwoo-shi," you said his name in return, "let's get back in now", you put your hand behind his back, urging him back in. Eun Hyunwoo turns on all the switches, revealing the already tidied up room. The lights were moved to one side while the decorations were put in a box. "Shall we set it up once more?", he asks, looking at you and expecting you to nod or say yes. "No, let's take a photo right here, it'll turn out great," he seemed very skeptical. The area you are in at the moment is quite dark. Of course, it could turn out artistic, but considering your other pictures, it wouldn't fit at all. "[Name]-nim, I don't think that's a good-", "come here!", you pull his hand to the area, making sure he won't be able to disagree further. Without a word, you push yourself up on the table, sitting on it with your legs crossed, posing for the camera. He gets the message and puts the camera up to his eye, aiming it at you.

Click click , you get off the table and look at the pictures on the small screen. "Hm...these won't do," "o-oh, why's that..?", he asks, looking at you as if expecting you to say his camera work is terrible. "Oh, it's not you, I think I know what's missing here," you go back to your position and beckon him to come closer. He complies, wondering if you knew how to make the pictures better. You then grab his tie, his head is now leaned down to face you, "[Name]-nim...?-", you look up at him, wanting him to get the message, "Hyunwoo shi..."he gulped, his face visibly red, especially his ears. His eyes widened a bit, now knowing what you want him to do. Immediately, he leans down to meet your lips, putting his camera beside you, grabbing your chin, and kissing you deeply. "Mmm..ah..", he moans into the kiss. It's obvious he hasn't done much kissing in his life before. The two of you finally let go after a while. The kiss was intense.

Looking at his hard cock straining in his pants, you hop off the table, getting on your knees infront of him, infront of his boner. You unzip his pants using your teeth, you could hear his breath hitch. Even through the boxer, his pre-cum was already leaking through. "All it took was a kiss for you to get hard?", you tease him, "w-well I-I...!", he couldn't make up an excuse for himself, he did get super worked up from a single kiss. "You're really adorable", before he could answer, you took out his cock out of it's restraints, "holy shit..", your eyes widened at the sight. His cock was long and girthy, "Hyunwoo-shi...I didn't expect you to have such a big thing down here", "is it really that big...?", he looks with his face being covered partly by his hand due to the embarrassment. You took his cock in your hand, you couldn't even wrap your hand around it, "mmm, very", was what you said before putting the tip into your mouth, licking and sucking on it. "[Name]-nim..!-", you released his cock from your mouth, "it's [Name], no need for formalities", he coughs and corrects himself, "[Name]...It's dirty down there", you chuckle at this response and continue to suck on his tip, "a-ah..", he tries to keep in his moans but with you sucking him like that, how could he do it for long? His moans were muffled by his hand, you aren't satisfied with this, why would he contain his moans?

You took his cock in deeper, now half of his length is in your mouth. "A-ah...agh...!", he finally lets his moans out, no longer covering his mouth with his hand. You smile, "eunjwoin thwis?", you try to say while his cock is reaching your throat, the vibrations from your mouth making him even weaker. He could only nod weakly in response.

Sounds of sucking accompanied by Eun Hyunwoo's moans were music to your ears. Unconsciously, due to pleasure, he grabs your face and pushes you down on his cock, taking it even further in, you begin to choke on his length, trying to adjust as best you can. Eun Hyunwoo then proceeds to grab the camera on the table with his other hand, pointing it down at you yet again, "you look so pretty...", he mumbles, taking a picture of you sucking him so good. Click

His face is practically as red as it can be by this point, he would never admit it but you've always had an effect on him, everytime he looks at you, he feels butterflies in his stomach, flying around. The way your lips wrap around his cock makes him even hornier, grabbing your hair and face-fucking you. His cock goes all the way to your throat. You try and contain your tears but they ultimately come out, your eyes glossy, looking up at his lustful face. The once gentle look on his face is now gone. He only has lust in those eyes. He continues to facefuck you, making sure it hits the back of your throat everytime. The pleasure he felt was unreal. "God...[Name], your mouth's so warm..", he praises. You wanted him to cum and so you sucked him more but, he suddenly pulls you off of his still hard cock leaking with pre-cum. You look up at him with a confused and disappointed look on your face. Before you could protest, he lifts you up onto the table, letting you sit up. He pulls down your pants and boxers, discarding them to the side.

Without any lube, he was hesitant to continue but with a little reassurance, he went on with what he wanted to do all along. He uses spit as a substitute for lube, "bare with me here...", he says as he pushes himself into you. Taking it slow. The last thing he wants is for you to get hurt, you're too precious to him.

You were trying to adjust to his size when he suddenly asked for forgiveness, "[Name]...I'm sorry but I can't handle it anymore..", it looked as if he was a beast, ready to ravage his prey. Then, he pushes all the way into you, making you take all of him. This makes your back arch from the sudden plunge. His cock is definitely too big for your little hole. Tears were now rolling down your cheeks, you couldn't help it from falling. "Please don't cry...", he says while wiping your tears away with his finger. The feeling of his cock inside of you unmoving was torturing, you wanted him to move. He lets out a surprised yelp as you start moving. "Move...goddamnit", you said with an almost begging tone, leaving him no choice but to grab your hips and thrust his cock in and out of you. He would pull out until only his tip was in before thrusting it all back into you.

All you could do was moan and mumble incoherent sentences. "You're so adorable like this, [Name]", he says while you're in that state. Anything and everything you do is adorable to him. You could feel yourself getting close too. When you looked down, there was a visible bulge on your lower stomach. "I'm so close..!", he says while still thrusting in and out of you like there's no tomorrow. You could feel yourself reaching your limit aswell. "Aagh..!", you let out a moan as you reach your climax, your cum splurting all over your lower body. But your photographer had not yet reached his. He desperately chased his climax, thrusting harsher and rougher until more tears ran down your cheeks. "I'm...cumming..! Take all of my cum", he finally cums into you. It felt like a decade as he released all of it inside you. His cum was dripping out your hole even with his cock still inside.

With such an adorable and tired expression on your face, Eun Hyunwoo couldn't help but reach over for his camera. He aimed the camera at your cum-filled and panting figure, making sure the camera captured his cock deep inside you, "you're so perfect like this, such a slut for my cock", he said shamelessly which was unexpected, it made you shudder a little. Being with you awakened something in him that he never knew he had. He went to caress your cheek with his free hand, smiling softly at you as he says, "[Name]-nim, I want to take more pictures of you..."

♡♡♡

Hello everyone, this is the first fic I'm writing for this blog. It's not really good but I promise to improve♡

Borders by : @/cafekitsune

[olee]

Unexpected | Angus Tully

For my bestie: @babybluebex

It was Christmas once again, and you found yourself alone. Your parents, deeply involved in “work” in Kenya, left you in your Salem Academy. The company of Mrs. Wheatley, a history teacher you disliked, was your only companionship. Despite her questionable claim of graduating from Yale, spending time with her has revealed a captivating side. On Christmas Day, exhausted from Mrs. Wheatley's insistence on avoiding outsiders, you shared a cold sandwich in the school kitchen. Unexpectedly, she mentioned the need to meet a friend in Boston, and soon, you agreed to a two-night trip, eager to escape the confines of your current surroundings.

Swiftly, you packed your belongings and hopped into Mrs. Wheatley's minivan, the sound of Led Zeppelin filling the air. Surprisingly, Mrs. Wheatley, usually in a sour mood during classes, transformed into a seemingly bohemian woman for this trip, even swapping her scarf. You couldn't help but speculate that her change in demeanor might be connected to meeting a "friend" – perhaps a crush. She shared that this friend was a history teacher at Barton Academy, a school your late brother had attended. The connection added an unexpected layer to the journey.

Upon your arrival, Mrs. Wheatley had arranged for you both to stay at a charming hotel in the heart of Cambridge. While you were still settling in, Mrs. Wheatley expressed a desire to visit a museum, a proposition that you reluctantly agreed to. Upon arriving at the museum, Mrs. Wheatley quickly conversed about the art and pottery on display while you followed her around, trying to appear engaged. As you looked around, your attention was suddenly diverted towards a young man walking down the hallway, accompanied by a man who seemed to be his father. You couldn't help but notice that Mrs. Wheatley discreetly checked her appearance and scent before making a beeline for the man.

