View allAll Photos Tagged IDEALISM
The initial approach here is quite narrow and uneven, then a short walk to the Abbey where you are greeted with the only parts of buildings to survive to their full height which are the east walls of the church transepts and the adjoining walls of the chancel.
It's official name is Sandbeck Park and Roche Abbey and dates back to 1147. Roche Abbey has one of the most complete ground plans of any English Cistercian monastery, laid out as excavated foundations. The site is now in the care of English Heritage. The cliff path walk provides access to a view across the abbey grounds where its layout can be appreciated. Many of the buildings are low-standing but the walls of the church still stand to full height and the gothic French idealism thrust into its design and architecture is visible. Later additions to the buildings included a kitchen area and abbot's quarters, built on the other side of the beck and accessed by a bridge which still stands. The monks' latrines were over Maltby Beck so the running water took away the waste. The stream was dammed higher up to ensure fast-flowing water: quite a modern facility for the 13th century. There are several local legends concerning ghosts, tunnels to other buildings, and even a lost wishing well.
Neuschwanstein Castle was commenced by the Bavarian King Ludwig II in 1869 and never completed. He saw it as a monument to medieval culture and kingship, which he revered and wanted to imitate. Built and furnished in medieval styles but equipped with what at the time was the latest technology, it is the most famous work of historicism and the embodiment of German idealism.
Everyone has ideals. From the most insignificant aspect in our life, such as the perfect meal, to the most important, perhaps the perfect family, the perfect society, we all have ideals. We must all be idealists if we are to build a fairer sustainable society, and in our own small way follow the example of the heroes of social progress and evolution, idealists such as Abraham Lincoln or Dr. Martin Luther King, who showed society the way. We must hope for political leaders who have the strength to be the idealists of the future.
For the High Line, Kruger presents Untitled (Blind Idealism Is…), a new work realized as a hand-painted mural.
Continuing her unabashed criticism of culture and power, the mural features the slogan “BLIND IDEALISM IS REACTIONARY SCARY DEADLY,” an adaptation of a quote from Afro-Caribbean philosopher and revolutionary thinker Frantz Fanon, which has appeared in multiple works by the artist.
The original statement by Fanon, “Blind idealism is reactionary,” suggests that political and religious convictions stem from the situations from which they grow, not from the inherent nature of individual human beings.
According to Kruger, the work reflects “how we are to one another” within “the days and nights that construct us.”
These texts, along with Kruger’s own writings, resonate with particular potency in today’s political climate.
One side of this flood levee wall is the only legal graffiti site in Launceston. This side is stepped to allow people to sit and watch events. When the sailing regatta was held in Launceston (long since a thing of the past) thousands of people used to gather here. In the recent protests over social issues, high school students took coloured chalk and scrawled their own slogans on the steps.
We may not agree with all the issues being addressed here, but we can chalk it up to the idealism of youth. Let's hope each of these young people learn and grow from their education.
Dag Hammarskjöld (29 July 1905 — 18 September 1961) was a Swedish diplomat and the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, serving from 1953 until his death. Known for his integrity and moral courage, Hammarskjöld worked to keep the UN independent from political and economic pressures, defending the rights of newly decolonized nations.
In 1961, he was deeply involved in the Congo Crisis, trying to preserve peace and national unity while opposing foreign interference and corporate exploitation of African resources. On September 18, 1961, his plane crashed near Ndola, Zambia, while he was en route to peace negotiations. The circumstances of the crash remain disputed: later investigations and testimonies have suggested the possibility of foul play or external attack.
Hammarskjöld’s legacy endures as a symbol of idealism, moral strength, and the personal cost of standing up against global powers in the name of peace and justice.
I publish Dag Hammarskjöld’s portrait as part of a series dedicated to those who lost their lives for truth, justice, and human dignity. He represents the kind of pacifism that threatens the powerful — a man who believed peace should not serve political or economic interests.
This project remembers those silenced by the system, whose integrity and courage made them inconvenient. Each image is a small act of resistance against forgetting, and a tribute to those who paid with their lives for believing in a better world.
Institutionalised and nearly lost are the most noble ideas.
“There exists no greater or more painful anxiety for a man who has freed himself from all religious bias, than how he shall soonest find a new object or idea to worship. But man seeks to bow before that only which is recognized by the greater majority, if not by all his fellow-men, as having a right to be worshipped; whose rights are so unquestionable that men agree unanimously to bow down to it. For the chief concern of these miserable creatures is not to find and worship the idol of their own choice, but to discover that which all others will believe in, and consent to bow down to in a mass.”
[Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Grand Inquisitor]
"Well, I see in the Empire Building something else – passionate skill, arduous and fearless idealism. The tallest building is a victory of imagination. Instead of crouching close to earth like a beast, the spirit of man soars to higher regions, and from this new point of vantage he looks upon the impossible with fortified courage and dreams yet more magnificent enterprises." - Hellen Keller
Some years ago, I was hired to help install new power supplies in cellular phone towers throughout this state. During one installation, a fellow I was working with from the phone company accidentally dropped a small ratchet wrench down the rack that supported the equipment... lodging itself between ground and one of the power posts on the - (yes, that's minus) 400 volts DC power supply, the wrench instantly transformed into a filament, which bathed that tiny room with blindingly brilliant light. After scrambling to disconnect the power supply and waiting for it to cool, we removed the slag of metal that had once been a wrench. I noticed that the word "Craftsman" was still mostly readable on what was left of the tool. I told my friend that I'd love to see the looks he'd get when he brought the wrench back to Sears for the "no questions asked lifetime warranty". It's amazing to see what that kind of power can do in mere seconds.
