The Naked Truth

Naked Truth's... will be Ron’s first web-published Interview for the New Year and is expected sometime in February... 

Hosted by writer-poet, Suzanne Horowitz... it promises to be his most personally revealing to date.

Gallery Image: Parc Industriel et Cailles Méridionales

Translation: Industrial Park and Southern Quail (infra bleu)

Odiopithecus Orangutanus by Ron Maubidea

Excerpts include...

Odio-Rodeo WAH Sports Fishing

The Coprolite Diet - Benefits and Hazards

(challenging modern myths) 

Becca Takes a Holiday

(guilty pleasures of compulsive lying)

Sloshbagerie in Faux Designer Jeans

(the odious guide to butt-sniffing sphincter worship)

Intellectual Dwarfism vs Social Insignificance

(psychopathology of curbside bone chucking)

To be continued... 

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator 

Commonalities and Public Interest

                               - Readership Update -
In less than four weeks (Nov 15 - Dec 11, 2010), another 5,000 readers have joined the following... grazie tutto!

MESSAGE BOARD

Colleen Caffeine: Lead Singer of Choking Susan
Your art is fantastic... facinating, going to mosey around the website again! Yes, the video was shot at CBGB right before they shut down.

Re: Odious the Misogynist (Chronic Internet Stalker)
John Metal: Dreads and Threads, Texas USA
Where I come from, people like that would be Handled...

*The above comment was made in response to Ron's article on Internet Stalking (Silent Manifesto: The Pathetic Yelpings of a Delusional Misogynist) posted in the Village Voice, Arts and Entertainment forum of backpage.com

We at the gallery do not condone nor support in any way, the efforts of vigilante justice... anywhere

Share an Opinion... Post Your Thoughts to the Gallery Wall

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

Next Stop... Mali

Two new works . . .  

Gallery image: Young Beth
Spectrazone Passport Photo - Tangier, Morocco

Gallery image: Utu (named after the Sumerian Sun God)
Chief of the Gill People - Zambia

The portraits depict two of the main characters in a new work of fiction by Ron Maubidea...

Afro-Centrica and the Fertile Crescent (Origins and Beginnings)

MESSAGE BOARD

@ Raja and Leonore - toujours un plaiser...
@ Tainted Coffee Beans and Blood Diamonds - for shame, for SHAME!
@ Andrea and David -
Life is too short, enjoy the Time that you have...
@ Sabrina, Marcia, Nana and Dee (Bronx, NY) -
Wishing you a very special New Year and Mambo lessons for Dee... 

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

Cyber Stalking and Beyond

Dear Friends,
We at the Galerie de Maubidea, wish to take a moment and thank you for your continued readership and support.

It comes as no revelation that the issue of Internet Stalking and Harassment as expressed in the article, Silent Manifesto (The Pathetic Yelpings of a Delusional Misogynist), has been of interest to so many...

A brief history . . .

On October 28, 2010, the total number of cross-post readers surpassed 46,000 viewings. As of Nov 14th, local readership has increased to 50,000 and continues to grow!

I am also very pleased about the acceptance of the “Talking Heads” dialogues, featuring ikye and Regina Queens. 

It is my sincerest hope that few of you will ever encounter the “bottom feeding scum” that manage to personally thrive from this type of criminal activity. Unlike other crimes, these acts of predation are perhaps the LOWEST form of illicit endeavors in our culture.

Speaking as a Stalking Victim to an envious admirer, we the public do have effective Legal Resources at our disposal.

Cyber Predators are quite simply, faceless cowards!

They hide behind scores of endless names and faux email addresses. They target the weak and the small… i.e. men, women and children who cannot defend themselves fairly.

As a side note, approximately “one in ten” Internet users will become the Victim of a Stalker at some point in their lifetime. Therefore, "it is in ones best interest to have a knowledge of the battle's terrain" . . . Sun Tzu

FYI

According to the FBI and Crime Victim Databases, Internet Stalkers are usually socially maladjusted and inept individuals. They are often emotionally immature and to no ones surprise, subject to feelings of powerlessness . . .

