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30 Days of Perception - Day 2
Perception is embodied:
Today, I was thinking about the some of the different senses. I passed this tree and saw the different colours and textures of the lichen and moss and the tree trunk.
I felt the ridges and the hardness of the tree trunk, I touched the lichen with its lacy aspect and then the moss, some of it was tickly to my hand and other parts were soft and spongy like little cushions. Everything felt slightly wet after a rain shower.
I also felt the breeze blowing on my face and could feel little drops of leftover rainwater falling from the leaves overhead.
I embody Don Quixote set in the Black Forest.
In the Black Forest there are no windmills and I have no desire to be
charging at them. Neither am I the best poet ever seen...
In a historically and culturally sheltered area, I’m often seen as
foreign, based on my artistic existence and my South American
heritage. This sense of alienation and of being different has become
part of my self-perception and is a gift at the same time. It allows
me the freedom to examine motives from a fresh perspective and
forge them in an unexpected manner.
“Black Forest” is a composition with traditional local origins. The
installation consists of objects and templates made for the creation
of brushes of all kinds. Wießler, a company from Todtnau ceased
using their stock of templates made of wood and metal more than
10 Years ago. I managed to purchase some of these 200 year old
objects. In each template is the writing of the owner engraved;
secret codes which can only be interpreted by the owner and
craftsmen themselves and in this regard may be seen as a
metaphor for the anonymity of present day industry. However, once
translated they explain the identification of the craftsmen with
their work and their products.
In my opinion, these objects are surprisingly complex and well
designed and yet were produced even under circumstances of
poverty and icy weather. Archiving and combining the objects with
modern ideas bring new perspectives to the table. For instance, the
Codices from Todtnau are a prime example of historical preservation.
This self-projection carries its own particular beauty which underlines
the aesthetic composition of the objects.
I have entitled this installation Eros.
The base of Eros is human life in its purest form. However, today the
Eros human sheds tears. It’s natural for him to possess tears of
disappointment, but in this day and age he cries perpetually. He cries
over the influence of commerce, the corset of pornographic templates
and the dispossession of the human body by multimedia. The omni-
present marketing machine devours beastlike every human emotion
and restricts every individual to their template, treating them as
nothing more than goods.
So in turn, Eros becomes just a product.
The product becomes purchasable.
Buying and selling is arbitrary.
The remainders are eaten. The installation ‘Eros’ relates to this feast
and its damage to the self-perception of the human. The installation
‘Eros’ takes inventory: The template and the beast, its ravaged object
and the destructive machine all align.
From this operation stems a continuing tale of past efforts to
establish self-definition on the one hand—and the loss of erotic
humanity on the other.
Don Quixote from the Black Forest.
Left to Right
Top Row: Magnetic Motion; Hacking Infinity; Wilderness Embodied
Middle Row: Voltage; Hybrid Holism; Micro
Bottom Row: Biopiracy; Synesthesia; Crystallization
Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 9.1-91mm f2.8-5.9 Asph
This serene beachscape photograph embodies a tranquil, contemplative mood, evoking the stillness of a quiet morning. The composition adheres to the rule of thirds, with the horizon line dividing the image into two distinct sections. The sandy beach occupies the lower third, while the expansive sky dominates the upper two-thirds.
The color palette is predominantly cool, with shades of blue and gray dominating the scene. The soft, diffused light of dawn or dusk casts a gentle glow on the landscape, enhancing the serene atmosphere. The use of light is masterful, creating a sense of depth and dimensionality. The subtle gradations in the sky, from the pale blue near the horizon to the soft gray clouds, add a sense of movement and dynamism to the otherwise static scene.
Symbolically, the image can be interpreted as a reflection on the passage of time, with the receding tide and the solitary figures in the distance serving as poignant reminders of the transience of human presence in nature. The lighthouse on the left, a beacon of hope and guidance, stands as a powerful symbol of resilience and steadfastness.
The composition style is minimalist, with a focus on simplicity and clarity. The leading lines created by the beach and the horizon guide the viewer's eye across the image, drawing attention to the distant lighthouse and the vast expanse of the sky.
In terms of artistic movement, this image aligns with the principles of Romanticism, which emphasizes the beauty and emotion of the natural world. The emphasis on light, color, and the sublime qualities of nature aligns with the Romantic ideals of the early 19th century.
Subjectively, the aesthetic quality of this image is very high. The photograph's ability to evoke a sense of calm and contemplation, coupled with its technical proficiency, makes it a compelling work of art. The image's composition, use of color, and symbolism all contribute to its high aesthetic quality, making it a piece that invites repeated viewing and reflection.
I walk onto the catwalk embodying Regan from the iconic horror film The Exorcist, which tells the chilling story of a young girl possessed by a demonic force, only to be saved through a grueling exorcism. Her look mirrors Regan's eerie, unsettling transformation, with disheveled hair, pale, cracked skin, and haunting eyes. Ivanna chose this character to showcase Halloween's ugly and dark side, symbolizing the inner demons and struggles many face. While the character is ultimately saved, she represents a deeper, raw human experience that Ivanna relates to personally and believes others may also resonate with.
I meticulously crafted this Regan-inspired look, determined to capture every eerie and unsettling detail from The Exorcist. She wanted the audience to feel the raw horror and transformation of the possessed girl, so she chose tangled, messy hair from Truth, echoing Regan's wild, unkempt look in her most terrifying moments. The blood- and puke-stained dress from Brii Underground Wear was chosen after thorough research, as it closely mirrored the haunting costume from the film. Ivanna focused on even the smallest elements, from the pallor of her skin to the hollow, tormented look in her eyes, ensuring that the outfit not only showed Regan's ugliness but embodied the disturbing realism of the character. Every detail was carefully curated to evoke fear, discomfort, and the dark side of Halloween.
My portrayal of Regan was carefully crafted to convey a powerful message beneath the horror. By embodying the possessed character, she wanted to symbolize the inner struggles we all face—those unseen demons that manifest as fear, anxiety, doubt, or mental health challenges. With every unsettling detail in her look, from the disheveled hair to the blood-stained dress, Ivanna sought to remind people that no matter how dark things may seem, there’s always a way to overcome. Whether battling uncertainty, insecurity, or just life's daily challenges, her look encouraged a call for compassion and connection. I urged people to face their inner battles, seek help, and find someone who listens and ensures their well-being is cared for. The hope she wanted to convey was that no one has to fight their demons alone, and there is always a lifeline of support waiting to be grasped.
Outfit: *Regan Exorcist Inspiration Costume Brii Underground
*It all with everything, including the eyes and socks
Hair: Truth Reyane Brown
Underwear: Trinite Cover My Kitty/Black
Makeup: BeYoutiful Trauma
Bruises
Objective Eyeshadow + Eyeveins
Veechi Bruised Eye
WIN- Small Wounds
::B::B:: Store-Face Cuts
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Audace School of Modeling
1. @ SALVADOR DALI EXHIBITION IN Brugge Markt 23.03.21
2. Technical Specifications
Lady Godiva, limited edition Salvador Dalí sculpture.
Dalí, the great Surrealist master, selected the image of Lady Godiva as one of his favourites and pays homage to her sensuous and shapely female form through the conception of this sculpture. Announcing her arrival, butterflies not only hover around her and her noble steed, but also adorn her body as she plays her trumpet. Lady Godiva embodies earthly beauty, whereas the butterflies depict the ethereal otherworld.
Date: conceived in 1976, first cast in 1984
Height: 51cm
Base: 23.5cm x 41cm
Material: bronze
Technique: lost wax process
Edition size: 350
Patina: brown
Maquette: original gouache, ʺLady Godiva with Butterfliesʺ, 1976
Left on a church pew. Traditional embodied hat, typical in villages in and around Colca. Yanque, Cañon de Colca, Peru
Full on still from the florist.
Only just opening tentatively in the garden.
With a recorded history that dates back thousands of years, it’s not surprising that even the mythology surrounding the origin of the peony has multiple versions.
One legend has it that the peony is named after Paeon, a physician to the gods, who received the flower on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo.
And another tells the story of that same physician who was ‘saved’ from the fate of dying as other mortals by being turned into the flower we know today as the peony.
The traditional floral symbol of China, the state flower of Indiana, and the 12th wedding anniversary flower, peonies are known as the flower of riches and honour.
With their lush, full, rounded bloom, peonies embody romance and prosperity and are regarded as an omen of good fortune and a happy marriage.
Have a wonderful day, filled with love and thank you for your visit, M, (*_*)
For more: www.indigo2photography.com
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Peony, portrait, petals, pink, conceptual art, curves, colour, flower, design, studio, black-background, Nikon D7200, square, Magda indigo
Thank you so much for all your views, comments and favourites. It means the world to me to be able to share with you, to see the world through your eyes and to learn from you. Flickr always inspires me to do better. We met this adorable creature at Lopburi Zoo yesterday.
All Loris species are either classified as “vulnerable” or “endangered”. The exotic pet trade and diminishing habitat are the two factors mostly responsible for the sad state of affairs. These creatures are very slow and gentle by nature, and that makes them an easy catch. They lick a poison gland under their armpit to attain a poisonous bite. The poison is also spread over their coat to protect themselves against predators. They are nocturnal and forage mostly at night for plants, insects and eggs.
Ivanna embodies fantasy lounging in this dreamy, jewel-toned escape that blurs the line between royalty and sass. Drenched in shades of pink, she reclines upside down on a royal bed of plush pillows, oozing glamor and attitude. Her look is sultry and sweet, featuring silky joggers, a lace bralette, and pointed pink heels that add a dash of diva to her decadent chill zone.
Under glowing gems, floating sparkles, and candlelight, Ivanna transforms a simple moment of rest into a powerful fashion statement. The face jewelry adds mystique, while the cosmic background whispers tales of magic and luxury. It’s not just loungewear — it’s a mood, a fantasy, and a declaration: being soft and sparkly can still be powerful.
Outfit: :SAF: Evie v2
* This stunning outfit includes a beautifully designed top and bottom, complemented by a versatile color and metal-changing HUD. It’s crafted to fit a variety of body types, including Gen X Classic/Curvy, Kupra, Lara X, Legacy, and Reborn/Waifu, ensuring you look fabulous no matter your shape. Embrace style and confidence with this enchanting ensemble!
Heels: :SAF: EVELIE HEELS v2
* These exquisite heels come in a stunning array of 65 colors, allowing you to mix and match the shoe, trim, and lacing to create your perfect look. With two elegant metal options to complete your ensemble, these heels are designed to captivate. Plus, they effortlessly fit Gen X, Legacy, Lara X, and Reborn, making them the ideal choice for anyone seeking style and versatility.
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SassyAF
This was embodied using only LEGO parts.
It is a artwork that depicts a "Blue Whale(white-beard whale)" that freely swims break through the clouds.
Kinetic Art structure that uses the center of gravity.
