What Hell May Love Journey To

The Birth, by Alexander Shubin

Shubin has this painting under Sensual Dream in his website.  But this is no sensual dream.

If I was going through fucking HELL, I'd only want one person in the whole goddamn world by my side.

Alas, Poor Hamlet, I Knew Him!

The Portrait of Anna & Friedrick, by Alexander Shubin

It is no surprise that Shubin's portrait reminds me of Hamlet.  Ah, but what if... Ophelia is somehow resurrected, and cradles, in a mixture of desire and derision, his remains?



Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen? Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must come; make her laugh at that. Prithee, Horatio, tell me one thing.

Erotic Nightmare of Herr Mozart

The Sweet Poison, by Alexander Shubin

Shubin's painting reminds me of the mysterious masked patron in `Amadeus.

After Salieri realizes that the commendatory scene from Don Giovanni is Mozart's attempt to have his father accuse his son (probably for marrying a woman he didn't approve of), Salieri figures out a way to eliminate Mozart as his rival composer forever. He will come to Mozart's house dressed in the same costume his father wore ealier in the movie and request a requiem mass, which will be a truly inspired work because Mozart can write it with his father in mind to make amends for any wrong he did to him during his life. Salieri then plans to kill Mozart and pass the work off as his own. A truly scary/genius scene from [Miloš Forman's] `Amadeus.

Soulful Voice of Amy Grant

That's What Love Is For

House of Love

Baby, Baby

Sensuous Voice of Dido Armstrong

Stoned

Life for Rent

Don't Leave Home

Angelic Voice of Sarah McLachlan

Push

Fallen

Train Wreck

The Making of the 2011-2012 Luvabulls

When we initially discussed creating a behind-the-scenes look at the Luvabulls' tryouts, our expectations were mixed. Sure, it's a process filled with nerves, emotions and, for those who don't make it, heartbreak. But what blew us away is something that we probably didn't truly realize: the Luvabulls are athletes...great athletes for that matter. These women come from different backgrounds and each one of them is unique to the say the least, but they also share a common bond: they love to dance, but more importantly, they love to dream big. 

Over the course of four weeks with over 20 hours of footage, Comcast SportsNet could easily create a "The Making of the Luvabulls" mini-series. We started filming at tryouts on Aug. 13th, when over 200 dancers were vying for the 25-woman roster. That's right, only 25 girls make up the Luvabulls dance team. That means 175 of them had to go home. Dreams shattered, hopes dashed for those who didn't make the cut. Euphoria and self-fulfillment for those who did. 

We'll take viewers through the entire process. In particular, what stood out to us were the Saturday tryouts held at the United Center. They were a killer, just a long, grueling day. The girls learned choreography and had to perform it on the spot in front of Luvabulls director Cathy Core, choreographer Kim Tyler and a panel of judges. The room was filled with intense pressure throughout this exhausting day and, at the end of it all, 155 cuts had to be made. The 45 remaining girls were invited to mini-camp. 

Mini-camp was repetitive, featuring many of the same routines over and over...until Kim's choreography to Beyonce songs was perfected. We both know the dances by heart and could probably perform them with the squad, but trust us, no one wants to see that. After another long, hard-fought day, cuts were whittled down to the final 25. Talk about an emotional roller coaster for these young women. You will be floored by what you see. Core says that is one of the toughest parts of her job," I can't always hold it together, especially if I have to cut a veteran." 

We also captured the official 2011-12 Luvabulls roster photo shoot held in September. Talk about organized chaos that ran amazingly smooth. The girls get their hair and make-up done and then have to go from posing with a smile to being very sexy. Bill Smith, the team photographer for the Bulls, is a great coach and, of course, Cathy and Kim are there to help the girls get the best shots. It is amazing to see them hit so many poses in such a short span of time. 

