the Clog art+music+pop culture

Everyone Is A Critic

2010-03-19T17:01:00Z

c>log

Art criticism may be defined as the process of judging the aesthetic qualities of visual art, chiefly painting, sculpture, and architecture, but also including craft objects. This has become a specialized field in the modern era, but judgments and criticisms about works of art have appeared since ancient times in descriptive and poetic writings, histories, technical treatises on art, and philosophical discussions of aesthetics.

In the Western world, reflection on art began with the philosophers of ancient Greece. Plato discussed proportion as the source of beauty, and mimesis, or imitation, as the primary mode of art. Aristotle identified different kinds of imitation, and Xenocrates wrote several technical treatises on painting and sculpture discussing the ideal synthesis of proportion and imitation in terms of the lives of classical Greek artists. Later, in the 3rd century AD, Plotinus combined mysticism and Neoplatonism to give images a divine source and interpretation. This, together with the Byzantine use of light and color to evoke spiritual transcendence, underlay the symbolic, allegorical, and decorative character of medieval Christian art.

The Italian renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries reinstated classical mimesis as the basis of art. Leonardo da Vinci wrote that painting brings the senses together with reason and mathematics in a scientific practice. Giorgio Vasari's Lives of the Artists (1550), on the other hand, emphasized artistic personalities and technical progress as the measure of art, the pinnacle of which he saw in the genius of Michelangelo. Vasari's concept of genius was Neoplatonic, holding that the inspired artist creates earthly beauty as a reflection of the "Absolute." This aesthetic ideal characterized the Baroque art and architecture of the 17th century. In the mid-18th century a rationalist tendency toward order and restraint combined with interest generated by the excavation of Roman remains inspired a Neoclassicism that emphasized fidelity to Greek and Roman models. Art history, museums, and the first regular public exhibitions of art also had their origin in the 18th century. Reviews of these exhibitions, such as those by Denis Diderot, began art criticism as it is now known.

By the early 19th century, Romanticism, a reaction against neoclassical strictures, had taken root across Europe. In England landscape painting and Gothic revival architecture explored the "Sublime," an exalted feeling embodied in the awesome and even horrific aspect of nature. Meanwhile, in Germany, the idealist philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel transcended the revivalist history of neoclassicism with his dialectical history of art, which has been of singular importance in the subsequent development of art history and theory. For Hegel, the classical sculptors had achieved a perfect balance between idea and material, but in romantic art the idea predominates over the material, allowing the artist to seek the revelation of Spirit. In France, Eugene Delacroix challenged the neoclassical doctrines upheld by the Academie des Beaux Arts with his romantic paintings, and was championed in the critical writings of Charles Baudelaire, who placed the highest value on the faculty of imagination. Other French artists espoused Realism, creating socially critical images of both the urban and peasant life of their own times and rejecting classical and allegorical subjects. Many others, in France and elsewhere, came to believe in art for art's sake. In the second half of the century, the impressionists and post-impressionists, rejected by the artistic establishment, formed the modernist avant-garde, which became the dominant influence in 20th-century art.

In recent times art has become a frequent subject in philosophical theories of knowledge while generating a broad range of new critical viewpoints. Freudian psychology and phenomenological theories of intentionality have recast ideas of the subjective experience of both artist and viewer, and suggest new levels of meaning and new forms of art. Another pervasive idea is that art constitutes a mode of experience similar to language in its operation. Formalist criticism develops this notion, advancing through its defense of abstract painting and sculpture. Notable formalist critics such as Clive Bell and Clement Greenberg have argued for the significance of the artistic elements of form, such as color, line, shape and composition, and have contended that representational content is secondary, even distracting. Attacking formalism as rarified and socially unresponsive, a Marxist criticism of art has become increasingly influential through the writings of such theorists as Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin.

Contemporary Marxist criticism attempts to go beyond the sociological critiques explored in the 19th century to try and understand the dialectical interactions of artistic form, the conditions of its production, and the interpretation of content, very often employing the methods of structural linguistics and anthropology. A widespread critical attitude in the 1980s was that the oppositional role of the modernist avant-garde is over, leading to the current eclectic condition designated postmodernism. Recent theories of poststructuralism and interpretation theory propose strategies of critical evaluation that incorporate multiple viewpoints and accept a basic indeterminacy in meaning.

Art Criticism Made Easy & Safe
(Batteries Not Included)

Bad Art Detector T-Shirt

Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 5)

2010-03-18T17:01:00Z

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Kodachrome bit the dust as the favorite film of our memories when it was retired in 2009. It was about that time the artist discovered the tin boxes full of Kodachrome slide transparencies. These images had not seen daylight or been viewed for many years. After scanning all 561 of the sides, he was able to see many images that had been forgotten with time. The look of Kodachrome is warm and inviting. A very special look, especially in the digital era. The artist decided to practice on these images in Aperture 3 to see what can be done with these "color positives" on both good images and bad images. For more information on Kodachrome please read our article, "Rest In Peace: Kodachrome". Thanks for visiting and please come back often!

