early colour photographs

Holy Guacamole.

This is amazing.

Mervyn O’Gorman (19871-1958) is probably most well-known for being one of Britian’s top enigeers, during WW1 was the head of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. But few known that he was an early pioneer of colour photography, as well as an artist. Who knew?

The photographs below are his early colour photographs of his daughter Christina using the autochrome process in 1913. It was patented in 1903, and was the first full practical single-plate colour process accessible to the public.

The beach images are from Lulworth Cove, Dorset and feature her in a bright red swimming costume—a colour the early process captured well. Christina is also captured in red in every other scene, drawing the eye immediately to the subject and her long strawberry blonde hair. The up-close image of Christina has an oddly modern feel as her clothing is hard to pin to a singular time period. O’Gorman’s wife Florence and second daughter are featured in the last portrait, the photographer’s camera box seen just to the left of his family. I think it is so beautiful and amazing so surreal and dreamlike.

Happy Thursday to you all.

further readings: 

http://mashable.com/2015/04/23/autochrome-photos-ogorman/#:eyJzIjoiZiIsImkiOiJfbDIzMmt1OWVpcDlxNHZnaSJ9

http://petapixel.com/2015/04/26/these-1913-autochrome-portraits-are-from-the-early-days-of-color-photography/

http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/nmem/autochrome/Notable_Photo_detail.asp?PhotographersID=7&PhotosID=113

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/

Olga Viso @ the Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia

Here is another lecture talk from the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
It is from executive Director at the Walker Art Centre in Minneapolis, Olga Viso. She discusses new art, community engagement and the art museum today as a catalyst for artists and audiences.

further readings:

http://www.walkerart.org/

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/arts/artsspecial/for-the-walker-art-center-a-shop-that-peddles-evanescence.html?_r=0

https://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/2015/03/talking-art-and-social-media-walker-art-center

Bauhaus Lab 2015

Who wouldn’t want to have the opportunity to study and learn in the infamous Bauhaus (in Dessau)?

Well now is your opportunity!

The annual Interdisciplinary Lab at Bauhaus Dessau Foundation is taking place 4 May – 9 August, 2015.

Bauhaus Dessau is calling for expressions of interest from young professionals working in architecture, design, fine arts and curatorial practice.

The 2015 lab is titled ‘Cracks in the Curtain Wall – Beyond an Architecture of Cleanliness’ and will focus on the new material culture of modern architecture from a little noticed perspective – cleaning. The program will end with an exhibition at the Housekeeping Fair 2015.

Participation in the lab is free. To join, applicants are required to complete statement of interest. An international jury will choose eight participants by 4 April.

More information below:

http://www.bauhaus-dessau.de/bauhaus-lab-20151.html

a soft self portrait of salvador dali

So yes, the blog is going through a bit of a film theme at the moment.

So for this post I have found two short (ish) clips from the film A Soft Self Portrait of Salvador Dali.

The film was directed by Jean-Christophe Averty and narrated by Orson Welles. It was made in 1970 and is as bizarre and wonderful as you would expect.

It is a great tribute to Salvador Dali.

Dali was born May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989 and is one of the most well-known painters from the 20th century. He is known in connection to the Surrealist movement, creating works that are striking and bizarre. His most famous artwork is The Persistence of Memory (1931). Dali’s artistic repertoire expands across film, sculpture, photography and in as well collaborating with other artists, filmmakers and others. He was highly imaginative, and enjoyed indulging in unusual and strange behaviour. His eccentric manner and attention-grabbing public actions sometimes drew more attention than his artwork, to the dismay of those who held his work in high esteem, and to the irritation of his critics

I hope found these clips as fantastically and weird as I did.

further readings:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195228/

http://www.openculture.com/2012/06/ia_soft_self-portrait_of_salvador_dalii_narrated_by_the_great_orson_welles.html

Ways of Seeing (part three)

Hey what time is it?

It is John Berger’s Way of Seeing Time.

Episode 3 is here to watch now.

Enjoy

.

further readings: 

http://www.amazon.com/Ways-Seeing-Based-Television-Series/dp/0140135154

Vincent Van Gogh visits the museum.

Here is a fun post.

It is a scene from Doctor Who series 5.  Vincent Van Gogh goes and visits the Musee D’Orsay, seeing how popular his work has become.

It is very unrealistic but very very sweet. I hope you enjoy it.

Tracey Emin

I love Tracey Emin.

I remember seeing her work in the Tate Modern when I was little and not really understanding it. Only later when I was older did I understand the significance of her work.

If you are not familiar with her work, here some images below:

The Last Great Adventure is you, 2014, Neon, 177 3/16 x 67 11/16 in. (450 x 172 cm)

Good Body, 2014, Gouache on canvas, 10 x 10 in. (25.4 x 25.4 cm)

 My Bed, 1998, Mattress, linens, pillows, objects, 79 x 211 x 234 cm

Everyone I have Ever Slept With, 1963 – 1995, 1995 Appliquéd tent, mattress and light 122 x 245 x 214 cm

I’ve Got It All 2000 Ink-jet print 122 x 91 cm    48 x 36″

Currently, she is in Sydney working with the City of Sydney on a new public artwork and with her busy schedule was able to do a talk at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia.

Unfortunately, I missed out on tickets but thankfully they recorded the talk and you can watch it below:

further reading:

http://whitecube.com/exhibitions/tracey_emin_the_last_great_adventure_is_you_bermondsey_2014/

http://www.cityartsydney.com.au/artwork/the-distance-of-your-heart/

http://www.saatchigallery.com/aipe/tracey_emin.htm

The Ways of Seeing (part one)

Watching John Berger’s Ways of Seeing  for the first time was a life-changing experience for me. It changed the way I viewed and analysed art. Now I have found the whole series on vimeo and have decided to dedicated some posts to the John Berger’s Series.

I hope you find it as interesting as I found it when I was 16 years old.

ps. it is also a book written by John Berger. Here some pages from the book and yes I do own the book.

further reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Ways-Seeing-Based-Television-Series/dp/0140135154