Art & Style News: Art News, Art Videos & Style Videos // Current

^#1

By happy accident, chemists produce a new blue

"Blue pigments of the past have often been expensive (ultramarine blue was made from the gemstone lapis lazuli, ground up),... more

DeliaTheArtist
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National Geographic's International Photography Contest 2009

National Geographic's International Photography Contest attracts thousands of entries from photographers of all skill levels... more

StrangE2U
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Sparkling reindeer-dung jewelry

Sparkly reindeer-dung necklaces are going on sale at an Illinois zoo that hopes to attract the same holiday shoppers who swept up... more

TravG73
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Dreaming of Lucid Living: A Wondrous Performance/Animation Mash-Up

“Dreaming of Lucid Living” is a short film that’s a remarkable, beautiful performance/animation mash-up by the... more

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This is a direct upload of the video for the story previously posted on the Movies page under the title, "MIGHTY MOVIE PODCAST: Tim Burton at MoMA"

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So you go into this room at New York’s Museum of Modern Art’s Tim Burton exhibit, and it’s like striking gold: the Jack Skellington figure is there, along with a choice selection of the replacement heads that were used to animate dialogue; there’s the creepy, completely covered baby Penguin wicker stroller from BATMAN RETURNS; you can see a MARS ATTACKS stop-motion figure and some test footage shot before Burton decided to go CG; plus the headless horseman figure and the EDWARD SCISSORHANDS outfit and ED WOOD’s angora sweater. Film geek heaven — and a must-have for MMP’s second video podcast.

I pull out my camcorder and power up, and am instantly intercepted by a MoMA PR person, who politely but firmly informs me that practically nothing in the room, save for Edward and Headless and a vitrine with some figures from THE CORPSE BRIDE, can be filmed.

“Including,” she points out, “the angora sweater.”

Okay, I can dig that, for whatever reasons legal or contextual, stuff may be off-limits (fortunately, no such prohibitions existed for the rest of the exhibit, and, as you’ll see in the video, it’s a big durn exhibit). But specifically throwing the barbed wire up around the angora sweater? Really? Is there some sort of legal constraint, or is this humble strip of fluff so iconic of… something… that dissemination of its presence here could completely blow the intent of the exhibit?

So sorry, all you PLAN 9 maniacs. You want to worship at the alter of the angora, you’re just going to have to make a pilgrimage to New York. Happily, once you’ve performed your obeisances, you’ll then have an opportunity to drink deeply of Tim Burton’s mad genius. There are tons of concept work here, drawn by Burton’s own hand, plus a stunning variety of original and heretofore unseen artwork, sculptures and installations created specifically for the exhibit, and a copy of the hard-to-see HANSEL AND GRETEL adaptation that Burton directed for Disney in 1982.

A lot of the film stuff — including concept designs for ALICE IN WONDERLAND and the aborted Burton version of SUPERMAN RETURNS — was not verboten, so you get a taste of it in this podcast, along with a good sampling of original art, some thoughts from the exhibit’s curators on the director’s life and work, and some footage of Burton’s very Tim Burtonesque appearance at the press presentation. Click on the player above to get a look.This is a direct upload of the video for the story previously posted on the Movies page under the title, "MIGHTY MOVIE... more

DanPersons
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2 comments

23 hours ago

^#6

Zac Efron Reveals Secret To Perfect Hair

The secret to Zac Efron's perfect hair is finally being revealed by the actor himself and it is really is quite simple. PHOTOS

gmc1
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8 hours ago

^#7

Photo of the Day: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

“Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Jess, Bend, Oregon, 2009” is a solemn, emotionally moving photograph by the... more

disembedded
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10 hours ago

^#8

Office Space Laid Off Game Developer Style

Early this morning we broke the news that Electronic Arts planned to close down Pandemic Studios, laying off 200. Now we have... more

lvp
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5 comments

19 hours ago

^#9

John Mayer: Just Half of My Heart

Seven-time Grammy Award winning musician John Mayer’s new album “Battle Studies” was released on Tuesday. And... more

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1 hour ago

^#10

Sigur Ros Plays a Tune With Marimba Made of Rocks

This is from their DVD titled Heima (which is really beautiful!) This was one of my favorite parts from the DVD... Only 2nd to... more

StrangE2U
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52 minutes ago

^#11

“Hope is Fading Fast”

The t-shirt is a bold statement on the current (or lack therefor of) change initiated by President Barack Obama.... more

TravG73
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4 hours ago

^#12

photographer Remi Rebillard

see more of his work at www.remirebillard.com

remiphoto
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9 hours ago

^#13

American Music Awards 2009: Adam Lambert's Controversial Performance

Lambert, not to be outdone, wore a silvery suit, with spikes on his left shoulder, to belt out the titular first single from his... more

