View allAll Photos Tagged introspective
This has been added to my 2016 Top 10
4 September 2016
Photo #2 of ‘52 Pictures of Me’ Self Portrait Project
After having an introspective and creative start to the year and then having a quiet few months, by September I was feeling the urge to challenge myself. I decided to start a self-portrait project where I would take one photo each week for a year and share it with everyone. I had been inspired by others who did this and how much it helped them grow as an individual and become a better photographer. This seemed like the perfect combination.
This photo was only the second I had taken in the series and it is still very much a favourite. I was still learning some of the logistical issues of self-portraiture – remote triggers, weather, people, equipment, etc and trying to think about what I wanted to get out of it. Even though I set the project rules as ‘anything goes’, it was important to me that the photos captured emotion. Focusing on this aspect and being present with my feelings at the time of taking the photo has helped me create images that show different sides of me and ones that I feel are authentic.
These words accompany this photo and explain the innate feelings I had at the time…
It calls.
Echoes from a distant world.
Flow through my heart and whisper the answers.
My other ’52 Pictures of Me’ photos can be seen in this album:
www.flickr.com/photos/naomicreek/albums/72157672149817231
Original Post
It calls.
Echoes from a distant world.
Flow through my heart and whisper the answers.
Location: Port Melbourne Beach
Canon SX60 on tripod and 10 second timer.
1/100 sec, f5, ISO250
Spoken Word by Sebastian Carson
Sound design by Christopher Connor/Prodigi Arts
video
2020
"While the original video features five different poets, this kinetic typography highlights the spoken words of the artist Sebastian Carson.
The focus on the animated type is to emphasize the harsh reality of the Black experience in America as recited in the poem.
The choice of a black and white color palette is to stress the inequality that exists in this country between White and Black bodies, as expressed by Sebastian Carson.
This kinetic typography project finds its inspiration in the original video featuring five Memphis poets directed by Film Company Prodigi Arts." - Naima Pagano
Sierra College 23rd Annual Juried Student Exhibition
2021 Juror: Aida Lizalde
Juror’s Statement:
“The Ridley Gallery at Sierra College has over two decades of being a visual arts and cultural hub in Rocklin, CA. It was an honor to be invited to jury their Gallery’s 23rd Annual Juried Student Exhibition, not only because of its significance to the regional art community and its history of exhibiting high caliber international and regional artists but also because I was once a community college student who directly benefited from student exhibitions and the guidance of the faculty who run them. Juried exhibitions and college art galleries presented me with an opportunity to gain experience exhibiting artwork, to find my peers who were also striving for a life in the arts, and to gain confidence and critical thought about my work through being exposed to contemporary art.
Last year, students across the world were faced with an extreme shift in their learning environment, many lost the resources, community, and safe spaces that schools, and especially art classrooms, provide for us. I admire the creativity, commitment, and achievement of all the students who submitted artwork, and the fact that the Ridley Gallery adapted their curatorial practices to continue creating a space, albeit virtual, to welcome their student’s work.
This exhibition showcased a strong move toward new media. Much of the work challenged the categories that we are used to, including artwork that fit the traditional gallery space and a more widespread viewing experience of visual media structured through internet culture. Some works reinforced the importance of traditional media like painting, drawing, and ceramics, to interpret introspective and personal spaces in a time of isolation, struggle, and healing.
I was impressed by the quality of work, the range in media, themes, and experimentation of the submissions. Many works showed concerns for the current events that our country is facing like the pandemic, race inequality, and wellness, and they did so with care and originality. Black Live Matters Tribute (2020) is an honest and potent view on being Black with powerful spoken word poetry and graphics, Lost Connections (2020) by Michael Caspi and Science or Magic by Kevin Belcastro (2020) focus on narrative, and in the case of Belcastro, a humorous and imaginative perspective. I admired the technical skill in digital paintings from Sheryl Rivera and Christina Becher, the strong personal symbolism in Kristol Lopez’ Daughter of Buffalo Haired Woman (2019), the mystery and visual poetry of Kimberly Tagye in Train from Berlin (2019), and Michael Quinn’s Orion and Joshua (2020). These were just a few of many artworks that I viewed with enthusiasm, curiosity, and delight, but many more showcase a promising future in the field and dominance over media. The artists included in this exhibition represent the genuine diversity of backgrounds and skills that Sierra College nurtures, and the timely and highly creative interpretation of our current society’s struggle, vision, and adaptability.” - Aida Lizalde
For more on African American experience and achievements in the U.S. and elsewhere visit Discover Black Heritage , a travel guide to black history and culture.
