What do you do when you flunk out of art school? Well if the running joke is to be believed, then becoming a comic book illustrator is right up your alley.

But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the originators of that joke never saw Alex Ross’s illustrations.  Mr. Ross has become well known in the comic book world as the man behind some of the most beautiful and celebrated illustrations of our time, the artistic mastermind behind now legendary works such as Kingdom Come and Uncle Sam.

Ross’s illustrations are instantly recognizable: each panel is a masterfully staged, lusciously vibrant, realistic oil and watercolor painting of the quality that would likely have had  Raphael and Rockwell salivating.  Admittedly, the both men may have had some questions about the subjects’ garish primary colored outfits, but every artist has their own muse, and the superheros are precisely what makes Ross’s work interesting (and fun).




More information HERE.

“The Tenth Inning”, a four hour documentary series by Ken Burns will be airing on PBS on upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday nights. This series is the continuation of Burns’ Emmy award winning documentary series “Baseball” which aired in 1994. The topic of these documentaries is fairly obvious. They cover the storied and entertaining history of Major League Baseball.

The newest installment picks up in the early 1990’s where “Baseball” left off. In”The Tenth Inning” Burns recaps all of the major events and controversies that have occurred since ’94. The series contains commentaries and insights from many well known and not so well known historians,journalists,and players. These segments are surrounded by electrifying and captivating game footage. Burns is well known for his proficiency in the art of story telling, and he effectively highlights the various scandals that have recently plagued the MLB. As can be expected, he focuses a lot of his attention on the ubiquitous Steroid issue. Despite the many disgraceful events which have occurred in the sport, Burns is able to keep the viewers’ love for the it intact. He shows that although we may not love the politics surrounding the game or its players, it is and forever will be “America’s Past Time.”

As an avid sports fan I am very excited about getting the chance to relive events which took place during my childhood. I will definitely try to tune in and watch this series hoping to take a small trip down sports memory lane. Additionally I am interested to learn more about the stories which transpired when I was too young to fully grasp their significance. Although many people might find documentaries boring and slow I have always loved history and relish the opportunity to learn additional information and back story. The combination of these two interests will certainly make me appreciate Ken Burns’ new series and I hope that all you “sports fans” and “sports indifferents” check it out.

click here for article

Make comments about the venue; the experience of the sound check; comparing the sound check to the concert; comments about Todd Reynolds; comments about Evan Ziporyn; the role of the academic composer (Ziporyn is a professor of music at MIT, it was two of his students who invented Guitar Hero – though it was not Ziporyn who was responsible for any of it; Here was a concert with two long pieces, how does that compare with the usual “concert” experience? What did you think about the amplification? The electronics? The “required” two items at the tables?

Any other comments? You can compare this with other experiences of the semester, or experiences you have had outside of class.

Don’t forget we meet at LeFrak Hall for the 12:15 concert on Wednesday. Don’t be late.

Note: Post is for extra credit.

Suggested Route Plan

From Queens College:
65-30 KISSENA BLVD, NEW YORK, QUEENS, NY, USA

1. Start out going North on Kissena Blvd
2. Take the Q25L Bus from Queens College station heading to Jamaica
3. Get off at Hillside Ave.  The subway entrance is near the intersection of Parsons Blvd and Hillside Ave
4. Take the F train from Parsons Blvd station heading Downtown / to Coney Island
5. Get off at W 4 Street – Washington Sq. Exit nebar the intersection of W 3rd St and 6th Ave.
6. Start out going South West on 6th Ave towards Minetta Ln.
7. Turn left onto Bleecker St.

TOTAL TRAVEL: 15.22 miles
1 hour 14 miles

From Le Poisson Rouge:

158 BLEECKER ST, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, NY, USA

1. Start out going North on Bleecker St towards Sullivan St
2. Turn right onto 6th Ave. The subway entrance is near the intersection of W 3rd St and 6th Ave 2.0
3. Take the F train from W 4 Street – Washington Sq station heading Uptown / to Jamaica.
4. Get off at Parsons Blvd. Exit near intersection of Parsons Blvd and Hillside Ave.
5. Take the Q25L Bus from Hillside Av station heading to College Point.
6. Get off at Queens College. Start out going South on Kissena Blvd.

TOTAL TRAVEL: 15.23 miles
1 hour 14 mins

Source

Tonight at 9 o’ clock is the much anticipate premiere of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.” For some time now HBO has been looking for a show to replace the void left by the “Sopranos.” The man trying to accomplish this difficult task is the creator of the program Terence Winter. Interestingly enough, Winter was one of the lead writers for the “Sopranos.”

The show is set in Atlantic city during the chaotic time of Prohibition. The main character of “Boardwalk Empire” is the controversial Nucky Thompson(played by the acclaimed Steve Buscemi). Nucky is “half political boss, half gangster” and exemplifies the corruption that ran rampant during the 1920’s. I’m fascinated by the Prohibition era and interested to see how this program presents this time period, which i feel has scarcely been explored in mass media. Many people don’t even know that there was a time in our nation’s history when alcohol was illegal. This program will be a great way to educate the public while supplying it with quality writing,acting, and production. The creators of the show vow to achieve as high a level of authenticity as possible. All of the costumes used are authentic and have been bought either at thrift stores or when necessary, on eBay. One of the executive producers of “Boardwalk Empire” is the highly decorated writer and director, as well as Italian-American, Martin Scorsese. Scorsese is also the director of the pilot episode which gives viewers even more of an incentive to tune in tonight.

