The Museum of Beauty

Trillium/Queen Anne's Lace
[Design by KPA]

I am putting together a website called "The Museum of Beauty." Its accompanying book is almost complete.

Here are the beginnings of The Museum of Beauty, and book soon to follow.

Of Lockdowns and Lilies

I thought Yves Rocher's Lily of the Valley eau de toilette was discontinued. But the bright Yves Rocher store in the Square One (Mississauga) mall produced two bottlesof the eau de toilette. These couple of months of closure must have got the staff cleaning out their inventory, and fortunately they found these bottles.

I bought one of the bottles at its reduced price, and it should keep me scented through the summer (and fall?).

I am sorry the perfume is discontinued. I will now embark on a search for a light, fresh eau de toilette, which should be an adventure.

This lockdown has certainly given us a second chance at some things.

Here are two sites which sing the praises of the eau de toilette:

An established on-line perfume reviewer, Basenotes (as in the base notes of a perfume) has this to say about these notes:

Green notes, Lily of the valley, Pink pepper, Bergamot, Lemon

And The Perfume Girl adds more:

Lily of the valley, bergamot, lemon, rose hips

The pink pepper is meant to ground the perfume a little, from being too intoxicatingly floral, and the lemon adds that extra freshness.

The bottle is a straightforward clear glass, in a rectangular shape, but with a lovely plant-like detail, which is actually Yves Rocher's logo, with the initials YR forming a plant within a circle. The liquid is a fresh, pale green viewed through clear glass.



Here are photos I took of the Faberge Lily of the Valley exhibition in 2014 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which was part of a rotating selection of items from The Met collections. This specific collection is the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts' Metalworks collections.




[Photos By: KPA]

Details of the work:
Imperial Lilies-of-the-Valley Basket
House of Carl Fabergé
August Wilhelm Holmström (1829–1903)

Holmström, August Wilhelm (1829-1903) a Finnish workmaster, born in Helsinki, Finland.
Was appointed chief jeweler by Gustav Fabergé in 1857. His mark is 'AH'.

A Fabergé workmaster is a craftsman who owned his own workshop and produced jewelry, silver or objets d'art for the House of Fabergé.[Source]

Russian, St. Petersburg
Yellow and green gold, silver, nephrite, pearl, rose-cut diamond; 1896.
Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation

The Museum of Beauty

Welcome to the Museum of Beauty!

Have a Happy Keeping Clean

Here is how the Art Gallery of Ontario wishes its readers (now that there there is a COVID-Shutdown) a Happy Easter:

As we all come together as a community, doing our part to #flattenthecurve, it's nice to look back and remember other things that have brought us together - like art! #AGOfromHome

https://ago.ca/agoinsider/retroago-crowdfunded-masterpiece-0

Jacopo Tintoretto. Christ Washing His Disciples' Feet, c. 1545-1555. Oil on canvas, 154.9 × 407.7 cm. Gift by general subscription, 1959. © Art Gallery of Ontario 58/51
Image may contain: one or more people and people sitting

I guess you have to read between the lines to find the Easter wishes, but in reality, there is none.

Simply a painting that depicts a religious scene, which is not related to the Easter Day itself, but of a previous event.

Have a Happy Keeping Clean, Everyone!

Chinese Canadian Veterans' Military Museum asking to receive funds as a Charitable Organization

My previous post, Chinese Aesthetics: Where Harmony and Cohesion Trumps Individuality and Innovation, was my perspectives on what Ricardo Duchesne of The Council of European Canadians wrote in an article he titled The Transcendental Mind of Europeans Stands Above the Embedded Mind of Asians

Recently, I watched The Cable Public Affairs Channel present a November 5, 2018 meeting of The Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector to:

"...examine the impact of federal and provincial laws and policies governing charities, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and other similar groups; and to examine the impact of the voluntary sector in Canada."'

Here is the transcript to that session.

Senator Terry M. Mercer, chair of the committee introduced the panel, including

"...from the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society, King Wan, President"

I have posted below the full presentation by King Wan, and below that excerpts from the Q&A session with him and the senate.

The whole session is an eye-opener on how specific ethnic groups demand governmental funding to advance their very specific ethnic organizations. In this case, it is Chinese Canadians who served in the Canadian military. This particular session is about the funding source for a museum for Chinese Canadian veterans requested by The Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society.

A normal country would say: All veterans who served in the Canadian forces are Canadian Veterans and will receive their pensions and charity funds from such a general pool.

But guilt is the great weakner. One of the arguments to allow the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society charitable status presents is by indirectly referencing the Chinese railway workers who came to Canada's west coast at the turn of the 20th century to start building the cross-country railway system. When they remained in Canada after the work was done, the Canadian government took many years before establishing their Canadian citizenship. That was never the government's plan, but rather to expedite their return to China. This is seen as a great "racist" affront by all Chinese Canadians, and is part of their lore.

All other special interest requests and interactions with the government as an ethnic body is colored by this background. And the government more often than not concedes.

King Wan, President, Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society is a nonprofit organization consisting entirely of volunteers. We have no paid staff, and I am just a volunteer. Thank you for the opportunity to come here to talk to the senators about our situation.

I am not as eloquent as Mr. McRae in that, as a volunteer and in terms of our time committed to the museum, it is all in our spare time. Most recently, we had a big dinner last Saturday night, which is our annual fundraising event where our main funds come from for operations.

I would like to talk about a few things. One is that we would like to share with the senators on the committee here that we would like to see broader cultural giving in our society to provide funding for smaller organizations like ours. We are a small organization. Our only funding is through donations from our members and then sponsors. As I was saying before, the major proceeds that we receive in the year is from our annual fundraising dinner. We are fortunate to have had a large crowd of people attend our function.

We looked at the tax credit that is given to charities, and I found that the current CRA tax credit given to donors is adequate from our perspective because we are a small organization. Those who give us funds will get their normal percentage of tax credit. However, that doesn’t mean that it cannot increase to provide them with a further incentive to donate to smaller organizations like ours.

I would like to see more government programs to support smaller organizations like museums. I know for a fact that there are multiple departments in the government that would provide funding for different charities, foundations and so on, and I think there is opportunity for more, be it from Veterans Affairs Canada, Canadian Heritage or other departments, where they could spend additional funds to provide that incentive for the smaller community museums to pursue their particular objectives.

One of our objectives, again, is narrowly focused. The Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society is mainly to promote and preserve the legacy of the Chinese Canadians who served in the Canadian military. I personally served in the military myself. At the same time, there are not many left of those who served in World War II. We have post Cold War era veterans that also need to have their stories told. Most recently, Afghanistan veterans coming home should have their say and their stories preserved for prosperity for our fellow citizens.

