24
Jun
via wearetheweirdos
Illustrations by Fernado Vicente.
Heavy as Frost
A commonplace book.
Fine Folk
Esquire Theme by Matthew Buchanan
Social icons by Tim van Damme
24
Jun
17
Jun
09
Jun
08
Jun
Gorgeous polaroid series called Geometries, by Grant Hamilton.
05
Jun
Last night I went to the Philips Gallery here in DC for the first time, and I probably couldn’t have picked a better time to go. On first Thursday of every month the Philips Gallery stays open late and hosts an evening full of various events. Last night I got to attend a lecture on Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party, sip wine and eat cheese and crackers inside the gallery rooms, listen to a jazz trio (a word I couldn’t remember until my friend reminded me), play weird, esoteric games invented by a Brooklyn artist debuting his new work last night, and generally take in the ambience and mood of an excellent night of culture and art. Now please smack me over the head for sounding like a pretentious idiot. Thank you.
Looks even better in person. Not all renowned paintings do.
‘Massacre at the Cafe.’ Nobody can escape the clutches of swine flu, not even animals in space helmets.
03
Jun
Scenario: I’m at the National Gallery of Art, with a girl. We’re standing in front of Vermeer’s Woman Holding a Balance. I say to her:
Notice how the light from the window draws your attention to the girl and in particular the hand holding the balance. Her hand is the focus and anchor to this entire painting. Doesn’t it look locked in space? You see that her pinkie is grounded horizontally and juxtaposed to the right angles of the balance. Also, if you follow the perspective lines of the painting, the vanishing point lies right at that finger.
I continue, gesturing confidently.
This painting is about balance. Even compositionally there is a striking balance here. Notice on the right side of painting there are two gold lines. These lines were once overpainted by someone. But those gold lines are crucial to the painting, as they are perfectly balanced by the gold yellow curtains on the left side and the sliver of gold from her dress right in the center. Every bit of light, every detail here is intended by Vermeer.
Other general points I’d make:
Impressed, she lets me get to third base that night. She smiles demurely just before our hot embrace, looking lifted straight from a Vermeer.
Vermeer: Master of Light is a visual pilgrimage in search of what makes a Vermeer a Vermeer. It is a journey of discovery, guiding the viewer through an examination of three of Johannes Vermeer’s paintings and exploring the “secrets” of his technique.
Vermeer’s lighting > Rembrandt’s lighting.