As she hugged him tightly, you felt awkward, especially when you noticed the young man looking at you curiously, who appeared to be a student like you. However, you couldn't help but compliment Mrs. Wheatley on how nice she smelled, to which she thanked you before introducing you to her friend, Mr. Hunham, and his student, Angus, who he was in the custody of.

As Mrs. Wheatley and Mr. Humham were having a cringe-worthy and uncomfortable conversation, you looked at Angus and noticed that he recognized your expression. You both decided to leave the adults alone and went for a walk through the museum.

As you and Angus walked through the art gallery, you both suddenly stopped in front of an unusual Greek painting. The artwork depicted a naked man, and you couldn't help but feel a little uneasy as you gazed at it. You both stood there in silence for a moment, examining the painting's intricate details. The awkwardness of the situation was palpable, but then Angus broke the silence with a blunt remark, "Shit of painting." You couldn't help but chuckle at his comment and responded with a witty quip, "Classic. Maybe that should be the title." You exchanged a knowing look before moving on to the next painting in the gallery:

Angus: (smirking) “Well, it pushed something, that's for sure. (pauses) Hey, let's ditch Mrs. Wheatley and Mr. Hunham and grab some food. I'm starving.”

You: “Good idea. I'm hungry, too. How about pizza?”

Angus: “Pizza sounds perfect. Lead the way!”

After leaving the museum, you and Angus found a cozy pizzeria nearby. The warm aroma of freshly baked pizza greeted you as you entered, providing a comforting contrast to the cold December air outside. The two of you settled into a booth, the atmosphere lightening as you chatted about everything from school to favorite bands.

As you savored each bite of pizza, Angus shared stories about his life at Barton Academy. He mentioned his passion for photography and his desire to capture the essence of different cultures through his lens. Intrigued, you opened up about your interests, discovering unexpected similarities and shared experiences.

The conversation flowed effortlessly, and before you knew it, hours had passed. The initial awkwardness from the museum encounter now seemed like a distant memory. Angus's genuine laughter and easygoing nature had a way of putting you at ease.

After finishing the pizza, you both decided to walk through the nearby park. The city lights illuminated the night sky, creating a magical ambiance that enchanted the ordinary park. The crunch of snow beneath your feet added a serene soundtrack to your impromptu adventure.

As you walked and talked, you couldn't help but appreciate the unexpected joy this unplanned Christmas trip had brought. The loneliness you had felt at the boarding school was now replaced with the warmth of newfound friendship. Angus, too, seemed grateful for the escape from his routine, and you both relished in the moment's spontaneity.

Eventually, you found yourselves sitting on a park bench, gazing at the stars overhead. The night's stillness allowed for a peaceful reflection on the twists and turns of fate that had brought you and Angus together.

As the night drew close, you and Angus decided to head back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, you bid goodnight to Angus, grateful for the unexpected friendship that had blossomed. Mrs. Wheatley engrossed in her conversation with Mr. Hunham, smiled knowingly as you returned.

[ateez-himari]

VERSACE; MILAN RECAP

Himari finally spreading her creative wings at the Milan Fashion Week.

September 22, 2024 (11:14PM)

House Versace's Ephemeral collection marked the entrance of global ambassador, Min Himari, into the high fashion world with designs seeking to replicate the refined yet unfortunately temporary beauty of butterflies through flowing colorful fabrics and loose hanging jewelry. This rather impressive debut resulted in several designers speaking out about the artistry behind every showcased piece, one of them being Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, and some brands have even set their sights on the young idol as a possible representative.

Fashion Week hosts the most watched showcases of the year which is why audiences were shocked that Ephemeral was premiered alongside the spring - summer collection, as it would undoubtedly occupy the spotlight due to its rather unique nature. During the last model fittings for this runway, Donatella Versace expressed wanting the project's success to reflect the unbelievable amount of work that had gone into its creation, hence letting her protégée close off the night in order to truly leave lasting impressions on attendees.

'The Hand of Midas is an accurate title for her, these designs went from mere sketches on a page to museum worthy pieces.' She said. 'The world should witness these ephemeral wonders before they sadly disappear.'

The artistic director kept the afterparty outfit secret even from the idol herself and those staying on track with updates were far from disappointed when she stepped out of the car wearing a custom made short butterfly dress. Royalty had long been associated with this young ace and some photographers even expressed feeling a sense of admiration when catching their first glance of her walking onto the carpet, bejeweled hand supported by Versace Prince, Hwang Hyunjin, to regain balance;

Photography Credits; @/versace on Instagram

The ambassador's bandmates, Song Mingi and Choi San - who was in the city for the Dolce & Gabbana show-, received invitations to the event despite having no affiliation with the brand in order to not only witness this momentous occasion for their industry but to offer comfort to the nervous upcoming designer as well. With the rapper being in a romantic relationship with their youngest, it led to some sweet moments caught on camera;

When the show came to an end the rapper could be seen wrapping large arms on her body and spinning the two of them around before placing the most tender yet lasting kiss on her lips, some reporters on the scene managing to capture his endless whispered praises. A somewhat brief conversation ensued before the vocalist found refuge in his chain adorned neck with adorable squeals of excitement, attendees along with the house's designer herself stopped to admire their display of heartwarming affection.

'Himari had told me about their relationship, but I've never seen them together in person before.' Shared Donatella. 'To see two people so in love with each other is almost unbelievable...but I'm happy our Princess found her soulmate.'

The members who unfortunately could not attend conveyed respect and pride for their maknae through livestreams in which they made sure that fans were aware of just how much work went on behind the scenes, most ending their lengthy speeches with tears - showcasing the genuine love tying these idols together. While in the music industry the young woman is somewhat guided by the other artists' voices when creating tracks, this night proved to all that behind her delicate beauty was personal artistry extending far beyond unique harmonies.

Himari's Ephemeral Collection will be available for public viewing at the Nilufar Depot, Milan from October 1st to November 3rd and the Opera Gallery of Seoul from November 12th to December 21st. See the official Versace website or ATEEZ instagram account (@/ateez_official_) for more details on ticket availability.

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[rune-folk]

Hei, Hei!

Welcome to my blog!

I’m a 29 year old woman living in Norway, and you can call me Runa!

This blog is about Norse Myth, Norse Aesthetic, Nature, as well as other things that simply make me happy. So, I want to share things that excite me or make me smile.

I post my own photography, ramblings about the myths, or even about my own life. If personal stuff does not interest you, I tag all that with #runarambles so you can simply block that tag!

I am in a weird spot between being an atheist and believing in the Norse Gods, it is quite complicated and I don't fully understand where I am standing myself. I am mostly devoted to Oðin, because he has intervened in my life a lot, and is basically the reason why I am where I am.

I have a slight obsession with Figg, Frau Holle, Frau Perchta and Baba Yaga, who are four figures in Norse, Germanic, Alpine and Slavic folklore that are very interconnected. In general, I am very interested in exploring Germanic Paganism, Slavic Paganism and Alpine Folk Traditions, because these are the places my family comes from, and I want to know more about it.

In my everyday life, I am a scientist, and speak German, English and Norwegian. I am not a native English speaker, so if something I write sounds weird, I am sorry.

I enjoy sewing and making my own clothes, am also into historical sewing and re-enactment, and love water-colour painting, and writing stories. I am engaged in historical fencing (with the Longsword, Dagger, Sword and Buckler, and Langes Messer), love history, and enjoy learning new things, going to museums and ancient places, and wandering through nature.

That is about everything, I suppose!

Profile Picture: me in the forests around the Celtic village in Schwarzenbach, Austria

Header Image: a picture I took of Borgund Stave Church, Norway

My photography sideblog is @forestruin

                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~

And an important Disclaimer at the end:

Sadly this has to be said, as the Norse community is overrun with bigots.

I strongly believe that the interest in Norse culture should be inclusive and open to everyone who resonates with it. I am a feminist, and strongly disapprove of racists, misogynists and homophobes, who appropriate the Norse symbols for their disgusting agendas. You have obviously not understood (or even read) the stories and poems, if you think that Norse believe and your bigotery are in any way compatible.

Women are amazing and not less than men, they are not your property, but multidimensional human beings worthy of dignity and respect! You are not better than anyone else, because of the colour of your skin, or the country of your birth!

Therefore:

Do NOT follow me if you are a right wing idiot, US American patriot with a gun fetish (I mean it! I will block you!), Odinist, misogynistic patriarch, hyper masculine Grimfrost-dude-bro, or any other kind of these people, who have to compensate their fragile masculinity by trying to be overly #Viking

I do check every blog that follows me and instantly block 1) the kind of people mentioned above 2) p*rn blogs and 3) empty blogs (aka no name, header, reblogs. idc if you are a real person, as a tumblr veteran this screams bot to me).