Some of the reporting requirements in the CRA are somewhat cumbersome. I also belong to a number of other organizations where, because they are national in scope across the country, their filings of T3010s and other forms are somewhat of a challenge. When you are dealing with volunteers, people may not be as responsive as people who are paid staff, so sometimes the timing of those reporting requirements is somewhat onerous for those who are working on a voluntary basis.

I also agree with Mr. McRae on a number of issues he mentioned. I learned something from him, as well, this evening, which is the whole concept of charity in our current setup in Canada. I read a lot of submissions that were sent to us earlier through your website. We are fairly progressive, but there are countries like the U.K. and the U.S. that have certain features we should consider emulating or learning from. I am not an expert in those charities. At the same time, I do share some of the more advanced charity-giving policies and procedures.

Again, I want to thank you for giving me the chance to come here to speak to you. I appreciate any comments and questions from you.

---------
Q&A

[About the museum]

Mr. Wan:
We are located in Vancouver — Chinatown. The Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver has a building, and we are a lodger of that building. We occupy a hallway and a small room. Fortunately, since I look over as president a few years ago, we believe in the museum, not only to present something on a one-time only basis, but I believe it has to be refreshed on a regular basis. If you have seen the museum once, you may not go back if there is nothing new to show. For a number of years, we have been changing our theme and focus of displays on a fairly regular basis. To do that requires funding. Although our volunteers are very active and passionate about what they do, at the same time, it requires a lot of effort and funds to create those new displays.

[About the museum's funding sources]

Senator Omidvar:
...You talked about government grants and donations. On an average year, what is the level of charitable contributions you receive from individuals?

Mr. Wan:
We have been fortunate in the last year or so to have one or two major benefactors. For that, we are thankful that we received maybe $20,000 to $30,000 over the last few years.

We have been also receiving some grants from the government. That was back in about 2011-12. We got funding from the Canadian Heritage group. There was a historical community fund that came out, and we were able to get about $50,000 or $60,000 that year to hire someone to help us create some exhibitions, and we were able to use that to get to the Canadian War Museum for a short time.

[About charitable organizations' reporting standards]

Senator Omidvar:
Thank you. If you in an average year get $20,000 in charitable donations from individuals and you have to make a pretzel out of yourself to report on it, do you think that there should be a change in the law that requires variable reporting and depth of reporting based on the levels of contributions you receive? Why should a small organization like yours have to go through the same hoops as the SickKids Foundation, which gets millions of dollars every year?

Mr. Wan:
Exactly. We are small potatoes in terms of the big picture, but we have also been fortunate. When I say $20,000 or $30,000, that is strictly through individual donors and through membership, and we were able to get a bit more the last couple of years. But it is quite correct that small museum charities should not have the same standard of reporting as someone like the hospital foundations that get $60 million or whatever the case is.

[About the uniqueness of Mr. Wan's organization: The Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society]

Senator Martin:
Mr. Wan, it is nice to see you here in Ottawa. It is fitting, with Remembrance Day coming up and Veterans’ Week, that you are representing a unique society in Canada. In terms of the society, is it quite unique in Canada? Are there other such societies? You have a very specific mandate, as you explained. Does that limit your access to funding? I want to understand whether funding opportunities are available to you, or, with a specific mandate, whether it is more challenging?

Mr. Wan:
Yes, it is more challenging because we are narrowly focused on veterans and on a certain ethnic group as well.

The major government funding would come from Veterans Affairs Canada or Canadian Heritage. Those are the two main ones we can get money from. Sometimes the procedures are more onerous, and we are competing against other veterans organizations as well. That is the challenge we have.

[About the bias and decrease in diversity in the approval of charitable organizations]

Don McRae, Charity Researcher:
The research that I have done shows that, over the past couple of years, the number of charities in Canada has remained stagnant. Since January, we lost about 200 charities. When I was going through my career, the number of charities increased every year. I wanted to find out about that.

CRA is being more restrictive in terms of their approval rate of registrations. I like numbers, so give me a minute. From 2002 to 2006, the approval rate was 74.5 per cent for charities. That changed and went to 44.8 per cent from 2014 to 2017-18. The rate has gone down approximately 30 applications per 100.

The revocations have increased in terms of how many charities lose their registration. If you fail to file your T3010, you lose your registration. You can get it back with a $500 penalty, but the rate of re-registrations has gone down. I did a study that looked at it from 2002 to 2014, and it went down by about 10 per cent. It is decreasing that way.

I also go through and see who the new charities are. By and large, the new charities are not as diverse as our Canadian society. I find that problematic. It hasn’t changed that much from when I was doing my job.

[On the national benefits of a localized (or ethnic) organizations, and why they need government grants]

Mr. McRae:
The problem with the [Canada Revenue Agency] regulator is that it keeps on reinterpreting some things like public benefit...I would say that one of the reasons why CRA thinks they are not charities is because of perceived personal [as opposed to public] benefit but, in a country like Canada, we can’t look at philanthropy as one whole thing. There is a spectrum of philanthropy. When you have newcomers coming to Canada, the first thing they want to do is support their family. The next thing they want to do is support their clan, to use a Scottish term...There is a spectrum of philanthropy, and people move. My research, when I was working in Canadian Heritage, showed that ethno-specific organizations move their philanthropy from local and focused on their own to being greater, and that takes time. In order to get them to that greater thing where there is no perceived personal benefit, we need to help them along the way. If we can get rid of restrictive agency agreements, that’s one way, but we need to try to move the definition so that some of those people are not seen as outsiders.

Senator Seidman:
Mr. Wan, I saw you nodding, so I will ask if you want to add to that.

Mr. Wan:
I think Mr. McRae was quite right in saying that. The museum has been established for 20 years, so we are somewhat mature in terms growth. Initially, it was the Chinese Canadian veterans. As I mentioned, we expanded to include other veterans activities, such as the Battle of Hong Kong. Canadian soldiers went overseas to help. We talk about Indigenous veterans. As they grow and have that foundation, they can build on expanding it to encompass all Canadians.

[On the government's obligation to fund organizations like the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Association]

Mr. Wan:
Better access to greater funding would certainly help our organization, being a small museum, to grow and expand. I think that is very important. At the same time, it would require some effort from the government or some other organizations to make those things happen for us in order for us to gain access to this funding.

[Senator Duffy on "every Canadian" and moving beyond ethnic groups]

Senator Duffy:
Thank you both for coming. Fascinating. I would encourage our viewers to visit Mr. Wan’s museum online. I’ve had a look. The stories that you tell there are amazing, about amazing Canadians, including Douglas Jung, who was a war hero and a spy. They are phenomenal stories about how this country was built, and every Canadian, not just those of Chinese descent, should hear about these amazing people.

