'C;Mon' - BimboSculpture

It's not easy to get any words out of Boris Hoppek. He is usually very succinct and more often quiet as a mouse. But, he speaks loudly and in volumes through his art work. His range of hooligan style coarse creatures represented by his sculptures gained great popularity when they appeared in the advertisements of Opel cars. Those were his 'Bimbosculpture', re-baptised 'C'mon!'. He saw no reason that these rag-doll creatures had to be innocently sexless, like all dolls in the market; so his creation had penis or vaginas. This German artist who has made his home in Barcelona for several years, continues to break waves and tabu, and his new exhibition in Barcelona, in the Iguapop Gallery will testify to that. It's titled 'Fragil' (fragile), with the exhibits open to all interpretations, according to the taste and individual understanding of art by each art consumer. In this particular occasion, the format is rather diverse, from photography to water colour as well as sculpture. With feminine sexuality once again the more prominent reference. When asked why he was so interested in the sex theme, he thought about it for literally a couple of minutes, before he answered: "Because I am heterosexual." That's that, followed by absolute silence. Most art work in 'Fragil' figures female in all forms, in photographs, drawings, paintings and sculpture, with their sexuality as the key element. To this ex graffiti artist, he minds not the criticism that he is out to provoke, which he denied, and considers it okay because those who criticise had actually come specially to view his work and had stopped to reflect on it. Some of his art pieces are figures of black people, which had also provoked sentences referring to him being a racist. He retorted that racist would have ignored the blacks, not showed them off in art forms. He also emphasised that his work is totally opposed to publicity or market value, in which everything is neutral because they don't want to offend anybody. While he is realist and wants to show the world and the people in it as they are. The nude was title 'Crisis 2009', the significance of which totally escapes and baffles me. The other, titled 'The mirror of the coffin' reflects, I suppose, the new and modern Barcelona while underneath it, the old Barcelona, invisible, still continues. It's more than likely I am entirely off the mark of course. However hard I tried, I failed to understand neither the artist nor his art. But that's my problem, not his. Tags:bimbosculture,Barcelona

Current Mood: Artistic

To Save Or Not To Save?

Had company this morning at my regular coffee bar. An acquaintance I had known for at least 7- 8 years but never got to become friends, not really, He just joined me at my table without my answering his question: "May I?". We never seek each other out, but when we occasional meet up if and when we both feel like it, the conversation is always pleasant and enjoyable. But this morning he seemed to be in the mood of complaining, theorizing and philosophising more than chatting. I guess he just needed someone to listen.

He told me about his parents, who had no pension plans but had all their life been saving hard, doing without a lot of things, so as to accumulate some funds to safeguard a more comfortable old age, had just found out that their sacrifice in their younger days and all their effort to plan their future had come to nothing. They were turned down when applied for one of those state run old folks residence, much cheaper than the private ones; the kind where the old people can have their own individual apartments, but share community service areas like dining rooms, library, coffee bars, gym, etc. and staff to attend to emergencies. The reason being that they have savings. Until that is all gone, they are not eligible.

That was not what they had planned. The money they saved was supposed to provide them with an easy and comfy living in their old age, like occasional meals in restaurants, holidays, some small luxuries they had never had when young ... not to use now to pay for basic living and old folks home rent. Why else would they have made all the sacrifices?

The old couple, including my friend who had started some years ago to save like their parents, wonder why people bother to save at all, and why make future plans. They could have had a less fugal life spending every cent they earned, having a great time along the way when they were young and fit, then apply and be given priority to get the residence now that they are old and penniless. No matter; the government will see that they are roofed and fed.

It makes you ponder doesn't it? Should we all subscribe to the policy of: Champagne today, Soup Kitchen tomorrow?

Tags:oldage,sacrifice

Current Mood: Anxious

A Socialist Of Champagne

I saw another very thought provoking old film for probably the 3rd time last late night on Spanish TV, 'The Servant' based on Harold Pinter's work. Another great name author and playwright in the literary world for more than 4 decades who had sadly passed away, leaving his unforgettable name, and his 32 famous work, many poems and novels, rich legacy that had delighted in the theatre goers and connoisseurs of fine literature. Without a doubt for the whole new generation too as his kind of literature is mature grace yet ageless.

Backbone of British theatres and Nobel of Literature winner in 2005, when he had already been diagnosed of cancer back in 2002, Harold Pinter passed away at the age of 78 at Christmas Eve in 2008. Many of his memorable works had been played out in theatres and films like 'The birthday feast', 'Going home', 'The night porter', 'The servant' 'Nobody's land' and 'The room', but to name a few.

Some of his enemies called him 'A socialist of Champagne', referring to his political views in his later years, and his acid criticism of George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher, and the Iraq war, asking for Bush and Blair to be prosecuted for their crime against humanity, and attacked the external policies of America and Britain. He once said that the most shameful thing he had ever done was having reluctantly voted for Thatcher, whom he later smashed to smithereens in his writings.

His political views, bias perhaps, but for me his merit rests on his insight of human nature and his style of writing, outstanding, unique and most entertaining, manifested in his sharp humour and intelligent construction of story plots, sparkling dialogues and bitter sweet twist and turns, all with great humour that let's you savour the play, movie or books long after you have finished viewing them. Years after. His script of Losey's work 'The servant' is probably one of the most poignant show of his sarcasm of life and human weakness.

I love every single one of his works I have either read or seen on the screen or stage, probably all the 3 media!

 

Tags haroldpinter

Current Mood: Artistic

The Most Amazing Magic Of Multiplying Bottles

Magician Hugues Protat performs an entertaining bottle multiplication magic trick on The World’s Greatest Cabaret hosted by Patrick Sébastien. I wish I spoke French so I could understand what he’s saying but the act was funny and entertaining anyway. I have no idea how he makes so many bottles appear from what appears to be a cardboard cylinder. I wish I could do that with one of my favourite red wine Marques de Carceres!

25 Accidental Inventions That Changed The World

An interesting look at 25 Accidental Inventions that changed the world. Failure is often the key to success because the people that fail never give up trying to achieve their goal and sometimes along the way an accidental invention emerges. I had no idea potato chips or ice cream cones were invented by accident. Hopefully this will inspire some inventors out there to keep on trying no matter what. It's most informative even if you have no intention of inventing anything.