Bubble

Modernism, surrealism, grace and absurdity...I love these photographs by Melvin Sokolsky.

From a 1963 Bazaar fashion spread, shot in Paris.

Proof

For every published photograph, there are usually many images taken before or after, omitted for lacking light or shadow or crispness or magic. The Contact Sheet, edited by Steve Crist, examines over forty iconic photographs and their respective contact sheets, complete with details of the photo sessions and short interviews.

Aretha Franklin by Art Kane

Kiss by the Hotel De Ville by Robert Doisneau

Super-speed

I've worked with several people who possess mad typing skills. At one point, after hearing hours of rapid fire clicking, with swells, crescendos even, I had to ask, "What's your speed?" H. answered, "Oh, I'm not that fast, really. 110-120 words, maybe?" I guess that isn't so fast if you consider the World's fastest typist clocks 285 words per minute.

The vintage typing charts make the keyboard look so elementary!

Unseen

The Academy Award nominations have been announced and a few independent films have made it on the list of top honors. Jennifer Lawrence received a well-deserved Best Actress nod for her portrayal of a teenager searching for her drug-dealing father in Winter's Bone. The film played in a few small art house theaters in Los Angeles, but is so well written, with such strong performances, I hope the nomination sparks new interest in viewers.

Missing any attention but also released in smaller theaters for a nanosecond were Nowhere Boy and Get Low. Nowhere Boy depicts a small slice of the life of John Lennon before he was a Beatle, before he was even a musician. Get Low tells the story of a mysterious hermit (played by Robert Duvall), who has resurfaced to plan his funeral with the nonjudgmental town funeral director (played by Bill Murray). These three films are among the handful/short list for 2010 that have lasting appeal through superb storytelling.

Still life with flowers

I purchased some lovely spring flowers and in placing them I fell in love all over again with my vintage painting of a window with Winged Victory. In the background, a city (New York?) building saturated by afternoon sunlight.

Model partner

Rebecca Strand by Paul Strand

Georgia O'Keefe by Alfred Stieglitz

Jean Shrimpton by David Bailey

Patti Smith by Robert Mapplethorpe

Photobooth

Raynal Pellicer's new book, Photobooth, presents the history of the automatic photo studio. Richly illustrated with self-portraits of both famous and unknown sitters, with some inspiring, artistic variations too.

Obstacle

Weathered, vintage British road sign. Now that's patina!

Decimal point

I love the vintage price signs I just purchased. They were formerly used at a flower stand.

The decimal point makes a plain number very appealing.

Conversion

Diagram from Librairie Larousse, Paris 1922

From the United States Metric Conversion Act of 1975, Section 205b. (the Declaration of policy) states:

- to designate the metric system of measurement as the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce;

- to seek out ways to increase understanding of the metric system of measurements through educational information and guidance in Government publications.

This will end in tears

Vintage romance comics. Funny. Weird.

Loose lips

WWII propaganda posters from around the globe, warning the

danger of idle chatter and the potential of espionage.

Saisons/Seasons

Time to pre-order Seasons, the upcoming English version of Blexbolex's Saisons. It looks gorgeous!

Hunter S. Thompson

I have a theory that the truth is never told

during the nine-to-five hours.

--Hunter S. Thompson

10 List: Terrible mothers

2010 films had some memorably disturbing mothers.

There's a lot of them when you think about it:

2010- Melissa Leo as Alice Ward in The Fighter.

2010-Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel in Tangled.

2010- Jacki Weaver as Grandma Smurf in Animal Kingdom.

2009- Mo'Nique as Mary Lee Johnston in Precious.

1995- Sharon Stone as Ginger McKenna in Casino.

1990- Angelica Huston as Lilly Dillon in The Grifters.

1980- Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett in Ordinary People.

1976- Piper Laurie as Margaret White in Carrie.

1967- Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate.

1946- Leopoldine Konstantin as Madame Anna Sebastian in Notorious.

Tie-in

Images of actors may generate a lot of book sales, but I go out of my way to avoid movie tie-in editions.