You can see the detailed movements in the links and comments below.
LEGO IDEAS : "FLYING WHALE" - Description
YOUTUBE : "FLYING WHALE" - Video
".... embodying the tensions within modern society between materialistic cravings and spiritual needs"
canarywharf.com/artwork/michael-lyons-unity-of-opposites-...
www.michaellyonssculptor.co.uk/
P4014309 Anx2 Q90 1200wh
Warherd Cleavers:
Few in the Brayherd are more brutal, barbaric and savage than the Warherd Cleavers. They embody the ferocious nature of the herd to the extreme. Highly coveted by War Chiefs as Bloodhoofs, which are hand-picked Fauncor to serve as the Chiefs war guard, the Warherd Cleavers are truly the most brutal Fauncor in the entire race. Most Fauncor with this physical viciousness end up challenging for the right to become Chieftain. However, the Warherd Cleavers care not for the herd and the responsibilities that come with the title of Chief. All they want in their harsh life is never ending bloodshed and carnage. For this reason they are chosen by the War Chief as a war guard.
These brutes have massive muscles that bulge from taught, sinewy flesh and charge into the battle with hooves as hard as steel. They are heads taller than regular Fauncor and grow huge war horns over the course of their blood-filled lives. Their weapon of choice are crude battle cleavers, for these weapons compliment the Warherd Cleaver's brutality perfectly. Able to crush a breastplate or behead an enemy with a single swing, these war cleavers are truly weapons of terrible power. Some of these crazed Fauncor even chop off their own hands and have crude, curved cleavers sewn into their bloodied stumps, never having to part with their beloved weapons.
The Warherd Cleavers wear tattered and ripped leather hoods and capes to show their tribesmen their status as a war guard. On these hoods the Warherd Cleavers set in steel faceplates with holes punched into the facing. These faceplates strike fear into the enemy as they drip with blood oozing from the holes. As the Warherd Cleavers roar into battle, blood sprays from the plates, symbolizing their insatiable blood-lust and vicious love for carnage and brutality. Truly the most elite force in the Brayherd, the brutality of the Warherd Cleavers strikes a deep fear into their enemy as they thunder into the savage carnage of battle.
*
"The garden was a reflection of the macrocosm and embodied all the yin-yang dualisms projected in manifestation. Mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, were all represented. As Cheng Pan ch’iao said: “The enjoyment of life should come from a view regarding the universe as a garden… so that all beings live according to their nature and great indeed is such happiness.”
The importance of water in the Chinese garden was not only due to yin-yang symbolism but to the wide significance of water itself as, next to the Dragon, the greatest Taoist symbol. It is strength in weakness, fluidity, adaptability, coolness of judgment, gentle persuasion, and passionlessness. .. Flowing water and still water symbolized movement and repose and the complementary opposites, and water-worn stones represented the interaction of the soft and the hard. Still water also takes on all the symbolism of the mirror."
(Jean C. Cooper in her essay: "The Symbolism of the Taoist Garden")
Sadness isn’t any bad. It has its own charm and beauty. Life used to boil in this tiny little house by the road and it stopped one day. People probably just moved out and didn’t want to demolish the building… I know nothing about its story, but it’s so interesting to know how it felt to sleep there the last night or cook the last dinner. Did they know it was the last one? Or maybe it was the happiest evening and nigh of their live because they were anticipating a move into a new better house or much wealthier place. But what place on earth can be any better than a home? Well, many places can be better but they cannot substitute your home even if you grew up in a poor hut in the middle of nowhere and if your childhood was in a happy family.
This sad and lonely house by the country road has been capturing my view since quite a long time ago so now I feel satisfied after fifteen minutes stop by and a quick photo session. This photo has been selected to Flickr Explore #218 2017-07-05
Amidst the stillness, the wheels remain motionless.
They embody readiness, poised for action,
But linger in a state of patient waiting.
What is the catalyst that eludes me?
What event must transpire to set me in motion?
When will the open road greet my presence?
Here I stand, amid anticipation and uncertainty,
Awaiting the elusive moment of readiness.
Yet, a whisper of doubt lingers:
Will that moment arrive too late, leaving me behind?
(writen using AI)
My poor dreams/
of love blessed /
in the best of joy you perished /
you arose proud but unfortunate /
like birds /
in the woods you perished.
Poveri sogni miei/
d'amor beati /
nel meglio del gioir siete periti /
sorgeste fieri ma sfortunati /
come gli uccelli /
nei boschi siete periti.
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clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;
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www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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Gesualdo Bufalino, an expert connoisseur of Sicily, wrote that the Sicilies are many, it is impossible to count them all, in Sicily "everything is mixed, changing, contradictory, as in the most composite of continents" ... and again " There is a "babba" Sicily, that is mild…a “crafty” Sicily, that is smart…there is a lazy Sicily and a frenetic one…”; but why so many Sicilies? Bufalino explained “because Sicily has had the good fortune to act as a link over the centuries between the great Western culture and the temptations of the desert and the sun, between reason and magic, the temperatures of feeling and the heat of passion. Sicily suffers from an excess of identity, and I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing." Even Leonard Sciascia, an immense Sicilian thinker, said "I continue to be convinced that Sicily offers the representation of many problems, of many contradictions, not only Italian but also European, to the point of being able to constitute the metaphor of today's world". This start to introduce the character whose life (and violent death) I wish to recall with some of my photographs (except for two images, belonging to the weekly "Epoca"), with information taken both from the WEB and from direct testimonies that I have collected in years, in summary a character who seems to embody the many faces of Sicily, his name is Salvatore Giuliano, known as the Bandit Giuliano; there are many Salvatore Giulianos, it changes according to who knew him, according to the many facts told by others or by himself (in his memoirs), he is described now as a "Robin Hood" with a noble heart, now as a ferocious brigand unscrupulous, but in any case, in this story, the use of all the "adverbs of doubt" that we know is always mandatory, because speaking of him, knowing the real truth is an illusion ... this is a story in which the pain of the many dead is the background. In speaking of him I will try to use almost telegraphic language. Salvatore Giuliano was born in Sicily in Montelepre (November 16, 1922), the son of a farmer who emigrated to America, and then returned to Sicily for the birth of his son; Salvatore soon left school to work in the fields, privately continuing to cultivate his studies. These are the years of the Second World War, the fascist regime has introduced bread rationing (the real problem is the grinding of wheat, with the mills controlled by the army, the Giulianos have a small clandestine mill), the clandestine trade in necessity becomes common, even Salvatore becomes a small smuggler, he is inexperienced when he is stopped with two sacks of wheat by two carabinieri and two country guards, they take everything from him including his documents, a distraction by the guards and quickly Salvatore tries to escape, the a few shots are fired at him, two hit him at his side, a carabiniere approaches him (Salvatore describes what happened in one of his memoirs) who is shot to death by him: from this moment on he will always be the Bandit Salvatore Giuliano ( or Turiddu, which in Sicilian means Salvatore). According to some Turiddu is a hero of the people, he hopes for a civil redemption of the Sicilian people, establishes relations with the political world, with the deviated secret services, with the Sicilian separatist movement whose initials are MIS (Sicilian Independent Movement) of which, also pushed by a colonel of the American army who deluded him that Sicily could be annexed as a state of the U.S.A. , joins his armed wing, the E.V.I.S. (Volunteer Army for Sicilian Independence), fighting with the rank of colonel against the Italian army in the two-year period 1945/46: the EVIS was commanded by the lawyer Antonio Canepa, who was killed on 17 June 1945 in a clash with the carabineer in the town of Randazzo. During this period the legend of the Bandit Giuliano was born, the peasants, the poor people in general, see in him a hope of redemption from a life of hardship and sacrifices, he is seen as a fiery lover with many fleeting stories, with women who join him in his lair by passing "the filter" of his men (he hosted a young Swedish journalist, Maria Cyjliakus, she was interested in interviewing him, with whom he also had a relationship), but he himself could reach to love the women while running many risks: in the collective imagination the idea of a brigand with a kind and good heart was developing, he often gave to the poor what he stole from the rich; but there was the dark and brutal side of his personality, he tended ambushes and assaults on the forces of order, he killed whoever he considered to be an informer of the carabinieri; the bandit was elusive, there were numerous ambushes and roundups from which he and his men managed to escape, indeed, every action carried out by the military was always followed by a retaliatory reaction, with the consequence that the killed soldiers always increased by more. The descending phase of Giuliano begins to appear on the horizon, the M.I.S. enters legality being recognized as belonging to the Sicilian Special Statute, Giuliano does not accept the agreement by continuing with his men to wage war against the state, in 1946 the new Italian government grants a pardon to the EVIS guerrillas, in this way Giuliano loses his army and his role as colonel (thus the female component of EVIS was dissolved too, with about 20 women, his sister Mariannina was also part of it); with the first institutional referendum the monarchy falls, the Republic is born, the peasant movement hopes for change and agrarian reform, the struggle in defense of their rights leads to the killing of trade unionists (Miraglia, Rizzotto, Carnevale) whose instigators will never be discovered ; Giuliano establishes relations with the mafia, meets men of the institutions, leading to suspect that behind many (villainous) actions of Giuliano and behind his death, many responsibilities and mysteries are hidden, on which no light has yet been shed. We arrive on May 1, 1947, in the countryside of Portella della Ginestra near Piana degli Albanesi (PA), there is a large crowd of peasants gathered to celebrate Workers' Day, there are also many women and children, suddenly the The festive atmosphere is dramatically interrupted by the shots of a machine gun and other weapons of various kinds, including the launch of grenades, 11 people remain lifeless on the field (including two children), and many injured on whose number there is no concordance; the massacre began the "crisis of May 1947" with attacks on the headquarters of left-wing parties and labor chambers in the