Being that I am an avid television watcher I am in no need of adding another program to the hefty lineup that i try and juggle now. However, I feel that this program is special enough that I can make an exception and add it to the sea of mindless comedies and countless contrived dramas which I find myself immersed in (This is not to say that shows like “How I Met Your Mother, “Entourage”, and “Friday Night Lights” are not also worth your time).

click here for article

In a recent article in the New York Times there is a discussion of the issue of Italian Americans at CUNY. Due to a lawsuit in the 1980’s and a court decision from the early 1990’s Italian-Americans at CUNY are a protected minority. If this was to happen in any American city, New York would be the likely place (though I might argue that Brooklyn would be the more appropriate location for the epicenter). Then one must consider the Italian-America “diaspora” on Long Island, and especially New Jersey (cf. “The Sopranos,” “Jersey Shore” and now “Boardwalk Empire.” Maybe HBO should sponsor an Italian-American Museum?)

Italian American happen to be a sizable group in this class. I wonder what you (and your parents) think of your identity as Italian-Americans?

Did you know there is an Italian-American Museum on Mulberry Street? I learned something from this site. Do you know the real meaning of the word “Carnevale?”

Here is the link for the museum click here

Here is the link to the NY Times article.

If you have recently been around New York’s East village, you’ve probably noticed some type of graffiti with the words Peru Ana, Ana Peru on it (pictured below):

I remember going to soho and seeing these images everywhere. It was sort of a mystery. The only thing I knew was that she/he might be Peruvian or Latina. So who is Peru Ana or Ana Peru?

When I got home, I immediately went to google it and found the artist’s website. On the about us page I read this: PERU ANA ANA PERU originated in bushwick, brooklyn. They are a guy and a girl, or a girl and guy, if you will. Currently they spend the bulk of their time making films and art, not riding bikes, and trying to solve a rubiks cube in under 30 seconds.

I did some more research and found out that they are just a couple who create art, leaving their work around the city for people to find. They are also very passionate about film and stated: FILM DOES NOT EQUAL CINEMA. It’s their belief that film has become an “arena for capitalism”, a multi-million dollar project and NOT art. Their mission statement is to change that.

Here’s a link to their website.

This is an awesome article I found about a current architectural challenge going on where New York Magazine readers get to vote for their favorite sukkah (Jewish ritual hut) that will be on display soon at Union Square.

One of the things I find so interesting is the way in which the architects use the sukkah, a religious structure, to expand on larger political themes. The photo on the right is “The Sukkah of the Signs” which is made of the signs held by homeless people and is trying to raise awareness about homelessness as a social issue.

The article contains a slideshow of all the different designs and gives you the option to vote for your favorite, which I think is pretty cool.

The designs themselves are innovative and really challenge the viewer to rethink space and what it means. The Sukkahs will be set up in Union Square on September 19th and 20th and the winning Sukkah will be on view until October 2nd.

Click on the “Syllabus and Course Information” link on the black menu bar just above the most recent post and read the Syllabus carefully! There will be changes, but there are several events that are already firmly scheduled.

Here is an interesting article that applies to all of our discussions about all the various art forms. Is popularity a bad thing? Is it better to be a “cult” favorite? or a “critical success?” Arcade Fire is a band that seems to be trying very hard to be “smart” and “interesting” and “complex.” These are not the kind of attributes one normally associates with “pop” music, but yet this indie band has become very popular. Are audiences getting smarter and more sophisticated? Is it OK to be a little bit geeky?

click here

When I read this article, two things occurred to me that I had never thought much about. First of all, I usually do not thing of video games as a form of artistic expression. Secondly, I never imagined a video game creating an international uproar.

The New York Times Article discusses a new video game, called Medal of Honor, that is set to be released on October 12th by one of the world’s biggest game publishers, known as Electronic Arts. The fact that this piece was placed in the Arts section of the New York Times is very intriguing. When I usually think of video games, I classify them in my head as a simple form of innocent child-play. However, a game like Medal of Honor is truly an accomplished work of art, whether you like it or not. The graphic art that went into creating the game is absolutely stunning. And just like any other style of art, this game evokes certain themes, emotions, and ideas that provoke thought. Hence, the name of the company – Electronic Arts.

In fact, this work of art is so stimulating that it has created a worldwide debate over not only what we should allow in video games, but also how we confront a contemporary worldwide political issue. The game is set in Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda, which took place soon after the 9/11 attacks. The controversy stems from the fact that “in Medal of Honor’s online multiplayer mode, in which teams of players battle over the Internet, one side in each match will be the Americans and the other side will play the role of Taliban fighters.”

Three countries across the globe – Canada, Britain, and New Zealand – see this as an outright disgrace. The writer of the article goes on to discuss both sides of the argument, and concludes with the following statement:

“The very concept that “their side” has soldiers (not thugs, criminals or terrorists, but soldiers) on an equal footing with “our” soldiers can be tough to swallow.

Is that fictional entertainment, or is that reality?”

That is for each of us to think about and decide for ourselves…

Click here to read article

Click here to watch the trailer for the game

– David Rand

I have no recollection of coming to America. Instead, I listen to my mother’s description of the long, and painstaking process of immigrating. Was I nervous? Was I even aware (being only two years old) that I was going half way across the world?

Probably not.

That’s why when I came across this article on the NY Times, I was kind of jealous. Starting Thursday, a collection of over 1,700 oral histories from immigrants who traveled through Ellis Island will be online at www.ancestry.com/immigration. They capture very specific and timeless moments of the immigrating process, such as seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. Previously, these tapes were played at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum for its visitors, but now they are open to the public. Also, if you have relatives who’ve been through Ellis Island, you might be able to search their history in the 170 million records at Ancestry.com’s huge database. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your great great great aunt on there.

And on second thought, maybe I’m better off not having an oral history. I was two. I probably thought more about needing to pee than immigrating.

Here’s the link to the article:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/immigrants-oral-histories-going-online/?ref=arts

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