Like many of you, I mostly cruise through life when, all of a sudden, life becomes instantly more interesting... and I can't begin to tell you how often that's happened. Unlike many I know, I've never lost the sense of wonder I had as a kid... just ask anyone who knows me. I am absolutely fascinated by those fleeting moments where all you can do is just stand back and say "Wow!"... even when it has you running for cover.
Some of the best sunsets I've ever seen were in the rear view mirror as I was leaving either the coast or the mountains here in North Carolina. We have a saying here in the "land of the long leaf pine", however: even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then. Here, at the Wolf Mountain Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 424), my "sense of wonder" had me firmly ensconced on the rock wall, waiting for the now and the not yet. While this isn't the all-encompassing big sky sunset that we all gun for, it was still a Wow! moment for me. This had been a particularly good day with the camera, but these low clouds gathered toward evening, just about assuring an awful sunset. I had this beautiful place all to myself, and sunset or not, I was going to wait it out. Suddenly, the sunlight broke through, and the ordinary entwined itself with the extraordinary. As are many good experiences, this was quite ephemeral, yet there's no doubt that God provided an exclamation point on my day... I just sat back and enjoyed it... in wonder! Well, that, and I was feeling sorry for whoever in that pass who didn't own a pair of sunglasses.
“We are perishing for lack of wonder, not for lack of wonders.” In this world that becomes increasingly unrecognizable to me in terms of the way people treat and regard each other, this quote from G. K. Chesterton seems quite pertinent. Nothing seems sacred in this era of information overload for many now as they put their faith squarely in one sort of idealism or another. That's not for me. I hope you, too, find a way to connect with that sense of wonder... and act on it, especially in the coming holy season.
We met this funny grandpa near the Dasaswamedh ghat, Varanasi (the oldest living city in the world). His dress were dirty and torn. However,
He claims :
1. He is the modern version of Gandhi and the sole torchbearer of Gandhi's idealism.
2. He has very strong political connection with Sonia Gandhi (the President of Indian National Congress) !!!
3. He is going to stand as a candidate (with a confirmed ticket) in the coming parliamentary election from Bihar!
Whatever he is, he was very cute.. I pray to god at least give him some food which he needs for his survival.:)
A cool song on Varanasi : www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJBy-maTj50
More in Facebook : www.facebook.com/pages/Tuhin-Subhra-Dey-photography/11359...
Protest graffiti on the art nouveau "Vereinsstiege" staircase in Vienna's 9th District.
Lens: Jupiter-3 1:1.5 F=5cm (red "pi")
Camera: Sony a7C
This very fast Russian M-39 Leica screw-mount range-finder lens combines beautifully soft background bokeh with great centre-sharpness.
© All Rights Reserved. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my prior permission.
- A man who is not at peace with himself necessarily projects his interior fighting into the society of those he lives with, and spreads a contagion of conflict all around him. Even when he tries to do good to others his efforts are hopeless, since he does not know how to do good to himself. In moments of wildest idealism he may take it into his head to make other people happy: and in doing so he will overwhelm them with his own unhappiness. He seeks to find himself somehow in the work of making others happy. Therefore he throws himself into the work. As a result he gets out of the work all that he put into it: his own confusion, his own disintegration, his own unhappiness.
-Thomas Merton
/*****************************************************/
Two Wounds
Blade Cut or Fist flesh,
Shell bleeds,
Shame Applied.
Vocal lash or Assassin stare,
Spirit retreats,
Wound concealed.
One blow or Lurid laugh,
Blue in,
Bruise out.
-Robert Cowlishaw
Fitter, happier, more productive,
comfortable,
not drinking too much,
regular exercise at the gym
(3 days a week),
getting on better with your associate employee contemporaries,
at ease,
eating well
(no more microwave dinners and saturated fats),
a patient better driver,
a safer car
(baby smiling in back seat),
sleeping well
(no bad dreams),
no paranoia,
careful to all animals
(never washing spiders down the plughole),
keep in contact with old friends
(enjoy a drink now and then),
will frequently check credit at (moral) bank (hole in the wall),
favors for favors,
fond but not in love,
charity standing orders,
on Sundays ring road supermarket
(no killing moths or putting boiling water on the ants),
car wash
(also on Sundays),
no longer afraid of the dark or midday shadows
nothing so ridiculously teenage and desperate,
nothing so childish - at a better pace,
slower and more calculated,
no chance of escape,
now self-employed,
concerned (but powerless),
an empowered and informed member of society
(pragmatism not idealism),
will not cry in public,
less chance of illness,
tires that grip in the wet
(shot of baby strapped in back seat),
a good memory,
still cries at a good film,
still kisses with saliva,
no longer empty and frantic like a cat tied to a stick,
that's driven into frozen winter shit
(the ability to laugh at weakness),
calm,
fitter,
healthier and more productive
a pig in a cage on antibiotics.
ok computer.
