Some people I know
My friends' night out. This was taken at Sixth and Vine, one night that I had wandered chasing some other people. 
Bunch of happy people!
July 11, 2005
May 24, 2005
Hundertwasser
This post is about Friedensreich_Hundertwasser.
Nothing more amazing than to find an artist that created art that invited people to incorporate it in their lives: the Hundertwasser Haus:
Because the Hundertwasser House Vienna was THE VERY FIRST architectural project that Friedensreich Hundertwasser ever was able to build, it has naturally attracted considerable interest worldwide since it's opening in 1986.
The HwH Vienna is a PRIVATE HOUSE owned by the COMMUNITY OF VIENNA and it's basically to visit JUST FROM OUTSIDE ONLY, as we tenants (would like) to live here without being disturbed."
The HwH Vienna is a PRIVATE HOUSE owned by the COMMUNITY OF VIENNA and it's basically to visit JUST FROM OUTSIDE ONLY, as we tenants (would like) to live here without being disturbed."
Hundertwasser was an activist, an environmentalist and writer as well. He designed the proposed New Zeland Koru flag, which incorporates Maori elements, and wrote a manifesto for alternative architecture:
This jungle of straight lines, which is entangling us more and more like inmates in a prison, must be cleared. Until now, man has always cleared away the jungles he was in and freed himself. But to clear a jungle you must first become aware that you are in one, for this jungle took form stealthily, unnoticed by mankind. And this time it is a jungle of straight lines.
Amazing.
August 20, 2004
Moving Susan
A month ago Soosan moved, and although I couldn't take a picture of her, she sure did of us.
July 16, 2004
Picture Collection Online, NYPL
Courtesy of the NYPL Picture Collection Online, showing a beutiful King of Assyria, ca. 1880.
July 9, 2004
Tumaco
Object LR-02-1978-073: Ceramic head of old man. Tumaco region, Colombia. Ca. 800-1000 A.D.
July 8, 2004
What's on your head?
Biology for Engineers - Bioregulation in Animals - Circulatory System in your head.
BRUHUT
From the Brain Research Unit, HUT:
Our goal is to characterize human brain functions by means of multichannel magnetoencephalograpic (MEG) recordings.
MRI
Are you OK?
July 7, 2004
Faces of Cuba
A set of pictures on Cuba, by John Kaplan
Skull
From some anatomical simulations at Harvard.
Smile.
June 1, 2004
Picture
(Click here for full size)
a picture by Juan Betancurth, who is slightly more complicated than me.
May 4, 2004
100 mistakes by Bush
Bush had nothing to regret in his last press conference. No mistakes whatosever.
So, people at the American Progress have compiled a list of things to jog his memory, undoubtedly affected after all those years of coke and booze.
via Matt hew Yglesias
January 24, 2004
El Bosque
January 7, 2004
Liberty St.
January 6, 2004
On film and developing
Item 1 - When taking pictures with the old camera, the one that is only 18 years old, make sure the lens is clean and the jealous people are silent.
Item 2 - When taking the pictures to develop at any of those places with a Fuji machine, ask for a CD with the high resolution TIFF version of the pictures in them, instead of the lossy ultracompact JPG compressions.
Item 3 - Be patient. It is, after all, the new year.
December 29, 2003
Wachovia
Photo taken from Mary's, of course
November 25, 2003
Nude Shah
Photography by Nazak Pahlavi
via Sterling, who should admit comments.
November 7, 2003
Eric the Red
Pictures from Greenland.
October 3, 2003
Sim events
Found isometric screenshots following the comments at SvN, to the post indicated by the Anil links.
Couldn't resist.
October 2, 2003
Stephens' Tree
The Stephens' tree in Panama was a huge tree, 5 to 6 yards in diameter at the base, covered in epiphytes and located close to the "Ahorca Lagarto" station, a tree that John Lloyds Stephens, one of the first builders of the Panama Railroad, ordered to be preserved. Later on, when the Gatun was flooded, the tree disappeared.
Check more history about it here and here
Common searches
A very common search for this blog is Britney Spears. Although I do not usually carry many of those, here is something for all those disappointed fans.
September 22, 2003
Ana Leonor Tavera
Just to make people think, a painting by Ana Leonor Tavera, Colombian artist.
September 16, 2003
Naked dead women
Prentiss was wondering whether to place nude pictures of women in his house, with all that that implies, and the possible weird looks fro people going there.
I remember, though, that growing, we had a picture by Alejandro Obregón, that showed the mutilated body of a dead woman, in a very abstract way. The Violence, it was called, and it was a reminder of a rough period of the recent history of Colombia, one still raw in my parent's memories, and that still grated at our collective consciousness.
My brothers and I understood the origin of that, even though we were kids, and tried hard not to forget.
I disliked that picture, but finally came to understand that, as art, it was the sublimated expression of all the pain and sorrow brought by the political hate and war that wrecked the country.
In trying to draw the parallel with naked pictures, though, I acknowledge the same: we are going to see an abstract image, a representation of beauty and another perception of what we see daily.