Dorian chose the darkest corner of the house — the one where the world forgets to knock. There, between shadow and silence, he dreams of open fields and soft rain. Nothing moves. Nothing asks for more.
I bought this painting (reproduction) for something like $3, or maybe $5 at a yardsale on Rogers Street in Lowell, Massachusetts in 2008.
Hair and Make-up: Meltem Sahin
Assistant Photography: Chantal Delissen
Canon 6D with Sigma 50mm f1.4 ART
Processed with Lightroom 5 and Alien Skin Exposure 6
“Why do you stay in prison
when the door is so wide open?
Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking.
Live in silence.”
...From my Midwest Travelin' Journal...
introspectively blogged in the wee hours of the morning here:
waterblossoms.blogspot.com/2008/09/nothing-new-here.html
"Make each day count! "
"What am I doing with my life?" he thinks. "The only way we're gonna get the French to go into Iraq is if we tell 'em there's truffles in there," he says.
Part of my ongoing series of introspective self portraits, "Wounds I have had." This edition, one of the deepest blisters I've ever gotten, almost a week healed. I was up on a roof, racing a thunderstorm, rolling out a five gallon bucket of roof paint and sealer. I was rolling it out with an extension pole in 95 degree heat and almost pure humidity. I finished in two hours and beat the storm with enough time for it to set up. It went all the way down to the meat, right where the finger meets the palm.
I was struck by all the contrasts here: the woman's introspective expression in the midst of the chaos of the carnival parade; the simplicity of her costume, a "version"of Maori dress, complete with painted face and body tattoos, juxtaposed with the more "typical" carnival costume behind her and at the right. Then there are the wonderful extremes of sunlight and shadow, adding mystery and emphasizing texture...
Caribbean Carnival Parade
Eastern Parkway; Brooklyn NY
(2005)
At the age of seven or so the melancholic, introspective facial expression ("Don't worry, it might never happen") for which I have always been famous was already in evidence. Curiously, a further fifty years' exposure to the human predicament has tended to make me more, rather than less, cheerful. Today, when some new example of human folly comes to my attention I find myself less despondent than wryly amused, and something resembling a smile makes its way, creaking and groaning, across my iron features.
This was taken by my mother in the "glasshouse" at the back of our house. Ours and the house next door had originally been one. When, at some unknown date, the two dwellings had been divided, our half had been made up to a minimal habitable size by the addition of lean-tos and outbuildings at the rear. The window behind me had originally been at the back of the house. Inside were folding wooden shutters, their hinges long seized up with rust, grime and old paint. The window-sill, designed to throw off rainwater, made an odd feature in the interior of a house. What domestic drama, probably in the time of some unknown and long-dead previous owner, had caused that chunk to be knocked out of the left-hand end?
Throughout my boyhood we had cats. The one in the photo was Sparkette, surpassed in my affections only by her successor-but-one, Skeats. Like all our cats she had been supplied by our milkman, Mr Till, who lived in Mangotsfield and worked for Long's Dairies. We had thought her a little boy cat and named her Sparkey until my mother took her to Mr Perry the vet to get her neutered. It was then that the unwelcome truth of her gender had been discovered ...unwelcome because sterilisation cost 7/6d for toms, but 30/- for female cats. The discovery had forced the adaptation of her original name. Sparkette was a character. She had a habit of bringing home trophies, which she deposited on the doormat. Most of these seemed to have come from our neighbours' dustbins. Among them I recall sausages, lengths of string and, once, a whole fried egg. The scooter was a Mobo.
Ekkehard Ehlers
Book :
Richard Paul Lohse
Museum Kunstpalast
MASI Lugano
2025
CD :
Pet Shop Boys
Introspective
Parlophone
1988
Design . Mark Farrow
Promo Only . Not For Sale
Use Hearing Protection
GMA
Big and black the clouds may be, time will pass away
If you put your trust in me I'll make bright your day
Look into these eyes now, tell me what you see
Don't you realize now, what you see is me
Tell me what you see
Uploading my previous photo of John's 90th birthday, with its introspective tone, reminded me of this shot, which I think offers an interesting contrast.
My friend Maja is presented with a cake at a dinner celebrating her 21st birthday.
The photographic work I did in Mexico this year is deeply introspective and personal. This series demonstrates that.