Visitors taken aback by the realities of gas warfare as soberly presented by the Imperial War Museum. As with other parts of the museum, the presentation is commendably objective in what it displays.
However, for whatever reason, many of the darker realities of British military history are not mentioned either here or elsewhere. Although I can't be sure whether I might have missed anything, I didn't notice any mention of the following
1) Almost two years after end of the First World War, and despite knowing its horrific effects, Churchill supported the use of poison gas against rebels fighting for freedom in Mesopotamia and elsewhere across the British Empire
On 18 June 1920, as Secretary of State for War, Churchill circulated to Cabinet ministers the comments of the chief of the imperial general staff, Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson. The Field Marshal hated any interference in military matters by mistrustful politicians he derided as ‘Frocks’ and he had been incensed on learning of a memorandum submitted to ministers a few days earlier, cautioning against the use of poison gas and written by the president of the board of education, Herbert Fisher.
Six weeks earlier, Wilson had presented a proposal to the Cabinet, supported by Churchill, that Britain should continue to use gas as a weapon so it could ensure a technological edge over "recalcitrant tribes" across the Empire. Fisher now warned that its use would be expensive, politically counter-productive to winning over hearts and minds and unethical when ‘used against an uncivilised enemy possessing little or no medical equipment.’
Churchill was not prepared to allow such sentimental idealism go unanswered. Nor was Wilson. He dismissed Fisher’s skepticism, countering that poison gas was in fact an economical method of counterinsurgency ‘with at least two or three times the casualty producing power of ordinary shell,’ that it was a grave mistake to make chivalrous considerations towards enemies, who ‘before killing our wounded perpetrate such horrors as it is unnecessary to dwell on here’ and reminded ministers that his opinions were shared by the General Staff, who considered the use of poison gas as ‘necessary to safeguard, as far as is humanly possible, the safety of the Empire.’
2) The British used poison gas against the Turks during the First World War even though the Turks themselves had never resorted to such barbaric measures.
On 19 January 1917, the War Cabinet considered the request of General Sir Archibald Murray, commanding the British expeditionary force in Egypt, to be able to deploy poison gas against Turkish troops. Until then, it had been accepted that poison gas would not be used in the campaign unless the Turks used it first. However, according to the Cabinet minutes, ministers had ‘no hesitation’ in approving Murray’s request, despite the Turks not having resorted to first use. The Cabinet concluded that it was unnecessary to spare Turkish troops from chemical warfare because of Turkish ‘atrocities perpetrated on subject races’ and ‘their maltreatment of Allied prisoners.’
3) During the First World War, the British press was euphoric about the deadly effects of gas.
On 26 September 1918, the British army began an offensive to break through the German ‘Hindenburg line’ in France, by firing 10,000 mustard gas shells at the enemy trenches. Another 22,000 gas shells exploded among the German lines over the next three days. Mustard gas was the most feared of the poison gasses deployed on the Western front, resulting in agonising injuries and death.
The British press was jubilant at the news. The London Daily News reported that ‘one reason for the large strides at the front is that we are using a mustard gas which shifts the Hun,’ after ‘the Hun soaked our front with mustard gas and caused our gallant men unspeakable torture.’ It added gleefully that following ‘a year of experiment, the Ministry of Munitions has produced a mustard gas, that permeates the enemy’s gas masks, clothes and boots. This gas is delivered to the Boche in shell form, and he is getting it in handsome quantities.’ The Western Morning News was equally euphoric, reporting under the headline ‘”Medicine” for the Huns,’ that ‘this mustard gas penetrates the gas masks and the clothes of the Boche; nothing will keep it out,’ explaining that the ‘shortage of rubber has prevented the enemy getting the best protective devices,’ and adding triumphantly that ‘this is not the only surprise the Allies have up their sleeves.’
4) Less than a year before the end of the Second World War, and when complete victory over Nazi Germany was already clearly in sight, Churchill urged that German cities and towns be drenched in poison gas during massive bombing raids. Had the Chiefs of Staff conceded to his request, it's likely that thousands of innocent civilians would have suffered an agonising death.
Writing a memo to General Sir Hastings Ismay on 6 July 1944, Winston Churchill urged the Chiefs of Staff to urgently consider the use of poison gas against German towns and cities. The memo came one month after British and American soldiers had landed in France and as Germany clearly faced imminent defeat, with the rapid retreat of its forces on all fronts.
Churchill asked the Chiefs of Staff to consider ‘very seriously’ a plan ‘to drench Germany with poison gas,’ informing them that ‘I want the matter studied in cold blood by sensible people and not by… psalm singing uniformed defeatists.’ He ridiculed the concern over civilian casualties, claiming that ‘it is absurd to consider mortality on this topic… in the last war the bombing of open cities was regarded as forbidden. Now everybody does it as a matter of course. It is simply a question of fashion changing as she does between long and short skirts of women.’
When the Chiefs of Staff expressed their reluctance, not on principle, but because it might provoke German retaliation, Churchill fired off another memo declaring himself ‘not at all convinced’ by their opposition. In the end, the only obstacle which prevented Churchill from insisting on the implementation of the plan was that the weapons ordered from the United States were not ready in sufficient quantity for another year, by which time the war in Europe was over.