Tots and Pederasts

Image from the Art Gallery of Mississauga's Facebook page

Event publisized on the AGM website: ‎Fay and Fluffy's Storytime at AGM Tot Spot:

Friday, September 21, 10:30-11:30 am
We are sooooo very excited for our next AGM Tot Spot! Join us on Friday, September 21 from 10:30 - 11:30 am for lotsa laughs through storytelling with our very special guests. Drag stars Fay Slift + Fluffy Soufflé invite you and the kids in your life to a special event with books and fun! Fay & Fluffy's Storytime is great for kids and adults of all ages.

From Fay and Fluffy's website:

JP (Fay) + Kaleb (Fluffy) are both drag performers and experienced child educators. By day JP is an educator with the TDSB. Kaleb is currently an independent Cultural Producer, but is also a child care provider, has worked as a “manny” for years, and had his own home daycare called the Trail Mix Playgroup (cuz we’re a little nutty but we’re good for you). [Source: Fay and Fluffy's Storytime: Reading is FUN -damental]

From my series "Promoting Homosexuality as Multiculturalism"

The Starving Artist Myth

On Sun, Jul 8, 2018 at 7:48 AM, eightypictures@gmail.com wrote:

To whom it may concern;

Please can you inform me where I can purchase the Ink Movement's Mississauga Youth Anthology VI online or through your website.

Thank you,

Kay A.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, Jul 18, 2018 at 8:45 PM, ink.movement@gmail.com wrote:

Hello Kay!

We are very sorry for the late response - we are flooded by emails during this time of the year and accidentally missed this one! Also, the anthology does have a cost ($20) unless you're published, in which case you can get a free copy. This is why we do not have an online document. Hope that helps!

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused. Let us know if you have any questions and/or concerns.

Regards,
Ink Movement Mississauga

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, Jul 18, 2018 at 11:35 PM, eightypictures@gmail.com wrote:

It is surprising that you took 10 days to respond to my email. Also that you have no way to purchase the document online, or to download it if has no cost.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, Jul 18, 2018, at 11:45 PM, ink.movement@gmail.com wrote:

Hello Kay!

We are very sorry for the late response - we are flooded by emails during this time of the year and accidentally missed this one! Also, the anthology does have a cost ($20) unless you're published, in which case you can get a free copy. This is why we do not have an online document. Hope that helps!

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused. Let us know if you have any questions and/or concerns.

Regards,
Ink Movement Mississauga

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, Jul 19, 2018 at 12:16 AM, eightypictures@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for your reply. It is a trek for me to get to the Art Gallery. Can I send a $20 check to your organization and have you send me a copy?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 9:15 PM, ink.movement@gmail.com wrote:

Hi Kay!

We will get back to you soon on that one!

Regards,
Ink Movement Mississauga

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, July 20, 2018 at 9:29 PM, ink.movement@gmail.com wrote:

Hi Kay!

Unfortunately, we are unable to ship you a copy - you would have to come to the AGM to get one. You can call them in advance and ask them if they have copies left as there are a limited number of them.

Let us know if you were able to get a copy or if you have any questions and/or concerns!

Regards,
Ink Movement Mississauga

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, July 27, 2018 at 7:46 AM eightypictures@gmail.com wrote:

Cc:reclaimbeauty@gmail.com

Thanks for your reply.

There is really nothing further for me to ask you since you were unable to assist me with a simple request: That you mail me a copy of you latest anthology (or find me an online point of sales) for a copy.

I would only add that artists are also salesmen. A gallery that doesn't even promote your book to your benefit is not assisting you.

To further your cause, which is to distribute Massasauga writers' talents across the country (and beyond) you need to take your own actions. For example:
- Self publish and have Amazon distribute your book
- Self publish and distribute your book on your own website
- Have a business contract with agencies like the Art Gallery of Mississauga where you books can be obtained both in the gallery and through online purchase.

I wish you all the best. The starving artist image (and ideal) went out a couple of centuries. It has made a come-back in our era of "government funds" promises. But promises come with strings attached. And your independence, and your words, will eventually be required to fall in line with these agencies' mandates in order that their "promises" to you get to be fulfilled.

If you disagree with their mandates, then you will be well on the way toward the unpleasant life of a "starving artist." Ask Van Gogh what that's like.

Sincerely,

Kidist Paulos Asrat
Artist, Designer, Writer
Email: reclaimbeauty@gmail.com
At: Reclaiming Beauty

The Fate of the Queer

When I started to write this post, I misspelled "faith." The title should have read "The Faith of the Queer," instead of The Fath of the Queer." Although technically it wasn't my spelling error but the (now) limited functions of my keyboard.

Disclosure: my "i" and "k" on my keyboard don't work so I have to rely on my spellcheck to catch the errors. My spellcheck has filed as correct certain words like "wth" (perhaps because of frequent use and misspelling), and there's no red squiggly line to show that I've made a mistake.

Fortunately, I have a "screen keyboard" where I can just click in the missing letters. But when I rush through proofreading, I tend to pass over "wth" (and other words).

So.

When I titled this blog post as "The Fath of the Queer," meaning to write "The Faith of the Queer" I got of course a red squiggly line under "Fath." And when I resorted to spellcheck, I got "Fate."

And that makes for a perfect title for this post!

---

The Fate of the Queer

The Art Gallery of Mississauga is co-hosting an event in a neighborhood cafe. Here is what they have publicized on their "Facebook Events" page:

You’re Invited! Join us for a Critical Conversation on the intersections of faith and sexual and gender identities on Saturday, July 21st from 6:30-9:00pm at Studio.89, a barrier-free space with all-gendered washrooms. We’re proud to co-host this month’s Critical Conversation night with the Art Gallery of Misssauga and Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (QTBIPOC) Sauga. Our moderator will be no other than Anu Radha Verma.

[Note: the misspelling of "Mississauga" (highlighted in red above) was NOT my computer's error. The AGM with close to 1/2 a million in various (1, 2, 3) government government funds still cannot get its information up to par. I have a budget of ... ZERO]

Critical Conversations is one of Studio 89's FREE monthly events that engages the community and raises consciousness about critical issues that affect us locally and globally. We invite a panel of super knowledgeable folks to offer insight and facilitate our discussion. We want to celebrate Pride for our July Critical Conversation.

We’ve invited Panelists to share their stories about their religious, sexual, and gender identities. We can’t wait to see you! Please don't hesitate to email beawesome@studio89.org if you have any questions.

QUEERS of Fate: Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan - COME ON OVER!

The ever-accommodating AGM, with its Barrier-Free Space | All Gender Washroom is inviting you all to come to a discussion on your FATE.

NOT TO BE MISSED!!!!