About me:
I edit this online literary and arts magazine: twowordsfor.com
You can also find me on Instagram: instagram.com/amanthei
Twitter: twitter.com/xoalexo
And Tumblr: thedirectory.tumblr.com
'Twas the last day of our Community Rotation in Arayat, Pampanga, so me and my groupmates decided to eat out in Gintong Pakpak (Golden Wing); great food, and a great area to explore. It is really somewhat of a resort, but we went there for the food, and it so happens to be a great spot to walk around since we are in the middle of the wilderness and of course, I would want to go around and try and take photos.
This one was taken by my sub photographer, Joed; I was teaching him the ways of the camera during this time, and I think if he decides to take up the camera, he will do great.
Togawar Game b/w Crucial
The Conqueror b/w Version
Innocent Blood b/w Version
Reggae Burden b/w Version
Rise and Shine b/w Riding (distributed by Rough Trade)
Each of the original (male) vocalists in The Wailers established their own labels early on in their respective burgeoning careers: Bob Marley: Tuff Gong, Peter Tosh: Intel Diplo, and Bunny Wailer: Solomonic. Bunny’s the one still going today, clearly under-rated when compared to Marley’s media hype. But his profile has not entirely been dictated by the media, but has also been guided by Bunny’s introspective career path.
It should be well known that Chris Blackwell of Island Records wanted to focus on and groom Marley’s international stardom, giving the short end of the stick to the other two integral members of The Wailers. After the first two of “The Wailers” records on Island, Bunny withdrew from the group, produced no music for a few years, and mythically went into isolation somewhere in the hills of Jamaica. But then he re-emerged with some killer product.
Some of Bunny’s detractors hear a mainstream sensibility at play, a curious charge for a man so spiritually inclined to withdraw from the pop market after initially being sucked into it. He most definitely understands “the hook”, but to my ears he also projects the “Rock n’ Groove”, and has maintained his relevancy and his cultural standing throughout the continuing changes in Jamaican Reggae.
It’s been hard for me to date the singles above, all released somewhere between 1978 – 1981. These were initially released only in Jamaica, and compiled and re-released in album form many years later. “Toagawar Game” and “Innocent Blood” deal with the horrific political violence that took place in Jamaica during these years, a topic dealt with in Laurie Gunst’s highly recommended book “Born Fi Dead”. After reading this I felt positively naïve about the way I listened to and understood Reggae during those times.
I have been lucky enough to see all three of the original (male) Wailers perform in their respective solo guises. Bunny was the last to tour the USA with a huge band that included two keyboards and a substantial horn section, a Reggae big band that most definitely chugged along, deep in jah groove.
SONIC WILDNESS is an installation about precise hearing, but also about introspective recording of an artificial sound landscape, which makes it possible to experience the “radical wildness” in the acoustic realm. The project demonstrates the possibilities of the new usomo sound system for creating a connection between sound and space. The headphone-based system precisely tracks the position and movement of the audience. With this information, the usomo software is able to place sounds in exact positions in real space. In this installation, complex sound landscapes are produced that can be individually explored, allowing visitors to delve into the “sonic wildness.”
Credit: vog.photo
And another introspective girl! This shot was taken through a water cascade, albeit at a distance, due to its refurbishment.
Anacréon by Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume, a marble sculpture from 1851 that blends classical reverence with poetic melancholy housed in the Musée d'Orsay.
Anacreon was a 6th-century BCE Greek poet known for verses celebrating wine, love, and song. Guillaume portrays him seated, semi-nude, crowned with flowers, holding a lyre and a drinking vessel — surrounded by symbols of pleasure and transience. The figure’s introspective gaze and relaxed posture suggest a moment of reflection, perhaps on the fleeting nature of joy.
This sculpture was first exhibited at the Salon of 1852, then shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris (1855) and Vienna (1882). It later passed through the Musée du Luxembourg and the Louvre before arriving at the Musée d'Orsay in 1986.
Arnold Dreyblatt’s musical and artistic practice ranges from large multi-day performances to permanent installations, digital projections, dynamic textual objects and multi-layered lenticular text panels. His visual artworks are complex textual and spatial visualizations about memory, reflecting upon such themes as recollection and the archive. Arnold Dreyblatt was a Visiting Scholar at MIT and taught a course entitled “The Harmonic Archive: Music, Sound and Installation Art as Artistic Research.”
