A Clinton Bopp Mural in Venice

Today, I was able to watch muralist Clinton Bopp as he painted a mural on the side of a building at 1317 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, California.  Clinton is a well known muralist in L.A. and enjoys the opportunity to express his creativity and talent on the exterior walls of the city.  The Bopp Maori inspired logo in the lower left of the mural gives reference to his Native New Zealand.  The girl in the center is inspired from his teaching art to the children at a school.  The children delight in artistic creativity that Bopp expresses with flowers, bees, butterflies and birds.  As you can see the mural in is process.  Observers express delight in seeing the mural and taking pictures of the artist with his creation.

Delacroix's Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi

I roamed around LACMA yesterday and was taken by a painting on loan from the Musse des Beaux-Arts, in Bordeaux, France.  The painting is by Eugene Delacroix, France, 1798-1863 and it is entitle "Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi," 1826.  Delacroix was interested in the Greek war of freedom from the Ottoman Empire.  Lord Byron had written about the plight of the Greeks and in fact lost his life in 1824 while supporting the Greeks against the Turks.  Delacroix was moved by Byron's writings and was motivated to depict a tragedy that occurred in Missolonghi, Greece and to motivate France to fight with the Greeks.

The information mounted near the painting states that in March of 1825, during an Ottoman siege on the Greek city of Missolonghi that lasted a year, a small group of fighters attempted to leave the city and forge for food for the starving and ill citizens of the city.  This attempt failed and the Turkish soldiers followed the Greeks back into the city.  The desperate survivors retreated into their armory and blew it up, killing themselves and the Turkish army.

Delacroix created this painting that was shown at an exhibition in Paris in order to generate support to intervene to protect the massacre of thousands of Greek citizens.  Two years after the painting was finished, the French joined British and Russian forces and permanently ended four hundred years of Ottoman rule over the Greeks.  The description refers to this as a "propaganda painting."

The painting description states that at the center of the painting an emotional, larger-than-life allegory of Greece leans on bended knee, pleading for help.  Her red-slippered foot points to the blood-stained ruins of the exploded city, bodies beneath the rubble.  In the upper right, a turbaned warrior proudly bears his standard as a pronouncement of victory.  The description goes on to say that even with her suppliant stance and position of defeat, the figure remains dignified.  She wears the colors of the Greek flag.  Her costume also makes a pointed reference to the Virgin who is typically depicted in blue and white, as Greece is a Christian country in contrast to the Muslim victor in the background.

"Henri IV Conferring the Regency upon Marie de' Medici," before 1836 by Delacroix.
This painting from the LACMA collection was hung near the "Ruins" painting.  It shows the influence of Peter Paul Rubens, a Flanders painter, 1577-1640.

Hurricane Mama Birthday

I attended a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert last Thursday which featured "Hurricane Mama" the 10 year old pipe organ at Disney Hall.  The concert conducted by Gustavo Dudamel featured the pipe organ in the four musical pieces.  Cameron Carpenter played the organ on three of these plus he gave a pre-concert recital.  This 33 year-old is a force of nature himself as he attacks the organ in sequined adorned shoes and a feline dark strip of hair over a shaved head.  He changed from silver pants and sport coat at the preconcert recital to a tailored tuxedo with tails for the for the main concert.  Mark Swed of the L.A. Times described Carpenter as "an extraordinary virtuoso and thinking musician, he demonstrates a unique and increasingly compelling combination of flash and substance."  He wrote in his review that Carpenter looked from the back as he was seated at a console like a wild organ animal ready to pounce.

The recital included a Trio Sonata No. 3 in D minor by J.S. Bach, "Love Walked In" by Gershwin arranged by Carpenter and "Dieu Parmi Nous" by Messiaen that seemed to almost blow the roof off the Disney Hall. Mark Swed described Carpenter's playing of the Messiaen piece as "so rich and effusive that it was simply the most overwhelming Messiaen organ playing I've ever encounter."

The main concert included Toscata Festive, Op.30 by Samuel Barber, Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major, Op. 30 by Alexander Scraibin, Symphony No. 4 by Stephen Hartke (world premiere), and Symphony No. 3 in C minor, O;. 78 by Camille Saint-Saens.  The Hartke's Symphony is for soprano, organ and orchestra with Heidi Sober singing the soprano part.  Stephen Hartke was in the audience and came to the stage for an ovation form the audience. Joanne Pearce Martin, L.A. Phil's principal keyboard player played for this piece.  

During the final piece by Saint-Saens Mark Swed wrote:  "Carpenter revved Hurricane Mama up to, if not beyond, the organ equivalent of a Category 5 storm surge."  The audience rose and shouted bravo in appreciation for this outstanding musical experience.  