As a matter of fact, I am getting some nude paintings for my apartment. The world is dreary enough, and I do need a reminder of the beauty that still exists out there.
September 12, 2003
More than an image
The Esquire story about this photo threads on the issue of our own imagery, how we censor what was the most horrible out of the tragedy, and at the same time, in so sanitizing history, we forget to mention the courage and sacrifice of so many that, despite the horror, kept moving: to certain death some, to their duty others.
What distinguishes the pictures of the jumpers from the pictures that have come before is that we - we Americans - are being asked to discriminate on their behalf. What distinguishes them, historically, is that we, as patriotic Americans, have agreed not to look at them. Dozens, scores, maybe hundreds of people died by leaping from a burning building, and we have somehow taken it upon ourselves to deem their deaths unworthy of witness - because we have somehow deemed the act of witness, in this one regard, unworthy of us.
By negating the pain we also diminish their contributions, as if somehow it were a daily occurrence, something with which we could all live. We end up accepting false solutions and forgetting that the most important thing about this attack is how the people died, and then how the nation, survivors of other kind, rallied their support.
By negating the death we find it easy to trivialize the pain, and end therefore throwing conventions in the place where the innocence of America was lost.
August 29, 2003
Medici
From the The Medici Archive Project, one of their Document of the Month: Avviso, that recounts a confrontation between the forces of good vs evil, in Catalonia, the 1st of May, 1582.
Late in the day on the first of May past which was the feast of the Apostles Saint Philip and Saint James, a cloud appeared in the town of Canege, in the territory of Palamós in Catalunya. As was witnessed by all of the inhabitants, this cloud brought in its wake a terrifying storm and a legion of demons which transformed themselves into the most horrifying and monstruous shapes—some as lions, some as wolves, some as dogs, some as humans, some as other kinds of ferocious animals, many as stags and also some as birds. In order to exorcize them, the clerics came out and carried the cross up above the cemetery of the church though this seemed to have no effect. When the priest saw what was happening, he came out of the church with the Holy Sacrament and almost all of those demons were immediately seen to unite and move to an inlet formed by a creek about two stone’s throw outside the town. From this there rose a sulpher-like flame as high as the bell tower of a church. Indeed, taking the form of a tower it grew until it reached the cloud and many of the demons were seen to fly up it like ravens and there was among them one particular bird of great ferociousness bigger than the others. They uprooted nine olive trees as well as many walnut trees, cherry trees and other trees. They carried away many clumps of plants with the soil around them. As witnessed by the inhabitants of the town, they burned [alternately: withered] a vineyard. Since the priest saw that the storm was continuing unabated, he went up on the bell tower of the church with the Holy Sacrament but then fell with his shoulders on the cross and was entirely unhurt. The storm thus ceased, turning into mere rain which did no harm, though the whole town was terrified to have seen so horrifying an occurrence.
Just beautiful.
August 12, 2003
July 17, 2003
RJR's old garden
From the old sunken garden at RJR's house. Our now touristy Reynolda Gardens, beautiful in spring.
July 15, 2003
Ines Cera
The World Press Photo site has beautiful photography.
As with any old media, their motto is
Our Mission: To encourage high professional standards in photojournalism and to promote a free and unrestricted exchange of information.
And then they tell you that their pictures are subject to copyright and you will be subject to Inquisitorial persecution should you even look at them.
They don't get it (TM).
July 10, 2003
Firehead
The beautiful firehair, from old comic book covers.
via Sugar'n spicy
July 1, 2003
Felipe Arango
With his new exhibition at the Museo de los Angeles, Felipe Arango shows what the new Colombian painters are up to these days.
June 27, 2003
Salam Pax Pictures
June 25, 2003
Iraq pictures
Guardian Images of Iraq.
June 24, 2003
Portage
This media maven has Stuff Worth Saving, marvelous images from times past.
via iconomy, who I frankly, openly, unabashedly admire.
June 22, 2003
Wiliam Gedney
KentuckyPhotographs and Writings by William Gedney.
via iconomy
June 4, 2003
Black and White
Beautiful pictures of the human body, here at Michelle7.
April 27, 2003
Columbia
I love Blogdex. The collective soul min always finds things that are interesting, amusing and relevant - or simply explores that which makes us curious primates. This graphic story here on the various sizes of ships poses an interesting question: Where is the Millenium Falcon?
Pictures from the city
I went to see Maria yesterday, she being back in town for a few days. Beautiful Maria, long hours are being cruel on her, her multiple appointments and her busy agenda being almost as if she were a famed world class athlete. She is, tough.
At any rate, at last I was able to see her pictures, her visual sensibility and the ability to capture people and time.
What should I say, am biased, but those pictures I saw were beautiful; not going on extremes, since it is obvious that technique has yet to be mastered, as in any other skill, but the perception, the ability to capture a story unfolding, and then give it back to us, unsuspecting bystanders, that was magic. Her pictures are not so much about visual aesthetics, although that is clearly basic there, but that emotion that travels from her to the spectator.