Stalker types have an inability to succeed in relationships by socially-acceptable means. They remain extremely insecure about themselves and suffer from acute, Low Self-Esteem. Equally noted, is the curious similarity between certain male Stalker behaviors and that of a jilted teenage girl.


The same can be said about making unreasonable demands on family members (spouse, children etc), while attempting to control every aspect of their lives via emotional blackmail, intimidation and possibly violence. These behaviors are often the source for their own self-worth and therefore crucial to the disorder(s) and the individual's parasitic nature. 

In the case of my own degenerate “slosh bag”, it appears to experience delusional episodes as well…

For your convenience, new articles and support links will be uploaded in the near future. If you would like to stay current, follow the article in the Village Voice, Arts and Entertainment Forum of backpage.com for updates. Thank you all...

Ron Maubidea - Artist in Residence

Fashion News: Stacie Richards

Fashionable corporate "Gal about Town" Stacie Richards, was caught Live by Fox News at a Giant's game in New York City. Besides having the perfect face for modeling Designer Eyewear... Ms Richards maybe better known as the lively, quick witted Hostess at Special Events.

Stacie is presently working freelance and can be contacted through Facebook for further booking info...

Stacie Richards, Facebook

Literary News: Readership Tops 135,000

We are pleased to announce that readership of Ron’s articles and satirical cartoons have surpassed 135,000 nationwide readers and continues to grow... 

The main articles, An Open Letter (a commentary on premature political forecasting) and Silent Manifesto (The Pathetic Yelpings of a Delusional Misogynist) remain the leading "5 Star Posts" in the Village Voice, Arts and Entertainment Forum of backpage.com   

Silent Manifesto... addresses the increasing phenomenon    of Internet Stalking, as it relates to the author's personal account as the unwitting victim of an envious admirer.

Although both articles address national and global issues, they are tastefully peppered with a curious series of articulate cartoons.

The dialogues cover a myriad of diverse themes which include (but not limited to)... social satire, homophobia, practical recipes, human rights and the inquisitive banter    of the two main contributors, ikye and Regina Queens.  

As the Art Director and script writer, Ron’s decade long experience as a Cable Television and Music Video Producer has once again been called into play...

Gallery image: Swamp People 

Cassandra Landau – Gallery Coordinator

Cynthia Crowe: Makeup and Illusion

The work of Ron Maubidea is uniquely contemporary... deeply rooted in the beauty of everyday life. His aesthetics are both simple and honest, but it is his passion for exploring the darker shades of emotion that remains of special note . . .

Leonore Cottant: SpaluxeTv, Paris
Just arrived in the Hundred Worlds of a proteiform artist...

Andrea Perry: Makeup Artist, London
Your colours tell the story of a shapeshifter on a journey of discovery. A mystery of simple moments, captured in multi facets the eye has the pleasure of unfolding...

                                                                                                                            

Collage… perhaps my earliest form of expression, has always played an integral part in the way I interpret events; 

and yet the matter of drawing two straight lines in succession... remains unattainable! 

Images and Collections (c) Ron Maubidea 2010

Cynthia Crowe: NYC 2010 (pop art-portraits)
Cynthia Crowe: NYC 2009 (the Feminine)
Eve in the Garden: 2003-4 (substream-new uploads)

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

Like the Phoenix Rising…

After a recent celebration to commemorate the efforts of old friends, staff interns and artistic collaborators, it is once again an honor to see (metaphorically speaking) the banner of, Eminent Sound and Videoworks, Inc., hanging above my desk. 

I wish to thank the following people for allowing me the privilege to have served the Artist Community of New York City between the years, Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five - Nineteen Hundred Ninety-Four

As the Executive Director of the program, a special thank you to; Lucy Velvet-Production Coordinator, Angela Caponigro Dance Ensemble, American Festival of Microtonal Music, Hilly Kristal and CBGB, Trudy Schroeder at Bretton Hall, Important Record Distributors NY, Alternative Tentacles SF and to the many contributors who donated their time, thoughts and performances… Ron

As of recent...

