The Bad Art Cafe

Gustiv Klimt (1862 - 1918), continued

Hope I (1903) oil on canvas

Hope I shows a naked girl in profile in last stages of pregnancy .  She's ready to give birth any minute.  She has blue eyes and a straight on stare, as if she doesn't care what you, the viewer, thinks.  Her hair is a brilliant colour of red frizzy hair, she has ruby red nipples, white skin, an almost a deathly white, bushy red pubic hair, and skinny legs.  She not bothered by the skulls that hang around in the background.

The girl, or woman, stands in the fore front with pathos behind her - loopy lines, leering faces, swirling lines. Calling the painting Hope I, maybe Klimt was saying even in the death skull background, the pregnancy brings hope.  Although in 1903, it is shameless, decadent, showing an unwedded teenage mother, and she will probably be punished for having a child out of wedlock,  (showing off her big pregnant body). 

But the young woman doesn't seem to care at all.

Gustiv Klimt (1862 - 1918)

Life and Death (1908) oil on canvas

This painting might considered his masterpiece.  Very Symbolist in form, technique and subject matter: Death leering at Life.  Death is wide awake, and Life, with its intertwining figures of babies, nurturing mothers, men, are all asleep.

A mosaic of colors, the two images are clearly delineated.  There is a troubled feeling pervasive in his art work in most (or all ) of his pieces.  The reoccurring themes of decadence, Death always nearby, and woman of brutal sexuality - in this work of art, women lovingly embracing a baby; what the critics would call the out come of a woman's insatiable need for sex.

The background is a lurid painted green, and Death looks to Life with black crosses all over his form.  A form like a spectra.  He would be like today's Goth movement, and in a split second he can ruin everything.

But Life is merged together like a fond family in bright mosaic colors of greens, yellows, blues, reds.   It's an image like a crazy quilt and flatness but does not recognize the figure of Doom nearby, but sleeps to live life blissfully.

Klimt, and Austrian painter, was not beloved in his time.  He often showed explicit sex themes, skull themes, pregnant woman, lesbianism, masturbation (yet it was all very organized).  He underscored the decadent theme of Symbolism without apology.

It's a Totaled Car to You

Car Insurance">Car Insurance  It's a totaled car to you.  Look at it. Someone side swiped it, bashed it in, and now the car sits in a lot of a garage for totaled cars, and all you can do is cry.  Does your insurance pick up the bill for a car rental?  How long - a week, two weeks?  What's your deductible anyhow, 500 pounds in the UK, or $1000.00 in the US?  It hurts, it really hurts.  That's only your car!  What about you?

Are you hurting?  Do you go to the doctor with whiplash, sue the other driver, do they have insurance?  It goes on & on.  Have you ever dealt with a claims adjuster?  They are not going to believe your story.  It seems like the other guy is always right.

Did you ever get hit by a city bus?  Do you know how big those mother's are?  We here in Chicago have the biggest buses, and the stingiest city bus claims adjusters.  Unless!  God, a miracle accures!  There's a witness, he saw the city bus side swipe your car, and rip off the outside mirror.  He even gave you his name and phone number.  This only happens once in a lifetime. You get the check.

But back to the bashed up car in garage lot.  That was another accident, another time.  The guys with cameras and notepads from the insurance firm come out to assess the damage.  And the damage is: the car is totaled.  It goes on metal heap.

Just for the hell of it, you take a picture of the car.  The other driver was at fault, and lucky enough, you get a check.

Art Nouveau (1890 - 1910)

Art Nouveau was short lived movement that grew out of Symbolism and spearheaded the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th Century. And later the Art Deco Movement, which was a industrialist version of Art Nouveau's swirling lines. Organic themes. vines, leaves, flowers, stylized and flat were it's chief features. Beauty over content, and not much sub-context to speak of either, and void of "meaning". Or heavy art stuff. Art Nouveau is roughly translated into "New Art" , but one can look at it in another way. The newness of the 20th century over coming the old 19th century and a bringing a freshness of style instead of decadence and drug use and love of suicide by laudanum - a heroin like substance

Anniversary of a "Romance"

March 12, 1978 - I was sixteen years old.  I'd like to say I knew better, and I did, but you know when you're attracted to someone, it's all downhill from there. I mean to say, I was no innocent child. It all started in December of the year before.  I worked in a coffee shop, and nailed him with coffee in his cup at 1:30am.dating after a break up">dating after a break up

I told him he looked like my favorite rock star.  "Who's that?" he said in a nasty ass voice.  "oh, you wouldn't know him, he's pretty unknown around here" I said, turning away.

"Who is it?" His name was Mike.  2am in the morning was nothing to me.  I shrugged my shoulders.  "Well, if you must know, it's a guitar player named Steve Marriott."  I turned around to see the look on his face. I was used to people not knowing anything about my taste.  I turned back to leave again

But then I heard a low voice, turned & saw a face that fell, and a direct look.

"How do you know who Humble Pie is?" he said.

"How could you not know who Humble Pie is?" I said. And in today's lingo, I would have added, "loser, stupid".  He was a "Buttermilk Boy" - a country boy from the old country.  But how did I know that?

But, boy, was I on the money.  But he did look like Steve, slanted eyes, the mustache, the high cheekbones.  Turns out it was his favorite guitar player too.

So that was the beginning.  He resembled someone I had a crush on.  It took til March 12th to get rock n' rolling, and I had been warned at least once I was in water over my head with this guy.

