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DA VINCI’S BLOBS
Looking at a rapidly flowing stream or a thunderstorm leaves a strong visual impression, but many aspects of what is actually happening remain hidden from or are simply beyond the reach of observation, either by the naked eye or instruments. They have to be inferred from what can be observed, and this is a matter of interpretation, of imagination. It is very much the method Albert Einstein used in developing his theories of Relativity, because he could not directly observe objects moving close to the speed of light, or the movements of stars in interstellar space. In science it is called making a hypothesis, and the application of this method took modern physics far beyond empiricism (Newton had proudly claimed, “I make no hypotheses”), which was based strictly on what could be observed. Da Vinci, in this way as in others, anticipated future developments—he created hypothetical worlds that revealed the hidden structures of nature. These, in turn, helped him create paintings of great originality that are imbued with a lasting aura of conceptual power.
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“The culture industry perpetually cheats its consumers of what it perpetually promises.”
“The culture industry perpetually cheats its consumers of what it perpetually promises. The promissory note which, with its plots and staging, it draws on pleasure is endlessly prolonged; the promise, which is actually all the spectacle consists of, is illusory: all it actually confirms is that the real point will never be reached, that the diner must be satisfied with the menu.”
“This is what democracy smells like”
“It came as no surprise to me that the Government won its vote on tripling tuition fees, although the initial maths being passed among the crowd did seem to suggest more Lib Dem abstentions than votes against. But the pain and fury among the students – freezing, passionate – was as evident as it was heartbreaking. This unelected, unelectable cabinet of millionaires had persuaded the Commons to ignore an unprecedented wave of public anger and concern over a key plank of its policy. And sent heavily armoured goons out to apply state-sanctioned violence to those forced to suffer the consequences.”
–- read the rest at jhn brssndn!
Ray Harryhausen’s Rapunzel
“The Rake’s Song” by The Decemberists (2009)
“The Decemberists have been a crescendo since their first album, a snowball of sound and fury. This song is the savage crab at their current high water mark. It is LOUD. Listen to it LOUDER. Verily, this is folk rock.”
— 3liza
“A stunning animated video for The Rake’s Song by The Decemberists, The Rake’s Song has been made by St.Martins College Of Art students. It was created and directed in Moscow, by Alex Dashino and Varvara Volodina. Alex and Varvara are second year students studying Moving Image at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London. “Any video referencing Baba Yaga, that lovable Russian folktale mainstay, is A+ in my book” Colin Meloy”
Aztec Day Signs
“I bought a really flashy piano that I couldn’t play at all.”
“I read an interview with Tom Waits, around the time of his album “Rain Dogs,” in which he talked about how you come to a point on an instrument where you have to stop playing it and find another instrument that you don’t know what you’re doing with. Part of songwriting is having that naïve excitement about not quite realizing why you’re getting off on it, because you haven’t had time to pull it apart yet. Songwriting relies on not pulling things apart: the best ideas are the simple ideas.”
Paul Greer 