Here are a few pictures:

The Disney stage prior to the pre-concert organ recital.  The wooden external pipes are affectionately call "French Fries."

Soloist Cameron Carpenter (photo by Lawrence K. Ho, L.A. Times)

Gustavo Dudamel conducting the L.A. Phil with Cameron Carpenter at Hurricane Mama organ ( photo by Lawrence K. Ho).

Gustave Courbet class at UCLA

I took a two hour class on the French artist Gustave Courbet last Saturday.  The class was offered through UCLA Extension and taught by Mary Beth Carosello, MA, University of Chicago.  I have taken two other classes by this instructor and have enjoyed them very much.  Carosello has worked in the education departments of the Getty, MOCA and at the St. Louis Art Museum.  She does a good job of helping understand the times and the personality of the artists.

Gustave Courbet was born in 1819 in Ornans, France which is in the foothills of the Alps and although he moved to Paris when he was 20 years-old, he remained very connected to his home country and painted many popular landscapes of the area which served to encourage Parisians to vacation there.

"Self-portrait, The Desperate Man," 1843-45

We learned that Courbet was one of the most avant-garde artists in Paris in the mid 1800's.  He was seen as coming from the wild west of France like a "cowboy, mountain man."  He was trained in the classic style of painting  and copied many classical paintings in the Louvre such as the Spanish and Dutch artists.  He visited Holland to see Dutch Paintings in 1847 and was impressed by their realistic paintings of Dutch life.

After the beginning of the Second Republic in France, there was a more free society and more tolerant political environment.  Courbet was successful in getting paintings accepted by the annual Salon where artists works were shown.  They were selected by a jury.  He eventually got 10 of his paintings accepted to be shown and ultimately receives an award allowing him to get his work shown there without review for the rest of his life.

One of his most famous paintings is "A burial at Ornans," 1849-50. (Shown below).

This oil on canvas is 123.6 inches by 261 inches. It was shown at the Paris Salon in 1850-51  and brought Courbet instant fame.  The painting rebelled against the status quo, lacking in spiritual elevation, flat presentation with everyone depicted equally, ignoring social hierarchy.

Courbet was influence by the paintings of Spanish artists like Francisco de Zurbaran (1598-1664). who was a follower of the style of Caravaggio.  The Louvre opened its Spanish gallery in 1838 and Courbet saw it.  It was said that the "Burial at Ornans" was the burial of romanticism. He painted the actual people of the village, not pretty idealized persons.  Although Parisian elite hated anything seen as middle class, Courbet was already a success and his paintings became popular.  In a painting entitled "The Bathers," 1853, he painted women with arm pit hair and loose stockings.

Another famous Courbet painting is "The Artist Studio:  A Real Allegory of a Seven Year Phase in my Artistic and Moral Life," 1855 which is also a huge 141.3 x 235.43 inches.  It is at the Musee d'Orsay, Paris.  (See below)

In 1855 Courbet displayed forty of his paintings including this one next door to the Salon in a temporary structure that he built as the Salon said they didn't have room for his works.  "The Artist's Studio" was seen as a master piece by leading artists but not the public.  It is seen as an allegory of Courbet's life as a painter.  The painting includes a priest, prostitute, grave digger, merchant, people of misery, poverty, wealth, and the current French Emperor, Napoleon III identified by his famous hunting dogs and twirled mustache.  It is said that by placing him on the left, Courbet shows his disdain for the emperor and depicts him as a criminal.  

Courbet's landscapes of his homeland sell very well.  He painted stream from Ornans eleven times. These were moneymakers for him.  It is said that he could finish one of these paintings in 2 hours.  

"Stream of the Puits-Noir al Ornans," 1867-68
This painting is at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.

Perhaps Courbet's most famous or infamous painting is entitled "Origins of the World" 1866.  This is one of his many female nudes taken from an up close view of a women's vagina.  The painting was so controversial that is was "lost" until 1995 when it was purchased by the Musee d'Orsay.  Critics said that his paintings were just pornography.  

In 1870 Courbet was nominated to receive the French Legion of Honor award but he rejected it.  After the French loose a war with German in 1871, Courbet joined a socialist group who were crushed. Courbet was arrested and imprisoned for 6 months.  In 1873, he was released but refused to denounce the movement and fled to Switzerland.  Here he painted landscape views looking across the border to his native France.  It is said that Courbet drank a lot.  He died in 1877 at the age of 58.  

Here are additional paintings by Courbet and associates that I visited at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena:

"Marine," 1865-66 by Gustave Courbet.
This is one of his landscapes that Courbet painted later in his career.  Courbet emphasized that he painted what he saw.  In this seascape he painted the sea just before sunrise, with amazing colors and detail including sea weed on the beach.  He often used a palette knife to scrape the paint across the surface.