Not being from Paris, and having read a pile of literature that makes me sad about that, I've formed a million ideals about the city and contents. One of which is that magic things can happen near shiny icons like the Eiffel Tower. There could definitely be someone conjuring something in one of those corners.
Now I have to go eat a croissant and drink tea on a patio somewhere. :)
The Lamentation of Christ is a painting of about 1480 by the Italian Renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna. While the dating of the piece is debated, it was completed between 1475 and 1501, probably in the early 1480s. It portrays the body of Christ supine on a marble slab. He is watched over by the Virgin Mary, Saint John and St. Mary Magdalene weeping for his death.
Mantegna may have made this painting for his personal funerary chapel. It was found by his sons in his studio after his death and sold off to pay debts. The painting is now in the Pinacoteca di Brera of Milan, Italy.
The theme of the Lamentation of Christ is common in medieval and Renaissance art, although this treatment, dating back to a subject known as the Anointing of Christ, is unusual for the period. Most Lamentations show much more contact between the mourners and the body. Rich contrasts of light and shadow abound, infused by a profound sense of pathos. The realism and tragedy of the scene are enhanced by the perspective, which foreshortens and dramatizes the recumbent figure, stressing the anatomical details: in particular, Christ's thorax. The holes in Christ's hands and feet, as well as the faces of the two mourners, are portrayed without any concession to idealism or rhetoric. The sharply drawn drapery which covers the corpse contributes to the dramatic effect. The composition places the central focus of the image on Christ's genitals – an emphasis often found in figures of Jesus, especially as an infant, in this period, which has been related to a theological emphasis on the Humanity of Jesus by Leo Steinberg and others. The space the figures are present in appears to be confined, small, and somber, indicating to be a morgue.
By the way Christ is painted, viewers have difficulty in pinpointing the real dimensions of Christ’s body. His rather large torso, hands and feet are depicted to be closer to the spectators, it is hard to tell the size of his proportions. Art historian Hubert Schrade points out, “the agitation of dimension of the work, which allows immediate proximity but denies any intimacy.” Mantegna also reduced the size of the figure's feet, which would cover much of the body if represented true to size. German scholar Hans Jantzen suggests the painting has a orthogonal perspective, a perspective he believed to be of the highest meaningful value.
Being placed at eye level at Christ’s feet, directly in front of his open wounds, invites the viewers to remember the reason for his death. Mantegna presented both a harrowing study of a strongly foreshortened cadaver and an intensely poignant depiction of a biblical tragedy. The portrayal of Jesus Christ's suffering prior to this event is meant to inspire not only pain, but hope. The idea of scherzo, a musical term referring to the lighthearted, playful segment of a symphony, is present in this scene, invoking slight lightness, hope, and promise in anticipation of Christ's future resurrection. The painting is another mirror to the Middle Ages inscriptions on images related to a Christ on the cross or the Passion of the Lord that would say, “Aspice qui transis, quia tu mihi causa doloris (look here, you who are passing by, for you are the cause of my pain).” In addition to being in front of his open injuries, the fabric Christ lies on indicates that this is the time to mourn before he is to be buried. The stone Christ lies on is also known as the Stone of Unction, or the Stone of Anointing, and is the slab onto which Christ's body was laid after being crucified. Viewers are meant to feel that they cannot reach out and touch his body, Shrade noted: "None of the mourners dare touch the corpse, He is untouchable."
One symbolic meaning of a subject being presented feet first in perspective is to indicate that the individual has lost a battle or war. However, it is usually meant to imply that the individual is a degenerate or a loser affected by unfortunate events, such as a flood, or misfortune. This is especially used as imagery for those who were denied of holy or divine protection. Here, however, Mantegna paints one of the most holy figures in such a position. The feet are also considered the lowest parts of the human body, and present among the individuals in the painting is Mary Magdalene, who washed Christ's feet with her tears and hair as an act of deep respect and a plea for forgiveness.
In the painting, Christ’s head is somewhat turned away from Mary, John, and Mary Magdalene to face the direction of the illumination. This is depicted to symbolize the teachings and promise of God when one is nearing the end of her or his lifespan.
Never yield to remorse, but at once tell yourself: remorse would
simply mean adding to the first act of stupidity a second.1
The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin2 follows the protagonist’s attempts to
correct his mistakes when given a chance to relive his past. He
discovers that human choices tend to be mechanical, and to change
the outcome of one’s actions is extremely difficult. Are we doomed to
repeat the same mistakes over and over? In the final chapter the
shocking realization of the nature of existence, and its consequences,
alludes to Nietzsche’s theory of eternal recurrence, and is the
platform for It’s closing time for gardens of the west.
It’s closing time for gardens of the west presents a blueprint to a
possible future world... We are taken out of the everyday and enter
into a disruptive phenomenological space, that offers a reflection on
the long term effects of human behavior in relation to a global
environment with dwindling natural resources.
Our installation is ironic and evasive, reflecting on the underlying
dualities and ambivalences that influence decisions and actions. It
has both associative utopian and dystopia references, and presents
conflicting notions of continuity and rupture, stability, collapse,
suspension, preservation, transience, time and materiality.
