Sunday, June 21, 2015

A Labyrinth of Stories


by Gregg Chadwick
From the Giardini
Tiziano Scarpa’s “Venice Is a Fish: A Sensual Guide” provides a unique, almost magical, means of exploring the canals and alleyways of Venice. Be warned, this is not another guidebook that will lead you on a shopping excursion from Piazza San Marco to the Rialto Bridge, but instead Scarpa’s volume is almost a book of spells that will enchant you and subsequently haunt you. Scarpa grew up in Venice and the ghosts of his past flicker in and out of our view as he leads us through the labyrinth of stories that is Venezia. We embody the feet, legs, hearts, hands, faces, ears, mouths, noses, and eyes of those who have come before us. Their senses conjured by Scarpa summon us to a dance of time. We meet Casanova and Vivaldi, Titian and Veronese, Ruskin and Maupassant.
Venetian Water
Scarpa reminds us that for centuries, each viewpoint in Venice has been recorded in verse, paint, and song. The weight of beauty as much as the high water (alte acqua) threatens to sink this illustrious city. Scarpa’s splendid volume acts as a literary life raft to lift us and carry us through the Venice of memory, dreams, and decay.

*photos by Gregg Chadwick

Friday, June 19, 2015

Powerful New Yorker Cover References Charleston Shooting




New New Yorker cover by Barry Blitt titled 'Nine'

Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Getty Acquires Bernini Sculpture


The Getty Museum snaps up a Bernini bust, adding heft to L.A.'s Baroque holdings

Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Congrats to the Warriors!

Bay Area Celebrates as Warriors win first NBA championship since 1975
FAIR USE NOTICE:: This site contains images and excerpts made available for the purpose of analysis and critique, as well as to advance the understanding of artistic, political, media and cultural issues. The 'fair use' of such material is provided for under U.S. Copyright Law. In accordance with U.S. Code Title 17, Section 107, material on this site (along with credit links and attributions to original sources) is viewable for educational and intellectual purposes. If you are interested in using any copyrighted material from this site for any reason that goes beyond 'fair use,' you must first obtain permission from the copyright owner.