"The Pont des Arts, Paris," 1867-68 by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French, 1841-1919
Renoir, painted en plein air (outside) often alongside his colleague Claude Monet.  In this view of modern Paris, he paints people and their dogs enjoying a leisurely day along the Seine.   This painting and two others will be going to France for a temporary trade for several that will be visiting the Norton Simon in the Spring.  

"Mouth of the Seine, Honfleur," 1865 by Claude Monet, French, 1840-1926
Monet sometimes painted with Courbet.  This painting was approved to be shown at the Solon in Paris.  This is before Monet began his impressionistic style. This very balance and well executed painting was a big hit at the Salon.

"Cliff at Etretat, the Porte d'Aval," 1869 by Gustave Courbet
This is one of Courbet's last French landscapes.  Courbet does not paint people in the picture but only evidence there of in the two boats on the beach.  The dramatic opening of the cliff is still there today.

"Apples, Pears, and Primroses on a Table," 1871-72 by Gustave Courbet
The inscription on the lower left side of the painting refers to the prison he was sentenced to for 6 months.  He actually painted this while convalescing at a clinic afterwards.  

"Vase of Lilacs, Roses and Tulips," 1863 by Gustave Courbet

Dutch Still Lifes at LACMA

I joined a class at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art led by Mary Lenihan, Director of Adult Programs on Dutch Still Lives.  She led us to the third floor galleries in the Ahmanson Building to view 17th century paintings.  First we look at Italian paintings of the era and she pointed out the religious subject matter.  Then we looked at the Dutch paintings of the same time that were mostly of household life of the new middle class in Holland.

The Dutch economy was booming based on world wide trade.  This led to a rising merchant middle class that desired beautiful art in their homes.  Also, since the Protestant Reformation, the Dutch rejected most religious paintings, seeing them as idolatry.

One of the favorite types of paintings of the era were still lifes. LACMA has an impressive collection of them.

"Banquet Still Life," 1667 by Abraham van Beyeren, Northern Netherlands, 1620=1690
Ostentatious still lifes such as this painting celebrated the prosperity of Holland.  We learned that lobsters were very plentiful at the time but the luxury objects displayed on a marble table spread with a Turkish rug with the fresh fruit, silver tray shows signs of wealth.  This is in conflict with the Calvinist puritan culture that frowned on ostentation.  The Dutch also showed reference to Christianity with the inclusion of bread, grapes (wine) and a challis.  The Dutch paintings also show the passage of time and that time is fleeting...we all die, in the presence of a dead mouse, insects, rotting food and the food almost sliding off the table.

"Still Life with Herring, Wine and Bread," 1647 by Pieter Claesz, Northern Netherlands, 1596-1660.
The bread and wine symbols are evident along with a peeled lemon and almost falling food.  A large salt container is also a sign of opulence as salt was valuable and the method for storing food.   

"Still life with Oysters and Grapes," 1653 by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, Northern Netherlands, 1606-1684,
Note the wine and the bread, the butterfly on the left and ants on the table...time passing.

"Tobacco Still Life," 1637 by Willem Claesz. Heda, Northern Netherlands, 1594-1680.vessels, In this paintings, clay pipes, a crockery brazier, a tobacco box and matches lied scattered on a table next to various drinking vessels.  This shows the popular middle class interest in smoking with a glass of beer. 

"Still Life with Cheeses, Artichoke, and Cherries," 1625 by Clara Peeters, Southern Netherlands, 1594-1640.
The description next to this painting states that Clara Peeters was one of few women artists from that period.  The play of geometric forms, light reflections and texture of objects was very modern for the time.  The cherry pit and slice of artichoke suggest someone is present.  

"Flowers in a Glass Vase," 1671 by Dirck de Bray, Northern Netherlands, 1635-1694.
Note the drooping flowers and those that have fallen on the table.

Since we were in the neighborhood, Mary Lenihan talked about this painting by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1606-1669, "The Raising of Lazarus," 1630-32.  Rembrandt was trained as a history painter.  In this painting he used dramatic gestures and light to convey the miracle.  This Baroque style of lighting, action and detail is shown with the commanding gesture of Christ, and the astonished reactions of the witnesses.  The light in the cave is coming from the left and illuminates the young woman.

Pacoima's Mural Mile

I drove out to Pacoima yesterday to see the Mural Mile that was being talked about on Take Two on KPCC public radio.  The best way to get there is drive up Interstate 5 to the North East end of the San Fernando  and exit on Van Nuys Blvd going East.  Start looking for beautiful colorful murals on the fronts and sides of business.  This largely Latino community, home of Richie Valens of the 1950's, has taken pride in their culture and their heritage.  Artist Levi Ponce started this project a couple of years ago and engaged youth and neighbors to pitch in and help paint these murals by brush mostly on top of the rough stucco walls of businesses once marred by graffiti.  Other artist have also created murals.