In her 28th year with the Luvabulls, Cathy is headstrong and vocal, but she is honest. Through her guidance, the Luvabulls are taught life lessons that go way beyond center court, "When I look at a person, I can just tell by the way she carries herself, by the way she speaks and by the way she walks. You know that person has it and you know there is something raw in there."
To see the inner workings of a tryout process from beginning to end was a long journey for us, so you can imagine how tough it was for them. Even we felt emotionally and physically exhausted when it was all done. We followed a lot of the dancers through their own personal journey. Our cameras captured the raw emotions, the physical and emotional pain and so much more. 

Some of you may see them as pretty girls that can dance. Although that is true, we can now tell you it is so much more than that. We were privileged and lucky to capture the true essence of being a Luvabull and the sacrifices these girls make...all to live out their dream of dancing on center court at a Bulls game. We know you will enjoy the journey as much as we did.

2012-2013 Luvabulls, by Elliot Harris

The newest members of the Chicago Luvabulls chat with Elliott Harris after the dance squad was selected on Aug. 29, 2012, at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Members of the 2011-12 Chicago Luvabulls who are trying out for the 2012-13 team introduce themselves to the other candidates during the afternoon session of auditions on Aug. 25, 2012, at the United Center. Of the 47 candidates invited to minicamp, 19 were on the 2011-12 squad.

Chicago Luvabulls director Cathy Core calls out the numbers of the 25 women picked to be on the 2012-13 dance squad at the end of auditions on Aug. 29, 2012, at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

2013-2014 Luvabulls Dance Audition and Debut

Get an inside look at the competitive selection process and find out what it takes to become a member of the 2013-14 Luvabulls.

Making the team is not guaranteed every season. On day two, the veteran Luvabulls compete against new dancers for a spot on the 2013-14 team.

In this final episode, the veterans and contenders compete in their final challenge, Boot Camp, to make the 2013-14 team.

Meet each of the 20 dancers on the 2013-14 Luvabulls.

From Kama to Lana Sutra, by Erik Ravelo

A simultaneous event in three Benetton concept stores: Istanbul, Milan and Munich, worldwide via Web.

The emotions each colour gives, the cosiness of wool, a warm embrace: these are all feelings that unite the human kind and are expressed in a new art form in line with its time. The Lana Sutra is a series of 15 installations conceived as a homage to love and dedicated to the desire for an equal and sharing society. 

The series of 15 art pieces, created by the young Cuban artist, Erik Ravelo of "Fabrica", will be on display for a week in three Benetton stores. 

These will convert into art galleries, highlighting, once again the traditional affinity between Benetton and the world of artistic expression.

It is humanly natural to think of things and forces that separate us from each other. Language, culture, place, values and tradition; they all create a separation which we call differences or diversity. Erik Ravelo is a Cuban artist at Fabrica who has viewed those differences as the palette to break down and dissolve those differences. In his latest work, Lana Sutra, with United Colors of Benetton, his experiences concerning diversity shaped and unified the convergence on diversity, love.  Lana Sutra is a series of 15 installations conceived as a homage to love dedicated to the desire for an equal and sharing society. Derived from 'Lana', Italian and Spanish for wool and 'sutra', which means a thread which unites, this concept begins to unfold very natural and compelling visuals. Ravelo utilizes real models to articulate the different positions of love using plaster to capture the forms. Each installation is composed of two plaster sculptures: two bodies embracing covered in wool threads in various colors. Provocatively and artistically, Erik Ravelo decides to show us the two points where the entities meet where the colours would merge into one another. The intersection of differences creates one shared point, new colour, binding emotion and moment. This is yet another way to symbolize how love can cancel differences and bind humanity as one.

Reference: Lanasutra, by Erik Ravelo.

The dude is outstanding!

Untouchable Right to Childhood, by Erik Ravelo

Brazil

Japan

McDonald's

Priest

Syria

Thailand

USA

Reference: Los Intocables.

A friend posted a set of photos on Google+, from among the above, and I was immediately taken.  Thankfully I saw Erik Ravelo's name on the photos, and easily reveled in his artistic genius and social conscience.

 

The right to childhood should be untouchable.  