That is all!

Ha det bra! ~

[impressivepress]

Meet Vivian Maier, the Reclusive Nanny Who Secretly Became One of the Best Street Photographers of the 20th Century

The self-taught artist is getting her first museum exhibition in New York City, where she nurtured her nascent interest in photography.

Vivian Maier took more than 150,000 photographs as she scoured the streets of New York and Chicago. She rarely looked at them; often, she didn’t even develop the negatives. Without any formal training, she created a sprawling body of work that demonstrated a wholly original way of looking at the world. Today, she is considered one of the best street photographers of the 20th century.

Maier’s photos provide audiences with a tantalizing peek behind the curtain into a remarkable mind. But she never intended to have an audience. A nanny by trade, she rarely showed anyone her prints. In her final years, she stashed five decades of work in storage lockers, which she eventually stopped paying for. Their contents went to auction in 2007.

Many of Maier’s photos ended up with amateur historian John Maloof, who purchased 30,000 negatives for about $400. In the years that followed, he sought out other collectors who had purchased boxes from the same lockers. He didn’t learn the photographer’s identity until 2009, when he found her name scrawled on an envelope among the negatives. A quick Google search revealed that Maier had died just a few days earlier. Uncertain of how to proceed, Maloof started posting her images online.

“I guess my question is, what do I do with this stuff?” he wrote in a Flickr post. “Is this type of work worthy of exhibitions, a book? Or do bodies of work like this come up often? Any direction would be great.”

Maier quickly became a sensation. Everyone wanted to know about the recluse who had so adeptly captured 20th-century America. Her life and work have since been the subject of a best-selling book, a documentary and exhibitions around the world.

Now, the self-taught photographer is headlining her first major American retrospective. “Vivian Maier: Unseen Work,” which is currently on view at Fotografiska New York, features some 230 pieces from the 1950s through the 1990s, including black-and-white and color photos, vintage and modern prints, films, and sound recordings. The show is also billed as the first museum exhibition in Maier’s hometown, the city where she nurtured her nascent interest in photography.

Born in New York City in 1926, Maier grew up mostly in France, where she began experimenting with a Kodak Brownie, an affordable early camera designed for amateurs. After returning to New York in 1951, she purchased a Rolleiflex, a high-end camera held at the waist, and began developing her signature style: images of everyday life framed with a stark humor and intuitive understanding of human emotion. She started working as a governess, a role that allowed her to spend hours wandering the city, children in tow, as she snapped away.

She left New York about five years later, when she secured a job as a nanny for three boys—John, Lane and Matthew Gensburg—in the Chicago suburbs. The family was devoted to Maier, though they knew very little about her. The boys remember attending art films and picking wild strawberries as her charges, but they don’t recall her ever mentioning any family or friends. Their parents knew that Maier traveled—they would hire a replacement nanny in her absence—but they didn’t know where she went.

“You really wouldn’t ask her about it at all,” Nancy Gensburg, the boys’ mother, told Chicago magazine in 2010. “I mean, you could, but she was private. Period.”

Despite Maier’s reclusive tendencies, the Gensburgs knew about her photography. It would have been difficult to hide. After all, she lived with the family and had a private bathroom, which she used as a darkroom to develop black-and-white photos herself. The Gensburgs frequently witnessed her taking photos; on rare occasions, she even showed them her prints.

Maier stayed with the Gensburgs until the early 1970s, when the boys were too old for a nanny. She spent the next few decades working in other caretaking roles, though she doesn’t appear to have developed a similar relationship with these families, who viewed her as a competent caregiver with an eccentric personality. Most never saw her prints, though they do remember her moving into their homes with hundreds of boxes of photos in tow.

“I once saw her taking a picture inside a refuse can,” talk show host Phil Donahue, who employed Maier as a nanny for less than a year, told Chicago magazine. “I never remotely thought that what she was doing would have some special artistic value.”

Meanwhile, the Gensburgs kept in touch. As Maier grew older, they took care of her, eventually moving her to a nursing home. They never knew about the storage lockers. When she died at age 83, a short obituary appeared in the Chicago Tribune, describing her as a “second mother” to the three boys, a “free and kindred spirit,” and a “movie critic and photographer extraordinaire.”

Maier’s mysterious backstory is a large part of her present-day appeal. Fans are captivated by the photos, but they’re also intrigued by the reclusive nanny who developed her talents in secret. “Vivian Maier the mystery, the discovery and the work—those three parts together are difficult to separate,” Anne Morin, curator of the new exhibition, tells CNN.

The show is meant to focus on the work rather than the mystery. As Morin says to the Art Newspaper, she hopes to avoid “imposing an overexposed interpretation of her character.” Instead, the exhibition aims to elevate Maier’s name to the level of other famous street photographers—such as Robert Frank and Diane Arbus—and take on the daunting task of examining her large oeuvre.

“In ten years, we could do another completely different show,” Morin tells CNN. “She has more than enough material to bring to the table.”

The subjects of Maier’s street photos ran the gamut, but she often turned her lens toward “people on the margins of society who weren’t usually photographed and of whom images were rarely published,” per a statement from Fotografiska New York. The Gensburg boys recall her taking them all over the city, adamant that they witness what life was like beyond the confines of their affluent suburb.

The exhibition is organized thematically, with sections devoted to Maier’s famous street photos, her experimental abstract compositions and her stylized self-portraits. The self-portraits, which frequently incorporate mirrors and reflections, amplify her enigmatic qualities, usually showing her with a deadpan, focused expression. Her voice can be heard in numerous audio recordings, which play throughout the exhibition. As such, even as the show focuses on the work, Maier the person is still a frequent presence in it.

“The paradox of Vivian Maier is that the lifetime of anonymity that has captured the public imagination persists in the work,” writes art critic Arthur Lubow for the New York Times, adding, “An artist uses a camera as a tool of self-expression. Maier was a supremely gifted chameleon. After immersing myself in her work, other than detecting a certain wryness, I could not get much sense of her sensibility.”

The artist undoubtedly possessed a curiosity about her immediate surroundings, which she photographed with a “lack of self-consciousness,” Sophie Wright, the New York museum’s director, tells CNN. “There’s no audience in mind.” There is no evidence that Maier wondered about her viewers—or that she ever imagined having viewers in the first place. They, however, will never stop wondering about her.

~ Ellen Wexler, Assistant Editor, Humanities · July 9, 2024.

[doshmanziari]

This is a question I originally posed on Instagram recently, and I thought I would extend the question here, since I am sure it will find some resonance among this account's audience (and others').

To quote (and elaborate on) my IG post:

Despite all of the ostensible advances made in recent years regarding the amplifying of marginalized creative voices, I find that one of the greatest persistent prejudices of the art world continues to be the positioning of painting as fundamentally more important than drawing. Pay attention and you will see that the art world -- galleries, museums, and art-makers, too -- still largely gravitates around the idea that it is only in exceptional cases that drawing can be painting’s equal. It is highly uncommon, in my experience, to find galleries which prioritize two-dimensional artwork to showcase as much drawing as they do painting. In fact, drawing seems to be a rarity in the upper echelons of the gallery world. Painting, sculpture, "installation" work, and -- to an extent -- photography occupy spaces of priority. This obviously has great ramifications for both what is highlighted and, as a consequence, what sort of work sells. The reasons for this bias, I believe, are complex and various; but I do think a lot of it stems from cultural conditioning, who we decide to canonize, and which work of theirs is chosen for highlighting. Michelangelo, for instance, was a masterful drawer (actually, I find that his drawings much more powerfully exhibit his abilities to render and selectively distort bodies than his paintings do), yet we still largely think of him in terms of his sculptures and frescoes, and treat his drawings as pretty much intermediate work.

