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Rape and Pillage
An Alternative Art History - 23 Oct 10

Pablo Picasso once said, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." While this is certainly the case for millions of museum-goers yearly, there are times when that dust of everyday life - lust, greed, and envy - instead pollute art.  Promises of power, prestige, and earning potential inevitably  beget bad behavior as individuals and societies machinate to acquire great works.  Two fascinating documentaries exemplify this troubled past:

The Rape of Europa:

"In a journey through seven countries, the film takes the audience into the violent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed, and warfare that threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe. For twelve long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on a scale unprecedented in history...."

 The Art of the Steal:   

"...traces the history and scandals surrounding the Barnes Foundation, home to one of the world’s most celebrated collections of modern art. Established by Albert C. Barnes, a Philadelphia boy turned art patron, the collection is being moved from its original home outside that city to downtown, a bitterly contested relocation that has pitted politicians and other power elites against those dedicated to preserving Barnes’s wishes."
                             - Manohla Dargis, in The New York Times

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Parkour
L'art du déplacement - être et durer
The art of movement - to be and to last - 14 Jun 10

Definition: Parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment.

  Values: community, humility, positive collaboration, sharing of  
  knowledge, and the importance of play in human life, while
  demonstrating respect for all people, places, and spaces

  History: Impressed with the skill of African indigenous tribes and
  inspired by the escape of 700 Martinique citizens from a volcanic
  eruption in 1902, former French naval office Georges Hébert embraced the ethos of être fort pour être utile (be strong to be useful).  This philosophy of fitness eventually became the standard for French military training using obstacle courses - in French - parcours.

Eventually the art vaulted the ocean and is only now taking off in the US with American Parkour.

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5 Documentaries to Change... 04 Apr 10

What you wear: The September Issue
What you eat: Food Inc.
What you read: Helvetica
What you play: Second Skin
What you see: Blindsight


These 5 recent documentaries break down stereotypes, sometimes reinforce them, and afford an hour and a half journey into worlds and communities far removed from what is familiar.  All excellent... after watching each, I powered off more informed and aware of the eclectic world around me. 
Click each name for the trailer, pick one, and shake up your stats quo. 
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Foreign Films
Boring? Depressing?... Real - 04 Mar 10

There are plenty of excuses for disliking foreign films.  "The subtitles are distracting."  or  "It's too much like real life."   Really?  In the age of ADHD entertainment and Jersey Shore, I doubt it.  But I'm not going to criticize preferences and tastes - people like what they like - but I will insist that until you've watched a few good ones, how do you know?  Of Time Magazine's Top 100 Films - 42 of them are foreign - that's a lot of really good movies.  So when $is tight for traveling, they afford us a window into other worlds and experiences every bit as inspiring and didactic. 

So I offer a few recommendations:

Waltz with Bashir - Israel (2008)
In the Mood for Love - Hong Kong (2000)
Cinema Paradiso - Italy (1988)
City of God - Brazil (2002)
8 1/2 - Italy (1963)
Goodbye, Lenin - Germany (2003) ...

And the list goes on... expect updates. 
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DC's Street Art Scene
Guerrilla art. Graffiti. Whatever you call it. - 25 Feb 10

After being introduced to the works of internationally renowned street artists such as Banksy, Invader, and JR, I'm pleasantly surprised to see this art emerging in DC.

"The Writing on the Wall: Graffiti Artists Add Color to D.C. Streets" is the best write-up I've seen, including where to find it in DC and "who done it." The closing sentence says it best: "In power centers such as D.C., these marks serve several roles. They shake us out of a drowsy Metro commute, cause us to stop and pause while walking down the street, and give us reason to remember that there is more than one side to every story."

For more:

~ Another excellent review of DC's Graffiti Scene...
~ Watch out for Cool Disco Dan...     
~ The captivating work of DC-based artist Kelly Towles...
~ Blog: DC Statehood graffiti in Columbia Heights