A member of the second generation of New York minimal composers, Dreyblatt continues to develop his work in composition and music performance, having invented a new set of original instruments, performance techniques and a system of tuning. He has formed and led numerous ensembles under the title “The Orchestra of Excited Strings” for over thirty years.
Arnold Dreyblatt studied music with Pauline Oliveros, La Monte Young and Alvin Lucier. He has been based in Berlin, Germany since 1984. In 2007, Dreyblatt was elected to lifetime membership in the visual arts section at the German Academy of Art (Akademie der Künste, Berlin). He is currently Professor of Media Art at the Muthesius Academy of Art and Design in Kiel, Germany.
Presented by the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST).
Learn more at artsm.it/1DPfNbc
All photos ©L. Barry Hetherington
lbarryhetherington.com/
Please ask before use
British postcard, no. 2070. Photo: publicity still for Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994).
Keanu Reeves (1964) is a Canadian actor, producer, director and musician. Though Reeves often faced criticism for his deadpan delivery and perceived limited range as an actor, he nonetheless took on roles in a variety of genres, doing everything from introspective art-house fare to action-packed thrillers. His films include My Own Private Idaho (1991), the European drama Little Buddha (1993), Speed (1994), The Matrix (1999) and John Wick (2014).
Keanu Charles Reeves was born in 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon. His first name means ‘cool breeze over the mountains’ in Hawaiian. His father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr., was a geologist of Chinese-Hawaiian heritage, and his mother, Patricia Bond (née Taylor), was a British showgirl and later a costume designer for rock stars such as Alice Cooper. Reeves's mother was working in Beirut when she met his father. Upon his parents’ split in 1966, Keanu moved with his mother and younger sister Kim Reeves to Sydney, to New York and then to Toronto. As a child, he lived with various stepfathers, including stage and film director Paul Aaron. Keanu developed an ardor for hockey, though he would eventually turn to acting. At 15, he played Mercutio in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre. Reeves dropped out of high school when he was 17. His film debut was the Canadian feature One Step Away (Robert Fortier, 1985). After a part in the teen movie Youngblood (Peter Markle, 1986), starring Rob Lowe, he obtained a green card through stepfather Paul Aaron and moved to Los Angeles. After a few minor roles, he gained attention for his performance in the dark drama River's Edge (Tim Hunter, 1986), which depicted how a murder affected a group of adolescents. Reeves landed a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated period drama Dangerous Liaisons (Stephen Frears, 1988), starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich. Reeves joined the casts of Ron Howard's comedy Parenthood (1989), and Lawrence Kasdan's I Love You to Death (1990). Unexpectedly successful was the wacky comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Stephen Herek, 1989) which followed two high school students (Reeves and Alex Winter) and their time-traveling high jinks. The success lead to a TV series and a sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (Pete Hewitt, 1991). From then on, audiences often confused Reeves's real-life persona with that of his doofy on-screen counterpart.
In the following years, Keanu Reeves tried to shake the Ted stigma. He developed an eclectic film roster that included high-budget action films like the surf thriller Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991) for which he won MTV's ‘Most Desirable Male’ award in 1992, but also lower-budget art-house films. My Own Private Idaho (1991), directed by Gus Van Sant and co-starring River Phoenix, chronicled the lives of two young hustlers living on the streets. In Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Reeves embodied the calm resolute lawyer Jonathan Harker who stumbles into the lair of Gary Oldman’s Count Dracula. In Europe, he played prince Siddharta who becomes the Buddha in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Italian-French-British drama Little Buddha (1993). His career reached a new high when he starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit action film Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994). It was followed by the romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds (Alfonso Arau, 1995) and the supernatural thriller Devil’s Advocate (Taylor Hackford, 1997), co-starring Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. At the close of the decade, Reeves starred in a Sci-fi film that would become a genre game changer, The Matrix (Andy and Lana Wachowski, 1999). Reeves played the prophetic figure Neo, slated to lead humanity to freedom from an all-consuming simulated world. Known for its innovative fight sequences, avant-garde special effects and gorgeous fashion, The Matrix was an international hit. Two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded (Andy and Lana Wachowski, 1999) and The Matrix Revolutions (Andy and Lana Wachowski, 1999) followed and The Matrix Reloaded was even a bigger financial blockbuster than its predecessor.