Exhibition Suggestion for the Art Gallery of Mississauga

Exhibition Suggestion for the Art Gallery of Mississauga:

Marina Abramovic: Performance Artist
Contact at the Marina Abramovic Institute


Marina Abramovic
Nude With Skeleton
Marina Abramović
Performance
16 minutes
2002
Belgrade


Dragon Heads
Marina Abramović
Performance, 7 flat screen projection
60 minutes
1990

DESCRIPTION

I sit motionless on a chair with 5 pythons placed on my body. The pythons, 3 to 4.5 m long, have not been fed for 2 weeks before the time of the performance. A circle of ice surrounds me. During the performance the snakes move around my body following my lines of energy.

Image and text source: Marina Abramovic

Marina Abramović has already planned her own funeral...

[I]n Sydney during her 12-day residency for Kaldor Public Art Projects, Abramović – in good health at 67 – read out her manifesto, concluding that “an artist should die consciously without fear” and that “the funeral is the artist’s last piece before leaving”.


“I want to have three Marinas,” she said when an audience member pushed her for details. “Of course, one is real and two fake because you can’t have three bodies. But I want these three Marinas buried in the three cities which I’ve lived [in] the longest, which is Belgrade, Amsterdam and New York.” Nobody would know where the real body was interred, she added.

Image and text source: Marina Abramović reveals plans for her funeral, 'the artist’s last piece'

Note: I have never heard of this woman despite having been "exposed" to such bloodletting "artists" during my Ryerson University studies (Carolee Schneemann).

I got the information on Marina Abramovic via The Tomato Bubble: New World Order/ World War II/ Conspiracy/ News
In the post: What's in Libtard Robert De Niro's Closet

Barrie's Alexander Fitzmaurice MacLaren

Barrie's MacLaren Art Centre has this legacy:

Alexander Fitzmaurice MacLaren was born on September 17, 1912, the only child of James Alexander MacLaren (Alex) and Geraldine Madeleine Haskins (Madeleine). He was educated in Barrie and Toronto, and served in World War II. Upon his return, he opened A. F. MacLaren & Co, the first firm of chartered accountants in the Town of Barrie. He was an active and popular member of the community, helping form the Huronia Festival of the Arts, the Barrie Yacht Club and the Sunnidale Arboretum. In 1985, Maurice Maclaren was honoured with the Barrie Citizen of the Year Award and his name was recorded in the Barrie Business Hall of Fame for his fundraising and charity work. His gift of Maple Hill and his art collection forms the backbone of the MacLaren Art Centre and gives us our name; twenty-five years later, we recognize his foresight and his generosity.

It is his friends who give him the greatest tribute. As Rayner McCullough wrote in the Barrie Examiner in 2009, “He was just someone who helped everyone – widows, people having financial problems, local organizations. He always had time to talk to them or invite them in for a visit… Barrie was a lot smaller back then. It just seemed like the thing to do, give something back to the community. He was a most kind gentleman.”

MacLaren and his ancestors would be turning in their graves to see that this is what the MacLaren Art Centre is exhibiting now (see my recent full post Selling Our Souls).


Ted Fullerton
Anima Mundi, 2016
Cast Resin (Bronze), Steel, Antler
9’ x 5’ x 2’
Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto
(More on Ted Fullerton here, and his works here and here)

About the phrase Anima Mundi:

"Anima Mundi is an occult and spiritual belief that everything in the Universe is connected by a world soul."[Source: Rationalwiki]

More...

Goat Head Symbol: The picture of the horned goat head is a symbol used by Satanists to mock Jesus, who is known as the 'Lamb of God', who gave His life for sinners. The goat-headed figure is called 'Baphomet', which represents the deity of Satanist and the power of darkness. The goat head is the Satanists' way to mock the expression 'Lamb of God'. [Source]

More...

Baphomet is an enigmatic, goat-headed figure found in several instance in the history of occultism.

[...]

Baphomet is a composite creation symbolic of alchemical realization through the union of opposite forces. Occultists believe that, through the mastery of life force, one is able to produce magick and spiritual enlightenment. Eliphas Levi’s depiction of Baphomet included several symbols alluding to the raising of the kundalini – serpentine power – which ultimately leads to the activation of the pineal gland, also known as the “third eye”. So, from an esoteric point of view, Baphomet represents this occult process [Source].

Sex and Freedom at the Art Gallery of Mississauga

When I went to the Art Gallery of Mississauga ignoring their warning to me (actually I forgot that it was a final warning and thought I would simply get a "Final Warning") about ten days ago to see for myself the lesbian-infused and death promoting exhibition that is now on display under the pornographc title of slippery screens, juicy machines, and feminist notions of rupture, it was clear to me that all modern adults KNOW what "slippery" means, what is "juicy," and where "rupture" leads in the world of pornographic sex.

The AGM's programmers had put up a prudent, and prurient, "disclaimer" at the exhibition's entrance telling, "warning," us innocent viewers that the show was not for the under-eighteen, and all the rest of us beware of the sexual material. There are also "security" cameras recording activities in the gallery - taping the expressions and behaviors of these forewarned visitors can be quite artistically stimulating. This facade of a sign was there to comply with the Human Rights Commission for pornography, which some of these pieces were, although not overtly so, and instead full of the subliminal erotica of flowing fluids and tweaking fingers. And the AGM does not want to be sued over art! Although it can do the suing for discrimination against "freedom of expression" should anyone or any body, question their judgment. Sex is a human expression after all! But government agencies and art institutions have symbiotic, almost incestual, relationships, and neither can afford to harm the other, so erotica "art" in lofty, taxpayer-funded galleries will continue for the foreseeable future.

There is a subliminal message here from me to the lucid reader (and I apologize for having to spell it out). Talk to your local councillors and municipal representatives, as have I. And if they are too "artsy" for you, preferring to convive with the best (the worst) of the AGM crowd, then write to others. Or start a blog, like me. This is MY freedom of expression! as yours could well be yours!

Even a Rodin nude, or a Caravaggio youth don't close their doors to the "under-age." There is something more than just contemplating sculpted genitals that makes classical works bigger than porn. Kenneth Clark wrote a book titled The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form, to help us to see a little beyond our natural prudishness. But his historical samples had very few protrusions to cover up, covered up as they were! True artists, and truly artistic cultures, know that some elements detract from a piece of art. The pagan Greeks and Romans themselves, who gloried (and worshiped) nudity reduced their naked gods' appendages to metaphorically boyish sizes.

And so here is one of the images standing under the banner of a "disclaimer." And as its creator purports to stand n the gaze of "art" she clearly used slimy metaphors to depict her erotic urges.

But the "metaphor" stops with the slimy flower (normally a beautiful peony). Unlike what the Greek masters and our classcal ancestors would have done, this photographer showed us her REAL finger to show a REAL action. Such is the impatience and small mindedness of our contemporary artists that they cannot see that people will see their intent if they, the artists, are intelligent and artistic enough.

