Art and the Homeless

... search English translation of novel title Flowers of Shanghai The English translation of the novel title Flowers of Shanghai (Haishanghua liezhuan) is commonly rendered as The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai or Biographies of Flowers by the Seashore. This 1892 novel by Han Bangqing is recognized as a pioneering work in modern Chinese popular fiction and was the first such novel to be serially published. Eileen Chang translated the work into modern standard Chinese, publishing it in two parts titled The Flowers of the Sea Bloom and The Flowers of the Sea Fade. Her English translation, completed posthumously and revised by Eva Hung, was published by Columbia University Press in 2005. ... provided biography of Han Bangqing Han Bangqing (1856–1894), also known by the given name Ji (寄), courtesy name Ziyun (子雲), and various pseudonyms, was a late-Qing dynasty Chinese writer from Lou County, Songjiang Prefecture, Jiangsu (modern-day Shanghai). He spent his youth in Beijing with his father, a...

... at what average age of the infant does breastfeeding cease The average age at which breastfeeding ceases varies significantly depending on cultural, societal, and individual factors. Globally, the average age to stop breastfeeding is between two and four years old, with some countries like Guinea-Bissau reporting an average of 22.6 months and India commonly seeing breastfeeding continue until 2 to 3 years of age. In contrast, in many Western countries, extended breastfeeding beyond 12 months is not the cultural norm, and the average age tends to be lower. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, breastfeeding should continue for at least two years and beyond as mutually desired by the mother and child. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) also recommend continuing breastfeeding for at least two years and beyond, with the decision to wean based on the mutual desire of the parent and child. The Centers for D...

... search classic Chinese literature involving courtesan character Jinu 妓女 The Plum in the Golden Vase (Jin Ping Mei) This Ming dynasty novel centers on Xīmén Qìng, a wealthy merchant whose life is dominated by his pursuit of pleasure, including extensive sexual relationships with courtesans and other women. Though often labeled as pornographic due to its explicit scenes, the novel is a profound social critique, exploring themes of moral decay, social hierarchy, and the corruption of justice. The courtesans in the story are not mere objects of desire but figures within a larger commentary on the breakdown of Confucian values. Jin Ping Mei takes its name from the three central female characters—Pan Jinlian; Li Ping'er (李瓶兒, literally "Little Vase"), a concubine of Ximen Qing; and Pang Chunmei (龐春梅, "Spring plum blossoms"), a young maid who rose to power within the family. Chinese critics see each of the three Chinese characters in the title as symbolizing an asp...

The term metaxis (Greek μεταξές — “between”) can have meaning in both physical space and time, although it is primarily a philosophical concept. In practice, “in the meantime” or “on the border” describes a status such as sunset (between day and night) or a geographical location on the border of two countries. In astronomy and navigation, where spherical trigonometry is used, positions on the Earth or in the sky often lie “between” known points — for example, at the moment of crossing the equator or polar night. Such points can be seen as metaxis — not in the strict geometric sense, but as a philosophical-mathematical metaphor for liminality. Thus, although metaxis is not a mathematical quantity, its spirit can be recognized in moments and positions that are “in transition” — between space, time, and state. ... indeed my main interest is in art to which metaxis is relevant as in for example explaining the enigmatic effect of the metaphysical paintings of Giorgio de Chirico Yes, metaxis...

This is a book review. It's 32 years old, by now, and without any possible material inducement to review it, it can only be for personal reasons. This introduction is by way of disclosure, because the risk of disclosure is that of what is, today known as, “over-disclosure.” It is more alike to what the tabloids call a “reveal.” Use of reveal words is a headline trick to lure the reader into reading the full article. It is bait, a "teaser", and a come-on. If you have seen this trick before, you may wish to pass-on to the next headline (or blog post). The book is about the performance artist Mike Kelley. As I said, I don't wish to over-play my hand, however, I'm certain Mike would understand my approach. Let's get the bad review out of the way, up-front. The book “Mike Kelley, Catholic Tastes” is coldly intellectual. You must bring an appreciation to it, rather than the opposite, which is expect to get something out of it. That said, let it promptly be said the ...

Guy Ernest Debord (1931–1994) was a French Marxist theorist, philosopher, filmmaker, and founding member of the Situationist International (SI), a radical avant-garde collective formed in 1957. He is best known for his seminal work The Society of the Spectacle (1967), a critical analysis of advanced capitalist society in which he argues that authentic social life has been replaced by its representation—what he termed the "spectacle," defined as "a social relation between people that is mediated by images." Debord’s theories synthesized libertarian Marxism with avant-garde art movements like Dada and Surrealism, emphasizing the need to dismantle alienating structures of modern life and to "construct situations" of authentic experience. Key concepts he developed include dérive (urban drifting), détournement (subversive repurposing of media), and psychogeography (the study of how environments affect emotions and behavior). His ideas significantly influenced t...

