Saturday, September 26, 2009

College Town Protest in New Hampshire

Though not exactly breaking news, yet I hope you'll find these photos and captions interesting. I had a blast taking them, talking to people and otherwise cavorting with college students on Central Square in Keene, where a sizable group of people showed up to protest current marijuana laws and calling for legalization and protection from a police state.

Early arrivals

An anarchis arrived to much cheering and greeting from the band

Ms. Anarchist?
(I'm not sure but she and I had a bit of a chat. She asked if I was protesting the protesters. Which I found terribly offensive ;-) Me, protest a demonstration? I don't know what she was thinking, except that she probably thinks she and her friends invented this sort of thing just last year! ;-) She was very sweet.

They may have something there, huh?

This fellow rapidly posed for me. I don't know the character. Do you?

This is a little more American over here.

There were many people lighting up and a few were trying to pass pipes and joints around. Most people I heard declined, but there were little clusters of youngsters smoking and laughing and chatting. One scene in this street performance involved two men who were lighting up pipes and a cop that stood very close to them, staring them down. Yet, they weren't arrested.

Wholesome looking boy, I thought to myself.

Legalize Freedom
(it's kind of hard to make it out)

This man, I was told, is one of the main organizers of these daily protests...

Yes, must be!

If you read the little newsclip I've linked to from last Thursday, there had not yet been any arrests. I'm interested to see how this all turns out. One of the themes that was coming through the megaphone was hassling law-abiding, peaceful people.

If you take into account the penalties for possession of marijuana in New Hampshire, you might agree these people have a point. The state recently rejected legislation aimed at decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, similar to what we now have in Massachusetts.

Pot Party Ratches up on Square

Free Keene

Peaceful Evolution

Friday, September 25, 2009

The Friday Evening Nudes

Alexandre Cabanel

French

Albayde

1848

Not full nudes, but rather, scantily-clads

Hayez

Italian

Romanticism

Alexandre Cabanel

Albayde

1848

below:

Frederick Childe Hassam

Georges d’Espagnat

1870-1950

French

Rubens

Little Fur

Artemisia Gentilesch

Lucretia

1620

(ok, I admit some of these are of the variety that people want to write captions about. Feel free if you are so inspired. ;-) And be advised that I am only a teeny tiny bit judgmental. ;-)

Have a happy and safe Friday.

Pagan Sphinx

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Symbolism: Redon, Von Struck and Moreau

Symbolism

An art movement which rejected the purely visual realism of the Impressionists, and the rationality of the Industrial Age, in order to depict the symbols of ideas. Influenced by Romanticism and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, it thrived in France in the late nineteenth century, its influence spreading throughout much of Europe. Rather than the precise equivalents of ideas or emotions, its symbols were meant to be more mysterious, ambiguous suggestions of meanings. The work of one group, including Piérre Puvis de Chavannes (French, 1824-1898), Gustave Moreau (French, 1826-1898), and Odilon Redon (French, 1840-1916), took a literary approach, employing some of the imagery of Symbolist writers, including such icons as severed heads, monsters and glowing or smoky spirits, synthesized from elements of Bible stories and ancient myths. Later, the imaginative incongruities in these works were to influence the Surrealists. Another group, taking a formal approach, in which linear stylizations and innovative uses of color produced emotional effects, included Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903), Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890) and the Nabis.

Odilon Redon
click on the link to go to the Redon online museum

French