This photographer spent time on the slime, the shape the exact roundness of the peonies center, the supersaturated film for the supersaturated pink, but she couldn't, wouldn't, metaphorize her elongated index.

Below is a photographic image that the AGM put on their main website, their Instagram, their twitter page, and their Facebook as part of their publicity.


Finger, from the series grass, peonie, bum.
© Maisie Cousins.

Photoworks: Is the use of close up frames a way of heightening the themes of intimacy and voyeurism in your work?

Maisie Cousins: Absolutely, it’s also what I find interesting as getting unnaturally close up to things really excites me, you get to see every detail you would miss with your naked eye.
Text source: Interview: Maisie Cousins
Published on 18 May 2017
Photoworks

But the interesting thing is that they have put NO labels for this image on any of their "social media." And there is no identifying information of who the photographer is.

Turns out the the internet has ample resources and a "google image" search produced this, Maisie Cousins, who has posted this same image on her website under the heading grass, peony, bum.

Her name on the internet produced this interview and a title to the piece: Finger.

I had nailed it! I wrote the whole piece before finally finding the titled work on the Photoworks interview page.

Why is the AGM not precisely titling and referencing its images? It could simply be that they are working with interns and volunteers. But surely someone has to review the material before it goes on a public website?

I think it is more than a careless (or overworked?) administration.

If there is a title visibly placed on the AGM's various online sites, parents and prudes will start to realize that the pretty pink flower is actually a clitoris, and no matter how many disclaimers the AGM may put on their physical gallery space, some will say that a "virtual" space is just as real as an actual place. And pornographic finger paintings cannot be allowed on either of them.

Freedom of expression, curtailed by billboards of disclaimers and potential lawsuits, begins to rear the ugly truth.

---

Maisie Cousins: I don’t think anybody would see my work if it wasn’t for the Internet. What I think is so great about social media is that you broaden your audience – the public, the art world, the commercial world, other artists, they all get to see it. It makes art less exclusive which I think is so important and needed for art to progress. I also think it’s extremely important right now with the current government in the UK making huge cuts to the arts. [Photoworks interview]

The Covert (is there any other way?) Satanic Imagery in the New Art Gallery of Mississauga Exhibit

Once again, this is a long project which I will be studying and researching.

But for now, the Art Gallery of Mississauga, like all modern (contemporary) art institutions is projecting Satanic influenced imagery in its current exhibition.

The Gallery's curators spend hours researching potential exhibitors and know the fine details of their professional lives and outputs. So they understand very clearly the artistic and cultural positions of their exhibitors.

Lotte Meret Effinger, a German artist, has a video projecting at the AGM's seeping upwards, rupturing the surface exihibt.

The video exhibited is titled Surface Glaze and is part erotica (a mouth consumes an orchid), and fully a nihilistic deconstruction of image (and life). All we're left at the end of the video, as the "glaze" subsumes the screen, is a dry matter encrusted over its leftovers.

But it is her video Supernature (not exhibited at the AGM) which clearly presents her artistic and paranormal beliefs. Here, a zombie witch (whose gender is nonetheless not clear) sits in a forest as she (it) genuflects its arms around its grey hair (casting spells?). Later in the video, this zombie witch joins other creatures as they run through the forest, two which are horned, and another a more "conventional" witch with a haggard grey face and decayed teeth.

This is no late night horror movie, but a call of spirits, an invocation of Satan.

Effinger, in an interview, talks about her witch imagery, anchoring her satanic force with feminist ideology:

The witch has long been portrayed as the outsider, whether as a monster or as a resistance fighter. Many political, religious or social movements used this figure to establish their identity by defining the “other” and it is amazing to see how these various interpretations reach out to the contemporary use of the word “femininity” in regard to emancipation. This recalls the complex process of defining gender, power and desire.

The Art Gallery of Mississauga has been skirting towards paranormal imagery for some time now. I first noticed it with the Homer Watson exhibition in 2014 when I wrote:

Part of Beyond the Pines: Homer Watson and the Contemporary Canadian Landscape's purpose was to present Watson's landscapes as though they were infused with ephemeral supernatural beings. The AGM's curators obtained this notion of "spirits" from one aspect of Watson's life: his questions regarding his deceased sister and whether she could be "visiting" him. “Could it have been? Or was it a delusion?” he asks of a "vision."

Nothing is defined about Watson's belief in spirits, but it makes for an interesting exhibition.

I believe now the beautiful work by Watson, filled with southern Ontario landscapes, attracted Kendra Ainsworth's (the curator of the exhibit) attention because it tied so well wth these "ephemeral supernatural beings," so alien to the Judeo Christian origins of Western art, whose origins are grounded in the non-ephemeral supernatural being of God.

In a Godless universe, or a world that rejects God, other "spirits" compete to fill in the gap, as Satan did so prophetically in the very first chapter of the Bible.

Perhaps that is the reason that the AGM staff went after me so viciously, threatening to have me treated as a criminal for simply saying the Truth.

Last year, at a lecture on the Homer Watson exhibition, I asked clearcut culture and technique related questions. Mandy Salter the director of the AGM emailed me:

If at any point in the future, you visit the AGM and create an unsafe, critical and or threatening space, we will contact security who will request that you leave the premises.

And this year, about two years after that email, about a week ago, I felt it important that I see this exhibition in person (and I had caused no "incident" at the gallery which I had never entered since the email).

Salter sent me another email. (I actually met her there and greeted her (as did she greet me) pleasantly. She didn't even remember me!):

I had emailed you some months back expressing the AGM’s concern with the nature of your reviews and commentary for the AGM’s programmes, staff, artists and community. I had clearly articulated at the time that if the hateful and insulting tone of many of your blog posts, in regards to AGM content, staff and or community did not cease, you would be no longer welcome at the AGM. While you certainly have the right to freedom of speech, the AGM also has the right to not be defamed and or the recipient of hate propaganda.

As you have continued to criticize, defame and generally create an unsafe space for many at the AGM, you will no longer be permitted to enter the AGM premises under the Trespass to Property Act, RSO 1990, c. T.21 - Ontario.ca

If you are to enter the AGM premises at any time in the future, you will be escorted off the property immediately by City Security.

Mandy Salter

Of course Salter never made any reference to any of my blog posts at the initial "warning." Nor did she reference any in this recent one. Her reference to the "unsafe, critical and or threatening space" I may create, I assumed in the initial communication, was to the "difficult" questions I had asked the artists at their presentation's panel.