Consider an instance of how this prejudice works within language. While we have the term “painterly”, which seems to refer to some activation of paint’s inherent sensuousness (often, it is applied in tandem with work where paint is applied generously and the brushstrokes are visible), we lack an equivalent term for drawing. People searching for a word might say something about “draftsmanship." To me, this word connote precision -- but also some sort of mechanical aspect, denying drawing its inherent sensuality too; and, with the inclusion of the word "draft", implying that drawing is merely that which precedes the "finished" work. One of the most prevalent witty critiques in my graduate program -- probably originally perpetuated by faculty, and then adopted by students, eager to utilize the slickest slams -- was to describe a work as “illustrative." I see this pejorative as in some way connecting to drawing, since we are most familiar with illustrations through the format of drawings, or a mixture of drawing and painting. I wonder, too, if this description was not reinforcing a notion that illustration has some inherent adjacency to literalism or crass commercialism -- that it would somehow be beneath the "professional" or "fine" artist were they to ever illustrate a book or make a comic book, or that such work strictly and forever stands outside of a worthy context.

Of course, I think this is total bullshit. Many of my most precious experiences of art as a child and teenager came by way of illustrations, and I still have great respect and admiration for those artists, even if I may not draw like them. While growing up, only rarely did I have the opportunity of going to galleries or museums and taking in artwork that way -- which isn't to say that I would not have responded with equal excitement to any of the art which may have been on display at such institutions. But it is to say that illustration -- representational drawing -- served as one of the greatest motivators and standards to which I held myself in my growth as an artist (a growth, mind you, which has never ended, and never will), and that it would be pointless and self-demeaning to treat these points of inspiration with an arrogant contempt. For me, drawing holds a great and unique appeal of accessibility -- in its making, the visibility of how it was made, and how it may encourage others to take up art themselves. Compare, for example, what you need in order to execute an oil painting against what you need in order to execute a colored pencil drawing. I would encourage anyone who may hold biases otherwise to reconsider why they are perpetuating this privileging of material. I would additionally ask people to consider why "importance" is ostensibly the greatest indicator of art that's worth paying attention to (while noting that a general agreement, as indicated by majority culture, is not always an indicator of pernicious hegemony). For myself, I have found that a lot of the most "important" artwork -- at least by contemporary, or still-living, artists -- tends to be fairly one-note and anti-visual. The largest crowds, most laudatory curatorial statements, and biggest installations can never make me care about such stuff.

[fugandhi]

Candlestick of God

by Adam Kenichi Wekarski

As one who has been completely fascinated by the actual reality of Nuclear Warfare (since my childhood), I have always found the creation of the Atomic Bomb to be the most important moment in all of human history (with exception of the actual beginning & origin of humanity & all of existence itself).

Christopher Nolan’s perfect film, “Oppenheimer”, is a significantly honorable & highly-sophisticated masterpiece that provides a cinematic insight into the individuals who were instrumental in the real life happenings of the theoretical design, creation, and eventual utilization of atomic power (as a means to an end) in one of the most defining moments in all of history. 

Julius Robert Oppenheimer (portrayed Perfectly by Cillian Murphy in his finest performance) is the main focus of Nolan’s awe-inspiring cinematic achievement. Often considered to be “The Father of The Atomic Bomb”, J. Robert Oppenheimer (known commonly among his peers, family, and friends simply as, “Robert” and/or “Oppie”) was born in a Jewish household in New York City, New York, U.S.A. on April 22nd, 1904. 

Born of a painter (Ella Oppenheimer/Mother) & textile importer (Julius Seligmann Oppenheimer/Father, respectively), J. Robert Oppenheimer is portrayed in the beginning of Nolan’s work as one who has an inherent appreciation for the beauty of artwork (in a somewhat subtle manner), showcased in a rather pensive moment in the beginning of the film (a moment slightly reminiscent of the end of the museum sequence in the American classic, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”; perhaps a deliberate cinematic nod). While the initial years of Oppenheimer’s life are not the main focus of this picture (Written & Directed Perfectly by Christopher Nolan), the film itself is based off a biographical book entitled, “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” (a monumental literary undertaking in it’s own right; championed by Martin J. Sherwin & Kai Bird, respectively).

Although the book is based on Oppenheimer’s life’s work (among other things), the film is a three-hour-epic which tells a tale of various meanings: 

Firstly, the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, which picks up in this film at the time of his initial years of his scientific legacy, as a student at The University of Cambridge (in Cambridge, England). In his academic years, Oppenheimer was not regarded with favor on the behalf of his scientific community. He had humbling beginnings in the scientific field, regardless of his inherent genius (which he would continue to enthrall himself in his own time). A particularly disturbing, yet accurate, moment in the film occurs when Oppenheimer actually attempts to poison his own instructor due to his considerable dissatisfaction of his experiences at Cambridge (without spoiling the story, this obviously does not come to fruition).

What does come to fruition, however, is the continual movement of subatomic & atomic particles working within the inner-structure of the mind (and overall being) of one J. Robert Oppenheimer (while he continues his pursuit of higher learning & his genuine love for all things astrophysical & theoretical science). Christopher Nolan’s film has a perfect ability of providing a visual interpretation of various scientific theories (whether it be conceptual or experimental) all-the-while providing a visual display of the deeply conflicted characterization of Oppenheimer himself throughout the entirety of his journey (via Murphy’s award-worthy performance). The cinematography of the film Oppenheimer is absolutely perfect (showcasing the undeniable superiority of film versus digital photography). The beauty of the picture is matched by moments of visceral intimacy (going in and out of focus at times with confidence) as well as larger-than-life & monumentally jaw-dropping imagery (especially during “The Trinity Test”). The musical score composed by Ludwig Göransson is a true work of genius as it creates an experimental (and highly profound & meaningful) atmosphere that helps shape the cinematic world within the film “Oppenheimer.” Göransson’s score is a refreshingly beautiful balance of symphonic & orchestral instrumentation while incorporating a tasteful implementation of electronic & synthetic instrumentation to balance the overall structure of the film. As Oppenheimer’s innermost thoughts & flashes of brilliance are scattered across the picture throughout the entirety of the story (with visual flair & editing mystique in a nonlinear method, indicative of Nolan’s directorial style), the musical score accommodates the plot & picture perfectly with a sincerely divine grace & power.

While speaking on power, the notion of atomic & nuclear power is the driving undercurrent of the film’s main protagonist as the story unfolds. As the theoretical possibilities are literally astronomical within the understanding of Oppenheimer’s significantly educated mind (as he displays a fascination for existence at cosmological proportions) - the threat of nuclear weapons being constructed and crafted by the dark forces of Fascism (by Hitler & The Nazis) halfway across the world is the other driving undercurrent of the film’s plot and main characters (all of whom, in real life, did actually place their lives on the line for the sake of our world). The known reality that the Nazis of Germany & Austria (of old) had already devised their own plan to have the ultimate weapon to command their own will over the will of others (as their invasion of Poland was merely a first step in their agenda) was not far from Oppenheimer’s mind as well as the many key individuals of whom had not only shared time with him in his life, but had become spiritual warriors of the cause to stop (once and for all) the unGodly atrocities birthed from the minds of actual evil in Nazi-era Germany.

Key individuals had indeed entered Oppenheimer’s life; individuals like Isidor Rabi (portrayed gracefully by David Krumholtz in his finest performance on screen to date), Ernest Lawrence (portrayed very impressively by Josh Hartnett in his finest performance yet), Lewis Strauss (portrayed masterfully by one Robert Downey, Jr. in his greatest performance since “Chaplin”), Jean Tatlock (portrayed strongly by Florence Pugh in a highly provocative & deeply off-putting performance), Leslie Groves (portrayed incredibly by Matt Damon in my favorite on-screen performance by him since “Good Will Hunting”), Katherine “Kitty” Harris (who would later become Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer in real life and in the film; portrayed Perfectly by Emily Blunt in one of my favorite performances in the entire film), as well as many, many other key individuals who played significant roles in the organization of the atomic bomb in order to end what had become known worldwide as “The Axis of Evil” in [accurate] historical documentation.

The countless individuals who shall remain in the history books as having been directly associated with the formation of the U.S. Military effort (not to mention Canada and The United Kingdom, respectively) to create the Atomic Bomb are represented with dignified refinement in Christopher Nolan’s masterwork, “Oppenheimer.” The ensemble cast is enormous, and no one single performance can be understated by any other performance. Every performer on camera honorably captures an accurate portrayal of the manner of which these real life individuals had lived (granted with a dramatic tone mostly reminiscent in any major motion picture’s cinematic retelling of any major historical world event to connect an overall thought to anyone of whom views the picture).

