What would Jonathan Stuart Mill do? The ethics of street photography..
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What would Jonathan Stuart Mill do? The ethics of street photography.
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Gil-Scott Heron: Pieces Of A Man
Being in the mood to hear legendary artists, I had to post one, out of many favorite Gill-Scott Heron songs; ‘Pieces Of A Man.’
The second video is a clip from a PBS Special in which Gil Scott talks about his lyrics ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”
Posted in Artist Profiles
Nikki Giovanni: Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)
Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the most widely read American poets, she prides herself on being “a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English.”
I first heard Nikki Giovanni when I was a sophomore in college. In those days we listened to everything on vinyl. ‘Ego Tripping’ was the first of her poems I listen too; and to this day is still one of many favorites from that time period. I highly recommend listening to the recorded version. The words are powerful, but to hear her say them, you’ll be blown away.
Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)
I was born in the congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built
the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
that only glows every one hundred years falls
into the center giving divine perfect light
I am bad
I sat on the throne
drinking nectar with allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to europe
to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is nefertiti
the tears from my birth pains
created the nile
I am a beautiful woman
I gazed on the forest and burned
out the sahara desert
with a packet of goat’s meat
and a change of clothes
I crossed it in two hours
I am a gazelle so swift
so swift you can’t catch me
For a birthday present when he was three
I gave my son hannibal an elephant
He gave me rome for mother’s day
My strength flows ever on
My son noah built new/ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
as we sailed on a soft summer day
I turned myself into myself and was
jesus
men intone my loving name
All praises All praises
I am the one who would save
I sowed diamonds in my back yard
My bowels deliver uranium
the filings from my fingernails are
semi-precious jewels
On a trip north
I caught a cold and blew
My nose giving oil to the arab world
I am so hip even my errors are correct
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
the earth as I went
The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
across three continents
I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission
I mean…I…can fly
like a bird in the sky…
Nikki Giovanni
The Music of Gregory Porter
One of my co-workers just stopped by my desk and told me I had to check out the music of a new jazz artist he heard over the weekend. Since his taste in music is similar to mine, I gladly took the headsets he held out to me to take a listen. Needless to say, I was blown away! This is the kind of music I crave; thinking music, loving music, driving music, chilling music . . . For me the sound was very nostalgic and reminded me of a mix between Nat King Cole, Michael Henderson and Donny Hathaway, NO Joke!
The artist is Gregory Porter and I’m in love with his smooth, soulful and jazzy sound. I immediately looked him up and found out he was a recent Grammy nominee (not a surprise!) Take a listen and let me know what you think.
Be Good
Born in LA and raised in Bakersfield, Porter now lives in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area in Brooklyn. Upcoming festivals he is scheduled to perform include the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Rockville, Maryland on Feb 15, elb Jazz Festival in Hamburg, the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland (I have ALWAYS wanted to be there for that!) and the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta.
On My Way To Harlem,” is another stand out track from Grammy®-nominated vocalist Gregory Porter’s album, Be Good, and was selected as the Pick of the Week on the Starbucks Digital Network for the week beginning March 27, 2012
1960 What!
For those of you living in the Washington DC, Metropolitan area, jazz vocalist extraordinaire Gregory Porter will perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts official opening of its renovated ‘Theatre Lab’ on November 12 at 6pm. It will be an interesting evening of poetry and music curated by actress, director, playwright and Artistic Director of DC Hip-Hop Theatre, Kamilah Forbes. Porter’s music will blend with poetry by pioneering female poets; Holly Bass, Mahogany Browne, Vanessa Hidary, and Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai. The performance will be streamed live on the Center’s website and archived for future viewing.
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Posted in Music
Tagged Brooklyn, Donny Hathaway, Gregory Porter, John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Nat King Cole, National Black Arts Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Washington DC
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Fashion Illustrator: Izziyana Suhaimi
This gallery contains 9 photos.
Izziyana Suhaimi works have been published in both local and international magazines and she has since collaborated with many in the art scene. Continue reading
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Push the Boundaries of Digital Design
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One of this year’s up-and-coming creative trends is ‘experiential’ design. It’s an umbrella term for innovative projects that encompass not just visuals, but also sound, touch and even smell – all driven by real-time feedback generated by the actions of viewers and the world around them. Michael Burns explores how you get start creating your own experiences. Continue reading
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Poetry Corner: Shimmer
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The shimmer of light from the waves dance like a parade, like indians in praise. Soothing and pleasing to the eye. Captivating and romantic. The clapping from the sea is joined by the rustling of the leaves. They take me … Continue reading
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Photographer Timm Andrews: Route 66 and the Mojave Desert
My friend and co-worker Timm Andrews took some amazing photographs of the Mojave Desert and Route 66.
Timm Andrews is a Photographer and Photojournalist whose work has taken him around the globe. He has work as a Stuntman, Stunt Coordinator and Actor in films and television. His photojournalist work has been featured on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, CNN, Good Morning America, The Today Show and other network news channels. Timm has done work for National Geographic and has some fascinating stories about his work on the show COPS.
Timm has been the recipient of several awards, which include an EMMY, numerous AP awards (Videographer of the Year for 2007 and 2008) and the Edward R. Murrow award for footage on the front lines of a California wild fire.
I love working with Timm, he keeps me laughing with his wry sense of humor. I asked him about the pictures he shot in the Mojave Dessert, here is what he had to say:
“I shot these images when I was out wandering around one day. I always wanted to drive Route 66 from Chicago to LA, and never had a chance to, but the Mother Road from Barstow, CA to the Arizona border was right there in front of me, so I always made that section a part of my desert adventures. The biggest challenge was the time of day. It takes a little patience, but you can get great shots even with the sun high in the sky. You can wait for some cloud cover . . . many days there are some great cloud formations. I suggest using filters, I mainly use a polarizer and a red filter. You can get some great dramatic shots with back or side lighting. Here are a few of my recommendations for shooting in the desert:
Shoot at dawn and dusk; golden hour in the desert is amazing. Take along plenty of water, make sure the gas tank is full, a map. (GPS doesn’t always work) Wear and the proper clothing (Even in summer it can be very chilly in the morning, hot as blazes in the afternoon and cool in the evening) And don’t forget the sunscreen! Just go and have fun, but most of all enjoy the beauty of the desert, it is not a barren place it is full of life and adventure.”
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India Song: Life-Changing Journey to Rajasthan
I thought these photos were absolutely beautiful. I love the richness of the color and the way the photographer used natural light in her images. Posted by Erica After a life-changing journey to Rajasthan in 2008, artist Karen Knorr wanted to celebrate … Continue reading
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Poetry Corner: Escape
Solidarity & loneliness abound.
With four walls closing in yet never make a sound.
No exit or escape can be seen. Continue reading
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The Bohemian Home Journal 