Daniel E. Shapiro
First Deputy Secretary of State, NY State Department of State 2010

In the past...                                           

Robert Abrams: Attorney General, State of New York 1987
Howard Holt: Associate Attorney

Kenneth Shorter
Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York 1987

Thomas Sobol: Commissioner of Education 1987
Seth Reckmuller: Assistant Counsel

Katharine Rowe: Attorney
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts 1987

Transitory State of Irreversible Randomness

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator 

Automatist Digital Sculpture

Interview: Random Excerpts Part 2

Exclusive Publications: Facebook and Galerie de Maubidea Blog

Interview and content © 2010 Putain d’art All Rights Reserved

 

"Circumventing the Earth via the electronic media can at times be complicated and frustrating… more so, for those who have chosen to live off the grid. For many, the acceptance of an Industrialized Culture where standardized performance and narrow expectations trivialize fundamental aspects of an individual’s view of the world. 

With an unwavering dedication; formalization and traditionalism, the unquestionable cornerstones of consistence and inevitability continue to evolve. Regrettably, often resulting in a curative societal malaise for which there are few aesthetic remedies"

*You must be very excited about finally launching the website after a year of delays?

I am completely numb on that subject and a bit nervous sitting here, waiting to see the sample prints. If this new technology works out, then all of the hard work and research will have been worth it.

*What was the biggest obstacle that caused the delays?

The main problem was enlarging the artwork to poster and mural size. Many of these images were designed to be large prints, to impose their presence on the viewer. It would be like walking into a cathedral and being overwhelmed by the massive architecture etc.

*The Church of Maubidea?

At one point I considered selling the collection in smaller sized Giclee prints. Limiting the series to one or two sizes just to get them out to people who liked them was a big consideration. In doing that, retailers and designers may have viewed the collection as insufficient in range.

I couldn’t stand the thought of turning people away disappointed!

*Images such as, Confronting the Serpent and Vague Notion of Traditional Etiquette really lend themselves to the idea of a mural.

Absolutely, and the predominance of white as a base color will add a flexibility for Modern Interior Design. Those colors can also be reversed or customized for specific applications.

                                 Confronting the Serpent
                                                                             
*Are they paintings?

                        Vague Notion of Traditional Etiquette
                        
No… they’re sculptures. Serpent (In the Garden of Eden), started out as a blob of color. It was an attempt at shaping a minimalist theme in red for greater contrast. Once the expression and the mood of the caricature became apparent, the next stage was to sculpt the eye and then the form of a serpent.

*How much time do you spend on developing an image and do you usually have a theme in mind when a work begins?

Almost all of the Automatist Sculptures start with a blank canvas and that includes the idea of a theme. There may be a technical approach I wish to explore, like layering different colors before starting to sculpt. That way, different colors and shadings will emerge unexpectedly and possibly lead to another idea or a theme.

Serpent and Vague Notion were each finished in one seating. I can’t speak about the way other people may work but when I’m focused on a piece, the session could last many hours – even days before exhausting all possibilities and my energy as well.

*Do you generally work to the brink of exhaustion?

Definitely not as a rule but that depends. There is an image posted on the Gallery Blog (Happenstance and Feathers), that is part of an ADS (automatist digital sculpture) demonstration. That image began with a faded photograph. It had no theme on which to build but somehow knew there was one in there.

After working the image for a while; the concept was going nowhere, so I closed the file and walked away. About one year later in 2009, something popped into my head when looking at it and visualized what I couldn’t see when the work first began. Several hours later the piece was finished and titled.

*Both images are strikingly similar, were you working on them around the same time?

I think so… they both stand out differently style wise, but it wasn’t the first time I was working with basic forms. Fashion Faux Pas and Duchy of Limburg were done along the same lines and are actually two variations of the same theme.

Sometimes I forget that much of the work is only the foundation in building another stage in an ongoing project – another reason why many appear minimalist and oversimplified.

Gallery images...