area, the reasons for which would be linked, it has been said ... to Giuliano's aversion to the Communists ... but also to the will of the mafia powers to maintain the old balance in the new institutional framework (editor's note: it seems that Giuliano a Portella only wanted to teach a lesson to Girolamo Li Causi, leader of the communists, who was warned of the ambush, and did not show up in Portella, in my opinion Giuliano's aforementioned aversion to the Communists does not stand up, he who always found warmth, protection and complicity precisely on the part of those peasants who were slaughtered; whoever organized the massacre was a criminal and refined mind, he frightened peasant movements, and at the same time decreed the unpopularity of the bandit Giuliano who saw scorched earth around him: mafia men extraneous to Giuliano's gang equipped with 9-gauge rifles fired, while the men of the the band had 6.5 caliber weapons, just as Giuliano's men did not possess grenade launchers; Giuliano tried to exculpate himself by writing his "Memorial on the events of Portella della Ginestra" in the newspapers, claiming that he was in possession of documents that would have demonstrated who were the real culprits of the massacre). The circle was tightening around Giuliano, the forces of order made use of the mafia to convince his trusted lieutenant Gaspare Pisciotta to collaborate with them, they made use of informants, such as Salvatore Ferreri, known as frà Diavolo, head of the anti-banditry forces was the colonel of the carabinieri Ugo Luca; on July 5, 1950 Salvatore Giuliano was killed, it seems there was a firefight with the carabinieri in the courtyard of the house of the lawyer. De Maria in Castelvetrano (TP), however it is a staging, the journalists who immediately rushed to the place where the body lies notice it, the blood impregnates the undershirt on the back, no blood comes out of several holes, on the side of the arm there is a " laceration of the skin" (as if the limb had been in contact with ice), one of the journalists who notices these and other details, Tommaso Besozzi, writes his journalistic article by titling it "certainly there is only that he died ” (l'Europeo n. 29, year 1950), actually to kill him while he was sleeping with a pistol shot, perhaps stunned by a drug put in the wine, it would have been his most trusted man, Gaspare Pisciotta, who was subsequently arrested, and during the Viterbo trial he would scream from the cage "we were one body, bandits, police and mafia, like the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" , he is ready to name names, revelations, but he won't have time, inside the Ucciardone prison in Palermo, to deliver a lethal dose of strychnine put in a medicine prescribed for his tuberculosis (not in coffee) he will kill him sooner trying to vomit. The story does not seem to have to end when, following a report from Professor Giuseppe Casarrubea, an important historian, who had Giuliano's body exhumed in 2010 with his complaint to the Public Prosecutor's Office, assuming that the tomb held the corpse of a double, the However, DNA tests would have shown a genetic profile compatible with that of a nephew of Giuliano. On Salvatore's tomb, a month later, the verses sent by letter to his mother by a woman who signed herself “Santuzza” were carved, verses which declared that she had received them personally from her son Salvatore: “My poor dreams/of love blessed /in the best of joy you perished /you arose proud butunfortunate/like birds /in the woods you perished”. Santuzza was the pseudonym of Maddalena Lo Giudice, when she was young she is described as a beautiful, shy, reserved girl, she was the daughter of the Podestà of her town (during the fascist regime, the Podestà was the head of the municipal administration), it seems they met in a hospital in Catania, each visiting an acquaintance of their own, Maddalena would have had from Giuliano: a son (she was subjected to a gynecological examination to ascertain its veracity against her will), a box with valuables, and a memorial, in which Giuliano would have wrote very important things about his relationships with "men of the state and not"; Maddalena later said that she had handed everything over to a trusted person, who would have bricked everything up, later perhaps frightened by the great clamor that had arisen around her, in a journalistic interview she declared that she had dreamed and invented everything… (note of the editor: I have always tried much emotion for this poor woman, it would be interesting to be able to trace a psychological profile, her father was the Podestà of the town, always benefiting from the doubt, as in all this story, people told me that His father as Podestà took away from the poor people even what little they had, who knows if the poor Maddalena fell in love with Giuliano also because he represented her antithesis, giving to the poor what she took away from the rich people...), Maddalena went to give birth in secret from the well-meaning eyes of the town (not being a married woman it would have created a scandal) in Calabria, that son to protect him was immediately placed in an orphanage (all the forces of order in Sicily were looking for the bandit Giuliano, who knows what would have happened if he had come to know of a son of him ..! they would have used it as one does with a lamb tied to a post, waiting for the arrival of the fair…); upon Giuliano's death, this woman was joined by Salvatore's mother (Maria Giuliano Lombardo) and sister (Mariannina Giuliano), to have all that Salvatore had left to Maddalena, who certainly had sworn not to give anyone what she had received from him, certainly until when Maddalena would have kept "the treasure" hidden with her (certainly not the jewels, the true value was her memorial!), no one would have hurt her; however, Maddalena took this secret of hers with her to her grave. In her old age Maddalena lived secluded, she was a solitary type, she had to resort to dialysis for a serious kidney infection, for which she had to be accompanied several times a week by a driver to the hospital, she had severe pain for which she had to resort to powerful analgesics, the only ones who gave her any affection were her many dogs, the only ones who managed to reassure her, she never had the affection of that only son she had from Salvatore, of whom nothing was ever known (there were a couple of characters who declared themselves the children of the bandit, but nothing has ever been ascertained). In conclusion, I learned of a Sicilian film operator, who worked for Incom Week (it was an Italian newsreel, distributed weekly in cinemas), who at the news of the killing of the bandit Giuliano (like many journalists) immediately went to Castelvetrano to the house of the lawyer De Maria, where he allegedly found Salvatore's body, he said that when Salvatore's mother arrived, she kissed him in a heartbreaking, terribly moving way, including the parts covered in blood, that Incom operator said, that the emotion was so great for him to seeing that Mother …he did not have the courage to continue filming: I would like to end by saying that the tremendous pain of that Mother was the tremendous pain of All those Mothers who saw their son (or their husbands) to perish in that so dark not so far period of history of Sicily.
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Scriveva Gesualdo Bufalino, esperto conoscitore della Sicilia, che le Sicilie sono tante, impossibile contarle tutte, in Sicilia “tutto è mischiato, cangiante, contraddittorio, come nel più composito dei continenti”…ed ancora ” Vi è una Sicilia “babba”, cioè mite…una Sicilia “sperta”, cioè furba…vi è una Sicilia pigra ed una frenetica…”; ma come mai così tante Sicilie? Bufalino spiegava “perché la Sicilia ha avuto la sorte di ritrovarsi a far da cerniera nei secoli fra la grande cultura occidentale e le tentazioni del deserto e del sole, tra la ragione e la magia, le temperie del sentimento e le canicole della passione. Soffre, la Sicilia, di un eccesso d'identità, né so se sia un bene o sia un male.” Anche Sciascia, immenso pensatore siciliano, diceva “Continuo ad essere convinto che la Sicilia offre la rappresentazione di tanti problemi, di tante contraddizioni, non solo italiani ma anche europei, al punto da poter costituire la metafora del mondo odierno”. Questo incipit per introdurre il personaggio del quale desidero rievocarne la vita (e la morte violenta) con alcune mie fotografie (tranne due immagini, appartenenti al settimanale “Epoca”), con notizie prese sia dal WEB, sia da testimonianze dirette che ho raccolto negli anni, in sintesi un personaggio che sembra incarnare i tanti volti della Sicilia, lui si chiama Salvatore Giuliano, noto come il Bandito Giuliano; sono tanti i Salvatore Giuliano, cambia in base a chi lo conobbe, in base ai tantissimi fatti raccontati da altri o da lui stesso (nei suoi memoriali), viene descritto ora come un “Robin Hood” dal cuore nobile, ora come un feroce brigante privo di scrupoli, però in ogni caso, in questa storia, è sempre obbligatorio l’uso di tutti gli “avverbi di dubbio o dubitativi” che conosciamo, perché parlando di lui conoscere la vera verità è una utopia…una vicenda questa, nella quale il dolore dei tanti morti, fa da sfondo. Nel parlarne cercherò di adoperare un linguaggio quasi telegrafico. Salvatore Giuliano nasce in Sicilia a Montelepre (il 16 novembre 1922), figlio di un contadino emigrato in America, e poi rientrato in Sicilia per la nascita del figlio; Salvatore abbandonò presto la scuola per lavorare nei campi, continuando privatamente a coltivare i suoi studi. Sono gli anni della seconda guerra mondiale, il regime fascista ha introdotto il razionamento del pane (il vero problema è la macinazione del grano, coi mulini controllati dall’esercito, i Giuliano hanno un piccolo mulino clandestino), il commercio clandestino degli alimenti di prima necessità diviene comune, anche Salvatore diviene un piccolo contrabbandiere, è inesperto quando viene fermato con due sacchi di grano da due carabinieri e da due guardie campestri, gli prendono tutto incluso i suoi documenti, una distrazione delle guardie e lestamente Salvatore tenta la fuga, gli vengono sparati contro alcuni colpi, due lo raggiungono ad un fianco, gli si avvicina un carabiniere (Salvatore descrive l’accaduto in un suo memoriale) che viene da lui colpito a morte: da questo momento in poi sarà per sempre il Bandito Salvatore Giuliano (o Turiddu, che in siciliano significa Salvatore). Secondo alcuni Turiddu è un eroe del popolo, egli spera in un riscatto civile del popolo siciliano, allaccia rapporti col mondo politico, coi servizi segreti deviati, col movimento separatista siciliano la cui sigla è MIS (Movimento Indipendentista Siciliano) del quale, spinto anche da un colonnello dell’esercito americano che lo illuse che la Sicilia poteva essere annessa come stato degli U.S.A. , entra a far parte del suo braccio armato, l’E.V.I.S. (Esercito Volontario per l’Indipendenza Siciliana), combattendo col grado di colonnello contro l’esercito italiano nel biennio 1945/46: l’EVIS era comandato dall’avv. Antonio Canepa, che viene ucciso il 17 giugno del 1945 in uno scontro coi carabinieri nel paese di Randazzo. Durante questo periodo nasce la leggenda del Bandito Giuliano, i contadini, la povera gente in generale, vede in lui una speranza di riscatto di una vita di stenti e di sacrifici, viene visto come un focoso amante dalle tante fugaci storie, con donne che lo raggiungono nel suo covo oltrepassando “il filtro” dei suoi uomini (ospitò una giovane giornalista svedese, Maria Cyjliakus, interessata ad intervistarlo, con la quale ebbe anche una relazione), ma poteva egli stesso raggiungere le amate pur correndo molti rischi: nell’immaginario collettivo si andava maturando l’idea di un brigante dal cuore gentile e buono, egli