Here photos from the web are some of the Mural Mile art.

Levi Ponce age 27 with his Frida Kahlo

Michelangelo's creations reproduced on the wall.

A tribute to Richie Valens who died in a plane crash near Clear Lake Iowa with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper

Latina Lady Liberty with a heard of elephans, a bald eagle and an Aztec woman.  Around her crown is the Emma Lazarus' famous poem that is on the base of the Statue of Liberty:  "...Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.  The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"  This a fitting poem to be remembered in these times.

"Mona Lisa" with sombrero, dagger, gun, bullets becomes "La Adelita," a woman warrior from Mexican folk tale.

Muse/ique in the Rose Bowl Locker Room

Colleen and I were guests of our friend Chris at a jazz concert on Monday evening produced by Rachel Worby, director of "Muse/ique."  At other times, Worby conducts a musical orchestra in various venues including outside at Cal Tech.  On Monday, she introduced the performers and charmed the large crowd.  Yes, the UCLA Bruins football team locker room is big and beautiful.  A stage with grand piano and other instruments stood on the side in the center of the main room surrounded by cubicles for uniforms and clothing during a game.  The area is carpeted and was furnished for the event with tables and chairs. The bar and food serving area was in the large beautiful shower room.

The star of the evening was Billy Childs on the piano.  He has recently released a CD of music by the song writer Laura Nero.  The music was featured at the event with solos by Dee Dee Bridgewater, a reciting of the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, the song Alleluia song by Childs' son Aaron, age 22, a drum solo by Don Berrick, a modern dance by Jacob Jonas, riffs by Reggie Hamilton on bass, and other songs as well as solos by Billy Childs.  The evening ended with a Laura Nero song "Stone Soul Picnic" song by Dee Dee Bridgewater.  This was followed by cheers and a standing ovation.

It was a great evening...an exciting Monday evening.  Here are a few photos by professional photographer Ben Gibbs of the evening.

The UCLA Bruins Football Locker Room filled with jazz music appreciators.

Dee Dee Bridgewater singing it!

Billy Childs' 22 year old son, Aaron.

Jacob Jonas modern dancer

Rachel Worby

Billy Chids and Dee Dee Bridgewater

Father and Son

The bar and food served in the shower room

Samurai Sunday

On Sunday I attended a lecture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art by Luke S. Roberts from the University of California Santa Barbara who talked about Samurai during the Edo Period in Japan, about 1600 to 1850.  This was a period of peace through the control of a military aristocracy and effective governors.  This was called the Tokugawa shogunate which was the last feudal Japanese military government between 1603 and 1868 led by members of the Tokugawa clan.  After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, central authority was take to Tokugawa leyasau.  The family Shogun ruled in Edo, now Tokyo.  There were about 250 Daimyo lords who controlled provinces under the Shogun.  Each hired their Samurai and took pride in their uniforms and weapons.  They would show them at their homes on New Years.  Each Samurai wore two swords, one long and one short.

Dr. Roberts has written about an 18th century samurai of Tosa domain named Mori Yoshiki who documented his life in his diaries and those of his family and friends.

Following the lecture, I visited the Art of the Samurai exhibit in the Japanese Pavilion.  Here is a bit of what I saw:

"The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V in a Samurai Role," by Katsukawa Shunko, Japan, 1743-1812, Color woodblock print.

"Hakamadare Yasusuke and Kidomaru Fighting with Majic," 1887 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Japan, 1839-1892, Diptych, color woodblock prints.

"Gosho Gorozo Battling a Shadow," 1866 by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, color woodblock print.

"Earth:  Akashi Gidayu Races to Kyoto during the Battle of Amagasaki," 1867, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, T;ryptych, color woodblock prints,

"Samurai Armor of the Gusoku Type," Japan, 18th century.

"Minamoto no Ushiwakamaru Battling with the Brigand Kumasaki Chohan," 1883, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, color woodblock print.

Zenjo School, Tachi (Long Sword with Ege Slung Downwards) with Mounting, Blade 16th century; Mounting 19th century.

Samurai-Class Man's Winter Formal Surcoat (Jinbaori), Japan Edo period.

Samurai-Class Man's Surcoat (Jinbaori), Japan Edo period (1615-1868)

Samurai-Class Man's Formal Inner Robes (buke noshime kosode), Japan, late Edo period.

Samurai-Class Woman's Winter Formal Outer Robe (uchikake) with Cherry Blossoms, Chrysanthemums, Hollyhock Leaves, Peonies, Wisteria and Stylized Cloud Pattern, Japan, late Edo period (early 19t century).