As I said, there is a lot to dismantle here, including the "hate propaganda" that Ainsworth and other participants in the AGM's activities subtly display towards Western art and Western artists, for which I have dedicated my entire Reclaiming Beauty website. I consider myself an expert on discrimination against Western art and culture, and have made public presentations on such a topic.

And since when is being "critical" a criminal offense!

Hate is "hate" only one way, is The Canadian Multi-Culti Way.

At first, I thought it was fear of my derailing their funding projects that induce them to take (or threaten to take) such harsh measures against me. But now I believe it is far stronger than that: They fear me, or more precisely, they fear the Truth.

All of us are sinners. But rejecting God has never been my sin.

By giving exhibition space in the AGM to such ideas and beliefs as Effinger's and the many similar others where in the last two years foreign and alien gods have been given artistic reverence in the AGM's exhibits, Ainsworth and her colleagues could then begin to carry on with their societal revolution: The annihilation of Western art, primarily through the annihilation of our God. That racist, oppressive civilization, they would say, while the truth is it is their abhorrence of the God who has directed this art for centuries that guides their mission. As they can kick out God(!), they can continue with their multicultural (non-Western) mandate and bring in those gods to fill in The Space.


The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain
Duccio di Buoninsegna (ca. 1255−ca. 1319)
Date: 1308−11
Medium: Tempera on poplar panel (cradled)
Dimensions:17 x 18 1/8 in. (43.2 x 46 cm)
Purchased by The Frick Collection, 1927

Double Whammy Discrimination: Diversity at all Cost Even if it Means Empty Museums

In our postmodern era I would be defended as a discriminatee.



My non-White, Third World background would automatically place me in the "victim" pigeonhole where my word against my white "antagonist" would preside, NO MATTER WHAT.



That is, until I start to defend this "white" monster and say he is the one being discriminated against.



Then the wrath, slow though it may come, is full on!



Especially if it is a white women who is regulating the discrimination channel.



This happened to me recently after I attended (and participated in) a lecture at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, where a group of artists were to discuss the works of Homer Watson, a late 19th early 20th century painter from southern Ontario.



I wrote about the exhibition and the panel discussion here: Homer Watson, Native Son. But I left out my questions to the panel.



As wrote in my post:

Last year, I attended a panel discussion on the exhibition Beyond the Pines: Homer Watson and the Contemporary Canadian Landscape at the Art Gallery Mississauga. I had visited the exhibition numerous times, going through Watson's work one by one, to study his technique, his evolution as an artist, his views, his concerns, and his Canada.



The exhibition also displayed works by contemporary Canadian artists to bring this pine "narrative" to the fore. Some were reasonably good, but none reached the overall skill and beauty of Watson's paintings.

I was gong to leave it at that, just a personal observation (not naive or untutored, since I have a solid background in the arts), hoping that I would gain some insight from these artists.



But I should have known better.



The catalogue the AGM produced for this exhibition prefaced with this objective:

Contemporary Canadian artists looking at landscape must also find a way to access the ‘truth’ of a subject that is not only strongly represented in our national artistic history, but one that is both deeply political and personal.

So the "truth" of a subject is now mandated to "represent" not just our nation "objectively" but has to incorporate political and personal views as well.



A tree is not a tree is not a tree, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein .



I asked Reinhard Reitzenstein, one of the panelists, who is a pretty good sculptor (and who is white), if he believes that Homer Watson's standards, and art, set an example for artist in general or if his English (Western) heritage is insignificant. This was of course not what I was asking, as Reitzenstein clearly understood. I was asking him if he thought that Watson's work was good, was superior.



Reitzenstein talked for a bit and finally admitted that he doesn't want to emulate the now archaic art of Watson. We are in the modern age after all!



So, irrespective of technical expertise, artistic beauty, or individual ingenuity, as long as an artist follows the archaic art of Watson, his work can not be deemed "good."



This is the tired discussion of art which has reached now such a comical zenith that works are exhibited in museums and galleries simply based on their mockery (and not simply rejection) of this western tradition. And many artists have become wealthy doing so.



But the public isn't with the program, which is why the Art Gallery of Mississauga has to go through loopholes to get people to visit its exhibitions, including set up committees and workshops to "study" this lack of museum attendance.



I received a "newsletter" email about a year after this exhibition from the AGM, one of the few I have received from them to invite me to participate in two workshops ttled: Collections Through The Prism of Diversity Series (here are day one and day two of the schedules):



But I was given about a week's notice for a two day workshop, where would have had to pay $250/day to attend. My first reading of the email, before I saw the dates, was to figure out ways could come up with the sum, including asking for a reduced fee. Soon after, I realized that I was put on the list as a "visible minority" participant.



Here is the email I sent the gallery:

I can only surmise from this late notification that the AGM is getting some kind of monetary benefit from this "email list" which it seems to use haphazardly to meet with its program mandates.



In my case, the mandate appears to be that of a minority female artist who can participate in the discussion on how to add more "diversity" into the art collections of the region.



Through your lack of appropriate notification, you indeed lost the participation of a minority female artist (myself) who would have made a unique and substantial contribution to this discussion.

And the reply I received from Mandy Slater the director:

The AGM prides itself on its high professional standards and its strong relational manner. We provide a safe and accountable space for our diverse staff, volunteers, artists and audience. All of this supports the democratic nature of the work we do at the AGM.





Moving forward, if you are able to visit the AGM in a congenial and supportive way I encourage you to do so. If at any point in the future, you visit the AGM and create an unsafe, critical and or threatening space, we will contact security who will request that you leave the premises. If you do not comply they will be entitled to further legal action under the Ontario Trespass to Property Act. I have cc’d senior Security Officers at the City of Mississauga on this and other incidents regarding inflammatory and false statements made by yourself.



The AGM prides itself on embracing diversity and inclusion as a core institutional value. We strive to create an accountable and inclusive space that supports like-minded individuals.

Diversity counts at all costs, even if it means getting the "diverse" complainant out the door!



The irony of the AGM's position of course doesn't occur to its staff: that they are discriminating against me (shutting down my "voice" ) in order that they might continue with their program is exactly what they are accusing the white inheritors of Homer Watson.



This time though, they have found a whole different story: An "ethnic minority" who supports a white tradition!

Chasing the Equinox

The Exterior of the Hayden Planetarium
American Museum of Natural History, New York
[Photo By: KPA]

Below is John Coltrane's saxophone piece Chasing the Equinox.

From my Camera Musica blog.

Bust of the Christ Child

[Photo by KPA]

Antonio Rossellino
(Italian, 1427–1478)
Bust of the Christ Child, ca. 1460–70
(On wooden base over column. The halo on His head is modern.)

