The WONDER WOMAN Trivia Game

Wonder Woman has been an ongoing cultural icon and pop superstar for years. She is a true character for the ages ranking among the best known characters of fiction including Laura Croft, Sherlock Homes, Huck Finn and Mother Goose. I wrote about Wonder Woman; her cultural importance and her mystery in a blog last year.“WONDER WOMAN & the Endurance of the Modern Myth.”  She continues to thrive in our hearts and minds as a figure of high regard, reverence and great influence.

A single blog should never hold all the history of an idea like Wonder Woman so I am revisiting her with a trivia quiz I created to amuse my friends. Take a look and see how well you are acquainted with the original…Wonder Woman!

1. Wonder Woman’s plane:

A-IS INVISIBLE

B-CAN ONLY FLY SHORT DISTANCES

C-WAS A GIFT FROM ZEUS

D-IS A CONVERTED P-51 MUSTANG

2. Wonder Woman was created in an effort to:

        A. HELP YOUNG BOYS GET THROUGH PUBERTY

        B. INSPIRE THE US MILITARY TROOPS

         C. BECOME A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNG GIRLS

         D. HELP SELL LADIES UNDERWARE

3. Wonder Woman’s origin story tells us she was:

            A. A CLAY SCULPTURE BROUGHT TO LIFE 

      B. TELE-PORTED FROM MT. OLYMPUS

      C. FOUND BY HER MOTHER; QUEEN HIPPOLYTA, AS AN ORPHAN

      D. A YOUNG GIRL THAT DRANK A MAGIC POITION

4. Wonder Woman‘s creator; Charles Moulton also:

    A.  WAS A WWII FIGHTER PILOT

    B. INVENTED THE LIE DETECTOR MACHINE

    C. RAN FOR PRESIDENT

    D. DEVELOPED THE MEDICATION BEN-GAY

5. Wonder Woman was portrayed on TV by:

A. LINDA LYNDA

B. LINDA HAMILTON

C. LINDSIE GRAHAM

D. LYNDA CARTER

6. Wonder Woman has been romantically linked to:

    A. THE ELONGATED MAN

    B. WONDERMAN

    C. SUPERMAN

    D. MIDNIGHTER

Ian Cheng: Emissary in the Squat of Gods

One measure of good art is that it engages you into becoming part of a conversation that began with a given creator speaking through a particular medium of choice. Such a piece then grows with comprehension and involvement as we become engrossed. The work often takes on a life of it’s own and we are in turn transformed within the process.  Ian Cheng is an artist who does all of the for-mentioned as he welcomes the viewer into his universe and goes beyond to uncharted places.

Cheng began his artistic journey as a video story teller but wanted to take his work to a place not yet quite charted. He focused on a new video language that depended not on narrative but on something more akin to artificial intelligence.  Ian Cheng’s Animation Simulations are mutating, evolving algorithms that act, interact and exist within worlds that constantly and unpredictably change as they flow in real time with elements playing in unison and against each other.    

It was as a portion of an exhibition “Suspended Animation” at The Hirshhorn in Washington DC that was my introduction to this artist whose work I would come to revere; Ian Cheng. Other artists were featured including Helen Martin, Ed Atkins and Josh Kline; all impressive. Cheng was the stand out. His revolutionary piece “Emissary in the Squat of Gods” was on view where I stopped to take it in and to see just what was going on with this wall projection complete with sound, light, nuance and intrigue. 

The characters seemed to be villagers in a minimally technological society placed on a rugged hill top and viewed from a distance giving the impression of looking through the eyes of an anthropological perspective. The scene; even though it seemed sedentary at the onset was actually slowly rotating as if on an axis. The characters were definitely responding in an unscripted manner and there was a (What will happen next?) feel to the visible actions.  There was also; after an extended amount of viewing time, a changing of the light from twilight into night and greater darkness. This was an amazing something to witness. I could easily imagine the figures of the simulation becoming sentient if indeed they weren’t at this time already.

Ian Cheng’s work lies eerily at the intersection between art, technology, the fantastic and myth. Cheng; an artist squarely in his formative years promises an unlimited foray into the visible and the invisible. We’ll take the journey with him. Where does he emerge? Time… is our only teller.  

Zaha Hadid: Architect for the Ages

1950 - 2016

Very recently the visionary architect Zaha Hadid passed into eternity. Her works have already resided in hearts, minds and physically in an earthly space of an eternal admiration. Her buildings bend, twist and elegantly flow like no others. These compelling, masterful achievements attest to her strength, purpose and love of process and humanity. She will be missed as her works stand; surely, the test of time.

                                    

                                   “I find industrial cities exciting. I like their toughness.”

                                                                                                                  Zaha Hadid

Yes; MS Hadid was an architect carrying the respect and acknowledgement of her peers. The honor of being the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize was hers; the pinnacle of success in her field.  She was also awarded the Stirling Prize and the RIBA Gold Medal. She remains much admired and loved by all who experience and enjoy her buildings.