spesso donava ai poveri quello che sottraeva ai ricchi; però c’era il lato oscuro e brutale della sua personalità, egli tendeva agguati ed assalti alle forze dell’ordine, uccideva chi considerava essere un informatore dei carabinieri; il bandito era imprendibile, numerosi erano gli agguati ed i rastrellamenti ai quali lui ed i suoi uomini riuscivano a sottrarsi, anzi, ad ogni azione condotta dai militari, faceva sempre seguito una reazione di rappresaglia, con la conseguenza che i militari uccisi aumentavano sempre di più. La fase discendente di Giuliano incomincia ad apparire all’orizzonte, il M.I.S. entra nella legalità venendo riconosciuta come appartenente allo Statuto Speciale Siciliano, Giuliano non accetta l’accordo continuando coi suoi uomini a fare guerra allo stato, nel 1946 il nuovo governo italiano concede l’indulto ai guerriglieri dell’EVIS, in tal modo Giuliano perde il suo esercito ed il suo ruolo di colonnello (viene così sciolta la componente femminile dell’EVIS, con circa 20 donne, vi faceva anche parte sua sorella Mariannina); col primo referendum istituzionale cade la monarchia, nasce la Repubblica, il movimento contadino spera nel cambiamento e nella riforma agraria, la lotta in difesa dei loro diritti porta alla uccisione di sindacalisti (Miraglia, Rizzotto, Carnevale) dei quali non si scopriranno mai i mandanti; Giuliano stringe rapporti con la mafia, incontra uomini delle istituzioni, inducendo a sospettare che dietro molte azioni (scellerate) di Giuliano e dietro la sua morte, si celino tante responsabilità e misteri, sulle quali non si è fatto ancora luce. Arriviamo al 1° Maggio del 1947, nelle campagne di Portella della Ginestra nei pressi di Piana degli Albanesi (PA), c’è una gran folla di contadini riuniti per celebrare la festa dei lavoratorI, ci sono anche tante donne e bambini, improvvisamente l’atmosfera festosa viene interrotta drammaticamente dai colpi di una mitragliatrice e di altre armi di vario genere, tra queste anche lancio di granate, sul campo restano senza vita 11 persone (tra queste due bambini), e molti feriti sul cui numero non c’è concordanza; la strage dette inizio alla “crisi del maggio 1947” con assalti alle sedi dei partiti di sinistra e delle camere del lavoro della zona, le cui motivazioni sarebbero legate, si è detto… all’avversione di Giuliano per i comunisti…ma anche alla volontà dei poteri mafiosi di mantenere i vecchi equilibri nel nuovo quadro istituzionale (n.d.r. sembra che Giuliano a Portella volesse solo dare una lezione a Girolamo Li Causi, leader dei comunisti, il quale fu avvisato dell’agguato,e non si presentò a Portella, secondo me non regge la citata avversione di Giuliano per i comunisti, lui che trovava sempre calore, protezione e complicità proprio da parte di quei contadini che furono trucidati; chi organizzò la strage era una mente criminale e raffinata, spaventò i movimenti contadini, e nel contempo decretò la subentrata impopolarità del bandito Giuliano che vide farsi attorno terra bruciata: spararono uomini mafiosi estranei alla banda di Giuliano dotati di fucili calibro 9, mentre gli uomini della banda avevano armi calibro 6,5, così come gli uomini di Giuliano non possedevano lanciagranate; Giuliano tentò di discolparsi scrivendo sui giornali un suo “Memoriale sui fatti di Portella della Ginestra”, sostenendo di essere in possesso di documenti che avrebbero dimostrato chi erano i veri colpevoli della strage). Il cerchio si andava stringendo attorno a Giuliano, le forze dell’ordine si avvalsero della mafia per convincere a collaborare con loro il suo fidatissimo luogotenente Gaspare Pisciotta, si avvalsero di informatori, come Salvatore Ferreri, detto frà Diavolo, a capo delle forze antibanditismo c’era il colonnello dei carabinieri Ugo Luca; il 5 luglio del 1950 viene ucciso Salvatore Giuliano, sembra ci sia stato un conflitto a fuoco coi carabinieri nel cortile della casa dell’avv. De Maria a Castelvetrano (TP), però è una messinscena, se ne accorgono i giornalisti accorsi immediatamente sul luogo dove giace il corpo, il sangue impregna la canottiera sul dorso, da diversi fori non fuoriesce sangue, sul lato del braccio è presente una “lacerazione della cute” (come se l’arto fosse stato a contatto con del ghiaccio), uno dei giornalisti che si accorge di questi ed altri dettagli, Tommaso Besozzi, scrive il suo articolo giornalistico intitolandolo “di sicuro c’è solo che è morto” (l'Europeo n. 29, anno 1950), in realtà ad ucciderlo mentre dormiva con un colpo di pistola, forse stordito da una droga messa nel vino, sarebbe stato il suo uomo più fidato, Gaspare Pisciotta, il quale successivamente viene arrestato, e durante il processo di Viterbo dalla gabbia urlerà “noi eravamo un corpo solo, banditi, polizia e mafia, come il Padre, il Figlio e lo Spirito Santo”, Pisciotta è pronto a fare nomi, rivelazioni, ma non farà in tempo, all’interno del carcere dell’Ucciardone di Palermo, una dose letale di stricnina messa dentro un medicinale prescrittogli per la sua tubercolosi (non dentro il caffè) lo stroncherà prima che possa tentare di vomitare. La storia sembra non dover finire, quando, in seguito ad una segnalazione del professore Giuseppe Casarrubea, importante storiografo, che fece riesumare con un suo esposto in Procura la salma di Giuliano nel 2010, ipotizzando che la tomba custodiva il cadavere di un sosia, il test del DNA avrebbe però dimostrato un profilo genetico compatibile con quello di un nipote di Giuliano. Sulla tomba di Salvatore, un mese dopo, vennero scolpiti i versi inviati per lettera a sua madre (Maria Giuliano Lombardo) di una donna che si firmava “Santuzza”, versi che dichiarava di averli avuti personalmente da suo figlio Salvatore: “Poveri sogni miei d’amor beati, nel meglio del gioir siete periti, sorgeste fieri ma sfortunati, e come uccello nei boschi siete spariti”. “Santuzza” in realtà si chiamava Maddalena Lo Giudice, quando era giovane viene descritta come una bellissima ragazza, timida, riservata, era la figlia del Podestà del suo paese (durante il regime fascista, il Podestà era il capo dell'amministrazione comunale), sembra si conobbero in un nosocomio di Catania, visitando ognuno un proprio conoscente, Maddalena avrebbe avuto da Salvatore un figlio (fu sottoposta suo malgrado a visita ginecologica per appurarne la veridicità), un cofanetto con dei valori, ed un memoriale, nel quale Giuliano avrebbe scritto cose importantissime circa i suoi rapporti con “uomini dello stato e non”; Maddalena successivamente disse di aver consegnato tutto ad una persona fidata, la quale avrebbe murato tutto, successivamente forse impaurita dal grande clamore che si era alzato attorno a lei, in una intervista giornalistica dichiarò che si era sognato ed inventato tutto…(n.d.r. ho sempre provato molta commozione per questa povera donna, sarebbe interessante poterne tracciare un profilo psicologico, suo padre era il Podestà del paese, beneficiando sempre del dubbio, come in tutta questa storia, mi dissero che toglieva ai poveri anche quel poco che avevano, chissà se la povera Maddalena si innamorò di Giuliano anche perché lui ne rappresentava l’antitesi, dando ai poveri quel che toglieva ai possidenti…), Maddalena andò a partorire di nascosto dagli occhi benpensanti del paese (non essendo una donna sposata avrebbe creato scandalo) in Calabria, quel figlio per proteggerlo fu messo subito in un orfanotrofio (tutte le forze dell’ordine della Sicilia cercavano il bandito Giuliano, chissà cosa sarebbe accaduto se si fosse venuto a sapere di un figlio suo..! lo avrebbero usato come si fa con un agnello legato al palo, aspettando l’arrivo della fiera…); questa donna alla morte di Giuliano fu raggiunta dalla sua mamma (Maria Giuliano Lombardo) e da sua sorella Mariannina (Mariannina Giuliano), per avere tutto quello che Salvatore aveva lasciato a Maddalena, la quale sicuramente gli aveva fatto un giuramento, di non dare a nessuno quanto da lui aveva ricevuto, certamente fino a quando Maddalena avrebbe tenuto nascosto con se “il tesoro” (non certo i gioielli, il vero valore era il suo memoriale !), nessuno le avrebbe fatto del male; comunque, Maddalena si è portata con se nella tomba questo suo segreto. In vecchiaia Maddalena viveva appartata, era un tipo solitario, doveva fare ricorso alla dialisi per una grave infezione renale, per la qual cosa doveva farsi accompagnare varie volte la settimana da un autista in ospedale, aveva forti dolori per i quali doveva fare ricorso a potenti analgesici, gli unici a darle un po’ di affetto, erano i suoi molti cani, gli unici che riuscivano a rasserenarla, non ebbe mai l’affetto di quell’unico figlio avuto da Salvatore, del quale non si è mai saputo nulla (ci furono un paio di personaggi che si autodichiararono i figli del bandito, ma non si è mai appurato nulla). Concludo, seppi di un operatore cinematografico siciliano, che lavorava per La Settimana Incom (essa era un cinegiornale italiano, distribuito settimanalmente nei cinema), il quale alla notizia dell’uccisione del bandito Giuliano (come tanti giornalisti) si recò immediatamente a Castelvetrano in casa dell’avv. De Maria, dove avrebbe trovato il corpo di Salvatore, egli raccontò che quando arrivò la madre di Salvatore, lo baciò in maniera struggente, terribilmente commovente, incluse le parti coperte di sangue, quell’operatore Incom disse, che fu talmente grande la commozione che provò nel vedere quella Madre, che non ebbe il coraggio di continuare le riprese: vorrei terminare dicendo, che il dolore tremendo di quella Madre, è stato il dolore tremendo di Tutte quelle Madri che hanno visto perire i loro figli (od i loro mariti) in quel periodo così buio della storia di Sicilia.
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Perhaps no one embodied the western mountain man stereotype better than Jim Bridger,. Hardy, resourceful, & skilled a wilderness life, Bridger made a name for himself in the development of the West.
Blacksmith to Trapper
In 1822, at the age of 18, James "Jim" Bridger quit his blacksmith apprenticeship in St. Louis to join the new Ashley & Henry fur trade company. By 1826, he had become a brigade leader of a group of trappers then employed by Smith, Jackson, & Sublette.
Legendary Mountain Man
Bridger's reputation as an extraordinary man of the mountains spread rapidly. By the age of 30, Jim Bridger had out-thought & out-trapped the expanding & highly competitive American Fur Company.
Shrewd Business Owner
In 1830, Bridger became part owner in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, previously the Smith, Jackson, & Sublette Company. Often employing over 200 trappers at one time, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company became one of the most powerful fur trade enterprises in the American West.
*This man is a perfect original...It is stated by those who have had him in their employ, that in the midst of the mountains...when one or uncertain of the proper directions, they would always appeal to Bridger."
-The Missouri Republican, St Louis,
Oct. 24, 1851
Success Beyond the Fur Trade
For 30 years after the decline of the beaver trade, Jim Bridger guided settlers, the army, & numerous hunting & exploratory expeditions in the west. His trading post, located at Fort Bridger, was a focal point of the Oregon Trail. Bridger's name has been preserved in many place names within Wyoming & Montana.
Family Life
Bridger had 3 wives during his lifetime (two Shoshone & one Flathead), 4 daughters & 2 sons. Near the end of his life, he returned to live on his farm near Little Santa Fe, Missouri with his daughter Virginia & her husband. He died in 1881 at the age of 77, & was buried near present day Kansas City.
***insert photo-Jim Bridger, c. 1860-1880
I embody Don Quixote set in the Black Forest.
In the Black Forest there are no windmills and I have no desire to be
charging at them. Neither am I the best poet ever seen...