Now a major, bonafide box office star, Keanu Reeves continued to work in different genres and both in bid-budget as in small independent films. He played an abusive man in the supernatural thriller The Gift (Sam Raimi, 2000), starring Cate Blanchett, a smitten doctor in the romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give (Nancy Meyers, 2003) opposite Diane Keaton, and a Brit demon hunter in American-German occult detective action film Constantine (Francis Lawrence, 2005). His appearance in the animated science fiction thriller A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006), based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, received favourable reviews, and The Lake House (Alejandro Agresti, 2006) , his romantic outing with Sandra Bullock, was a success at the box office. Reeves returned to Sci-fi as alien Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still (Scott Derrickson, 2008), the remake of the 1951 classic. Then he played a supporting part in Rebecca Miller's The Private Life of Pippa Lee (2009), which starred Robin Wright and premiered at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. Reeves co-founded a production company, Company Films. The company helped produce Henry's Crime (Malcolm Venville, 2010), in which Reeves also starred. The actor made his directorial debut with the Chinese-American Martial arts film Man of Tai Chi (2013), partly inspired by the life of Reeves' friend, stuntman Tiger Chen. Martial arts–based themes continued in Reeves's next feature, 47 Ronin (Carl Rinsch, 2013), about a real-life group of masterless samurai in 18th-century Japan who avenged the death of their lord. Variety magazine listed 47 Ronin as one of "Hollywood's biggest box office bombs of 2013". Reeves returned as a retired hitman in the neo-noir action thriller John Wick (Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, 2014). The film opened to positive reviews and performed well at the box office. A sequel, titled John Wick: Chapter Two, is currently in production and is scheduled to be released in 2017. This year, he could be seen in the psychological horror film The Neon Demon is (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) and the romantic horror-thriller Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2016). Reeves’ artistic aspirations are not limited to film. In the early 1990s, he co-founded the grunge band Dogstar, which released two albums. He later played bass for a band called Becky. Reeves is also a longtime motorcycle enthusiast. After asking designer Gard Hollinger to create a custom-built bike for him, the two went into business together with the formation of Arch Motorcycle Company LLC in 2011. Reported to be one of the more generous actors in Hollywood, Reeves helped care for his sister during her lengthy battle with leukemia, and has supported such organizations as Stand Up To Cancer and PETA. In January 2000, Reeves's girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth eight months into her pregnancy to Ava Archer Syme-Reeves, who was stillborn. The strain put on their relationship by their grief resulted in Reeves and Syme's breakup several weeks later. In 2001, Syme died after a car accident.
Sources: Biography.com, Wikipedia and IMDb.
SONIC WILDNESS is an installation about precise hearing, but also about introspective recording of an artificial sound landscape, which makes it possible to experience the “radical wildness” in the acoustic realm. The project demonstrates the possibilities of the new usomo sound system for creating a connection between sound and space. The headphone-based system precisely tracks the position and movement of the audience. With this information, the usomo software is able to place sounds in exact positions in real space. In this installation, complex sound landscapes are produced that can be individually explored, allowing visitors to delve into the “sonic wildness.”
Credit: vog.photo
British postcard by Heroes Publishing LTD., no. SPC 2693. Photo: Warner Bros. Keanu Reeves in Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994).
Keanu Reeves (1964) is a Canadian actor, producer, director and musician. Though Reeves often faced criticism for his deadpan delivery and perceived limited range as an actor, he nonetheless took on roles in various genres, doing everything from introspective art-house fare to action-packed thrillers. His films include My Own Private Idaho (1991), the European drama Little Buddha (1993), Speed (1994), The Matrix (1999) and John Wick (2014).
Keanu Charles Reeves was born in 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon. His first name means ‘cool breeze over the mountains’ in Hawaiian. His father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr., was a geologist of Chinese-Hawaiian heritage, and his mother, Patricia Bond (née Taylor), was a British showgirl and later a costume designer for rock stars such as Alice Cooper. Reeves's mother was working in Beirut when she met his father. Upon his parents’ split in 1966, Keanu moved with his mother and younger sister Kim Reeves to Sydney, New York and Toronto. As a child, he lived with various stepfathers, including stage and film director Paul Aaron. Keanu developed an ardour for hockey, though he would eventually turn to acting. At 15, he played Mercutio in a 'Romeo and Juliet' stage production at the Leah Posluns Theatre. Reeves dropped out of high school when he was 17. His film debut was the Canadian feature One Step Away (Robert Fortier, 1985). After participating in the teen movie Youngblood (Peter Markle, 1986), starring Rob Lowe, he obtained a green card through his stepfather Paul Aaron and moved to Los Angeles. After a few minor roles, he gained attention for his performance in the dark drama River's Edge (Tim Hunter, 1986), which depicted how a murder affected a group of adolescents. Reeves landed a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated period drama Dangerous Liaisons (Stephen Frears, 1988), starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich. Reeves joined the casts of Ron Howard's comedy Parenthood (1989), and Lawrence Kasdan's I Love You to Death (1990). Unexpectedly successful was the wacky comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Stephen Herek, 1989) which followed two high school students (Reeves and Alex Winter) and their time-travelling high jinks. The success led to a TV series and a sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (Pete Hewitt, 1991). From then on, audiences often confused Reeves's real-life persona with his doofy on-screen counterpart.