In addition to the enormous ensemble cast is the enormous production design of the film. It’s particularly astounding to observe how Oppenheimer had become involved in the most important government protocol known to modern society, and then had the most important responsibility of practically producing a space within the nation to run highly-classified government operatives & lead numerous scientists (of both men and women) to create something that had never been physically manifested before by anyone. Cillian Murphy’s charming on-screen dynamics with his peers & colleagues (even among some of the most fascinating & completely serious situations; i.e. The personal politics becoming an element of interference & conflict even among the very people who worked as a team to construct the nuclear solution to the atomic problem; the complete classification of his work due to the priority of the U.S. Military; the priority of national security; his overall personal relationships while putting a new team of scientists together to perform the most massive scientific undertaking in a race against evil) - is just as organic as it is compelling to observe on film.

The reality of Oppenheimer’s associations with the Communist Party (as well as his own family members and friends) are presented very clearly throughout the entire film. Regardless of the numerous verbal warnings from fellow scientists such as Ernest Lawrence to keep politics outside of the laboratory (due to Oppenheimer’s rather open and highly vocal political opinions in favor for the Communist ideals with an intensely pro-worker stance), Oppenheimer continued to struggle to find the balance between his own personal convictions & morals as an individual as well as working within the functioning realm of national loyalty & honorable servitude. As the film continues into the development of Oppenheimer’s leadership as an instructor for his own students (which continues to increase in numbers), he eventually calls upon the brightest and most capable minds within his field to join the cause of stopping the world from being totally annihilated by the forces of darkness (as the Nazi army had continued to murder & genocide countless innocent lives in Europe on a daily basis and intended on dominating the world by total violence & mass genocide).

With a newly formed team and his continued work alongside Leslie Groves (a true man of the cause; a decorated Engineer of the U.S. Military who did his service to his country with much Pride & Honor) to build a physical location to perform what would later be referred to as “The Manhattan Project” (which was a perfect recreation in terms of production design of the classified military operation in Los Alamos, New Mexico, U.S.A.), Oppenheimer’s vision had come to fruition in the most tangible form (with the relentlessness of Groves throughout the entirety of the nuclear arms race). After the painstaking search for the perfect team to create the most destructive force known to humankind was completed (even with a briefly elusive encounter between Oppenheimer & Albert Einstein [portrayed by Tom Conti with awe-inspiring perfection & grace] in the beginning of the film when Strauss extends an invitation to Oppenheimer), the increase of scientific gravitas becomes ever more present with each scene in the film and each additional scientist of whom helps construct “the weapon to end all wars.” With each additional individual who presents more & more ideas to the table (so-to-speak) on how to successfully achieve the most effective scientific results (during an intimate look inside the American think-tank that constructed the weaponization of atomic power), the collaborative efforts put forth by the men and women who built the atomic bomb was frequently rife with conflict & tremendous disagreement due to the meeting of massive minds (often harboring massive ideas & massive egos to boot). 

The potential security threat that Oppenheimer’s Communist ties initially raised had been dissolved by Leslie Groves due to his concrete belief in Oppenheimer’s intellectual abilities as a Scientist. This clear confidence, regardless of personal reservations, is what prompts Robert Oppenheimer’s brother, Frank Oppenheimer (portrayed respectably by Dylan Arnold) to join the highly classified government operation to defeat the Nazis in the race for atomic power (regardless of his clear ties with the Communist Party). The cause had become greater than us all as our personal politics and personal reservations regarding who did [or did not] pose a potential security threat to our nation had been placed as a postponed priority during a race against time (and an actual race against evil). Just as it has always been (in regards to the most important moments in human history), desperate times called for desperate measures. This is the compelling beauty of the unified cooperation & sincere teamwork that had actually happened in real life with real human beings who truly did save the world from the further influence of the destructive forces of darkness (and our absolute end as an overall existence). Regardless of differing political ideologies, many individuals came together for the common cause to stop the world from succumbing to the most sinister darkness ever known to be (by collectively constructing a proverbial candlestick of God to bring forth from the heavens the ultimate force of light).

Secondly, “Oppenheimer” is a picture about the tragic betrayal & political persecution of J. Robert Oppenheimer despite his awe-inspiring commitment & loyalty to The United States of America as a government and as a nation (as well as the entirety of humanity and existence on Earth). The second act of this three-act work of art is primarily focused around the McCarthy-era “Red Scare” that occurred in America that followed the aftermath of the end of World War II in the following decade. The Red Scare had essentially been a witch-hunt in contemporary America for anyone who was a Communist, held affiliations with the Communist Party, or was suspected of having potential connections and/or ties with any individual(s) or organization(s) associated or in some way, shape, or form, and/or of having any relations with Communism as a whole (very reminiscent of another important socio-political picture focused on the era of McCarthyism in America entitled, “Good Night and Good Luck”). 

Regardless of Oppenheimer’s complete commitment & sincere dedication to the cause of our great nation, he was still held under a severe amount of scrutiny and political punishment for his past associations with the Communist Party. In addition to a public hearing which had placed his entire scientific credibility & honor as a man under an unnecessary humiliation that attempted to destroy his life, family, and career - He also faced a significant amount of antagonistic questioning on a daily basis regarding a tapestry of arbitrary & meaningless questions that were implemented more severely & viciously with each passing day in order to further diminish, attack, and otherwise destroy his character (regardless of him & his family’s sacrifice for the greater good).

The second act is duplicitous in the sense that it’s nonlinear in it’s presentation (similar to the earlier work by Nolan, “Memento”). Act two is primarily in black & white, a clear indication of the nature of the duality of Oppenheimer’s scientific & humanitarian achievement in that he was once an exciting figure full of potential in the first act (with a sense of hope & color & adventure), and now the second act has him facing questions (in a stark contrast to act one) regarding his own character and his associations (in addition to the very achievement he was called upon in order to save the world from total annihilation, by the very people who asked for his help). The second act happens simultaneously with the first act which is a stroke of genius in the direction, writing, and overall production quality of the film. Without revealing too much in order to preserve the quality of the picture, the second act is a complete torment on Oppenheimer’s character and his actions and overall judgment calls (as the man responsible for having a scientific team working for the U.S. Military & U.S. Government that actually had Russian spies and double-agents infiltrating classified U.S. intelligence during The Manhattan Project and The Trinity Test). The truly unfortunate reality is that Oppenheimer, while being a genius who worked alongside many, many brilliant & wise individuals, still managed to succumb to the double-cross of individuals of whom were trusted with the highest security clearances in our own U.S. Government (while covertly operating within the means of international political subversion & government espionage).

While I will not indulge further into the premise regarding the socio-political plot-related themes of the film, I will indeed acknowledge the Kubrickian fashion in which Nolan has immersed his direction in this particular film (in all of it’s 70mm glory). Without spoiling the story for anyone; there is one scene during Oppenheimer’s questioning where the film provides a visual representation of how deeply each question had cut Oppenheimer as a person (and character). What would seem to be a completely gratuitous sex scene during Oppenheimer’s questioning (courtesy of Florence Pugh & Cillian Murphy, both in a highly artistic light), is actually an astonishing symbolic gesture that showcases the real suffering that was not only endured by Julius Oppenheimer (having been known for his illicit affairs), but also his wife, Katherine, during one of the worst times in Oppenheimer and his family’s life (which fed into Kitty’s alcoholism despite her own intellect & genius in real life). The questions of Oppenheimer’s commitment to our country, and to the greatest cause in the world, and the questioning of his personal affairs in order to smear his good name was discovered to be a deliberate method of private interest (facilitated by an individual later revealed in the film).

Oppenheimer’s credibility & worthiness had been completely tested, challenged, and disgraced regardless of the fact that he utilized his intellect (and the intellect of countless individuals in his immediate life that had all worked together) in order to bring an end to the forces of darkness by using the most powerful form of light: Atomic Power. 