Marble, with nineteenth-century metal halo
With base, 18 7/8 inches x 11 inches x 15 3/8 inches
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1906

More information here

Infused With Beauty

The last time went to the Fraunces Tavern Museum website (only about a week ago), I didn't notice this new acquisition:

Fraunces Tavern Museum is proud to announce the most recent acquisition, a terra cotta bust of George Washington. This bust is a 19th century draped a l ‘antique unsigned copy of the original bust made by Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1785.

I've written about this bust here and here. And, Larry Auster, whose admiration of the bust I shared, wrote about the bust, and made a post here on my commentary on the sculpture.

I wrote in the commentary Auster/Asrat: Interaction on Beauty:

Although Larry Auster didn't directly write about beauty, his work is infused with the desire to bring beauty back into our world.

One of the most memorable posts he did on art (and beauty) was his reaction to a bust of George Washington. The image of the bust he has posted is huge and takes up the whole screen, so that we, like him, can have as close a look at it as possible. [the rest of my post is here]

So, it is a nice surprise that a museum is bringing this piece into its collections.
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat

George Washington: The World Historical Figure in the Quintessentially American Tradition

George Washington, 1780
Charles Willson Peale (American, 1741–1827)
Oil on canvas; 95 x 61 3/4 in.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Part of what makes his live story so gripping is that he shaped himself into the world-historical figure he became, in the quintessentially American tradition of men who spring, as F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote, from their own Platonic conception of themselves. But his self-conception was extraordinary: it began as a worthy ideal and evolved into a magnificent one. In his fiercely ambitious youth, he sought to win acclaim for his for his heroism and savoir faire. In his maturity, he strove to be, in his own conscience even more than in the eyes of others, virtuous, public-spirited, and (although his ethic wouldn't allow him to claim the word (noble). He did hope, however, that posterity would recognize and honor the purity of his motives; and Americans, who owe him so much, do him but justice in understanding not only what he did for them but also what greatness of soul he achieved to do it.

From: The Founding Fathers at Home (p. 94)
By: Myron Magnet

.
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Frakturs, Fotografs, Farmicia, Francois, Flames and Fighting Songs

Here is the packed schedule I had in Philadelphia and New York. Visit these places, if you can...

I already posted on my visit to the Longwood Gardens (but further down in this post, I post a photograph which was on view from the Spring Blooms competition).

The New York Public Library
Exhibition: Over Here: WWI and the Fight for the American Mind





Let's All Be Americans Now
Lyrics and words by Irwin Berlin

[Verse 1]
Peace has always been our pray'r,
Now there's trouble in the air,
War is talked of ev'rywhere,
Still in God we trust;

Now that war's declared,
We'll show we're prepared,
And if fight we must.
It's up to you! What will you do?

[Chorus]
England or France may have your sympathy, over the sea,
But you'll agree That, now is the time, To fall in line,
You swore that you would so be true to your vow,
Let's all be Americans now. now.

[Verse 2]
Lincoln, Grant and Washington,
They were peaceful men, each one,
Still they took the sword and gun,
When real trouble came;
And I feel somehow, they are wond'ring now,
If we'll do the same.

[Repeat Chorus]

All this in the New York Public Library.

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Longwood Gardens
Photographic Exhibition: Spring Blooms
From the Delaware Photographic Society's annual Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography


Ellis Underkoffer

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Philadelphia Museum of Art
Exhibition: Drawn with Spirit: Pennsylvania German Fraktur from the Joan and Victor Johnson Collection


Pennsylvania German
Birth and Baptismal Certificate for Johannes Gass
1790-1800
Pen, ink and watercolor
12 3/4 x 15 1/2
Philadelphia Museum of Art

I got this postcard from the museum's shop. I couldn't find the exact piece on line, so what you see is my photograph (I don't have a scanner) of the postcard.

From what I can find out, the designer of this piece is known as Christian Beschler, the "Sussel Unicorn artist" according to this piece.

In 2007, Dr. Don Yoder identified the words gemacht von CB (made by CB) on two newly discovered "Sussel-Unicorn" taufscheine (birth and baptismal certificates).3 These initials belonged to the schoolmaster Christian Beschler,
[...]
His taufscheine are characterized by a bright orange or orange and yellow central rectangular area that contains the text adorned with compass stars and geometric designs. Whimsical unicorns and birds with manes eating berries, lions with faces, angels, hearts, half circles, compass stars, and pots of flowers fill the colorful documents. There seems to be an obsession to fill all available space. His religious text and drawing share these motifs.

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Farmicia
Food and Tonics

15 S. 3rd Street
(Between Market and Chestnut Streets)
Philadelphia



Here is the menu, but the lentil salad, with baked goat cheese, greens and sherry dressing is more than just a salad!

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The Red Flame Diner

67 West 44th St
New York, NY 10036



Good diner food for a fair price. Here's the menu.

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Plaza Hotel's Food Hall:
Francois Payard Patisserie







The Passion fruit (with a light chocolate) macaron, for $2.50, will take you down a few blocks.

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I didn't make it to the Morgan, the Cloisters, Macy's or Bergdorf Goodman. But, so far, it looks like New York will stand for a while.

Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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Camel at the Cloisters

Wall Painting of a Camel, first half 12th century (perhaps 1129–34)
From the hermitage of San Baudelio de Berlanga
Fresco transferred to canvas; 65 x 134 in. (165.1 x 340.3 cm)
The Cloisters Collection, 1961 (61.219)

[Photo By: KPA, December 13, 2012]

I just found a way to get to my XD-Picture Card files, from my old Olympus camera. Apparently, this card is pretty much out of date now, but I managed to find a memory card reader, which allows me to download a variety of files.

This is not a great photograph (my camera then was having problems with interiors and using a flash would produce too much glare). I only recently found it (or was able to find it due to the reader).

I took the photograph in August 2012, when I came to New York for a brief summer trip. I met Larry Auster for several outings, despite his ill health, and we went to the Cloisters together. I went twice, (the first time is when I took the photograph). The second time, I went with Larry, having figured out that it would be possible for him to make the trek all the way out there.

I think this photograph is symbolic of our times, and also symbolic of the battle Larry was fighting. It is a reminder not to stop, and not to lapse into complacency. We may stop, but this hard and determined enemy doesn't. I will explain below.

For some reason, I didn't take any photos of Larry. I think I was just being polite. But below is one of him taken at the dinner planned for (and by) him, to celebrate Christmas together with his friends.

He sent me the photo with these remarks: "A photo of me at the dinner with my little pig eyes... My eyes are already small, and when I haven't had much sleep they get even smaller."

Larry was never one to fall to vanity, nor was he one to mince his words. I think he looks cheerful. We came from far and wide to celebrate Christmas with him. He was happy to be amongst friends.


Larry Auster
Kennedy's Pub and Restaurant, New York City
December 8, 2012

Now back to the camel.

