Spirit by: Q Wang - Book Review

Spirit: The Paintings of Q. Wang is a collection of contemporary paintings by Q. Wang, a current resident of Southern California. In this "Coffee table" style of high-quality art-book of 44 selected works of artist Q. Wang created during the period from 2006 through 2010, are displayed with only title and date of origin; leaving the viewer to "feel the art", or as stated in the Preface, "hear the music" without the distraction of a narrative.

Working with acrylic over conventional sized canvases, Q. Wang's work is easily categorized as being modern art, abstract, using color and lines in very unique and impressive ways. Although, admittedly Q. Wang openly discusses his attraction to the art of Maurice Utrillo, I sense some subliminal influence by other renowned artists. I feel the American legend Alexander Calder aligned with his floating shapes; along with aspects reminiscent of Andy Warhol in hisHillary Clinton portrait; Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gough with some cubism. This said, the originality of Q. Wang stands on his own merit with a fundamental Asian influence.

Just as it is obvious to a viewer if a picture on a wall is hung at an angle, not being straight, it is amazingly impressive how parallel, perpendicular, round and exact the geometric shapes are within Q. Wang's work. He definitely has a highly advanced mathematical spatial relation aspect to his art, resulting in hypnotizing introspection and, in my case, a highly emotional impact. His core talent brings simplicity in shape and form. One of, if not my true favorite, is titled, Woman. In it, Q. Wang takes a red circle, two red domes and a red triangle placed over horizontal colored backgrounds bringing to mind a "nude" like some Hermann Rorschach inkblot test revealing my own thoughts. Other favorites of mine are titled Kiss and Lovers, where two "stick figures" embrace each other, one yellow and one red, over a green background. Just as universal highway and building signage uses stick figures to represent men and women with respect to safety or even a restroom, these figures are international and global in its representation of the love within humanity.

I could go on and talk about Q. Wang's use of dimensional relations in his landscapes, or his obvious sense of passion for a lady he painted, or even the comedy within his work; but to understand his work you simply need to see it. This book is beyond excellent as a showcase for his talent. Next to having the opportunity to visit a gallery with his work, this book can be easily bought and will truly embellish the library of any art-loving collector. As the famous French film producer Jean-Luc Godard said, "It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to." Q. Wang has taken me further into the appreciation of my surroundings, people, and love. That is what art is all about.

Book Review - Flashback: My Life and Times in Bollywood And Beyond by Niilesh A Raje

Author
Bob Christo (Foreword by Tom Alter)

Publisher
Penguin Books India

Pages
280

Price
Rs 399/-

ISBN
9780143414629

I distinctly remember that fight sequence from the movie Kaalia where everybody is standing in line while food is being distributed and Michael (actor Bob Christo) decides to spoil the decorum and breaks the queue. While one of his crippled inmates gathers courage and decides to retaliate against this brawny white guy Michael shouts back, "Hum jahaan khade hote hain line waheen se shuroo hotee hai"(The line always start behind me). Immediately after that all the other prisoners in the queue go and stand behind Michael.

The most I knew about Bob Christo then was he was an actor from Australia renowned within the Indian Film Industry as the "bad man" of Indian Cinema who played either the role of collaborator, hostile prisoner or British Officer.

The septuagenarian Robert John Christo whom the world popularly knew as Bob Christo died in Bangalore (20 March 2011) winning the affection of millions of Indian Movie Fans for over two decades which included over 230 films and 15 television serials.

The newly released book Flashback: My Life and Times in Bollywood and Beyond by Penguin Books India gives the readers wealth of information by sharing the best and bad times experienced in life by Bob Christo. The actor's biography was to be released by Akshay Kumar in June 2011 post which he was planning to return back to work in Hindi Cinema in an Akshay Kumar film.

The book gives an interesting insight about the many roles (Engineer, Adventurer, Lover, Mercenary and Bollywood villain) played by Bob Christo in real life apart from holding the credit for being one of the renowned villain of the Indian Film Industry in reel life.

The memorable autobiography traces the journey of this Civil Engineer from Sydney, Australia. Bob firmly believed in the discipline of reading and was also a prolific writer who held the recognition for achieving top marks and prizes for writing outstanding essays right from his school days.

Bob's wife was killed in 1974 in a car crash leaving him the responsibility to bring up his three children. In 1977 he decided to pursue his career in Civil Engineering and was deputed for his assignment at Muscat. But destiny had its own plans. No sooner he resumed his work in Muscat he was communicated that his friend American scriptwriter George Marzbetuni had a massive heart attack and was hospitalized in ICU in Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai.

Bob decided to come back to Mumbai for a couple of days to visit his friend in the hospital. George was not able to stay for long in India to shoot for the English version of the movie Abdullah as his family was on the way to India and had decided to take him back to L.A.

George wanted Bob to write reports and ensure that the crew sticks to the same script as written by him for Abdullah. Alternatively if Sanjay Khan wanted Bob to do some role in his movie George suggested that it was his (Bob's) call to go ahead with the same.

