Radical Leaders, Radical Advertising

This billboard, and the story attached to it happened a while back, but I still think about it sometimes. The doublespeak here just kills me, which I guess means my freedom was lost? I guess someone's hegemonic system felt really threatened, thus leading to their own radical advertising, which preys on . . . something else, I guess - the confident and informed.

Thank a Teacher, Thank a Soldier

Yesterday, I was behind a truck that was sporting this bumper sticker. I hadn't seen this sticker in a while, so it was interesting to remember that it does, in fact, exist. I thought about what this bumper sticker is saying, both explicitly and implicitly, both the primary and secondary meanings. I won't go into all the thoughts I had. But I would like to propose that we pass these stickers out to all native Hawaiians and Native Americans. I think they'd really dig it, don't you?

Doré's Dragons, Demons and Monsters

Dore's Dragons, Demons and Monsters by Gustave Doré

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Gustave Doré is pretty awesome. Few artists' works embed themselves in my mind the way Doré's do. I think seeing his illustrations to works like Paradise Lost, Don Quixote, and The Divine Comedy have excited me to eventually read those stories more than all the talk surrounding these works that I've heard in my English classes. That might mean I'm just a lazy reader, or it might have something to do with the long tradition of illustrations accompanying literary works. These days, it feels to me like such a fusion of the arts is less encouraged, even looked down upon. "Serious" literature doesn't bother with pictures, but is all wrapped up in the magnificence of language (except who's gonna say that Paradise Lost isn't serious literature, or an example of weak language?). Should I blame the modernists who brought us formalism for that? Probably not. In any case, it seems like outside of the (now overly popular and rather bloated) graphic novel, and the (unfairly overlooked) picture & pop-up book, that pictures have been snubbed out of literature. Some might say it's because visual arts have somehow found their way into literary language itself, and that there just isn't a need for it, because some writers adopt a cinematic, visual style anyway. I guess you can argue that such a thing as cinematic language exists, but I think there's room for a counter-argument as well - language has always had a visual or cinematic quality in the hands of the right people. (Now I'm just rambling.) Basically, Doré is pretty fabulous, and we should still read books with pictures.

This modest collection of illustrations from Dover is a great introduction to Doré's work. It's a really good highlight reel, that gives to a solid taste for what he's doing. There are no essays accompanying these illustrations, which might be a bummer to those of us who like reading such things, but it's also really cool to have only the illustrations, standing on their own merits. The illustrations are strong enough on their own that explanation as to why they're so great seems extraneous. (Which might mean this review is irrelevant - just a sign of my own pretentiousness. Fair enough.) Essay and critical work on these pictures is cool, but unnecessary for this particular edition. If I want a more extensive analysis and collection of Doré's works, I'll be able to find them, but this book gives me a satisfying first taste.

The illustrations contained here have a spiritual, mystical, mythical quality that carries them beyond simple depictions of demons and monsters. Horror and the grotesque are here in abundance, but serve as a reminder that there are many things in the world that are much bigger than us and are beyond rational comprehension. Sometimes these things present a very real danger to us, but it doesn't always have to turn out like that. Some of these demons and monsters look rather humorous, and are likely meant to, which makes me think that not everything that appears to be an evil demon always is. And in any case, while the horrors of the rational or irrational world might surround us, this also doesn't mean we will be destroyed by them. Many of the works Doré was illustrating didn't end in the complete destruction of humanity - quite the opposite. So there seems to be a kind of inverted optimism or positivity to the pictures that I find really fantastic.

If this is an artistic style you like, then I'd really recommend checking out this book. If it isn't your style, maybe give it another chance before moving on to your already accepted preferences.

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In case you've never seen a Gustave Doré illustration before, here are a couple examples of the coolness:

Arachne

Andromeda

From Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"

Where do we go from here?

This picture was an accident. In my haste to snap a picture of these deer, I forgot to switch my settings. But I rather like the picture. I don't know if it's a good picture, but I do like it.

This is from on top of Hurricane Ridge, Washington. I've been visiting the Washington Peninsula for years, and this was the first time I'd been on Hurricane Ridge. I wanna go back.

Berlin: a book, a review, and some pictures.

Berlin by Stefan Dauth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is a wonderful collection of black and white photographs of my favorite city. I felt that this book captured the multitude of personalities, tones, histories, and cultures that make Berlin the fascinating city that it is and has been for at least the last century. Major city landmarks like Berliner Dom, Brandenburger Tor, the Reichstag, and such are all here, but there are also the great pictures of the alley way at Hackesche Hoefe (where you'll always find great graffiti art) and the street book market in from of the Humboldt Universitaet. You also get a good look at some of the people and fashion that populates the city. I like that the while you have the glamorous shots from down at Potsdamer Platz, you also have the less glamorous shots of anarchy symbols painted on walls and peeling, shredded poster ads pasted on the walls advertising concerts, protests and whatever else. A good collection that uses nice camera work to give an interesting portrait of a very vibrant, historical, and modern city.

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Looking at Dauth's photographs got me all nostalgic for Berlin and I felt like adding some of my own pictures that I took last fall when I was there doing a research project.

Renovations in the Alley at Hackesche Hoefe

Observing the Dead

Modern Times

Fall in the City