Friday, May 24, 2013

AMERICAN FLAG By JASPER JOHNS "Happy Memorial Day"



12b4a-flag1jasper-johns
 

AMERICAN FLAG 

  Jasper Johns



The Flag:


Johns’ first use of the flag motif was the result of a dream the artist had in 1954 when he was 24 years old. Flag was exhibited in Johns’ first one-man show at Leo Castelli’s gallery in 1958 and is now located at MoMA in New York. Since that time, Johns has created more than 100 flags in various media, in a variety of sizes, as a single flag or in multiples, and depicted it in black & white, greys, in oranges and greens and in the traditional red, white and blue.  

“… the flag seems special. He returns to it again and again as a musician returns to a favorite theme or set of chords, a poet to a particular meter, or as Rembrandt did to his own ageing physiognomy.”

A notoriously enigmatic artist, Johns has remained tight-lipped regarding any possible socio-political associations with his repeated depictions of flags, making any such interpretation the responsibility of the viewer. While the United States flag is a powerfully loaded symbol in the collective American consciousness and around the world, Johns’ intentions in creating these works are non-symbolic. Instead, he is concerned with their formal stylistic structure, “Because what’s interesting to me is the fact that it isn’t designed, but taken. It’s not mine.”2  As something "the mind already knows," the motif of the flag provided Johns with a ready-made composition and allowed Johns to create meaning through other avenues, such as the physicality of his surfaces, in his process of making marks and in his choice of medium. 








OLD GLORY

"STARS & STRIPES"

AMERICAN FLAG





The painting of a flag is always about a flag, but it is no more about a flag than about a brushstroke, or about the physicality of paint.


.... Jasper Johns  ....





Wednesday, May 22, 2013

RADIO




Radio? I Love it .. Many take it for granted, The Radio. Not Me .. It's amazing, the Radio .. Believe me, when the Radio first came out, people did not take it for granted .. It was the marvel of the day. The first major use of the Radio to the American general public began in the early 1920's .. America's first radio stations popped up in the year 1920, but it took a couple years for the general population to get and use them in any great numbers. But once the radio did kick in, it was the greatest thing of the day. People could listen to music, news, skits, and comedic programming. The Radio was a Big and instant Success, and the American Public just loved it.
The 1930's were a grand hey-day of Radio as it didn't have TV to contend with. Some popular Radio Shows of the day, were; Roy Rogers and Hop AlongCassidy (Western),Jack Benny (Comedy), Batman, Flash Gordon and Superman, all Super Heroes.
For me, I remember always loving Radio as a very young child, ever since I could remember anything. I especially loved listening to it as we would drive in one of my dads cars; a Plymouth Fury, Packard (The Last Packard ever made), or Fabulous 1958 Cadillac Eldorado. back Then, I especially loved; The Beatles, The Supremes, and The Four Seasons of nearby Bellville, New Jersey, "Sherry! Sherry Baby!"
All these years, Radio has never wavered. It's always there, still and always great. Always providing great news, info, and Great Music. Well Great Music that is, if you listen to great music and not a station that plays "Horrible Crap Rap hip Hop." Now that's not good, and unfortunately it's out there on some radio stations that cater too those with the God Awful Taste who enjoy listening to "Crap" Rap.
 Well, let's get off that subject, and on to all the Good and great Music that Radio has given us over the years: Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, R&B, Pop, Jazz, Classical and more. Before TV it was a big thing to listen to Boxing Matches on the Radio, The Preakness, Kentucky Derby, Baseball, Basketball, and Football games, and listening to sports on the radio is still pretty big.
  Yes radio gives us a lot. It's quite versatile, and with sports, Talk Radio, and the News, it's biggest source and popularity is through music. Still, you ride in your car, you've got the radio on, it enhances the experience, of driving that is. Music on the radio has enhanced millions of experiences over the years, especially for lovers, young and old who have Necked (Made Out), and Fallen in Love with Music from the Radio, and please "No Rap."



to be CONTINUED


Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

WORLD'S TOP 100 RESTAURANTS





MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR
East Village, NEW YORK, NY


5. Eleven Madison Park # 10
11. Per Se # 6
19. Le Bernadin # 19
29. Daniel # 25
63. Blue Hill at Stone Barns # 77
86. Momofuku Ssam Bar # 37
91. Masa # 90
93. Momofuku Ko # 79
98. Jean George  # 66


World's 100 Best Restaurants? according to Who? Restaurant Magazine UK, that's who. Restaurant magazine is a Restaurant Industry Resources Magazine sent to restaurants all around the country and all around the world.

Well, New York as everyone knows is a one of the World's Great Restaurant and Food City's, some would say the best, others not, at any rate, we are among-st the world's best. And on that Top 100 Best Restaurants of The World List, New York has almost 10% of the top 100, or 9 restaurants to be exact. And New York's own Chef Michael Chang has two restaurants of The World's 100 Best with his Momofuku Saam Bar at # 37 and Momofuku Ko at 79 out of 100 .. Bravo David ... And speaking of Momofuku, did you ever wonder what it means? 
Lucky Peach that's what.. And David Chang is definitely one of those, a Momofuku  Lucky Peach ...