In the following years, Keanu Reeves tried to shake the Ted stigma. He developed an eclectic film roster that included high-budget action films like the surf thriller Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991) for which he won MTV's ‘Most Desirable Male’ award in 1992, but also lower-budget art-house films. My Own Private Idaho (1991), directed by Gus Van Sant and co-starring River Phoenix, chronicled the lives of two young hustlers living on the streets. In Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Reeves embodied the calm resolute lawyer Jonathan Harker who stumbles into the lair of Gary Oldman’s Count Dracula. In Europe, he played Prince Siddharta who became the Buddha in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Italian-French-British drama Little Buddha (1993). His career reached a new high when he starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit action film Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994). It was followed by the romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds (Alfonso Arau, 1995) and the supernatural thriller Devil’s Advocate (Taylor Hackford, 1997), co-starring Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. At the close of the decade, Reeves starred in a Sci-Fi film that would become a genre game changer, The Matrix (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 1999). Reeves played the prophetic figure Neo, slated to lead humanity to freedom from an all-consuming simulated world. Known for its innovative fight sequences, avant-garde special effects and gorgeous fashion, The Matrix was an international hit. Two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 2003) followed and The Matrix Reloaded was even a bigger financial blockbuster than its predecessor.
Now a major, bonafide box office star, Keanu Reeves continued to work in different genres and both in big-budget as in small independent films. He played an abusive man in the supernatural thriller The Gift (Sam Raimi, 2000), starring Cate Blanchett, a smitten doctor in the romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give (Nancy Meyers, 2003) opposite Diane Keaton, and a Brit demon hunter in the American-German occult detective film Constantine (Francis Lawrence, 2005). His appearance in the animated Science Fiction thriller A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006), based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, received favourable reviews, and The Lake House (Alejandro Agresti, 2006), his romantic outing with Sandra Bullock, was a success at the box office. Reeves returned to Sci-Fi as alien Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still (Scott Derrickson, 2008), the remake of the 1951 classic. Then he played a supporting part in Rebecca Miller's The Private Life of Pippa Lee (2009), which starred Robin Wright and premiered at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. Reeves co-founded a production company, Company Films. The company helped produce Henry's Crime (Malcolm Venville, 2010), in which Reeves also starred. The actor made his directorial debut with the Chinese-American Martial arts film Man of Tai Chi (2013), partly inspired by the life of Reeves' friend, stuntman Tiger Chen. Martial arts–based themes continued in Reeves's next feature, 47 Ronin (Carl Rinsch, 2013), about a real-life group of masterless samurai in 18th-century Japan who avenged the death of their lord. Variety magazine listed 47 Ronin as one of "Hollywood's biggest box office bombs of 2013". Reeves returned as a retired hitman in the Neo-Noir action thriller John Wick (Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, 2014). The film opened to positive reviews and performed well at the box office. A sequel, titled John Wick: Chapter Two, is currently in production and is scheduled to be released in 2017. This year, he could be seen in the psychological horror film The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) and the romantic horror-thriller Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2016). Reeves’ artistic aspirations are not limited to film. In the early 1990s, he co-founded the grunge band Dogstar, which released two albums. He later played bass for a band called Becky. Reeves is also a longtime motorcycle enthusiast. After asking designer Gard Hollinger to create a custom-built bike for him, the two went into business together with the formation of Arch Motorcycle Company LLC in 2011. Reported to be one of the more generous actors in Hollywood, Reeves helped care for his sister during her lengthy battle with leukaemia and has supported such organisations as Stand Up To Cancer and PETA. In January 2000, Reeves's girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth eight months into her pregnancy to Ava Archer Syme-Reeves, who was stillborn. The strain put on their relationship by their grief resulted in Reeves and Syme's breakup several weeks later. In 2001, Syme died after a car accident.
Sources: Biography.com, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.