:: meanders ::
souvenirs from the space-time continuum

...en francais!

There has always been a particular fascination on my part with medieval illuminated manuscripts. They are the Kodachrome 64 of their day: brilliant saturated color, lovely to behold. This exhibition at La Biblioteque Nationale de France (BNF, French National Library) is one of the very best I've encountered. With many images, delightfully displayed with even a few audio presentations, it can enthrall for hours. There is an English language site, but I discovered it is not as extensive as the French site. If you can decipher French, it is well worth the small effort. Besides, you'll get some practice!

A corrollary site is Le Livre de Chasse, the Book of the Hunt. Click on "l'image", then on "le mouvement" on the left side menu to view a compositional analysis of the painting. Perhaps it is because I studied physics and not art that I find it so educational. I think painters, and photographers, develop a natural eye for capturing motion within the still frame that is their art. The analyst here does a marvelous job of exposing the geometry and movement underlying the composition. The image below is a snip of the spiral elements within the painting. To the right are the various other elements used to convey the idea of motion.

Labels: art

"Author Frederick Highland beautifully evokes an era where a thousand dark stories inhabit the furtive back streets of this city, a metropolis of memory, of ancient gates and monuments, tombs and catacombs. The novel is indeed a kaleidoscope of images of this ancient capital, from the squalid tenements of the living crowded precariously against sumptuous memorials "to the dead vying for a little light and space." "
-- Michael Leonard, writing for CurledUp.com

As designer and curator of Frederick Highland's websites, my bias is purely situational. OK, so I'm a huge fan! Admittedly, that's one reason I enjoy creating his websites!

Through the vehicle of a murder mystery, Frederick explores the complex puzzle that is the Middle East, along the way shedding light on the rich tapestry of culture and history of this ancient land. Get a taste through the many articles at his site, and should you be looking for a good winter's eve read, just go buy the book!

Labels: art

Do not watch The History channel commercials at the same time you have Photoshop open. It can be quite hazardous to your mental health!

Labels: art, space

Usagi is the the Japanese version of the ageless and universal rabbit, who makes his playful-- and ever sacrificial-- appearance all world mythologies. The lastest discovery is Stan Sakai's modern version: Usagi Yojimbo. Stan's Usagi is a cross between comic, manga, and classic woodcut print. His rendition is true to the timeless usagi spirit. Usagi is full of himself, testing the boundaries of his own skills to the limit, usually to meet with comic defeat and a realization of his meagre self in the vast cosmos of life. This flash comic strip story is a good introduction to Stan Sakai's art and story: A Lesson in Courtesy.


more Usagi Yojimbo downloads at Dark Horse Comics

Labels: art, space, usagi

sturman: Раменские жилые дома The Painted Houses of Ramenskoye. I have no idea what the Cyrillic says, but the images do the best job of making a statement. Thanks to Gerard, the Presurfer, for discovering this treasure!

Labels: art

one fiction, by Felix Jung, a Tandy computer rendering in ASCII green text and synthesized voice.



You must also try Felix Jung's various other works, linked along the bottom of the frame. I was brought here by Felix's quirky interactive, discourse on Pi and totally enjoyed Round. I love when sound, words, and imagination all come together!

Labels: art

typo_illus_01, or Typographic Illustration, dances a livey path of illustration, letters painting a swath across the screen capturing the spirit of the background music. Simply delightful!

Labels: art

So, you think you *like* geometry, eh? Planarity tests not only your spatial intelligence quotient, but even more deviously, will push your addiction quotient to the limit. I love it! And virt, when someone finds my web-covered dessicated skeleton, Level 10 tangle flickering on the PC in front of me, you have only yourself to blame!

PS: If you have to stop to eat, or sleep, or tear your hair out, use the || (Pause) icon so that your score isn't trashed :))

Labels: art