An Art-worthy news story in today's headlines is the centennial commemoration, decreed by the Pope, of the return of Vatican Museum cultural artifacts to Canadian native tribes. CBC.ca is leading the pack in reporting updates, which it began reporting years ago, as the numerous hyperlinks within the article are an indication. Since this is a meta-level overview of the subject, precise citations will be omitted =if the blog is to be posted before this time next year. The irony is that precision citation, accounting, attribution, and provenance, are at the heart of the controversy. In 1925, an exhibition was organized by Pope Pius XI, who invited Catholic missionaries to ship Indigenous cultural objects from far-flung missions. At the time, research into the meaning of cultural totems removed from native contexts, and exhibited in museums, was more scientific than controversial (as it is today).  Cultural objects are typically not intrinsically valuable—unlike plundered Aztec gold--r...

... what are the facts of the murder committed by William S. Burroughs  On September 6, 1951, in Mexico City, William S. Burroughs fatally shot his common-law wife, Joan Vollmer, during a drunken gathering at a friend's apartment. The incident occurred while Burroughs attempted a "William Tell" act, aiming to shoot a glass off Joan’s head. He missed and struck her in the forehead. She was rushed to Cruz Roja (Red Cross) hospital but died hours later at age 28. Burroughs gave conflicting accounts—initially claiming it was an accident during the stunt, later denying it under legal advice. Witnesses, including American students Edwin Woods and Lewis Marker, were present, as was the couple’s four-year-old son, William S. Burroughs Jr. Burroughs had been drinking and claimed memory loss, though others reported only light consumption. He was convicted in absentia of culpable homicide and sentenced to two years in prison but never served, fleeing to the U.S. The tragedy profound...

San Francisco Bay area figurative painting lacks a certain je ne sais pas quoi. It's all good (don't get me wrong), and I like everything I have seen and, yet, every piece I have looked at is lacking a hard-to-define essence. Until now. I believe I have finally figured out what is wanting. Browsing the bookshelves, today, in the art section of the library, came I across "The Beat Generation Galleries and Beyond" (1996), printed by John Natsoulas Press, Davis, California. I'm unsure to whom authorship should be attributed because the list of contributors is long, too long even to count.  That's not an incidental observation. It supports my assertion that there is more to Bay Area art than art alone. Bay Area art is not a style, regional, or otherwise; it's a life-style, to be precise. Another generalization is California likes to party. If you've heard of the Beats, then you may perceive the connection with the title and subject of the book. The Beat G...

It was heartening to read the feature story today at Breitbart News about empowering wounded veterans to participate in the plastic arts as well as song and other performance arts. The story is fortuitous because today marks the end of the Senate budget resolution process — the continuing resolution (CR), which designates spending by the federal government. Social services are as much a matter of social support as they are about funding. The importance of each may be unevenly weighted, but neither of which is dispensable. Most veterans return to civilian life without handicap and many enjoy the advantages provided by military service. Veterans with PTSD also benefit from higher learning and training, including art. The news story provides a link to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which offers opportunities not only for the learner but also for the future teacher or administrator of veteran-specific art therapy intensive programs. The school website features alum Richard Cas...

In his book “Material Culture in the Social World”, sociologist Tim Dant cites sociologist Gabrielle vom Bruck's 1997 study, in the “Journal of Material Culture”, on the sexualization of spaces. The subject of vom Bruck's study is the attribution of gender to material objects, such as women-only spaces, among traditional Yemeni tribal communities. The excerpt cited by Dant reads:    "What is read into space depends on what is read into their bodies. For example, Yemeni prepubescent boys are permitted to enter spaces occupied by unrelated women because their gaze does not yet indicate carnal desire." (vom Bruck, page 142) This field observation resonates with many people. As a child growing up, I was told not to stare — it was considered rude. The rule held little meaning for me, however, until I read about the monastic rule requiring nuns and monks to avoid eye contact with each other for religious convictions. Still, the wisdom behind that explanation, which had been...

... in his novel “Napoleon Symphony” Anthony Burgess tells of an assassination attempt on Napoleon Bonaparte by a young German fanatic, fact check the historical authenticity of the episode The claim that Anthony Burgess's novel Napoleon Symphony features an attempted assassination on Napoleon Bonaparte by a German fanatic is not historically accurate. The novel, structured around Beethoven’s "Eroica" Symphony, is a fictionalized and satirical portrayal of Napoleon’s life, blending historical events with literary and musical experimentation. While the novel does depict various assassination attempts and conspiracies against Napoleon, such as the "Dagger Plot" in October 1800, and the "Christmas Eve Bomb Plot” of December 24, 1800, these were carried out by French Jacobin radicals and royalist rebels, not a “young German fanatic.” The specific episode involving a German activist attempting to assassinate Napoleon is not supported by historical evidence. The ...

Objects form a system of signs that shape identity and social meaning. Certain specific objects can be removed from their intended context without canceling meaning, while others cannot be removed from context without gross cancellation of meaning. In other words they become commodified, objects of exchange separate from intended use, and attached to unintended valuation, or meaning.  A tribal object is not intended for display as art, according to the definition of “tribal.” It's employment as art, decorative art, may be compared to the Marxist definition of surplus value as being assigned to objects, over-and-above their intrinsic material worth. Identity and lifestyle are some of the attributes attached to objects which were never intended to be used that way.   Objects of Choice Exercise of free choice is not so much a difference of class, or of social caste, so much as the difference between feudal serf, tradesmen owning tools, landowner of property (and other such human ...