Thirdly, Christopher Nolan’s monumental cinematic achievement is, symbolically-speaking, about the Greek tragedy of the Titan known as Prometheus (originally based off of Hesiod’s ancient mythological poetry, “Theogony”; as well as the 5th Century [B.C.] epic trilogy written by Aeschylus, “Prometheia”; a trilogy of tragedy consisting of “Prōmetheús Desmótēs” (a.k.a. “Prometheus Bound”), “Promētheus Lyomenos” (a.k.a. “Prometheus Unbound”), and “Promētheús Pyrphóros” (a.k.a. “Prometheus The Bringer of Fire”). In the calculated words of Oppenheimer, himself, as he identifies with the paradigm of which confined Prometheus before him, “…I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds…” (taken from Eastern Philosophical Sanskrit spiritual text; quoting Vishnu of the Hindu faith; Bhagavad Gita, approximately 4th Century BCE). As Oppenheimer’s ability to “bring fire” to humanity (a cinematic similarity of the mythological tragedy of Prometheus), having stolen fire from Zeus and having given it to Humanity (in addition to civilization & science & knowledge from the heavens), the mythological being’s tale had become an obvious parallel to Oppenheimer in his actual waking life (when he was indeed alive on this earth and did aim to wield the power of the universal light). Regardless of Oppenheimer’s world-changing achievement (and the further harm it would prevent on a mass level), he was still able to intellectually determine his own profound understanding of the bloodshed & death that would be the result of his scientific creation (despite the necessity to stop the seemingly unstoppable armies of Germany & Japan at the time). Oppenheimer, like Prometheus before him, had successfully managed to reach for the stars and pull the light down from the heavens, and bring it to humanity on earth in order to prevent Zeus from completely obliterating and destroying humanity as a whole.

In Nolan’s masterpiece, as Prometheus had learned the ability to seize the power of fire could indeed be harnessed from the heavens, Oppenheimer had learned the ability to seize the atomic power that could actually be harnessed from existence itself (as the molecular structure of all existence as we know it is indeed a physical result of atomic activity combined with spiritual energy [individually & collectively]) within an interaction between the tangible & intangible forces of cosmic energy & matter & waves of sound.

As in the tale of Prometheus, after having brought fire to earth from the heavens, the following punishment was the eternal torture & torment of Prometheus (condemned by Zeus). Prometheus was shackled to a boulder, as his immortal liver was eaten on a daily basis (having the ability to regenerate each day) by an Eagle (typically identified as the emblem of Zeus). In a contemporary context, an eagle also identifies as a symbol of State Power; Authority of The State; Government Power. Zeus, in Nolan’s cinematic interpretation, has a much more fascinating and complex representation via two different major political figures (both Adolf Hitler as well as President Truman; the inherent duality of state power). Without giving anything away - The brief cameo of President Truman (as he and Oppenheimer meet) is an encounter similar to that of when Peter Finch’s ‘Howard Beale’ meets Ned Beatty’s ‘Arthur Jensen’ in the film “Network” (albeit more brief). While Oppenheimer’s brilliance and complete concern over the social responsibility of striving for a world where we no longer need to use any such weapons in order to remain a functioning society - President Truman (portrayed masterfully by an actor who shall remain nameless to maintain the integrity of the picture) shows the true nature of the political world by declaring the contrary and asserting a further implementation of research & development to deter any further international threats (regardless of Oppenheimer’s clear concern of any government having such access to such extensive means of weaponized methods of power on the nuclear level).

It’s a truly fascinating & monumental statement to have applied the cinematic telling of one of the most important moments in human history while simultaneously bringing forth poetic symbolism of a Greek tragedy (utilizing the most powerful form of cinematic triplicity; particularly with the utilization of Einstein who plays more like a force of nature rather than a man). The third act of the film releases Oppenheimer from his proverbial rock of eternal torment in his own modern Tartarus, as he is released by the help of the every-day scientist, David Hill (portrayed perfectly in a minor, but completely effective role by Rami Malek). As Heracles before him, Hill’s presence sheds new light on an intriguing internal development within the scientific community which not only shows the duplicitous nature of the second act, but also the duplicitous nature of the individuals of whom had called upon Oppenheimer to help create the atomic bombs that would be dropped on the civilian cities of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan (respectively). Rami Malek’s brief, but significantly important role in the film is the pivotal turning point that grants Oppenheimer, his family, and his associations (both past and current) freedom from previous prejudice & extreme ridicule (in a gratifying on-screen showdown that brings forth the most important message of the entire film).

Lastly, and most importantly, the overall message of Nolan’s masterpiece is about honoring the people who deliberately rise to the occasion in order to save the good grace of humanity & the sanctity of life as we know it (regardless of prior or potential political affiliation or one’s professional ego or private interest). The importance of speaking up on the behalf of the ones who do good in the world, and celebrating each achievement in order to propel the individual (and the collective) further into the future is essential in all industries (not just the scientific field). The ones who literally step forward to save & preserve the fate of humankind & our world (by intellect, spirit, or body) should be awarded for their good faith (not punished or tortured or removed by exclusion due to the absurdity of bureaucracy or envious competitors or kicked back into the world merely as paupers, or as the film refers, a “Lowly shoe salesmen”). 

In conclusion: The elusive moment between Einstein & Oppenheimer (which comes back around full circle from Act one through Act three) is a highly powerful moment on film that provides an insight into the purity of true genius & brilliance (more importantly & above all else: a wisdom that burns inside within the spirit of Oppenheimer as it had in Einstein; a candlestick of God’s light from within: All-Knowing, regardless of the tumultuous path ahead of the man that became known as “The Father of The Atomic Bomb”). The beauty of the film is not one individual’s achievement, but the collaborative achievement of the goodness of humanity as a species in order to stop the darkest evil known to humankind. It was one individual who lead a team of individuals (with unmeasurable personal & professional sacrifice on everyone’s behalf), a true human being alongside other noble human beings who did what was necessary to preserve the sanctity of life as we cherish it to be.  Considering the known reality that the relevance of an actual threat of nuclear warfare still exists in our modern time (approximately one century after the real atomic bomb had been created by the most important team of individuals who placed, not only country above party, but humanity above it all), perhaps Christopher Nolan’s cinematic echo of the past will allow us all to consider the priority of humanity’s future as we look towards a better time, not just for a certain few, but for ALL of us as an entire world (now & forever).

[barry-kent-mackay]

The Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is distributed throughout many parts of Africa, mostly in arid, open country. Sadly, they have recently been classified as endangered. Big and powerful and in the same family as the eagles, they are known to take live prey, although mostly they are, like other vultures, consumers of carrion.

I was first made aware of the species when, as a kid, I came across a copy of a book called Artist Naturalist in Ethiopia, in the library of the Royal Ontario Museum’s well known bird curator, James L. Baillie. The book contains journal notes by American bird artist Louis Agassiz Fuertes, on a wildlife collecting expedition to Ethiopia, along with a variety of paintings of birds painted quickly from live or freshly dead specimens – mostly species I was then unaware of. The paintings had to be done quickly, under field conditions, and impressed me very much. In those days colour photography was nascent, and since the colours of un-feathered parts of birds could change quickly after death, and never be preserved accurately in museum specimens, artists would record them in what were called “soft-part studies”. Fuertes died tragically in a level crossing accident soon after his return from Africa, adding poignancy to the art he created.

Since then, I’ve been to Africa myself, and the “soft part” colours of birds are less of a mystery and more easily accessed by artists. In the case of this species, they vary significantly between individuals, as does the configuration of the head, and the various wattles and carbuncles and feathering or lack thereof on the head. But the species lives up to its name by having a fold of skin to other side of the upper neck, as I have shown in this portrait.

Many people deem bare-headed birds such as vultures, turkeys and guineafowl as “ugly”. I hope this study helps to show the bird as I see it, accurately, I trust, but also as an important part of the ecological whole, inherently dignified, performing its functions within the context of a world primal and more natural than what we contrive for ourselves with steel, concrete, glass and plastic. They are the current manifestation of a three billion year journey of evolution. To me they are beautiful, magnificent and a worthy subject I greatly enjoyed painting.

Lappet-faced Vultures have weighed in at over twenty pounds, making them one of the largest of raptors still extant. Long may they soar over the hot savannah.

This painting is in oils on a canvas panel, 12 by 9 inches.

art may be used for non-commercial purposes with attribution

prints and original art for sale on Fine Art America

support barry kent mackay on ko-fi

[wandress-in-the-wild]

Love your blog , self photography & being your own muse. Planning to go to Washington DC this summer, any recommendations on places and any photo worthy spots?

Awww this made my day!

Washington DC is loads of fun. The museums are free so I would recommend hitting those up!

[tetrafelino]

Honestly, just look at the quality. You simply couldn't get this kind of exposure in early photography. This looks totally digital - there's even a background blur.

It would also help to know that there is only one confirmed picture of Vincent van Gogh:

This is him, aged 19. As per the van Gogh museum article linked above, there was one other picture which was thought to be Vincent at 13, but was later identified as a 15-year-old Theo van Gogh. And you may have seen the following picture identified as Vincent van Gogh in 1886:

However, that's impossible. The address of this photo parlour is Canadian, and the photo itself was discovered in Massachusetts, USA, in the 1990's. Van Gogh never stepped foot in Canada, and there's no reason to believe he ever left Europe at all. The guy in this picture just really looks like him.