One big success wiped out all his previous failures and with passage of time Bob was kept busy and occupied with several opportunities coming up on his roads to achievements. Abdullah, Qurbani, Kaalia, Namak Halal, Mard, Mr. India and Agneepath were some of the opportunities that Bob got and also had the opportunity to share the screen with Marlon Brando, Amitabh Bachchan and Raj Kapoor to name a few. Bob also took special classes in Hindi by taking the help of Qadir Roomi who visited him every morning at 8 a.m., six days a week, to teach him the National Language.

In 2001, Bob decided to retire and left Mumbai for Bangalore to work in Sanjay Khan's hotel, The Golden Palms Hotel and Spa starting off as gymnasium manager and yoga master. Once the hotel was fully operational by 2002 Bob had become the Fitness Director. Spine Injury made Bob to quit his job from the hotel and in 2006 he started his work on his autobiography.

The book is divided into three parts giving the reader a detailed account of how experience enriched his life. His journey is covered in the book in the following manner (Part 1 - Hong Kong-Philippines, Part 2 - Africa to India, via the Middle East and Part 3 - Odyssey in India).

In Foreword by Tom Alter Bob questions, "Tom, why don't they give me romantic roles?". To which Tom replies, "The truth is, my friend, your own life was the most romantic role of all". Bob agrees that as he looks back on his life, he feels blessed.

Behind every success lies an untold pain in one's heart and the pain is usually revealed when the individual rises to the top. The key message the author (Bob Christo) wants to convey to all his readers is the great mixture of bliss and sorrow that he experienced in his life. It was life that he fully lived. And why not, as long as there is life there are bound to be struggles.

Alebrijes - Masterpieces by Mexican Sculptors and Painters - A Book About Mexican Folkart

Like other dedicated collectors Hartmut Zantke became an author because he wished to find out more about a certain subject, in his case the history and manufacture of Mexican alebrijes. Attending an exhibition of Mexican art in 1991 he first saw painted wooden sculptures by indigenous artists: a jaguar with human features, a cat painted with blue, red and yellow Zapotec ornaments on black background, a plump, extremely elongated pig painted with colorful flowers and white doves. He was fascinated by the combinations of vibrant colors in novel patterns on the eccentric sculptures. The seller called the sculptures "alebrijes". Since that day the author has developed an interest in these imaginative, mostly animal-like Mexican sculptures made from paper-mache or wood. He has read all available literature on the subject of Mexican art and its history, browsed internet-galleries for artistically demanding alebrijes and purchased the most interesting pieces they offered, objects he refers to as "genuine" alebrijes. He discovered that all woodcarvings from the Mexican state Oaxaca are called "alebrijes" for commercial reasons, even though most of them are cheap mass-produced souvenirs that only share their name with the true works of art called "alebrijes". Excellent woodcarvings may be found all over the world, mainly from china but also from Germany.

The "genuine" alebrijes by Mexican artists however are not only carvings of the highest quality but also represent a symbiosis between sculptures and fantastic paintings; the wooden sculpture, instead of canvas, is the background for three-dimensional paintings. Only the artist´s creative energy can bring a lifeless lump of wood to life, utilizing vibrant colors, indigenous ornaments, symbols and images to create a unique piece of art. The artists mostly employ the same shapes, color combinations, ornaments and symbols as their ancestors from a thousand-year-old civilization. The sculptures´ shape and ornamental painting represent a fascinating mixture of different elements of the artists´ cultural, physical and religious background and of their traditions; the myths and legends of their indigenous forebears, especially the Olmeks, Maya, Aztecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs as preserved in the sculptures and frescoes in the ruins of Monte Albàn or Mitla and displayed in the prehistoric archeological collections of museums of as well as the works of the Christian Spanish conquerors all contribute to making alebrijes a creative and unique art form.

The philosophy of the indigenous people of Middle-America is closely associated with nature and animals. Mesoamerican philosophy holds that every person has a creature from its environment as its spiritual counterpart. Every day in Aztec calendar is represented by a specific plant, animal or natural phenomenon. This explains why the Mexican artists who draw their inspiration from the spiritual and religious beliefs of their ancestors mainly depict the creatures of the Aztec calendar.

After Mexico´s occupation by the Spanish conquerors in the 16. century and the following destruction of nearly its entire indigenous culture the manufacture of carved and painted likenesses of the creatures of the calendar was all but forgotten. Around 1936 Pedro Lineares Lópes was the first to revive the age-old traditions of his indigenous ancestors. He began to fashion mythical creatures from painted papier-mâché which he dubbed "alebrijes". In 1980 Don Manuel Jimenez began creating alebrijes by first hewing the raw form from the wood of the copal-tree with a machete, then using a knife to carve the details and finally painting the sculptures with patterns and colors inherited from his forefathers. His mercantile talent enabled him as one of the first to sell his works in the USA and later to museums all over the world and to collectors of Mexican art.

