Archive for October, 2007

Quote of the Day

It’s similar to… Fittay vs. Kanye [via NPR’s Fresh Air (Happy 20th)]

Colbert releases a new book and simultaneously challenges Paul Krugman to a "book-off." Will Mr. Colbert resign from doing his show?

SEEERIOUS Change

On October 27th, United for Peace and Justice will hold simultaneous protests against the Iraq War in 11 US cities. Their coordinated national approach to protesting is important and timely. In support of their efforts, Serious Change calls on activists across the country to join us in wearing professional attire - whether you choose to officially affiliate yourself with us or not.

Our belief, as we have stated before, is that this tactic projects seriousness and determination to the administration and the American people. We stand in solidarity with all protesters. But by reclaiming the symbols of power, we will strengthen the antiwar movement.

So far, we have organizers and supporters committed to attending the New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago protests. We are excited that the movement is expanding, but we believe we can do better. Our goal is to have representatives from Serious Change in as many of the 11 cities as possible. These locations are:

• Boston
• Chicago
• Jonesborough, TN (map)
• New Orleans
• New York
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Salt Lake City
• San Francisco
• Seattle

If you live in or near one of these cities and would like to help Serious Change with local organizing, or would like to attend the protest as part of our movement, please visit www.seriouschange.org or contact us at seminal@theseminal.com or 773.396.8266. We also encourage you to sign up for our email list:

Thanks to Mike for sendin’ this one in.

Science Is Golden

President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt has declared the period from 2007 to 2016 as Egypt’s "decade of science."

[seed magazine]

Quote of the Day

Asked afterward whether the Cowboys should have been insulted by that last touchdown, Brady flashed his million-dollar smile, replied "I don’t know, you’ll have to ask them," then stepped off the podium and made his way out of the interview room. [via]

Iron and Wine

It’s taken me a long time to write this post. That is mostly because I have not been able to really tell what I think of this album. But now, it’s ready.

Sam Beam does it again. But the what the ‘it’ is matters. What he has not done is create the same thing we might have come to expect. What he has done, is create a solid album that does not disappoint. What he has done is taken his sound thrown it around the room until it doesn’t know where it is then dresses it up in funny, but very nice, clothes and slaps it on the ass and makes it his bitch.

Read the rest of the review at music.mnp

Douglass Rushkoff rants

rants from media tycoon, Douglas Rushkoff

MetaPlace

ART! - Contemporary Wood Cuts

Welcome to ART DAY! We here at mnp think that you readers out there might be a little spoiled with expecting a themed ART DAY! and whatnot every damn week. SO just to keep you happy, I’ll announce the theme today as being that of Asian Art. It’s no more specific than that, but you know, keep it simple.

So way, way, way back in the day in China, like the year 500 or something, cats started doing a sort of art called woodcuts or woodblock prints. The method involves printing on to wood and the cutting away the unwanted parts. It’s pretty simple really, but some very stunning work comes out of that era. All of these initial images are examples of oldern Chinese woodcuts.

Mostly these woodblock or woodcut prints were used to accompany text in a sort of didactic way, not unlike early European illuminated manuscripts (except mad earlier). For instance, the earliest known Chinese woodcut (as in woodcuts with a date on them) accompanies the text of the Diamond Sutra, which is a Buddhist text.

The word [sutra] comes from Sanskrit, the ancient and sacred language of India. It means a religious teaching or sermon, and is most often used to describe the teachings of the Buddha. Sutras preached by the Buddha were committed to memory by his disciples and passed down from generation to generation. The illustration at the beginning of this a€Diamond Sutraa€™ shows the Buddha expounding the sutra to an elderly disciple called Subhuti. [via]

The Diamond Sutra - woodblock 9th century

Just like rice, pasta, and civilization, woodcut techniques eventually made it out of China and to everywhere else in the world, notably western Europe and Japan. In Europe, according to trusty Wikipedia, the technique developed around 1400 and was a descendant of techniques that were already in use for printing to cloth.

Jost Amman - Switzerland

Durer - Germany

Despite (plenty) prolific European examples (Goya, Rembrandt etc.), the technique is widely associated with Japan, the source from which were inspired countless artists of the 19th century. Notably, the impressionists were very fond of woodblock (though not as a rule). That’s probably because woodblock in Japan shares a commonality with impressionism in that it sought to depict scenes from the the everyday life of the cityscape [Ed: See Ukiyo-e]. Almost as important was the fact that these joints were affordable because of the technique and the capabilities of mass-production.

So, like I said, Japan happens to be the focal point in woodblock printing.AA The Japanese were into all types of different woodblock paintings.AA A lot of them were actually of women participating in communal baths, which must have been a little bit risque at the time.AA It’s no wonder why they sold so well.AA Here are some examples:

most everyone has seen this

This brings me to the section which is the crux of this post in general.AA I thought it would be fun to look at modern day examples of woodblock printing, Japanese and Chinese style.AA You can just call it ninja art if you want, although associating all ninjas with Japan or China would be a little bit racialist, if I do say so myself.

Here are some woodblocks by Norio Takamiya:

Takamiya includes contemporary ideas and characters into the whole woodcut business to basically create an ahistorical style that I find really ill.AA Below you find representations of a Japanese Cooper in Australia, Ned Kelly in Australia, amongst others:

And next we have some examples of modern Chinese woodblocks:

Keep scrolling down for more great ART DAY! content, and, stay tuned for part II of Asian Art!

Lhasa, Tibet

Click on any of the previous images to warp through space and time to some true info.