There is, for example, the three old ladies, sitting on a stone fountain, resting after shopping at the local market, waiting for the guagua. Her faces are clear, alert eyes, not yet defeated by time, much more together after a long walk. Or a couple after church, she, with a serious face, listening while playing with her shoes, he, older and graying, explaining some fine point, or giving advice. Father and daughter? Priest and parishioner? Alone in that moment, this kid playing on the beach, the sun setting, and the eyes lost in the vastness of the sea, waiting, listening, wondering.
In a twist of the old tale, it is her soul the one being captured in those pictures, and then placed out there to be seen.
April 22, 2003
Mary-Chan
This beautiful and not at all perturbing illustration from Mari-chan , whose intentions are
The goal of "Mari-chan" is to spread them all over the world and bring an end to the "character culture."
We are obssesed with characters because we are, in our interactions with others, characters - thus, the persona that we have can explore possibilities, reinvent itself, discover that which may lend a new perspective, a conceptual light, the smallest epiphany. That is the beauty of the avatar, that we create and destroy according to our taste.
via Warren Ellis
April 13, 2003
Operation
Although this still looks like an anaconda getting ready to swallow its victim, it is really part of an independent video, The Operation, winner of an award at the 1995 Chicago Underground Film Festival. What makes it interesting? It has been filmed in infrared, capturing the artists' bodies as lines of heat instead of light.
And since the them of the video is sex, heat pretty much travels all over the place.
via Die Puny Humans
April 12, 2003
Help
This photoshopped picture has been going around, labeled as "the best anti-war photo". However, from my days as an editor I know it was actually taken during revolts in Colombia, about 2000. Anyone knows where to get it, or who has a pointer to it? Google has proved useless on this thing.
Pin-ups!
I know that beauty is a cultural construct, mostly shaped by our accepted views, our current definition, and what our media throws back. That said, it is refreshing to see these PinUp Girls from times past, when stylized forms and full figures went together in the definition of women, a popular art of sorts - a simplicity of form that appeals even now.
via Robyn, and let's hope I wrote her name right!
April 7, 2003
Differences
There are seven differences between this two pictures. Find them!
April 2, 2003
Dream Anatomy
Jacques Gamelin
(1739-1803)
A beautiful gallery of anatomical depictions through the ages, with incredible detail and variety, at the National Library of Medicine.
via Giornale Nuovo
April 1, 2003
Britney Spears
For you, nice people searching for
Britney Spears' pictures, here are some.
Just so you don't waste this google.
March 28, 2003
Posters
Long live the great Stalin!
With regard to the great teacher Chairman Mao, cherish the word 'Loyalty'. With regard to the great Mao Zedong Thought, vigorously stress the word 'Usefullness'.
"I had made it clear to the world that either you're with us or you're with the enemy, and that doctrine still stands"
This incredible gallery of posters of two past glorious leaders and a current one, via Cory (by now everybody should know who is Cory Doctorow) , who in turn got this from a guy named George. Not that he posts or anything.
I added that last one. Incredibly appropriate, isn't it?
March 25, 2003
March 20, 2003
Just because
from Milton Glaser
February 14, 2003
Newspapers
Spent a long time looking for a familiar newspaper here:in Todays' Front Pages
via eCuaderno
January 27, 2003
images
This site has drawings of comics using the Cha’an Buddhist splash style.
About the art: These paintings were done in the traditional Cha’an Buddhist splash style which originated in China, circa 13th century B.C. Emperor Cha’an ruled during this era, making this period the Cha’an Dynasty. The Emperor was very strict and domineering. He permitted only specific styles of art and literature to permeate throughout his country. Anything not approved was illegal. Linework was very tight and the spoken/written word was extremely structured.
And the monks got away with that because it was deemed religious expression. So, you have it, free speech again.
January 19, 2003
War and Peace
For peace
For war
January 18, 2003
Which one, indeed?
Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti
Courtesy of the lovely Ali.
January 13, 2003
Ringing in my ears
December 26, 2002
Attack of the monkeys
Maria gets attacked by all these crazied monkeys. Later on, Armando would help the monkeys - crazy Armando - but the LOMO didn't quite got it.
September 22, 2002
Chinese paintings
The Chinese paintings that the ChAmP recommended finally arrived. Beautiful on their own, as you may expect from a small cottage business, and naïve enough to be attractive. But I was buying the craft, the experience, so I am satisfied.
I was just sitting on front of my PC, trying to read and write, when suddenly a knock on the door sent me running, heart racing, anguish again, while thinking about who may that be, what have I done, I am not guilty, why I am being persecuted, is the Net illegal, what is it?
It was the mailman with the paintings, but that did not calm me either. After I signed for them, I was still nervous, trying to breath down that stress and the fear that came with the knock on the door.
I realize now that some scars are more evident that I thought at first, and that, even though this small town is boring in the extreme (can’t go dancing at three am), I chose it for the relative calm and peace it offers. I want to go away, and this will involve much more than having the perfect job.
Listening to the Orishas CD in my car I had another attack of nostalgia, remembering mi tierra, and wondering why is it that I am here.
Oh, yes. I am trying to be alive, even though it seems that I am dying every day, a little bit more.
And yet.