Tuesday, December 7, 2010

To top it all off

Fall classes are over, the semester is coming to a close and I think I'm about to start myself a new weekly tradition... Two weeks ago I did a post called The New News, and it got me thinking: For now I probably wont be the daily poster because it's hard to keep up with all that goes on in our wild and wonderful world. So, I propose that every Friday I'll do a type of 'news' roundup of events that fall under my 'jurisdiction' as it lies: art, fashion and random ish that you need to know about! Forgive me that this one lands mid-week (I started last week I swear).


No news yet on what I'm gonna call it... but we'll see. 

So to begin with: Vogue announced that Fashion's Night Out will return for a third year in 2011. Good times eh? It's probably one of the biggest nights in fashion and last year's was the biggest runway show New York had ever seen. It's all about promoting new brands and bringing exposure to stores and products so as to encourage lots of green to be spent. No problem there, I'm sure. Plus for all you Gossip Girl addicts it made for a hell of an episode, when I saw it I screamed so loud my housemates almost retracted my TV privileges. 
Bookmark this day on your calendars ladies and gents
Hey, isn't that? No way, it can't be: Naomi Campbell? Between throwing cellphones and testifying in conflict diamond court cases I guess she has time to party with the new generation of models at FNO. - Info and images from NY Magazine and Vogue.com

The art world was shocked this week when Pierre Le Guennec, 71, a former electrician to Pablo Picasso came forward with a whopping 271 piece cache of never-before seen Picasso originals. We know of many lost works by Picasso, who created many thousands, but this trove is special because these are works we never knew existed. There's a bit of confusion over how Guennec received these lithographs, portraits, watercolors and sketches and Picasso's heirs are entering into a lawsuit claiming theft... I can understand the criticism,  I mean, why come forward with these treasures now and not earlier? Investment? Dunno, all I care about is when are we gonna be able to see them?! 
 Drawing of  guitar
 Nature Morte Verre
Papier colle pipe et bouteille - Images and info courtesy of the Associated Press and Succession Picasso

It's around this time in December that I get slightly emotional because the year in review stuff begins. I'm sure you've all been subject to television specials on the top songs of the year, or lists of the top news stories, the best gossip... etc. However much I like to hold onto the closing year I love love love calendars. 12 and sometimes 18 images to get me through the next year and one day I'll own a Pirelli Calendar courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld. He was in Moscow showcasing some of his talented models and releasing several images. The theme is Greek gods and goddesses, perfect for someone who has her Classics exam a week from yesterday.
As to be expected there are many calendars out there toting images of naked men and women but I have to say, I think Karl's photographs are classy and not at all risque because A) it is art and B) geez, it's Lagerfeld for Pete's sake, he runs the show. Maybe I'm just used to it because of all the nudes we study in Renaissance class. You really can't be a prude if you're going to study Art History, just saying (hope I don't get in trouble for that.)
Here we have Athena - goddess of wisdom and war, Ajax - technically one of the Greek heros who fought in the Trojan war, but hey, androgyny is not frowned upon in these times and Hera - goddess of women and wife of Zeus. (Yes that is Julianne Moore.)
Apollo and Artemis - brother and sister deities. God and goddess of the sun and moon respectively, among other things.
Here we have Bacchus and two Bacchantes - the god of celebration and festivals and the women who forced into a frenzy.
You know you've made it when... so explicitly jealous.

In more art news prominent Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was stopped from leaving China last week. He was en route to South Korea when the police detained him in the airport stating that his departure was being stopped in order to maintain national security... shifty much? Wei is one of the most famed contemporary artists of China, but also one of the most outspoken. This comes at an interesting time because the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony takes place this week in Norway and the award is going to the 'jailed Chinese dissident' Liu Xiaobo. China is not extremely excited that this award is going to one of their more controversial figures and they have made an effort to stop other such figures from attending the ceremony.

One of Wei's most famed achievements is helping to design the Bird's Nest Stadium for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. His latest work, currently displayed in the Turbine hall of the Tate Modern (as part of the Unilever Series) is the absolutely monumental Sunflower Seeds. Get this, the Turbine hall has been filled with 100,000,000 (yeah, 100 million) hand painted, life sized, handmade, porcelain sunflower seeds, no mean feat at any rate. The work is meant to be a commentary on the 'Made in China' economy and China's globalization. Juliet Bingham, Curator, Tate Modern stated that:"Each piece is a part of the whole, a commentary on the relationship between the individual and the masses. The work continues to pose challenging questions: What does it mean to be an individual in today's society? Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together? What do our increasing desires, materialism and number mean for society, the environment and the future?"
 Promotional picture for the exhibition which I hope to go see in person when I get home.
I'm really sad that visitors are no longer allowed to walk on the surface of the work... I really wanted to pick one up and potentially forget that I pocketed it and take it home with me. - Info and images courtesy of Reuters and the Tate website


Anyway, back to studying, ciao all!


- Life is good


Listening to: 'Losing my Religion' - Glee version and the original R.E.M.
Observations: SNOW, everywhere
Craving: Study snacks... but I will resist

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