Sexy Savanah » Art & Literature

Artist and Architect at the Portland Art Museum

Savanah — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:54:50 +0000

Two events are happening in the next couple of days at the Portland Art Museum. One is an art exhibit and the other is a lecture on architecture. I am a painter and my brother is an architect so we have planned to take trip, book a room in one of the best Portland hotels, and head to museum for a few days in a row. “My” exhibit consists of just one painting that will be seen for the first time ever in Portland as the painting rarely makes it out of Italy.

This is a rare opportunity to see this masterpiece of the Renaissance time period by none other than Raphael, “The Woman with the Veil”. Bring the piece to Portland took over a year’s worth of negotiations between the Portland Art Museum and the Palatine Gallery in Florence, Italy. Raphael was known for his portraits and his still lifes, his balance and his composition. Raphael used a technique similar to Da Vinci in applying layers of thin paint over a long period of time, which created richness of color and luminosity. The subject of the portrait is believed to be a woman named Margherita Luti, a model in depicted in many of his works, and also believed to be his long time companion. The painting will be in the Museum for just over three months, opening night is the 24th of October and she will leave the museum on January 3rd.

The architect to speak is Yung Ho Chang. This will happen at 7 o’clock on Thursday night. Yung was born in Beijing, China and studied design and environmental architecture at the University of California @ Berkeley. In 1993 he moved back to Beijing and began the first independent firm ever in the country of China. He is not only one of the most influential and innovative architects in his country, but is fast becoming known so throughout the world. He goes from designing homes to museums and factories. The firm constructs installation art pieces and builds furniture which combined the contemporary ideas of global harmony and practice with the traditional designs of country. Both my brother and I are excited as these two men from different times, affect our times so much.

Artist and Architect at the Portland Art Museum is a post from: Sexy Savanah

J.R.R. Tolkien Retirement in Poole

Savanah — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:56:26 +0000

Poole England is a popular tourist destination, which makes great sense since the area has been attracting humans to it since the Iron Age. This is actually one of the interesting features of the city today because it contains many ancient artifacts and relics that have been indigenous to the area, which is something not a great many cities can boast of. Of course, also extremely popular with tourists today are the great beaches and fabulous weather enjoyed all year in and around Poole. There are a diverse collection of reasons that people from all over the world visit the city and stay in an historic, yet comfortable and sometimes luxurious Poole hotel.

There has also been major literary, film and other arts genre figures who have been born in Poole or lived there at some time in their life. Writer J.R.R. Tolkien is included in this population. He lived there for approximately four yours during his retirement. Tolkien is best known for his The Lord of the Rings series. He lived from January of 1892 to September of 1973 and in addition to being a writer he was also a university professor at Oxford. He was also a close friend of C.S. Lewis who was part of the same informal literature group that Tolkien belonged to.

The Lord of The Rings series is an epic fantasy tale that Tolkien began to his earlier work The Hobbit. It has become one of the most influential works of literature in the 20th century and as such has prompted a great deal of academic research into various themes and ideas that are possibly found in it. The basic story involves the main character Dark Lord Sauron who at some point in the distant past had created a single ring that would have power and rule over the other rings of power. This was the ultimate weapon in his ultimate goal of attaining complete control over the Middle Earth.

J.R.R. Tolkien Retirement in Poole is a post from: Sexy Savanah

Egoli

Savanah — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:21:06 +0000

Johannesburg has long been known as the leader in the realm of mining for gold, hence the nickname, ‘Egoli’ which is translated to ‘City of Gold‘. The gold of this continent is found at very extreme depths under the surface of the earth, some reaching as far down as four thousand miles such as the mines of Western Deep Level. This is one of the worlds deepest mines. This has been difficult for the miners due to the fact that the further below the surface of the earth one travels, the hotter it gets. Air conditioning units are necessary to make working at these depths tolerable and bearable. While the temperature is kept at thirty two degrees, the humidity is consistently at about one hundred percent. Gold from this mine in particular, is gathered at the incredible expense of energy, materials and man power. Even after the tons of dynamite, the electricity, and the various different chemicals used to extract the gold, it is still necessary for it to go through many more stages at the refineries, before it becomes the gold that is most valuable and pure on the markets.

The industry of mining gold has experienced pressure as other countries compete, such as Australia and Russia, and are able to produce more inexpensive alternatives on the world market. This has affected many businesses in the city, such as tourism and the luxury hotels. Johannesburg was once an untouched region of South Africa, however that changed rapidly during 1886, when the first miner struck gold. As wold spread, one of the largest gold rushes in the world took place, and in just three years Johannesburg became the largest city in South Africa. Many of the black members of society were forced to spend one year tours working in the mines, separated from their homes and their families. As with so much regarding the history of this country, what came as a result was art. The men danced to raise their spirits, and the dances of the miners still occur and are celebrated throughout the city to this day.