We have a working relationship that shares a curiosity in archetypes
that have an aspirational historical context and precedent; and are par-
ticularly interested in the currency of the tower, the wing and the knot.
To Matthew Wells tall towers are built with an idealism and a
symbolic value; an aspect of the sublime. 3 Historically the tower,
minaret and spire have stretched buildings skyward. The contempo-
rary version, a seemingly weightless skyscraper, can simultaneously
invoke contrary senses of timelessness, awe and progress. But
skyscrapers are greedy. Supported on massive foundations; they are
resource heavy monoliths that use vast amounts of steel, concrete
and glass, with a high end utilities upkeep that suck resources dry.
The wing is an irresistible motif, it propels us into the future, whatever
that future might be. Rapture? Apocalypse? the wing plunges us
headlong somewhere, and time, progress, history are forces that we
cannot halt or perhaps even adequately represent.
Think of an intractable problem. Imagine ways to disentangle this impos-
sible knot. To ‘cut the Gordian knot’ means discovering a bold solution to
a complicated problem. What if the knot remains steadfastly intact....?
This century has a peculiar resonance, akin to a discordant music score.
Notions of pure form that embody the fundamental characteristics of a
thing; or a collectively-inherited unconscious idea or pattern of thought
just don’t hold water as structures are built to fall apart, borders are
increasingly ambiguous and nature is pushed to the point of dissolution,
and at its extreme, destruction. We ask: is human endeavour engineered
to fail? Consider a skewed tower, an odd, almost mutant wing form, an
inexplicable sliver of pure white light, an unwieldy knot, strange tubes
that spew unidentified but darkly uncomfortable things—as we reflect
on our implicated relationship with an increasingly frail environment.
1. Friedrich Nietzche, The Wanderer and his Shadow, 1880, p323
2. P. D. Ouspensky, The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin, 1915
3. Matthew Wells, Skyscrapers: structure and design, 2005
I discovered these on Colossal, a favourite site -
"In the early 19th century, German naturalist Lorenz Oken quickly established himself as a leader in the Naturphilosophie movement, a current of Idealism, which attempted to comprehend a total view of nature by investigating its theoretical structure—a precursor to the natural sciences as we know them today.
Oken’s seminal work Allgemaine Naturgeschichte Für Alle Stände, or General Natural History For All Classes, was published as a series of seven volumes between 1833 and 1843. At more than 5,000 pages in its entirety, the atlas depicts known species ranging from beetles and fish to birds and ferns. In many cases, insects or plants are shown in various stages of development, like a butterfly displayed alongside its larval and pupal forms."
I see so few butterflies where I live that to view these
on screen is quite mesmerizing, I imagine if I saw one for real, I might think I was hallucinating !
- the yellow butterfly with the ragged edges
is my favourite !
Looking down an s-curving pathway at Denver Botanic Gardens. We are quite fortunate to have DBG as they are one of the better botanical gardens in the States. If you are visiting Denver do not hesitate to visit with your camera in hand!
Image note: this is a handheld three-frame HDR. For this image I found Photoshop's alignment tool worked better than Dynamic Photo-HDR's fancy system. Go figure. Next it was tone-mappped with the Photomatix PS plugin.
It has only taken me 5 or so years to realize that the JPG thumbnails (saved inside the RAW images my camera makes) always look better than the JPGs I produce from developing the RAWs.
So, I'll be taking RAW+JPG for a while, but I already know the outcome. Eventually I'll just shoot in JPG. It's just another death of many from my youthful idealism.
Taken on North Ashland at Beaudoin.
Worth a look while wearing ChromaDepth 3D glasses in order to see the clouds of pseudo-nebulae!
Photo of college philosophy class white board manipulated on IPhone
ХУЛИО РОМЕРО ДЕ ТОРРЕС - Венера поэзии
☆
Location: Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain
Sources: bilbaomuseoa.eus/en/artworks/venus-of-poetry/
www.flickr.com/photos/140907479@N08/49436764497/in/datepo...
www.flickr.com/photos/140907479@N08/49436070193/in/datepo...
Painted in 1913 in Madrid, a city in which the artist enjoyed the friendship and admiration of the intelligentsia of the period, Venus of Poetry has been said to depict the famous actress and performer of variety songs Raquel Meller, personified here as the goddess of love and beauty in the company of the Guatemalan diplomat and writer Enrique Gómez Carrillo, who would later become her husband. Inspired by Titian's Venus and the Lute Player, the canvas is structured in two clearly divided sections. In the foreground, the recumbent woman beholds the spectator as she sensuously places a blond lace mantilla over her head. In the centre of the composition, a rose symbolises beauty and passion. The Door of the Bridge, built in the Renaissance, can be discerned in the realm of fantasy depicted in the background, behind which the river Guadalquivir and the city of Cordova appear. In contrast with his usual female models, Romero de Torres grants this Venus a timeless Symbolist air that combines reality and idealism to create an archetypal sensuous woman. As well as representing the folkloric and clichéd Spain embodied in the legendary "mujer morena" (dark-haired woman), Julio Romero de Torres' work involves a creative and highly complex modernism in which different aesthetic trends and pictorial traditions converge. His technically academic works produced in an Art Nouveau and Symbolist style made Romero de Torres one of the most popular and distinguished painters of his time.