Confronting the Serpent
Subtitle: In the Garden of Eden

Vague Notion of Traditional Etiquette
Modern Geisha: Hanamachi District, Kyoto Japan

Imperfection: TM Chatham

Environmentalist: Timothy Michael Chatham

New Zealand (2010)

Gallery Collection: Pop Art - Portraits

Automatist Digital Sculpture: Exercise 4

Revitalization - the Twelve Steps

Everything Starts With Something… or Nothing by Ron Maubidea

It was late summer in 2008, when work began on this photograph. The image was of a woman who trained hunting birds in her native country and Costa Rica. Plagued by poor quality, the photo offered little more than basic shapes and a faded background. 

After eliminating the background and zooming in on her shoulders, the concept of a bust-like portrait began to emerge. I focused the sculpting technique on the right side of the image when a muscular limb took shape. Since biceps had neither feathers nor wings, the work was abandoned until 2009.

What you see in the first photo (step 1), was the result of a lost theme and how it was recovered. The following steps will demonstrate the various stages in ADS and how they were applied...

                          The Falconer and her Bird of Prey

 

Step 1 

Reconsider the existing form

Step 2

Image Redefined (adjust color and contrast)

Step 3

Image Redefined (monochrome)

Step 4

 The Addition of Color Filters

Step 5

Image Realigned and Cropped

Step 6

 Cleanup with Enhanced Color

Step 7

Concept Expansion A

Step 8

Refinement

Step 9

Concept Expansion B (sculpting the falcon)

Step 10

Refinement

Step 11

Refinement

Step 12

Clean Up and Final Adjustments

Haitian Creole Pudding: Happenstance and Feathers (2009)

Honorable Mention: Christopher Hitchens

Best wishes on a speedy recovery!

* One of my favorite writers * 

Photo Enhancements: Exercise 6

The Original Image

Due to the existing Photoshop enhancements, unnatural shading has been added to the composition of the image. These artifacts are most notable on the palm of the upper hand and head area.  

Step 1

Experiment with color variations and emotional amplification. In this instance; the model’s eyebrow as been slightly raised to alter her demeanor.

Step 2

The central portion of the image has been “keyed” with soft edges (ellipical marquee tool). Select “inverse” to further isolate the subject and begin to experiment with the surrounding area.

Duplicate and Save each version worthy of additional time and/or interest.

Step 3

To alter the perspective… try flipping the image horizontally for additional possibilities. By redefining the flow of energy, you are creating new paths for the viewer’s eyes to follow.

A “new dialogue” if you will . . .

Step 4

After cancelling both the marquee and inverse tools, modest levels of grain and diffusion have been added to create a mode éthérée (an ethereal disposition).

Note the remaining green artifacts (unnatural shading) in the subjects’ hair.

Step 5

A blue filter has been added to “cool” the effect of the diffusion. The “quick selection tool” was employed to separate the areas you may wish to change. In doing so, the central portion of the photograph will remain intact.

 

Step 6: Clean Up... The final image

Not unlike the traditional form of cel animation,  a total of twelve variations were used to get to this point. Those of little importance can be deleted if space on your drive is a consideration.

Always save the critical steps in the development of your images. It is not uncommon to review them at a later date, to further explore what has previously been established. 

Photograph courtesy of Nana Thurler

Regina and ikye: Modèles de Studio

Subtitle: État Passager de Régression Angélique

Translation: Transient State of Angelic Regression

 Description: A brief snapshot of the Artist Muse and Galerie Intern

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

Maubidea Interview: random excerpts

Interview and Content (c) 2010 Putain d'art

All Rights Reserved

Quote: I think the art world as a whole… has an overabundance of pretty paintings and photographs. These pleasant images have a positive / soothing effect on our subconscious and serve a very specific purpose.

On the other hand… the world for many does not have a pretty face. Hence the need for visual disassociation, conscious and otherwise.

*What are your considerations when developing an image?

For the greater part… the work will generally focus on amplifying the darker shades of emotion, exploring the irrational and the absurd. As human beings, these aberrations in “normal” behaviors are most compelling and deserve an effective voice.

*Looking closer at that statement, don’t you mean “normal” expressions and not behaviors?

The face is our personal mirror and directly reflects what an individual is feeling at any given moment. Perhaps if someone was being tortured and the goal was to hang tough and look unaffected, sure… expressions might appear confusing.