Tulsa Skyline
1958 Tulsa, Oklahoma
©MMX Eric Hatheway
All Rights Reserved

Oklahoma Farm House
Circa 1957 N.E. Oklahoma
©MMX Eric Hatheway
All Rights Reserved

Great Wall of China
1979 China
©MMX Eric Hatheway
All Rights Reserved

Eric Hatheway Photography Links
Eric Hatheway Fine Art Links

Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 1)
Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 2)
Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 3)
Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 4
Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 5)

The Good Green And The Bad Green

2010-03-17T17:01:00Z

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Here is your St. Patrick's Day Guide to Green. Green, as all other colors, can be perceived as both positive and negative. Color choices should be made carefully and used in the proper context. Remember, all colors have their own particular rules and perceptions. The examples for all colors are endless. Therein lies the fun....

The Good Green

Green light: the go ahead or permission to proceed
The green room:a room in TV studios where guests relax
Hey, did you know that time moves faster in a green room?
Green thumb: a person who is good with plants
Greenback: money, or a dollar bill
Greener pastures: something perceived to be newer or better
Etcetera

The Bad Green

Green-eyed monster: jealousy
Green with envy: jealous or envious
Green: inexperienced untested, untrained
Greenhorn: novice, trainee, beginner
Green around the gills: pale, sickly
Etcetera

We have formed an analogous language to describe colors to one another. Green can be described as emerald green, sea green, seafoam green, olive green, olive drab green, pea green, grass green,apple green, mint green, forest green, lawn green, lime green, spring green, leaf green,aquamarine green, beryl green, chartreuse green, fir green, kelly green, pine green, moss green, jade green,sage green, sap green, viridian green, etcetera green.

Dirque du Soleil

He's from the past, so he knows the future...

dirque@erichatheway.com

Photo Study: Self-Portrait MCMXC

2010-03-16T17:01:00Z

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This is an older photographic image that was recorded on a Kodak Tri-X Pan 100 film negative using a Minolta XGM camera with a fast f1.2 50mm prime lens. This image, a self-portrait, was shot in the artist's favorite corner of the painting studio in Phillips Hall at the University of Tulsa. The finished print was scanned and then finished in Aperture 3 and Photoshop instead of hand-tinting using a set of Marshall's Photo-Oil Colors like we used to... Thanks for visiting and please come back often!

Self-Portrait MCMXC
©1990 Eric Hatheway
All Rights Reserved

GeoTag
95.987635° W
36.134716° N

Eric Hatheway Photography Links
Eric Hatheway Fine Art Links

Dub Wiser Live Longer!

2010-03-15T17:01:00Z

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Dub music is a form of Jamaican music, which evolved out of Reggae in 1960's Jamaica. The dub sound consists predominantly of instrumental re-mixes of existing recordings and is achieved by significantly manipulating and reshaping the recordings, usually by removing the vocals from an existing music piece, emphasizing the drum and bass frequencies or 'Riddim', adding extensive echo and reverb effects, and dubbing occasional snippets of lyrics from the original version.

It is widely accepted that Jamaican musicians Osbourne Ruddock (more commonly known by the pseudonym King Tubby), and Lee "Scratch" Perry pioneered the style in the 1960's and early 1970's. Ruddock and Perry each called upon the mixing desk as an instrument, with the Deejay or "Selector" playing the role of the artist or performer. This early 'Dub' music experimentation can be looked upon as the prelude to many dance and pop music genres.


Lee "Scratch" Perry		King Tubby

Dub music is characterized as a "version" or "double" of an existing song, often instrumental, using B sides of 45 RPM records and typically emphasizing the drums and bass for a sound popular in local sound systems. The instrumental tracks are typically drenched in sound processing effects such as echo, reverberation, part vocal and extra percussion, with most of the lead instruments and vocals dropping in and out of the mix. Another hallmark of the dub sound is the massive low-pitched bass guitar. The music sometimes features processed sound effects and other noises, such as birds singing, thunder and lightning, water flowing, and producers shouting instructions at the musicians. It can be further augmented by live DJs. The many-layered sounds with varying echoes and volumes are often said to create soundscapes, or sound sculptures, drawing attention to the shape and depth of the space between sounds as well as to the sounds themselves.

Dub Wiser Live Longer

There is usually a distinctly organic characteristic of the music, even though the effects are electronically created. Often these tracks are used for "Toasters" rapping heavily-rhymed and alliterative lyrics. These are called "DJ Versions". As opposed to Hip Hop terminology, in Reggae music the person with the microphone is called the "DJ", elsewhere referred to as the "MC." (Abbreviating "Master of Ceremonies," "Microphone Commander" or "Mic Control," this term varies regionally and demographically). Additionally in Reggae the person choosing the music and operating the turntables is the "Selector" (i.e., the DJ).