Hadid was equally a fabulous designer of furniture, shoes and cars. Her flair for style was great and original. Her drawings and paintings were works of beauty, intrigue and High Art. I was able to see several of her pieces at Design Miami as part of Art Basel Miami. This was a personal high-light. 

“I'm into fashion because it contains the mood of the day, of the moment - like music, literature, and art.”                                                                                                                                        Zaha Hadid

                                                                                                                                             

   

                                                                                                                                       

There was greatness in Zaha Hadid; we saw it in her life and works. Everything she touched became a treasure. She will be missed. In times future those who speak of Eiffel, Wright, Koolhaas and Gehry will speak too of Hadid.  

Don Cheadle's MILES AHEAD

Don Cheadle has delivered a beautiful love letter to Miles Davis, Davis fans and all who cherish good story telling in the form of cinema. I had the immense pleasure of viewing this; the directorial debut of Mr. Cheadle with members of the press and supporting Indie-gogo contributors.  Cheadle; a member of   the fraternity of actors that always give remarkable; flawless performances, shines here in the lead. The work was compelling funny, balanced and of a very high caliber. We see Miles with all his attributes and flaws (which are vividly the spice of every life) in this sophisticated, funny and emotional film. “Miles Ahead” is pure, cinematic joy!  

The Columbia music and recording years of Miles Davis are featured heavily here in remarkable style. Cheadle uses flash backs in scenes that blend seamlessly from the films present into the memory and reminiscing of the main character. The film is placed within a five year period that Miles withdrew from performing and recording. The artistic and varied Davis album covers feature as much as the music as bridges between the many narratives revealed in both the truths and mythologies of Miles.       

                   

Ewan McGregor portrays a Rolling stone reporter that within his attempts to interview Miles becomes a cohort in retrieving stolen come back tapes Davis had recently recorded. They develop a kind of “Butch and Sundance” comradery that drives much of the storyline. Actress Emayatzi Corinealdi; stuns, as Francis Taylor the wife and muse of Davis.  Taylor was pivotal to the life of the man and Corinealdi portrays her as the grand passion she must have been.   Another highlight is the performance of an All-Star band featuring actual former Miles Side Men; Herbie Handcock and Wayne Shorter along with contemporary greats Esperanza Spalding, Gary Clark Jr. and Antonio Sanchez.  

Don Cheadle has created a “crowd pleaser” of a film that has every potential of becoming a legitimate hit.  “Miles Ahead” a visionary homage, completely satisfies and makes me look forward to the next Cheadle project. For all its worth; something for which I am already on board; something certain to be another tremendous, roller-coaster of a ride. “Miles Ahead” is not to be soon be forgotten...Oscars?

Vija Celmins The Drawings & Paintings Of...

Vija Celmins is an artist whose works ask and surely compel the viewer to slow down, breath in and absorb her brilliance and subtlety of technique and style. The photographic feel and look she masters beg to be studied unlike any other artist working today. She is not loud, bold or extravagant but the genuine powers of her pieces are transformative. Look at these works of her hand’s precision, intricacy and exacting measure. She delivers her grace of being for our understanding and joy.

“There aren't really rules for painting, but there’s certain facts and fictions about painting. Part of what I do is document another surface and sort of translate it. They’re like translations, and then part of it is fiction, which is invention.”

                                                                                                            Vija Celmins

The Latvian born Celmins (now living in the United States) has authored several books including The Painting of Modern Life and The Stars; a book about her long term obsession with viewing the cosmos. She likes to think of her paintings as things that she builds rather than paints. Celmins starts with the construction and preparation of her canvas and sees every step as integral to the finished piece. She also paints as many as nine layers of paint; as many as deemed necessary to achieve her desired result.

“Somehow the image begins to have a sort of memory in it, even if you can't see it. It can build up a dense feeling toward the end, and then it makes me happier.”

                                                                                                           Vija Celmins

The spider webs, stars and space configurations, still life’s and ocean surfaces are most often mono-chromes likened to black and white photos.  Vija uses photographs extensively as reference and she also paints familiar objects from her studio and home.  She uses color sparingly as if to not distract the viewer from a mental connection of purpose. Her works displayed in museums, sought by collectors and viewed by the millions are quiet treasures to behold.  

The Drawings of Ray Harryhausen

  “Episode Seven: The Force Awakens” of the Star Wars series has opened to stellar acclaim and mass appeal. The last trilogy of Star Wars films were built largely on special effects, almost exclusively CGI. JJ Abrams the director/producer of this most recent effort decided (in a stroke of brilliance) to return to the original trilogy’s more authentic look of location shots, sound stage and stop motion  style of animation employed in the much beloved original trilogy. The undisputed champion of the stop motion technique was the great auteur Ray Harryhausen. Harryhausen’s work influenced all of the contemporary giants of fantasy and sci-fi film makers. George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Guillmero Del Toro all list Ray Harryhausen among their biggest if not the biggest influence on their approach to special effects and fantastic film making. Harryhausen being a master and artist supreme across genres.