________________________________________________
"If I had "power" over people, I would all turn into SMILING FLOWERS"
Source: My Heart & My Soul
______________________________________________________________________________
●Magenta - the color of philanthropy and idealism
As the color spectral exists not purple. It is a color between red and blue. It only arises in our brains - as short circuit of an imaginary color wheel. We call this color (after an Italian city) Magenta or Pinkred. Used are also the colors fuchsia and mauve (mallow).
Purple / Magenta expresses creativity, emancipation, dignity and mysticism.
_____________________________________________________________________________
● Black - the color of mourning and negative emotions, can make narrow and gloomy loneliness (but only in certain Cultures such as the European).
But black also means:
Elegance without risk, modernity, practicality, Uniqueness and functionality.
Black polarized: For many people, it is very popular, while others met with complete rejection.
Black can enhance all emotional reactions, acts distant and difficult, conveys seriousness ,
also stands for dignity and elegance.
Black often symbolizes the man, but also the dark, unconscious side of the personality, from which one often has fear.
Black is the "color" of darkness as well as the color of c r e a t i v i t y, since everything is born out of the darkness.
ARTZUID 2025 Amsterdam
The 9th edition of the Amsterdam Sculpture Biennale ARTZUID takes place from 21 May to 21 September 2025. On Apollolaan and Minervalaan in Amsterdam-Zuid, 70 outdoor sculptures are being showcased of renowned artists and young talented artists.
This exhibition draws from top international artists and Dutch talent for the selection of sculptures and installations that can be seen this summer in Amsterdam. ARTZUID transforms the exhibition location into a surreal urban landscape in which figurative sculptures alternate with architectonic installations. They show a great variety in format and material. What unites them is their focus on the enigma of human existence; the wonder, the emotions and visions of being, the ambitions and fears about our place in the world. Artists such as Leiko Ikemura, Alicja Kwade and Neo Rauch invite the visitor to an exchange of thoughts about this, in a sensual conversation with the sculptures. Displayed is the upheaval of occupation, the fear of war and the spirit of resistance in the contributions of artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Shinkichi Tajiri and Armando. Atelier van Lieshout refers to power and impotence, struggle and victimhood, in a group of figures around a rider on horseback. On the trail of ARTZUID this work is connected to the Indonesia-Netherland Monument on Apollolaan. These are just a few examples of the more than 60 works that populate ARTZUID. The architectural works by often young artists have a commitment and idealism reminiscent of architect H.P. Berlage and urban sculptor Hildo Krop. Both having been instrumental in developing the urban design of the neighbourhood home to ARTZUID. They stimulate visitors to think about the future of the urban community and seek answers to the question of what strategies are needed to create a sustainable and peaceful society
We are in the Cage
more productive
comfortable
not drinking too much
regular exercise at the gym (3 days a week)
getting on better with your associate employee contemporaries
at ease
eating well (no more microwave dinners and saturated fats)
a patient better driver
a safer car (baby smiling in back seat)
sleeping well (no bad dreams)
no paranoia
careful to all animals (never washing spiders down the plughole)
keep in contact with old friends (enjoy a drink now and then)
will frequently check credit at (moral) bank (hole in wall)
favours for favours
fond but not in love
charity standing orders
on sundays ring road supermarket
(no killing moths or putting boiling water on the ants)
car wash (also on sundays)
no longer afraid of the dark
or midday shadows
nothing so ridiculously teenage and desperate
nothing so childish
at a better pace
slower and more calculated
no chance of escape
now self-employed
concerned (but powerless)
an empowered and informed member of society (pragmatism not idealism)
will not cry in public
less chance of illness
tires that grip in the wet (shot of baby strapped in back seat)
a good memory
still cries at a good film
still kisses with saliva
no longer empty and frantic
like a cat
tied to a stick
that's driven into
frozen winter shit (the ability to laugh at weakness)
calm
fitter, healthier and more productive
a pig
in a cage
on antibiotics
Fitter Happier Lyrics
Artist(Band):Radiohead
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EoukRWQ-ec
WE
LIFE
Arthur Hacker (1858–1919) was one of a generation of British artists who trained in Paris. Here he developed a style that harmonized plein air realism with academic idealism. His art was also influenced by his travels in Spain and Morocco as indicated by the lighting and setting of this painting.
It is not very far away from fall season yet and we are already missing the sunshine in summer (so are the shadows).
It is like we miss the idealism in our youth days. Those are the days when we still believe in revolution (overthrowing by means of force those governments or authorities that are in favour of globalization and large capital economy).
We have not been very old and suddenly we are now all conservatives who believe in only gradual change or reforms?
Happy Thursday!