Behaviors also reflect what we are feeling and those emotions are translated through facial expressions. Whichever may come first is a toss-up, but in this case I was referring to behaviors.

*From the tone of your statement, are you suggesting that artists abandon the idea of classic landscapes and traditional portraiture?

I’m not suggesting anything of the sort. Traditional landscapes and portraits make up a huge part of the marketplace. Sometimes… in order to do one thing you must first do another. That is the nature of global commerce and a noteworthy concern when attempting to pay for your overhead, things like rent and art supplies.

It was never a conscious decision to specifically focus on certain themes, as the work is subconsciously driven and almost impossible to predict. But after a while certain patterns begin to emerge. Those patterns are what determine the source of a style and it is that which needs greater attention.

*How would you define normal behaviors?

You simply cannot! If everyone walked about like Stepford Wives (robots), there would not exist a visible range of emotions. Expressions would be limited to happy, sad, confused and so on. People would look and act the same all the time which would eliminate the possibility of individualism.

What appears to be normal… is the scale of general expressions people choose to manifest. When that chain is broken and an individual steps outside of what is considered socially or morally acceptable (e.g. child molestation, spousal abuse), it is those and other deviant behaviors most would view as unacceptable and not in the normale de mode.

What is deliberate, is trying to find a method to exaggerate those expressions and push the envelope of absurdity to its illogical conclusion.

*You mention on the About page of your website, that you have never used a digital paintbrush or drawing tablet to develop an image… is that still an accurate statement?


Yes… but today it’s sort of a yes and no depending on what you call painting. Through 2008-09, the only tool I was using was the Liquify and the various modes in that menu. Much had to do with color variations, shading, adjustments to the hue and so forth.

As the program became more familiar and my application (technique) began to expand, the paintbrush became an essential fill tool. Ultimately to change or color correct an area, I began to incorporate the Marquee as it felt natural and a better choice.

You have to remember... the software was part of a purchase for a Digital Drawing Tablet (still unused), and I had no previous training or experience with Photoshop.

*What was the most notable comment on your work to date?

That's an easy one (laughing)... it came from my website developer Nadia, a former Nuclear Physicist.

We were in her studio trying to decide on a particular piece when she turned to me and said; "You make such beautiful pictures for a Photoshop illiterate, I simply do not understand how you can do this... amazing"

Gallery image: Minotaur: Eclipsing the Moon

Radical Displacement of Cytoplasm

Subtitle: Corruptible Fatty Enzymes

Genre: Automatist Digital Sculpture

Collection: Microbiology - Chemistry - Science

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

Maubidea Interview: Part 2

Restaurants and Food Service

Interview and content (c) 2010 Putain d'art

All Rights Reserved

After a short dinner break, I phoned Ron back to continue our chat. At this point in the interview, I wanted to explore a bit about his work in the Food Service Industry.

Your career and artistic pursuits have been very diverse to say the least. You began as a Musician and a composer of Microtonal Music. At some point you entered Food Service and earned the title, Executive Chef. You worked in Cable Television as a Producer / Director, a graphic artist and the list goes on.

*Would it be presumptuous to conclude that you have invested more time in Food Service than in any other area?

That is a good question… but no. I was always doing something after work and on the weekends. Band rehearsal usually began after a long 10-12 hour shift in the kitchen. When I was the Executive Chef at the Library Restaurant in Manhattan, a few of us on staff started a band as a way of staying sane.

Our combined adrenaline levels was off the charts and seriously needed a way to chill out. Burning up the last of that energy was an imperative for a good night’s rest.

*What is your educational background and where did you study?

Most of what I do has been self taught. Music composition and melody were just parts of a genetic package. You could say I was born hearing music and sounds as well as orchestral arrangements. As for the cooking part… I've been preparing food for people since childhood. I think my motives had more to do with an affinity for Chinese cleavers and large, open flames than the cooking itself. (laughing)

*You entered the Restaurant business with previous experience?

No… cooking was self-taught as well and learned all the basics the hard way, in the field. That would not include the many thousands of hours spent researching the history and science of food. I had it in my head that cooking professionally would be easy.

After all, it was just about preparing foods right . . . wrong!!