Campaign for Violence Prevention, by Erik Ravelo

Violence by Intimate Partners

Child Abuse and Neglect

Elder Abuse

Sexual Violence

Reference: Print, by Erik Ravelo

Who doubts the power of art to make a difference?  Cuban sculptor, painter, and multimedia artist Erik Ravelo dares to challenge anyone who does.

The Global Campaign for Violence Prevention (GCVP) aims to implement the recommendations of the World report on violence and health by raising awareness about the problem of violence, highlighting the crucial role that public health can play in addressing its causes and consequences, and fostering prevention. It also seeks to ensure a coordinated international response. In support of these aims, the GCVP provides a platform for the dissemination and exchange of science-based knowledge about violence prevention, and the sharing of violence prevention policies, plans and experiences.

Kennedy Center Honors Led Zeppelin

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There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven. 

Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder. 

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking. 

Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder. 

And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
And the forests will echo with laughter. 

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder. 

Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind? 

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll. 

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

Stairway to Heaven, by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant

I discovered this performance on a friend's Facebook timeline, and like her, I was moved to tears.  Ann Wilson clearly studied and practiced Robert Plant's vocals perfectly.  But really the entire performance is so superbly done, as, I'm sure, to make the rock legends themselves very proud.  Such a stirring rendition mirrors the original as a religious experience.  

Ann and Nancy Wilson's performance was just the denouement of the Kennedy Center's full honoring of Led Zeppelin. 

Dance Like Michael Jackson, Do the Brain Good

If you are prone to dizziness, a new study has found that dancing may help improve your balance and make you less dizzy. In September 2013, researchers from Imperial College London reported on specific differences in the brain structure of ballet dancers that may help them avoid feeling dizzy when they perform pirouettes. You don't have to train to become a professional ballet dancer to benefit from some type of dancing.

Reference: Why Is Dancing So Good for Your Brain?

Even If "Nights on Broadway" Take Forever

Here we are in the room full of strangers,
Standing in the dark where your eyes couldnt see me
Well, I have to follow you
Though you didn't want me to.
But that wont stop my lovin you
I can't stay away

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"Bonnie," by Neil Krug and Joni Harbeck

Reference: Pulp Art Book | Neil Krug and Joni Harbeck.  

I stumbled on these photos, when I Googled "artistic pond."  Go figure.  

Maybe it was a woman in lingerie.  With a gun.  Looking nonchalant.  Then blood-spattered windshield and window.  Glass as canvas for abstract painting.  Blood as paint.  Now looking worried.

Maybe it was all of this that captivated me.

Pulp Art Book, by Neil Krug and Joni Harbeck

Joni: We had never worked together before this project; in fact we first met late last year. Since we were both in the industry on different sides of the camera for years, it was natural that we quickly started playing around with ideas. Late one night we were shooting for fun with a Polaroid camera, this Indian headdress i made, and a cigarette, and this amazing picture turned out. We posted it the next day online and the response was incredible. As we continued to shoot and receive public interest online, Neil suggested we self-publish a book of our work. Thus began Pulp Art Book and off we went shooting one vignette after another.

Neil: I had the idea to shoot something in the style of a vintage Robert McGinnis paperback cover years ago, but didn’t have the ability to pull it off. Immediately after we did the headdress shoot she’s referring to above I realized we had touched on that aesthetic with the Polaroid film. It was after that shoot we realized we had great chemistry and it was something we both wanted to pursue.

Joni and Neil: The inspiration for the pulp theme comes from our collective appreciation for the artistic expressions and societal life of the 1960s and 70s. Old LP covers, Giallo posters, vintage book covers, and B-movie cinema themes have defined our taste for this project. Initially we wanted to capture something simple and sexy; as the shoots progressed, however, natural story lines emerged. We wanted to capture almost the smell of those decades and express them in our own way.

Reference: AN INTERVIEW WITH SUPERMODEL JONI HARBECK AND PHOTOGRAPHER NEIL KRUG.

World of Dance Network Remixes "Thriller"

This is easily the best remix and rendition of "Thriller" out there.  I love it when YouTubers don't just regurgitate music, and instead put their creative stamp on it.  Well-done, by World of Dance Network.

