Category: Art & Photography

February 3, 2015

Mythological Rothko

How the philosopher Nietzsche made his “mark” on the painter Rothko

Born as Mark Rothkowitz in Latvia, he abbreviated his name to Rothko after he became an American citizen in 1938. Big scholarly books have been written about Rothko, but I am particularly interested in how mythology and the philosopher Frederick Nietzsche played a role in his journey towards Abstract Impressionism.

BlueRothkoMark Rothko “Rust and Blue” – 1953

It is always a treat to see a lot of Rothko paintings together so run to the the Gemeente Museum in The Hague in Holland to see the Rothko Exhibition until March 1, 2015

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February 1, 2015

Inimitable Churchill

Killer Quotes from Winston, sometimes witty, often solemn, always true…

-1940-

As we commemorated the funeral of Winston Churchill last week I want to follow WWII per year with his quotes.

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”

cecil-beaton-london-bomb-victim-c-1940Photograph of Air raid victim by Cecil Beaton

In 1940 as Prime Minister, Churchill in a speech refers to the ongoing efforts of the Royal Air Force pilots who were at the time fighting the Battle of Britain, the pivotal air battle with the German Luftwaffe with Britain expecting a German invasion.

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January 29, 2015

Tulip Mania

Economic speculation, the birth of futures & options contracts and a market crash in Holland’s Golden Age

There is something so deliciously mad about the phenomenon of Tulip Mania in 17th century Holland where “protestant restraint” was “de rigeur”. This was the “Golden Age” of the Netherlands, when sophisticated modern economic systems were invented: the first-ever multinational corporation (the Dutch East India Company founded in 1602), financed by shares that established the first modern stock exchange and the Bank of Amsterdam (established in 1609), the precursor to, if not the first true central bank.

Tulip Anonymous 17th-century watercolor of the Semper Augustus, famous for being the most expensive tulip sold during tulip mania.

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January 24, 2015

The Colors of the Rainbow

The daring combination of Orange, Pink & Red

I used to be a strictly black and white girl, both in dress and décor, but over the years color has crept into my life, and I now embrace every color of the rainbow. The master of the exiting pink & orange color combination was Yves Saint Laurent, just look how that works in this beautiful YSL Rive Gauche creation from 1984 (see “create the look for less” below):

YSLPinkOrangePhotograph by David Seidner

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January 23, 2015

EGOÏSTE

The Ultimate Literary, Art & Fashion Magazine.

Run to get the 17th issue today!

In 1977 Nicole Wisniak created a gigant sized art and literary magazine in Paris called “Egoïste”. It is literally a “one woman show”. So far only 17 issues have been published at irregular intervals, as Nicole orchestrates her magazine to the last detail. She has persuaded over the years a most eclectic and talented group of photographers, writers, artists and musicians to participate in each publication that is part fashion bible and part literary journal.

exemple maq EgoisteCover of Egoïste Issue No 17 – Cate Blanchett photographed by Paolo Roversi

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