In a historically and culturally sheltered area, I’m often seen as
foreign, based on my artistic existence and my South American
heritage. This sense of alienation and of being different has become
part of my self-perception and is a gift at the same time. It allows
me the freedom to examine motives from a fresh perspective and
forge them in an unexpected manner.
“Black Forest” is a composition with traditional local origins. The
installation consists of objects and templates made for the creation
of brushes of all kinds. Wießler, a company from Todtnau ceased
using their stock of templates made of wood and metal more than
10 Years ago. I managed to purchase some of these 200 year old
objects. In each template is the writing of the owner engraved;
secret codes which can only be interpreted by the owner and
craftsmen themselves and in this regard may be seen as a
metaphor for the anonymity of present day industry. However, once
translated they explain the identification of the craftsmen with
their work and their products.
In my opinion, these objects are surprisingly complex and well
designed and yet were produced even under circumstances of
poverty and icy weather. Archiving and combining the objects with
modern ideas bring new perspectives to the table. For instance, the
Codices from Todtnau are a prime example of historical preservation.
This self-projection carries its own particular beauty which underlines
the aesthetic composition of the objects.
I have entitled this installation Eros.
The base of Eros is human life in its purest form. However, today the
Eros human sheds tears. It’s natural for him to possess tears of
disappointment, but in this day and age he cries perpetually. He cries
over the influence of commerce, the corset of pornographic templates
and the dispossession of the human body by multimedia. The omni-
present marketing machine devours beastlike every human emotion
and restricts every individual to their template, treating them as
nothing more than goods.
So in turn, Eros becomes just a product.
The product becomes purchasable.
Buying and selling is arbitrary.
The remainders are eaten. The installation ‘Eros’ relates to this feast
and its damage to the self-perception of the human. The installation
‘Eros’ takes inventory: The template and the beast, its ravaged object
and the destructive machine all align.
From this operation stems a continuing tale of past efforts to
establish self-definition on the one hand—and the loss of erotic
humanity on the other.
Don Quixote from the Black Forest.
In the shape of the four sons of Horus. Musée des Confluences
“The four sons of Horus were a group of four gods in Egyptian religion, who were essentially the personifications of the four canopic jars, which accompanied mummified bodies. Since the heart was thought to embody the soul, it was left inside the body. The brain was thought only to be the origin of mucus, so it was reduced to liquid, removed with metal hooks, and discarded. This left the stomach (and small intestines), liver, large intestines, and lungs, which were removed, embalmed and stored, each organ in its own jar. There were times when embalmers deviated from this scheme: during the 21st Dynasty they embalmed and wrapped the viscera and returned them to the body, while the Canopic jars remained empty symbols.
The earliest reference to the sons of Horus the Elder is found in the Pyramid Texts where they are described as friends of the king, as they assist the king in his ascension to heaven in the eastern sky by means of ladders. Their association with Horus the Elder specifically goes back to the Old Kingdom when they were said not only to be his children but also his souls. As the king, or Pharaoh was seen as a manifestation of, or especially protected by, Horus, these parts of the deceased pharaoh, referred to as the Osiris, were seen as parts of Horus, or rather, his children, an association that did not diminish with each successive pharaoh.
Since Horus was their father, so Isis, Horus's original wife in the early mythological phase, was usually seen as their mother, although Hathor was also believed to be their mother, though in the details of the funerary ritual each son, and therefore each canopic jar, was protected by a particular goddess. Others say their mother was Serket, goddess of medicine and magic. Just as the sons of Horus protected the contents of a canopic jar, the king's organs, so they in turn were protected. As they were male in accordance with the principles of male/female duality their protectors were female.
Imsety – human form – direction South – protected the liver – protected by Isis.
Duamutef – jackal form – direction East – protected the stomach – protected by Neith.
Hapi – baboon form – direction North – protected the lungs – protected by Nephthys.
Qebehsenuef – hawk form – direction West – protected the intestines – protected by his mother Serket.” (Wikipedia)
When it was dedicated on March 6, 1927, the First Baptist Church embodied the distinctive style of its architect, Douglas Ellington, who incorporated traditional Beaux-Arts planning, the stark forms of early Christian church architecture, and fashionably modern Art Deco details in the new church. Ellington's building was the fifth house of worship for First Baptist Church since its organization in 1829. Membership grew from 37 in 1874 to approximately 1,500 in early the 1920s. The new church complex provided seating for 2,000 in the main sanctuary and space for another 3,000 in the surrounding educational buildings.
A slightly bellcast dome capped by a copper cupola sits atop the octagonal main auditorium and a full height hectacstyle portico greets visitors at the entrance. Although the outward form of the church is generally Neoclassical, the decorative patterns and surface ornament reflect the Art Deco style, which became popular in the 1920s. The primary exterior materials, brick and marble, are composed in a variety of patterns and low relief planes that enrich the wall surfaces with variations of texture and color. Terra cotta molding forms alternating bands of chevrons and nail head designs, while geometric star patterns set in low relief panels accentuate the entrance doors. The large, open sanctuary is richly detailed with geometric stars, stylized floral and feather motifs, diamond-shaped panels and abstract diagonal fretwork.
Reverend Robert J. Bateman, pastor of First Baptist Church during the building campaign, noted in The Southern Tourist (September 1926) that the church was "located in perhaps the most strategic point in the Southern Baptist Convention territory, Asheville the tourist city, where thousands of people from all over the country gather each year." He went on to express his pleasure with the new facility, which he described as "a magnificent church of rare architecture, and one in which the denomination as a whole may feel a pardonable pride." He also emphasized that the "elegant simplicity and practicability" of Ellington's design would impress "the throngs, passing that corner, with a silent Gospel message."
(source: www.nps.gov/nr/travel/asheville/fir.htm)
Church Website: www.fbca.net
Of all the Persian national festivals, the New Year celebrations are at once the most important and the most colorful. This festival embodies a wealth of ancient rites and customs, and is about the only one in Persia which is not confined to the traditions of only one religious group. It symbolizes that continuity of the ancient Persian culture which has survived so many adversities and vicissitudes.
The Now Ruz celebration stretches over a period of thirteen days, the last being a special occasion calling for particular ceremonies. The period begins with the first day of spring, when the sun enters the zodiacal sign of Ram. At Now Ruz people join nature in making a fresh start, full of joy and hope for the coming year.
The origin of Now Ruz is traditionally attributed to Jamshid, the mightiest and the most glorious of the legendary kings of Persia. The legend is recorded by the celebrated historians Tabari and Biruni, as well as by Ferdowsi. One version says that after Jamshid had taught his people the art of building, weaving, mining and making arms, and devided them into four appropriate classes, he then set out to conquer the demon hosts. Then he defeated and reduced to hard labour for the benefit of men. Next he ordered the demons to build him a special crystal carriage. When it was ready, he entered the carriage and, to the joy and amazement of all the people, the demons lifted it into the air and Jamshid rode thus from Demavand to Babylon. The day was called Now Ruz (the New Day) and was made an annual celebration.
It may be safely assumed, however, that the Now Ruz festival, essentially an agrarian celebration. owes its origin, at least in part, to the fertility cult, so common among the ancient Near and Middle Eastern nations. Some of the customs observed at Now Ruz are reminiscent of Babylonian Zagmuk. The growing of sabzeh (fresh green roots), which are later thrown into water, particularly brings to mind the Syrian cult of Adonis. But it is the Ancient and Zoroastrian Persia which provides the background for most of the customs and ceremonies of Now Ruz.
While the lunar calendar is used for Muslim festivals and holidays, Now Ruz is reckoned by a solar calendar. This was adopted in ancient times by the Zoroaterians, and is used today as the national calendar of Persia. However, one must bear in mind that the Zoroastrian year did not always begin on the 21st of March (1st of Farvardin). There are reasons to believe that at one time it began with the commencement of autumn. Again at a certain period, prior to or during Sassanian times (226-651 A.D.) the begining of year was fixed at the vernal equinox, the first of Farvardin (21st March), and it was immediately preceded by a religious festival of five days. During these five days the spirits of the departed (Fravahrs) were said to visit their family, and the houses were therefore cleaned and food and drink offered to the haunting spirits. Some of the Now Ruz customs may refer to this festival, which was partly absorbed into the Now Ruz ceremonies in Islamic times.
The Achaemenian kings (550-330 B.C.) celebrated the New Year in the Royal palaces with great pomp and ceremony. Sumptuous receptions were held, and the envoys of the various nations living in the vast Achaemenian empire presented their tributes and gifts. This homage by the envoys has been vividly depicted in the sculptures of the palaces built by Darius the Great and his son Xerxes.
In Sassanian times (226-652 A.D.) there was a vigorous revival of Persian nationalism. Now Ruz, along with Mehregan, another ancient festival, continued to be the main national festivals. During the six-day celebration of Now Ruz, a plenary audience given by the "King of Kings" was the climax of the festivities at the Court. Merriment and rejoicing were heightened by musicians composing and performing appropriate pieces and court poets and singers contributing their arts. The splendor of the Sassanian Court was, in fact, best exemplified by its lavish festivities at Now Ruz.
Although the advent of Islam in the seventh century A.D. naturally brought with it new festivals and holidays, Now Ruz was not overshadowed. On the contrary, together with Mehregan and some other old Iranian festivals, it was carried over to the Islamic period, and continued to be celebrated at the royal courts as in Sassanian times. The many graceful odes and sonnets concerning Now Ruz to be found in the Divans of the Persian poets bear witness to the ever-lively spirit and unbroken importance of the festival for the Persian nation.
Today, while many of the ancient festivals have faded away in most parts of the country, Now Ruz remains a national Persian festival, and its advent brings joy to the heart of the people. Although many of the old customs and ceremonies, as recorded in histories and travel books, have vanished with the lapse of time, yet what does remain makes Now Ruz the most fascinating of the Persian festivals, rich in folkloric details and symbolic reminiscences.
Professor E. Yarshater (Issued by the Iranian Embassy, Washington D.C. - March 1959)
This blonde beauty perfectly embodies the sex appeal of MS. MARVEL Sadly, Marvel has decided to ditch this look for a new bodysuit which covers every inch of skin except her face. A really stupid idea.
Ok so … everyone makes a speech no? After all this work I’m entitled to one… mine is so long it’s almost silly… so sit back, relax and if you feel like it… read about my journey…
About my 365 Project…
At the beginning this project to me was just about photography, about learning… I seriously started this expecting nothing but later it turned into a place where I could open my heart and share my world, my fears, my happiness, my thoughts, my life… shortly I also discovered I was involved on many people’s lives… This is a project about “hearts connecting through an image” … and I’m thankful for the chance I got to share mine with you and the chance I got to get to know yours…
365 pictures? Yes... And I am proud….