What a great oddity that I am so pensive and that too at the strangest times - while brushing teeth, in the shower, as I search for a pair of socks. In my last episode of such musings perhaps six days ago I came to a sad realization that many of my rainbows are now broken. Now, what in the world are those... I feel that when we are born, in the years shortly thereafter, long before we are ripe with adulthood, we are full of rainbows - that is, our own idealistic hopes and dreams; characteristically naive thoughts which made our parents laugh and only say, smiling down at us who were then but children: "You are so innocent". Like believing that you and your family will live for eternity, that your first best friend in kindergarten will be your only, that every being has a kind heart and no one would ever hurt you, that not one person would deprive themself of the opportunity to be your friend, that the tooth fairy lives, that racism and genocide aren't real because at that age they are unbeknownst to you altogether. That a sunny day always follows a cloudy one. I find it funny that as time ages me I have nonetheless clung on to many of my rainbows, and I always have - the classic example I cite to my friends is of when I was five and went to school south of the border where I was quite possibly the only student of colour in a small town; why so few students in my grade spoke to me in those days I never realized. Nor did it cause me trouble; I had made a nice bunch of friends in the grade above and felt too cool from having older friends to worry about why those in my own grade weren't eager to say hello! :) I suppose I also have my parents to accredit for my almost hopeless idealism - mama and papa have kept me warm from birth, sheltered away from many of the harsh realities of life that I am only starting to know now. I think that is also why I am so protective over my sister, from whom I wish to hide away stories of gruesome deaths or injustices because there is little in the world that is more beautiful to me than the innocence of a young child. But as I was saying, I feel that university has shattered a lot of rainbows - I imagine that is all a part of the maturing process, but it troubles me nonetheless. I know my writing style is awfully flowery and, to that end, inadvertently dramatic (which I don't mean to be! I would not at all want to undermine the true struggles of other people by exaggerating my course in grappling with the transition between child and adult, but I also know that you know that, Flickr friends!). In sum I feel like a child within, but when I hear my voice or observe my reflection nowadays it is a bit unsettling to see that I neither sound nor look like one at all.
Why To Fight Against Extreme Right and Nationalist Right In Portugal And In the World by Daniel Arrhakis
Why to fight against the movements of Extreme Right or Nationalist Right in Portugal and in the World.
It was the nationalist idealism that led to the Second World War and that divided nations leading to the destruction of many capitals in Europe and the death of more than 55 million people worldwide.
To these were added the millions of displaced persons, the thousands who were used as slaves in the war effort.
In these mortal victims are counted the entire families who were shot in mass graves (which they themselves dug) previously undressed and still with children in their arms!
It is the same Nationalism of an Extreme Right that killed millions by gas just because they were against their ideology, or because they were Jews, homosexuals, communists or gypsies. The same that Mr. Andre Ventura of the far-right Portuguese political party is chasing at the moment just because they are different!
As for the refugees, they come looking for a better life like so many Portuguese who are still in France today, some of whom are threatened in the same way by the French from the National Front of Marine Le Pen who do not want emigrants there! The same Marine Le pen who has a smiling lunch with André Ventura.
The dependent subsidies as André Ventura refers to and persecutes so much are people with poor resources, Portuguese people who, due to their low income, are given a subsidy, which social security does not provide without income verification!
This attempt to persecute the most needy, refugees and minorities is a technique used by the nationalist right such as Marine Le Pen in France, Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Donald Trump in the United States that combine populism with [anti-immigrant] nativism and authoritarianism. They advocate worship / loyalty to leaders and belief-centered supremacy.
In fact, in addition to the trinity God, Fatherland and Family that was so homesick for Salazar, we always have a group where hatred is directed and the masses are incited; in Germany it fell mainly to the Jews and therefore to a religion, using a campaign of demonization that ended its persecution and death by chambers of gas.
The use of social networks made the spread of these ideas explosive because it managed to bring together minorities whose extremist ideals were not well accepted in the wider community.
The spread of false news and the appearance of propaganda agencies of the nationalist ideology and the radical right like Breitbart has aimed to discredit traditional news agencies and try to call into question even the democratic institutions and processes of the countries as happened with the Phenomenon Trump in the United States.
Doubt, the hate speech that is always present even with the normalization of insults is one of the techniques to radicalize people and bring more supporters to the cause.
This radicalization is also done with conspiracy theories widespread by people like Steve Bannon and lies where political concepts, tragedies or political crises and interracial or regional hatreds are mixed.
Let us not be naive Trump and Bolsonaro, Marine Le pen or Matteo Salvini who still recently supported André Ventura are part of a movement that tries at all costs to unite the Extremist and Nationalist Right in the World and in Europe.
With support from major dark European and American economic interests and support from Russian oligarchs, they try to divide Europe and its allies but also to weaken large alliances, especially the Atlantic Alliance.
The isolationist process is always present, hence the fight against international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization or the European Community. Through the process of propaganda of extremist ideas, fear and radicalization, they try to control the peoples and to endure an authoritarian system of worship for the leader, as we have in North Korea! - The radicalization of the Left is as dangerous as the radicalization of the Right.
André Ventura in his doctoral thesis defended minorities until recently and was against the police states to quickly join a nationalist right of Marine Le pen, whose father said that "The Nazi Holocaust was just a detail ..." .
I believe that many people due to the global crisis, the pandemic and the lack of social response by many governments see their future threatened and try to find alternatives. But let's face it, does everything work?
Will we want to agree with the fascism or the "patriotic" nationalist right of Trump or Bolsonaro?
