Modern Art Monday Presents: Bertold Loffler, Youth Playing the Pipes of Pan

Mar8

youth playing the pipes of pan photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Bertold Loffler’s most important painting, Youth Playing the Pipes of Pan (1912), reveals his passion for classicism, from the garlanded youth and draped female attendants to the vase at their feet, depicting Pan, the Greek god of untamed nature, playing a double flute. The flat, stylized composition and the bold patterns on the women’s cloaks reflect Loffler’s work as a designer for the cutting-edge Austrian artists’ association the Wiener Werkstätte. Eduard Ast, a major patron of the group, acquired the canvas and hung it in the dining room of his newly-built villa in Vienna, across the hall from Gustav Klimt’s painting of the mythological heroine Danaë (1907 – 08), which is in a private collection.

Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

 

Pink Thing of The Day: Abandoned Pink Glove

Mar5

abandoned pink glove photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail

I recently read that actor Tom Hanks posts photos of abandoned gloves, shoes and the like on his Twitter feed, which has made me hyper-vigilant about noticing all of the abandoned gloves I’ve seen scattered on the streets of NYC this winter. Trust me, there are a lot of them. Of course, I could not help but notice this vibrant Pink Glove laying by a dumpster on my weekly Sunday walk. It looks like it was a good one.

abandoned pink glove photo by gail worley

The Odds of Being Inducted into The R & R Hall of Fame For Class of 2021 Nominated Artists

Mar4

rock and roll hall of famers 2021
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Nomiees (Image Source)

According to the odds-makers at Sports Betting Dime, the Foo Fighters (-400), Jay-Z (-350) and Tina Turner (-200) have better than even odds to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year when the Class of 2021 is announced in May. Both the Foo Fighters and Jay-Z appear on the ballot for the first time. Turner was previously inducted for her work with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue but has yet to be inducted as a solo artist. Devo (+110), Todd Rundgren (+150) and The Go-Go’s (+175) are the most likely to join them.

Here’s a look at the odds for the 16 nominees to be inducted as part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2021 from the oddsmakers at @SBD. By the way, if fractional odds confound you, whichever artist has the lowest number – less than a value of 1 being ideal – is the favorite to win.

1. Foo Fighters: -400 (1/4)
2. Jay-Z: -350 (2/7)
3. Tina Turner: -200 (1/2)
4. Devo: +110 (11/10)
5. Todd Rundgren: +150 (3/2)
6. The Go-Go’s: +175 (7/4)
7. New York Dolls: +233 (7/3)
8. Fela Kuti: +250 (5/2)
9. Rage Against the Machine: +250 (5/2)
10. Carole King: +275 (11/4)
11. Mary J. Blige: +300 (3/1)
12. Iron Maiden: +400 (4/1)
13. Dionne Warwick: +450 (9/2)
14. Kate Bush: +500 (5/1)
15. LL Cool J: +700 (7/1)
16. Chaka Khan: +800 (8/1)

(-400 = bet 400 to win 100. +250 = bet 100 to win 250)

Happy Wagering!

Eye On Design: 1920s Evening Dress

Mar3

1920s evening dress photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Among the most popular types of evening wear during the 1920s were loose, sleek, chemise-style dance dresses with sleeveless armholes and wide-cut necklines, which could be pulled directly over the head.

1920s evening dress photo by gail worley

Profuse embellishment, often consisting of glass and metal components that would capture and refract light when in motion, counterbalances the minimalism of form. This 1920s Evening Dress by an unknown, possibly French or American designer, is made from a yellow cotton plain weave embroidered with gold metal paillettes, gold glass bugle beads, clear glass beads and seed beads, and clear glass crystals. These extravagant fashions were devised to glimmer within modern environments newly illuminated by electricity. They also mirror artistic tendencies at the time, such as the Art Deco attributes of geometric lines and shapes, contrasting metallic tones, and an overall streamlined modernity in form.

1920s evening dress photo by gail worley

Photographed as part of the Exhibit In Pursuit of Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection, which closed in early 2020, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

Product Review: Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup From Spirit & Co.

Mar2

spirit and co vodka ketchup photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Do you like Ketchup? I sure do. Ketchup is one of my top-three favorite condiments of all time  — up there with Mayonnaise, and Trader Joe’s Green Tomatillo Chili Salsa, which is just insane — and if we are talking about Specialty Ketchups, don’t even get me started. If you can’t get your head around the thought of digging into a plate of crispy French fries without a generous side of ketchup for dipping, then let me introduce you to your new favorite thing: Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup from Spirit & Co.

vodka ketchup back label photo by gail worley

Spirit & Co.​ is the first company worldwide to exclusively use premium liquor in each of its products. If you are a fan of Penne with Vodka Sauce, you already know that tomato and vodka is a distinctive pairing that delivers an umami flavor comparable to, say,  adding truffle oil to almost anything. The flavor is unique and instantly recognizable, and even if you can’t pinpoint how the vodka makes the tomato sauce taste better, you understand that the result is crazy delicious. That said, I am willing to defend myself against accusations of being overly hyperbolic when I say that Spirit & Co.’s Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup will ruin you for all other ketchups: because it is absolutely the best ketchup I have eaten in my life.

Review Continues After The Jump!

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Modern Art Monday Presents: Thomas Fearnley, Study of Water and Plants

Mar1

study of water and plants photo by gal worley
Photo By Gail

This large study amply covers Norwegian artist Thomas Fearnley’s interest in rendering effects of light and reflection in water, as well as the flora growing on its banks. He painted this picture on September 23rd, 1837, in Surrey, during an extended sojourn in England. Fearnley learned to sketch directly before nature from his teacher Johan Christian Dahl, but this work also betrays the artists encounters with paintings by influential landscape painter John Constable.

Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art n NYC.

Pink Thing of The Day: Pink Poodle Candle

Feb26

pink poodle candle photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

On Sunday mornings, I go for a walk that often takes me through the historic district around Irving Place. There are lots tiny boutiques in the area and it;s fun to window shop.I spotted this Hot Pink Poodle Candle on display in the window of a place called Takamichi Beauty Room (located at 125 East 17th Street) which bills itself as a wellness store and ‘cabinet of curiosities.’ Despite the fact that the Poodle is perched atop a box for a candle by Cire Trudon (which retail for over $100 each) it is in fact a much more affordable product of Photerian and retails for just $15. Sweet.