What's very interesting to note here is that, much like (what we are calling) AI nowadays, photography was still relatively new technology in the late 1800's - and Vincent van Gogh himself expressed diverse opinions on it.

In this 1882 letter to Theo, he equates a photographic quality to "something mechanical" (eleventh paragraph), and in 1884, in reference to reproducing art via photography, he laments that "the photographer only produces prints that reflect none, or at least far too little of the original chiaroscuro, moreover retouches a great deal and badly, and even so still often leaves things dark that are light in the painting and vice versa."

In 1885, he writes, "there’s a chance of getting work, that is to see about being employed by the photographers, which I wouldn’t want in the long run, but would do if needs must. The photographers seem to have plenty to do here. One also sees painted portraits in their shops, which they apparently work up on a background obtained by photography, which obviously has a weak, feeble effect to anyone who knows what painting is."

October 8th, 1888: "That’s to say, I’m doing a portrait of our mother for myself. I can’t look at the colourless photograph, and I’m trying to do one with harmonious colour, as I see her in my memory."

October 10th, 1888: "I’m working on a portrait of our mother because the black photograph was making me too impatient. Ah, what portraits we could make from life with photography and painting! I always have hopes that a great revolution still awaits us in portraiture. I’m writing home to have our father’s portrait too. Myself, I don’t want black photographs, and yet I still want to have a portrait."

In a letter to his sister Willemien, 1889: "I myself still find photographs frightful and don’t like to have any, especially not of people whom I know and love. These portraits, first, are faded more quickly than we ourselves, while the painted portrait remains for many generations. Besides, a painted portrait is a thing of feeling made with love or respect for the being represented. What remains to us of the old Dutchmen? The portraits."

[The translation team for these letters is credited on the website. All emphasis mine.]

Vincent was known to dislike photography as a substitute for portraiture and avidly avoided having his own photo taken. From the letters, it's clear that he was disappointed at the perceived quality and the lack of colour of the photographs of the time - anyone who's ever seen a van Gogh can easily imagine how frustrating the latter, in particular, must have been.

What's interesting to note is that his opinion on using photography and painting, in conjunction, shifted over the years. While in 1885 he derides the painted-over pictures of Antwerp photographers, in the excerpts from October 1888, the prospect of utilizing both photography and painting is exciting and possibly revolutionary to him - despite still regarding the "black photos" themselves as lifeless and worthy of contempt.

Perhaps those Belgian photographers really were subpar painters; perhaps he just needed some time to think it over.

Colorized photo of Vincent van Gogh at his home in Arles in 1869 ~ photo by Robert Capa

[bloomingheartache]

@lotusxplum

[xtruss]

Located on Bridge Street in Dublin, The Brazen Head first opened its doors in 1198, making it Ireland's oldest still-operating pub. Photography By Gacro74, Alamy

8 of Europe’s Best Beer Cities Beyond Munich

From an Iconic Brewery in Dublin to a Beer Spa in Budapest, There’s Plenty More For Beer-Lovers to Discover in Europe Beyond Munich’s Oktoberfest.

— By Tamara Hinson | September 17, 2024

While Oktoberfest may be Munich’s biggest crowd-puller, it’s not the only European city suited to a beer-themed break. Whether it’s the Polish city with statues of beer-drinking gnomes or an up-and-coming craft-brewing hotspot in Sweden, we’ve got the lowdown on eight European cities that are perfect for a hop-scented break.

1. Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪

Dublin is the home of Guinness, so it’s no surprise that the Guinness Storehouse is the city’s most popular landmark. Hands-on experiences provide the opportunity to improve your pint-pulling technique at the Guinness Academy, learn about aromas and flavour nuances during tasting masterclasses and the chance to snap a selfie that’s then imprinted onto a pint. Other beer-related hotspots worth a visit include Ireland’s oldest pub, The Brazen Head, which opened in 1198, and Rascals Brewing Company. Tour this pint-sized brewery for copious samples of its weird and wonderful tipples, such as the silky Cherry Cola Ale made with cherry, vanilla and a hint of spice.

2. Pilsen, Czech Republic 🇨🇿

Pilsen is the birthplace of pilsner, a German-style beer created by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll in 1842. He brewed his first batch at Pilsner Urquell, the Czech Republic’s largest brewery. Tour highlights include a visit to the brewery’s historic cellars, which stretch for almost six miles. Other Pilsen hop-spots include the 15th-century Brewery Museum, filled with ancient brewing tools, Gambrinus Brewery, brewers of one of the most popular beers in the country, and the Purkmistr Beer Spa for a chance to soak in a bath filled with beer.

Pilsen is home to the German-style beer pilsner and ancient brewery museums. Photograph By MB Photo, Alamy

3. Lille, France 🇫🇷

For undeniable proof of Lille’s historic connections to brewing, head to its cathedral, which features a spectacular stained-glass window dedicated to Saint Arnold, the patron saint of hop-pickers. You’ll find countless microbreweries in Lille’s city centre, the majority of which are located in the old town. Head to Singe Savant Brewery, where you can join brewing masterclasses, or a larger brewery, such as Goudale, famous for its top-fermented beers (beers fermented faster at a higher temperature). Tours offered by L’Echapée-Bière specialise in beer-themed explorations of Lille and its history.

4. Wrocław, Poland 🇵🇱

Located in the heart of a major hop-producing region, Wrocław takes its beer seriously, with records showing that the old town hall’s cellars were first used to store beer in the 1300s. Breweries worthy of being on your radar include Złoty Pies (meaning ‘Golden Dog’), where you’ll find a statue depicting a beer-drinking gnome outside. For some hoppy history, Browar Stu Mostów, founded in the 1500s, is known for its malty beers, while Piwnica Świdnicka dates back to the 1200s. Consider taking a tour of Prost (you’ll find yet another beer-drinking gnome near the entrance), one of the city’s first breweries, for a beer-tasting masterclass.

Several breweries in Wrocław feature statues of beer-drinking gnomes. Photograph By Konrad Zelazowski, Getty Images

5. Brussels, Belgium 🇧🇪

Belgium brews more than 700 types of beer, all of which you can learn about at the Beer Museum of Schaerbeek, which focuses on the history of the craft. Top breweries include the Brussels Beer Project’s Port Sud taproom, home to the city’s largest beer garden with views overlooking the canal. For the wow factor, visit Delirium Café, which holds the Guinness World Record for the most beers served in one place — 2,004 — including several with ABVs of 40%. Brussels’ Grand-Place is a great place for a sundowner, and is also close to the famous Manneken Pis statue, which depicts a small boy answering the call of nature. On certain public holidays, the statue is hooked up to a keg, allowing passersby to quench their thirst with beer.

6. Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺

If simply sipping beer isn’t enough, consider Budapest — more specifically the Lukács Thermal Bath. Here, you can enjoy the popular beer spa, which involves sipping a stein while you soak in a barrel-like bath filled with thermal water, malt and hops. Alternatively, tour the city on its Beer Bus, where you can pull your own pint of Hungarian ale as you hop between breweries such as Élesztőház, which serves up some of Budapest’s top craft beers. For a swankier experience, head to the Continental Hotel Budapest’s ARAZ Restaurant for a meal that’s paired with various beers to match each course.

7. Cologne, Germany 🇩🇪

Cologne is the birthplace of Kölsch beer, a golden ale served in 0.2-litre glasses, invented in 1902 by the Sünner Kölsch brewery. Today, it’s served by most of the city’s breweries, including the Haus Töller, which was founded in the 1300s. To learn more about the city’s historic connections to brewing, visit the Brauwelt brewery, which has been producing beer using water from its own well since 1830. Need a room? Stay at the Hotel zur Malzmühle, where curved headboards are designed to resemble the beer barrels that have shaped the city’s identity.

Kölsch beer is served by most of the Cologne's historic breweries, dating back to the 14th century. Photograph By Mauritius Images GMBH, Alamy

8. Gothenburg, Sweden 🇸🇪

Breweries have existed in Gothenburg since the city was founded in 1621 and its beers went on to develop a global fanbase by the 1700s, when they were among the items exported to the Far East by the Swedish East India Company. Today, Gothenburg’s brewery scene is thriving, with more than 40 craft breweries offering beer-tasting experiences and tours along with various restaurants and tap rooms, too. The best way to visit them is via the Hop-on Hop-off bus, which departs from Järntorget square every Saturday. The tour takes in several breweries, including Spike Brewery, known for its flavour-packed tipples such as the coconut and coffee-flavoured Doppler Effekt. Another reminder of Gothenburg’s slightly unusual approach to beer is Ivans Pilsnerbar, a bar specialising in pasta, pilsner and art.