What Is Halloween Without "Thriller"?

One of the biggest thrills we got from this video becoming so popular was when MJ added us as one of his YouTube "favorites." Yes, it was probably just his management team, but it was cool nonetheless. He'll be missed.

Thriller as choreographed by Chloe Bell for a Big brother House task in 2008. This is a great video to learn the dance steps for Halloween ;)

1,500 plus CPDRC inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines at practice! This is not the final routine, and definitely not a punishment!

WHY THRILLER?

What made me choose Michael Jackson's Thriller for the aerobics routine is that Michael Jackson was a convicted man to the eyes of those who hated him. He would have been in imprisoned had it not been for settlement arrangements, they would say. Still Michael Jackson's frailty as a human being makes him like one of us -- whether one is a prisoner or not.

I saw in the lyrics and video of Thriller much of what jail culture is like. Because of the hideous conditions in jails, prisons are like tombs and inmates are like ghoulish creatures. The only difference is that dancers in the MJ Thriller video come with make-up and costumes. The Dancing Inmates come as themselves. People perceived to be evil.

The message of the Thriller is a message for all of us. The funk of forty thousand years embedded in the cycle of sin and punishment is a legacy no mere mortal can resist or is capable of resisting. No prison wall can and will stop evil from lurking in the dark. No shackle can stop the beast about to strike. No punitive or brutal treatment is ever too strong to stop creatures crawling in search of blood. Unless we stop breeding demons in jails, gruesome ghouls from every tomb will seal the doom of nations and civilizations.

What I wanted inmates to do in dancing to the Thriller was for them to be convicted to sin. When I uploaded this on the YouTube, what I wanted viewers to see is how evil dances in our lives without knowing its deathly consequences.

But then the song and dance number is but a medium to the message. The message is, governments must stop looking at jails darkly. We have to stop being entertained and thrilled by the sting of sin. We have to look at prisons beyond the cycle of crime and punishment and certainly look inside underlying social, cultural and psychological implications of rehabilitation.

No matter how jails are called, prisons by any name are still hell -- the corpse's shell. It is a location in the map that governments would like to hide but cannot conceal. It's like the "horror looking right between the eyes, you're paralyzed." This paralyzing reality is such that if we make jails a living hell, we may be breeding the next generation demons or beast and we may be sending out devils once they are released and reintegrated to society.

Michael Jackson may have exposed the evils of this Earth in the Thriller but he had a strong message of saving humanity from doom in his "Heal the World" where he said "heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race." Michael Jackson's message was a message of salvation. "There are people dying if you care enough for the living, make it a better place for you and for me." We may have missed out what Michael was trying to say beyond the lyrics.

PEACE TO ALL MANKIND! Byron F. Garcia

Meditations on Sound and Silence

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Angelina Jolie Intimate, by Brad Pitt

Cherubs in heaven

T'ai Chi embrace

Joy of nursing 

Bathed in light

Lush wanting

Puckered silly

Pensive longing

Once erotic, now exhausted

Emerging on canvas 

Contented looking

Sensuous aftermath

A perfect profile

Ascent as foreplay

I adore these contrasty, textured photographs of the stunning Angelina Jolie.  There is an intimacy, a candor, and an artistry to them, which only Brad Pitt could have captured and engendered.  

Reference: Brad Pitt's Intimate Photos of Angelina Jolie

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"To Sir, With Love," from Lulu

Lulu 

Younger poets find it stimulating: they are reclaiming this “found” poetry and uploading it to the self-publishing platform Lulu. They create print-on-demand books that, most likely, will never be printed, but will live as PDFs on Lulu—their de-facto publisher and distributor.

Reference: The Writer as Meme Machine.

I plan to publish The Song Poems, so when I read about Lulu, I Googled it right away.

Lulu Kennedy-Cairns

Except that this lovely lady showed up first.