The films of Ray Harryhausen include Earth vs the Flying Saucers, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and the unparalled telling of the Greek myth Jason and the Argonauts. Every one of these films are marvels, viewed and treasured to this day with a worldwide and respected fandom. Harryhausen’s motion art is phenomenal and his drawings and studies are phenomenal as well.

The drawings; though less known of Ray Harryhausen’s  achievements, are painstaking  gems much in line with nineteenth century text book illustration. His dinosaurs, heroes, fantastic creatures and damsels ring true and make the man’s talent apparent as a supreme artist.  His works are without color and give the illusion of fine art printmaking, harkening to an earlier era where color was more of a rarity. The look of the Harryhausen drawings add to their mysticism and their feel is for a time preceding even his own.

Ray Harryhausen films will stand as long as there are those that appreciate motion pictures, mythology, story-telling and art. The same should be true for his drawings.  His creatures that date back in time immemorial will live equally far into the future. They enliven both our hearts and our imaginations.

Richard Schmidt "Winter"

I love the spirit; the craft and care, the intelligence, the beauty within the art of Richard Schmidt. Schmidt has long been a creator of landscapes, architectural renderings, portraits, nature studies and on and on. There is little that Schmidt hasn’t covered and mastered. This artist/educator, painter and author is among the best in the current market and art scene. His works are academic with a very free y style.  His works are not challenging but they are a joy to behold and savor as a painterly delicacy. Many of Schmidt’s works are seasonal and are of a special interest at this time of year.

The paintings of Richard Schmidt are tonally much in line with another popular American artists; Andrew Wyeth. Wyeth frequently painted images of late fall and winter themes. Schmidt is drawn to the same. A portfolio of Schmidt’s best are here for viewing and presented as a holiday sharing. Like many great painters the works speak most eloquently for themselves and explanations can cause some distraction and are hardly necessary. Please enjoy and feel the warmth of heart that inhabits these winter works. 

There are many that propose that art has to be unsettling, disturbing, as it shatters every preconceived notion. That is wonderful in concept but it is not a prerequisite. In my mind there are no absolutes in the creation or appreciation of art. That is the true greatness found in the pursuit of truth, beauty or the absurd. Art can be for the shock of newness but it can also be moving in the familiar and possess a Zen oneness with the sublime. Schmidt is of the later; a celebration of life and sight.

"In the Spirit of Christmas"

Halloween the Day After

This, the morning after our biggest Halloween celebration; ever. All the decorating, shopping, scares, laughs and celebrating now past. Time to move on. My Second oldest; Gail was born on Halloween and she turned forty. We had to do something really special. Family, friends and a couple of foes gathered for her birthday and the holiday. It was a grand masquerade affair.  

Now early morning; I pull back the curtain from my kitchen window to reveal a Blue Jay (dressed in his best) foraging for food beneath my leaflessly barren dogwood tree. This was special! He went about his chore as I watched securely from my window. There was no reason to disturb him in his brilliant array. His neighbors had a different idea. A starling appeared to rudely shove him from his duties. The starling had his own agenda. Oddly his jacket; black while embroidered with orange strips that gave him a “Day of the Dead” decorative look. He was soon joined by a couple others of his kin. They equally impressive in what appeared to be the height of starling fashion, the orange stripped jackets. The story was unfolding into what might become a sort of drama; but all took their turn and there was plenty of whatever they were enjoying as breakfast to go around. Not to be out done a fat squirrel; immaculate in fur, scurried into view. How amazing; this show completely and gloriously free for my viewing pleasure. I can’t imagine a better beginning for any day.

Later today I’ll probably watch a couple of Horror Classics, read several magazines, a novel chapter or two and listen to a little Jazz. This might also be a good day to write a blog. What do you think? 

The Tell -Tale Heart

Poe is by most consensuses the first name of Gothic Horror in literature and in our minds. Wells, Lovecraft, Shelly, Stoker form a list that goes on including omitted others and continuing into our times. These author’s works have been adapted to film, television, radio and the stage. The scary story is great in any form and we are born with the gene that loves the thrill, rush and fascination a scary telling provides. The masters of horror are many but it is Poe that always guarantees a “good read,” a delight of the mind, a shutter of the soul.

In the nineteen fifties an animation studio; UPA (creators of the original Twilight Zone opening) chose to adapt Poe to their medium. Their short film The Tell-Tale Heart proved to be a perfect choice. It is an infectious and sufficiently eerie presentation of one of Poe’s best “Tells.”

Edgar Allen Poe goes well with the month of October; it’s goblins, shadows and chills. The UPA animation featured here is to enjoy. Let the alchemy of Poe be an enchantment and guilty thrill for you and your haunts in the season of treats and tricks.