Egoli is a post from: Sexy Savanah

The Significance of Expression

Savanah — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:17:25 +0000

The lack of opportunity for education, and the segregation during the times of apartheid was evidence around the country of South Africa, from the market place to the hotels, Johannesburg and her people needed a voice. And fighting against the barriers of these times the black artists of the city stood up to gain their rights as the teachers, the gallery owners, the curators and the artists they were and still are. What started the change was a community art center established in 1952, that offered classes to the adults of the city, the Polly Street Art Center. Before this time there was no educational offerings to the black artists, no chance for them to develop the techniques and the skills that were available at the time to their white counterparts. This school was in operation for only fourteen years, but that was enough time to create the passion and the drive and the inspiration that has carried through the artists of today.

The country began re-habbing buildings to be used to house the collections of this artwork in 1872, the first one being Cape Town’s South African National Gallery. Just about thirty years later, the then director, Hugh Lane, of Ireland’s National Gallery, assembled a collection that was given to South African city, Johannesburg. The Johannesburg Art Gallery opened in 1915 and was the first building in the history of the country that was built with the express purpose of housing this art collection. Many other cities have sense followed suit, as more and more people are becoming aware of the significance of the art created by the South African people. Many of these galleries had an extensive collection of European art, however administrators felt that more of the space should be dedicated to the art that is indigenous and representative of their own country. Whether one is traveling through Cape Town, Pretoria, or Johannesburg, there are many galleries and museums to spend the day in, to gain a bit of historical knowledge and inspiration from the people who have so long found it necessary to fight just to simply express.

The Significance of Expression is a post from: Sexy Savanah

Expression out of Oppression

Savanah — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:39:15 +0000

For the last ten years, jazz musicians from all parts of the world have come together in Singapore for the Mosaic Festival. This ten day festival occurs every March at the Theaters on the Bay at the Esplanade in downtown Singapore. The complex was built in hopes of bringing a wide range of live music to Singapore, and is set close to other attractions such as the many 5 star Singapore hotels. With so many options it is quite easy to find a place to stay during the run of the festival. Famous jazz masters play along side those just breaking into the musical tradition, it’s a meeting of the most creative of minds. When the Esplanade Center for the Arts opened it was the goal and dream to bring such incredible talent and beauty and freedom to an island so much controlled by its government. In a world where a ticket is issued for chewing gum or a student is caned and tortured for speaking there mind and capital punishment is dished out like parking tickets in Los Angeles, music is what heals and makes life worth living. The people involved just wish for an audience to witness and experience and to feel what is good, and not for monetary gain, but spiritual and artistic health.

Singaporeans sat up and took notice to the international music during the invasions of the Fab Five in the sixties. The British Invasion was not missed on this tiny island. Since that time, music from the punk rock and R and B genre have gained popularity. And just as it always does, exposure inspires creation. Punk and rock and even the American brand of country music, is starting show itself in the influence on the local bands. And given the government they have to work with it is an amazing achievement, a window into what it is to be really free in the mind and soul, while perhaps not being so free in the physical and governed sense. To be able to fine expression in the midst of oppression, to have the opportunity to make others sing and dance and play along…to quote an Amnesty International film, Shadowland, “you can take my body but you can’t take my mind” is what the music and the arts offer to people, the artists and to the audience. From philharmonic symphony to heavy metal, and from opera to alternative, the Esplanade in Singapore is helping the people take there lives and put them in a safe place and a place where it is safe and encouraged to express one’s self in a dynamic way.

Expression out of Oppression is a post from: Sexy Savanah

Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature

Savanah — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:28:56 +0000

The first ever Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature (EAIFL) is in full swing in Dubai. EAIFL kicked off on Thursday at the Festival City with speeches and a parade as well as various cultural displays. This is the first true literary festival to be held in the Middle East and Dubai is proud to be hosting this premiere event.

Over sixty authors are participating in this inaugural event. They represent genres as diverse as science fiction, children’s literature, contemporary fiction, and inspiration and self-help. Audiences, including other authors, will be offere more than fifty separate events over the four-day event which wraps up on March 1st.

Several years ago the Ruler of Dubai made literacy in the Arab World a primary vision. The idea for a festival celebrating reading and authorship was born from that vision. The final day of the festival will be specially dedicated to Education and will feature interaction between authors and students from area schools and universities.

EAIFL will feature some exclusive book releases as well as workshops, booksignings, and readings. The associated EAIFL Fringe Festival will feature local artists, poets, and musicians as well as cultural exhibitions and workshops. The events at the Fringe Festival will be free of charge.

Together with the other festivals held throughout the city each year, EAIFL is expected to boost tourism as well as the city’s growing cultural reputation. The many Dubai UAE luxury hotels look to events like this to attract business as do retailers and restaurants throughout the city.

Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature is a post from: Sexy Savanah