The Dream King T-Shirt

2010-03-14T17:01:00Z

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As seen in the recently released film "Rockin' Around The Shrine" – The Dream King.
Very hip-notic! Get yours today at the EricHatheway.com OnLine Store!

The Dream King Available only at EricHatheway.com

The Dream King is available in many styles,
sizes and colors for men and women!
Check it out (we mean it).

Photo Series: Random Animal Portraits

2010-03-13T17:01:00Z

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Portraiture with an emphasis on animals. Like all portrait endeavors, it's all about capturing the spirit of subject at the right moment in time. We'll keep adding to the series. Thanks for visiting and please come back often!

Random Animal No. 1
©2009 Eric Hatheway
All Rights Reserved

Random Animal No. 2
©2009 Eric Hatheway
All Rights Reserved

GeoTag
36.209053° N
95.908669° W

Eric Hatheway Photography Links
Eric Hatheway Fine Art Links

UPDATED Photo Series: Last Night At The Woodland Lounge

2010-03-12T17:01:00Z

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The Woodland Lounge – a shoebox sized tavern in a little strip center in a midwestern city. The bar, for some twenty or twenty-five years catered to those who golfed and enjoyed a few cocktails after their round of golf. The Woodland Lounge also saw its share of patrons who drank all day and played cards until their wives called them home. The evenings were filled with live entertainment that could only be called smokey lounge music. A crude hand-painted mural on the east wall of the bar involves a golf theme and the images of who are most likely the original owners and/or investors in the tiny neighborhood tavern. These are the last pictures of the Woodland Lounge. It will meet the wrecking ball in the morning. The last night at the Woodland Lounge. The walls then came down and all those memories rose up into the air upon a cloud of dust and stale smoke.

GeoTag
36.089668° N
95.937126° W
Altitude: 600ft

Eric Hatheway Photography Links
Eric Hatheway Fine Art Links

Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 4)

2010-03-11T05:01:00Z

c>log

Kodachrome bit the dust as the favorite film of our memories when it was retired in 2009. It was about that time the artist discovered the tin boxes full of Kodachrome slide transparencies. These images had not seen daylight or been viewed for many years. After scanning all 561 of the sides, he was able to see many images that had been forgotten with time. The look of Kodachrome is warm and inviting. A very special look, especially in the digital era. The artist decided to practice on these images in Aperture 3 to see what can be done with these "color positives" on both good images and bad images. For more information on Kodachrome please read our article, "Rest In Peace: Kodachrome". Thanks for visiting!

Eric Hatheway Photography Links
Eric Hatheway Fine Art Links

Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 1)
Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 2)
Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 3)
Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 4
Kodachrome Scenes Unseen (Part 5)

Dandy Livingstone: The Original Rude Boy

2010-03-10T05:01:00Z

c>log

Probably one of the first Rude Boys, or at least one of the first to sing about the Rude Boy, Dandy Livingstone is a Jamaican ska and reggae musician that was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1943. He was born as Robert Livingstone Thompson and he made his way to the United Kingdom when he was 15 years old. He unwittingly released his first record when he discovered that someone in the building where he and a friend had recorded some tracks peddled the songs to the Planetone Label without his knowledge.

Meanwhile, in London, the Carnival Records label was shopping for Jamaican vocal duo. Dandy stepped in and got the job by making double tracks of his voice to satisfy the requirement for a pair of Jamaican voices. He continued to release music using this studio technique under the name Sugar & Dandy. When live performances required the addition of a real second vocalist, Roy Smith and Tito "Sugar" Simone were called upon to fill in with Dandy.

Ska Beat Records signed Dandy Livingstone in 1967 and he made a debut album in 1968 called Rocksteady With Dandy. Of course, Rudy A Message To You scored big with listeners in the United Kingdom when it became a Top 50 hit. As his career progressed, Dandy began to make his mark as a very fine music producer. An association with trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who later played with The Specials, saw Dandy's Rudy A Message To You covered by The Specials in 1979.

Dandy found a real music home when he signed with the famous Jamaican record label, Trojan Records, in 1968. Dandy was given his own production function at the studio and he operated under the Down Town Records label during his relationship with Trojan Records. Dandy stayed in Jamaica until 1973 when he returned to the United Kingdom to continue his career as a musician and producer.

The 2-Tone ska revival in the late 1970s saw a well deserved interest in his music develop. Dandy's best known work is his smash hit Suzanne Beware Of The Devil in 1972. The entire album, currently released under the Trojan Label, is a wonderful summation of his career and his masterful skills as a musician and producer. Dandy Livingstone was a big part of early Jamaican reggae music and Jamaican ska music – there is much to appreciated from this work especially the sophisticated groove that Dandy lays down on each and every track. Very highly recommended!