It was Food (fucking) Service and I was totally unprepared at the time, for a disciplined lifestyle and a public clientele.

My career started with the opening of a French Café/Restaurant in Brooklyn Heights called, Café de Ron. The menu was casual-eclectic and forever changing depending on the season… the mood… the weather! (laughing)

The basic premise was to be a culinary jazz musician. To improvise with everything and dispel common notions of tradition which included the Classic preparations...

The effort (my concept) was an accident waiting to happen… I was terminally clueless when it came to normal business practices. And after a much needed pow wow with the manager and head waiter (my two closest friends), the idea of standardizing basic items began to make sense.

*Are you saying that you opened a restaurant without a basic menu?

I’m saying that I opened that restaurant making every possible mistake imaginable! Yes… there was a basic menu but the emphasis was on the daily specials in terms of a creative outlet.

*I was under the impression that most restaurants conform to that?

They do indeed… but they don’t usually have twenty or so items on the specials board that could be prepared several different ways. Each variation constituted an entirely different dish. Adding to that, my customers had the privilege of requesting items and combinations that were not on the regular menu. This happened every day at lunch and dinner… it drove my staff crazy!

*Allowing for such choice is quite commendable; did the pace drive you crazy as well?

Absolutely not… I was already there handing out passes to the asylum!

*Was the Café an existing restaurant in the area?

That would be a definite no; it had to built from the bottom up. The space itself was actually a Real Estate office that had gone out of business. It didn’t have the right plumbing and an upgrade to the electrical service had to be installed.

*Aside from the demolition and general construction, did you install the plumbing and electrical work as well?

You require licensed professionals for that sort of thing otherwise the Buildings Department would immediately shut you down. I did build the kitchen and help install all the equipment. The counters, tables and the banquette were all constructed with these two hands.

My customers always had the sense they were dinning in a special place… where the majority of the dishes were started from scratch. Local people would stop me at the market and ask about the evening specials, a recipe… whatever.

*Were the recipes standardized and would you share some of your cooking secrets if asked?

There were no recipes per say… since all the cooking and preparation was done by me, there was little point in that. At the time, I couldn’t afford to hire a qualified cook and usually brought a staff member into the kitchen if they showed an interest in learning.

I might add that the Café was also the first modern Jazz Club in the history of Brooklyn Heights… it was quite a unique experience.

Gallery image: Knackende Eier für ein Omelett
Cracking Eggs for an Omelette is the first installment in the Hunter Thompson, Peyote and Juarez Mexico series of Automatist Digital Sculptures for 2010

End of Part 2A . . . to be continued

Odious the Misogynist: Gespräch zur Hand

Title: Talk to the Hand

Subtitle: In Less Than Perfect Harmony

I can only speak for myself when I say… women have always had a unique inner strength and depth, far beyond the capacity of most men. They have the ability to bring new life into the world and for the greater part, appear more adept at tolerating indiscretions.

Having said that, there are those men who nurture an irrational resentment… and take every opportunity to lessen the acceptable standard of “All things being equal” as a bridge for physical abuse and debasement. Odious is one such example… a pathetic reflection of social evolution and cultural adaptability . . . Ron Maubidea

Maubidea Interview by Putain d’art

Digital Painting

Automatist Digital Sculpture

Interview and content (c) 2010 Putain d'art

All Rights Reserved

It was mid-winter of 2008 when I first suggested this interview to Ron. The seed of what is here began with the Wikipedia article, Abstract Automatism (automatism abstrait du moment) as it was defined by the artist.

The Questions… Part 1

*Has there been much change in your approach to Digital Painting and Sculpture since 2008?

Not really… certain things become a bit clearer in terms of the software but generally speaking, the approach is still the same.

*I can see that in the new work, but elements inside the work do appear different somewhat.

There has been a progression in the technique… as I said; some elements of that approach get redefined as the “feel” changes with different and upgraded programs. These days, I have been starting new pieces with Photoshop CS. The tools are in different places and what exists in one version is absent in another. Not knowing where things are will change the momentum of a developing image.

More time = more thought, which translates to different considerations and possibilities.