I said, on March 12th, standing over the counter, pouring out the coffee, "are you giving me a ride home?"  Well, he finally did, and the rest is romantic history.  At least it started that way.  We sat at his parent's kitchen table drinking beer.  I said, "so aren't you going to seduce me?"  and looked away, thinking another stupid, another loser, but when I looked back, he had great interest in my idea, and let me know by leaning forward with his head in his hands.

It started out so great, but then hit a hard times, and tumbled into rage, passive-aggressive behavior, nasty fights, and two people who had nothing in common, but, well, Humble Pie & sex.  Wasn't meant to last long, and when it ended, I wrote in my notebook, "I'm pregnant, I just broke up with my boyfriend, and I'm 18" It was "30 Days in the Hole" that lasted way too long.break up ">break up

Horses, Patti Smith, c. 1975 - photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe

Black & white, unglamorous, a new rock star woman poses in static form for her friend, her closest friend in the world, Robet Mapplethorpe.  They were sitting in a coffee shop - the lady rock star is Patti Smith, who would soon be famous for this photograph and her band - and Robert dragged her away from the table to Sam's apartment.  why?  because in the afternoon there was a natural shadow of light that created a triangle of light.  he posed Patti in front of it.  she's wearing a kind a unsexual garb, white ripped armed shirt, suspenders, tight black jeans on her skinny figure.  her hair is bushy. there are circle under her eyes, but that dead eye of Robert's framed everything in negative space, perfect lighting, and Patti, his best friend. in solid surroundings.  never before had the record producers seen such an unflattering pose of a woman on an album cover.  well, they didn't know art photography.  oh, yeah, the album is named horses, and on Patti's coat thrown over her shoulder, there's tiny, upside down pin of a horse.  the record producers lost.

an art poem on the back of the cover by Patti, the rest of the band photographed against a brick was and a message, "de l'ame pour l'ame" (to a friend, for a friend).  it wasn't made out to Robert, but it should have been.  that album cover went down in history.

today marks the 19th anv. of Robert's death.  RIP

"charms, sweet angels -ou have made me no longer afraid of death" - Patti Simth

The Tuscany Leather Bed - Sweet Dreams!

French Beds">French Beds

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A  double sized leather bed.  A smooth, elegant, streamlined, bed that compliments any decor, in any bedroom.

Ideas abound when you think of the soft, supple brown leather cushions.  The way you might find the perfect white linen sheets to match.  The way luxury makes you feel, even at night.  Most especially at night.  Then, let us say nothing of the added advantage of having your soul mate come for a visit!

If your search for the perfect leather bed has been futile, you can now relax.  There are linen sheets on the biscast leather bed, and you can fall right into them.   You have found the perfect leather bed!

The upholstery is first class and includes lovely styling details not to found anywhere else.  It comes complete with a sprung slatted base.  A coordinating Ottoman Storage Box and Nightcubes are available too.  Models come in black and dark brown.

The prices an unimaginably affordable considering the fine workmanship that has been crafted in your leather bed.  Ranging from $1000.00 - $1500.00 in American money.  Salespeople will do their utmost to customize the bed, and make sure you are very happy with your purchase.  These are professional people who want everything lovely and comfortable for you.  They know how hard you work all day and need the feel of wonderful rest in a luxury surrounding.

Now imagine your sleep.  Now imagine even better your soul mate besides you.

Sweet Dreams!

Andy Magnets

Andy Warhol Foudation for the Visual Arts, Inc. is now selling a million different low cost products with Andy work all over them.  one is magnet.  But there are: billfolds, women's clothes, watches, etc., etc.  I bought mine at the mall, as in a mall rat mall, at Spencers.  You should see the billfolds. 

somewhere out there andy is smiling.  he would love to see his work on billfords.  plastic, a little cheap, it would have thrilled him no end.

here's a quote from Andy:

"I always thought one was company, two was a crowd, and three was a party"

have a party.

Not for Glamour Models any More!

Breast enlargements - you know making your gams bigger than you were born with, giving you a look like Brigid Bardot - like a movie star are for the real woman, the natural woman, even.  It makes working out at the gym every day worthwhile.

"Develop a perfect pair that makes guys stare"

The Perfect Pair.  That's what you want.  Think cleavage.

The aim is to show that the regular lady on the street can be beautiful and full breasted, not just glamour girls on the telly and in magazines.  Cosmetic surgery is not what it used to be.You can experience it and love the results

Think Victoria's Secret, and all the luscious knickers and brassieres your body will show off.  Think of how beautiful you'll feel when you get dressed in the morning.

Think about the man in you life, (or woman, if you like), and you are a candidate for a perfectly balanced set of the "greatest creation known to men".

Breast Enhancement">Breast Enhancement

Black Coffee

"Black Coffee" Man & Mirror, c.1974,black & white, photographer unknown There is a man looking up from the coffee and cigarette; he clutches the coffee up on his knee, fingers wrapped around it. Another cup of coffee in front of the mirror mimics the one in his hand.. The picture might be set in a flat, or temperary living quarters. The man appears somewhat care worn, at age 27, but still has his inner shine and sex appeal. He's mustached, layered hair, defined cheek bones, and if you could see his eyes better, you'd see the most beautiful eyes on a man possible: slanted, sexually suggestive, artistic, shining with wit, but filled with the being of an old soul. The mirror that occupies the space to the right of the photograph is on the same level as the man. In folktales, mirrors stand for souls being suckout of a persona. They stand for 'mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" They stand for 7 years bad luck if broken. The man oblivious to his surroundings, and the fact he's being photographed, He's looking upward, towards the heavens, which he will one day occupy. "His eyes were watching God". The man is Steve Marriott, (1947 - 1991) white blues singer, guitar player, an a man of minor & major magic. ">