Do we want national socialism like Hitler's Nazi regime? So since when are right-wing nationalism possible in Democracy or as History sadly taught us, we will be able to agree with regimes of inhuman fascism that defend the survival of the strongest and despise the most sacred Values of Humanity!
Text By Daniel Arrhakis
________________________________________________
*** O Porquê de se lutar contra os movimentos de Extrema Direita ou de Direita Nacionalista em Portugal e no Mundo. ***
Foi o idealismo nacionalista que levou à Segunda Guerra Mundial e que dividiu nações levando à destruição de muitas capitais da Europa e à morte de mais de 55 milhões de pessoas por todo o Mundo.
A estes juntaram-se os milhões de deslocados, os milhares que foram utilizados como escravos no esforço de guerra.
Nessas vitimas mortais contam-se as famílias inteiras que foram fuziladas em valas comuns (que elas próprias escavavam) previamente despidas e ainda com crianças ao colo !
É o mesmo Nacionalismo de uma Extrema Direita que matou milhões pelo gas só porque eram contra a sua ideologia, ou porque eram judeus, homossexuais, comunistas ou ciganos. Os mesmos que o Sr. Andre Ventura do partido de direita radical CHEGA persegue neste momento só porque são diferentes !
Quanto aos refugiados vêm procurar uma melhor vida como tantos portugueses que estão ainda hoje em França, alguns dos quais ameaçados da mesma forma pelos franceses da Frente Nacional de Marine Le Pen que não querem lá emigrantes ! A mesma Marine Le pen que almoça sorridente com André Ventura.
Os subsidio dependentes como André Ventura refere e tanto persegue são pessoas com fracos recursos, Portugueses que devido aos fracos rendimentos lhes é atribuído um subsidio, aliás que a segurança social não atribui sem verificação de rendimentos !
Esta tentativa de perseguir os mais necessitados, os refugiados e as minorias é uma técnica usada pela direita nacionalista como Marine Le Pen na França, Viktor Orbán na Hungria e Donald Trump nos Estados Unidos que combinam populismo com nativismo [anti-imigrante] e autoritarismo. Defendem o culto/lealdade aos líderes e uma supremacia centrada na crença.
Aliás que para além do trinómio Deus, Pátria e Família que era tão saudoso do Salazar temos sempre um grupo para onde se dirige o ódio e se incitam as massas; na Alemanha calhou principalmente aos Judeus e portanto a uma religião, usando uma campanha de demonização que acabou com a sua perseguição e morte mas camaras de gas.
A utilização das redes sociais tornou explosiva a disseminação destas ideias pois conseguiu juntar minorias cujos ideais extremistas não eram bem aceites na comunidade em geral.
A disseminação das falsas noticias e do aparecimento de agencias de propaganda da ideologia nacionalista e da direita radical como Breitbart tem tido como objetivo a descredibilização das agencias noticiosas tradicionais e tentar colocar em causa até as instituições e os processos democráticos dos países como aconteceu com o Fenómeno Trump nos Estados Unidos.
A duvida, o discurso do ódio que está sempre presente até com a normalização dos insultos é uma das técnicas para radicalizar as pessoas e trazer mais apoiantes à causa.
Esta radicalização é também feita com teorias da conspiração muito difundidas por pessoas como Steve Bannon e mentiras onde se misturam conceitos politicos, tragédias ou se tira partido das crises politicas e dos ódios inter-raciais ou regionais.
Não sejamos ingénuos Trump e Bolsonaro, Marine Le pen ou Matteo Salvini que ainda recentemente apoiou André Ventura fazem parte de um movimento que tenta a todos o custo fazer uma união da Direita Extremista e Nacionalista no Mundo e na Europa. Com apoios de grandes interesse económicos europeus e americanos e do apoio de Oligarcas Russos tentam dividir a Europa e os seus aliados mas também enfraquecer as grandes alianças em especial a Aliança Atlântica.
O processo isolacionista está sempre presente, daí o combate ás organizações internacionais como as Nações Unidas, a Organização Mundial de Saúde ou a Comunidade Europeia. Pelo processo da propaganda das ideias extremistas, do medo e da radicalização tenta-se assim controlar os povos e fazer perdurar um sistema autoritário de culto ao líder, como temos aliás na Coreia do Norte ! - A radicalização da Esquerda é tão perigosa como a radicalização da Direita.
André Ventura na sua tese de doutoramento defendia até há bem pouco tempo as minorias e era contra os estados policiais para rapidamente se associar a uma direita nacionalista de Marine Le pen, cujo pai dizia que " O Holocausto Nazi era apenas um pormenor ... " .
Eu acredito que muitos em virtude da crise mundial, da pandemia e da falta da resposta social de muitos governos vejam o seu futuro ameaçado e tentem encontrar alternativas. Mas sejamos sinceros, será que tudo serve ?
Quereremos pactuar com o fascismo ou a direita nacionalista "patriótica" de Trump ou Bolsonaro ?
Queremos um nacional socialismo como o Regime Nazi de Hitler ? Então desde quando é que os nacionalismos de direita são possíveis em Democracia ou como a História tristemente nos ensinou, poderemos pactuar com regimes de um fascismo desumano que defende a sobrevivência dos mais fortes e despreza os mais sagrados Valores da Humanidade !
Texto De Daniel Arrhakis