I did not miss a day … some days I was really inspired and took a shot I was really proud of and some days, even when I felt I could not do one more shot, I stepped up and took a crappy one… so here’s to great pictures and to the courage it takes to post a crappy one. (here, here!!) The past month I kept my stream “friends only” … I faced some really hard times and didn’t feel the need to share my work with the whole fickr community … 12 of the pictures of this project will remain “private” … believe me they are crap so you’re not missing out on anything… they were just about me, not wanting to fail myself, trying to persevere even in the hardest of times…I’m going public for the first time in a while now… so if anyone would like to see the past month of my work FM and I’ll let you in… I took some nice pictures ;)
About comments and faves:
I remember I was so happy when I received my first comment… I could not believe someone would actually stop, take a moment, look at your picture and say something…. so I thank you for the time you gave me by looking at my stream.
… It’s because of that that I completed this project, as simple as that…
Thank you time:
I’ll thank that girl/friend/sister who found flickr, made me do this and helped with many of my pictures (Shelby), I’ll thank my family and friends who helped with costumes, stage, equipment, patience, encouragement and love… (Papi, mami, Nita, Miau, Joe, Pancho, Guayo, Nena, Haya, Nati, Jose, Toño….),I’ll thank a man who was a huge part of my flickr experience… he gave me themes, was patience enough to hear about flickr drama, cheered me up and even played part of some of my favorite shots of this year (Bas)
Now to my flickr friends :
I was fortunate enough to grab your attention at some point during this year… and you came back a second time, and a third time and after that you stood by my side… not only as contacts but as real friends who always had words of love and encouragement for me… Thank you for stopping by, for leaving a comment, for just viewing, for clicking “fave”, for sending a FM to see if I was OK, for inviting me to a group, for adding me as a contact, and for having me as a friend.
I can only hope to meet you guys one day for real… I’m sorry if I don’t say something special for each one of you – even though I know exactly what I would tell you – but I would literally never finish this …
I’ll mention you by your real name and not your flickr nickname cause by now you are real friends to me: Jordy, Henry, Sarah, Mike, Brad and Patricia, Abe and Liina, Ernie, Charlie, Kim, Eva, Vanessa, Jonathan, Rebecca, Lenna, Maite, Amanda, Anna, Rodrigo, Andrés, Julie, Grace, Billie, Sarah B, Amy, Ana Belén, Jonh and Charlotte, Scott, Deven, Christine, Kevin, Hannah…. Thank you guys I really grown to love each and every one of you…
And to all of you who I didn’t mention … but in one way or another were part of this journey… thank you so much ….
About what’s next?:
A year 2 for Maria? I don’t think so… my camera needs a break from me, but I’ll keep on taking pictures and I’ll keep on sharing them with you… I do have LOADS of pictures I want to try… and many things I need to learn, but I’ll do it at my own time, without the pressure of posting every day… Photography is my passion and that will not change… I’m planning on attending more serious photography courses and who knows maybe I’ll turn into a pro one day…I’ll take a much needed fickr vacation….but I’ll visit your streams…
If you stay here I’ll stay here… that much I can promise…
Last but not least... thank you God for one more year of life I was able to document in such a lovely way...
Bet if this was a speech for the Oscars the band would have started the music long ago to shut me up so I’ll just say goodbye… see ya guys soon!!!
My love to each and every one of you….
Maria
Follow/like my facebook page! www.facebook.com/45surfHerosJourneyMythology
Welcome to your epic hero's journey! The beautiful 45surf goddess hath called ye to adventure, beckoning ye to read deeply Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, whence ye shall learn of yer own exalted artistic path guided by Hero's Journey Mythology. I wouldn't be saying it if it hadn't happened to me.
PRETTY! Canon 5D Mark II Photos of Beautiful Blonde Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess with Pretty Brown Eyes !
Some video of the goddess:
She was tall, thin, fit, toned, and very pretty with long, blonde hair and brown eyes! From Russia! With love!
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II EF 24-105/4L IS USM was my workhorse until I got the Nikon D800 & D800E with the 70-200 mm 2.8 VR2 zoom.
Canon, Nikon, you can't go wrong with the pretty 45surf model goddesses! (Though the Sony A7R is my new love!)
May the goddess inspire ye along a hero's journey of yer own making, and the path of yer own taking.
Was a classic socal spring PM with a bright, blue, sunny sky! Hope the photos make you feel like you were there! :)
May the HJM Goddesses guide, inspire, and exalt ye along yer heroic artistic journey!
Shot in both RAW & JPEG, but all these photos are RAWs finished in Lightroom 5.3 ! :)
New Instagram! instagram.com/45surf
Join/like my facebook page! www.facebook.com/45surfHerosJourneyMythology
Follow me on facebook! facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic journey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.
A Gold 45 Goddess guards the wisdom of dx4/dt=ic -- my physics theory which appears on all the 45surf clothes. Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! :) You can read more about my research and Hero's Journey Physics here:
herosjourneyphysics.wordpress.com/ MDT PROOF#2: Einstein (1912 Man. on Rel.) and Minkowski wrote x4=ict. Ergo dx4/dt=ic--the foundational equation of all time and motion which is on all the shirts and swimsuits. Every photon that hits my Nikon D800e's sensor does it by surfing the fourth expanding dimension, which is moving at c relative to the three spatial dimensions, or dx4/dt=ic!
May the Hero's Journey Mythology Goddess inspire you (as they have inspired me!) along your own artistic journey! All the Best on Your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy! Catch those photons as they surf the fourth expanding dimension!
Twitter! twitter.com/45surf
All the best on your epic hero's journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
This was embodied using only LEGO parts.
It is a artwork that depicts a "Blue Whale(white-beard whale)" that freely swims break through the clouds.
Kinetic Art structure that uses the center of gravity.
You can see the detailed movements in the links and comments below.
LEGO IDEAS : "FLYING WHALE" - Description
YOUTUBE : "FLYING WHALE" - Video
Second one in this series. I probably should have called it 'the wind embodied' but too late now.
I was trying to take photos of sunflowers. At dusk. In a breeze.
What was I thinking!?
And even though I didn't expect anything to turn out, I couldn't stop myself from trying.
Unexpectedly, I found the results surprisingly good/interesting!
[These shots are straight from the camera - totally unprocessed]
Cher ( born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress, entertainer and fashion icon. Described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry, she is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment, as well as adopting a variety of styles and appearances during her career, which has led to her being nicknamed the Goddess of Pop.
Cher gained popularity in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband–wife duo Sonny & Cher after their first hit, "I Got You Babe". She began her solo career simultaneously, releasing in 1966 her first million-seller song, "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)". Goldmine magazine's Phill Marder described her as the leader of an effort in the 1960s to "advance feminine rebellion in the rock world [and] the prototype of the female rock star, setting the standard for appearance [and] attitude". After the duo had lost its young audience owing to their monogamous, anti-drug lifestyle during the period of the sexual revolution and the rise of the drug culture, she returned to stardom in the 1970s as a television personality with her shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run, and Cher. She became a fashion trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows. While working on television, she established herself as a solo artist with the number-one singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady". After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975, Cher's much-publicized personal life led to a decline in her career, although she launched a minor comeback in 1979 with the disco-oriented album Take Me Home and earned $300,000 a week for her 1980–1982 residency show in Las Vegas.
In the early 1980s, Cher made her Broadway debut, and then starred in the film Silkwood, which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1983. In the ensuing years, she starred in films such as Mask, The Witches of Eastwick, and Moonstruck, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1988. She made her directorial debut in the 1996 film If These Walls Could Talk. At the same time, she established herself as a rock singer by releasing platinum albums such as Heart of Stone (1989) and top-ten singles such as "I Found Someone" and "If I Could Turn Back Time". She reached a new commercial peak in 1998 with the song "Believe", which features the pioneering use of Auto-Tune, also known as the "Cher effect". Her 2002–2005 Living Proof: The Farewell Tour ended up as the highest-grossing music tour by a female artist then. In 2008, she signed a $180 million deal to headline the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for three years. After seven years of absence, she returned to film in the 2010 musical Burlesque. Cher's first studio album in 12 years, Closer to the Truth (2013), became her highest-charting solo album in the U.S. to date.
Biographer Mark Bego wrote, "No one in the history of show business has had a career of the magnitude and scope of Cher's. She has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, a special CFDA Fashion Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Cannes Film Festival award, among several other honors. She has sold 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in each of the past six decades. Outside of her music and acting, she is noted for her political views, philanthropic endeavors and activism for LGBT rights.
From Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher
Cher's Official Web Site: cher.com/
70's ICONS Cher then Bono. Repainted and restyled by Noel Cruz for www.myfarrah.com. Regent Miniatures Diorama built by Ken Haseltine of www.regentminiatures.com.
Farrah is on facebook www.facebook.com/FLFawcett. On Tumblr at; farrahlenifawcett.tumblr.com. Join Farrah on Instagram at www.instagram.com/farrahlfawcett. On pinterest at www.pinterest.com/myfarrah/
Photo/Graphic Layout & web sites ncruz.com & myfarrah.com by www.stevemckinnis.com.
St Paul's is London's cathedral and embodies the spiritual life and heritage of the British people. Cathedrals serve a wide community. A cathedral houses the seat - or in Latin, cathedra - of the bishop, making it a centre for Christian worship and teaching, and the Christian mission.
St Paul's Cathedral acts as an important meeting place for people and ideas, as a centre for the arts, learning and public debate.
The present St Paul's is the fifth cathedral to have stood on the site since 604, and was built between 1675 and 1710, after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. This was the first cathedral to be built after the English Reformation in the sixteenth century, when Henry VIII removed the Church of England from the jurisdiction of the Pope and the Crown took control of the Church's life.
Throughout its history, St Paul's has been a place where the individual and the nation can express those feelings of joy, gratitude and sorrow that are so central to our lives.
Among the events marked at St Paul's are royal occasions. In 1897 Queen Victoria chose to commemorate her diamond jubilee here. More recently Queen Elizabeth II has celebrated her jubilees at St Paul's , and also her 80th birthday in 2006. Royal weddings have been held here as well: the marriage of Catherine of Aragon to Prince Arthur in 1501 and famously the wedding of HRH the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
As the nation's church, St Paul's has also been the site of state funerals of British military leaders, including Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and of the wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. Services have also been held to mark the valuable contributions made by ordinary men and women involved in armed conflicts in the Falklands, the Gulf and Northern Ireland.
A vast crowd also gathered at St Paul's following the terrorist attacks on New York on 11 September 2001, as London expressed its solidarity with the people of New York at a time of grief.
People of other faiths have a place in national services at St Paul's. In 2005, at the service of remembrance following the terrorist bombings in London in July of that year, young people representing different faith communities lit candles as a shared sign of hope during turbulent times.
In these symbolic ways London's cathedral seeks to be a house of prayer for people of all nations. It is a place for protest against injustice and for the public express of hope for a better society. Martin Luther King stopped at St Paul's en route to collect his Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Involvement in the global community and social justice is as much a part of the working life of St Paul's as prayer and ceremony.