Then I simply had to search for this classic love song, that I've loved for a long time, on YouTube:

Those schoolgirl days, of telling tales and biting nails are gone,
But in my mind,
I know they will still live on and on,
But how do you thank someone, who has taken you from crayons to perfume?
It isn't easy, but I'll try,

If you wanted the sky I would write across the sky in letters,
That would soar a thousand feet high,
To Sir, with Love 

The time has come,
For closing books and long last looks must end,
And as I leave,
I know that I am leaving my best friend,
A friend who taught me right from wrong,
And weak from strong,
That's a lot to learn,
What, what can I give you in return? 

If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start,
But I, would rather you let me give my heart,
To Sir, with Love

Then, the 1967 British drama, starring Sidney Poitier and of course Lulu.

Music Helps You Work (Out): Art Knew That Already

Just whistle while you work
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place
So hum a merry tune
It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace

And as you sweep the room
Imagine that the broom is someone that you love
And soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune

(Spoken: Oh, no, no, no, no! Put them in the tub)
When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work

Whistle While You Work, by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey.

We dig dig dig dig dig dig dig in our mine the
whole day through
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we really like to do
It ain't no trick to get rich quick
If you dig dig dig with a shovel or a pick
In a mine! In a mine! In a mine! In a mine!
Where a million diamonds shine! 

We dig dig dig dig dig dig dig from early morn till night
We dig dig dig dig dig dig dig up everything in sight
We dig up diamonds by the score
A thousand rubies, sometimes more
But we don't know what we dig 'em for
We dig dig dig a-dig dig 

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
Heigh-ho 

[Chorus]
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
It's home from work we go 

[Whistle]
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho 

[Chorus]
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho 

[Whistle]
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
Heigh-ho hum

Heigh-ho, by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey

Churchill and Morey wrote these beloved songs for the 1937 Disney film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

How Music Can Boost our Workouts

Enter: A group of researchers from Belgium and Germany.

In brief, the researchers installed electronic devices on exercise machines, which played music whenever volunteers worked out on these machines.  The music - for example, rhythm and tempo - they heard depended on how they exercised.  They effectively created music, while working out.

Results showed that musical agency significantly decreased perceived exertion during workout, indicating that musical agency may actually facilitate physically strenuous activities. This indicates that the positive effect of music on perceived exertion cannot always be explained by an effect of diversion from proprioceptive feedback. Furthermore, this finding suggests that the down-modulating effect of musical agency on perceived exertion may be a previously unacknowledged driving force for the development of music in humans: making music makes strenuous physical activities less exhausting.

Reference: Musical agency reduces perceived exertion during strenuous physical performance.

How did Western science get to be so late to the party?  Moreover, how does it come across as insightful, even ground-breaking, when in fact art (à la Walt Disney) knew decades ago that making music not only made work less exhausting, but also made it positively delightful?

Curious Floating Things of Kris Lewis' Portraits

elka park 

life boat 

low tide 

returning the fire

trophy hunt

cory

Kris Lewis paints quite a curiosity.  His renderings are life-like, and, to my eyes, seem to pay homage to masters of centuries past, the likes of Remembrandt van Rijn and Peter Paul Rubens.  He doesn't mention either in his biography, but

His reverence for masters of old is apparent in his depiction of the human figure, which he uses as a vector for hidden stories, delicate emotion, and finding truth. His affinity for people-watching also informs his paintings, collecting glances, gestures, miens and hints and channeling them through the canvas for the viewer to share in the experience.

I am especially intrigued by a theme: that of flying or floating things, amid these figures.  We normally expect to see them in the distance, but these things join the foreground in ways that truly make for curious paintings.  In this way, Lewis departs from those masters.

What do these things represent?

I'd say they're very much elaborate on the personality of these figures.  For example, for "elka park," the last vestiges of autumn - a final handful of falling leaves - anticipates winter flurries, the cold from which she is turned.  The boy in "low tide" holds what resembles a bill-guisarme, which in turn the charcoal banner mirrors, altogether speaking to a pirate fantasy.  Finally, "cory" harkens back to a man of letters, and perhaps the drifting and linking hexagons mean he writes about science.