Mad Quickies: #WomensArt, Archaeology FTW, Icelandic Trek, Pink Teetertotters of Humanity and More!
Greetings, People of Earth! I’m transmitting to you from my bunker in beautiful downtown Bethlehem, Pa. as it begins its first evening and 36th annual hosting of one of North America’s largest free music festivals. So, I’m pretty stoked. [100 arched eyebrow emojis here]. Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yes- the quickies! Let’s get to them, shall we?
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First up is a super-cool feature story that Amy sent me.
Archaeologists document the oldest known forerunners of fresco paintings in the Mediterranean region — Researchers from the Universities of Beirut and Tübingen have analyzed 4000-year-old murals in a Bronze Age palace in Lebanon.
“Archaeologists from the American University of Beirut and the University of Tübingen have documented the oldest large-area wall paintings from the Ancient Near East. The first parts of the paintings were discovered in 2005 in the ruins of a Bronze Age palace in southern Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast south of Sidon. In the following years, the paintings on large wall surfaces were uncovered and preserved; the researchers have now published their results in a book.”
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A wave o’ the paintbrush to Steve for sending in this gorgeous little tidbit.
You know that feeling when you love space and art so much that you just want to wear both? 😂😂
Used a black dress as my canvas this weekend & I can’t wait to present my #lpsc 2020 poster wearing this 😂😀 (Yeah, I think ahead 😂😂) pic.twitter.com/TyKYYxdxFN— Dr. Debarati Das🌌 (@SpaceWicca) July 29, 2019
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Do you follow #WomensArt on the tweeter? No? I ask you- and why not? Glorious account and just what you might need to lighten your heart in these dark days.
Indian graphic design student Shreya Arora is challenging sexist drawings of women in comic books by parodying them using male heroes in poses typically associated with women #womensart pic.twitter.com/Hema7XkOPu
— #WOMENSART (@womensart1) August 2, 2019
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Another excellent offering from #WomensArt.
1830 sampler sewn by a young woman servant, UK, Elizabeth Parker recounting the abuse she suffered, indicating the vulnerability of young working-class women employed in households far from their families, and the power of needlework as a form of women’s writing #womensart pic.twitter.com/n0oSbWWgDz
— #WOMENSART (@womensart1) August 1, 2019
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You might have seen this story in the news this past week, but if not, it’s quite noteworthy and I don’t want you to miss it.. I really love subversive art, most especially when it has a joyful, human component and this is completely of that ilk. Bravo to Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, the heroes of this installation.
“Two architects in the San Francisco Bay area are responsible for the installation over the weekend of the three seesaws that briefly graced a small stretch of the nearly-2,000-mile swath of land where the United States abuts Mexico. Videos of the seesaw have drawn millions of views after one was posted on Twitter by Mexican actor Mauricio Martinez.”
And you can read more about this installation and view even better pictures at Colossal’s story.
“Constructed by Taller Herrería in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, neon pink teetertotters slot through the wall’s narrow gaps, allowing citizens on both sides to playfully engage with their cross-border counterparts. The fundamental design of the teetertotter, while delightful and chuckle-inducing, also functions by each user literally feeling the weight of humanity of the person on the other side. In an Instagram post announcing the project [Ronald] Rael shared, “children and adults were connected in meaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side.”
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This hand-sculpted, archaeological achievement reminds me so much of the film Gorky Park [great film!] and the head-reconstruction scenes, but, like, with less murder.
“The skill of some forensic artists, professionals who are dedicated to reconstructing the faces of the deceased, is truly impressive. This time, we want to talk about one professional in particular who, unlike most in forensic arts, did not resort to using a computer-aided approach, but instead used his hands. For Oscar Nilsson, a Swedish archaeologist and sculptor specializing in the reconstruction of human faces, the number of hours spent on each reconstruction could easily add up to 200.”
What Nilsson as accomplished is so interesting and poignant at the same time. His reconstructions are beautiful in their accuracy and presentation and so moving in how relatable they are. It’s us. Just earlier.
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Bonus gorgeousness—
Kraig Adams, an American filmmaker and self-described minimalist, shared absolutely incredible footage of his 60 mile solo trek through the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in northernmost Iceland. Throughout his journey, Adams paid close attention to the quiet environment, capturing the vivid colors of the arctic terrain, the beauty of the waterside cliffs and the pyramid shapes of the surrounding mountains.
“Kraig Adams, an American filmmaker and self-described minimalist, shared absolutely incredible footage of his 60 mile solo trek through the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in northernmost Iceland. Throughout his journey, Adams paid close attention to the quiet environment, capturing the vivid colors of the arctic terrain, the beauty of the waterside cliffs and the pyramid shapes of the surrounding mountains.”
Enjoy Kraig’s images on insta.
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