[holiday-and-tour-packages]

Ultimate Guide to Singapore’s Most Instagrammable Spots

Singapore, a city-state known for its stunning blend of modern architecture, lush greenery, and rich cultural heritage, is a paradise for photography enthusiasts and Instagram lovers. With its vibrant neighborhood, iconic landmarks, and scenic spots, Singapore offers countless opportunities to capture visually captivating moments. Whether you're drawn to the futuristic Gardens by the Bay, the bustling streets of Chinatown, or the serene beauty of Sentosa Island, the city has something for everyone. This ultimate guide highlights the most Instagrammable spots in Singapore, where you can capture the essence of the city’s unique charm and share it with the world. From iconic skylines to hidden gems, these locations are guaranteed to make your Instagram feed pop.

Here are some Ultimate Guide to Singapore’s Most Instagrammable Spots.

1. Gardens by the Bay: 

Gardens by the Bay is one of Singapore's most recognizable and photogenic landmarks, ideal for your Instagram feed. The futuristic Super tree Grove, with its towering tree-like structures, is a must-see attraction, especially during the evening light show, when the trees come to life with vibrant colours. The Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, with their lush indoor gardens and breathtaking plant displays, provide additional opportunities for beautiful photographs. Gardens by the Bay is a popular spot for Instagrammable moments in Singapore, whether you're photographing the serene beauty of the flower-filled domes or the surreal landscape of the Super trees.

2. Marina Bay Sands Sky Park:

The Marina Bay Sands Sky Park provides unparalleled panoramic views of Singapore's skyline. Perched 57 stories high, this rooftop observation deck provides an ideal vantage point for capturing the city skyline, Marina Bay, and beyond. The SkyPark's infinity pool, while only available to hotel guests, serves as an iconic backdrop that is frequently featured on Instagram. The Sky Park's combination of luxury and breathtaking views makes it an ideal location to capture the essence of Singapore's modern architecture and cityscape.

 3. Haji Lane: 

Haji Lane is a lively, narrow street in the Kampong Glam neighborhood known for its colourful murals, quirky boutiques, and hipster cafes. The street's eclectic mix of street art and creative storefronts offers limitless opportunities for unique Instagram shots. Each mural tells a story, and the vibrant colours and patterns make for visually appealing photographs. Whether you're posing in front of a graffiti wall or capturing the lively atmosphere of the cafes, Haji Lane provides a glimpse into Singapore's creative and artistic side, ideal for your Instagram feed.

4. The Art Science Museum:

The Art Science Museum's lotus-inspired architecture provides a stunning backdrop for photography both inside and outside. The museum, located at Marina Bay Sands, features highly interactive and visually stunning exhibitions that will provide plenty of Instagram-worthy moments. The Future World exhibition, in particular, with its stunning digital art installations, is popular with photographers and Instagrammers alike. The museum's exterior, especially when illuminated at night, makes a striking contrast with the skyline. The Art Science Museum's combination of art, technology, and architecture distinguishes it as a one-of-a-kind location for filming visually appealing content.

5. Sentosa Island: 

Sentosa Island is a playground of Instagrammable locations that combine natural beauty, entertainment, and leisure. The island's beaches, such as Palawan and Siloso, offer picturesque scenery with golden sands and crystal-clear waters. The Sentosa Merlion, a towering statue with panoramic views from its mouth, is another must-see attraction. For thrill seekers, the skyline luge and cable car rides provide spectacular aerial views of the island. Sentosa's diverse attractions, from beaches to adventure parks, will ensure that you take plenty of memorable photos to share.

6. Chinatown: 

Chinatown is a vibrant district full of history, culture, and color, making it an ideal location for Instagram photos. Traditional shops with ornate facades, bustling streets lined with red lanterns, and the iconic Buddha Tooth Relic Temple all make for striking visuals. During festive seasons, such as Chinese New Year, Chinatown becomes even more vibrant, with decorations that add to its allure. Chinatown's mix of heritage architecture and vibrant street scenes encapsulates Singapore's multicultural identity, making it a must-see for any Instagram enthusiast.

7. Jewel Changi Airport: 

Jewel Changi Airport is more than just a transit hub; it's a destination in its own right, with stunning architecture and the world's tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex. The cascading waterfall, surrounded by lush greenery, is a stunning sight and a popular photo location. The Canopy Park, with its whimsical attractions such as the Hedge Maze and Discovery Slides, has more Instagrammable spots. Whether you're photographing the futuristic design or the natural beauty, Jewel Changi Airport is a must-see for travelers looking to fill their Instagram feed with unique and stunning photos.

 Conclusion

Singapore is a treasure trove of Instagrammable spots, offering a diverse range of stunning backdrops for your photos. From the futuristic landscapes of Gardens by the Bay to the vibrant street art in Haji Lane, every corner of the city presents a unique opportunity to capture memorable moments. Whether you're exploring the serene beaches of Sentosa Island or the cultural richness of Chinatown, these locations are perfect for creating an Instagram feed that truly stands out. To fully experience and capture the beauty of these iconic spots, consider exploring the variety of Singapore tour packages and Singapore holiday packages available. These packages often include guided tours to these popular destinations, ensuring you don’t miss out on any of the city’s most photogenic attractions. Singapore's blend of modernity and tradition makes it a must-visit destination for every Instagram enthusiast.

[selfiemuseumcharlotte]

Selfie Museum Charlotte: Discover Unique, Must-See Experiences

Selfie Museum Charlotte by Popcorn Trailer Studios is an interactive studio space for creators and families.

Click Here to Get Access

Why Visit Selfie Museum Charlotte by Popcorn Trailer Studios?

A Haven for Creators and Influencers

Selfie museums are popping up everywhere, and Selfie Museum Charlotte by Popcorn Trailer Studios stands out from the crowd. Just like the famed Museum of Illusions in Los Angeles provides mind-bending photo ops, our museum offers unique, Instagram-worthy backdrops that promise to elevate your social media game.

Ideal for Photographers

Photographers will find a myriad of themed rooms with professional lighting, similar to the exhibits at the Color Factory in New York. Whether you’re shooting for portfolio pieces or commercial projects, our museum provides an unparalleled setting for creativity.

Fun for the Whole Family

Families aren’t left out either! Like the highly interactive exhibits at the Happy Place in Chicago, our museum offers engaging installations and activities for all ages. A visit here guarantees lasting memories and fantastic photo albums.

Unique Benefits

What sets us apart? Exclusive seasonal themes, private bookings, and frequent updates keep the experience fresh. Perfect for creators looking to stay ahead of the curve, photographers aiming for the perfect shot, or families in search of fun.

Special Events and Community Engagement

From influencer meet-ups to photography workshops, we offer a variety of events that foster community and creativity. Similar to the pop-up events at 29Rooms, our exclusive gatherings provide excellent networking opportunities and hands-on experience with our installations.

Accessibility and Convenience

Our museum is designed to be easily accessible for everyone. Wide aisles, ramps, and ample seating areas ensure that visitors of all abilities can enjoy a seamless experience. Just like the inclusive spaces at the Museum of Modern Ice Cream, we’re committed to making art and fun accessible to all.

Stay Updated

Want to stay in the loop? Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter. Be the first to know about new exhibits, special events, and limited-time offers. Don't miss out on the chance to elevate your content and create unforgettable experiences.

Immerse Yourself in Art

Step into a world where creativity knows no bounds. Our immersive installations are designed to spark imagination and inspire unique content. With carefully curated backdrops and interactive elements, each visit offers something new to explore.

Perfect for All Ages

Whether you're a child or an adult, our space offers something for everyone. Families, couples, and solo visitors alike can find joy in our diverse range of exhibits. Capturing memories has never been this fun and engaging.

Plan Your Visit

Ready to create unforgettable memories? Plan your visit by exploring our gallery online and choosing your favorite installations. Don’t forget to check our calendar for any special events happening during your visit.

Visit Selfie Museum Charlotte by Popcorn Trailer Studios Explore more about our interactive studio and book your visit today at Selfie Museum Charlotte.