Rickharmon25
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31 comments

1 day ago

^#14

Christmas Ideas for the Home: Better Homes and Gardens 2009 Book of Suggestions | Suite101.com

Christmas is a magical time for all ages. Part of the joy is decking the inside and outside with ideas and projects that brighten... more

ladybugaz
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5 hours ago

^#15

PS122's Red and White Party

PS122's Red and White Party Downtown's definitive holiday bash Tuesday, December 15 8pm Tickets $10... more

PerformanceSpace122
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1 hour ago

^#16

Gavin Bond Backstage: Volume 3 Official Release

<http://guyhepner.com/pages/news/gavin-bond-backstage-volume-3-official-release> Guy Hepner announces the official release... more

guyhepner
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14 hours ago

^#17

"TAKE A DEEP BREATH !"

Fumatori Pro Fumatori Contro.. ..Mentre la Phillip Morris è costretta a pagare (news di qualche giorno fa) 300mln di... more

dia_offman
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10 hours ago

^#18

Conversations with Culture “Contemporary Performance and the Multiverse”

SPECIAL EVENT FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Conversations with Culture “Contemporary Performance and the... more

PerformanceSpace122
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1 hour ago

^#19

Rihanna Storms NYC

This week Rihanna is in NYC to promote her new CD. Yesterday the "Rated R" singer signed copies of her latest release at... more

acohen8171
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17 minutes ago

^#20

Series Finale (Part 7):Story of Toki Orphaned Cheetah:Toki wonders out of reserve, but is found:Simon King Reflects On Toki and Sambu

He was orphaned after his mother was killed by a lion. He was left alone when his brother, Sambu, suffered the same fate. Then he was attacked by three territorial adult male cheetahs and left on the brink of death. Toki the cheetah has had his fair share of brushes with the cruelty of life.

When Simon King decided Toki should be moved to new pastures, Ol Pejeta Conservancy was the best option. After going through an “adjustment period” that involved living in a more contained portion of the conservancy, Toki now lives within the confines of the main reserve of Ol Pejeta today. He continues to live as a wild cheetah in a huge, but securely fenced area. And Simon continues to be his human guardian angel. “Toki is in top form!” says Simon. “I visited him a couple of weeks ago (September 2007) in Ol Pejeta and found him resting in the shade with a tummy full of zebra he had killed. He hunts wild prey entirely for himself, but still lives in a predator-proof enclosure of some 4,000 acres, a patch of ground he shares with a host of other creatures (some of which end up as dinner) but no other large predators.” The difficult start to his life evidently didn’t compromise Toki’s physical form. Toki is a powerful cheetah, his muscles strong and solid, back and shoulders flexible, and his gait full of grace. “He always seems very content when I see him, purring deeply when I approach,” says Simon, “but I still feel there is something missing.”

That something may be the opportunity to father cubs of his own. “He has never met a female cheetah to my knowledge, and will not unless we help to engineer it. This would not be a hugely significant change to Toki’s life: he would be with his mate for a number of hours only, and then have nothing more to do with her,” says Simon. Still, just by passing his own genes on successfully, Toki would be bolstering the shrinking cheetah population and advancing the effort of cheetah conservation in Kenya.

Toki walking in Ol Pejeta (with Simon, in background)
There are fewer than 13,000 cheetahs left in the wild, and even these few are threatened by conflict with livestock and habitat destruction. “There is a great deal still to be done for cheetah conservation in East Africa, and in Africa as a whole,” says Simon. “Though they are a protected species, they are still heavily persecuted by some communities — a perfectly understandable reaction when they start eating goats, sheep or calves. They are creatures of big, wild country and increasingly their world is shrinking as more and more areas become developed and populated.”

Simon’s hope is that Toki’s future role is to act as an ambassador for his species, helping to educate communities about alternatives to killing big cats, such as developing other eco-friendly industries. “There is the obvious advantage of cats attracting revenue in the form of eco tourism, but there is much that can be done to help defend herds of stock against attack with dogs and careful husbandry.”

As for Simon’s future, you can check out what the ambitious filmmaker is up to on his Web site, www.simonkingwildlife.com. “Toki has been, and continues to be, an inspiration and a joy to have followed. He is very close to my heart. I sincerely hope that his future will be bright and that he may help to increase awareness of the plight of large predators in East Africa,” says Simon. “I shall continue to work towards Toki and all cheetahs having a fine quality of life, and hope that the films we have produced will encourage others to help conserve these magnificent creatures.”He was orphaned after his mother was killed by a lion. He was left alone when his brother, Sambu, suffered the same fate. Then he... more