Here is how the Metropolitan Museum of Art describes this wall painting:

The hermitage of San Baudelio de Berlanga was constructed in the beginning of the eleventh century at the heart of the frontier between Islamic and Christian lands. Its interior was transformed 150 years later with the addition of two cycles of vibrant wall paintings. The upper walls of the church were decorated with a series of scenes from the life of Christ, while the lower sections include boldly painted hunt scenes and images of animals, all of which derive from earlier Islamic objects.

Associated with aristocratic power and pursuits, the camel was a subject often seen on the courtly fine arts of the Umayyad caliphate and Ta’ifa monarchies. Islamic court art was known and admired by inhabitants of the Christian kingdoms for its costly materials and unparalleled craft. Though the Christians under Alfonso VII had definitively wrested Berlanga from Islamic forces in 1124, the paintings in the hermitage suggest that they continued to rely on Islamic motifs and the style of the Islamic court when seeking to create a luxurious setting.

We are back again in that fascinated mode of the medieval Christian kingdoms. Camels are desert creatures, belonging to their Muslim masters. The medieval artist who created this wall painting didn't quite know how to depict the camel's hooves. He cleverly made them flat and wide, suitable for travel along unstable desert sands. But why create camels in the first place, other than a desire to bring the exotic closer? It was this openness, and "tolerance" that eventually led to the Islamic conquest of Spain.

In our eagerness to experience the exotic, we contemporary folk have made our cities dangerous for conquest once again. It seems that we in the West will always have this perennial cycle of openness, then conquest (by those we opened our doors to), then war, then freedom once again. But this time, it may not have that desired ending.

Larry spent a good deal of his time writing about this civilization we might lose. He exhorted us to stop our lazy ways and not to neglecting this civilization. And he warned us about the dire consequences if we did.

In view of the recent shocking events in France, where armed Jihadis were in the middle of the streets of Paris with sophisticated weaponry, I say that we pay especial heed to his words.

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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat

Illustrating Natural Histories

Below are a couple of photographs I took at the Natural Histories exhibition in the American Museum of Natural History, in New York. There is a lot to say about this magnificent exhibition. First, in the exhibition's display Curiously Colorful Fishthough, there was a time when fantasy played a large part in illustrating scientific books, as the intricate cataloging of the earth's species proceeded. And the beauty of shells, this time with realistic and beautiful illustrations of shells and mollusks, is shown in the display Dawn of Malacology.

(There are many sites which have posted photos of the collection. But, I took my own partly to keep a record of what I saw and liked - I also took photos of the descriptive logs below the illustration - and partly to test out a non-flash environment for my camera.)

For more information on the collection, this site on the AMNH's website is a useful start.

More links and information along the way may provide what you might wish to obtain.

The best thing, of course, is to visit this marvelous place. And make sure the research library is open when you get there.

Curiously Colorful Fish



The following information was obtained from the American Museum of Natural History online catalog.

Title: Three species of fish with engraved text from Renard's Poissons, écrevisses et crabes

Medium: Engravings

Coverage: Moluccas, Indonesia

Rare books: Asia, Fishes, Fishes -- Pictorial works, Ocean life

Publisher: American Museum of Natural History Research Library

Artist: Renard, Louis, b. ca. 1678

Department / Discipline: Ichthyology

Collection Name: Rare Book Collection

Note: Natural Histories: Extraordinary Rare Book Selections from the American Museum of Natural History Library: 1. De Groot Tafel-visch (additional descriptive text in french): 2. De Spits-Neus (additional descriptive text in french): 3. Ican Suangi (additional descriptive text in french)

Author: Renard, Louis, b. ca. 1678

Book Title: Poissons, écrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires, que l'on trouve autour des isles Moluques et sur les côtes des terres australes :peints d'après nature durant la régime de messieurs Van Oudshoorn, Van Hoorn, Van Ribeek & Van Zwoll, successivement gouverneurs-généraux des Indes orientales pour la Compagnie de Hollande

Imprint:Amsterdam: Chez Reinier & Josué Ottens, 1754

Date of Publication: 1754

Language of Publication: French

Call Number: RF-74-F

Bibliographic Number: b10715216

Description of Publication: 2 v. in 1 ([14] p., 43 leaves of plates; [6] p., LVII leaves of plates) : chiefly col. ill. (459 figs.) ; 42 cm. (fol.)

View this book in the library catalog: http://libcat1.amnh.org/record=b1071521

Here is the information describing the illustrations of "colorful fish" provided by the museum:

Fish, Crayfish and Crabs of Diverse Colors and Extraordinary Forms
Author: Louis Renard (1678-1746)
Illustrator: Samuel Fallours (active 1706-1712,
and other local artists
Imprint: Amsterdam, 1754
Two volume work illustrated with
100 hand-colored, engraved plates

Dreary tropical fish? Sounds like an oxymoron.
But when Europeans saw collections of preserved
tropical fish in the 1700, their colors had long
since faded away and they resembled familiar, drab-colored,
local fish.

No wonder the work of Louis Renard was so exciting.
Renard collected and published fantastically colored
and boldly patterned images of fish and
crustaceans from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).
Artists included Dutch East India Company
soldier Samuel Fallours and anonymous locals

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The Dawn of Malacology



The following information was obtained from the American Museum of Natural History online catalog.

Title: Voluta magnifica (Cymbiola magnifica) from Martini's Neues systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet

Medium: Engravings

Rare books: Aquatic invertebrates, Shells, Shells -- Pictorial works, Mollusca

Publisher: American Museum of Natural History Research Library

Collection Name: Rare Book Collection

Artist: Unknown

Original Caption: Voluta magnifica

Author: Martini, Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm, 1729-1778

Book Title: Neues systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet

Imprint: Nürnberg : Bey Gabriel Nikolaus Raspe, 1769-1829

Date of Publication: 1769-1829

Language of Publication: German

Call Number: 14-A

Bibliographic Number: b10657605

Description of Publication: 12 v. in 13 : col. ill. ; 30 cm.

View this book in the library catalog: http://libcat1.amnh.org/record=b1065760

Here is information close to the display "Voluta magnifica" provided by the museum:

In the late 1700s Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm Martini,
a German physician and devoted shell collector,
set out to describe and illustrate all mollusk species.
His work was cut out for him: estimates indicate that
there are more than 100,000 species. Martini did not
fulfill his dream, dying after only the third volume
of descriptions. Johann Hieronymus Chemnitz, a German
clergyman, continued his work. Unfortunately, the authors
did not adopt the binomial naming system introduced by
Linnaeus in 1758, rendering the series less scientifically
useful than it might have been.
The shells are beautifully illustrated
and scientifically accurate.

[Photos By: KPA]

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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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