New word: sartorial means pertaining to tailoring. The history of consumerism is embodied in the glamorous, eye candy history of fashion. These writers have more direct awareness of the relationship between fashion and imperialism than most economists. Where economists seem to accept industrial growth and expansion as a good that will raise all boats, these art historians and cultural observers touch on the darker underpinnings of an elitism that could not survive without cheap labor to shore up the expensive tastes of its wasteful leisure classes. Christopher Breward, author of "Fashion", from the Oxford History of Art series, is particularly insightful in this regard.
From his rather dry account, I learned that "dynamic obsolescence" was invented by fashion stylists beginning in the mid 19th century with the concept of the fall and winter collection which aggressively rendered last seasons fashion out of style. Obsolescence is of course the driving growth of virtually all industries today.
Fashion being the most portable and accessible of cultural markers was spread from the three key cities: London, Paris and New York via print media, the fashion show and later film and television to other cities aspiring to rank as global players. (The fashion show was big in Bangkok where it was usually associated with royalty. I was a runway model for two of these events at the home of local royalty when I was five and six years old.)
So I was intrigued to learn that it is mainly in the West that fashion was ever changing while elsewhere it was static due to local customs and social hierarchies. This does parallel the rise of the cult of the individual in the West, but I would go further and look at the religious beliefs that allowed this cult of the individual to arise. Buddhism, for instance, with its teachings of no self would not lend itself to the cultivation of individualism and still doesn't, not with the skill of personal power that Western psychology has elevated it to.
But I am not in a hurry to label fashion as a tool of imperialist Western selfishness. These accounts of fashion also point out the influence of street fashion from the 19th century dandy to the Punk styles of the '70s. Vivienne Westwood, whose fashion footsteps I seem to be following, is credited with firing up the whole phenomena of Punk. She then went on to fuse 16th century, ie Renaissance clothing cuts, with modern materials and gender bending presentation. Fashion was certainly a part of the emancipation of women, had a hand in popularizing cycling and has been the visual marker of all kinds of anti-establishment movements including queer culture. It has been as much a tool of the outsider in communicating resistance as it has been a tool of the elite to dictate the parameters of the in crowd.
But to go even deeper, I remembered from the novel "The Mists of Avalon" that glamour is a word borrowed from witchcraft. Thus glamour is a concept used by witches to enhance spells that require the viewer to be enchanted by the appearance of the witch herself. (Kind of a sleight of hand like the use of the Force in Star Wars when Obe One persuaded Stormtroopers to allow him entry through a security checkpoint.)
In this sense it could be said that fashion is akin to the use of hallucinogenic drugs. Where drugs were once an important part of shamanistic ritual, they are now taken without the ritual and have become portals to addiction. Thus fashion has become a portal for consumer addiction. But rather than take the puritanical route and declare a "fashion free" zone, I would prefer to reclaim fashion as an inspirational art force that requires a constant stream of creative manifestations to communicate ideas and ideals, but it would also have to be done without compromising values of sustainability. And I can do that as long as there is already manufactured materials out there to salvage. After that it will be back to the fig leaf.
Neuschwanstein embodies both the contemporaneous architectural fashion known as castle romanticism, and King Ludwig II's enthusiasm for the operas of Richard Wagner. At the time of King Ludwig's death the palace was far from complete. He slept only 11 nights in the castle.
This week you have been asked to model for AE OOAK Hair Products. This is my personal brand and it is all about sexy, fun, and stylish hair. As a spokeswoman for my brand I will be looking for ladies that embody those qualities in their Ad. I want to see special attention paid to your hair this theme, you DO NOT have to restyle your hair if you don’t want to but I want to see your hair showcased to it’s best advantage. Editing is fine but do not feel like you have to go overboard with it, only do it if you can do it subtly and cleanly.
As far as what the hair product is, please select from the list below 2 contestants max per group, one item will have only one person representing it. I don’t think “copying” should be an issue with this group but just in case you need a reminder stick to your personal unique vision. (Remember you do not have to alter your hair if you don’t want to. For example, if I selected extensions you do not have to re-root your doll just say this is my hair with extension even if it the same hair you have had all along) :
1.Shampoo/Conditioner (Nadya)
2.Hair Color (Willow) ( Kayla)
3.Extensions (Esmeraude) (Leslie) - Full Group
4.Styling Tools (Elise) (Meral) -Full Group
I am looking for a few extra things this week as this is an Advertisement versus just a regular photo-shoot.
1. I want to see the brand name, at a minimum I want to see initials (AE) somewhere on your AD. The full brand name is AE OOAK Hair Products.
2. A tag line about the products to entice customers to try the product. There are tons of examples to look up on the internet here is just one site with examples (brandongaille.com/list-37-popular-hair-salon-slogans-and-...) I would expect this tag line to be on your picture somewhere, try to keep it short.
3. Why you like the product, this can just be a simple answer to this question, you can go on with greater detail but I want at least an answer to this question. I would expect this to be in your description as opposed to on your picture.
“Why do you use AE OOAK Hair Products?”
4. This week I want to see close ups please, no full body shoots.
DEADLINE MARCH 3, 2014 BY MIDNIGHT. Please have your entries in on time this theme there is plenty of time to get them done between now and then, thanks!
Results from Theme Eight International Destinations:
Wow, ladies this week each of you put your best efforts forward. I was impressed with each of you and that is where my job really starts to get hard. Each of you put your spin on the International Destinations theme and I was so blown away! But one lady really went the extra mile in a theme that each of you really rocked!
The winner of this theme is… Nadya!
This week I also have decided to award and additional placement of best dressed to Elise!
Congratulations Nadya and Elise!
Nadya- This is absolutely spectacular! The dress really integrates the architecture of Spain, it is a wearable piece of art in my opinion. The hair is lovely and on point, this is a lovely example of the representation of Spain! I also really appreciate the care and research you have put into this theme and each of the themes.
Elise- I love love LOVE how you did this theme differently then the traditional costume type representation. It is now and current , I also see strong influences from the first punk movement in the 70’s. It is gritty and high fashion, fantastic work!
Leslie- Good lord this is an outstanding picture! You look soft and fierce at the same time. The background is classic and lovely. The pose is amazing here and I love love your face, naturally! The styling is fantastic.
Esmeraude- This is a very magical picture, love the action pose, styling and background. The little cherry blossom are a great touch as well! You look so lovely! Very good work this week!
Meral- The representation of the USA is very clever and I love her fresh and fun outfit. I also love how you have her posed. Great work this week!
Kayla- I love this look, it is very fresh and updated yet I can tell that you are representing Italy! The background is fantastic this week! I feel very in the scene and the pose is wonderful! Fabulous work this week!
Willow- I am torn on this picture, it is so gorgeous the composition is perfect. The lighting is perfect and you look so stunning, I also like how you have done a close up this week. But, I feel like it is a tiny bit plain compared to the others. I know I said the interpretation was up to you but I feel like there is not anything here that really screams Ireland other than the wording. I know you were a bit rushed and Ireland was assigned to you so I am factoring that into my decision.
Leona- I love the Klimt dress for the representation of Egypt. The styling is great here. I like how the background has sort of stucco wall feel to it. The styling is so fantastic this week, really I think this is one of your stronger pictures, but I feel like I could have had a little more eye contact here.
Bottom Two
Willow and Leona
Willow, I know that Ireland was not your first choice while technically this was such a strong picture it lacked some of the extra clothing or environmental touches that the other girls put into their pictures.
Leona, again here is a great picture that I really fancied and enjoyed looking at. But, I think that your eye contact here really was lacking and took away that extra something that would have elevated to the next level.
Who goes home?
Sadly, Leona, I loved your picture it was fantastic and a very strong entry that you should be proud of. I really wrestled with this decision because in truth you did a wonderful job and I really don’t want to send you home. I think you are a fantastic model and the only issue I has this week was with your eye contact but as we get closer to the end of the contest as I said last week even a small issue can make the difference, so I think the end of your journey has arrived. Be proud of the stellar performance in this competition and I know that you will go far in this industry. Thank you so much for sharing your talents and time with us, good luck in your future endeavors.
Excerpt from irisvanherpen.com:
WILDERNESS EMBODIED - Nature is wild. Generated by powerful forces. Its proliferates by creating startling beauty.
Through her collaboration with artist Jolan van der Wiel, who has spent several years pondering the possibilities of magnetism, they have created dresses whose very forms are generated by the phenomenon of attraction and repulsion. Iris van Herpen draws equally upon the life force that pulses through the sculptures of David Altmejd. His wild organic forms derived from the regenerative processes of nature have inspired Wilderness Embodied. The human spirit is forged of this same vital energy, coursing and erupting through the limits of the body in such resplendent displays of extreme tradition or technology as piercings, scarification or surgery.This wild(er)ness of the human body, as unchecked as it is intimate, is one that the designer has sought to reveal the collection.With architect Isaie Bloch and Materialise she continues to develop 3D-printed dresses, which she was the first to present in both static and flexible forms. Her partnership with United Nude's Rem D. Koolhaas and Stratasys has led to shoes like tangled webs of tree-roots around the foot.
The Bonfire Memorial embodies many layers of meaning associated with the Aggie Spirit—a deep sense of belonging, a strong spirit of teamwork and leadership and an enduring sense of tradition that unites thousands. The Bonfire Memorial celebrates the tradition, history and spirit of Texas A&M, and the dedication of those involved in the tragic collapse of the 1999 Bonfire. Uniting Aggies past, present and future, the Memorial is comprised of three design elements.
The Tradition Plaza marks the entrance to the memorial and reflects on the activities that bring Aggies together. Spirit Wall separates the outer world from the intimate experience of the memorial, while the Last Corps Trip Wall recites the poem traditionally read prior to the lighting of Bonfire each year.
The History Walk portrays the 90 years of Bonfire preceding the 1999 collapse. The granite timeline is comprised of 89 stones arranged in a north-south line and begins with 1909, the first year Bonfire was built on campus. The amber light and notch in each stone recalls the fire glow of Bonfire each November. A break in the time line in 1963 signifies the year John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the only year that Bonfire did not burn. Three previous Bonfire-related deaths are remembered on the time line in the years they occurred.
The Spirit Ring surrounds the site of the 1999 Bonfire and represents the Aggie Spirit that unites individuals into something greater than themselves. The twelve portals are oriented toward the hometowns of those who perished in the collapse. From different backgrounds, communities and beliefs, these students converged on this field, along with many of their fellow Aggies to celebrate the Aggie Spirit. Twenty-seven stones with bronze inlays representing the injured students connect these portals to complete the circle, recalling the Aggie Ring and the ring of Aggies who reunited to celebrate the Bonfire tradition year after year. Each bronze element symbolizes an Aggie, the ring itself represents the common bond connecting each one to the Aggie Spirit. Stepping into one of the oversized gateways on the circle, the visitor symbolically fills the void left by one of the twelve Aggies, embodying the spirit of the 12th Man.