*I don’t completely understand your point. Are you saying that common tools and brushes are missing in different Pshop versions?

They’re not exactly missing… but yes, of course I am. If Adobe wanted its customers to have every option available in their top of the line software, it would be like shooting themselves in the foot financially speaking! The lesser versions are for those users with simpler needs. People who wish to amp the colors or sharpen an image would do fine with a less expensive package.

*Do you currently own or use the Pro version of Photoshop?

No… never! It’s way out of my realm of general applications. Perhaps if I was engaged in print work or designing gift cards, it would have a real purpose and justify the additional expense.

*You employ the phrase “emotional color”, what does that mean exactly?

I guess the simplest explanation would be to refer to my observations as a teenager. Back then, most of the art was collage. My bedroom was filled with them, the walls, the ceiling and the doors. A door (like a canvas), was actually the best place to construct one because the measurements are fixed and it made the process that much easier.

When I would step back to examine the image, certain flows of color became evident. Those color flows were part of what made up the "mood", different excerpts were projecting. The elements themselves (hand cut images), came from various sources like magazines and books. The print paper was different from source to source so the light hit your eye differently depending on the ink and the quality of reproduction.

The elements that were chosen, reflected different time periods and styles in art history and modern journalism.

*Was Fashion photography a big influence on your early work?

Honestly… I don’t think so (lighting a cigarette). Most of the images that caught my attention in terms of Emotional Color, were those of abstract nudes and general weirdness. Dutch painter, Hieronymus Bosch would be a perfect example. The work of say… Helmut Newton would make most anyone stop turning a page and look closer. His work was passionately fashion oriented, sensual and of course uniquely tasteful . . . and abstract.

His depth of sensual content (bordering on the perverse), was unique in its own right. It wasn’t going to be a mass market commodity in any measure especially at the time his photographs were first being published. And for the greater part, I would say it appealed to people with darker sexual inclinations.

*Can you be more precise?

Darling, if I have to be more precise… what would be the point of this interview? I mean… why would anyone read this stuff? I will say this though, as a young boy he spent some time in a German Concentration Camp. Newton was also the son of a fairly well-to-do Jewish family, which owned some kind of a factory producing buttons for the clothing industry.

Considering the times, his existence paralleled that of an African American living in the Southern States during the 1940’s. That was a period of major oppression and racism in our history. People lived with the understanding that being of a certain ethnic group or gay, made you “subhuman” and a person of lesser value than say those of other orientations.

Considering that, I would say that his work was mostly about Freedom of Expression and having the ability to place the subject in situations that were otherwise taboo. His collections would probably be kept in someone’s library or bedroom. Not exactly the fashionable, Coffee Table decoration you might see today…

End of Part 1 . . .

Gallery image: Plutonium - Global Recipe for Destruction

Le fossé du Marianne: Sonar marin

Translation: Marine Sonar in the Mariana Trench

Gallery collection: Environmental - Landscapes

Baby Jane Gothica

BJ Gothica (WKTV's surrogate Audio Engineer), on a remote taping of Alice Donut and Tragic Mullato at CBGB. At the time... there were a number of Alternative Tenticles recording artists in New York City for a week of Live Shows.

Included in the lineup were the Beatnigs, featuring Michael Franti...

Gallery collection: Pop Art Portraits

Farmville Bonus Limitations ?

Earlier today, I clicked on a Fv post that was offering bonus points from one of my neighbors. Like many of you, I do this all the time… it adds extra points! Now, the makers of Fv offer the players a variety of cool options that facilitate the exchange of actual currency. These options (or gifts) are added as enhancements to a player’s farm and/or artistic theme.

In lieu of being directed to that “all too familiar window” which cheerfully displays an increase in score points, I was led to a darkened hollow and regrettably informed there is now a Limit of five Bonuses per player - per every 24 hours.

Note: Will the Rocket Scientist that instituted this aberration of fair play, please take a bow… now!!! ( ( ) + foot = satisfaction?

A few hours later, I found myself once again... considering this curious debacle. From the point of view of an application designer, I completely understood their need for rules and parameters.