Painted wooden alebrijes as an art form are a fairly recent development (about 30 years), far too young for the international art community to have become generally aware of them. The international art market has not yet recognized the historic importance, beauty and artistic quality of the alebrijes created by the Mexican carvers and painters. Millions of vacationers in Mexico have probably come across the painted woodcarvings generously called "alebrijes" and may even have purchased some cheap object as a souvenir without ever having known about its history or the "genuine" alebrijes created by renowned Mexican carvers and painters. This book is intended as a contribution to closing this knowledge gap and bringing the art form of alebrijes to world-wide attention.

This book is subdivided into two sections:

The text section describes the alebrijes' historic roots, their manufacture and economic relevance in the Mexican state of Oaxaca and the biographies of the most renowned Mexican artists creating alebrijes as works of art.

The image section with about 272 photographs offers an overview over the works art created over the last few years. The book has approximately 428 pages with a dimension of 27 by 31 cm (10,6 by 12,2 in). It may be purchased from Sozialkartei-Verlag in Leonberg/Stuttgart. The book will be published in January 2011.

The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II

World War II was a defining event in history, especially America. I had a grandfather who served in that war, earning two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. I've seen countless movies depicting events from World War II, and I've also read a number of books about those years as well. It was a different time, and the war helped shaped that generation's identity. It was a war that many refer to as the "last good war." Like my grandfather, many of the veterans from World War II are passing away each day. It is because of this, that I liked what Thomas Sanders and Veronica Kavass have put together. The book "The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II" is a beautifully done coffee table type book that pays homage to those who served our nation in war.

The book is filled with magnificent photographs of men and women who served, now much older, but often holding pictures of when they were younger. Many pictures are black and white, but there are also color photographs included too. These are men and women who are true heroes, that very few have ever heard about. They are heroes because they answered when their country called. They sacrificed and did what had to be done. They then returned home to become productive members of their communities and lead lives just like the rest of us.

Sanders dedicates the book to all American veterans and soldiers, especially to those who do not make it home. And while there really isn't anything good about war, just as Hampton Sides says in the introduction, there was a lot of "good" in the men and women who served, and this book helps us remember the selfless, determined, humble, and heroic veterans of that time. At the beginning of the book there is a quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower, General, U.S. Army. This was when he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II and before he became President of the United States. He said, "The world must know what happened, and never forget." I think sometimes we do forget, and we shouldn't. Looking through the book, noticing the aged faces, I can't help but think what they went through during their time of service. And I can't help but feel a sense of gratitude and thankfulness for what they did. Reading their stories makes me ashamed at how some people today cry and moan about difficulties that are nowhere near what those men and women faced.

This is an important book, and I hope many will take the time to read it, and more than that, to realize the history that our older generation have not studied, but lived, and to take advantage of learning from these men and women, so we don't ever forget. Because, as the author says, one day they won't be here to tell their stories.

Some Innovative Ideas for Custom Frames

The custom frames can add a touch of individuality to even the very regular photos and portraits. You can display them on the wall, or your shelf or your desktop, the personalization gives a personal touch to them. A custom frame can be created in numerous ways and are suitable for office as well as home. They even make great gift as well.

One of the very easy ways of creating custom frame is to use your craft and scrapbook supplies. You may style using ornamental letters that are used to embellish scrapbook pages. These letters are readily available in any normal supply stores. By just gluing the embellished letters to the frame you can spell out a name or phrase to create that personalized look. The letters can express the sentiments attached with the photo or a simply title to the photo displayed. The embellishment letters are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors which allows you to get a custom look.

You can add dried flowers, ornate the clip frames, add ribbons to create a custom frame. You can decorate a wedding portrait frame with ribbons and baby's breath to get a unique and personal look. Again, you can decorate the baby photo frames by gluing small objects and stars around the clip frames. You can add a personalized look to them by letting your imagination lose.

You do not have to settle with simple one if you want a custom frames. You can buy shadow box frames and get the inside decorated suitably and ornate the matted part which surrounds your picture. You can use decorative paper and even embellishments to decorate the structure. You do not have to restrict the frames to only photos; you can also use them to frame certificates, degrees, memorable. You can also frame meaningful poems or music score. They make equally amazing art work.

No matter what you have in mind, make sure that you mix and match different articles inside as well as outside them to find out which way it looks good. You can experiment with a lot of different designs and before you add glue to it and make it final. This way you will be able to see what exact look you want. The custom one also makes excellent gift items as well as since they are great keepsake.

You can buy custom frames from a variety of sources and stores. The best way you can customize a frame is buy adding a touch of creativity. With the use of right glue for the right kind of a frame you can create magic. A different kind of glue is needed for wood and plastic. When you buy the frames to personalize, always have a rough idea about the designs. You can ornate the wider, flatter frames by adding embellishments around the edges. The nice rounded and narrow frames work very well with the decorative mat. Therefore, no matter what design you choose, you can create a custom frame in a fun way and expand the affection and creativity