For Aggies who participated in Bonfire, the meaning and power of the Aggie Spirit is understood. The Bonfire Memorial seeks to share that understanding with respect, remembrance and spirit.
I embody Don Quixote set in the Black Forest.
In the Black Forest there are no windmills and I have no desire to be
charging at them. Neither am I the best poet ever seen...
In a historically and culturally sheltered area, I’m often seen as
foreign, based on my artistic existence and my South American
heritage. This sense of alienation and of being different has become
part of my self-perception and is a gift at the same time. It allows
me the freedom to examine motives from a fresh perspective and
forge them in an unexpected manner.
“Black Forest” is a composition with traditional local origins. The
installation consists of objects and templates made for the creation
of brushes of all kinds. Wießler, a company from Todtnau ceased
using their stock of templates made of wood and metal more than
10 Years ago. I managed to purchase some of these 200 year old
objects. In each template is the writing of the owner engraved;
secret codes which can only be interpreted by the owner and
craftsmen themselves and in this regard may be seen as a
metaphor for the anonymity of present day industry. However, once
translated they explain the identification of the craftsmen with
their work and their products.
In my opinion, these objects are surprisingly complex and well
designed and yet were produced even under circumstances of
poverty and icy weather. Archiving and combining the objects with
modern ideas bring new perspectives to the table. For instance, the
Codices from Todtnau are a prime example of historical preservation.
This self-projection carries its own particular beauty which underlines
the aesthetic composition of the objects.
I have entitled this installation Eros.
The base of Eros is human life in its purest form. However, today the
Eros human sheds tears. It’s natural for him to possess tears of
disappointment, but in this day and age he cries perpetually. He cries
over the influence of commerce, the corset of pornographic templates
and the dispossession of the human body by multimedia. The omni-
present marketing machine devours beastlike every human emotion
and restricts every individual to their template, treating them as
nothing more than goods.
So in turn, Eros becomes just a product.
The product becomes purchasable.
Buying and selling is arbitrary.
The remainders are eaten. The installation ‘Eros’ relates to this feast
and its damage to the self-perception of the human. The installation
‘Eros’ takes inventory: The template and the beast, its ravaged object
and the destructive machine all align.
From this operation stems a continuing tale of past efforts to
establish self-definition on the one hand—and the loss of erotic
humanity on the other.
Don Quixote from the Black Forest.
Herstmonceux is renowned for its magnificent moated castle, set in beautiful parkland and superb Elizabethan gardens. Built originally as a country home in the mid- 15th - century, Herstmonceux Castle embodies the history of Medieval England and the romance of Renaissance Europe.
Set among carefully maintained Elizabethan gardens and parkland, your enchantment begins with your first sight of the castle as it breaks into view.
Visitors are invited to walk around our beautiful Elizabethan walled gardens and the many woodland trails, leading to delightful discoveries such as our Rhododendron Gardens, Rose Garden and Herb Garden.
Take a slow stroll past the lily covered lakes to the 1930's folly and admire the sheer magnificence of the castle.
Herstmonceux was a significant place long before the Castle was built. There is evidence of Roman remains, and in the 12th century a saxon lady, Idonea de Herst married a Norman nobleman, Ingelram de Monceux, to give the place it's name. The name of the owners changed through marriage to Fiennes, and the family increased in wealth and power. James Fiennes distinguished himself fighting for King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt and later became sheriff of Surrey and Sussex.
It was his elder brother, Sir Roger Fiennes, Treasurer of the Household of Henry V1, who started building the castle in 1441. This is one of the first major brick buildings (today it is the oldest brick building of any note still standing in England) and was years ahead of it's time in other respects, with concentration more on grandeur and comfort than on defence.
The family fortunes are interesting and varied, but by 1700 the last Lord Dacre, Earl of Sussex, was forced to sell Herstmonceux Castle. By the end of this century the owner, Robert Hare had demolished most of it and used the bricks to refashion Herstmonceux Place, further up the hill.
It had deteriorated into a ruin until 1911 when it was bought by Lt. col. Claude Lowther who used Local craftsman to carry out the building work, and by 1912 most of the South front was rebuilt.
Col Lowther was responsible for much of the present design and for installing a number of pieces of fine woodwork and panelling purchased from other great historic houses in England.
After Col Lowther's death in 1929, Sir Paul Latham contributed very greatly to the construction of the castle both internally and externally. In 1946 he sold it to the Admiralty who bought the estate for the Royal Greenwich Observatory, and it became an important scientific institution for the next 40 years.
In 1993 Herstmonceux Castle was acquired by Queen's University of Canada through the generosity of Drs Alfred and Isabel Bader, and is now an International Study Centre attracting students from around the world.
It was during a visit to their Sussex home that Drs Alfred and Isabel Bader chanced on an advertisement offering Herstmonceux Castle for sale, and their vision and support for the potential of the Castle taking on a new guise as an International Study Centre, bringing students from all over the world to study in the beauty and tranquillity of East Sussex countryside.
Enjoy a delicious cream tea in the castle Tearoom and browse through interesting and unusual gifts in the castle shop. For those who wish to know more about the history of the castle, there is a visitors centre displaying various artefacts, photographs and information.
Also visitors are encouraged to take part in a guided tour of the interior of the castle to gain an insight into what life was like in times gone by and to become familiar with the stories and rumours which have circulated over the years, including those of smugglers and our resident ghosts.
NB: The castle is not open to the public, however guided tours are conducted at an extra charge and subject to availability, but due to the operation of a busy working university we strongly advise you to phone for confirmation of times before your visit.
Generally tours are conducted once/twice daily, Sunday - Friday between 11am-2pm.
For more information, please visit www.herstmonceux-castle.com/
Amidst the sun-kissed grass, adjacent to towering trees adorned with verdant foliage and crimson leaf speckles, a youthful poet finds inspiration. Draped in a woolen dress and adorned with a crown of garlands, she strikes a pose, embodying a gentle romantic allure.
🇬🇧 The school battalions
The republicans who undertook the reform of state schools in 1880 were deeply affected by the defeat of 1870. For those who had embodied national defence against the Prussian armies, the democratic and patriotic figure of the citizen-soldier represented an ideal and a hope. As a result, pre-military instruction was added to intellectual and moral training for boys at local schools.
The first school battalions appeared in 1882. They consisted of at least two hundred boys over the age of twelve, armed with wooden rifles. But in many schools, pupils practised handling weapons without forming a battalion, because the conditions to be met were restrictive and costly.
Municipalities saw the school battalion, equipped with a uniform and a flag, as a demonstration of republicanism. Opponents of the Republic considered these parades to be regrettable childish masquerades.
For the military, such instruction was of little interest: pupils, most of whom left school at thirteen, had forgotten everything by the time they entered military service. The popularity of battalions was therefore short-lived, especially as the republicans were not unanimous. Military exercises soon gave way to a new activity: gymnastics.
🇩🇪 Die Schulbataillone
Die Republikaner, die 1880 mit der Reform der öffentlichen Schule begannen, waren von der Niederlage von 1870 tief geprägt. Für diejenigen, die die nationale Verteidigung gegen die preußischen Armeen verkörperten, stellte die demokratische und patriotische Figur des Bürgersoldaten ein Ideal und eine Hoffnung dar. So kommt es, dass in der Gemeindeschule für Jungen neben der intellektuellen und moralischen Ausbildung auch die vormilitärische Ausbildung hinzukommt.
Die ersten Schulbataillone entstanden 1882. Sie umfassen mindestens 200 Jungen über 12 Jahre, die mit Holzgewehren bewaffnet sind. In vielen Schulen übten sich die Schüler jedoch im Umgang mit Waffen, ohne ein Bataillon zu gründen, da die zu erfüllenden Bedingungen einengend und kostspielig waren.
Das Schulbataillon am 14. Juli mit Uniform und Fahne aufmarschieren zu lassen, ist für die Gemeinden eine Demonstration des Republikanismus. Die gleichen Paraden werden von den Gegnern der Republik als bedauerliche kindische Maskeraden angesehen.
🇪🇸Los batallones escolares
Los republicanos que emprendieron la reforma de las escuelas públicas en 1880 estaban profundamente afectados por la derrota de 1870. Para quienes habían encarnado la defensa nacional frente a los ejércitos prusianos, la figura democrática y patriótica del ciudadano-soldado representaba un ideal y una esperanza. En consecuencia, a la formación intelectual y moral de los muchachos en las escuelas locales se añadió la instrucción premilitar.
Los primeros batallones escolares aparecieron en 1882. Estaban formados por al menos doscientos chicos mayores de doce años, armados con rifles de madera. Pero en muchas escuelas, los alumnos practicaban el manejo de las armas sin formar un batallón, porque las condiciones que debían cumplir eran restrictivas y costosas.
Los municipios veían en el batallón escolar, equipado con uniforme y bandera, una demostración de republicanismo. Los opositores a la República consideraban estos desfiles como lamentables mascaradas infantiles.
Para los militares, esta instrucción tenía poco interés: los alumnos, que en su mayoría abandonaban la escuela a los trece años, lo habían olvidado todo cuando entraban en el servicio militar. Así pues, la popularidad de los batallones duró poco, sobre todo porque los republicanos no eran unánimes. Los ejercicios militares pronto dieron paso a una nueva actividad: la gimnasia.
🇮🇹 I battaglioni scolastici
I repubblicani che intrapresero la riforma delle scuole pubbliche nel 1880 furono profondamente colpiti dalla sconfitta del 1870. Per coloro che avevano incarnato la difesa nazionale contro le armate prussiane, la figura democratica e patriottica del cittadino-soldato rappresentava un ideale e una speranza. Di conseguenza, alla formazione intellettuale e morale dei ragazzi nelle scuole locali si aggiunse l'istruzione premilitare.
I primi battaglioni scolastici apparvero nel 1882. Erano composti da almeno duecento ragazzi di età superiore ai dodici anni, armati di fucili di legno. Ma in molte scuole gli alunni si esercitavano a maneggiare le armi senza formare un battaglione, perché le condizioni da soddisfare erano restrittive e costose.
Le municipalità consideravano il battaglione scolastico, dotato di uniforme e bandiera, come una dimostrazione di repubblicanesimo. Gli oppositori della Repubblica consideravano queste parate come deplorevoli mascherate infantili.
Per i militari, questo tipo di istruzione era di scarso interesse: gli allievi, la maggior parte dei quali lasciava la scuola a tredici anni, avevano già dimenticato tutto quando entravano nel servizio militare. La popolarità dei battaglioni fu quindi di breve durata, soprattutto perché i repubblicani non erano unanimi. Le esercitazioni militari lasciarono presto il posto a una nuova attività: la ginnastica.
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