Without proper direction… gamers will run amuck, they will burn down the nearest city or town – rape and pillage those with inadequate defenses and ultimately “change the features”, of your Petville avatar.

rewind and review . . . 

Quite clearly, none of the afore mentioned will ever occur as the result of a few misguided bonus points. Furthermore, I believe the loss in good will... far outweighs the cost for developers to reconsider their position on this matter.

The game itself is delightful for both grownups and children. It was designed to entertain… generate a few laughs and inevitably raise large sums of revenue to pay for future research and development. Progress along this line is evident by the omnipresent sync problems and reoccurring... whatever's !! 

Personally speaking… I see no logical reason for the Bonus Point Limitations. Arguably, someone in the other camp must have suggested it and the developers threw it in. Well Think Again Genius, you are defeating in part... the purpose of your endeavor.

a hypothetical scenario . . . 

Imagine for one moment, laboriously tending your fields and those of various neighbors. There has been little rain in several weeks and the Sun is radiating with an uncommon vengeance. You decide to take a break and close the application. You click on Home and get redirected to the Facebook News Feed. Somewhere in the mix is a familiar post and it reads… Get Bonus Points.

After clicking on the link, you are redirected to a page that illogically expounds; Your befuddled fandango… has been extricated to a dissipated membrane on the far side of the Eleventh Dimension!!

Now, does that make any sense to you… my point exactly.

Jardin Botanique à L'école Maternelle

Translation: Botanical Garden at the Preschool
The imaginary creatures of a young boys fantasy...


to be continued . . . 

Friends on Blogged

Dear Friends,

You may wish to follow my original blog... here on Blogspot!

The text is much better (no disrespect) and the images are reproduced with greater clarity... just a thought.

Enjoy your Holiday weekend!!!

Gallery image: The Snow Angel's View of Escobar

New Additions...

Proto-Semitics and Ritual Movement, is the newest addition to the gallery by Ron Maubidea. 

Distinct in figurative form, the Automatist Digital Sculpture is yet another extension of the artists continuing evolution in modern abstract concepts. 

Inspired by the earliest attestations of Proto-Semitic language (Akkadian and Eblaite, dating to the 23rd century BC), the image reflects the primitive movement of a ceremonial dancer.


In recent years, Egyptian researchers claim to have discovered earlier text in the form of "snake spells" that predate existing evidence by approximately 700 years. 

The find was dated between 2400 to 3000 BC.

Subtitle: 
An Irresistible Neurochemical Impulse to Dance

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

Farmville: Subliminal Time Bomb or Cultural Blight

Description: A computer game where the player can build and manage his or her own farm with livestock.

Player Report: After countless hours of relentless aural bombardment, I have painfully concluded that the musical theme for Farmville was composed by a Transmanian expatriate / Cosmosexual-Serial Killer! 

Furthermore... the ever-popular Pattypan Squash has been tainted with an Agent Orange residue... The genetically altered Daffodils have a sterilizing pollen that is hazardous to Honey production and Bee populations respectively.

Re: Livestock & Critters

The rabid sheep and carnivorous baby-pink pigs are in actuality, four-legged Porn Stars and Suicide Bombers in training. The Chicken Coop is the neighborhood Crack House and the zombiesque Avatars are ex-80's (certifiably brain dead) Club Kids.


Although not scientifically based, my findings are the result of controlled, user observations and electronic monitoring... The occasional use of cattle prods was a clinical incentive provided by other video game manufacturers.


In conclusion: This application is curiously addictive and time consuming. The user will find that maintaining a virtual farm (as in real life), is not as easy task without the assistance of others.

For the young... there are clearly positive Life Lessons to be considered in the Farmville experience. 

For those of an adult age... the application is a reasonable substitute for intellectual masturbation. It can serve as a brief interlude when working long hours online or as a communication tool in lieu of a common language . . . 

Random Notes

What do Hunter Thompson, Peyote and Juarez Mexico have in common?

A new series of works by Ron Maubidea

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Quote: The best part about being here Today . . .

            was leaving Yesterday behind!

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Question...

How do you get the most from acknowledging the "Living Condoms" in our lives?

Answer... you do not!

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator