Classic: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

A book that I am currently reading in my long list of must-read literature... The most fascinating aspect of this novel (Re: novel was written in 1931!) is how many of the imagined future's possibilities have actually come into existence or have very strong parallels to our present world. This includes test tube babies, cloning of humans, the rise of rampant consumerism, the focus on instant gratification, the increasing reliance on mood altering drugs, etc. This is certainly a book that I’d recommended for you to get an idea of how far our current world has moved toward to becoming a world close to, if not identical to World State.

And since I am not good at describing the story to you, you can read the complete review here.

Extract:
... Brave New World revolves around the idea of totalitarianism and is set in a futuristic world where a combination of science and pleasure form a rather feudalistic society. This idea of totalitarianism is achieved through test tube babies, and hypnotism, resulting in a pre-ordained caste system consisting of intelligent humans suited to the highest positions and conversely, serf-like beings genetically programmed to carry out menial works. In this world of Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and the unfortunate Epsilons, exists drug-induced happiness, caused by what is known as soma. Here, "everyone belongs to everyone else" emphasizing the system of forced promiscuity, brainwashed into the people from the moment of birth. At the core of this book is the horrific idea of eugenics and despite being written several decades ago, its message remains valid for our generation.

Brave New World explores the negatives of a ostensibly successful world in which everyone appears to be content and satisfied, with excessive carnal pleasures yet really, this stability is only achieved by sacrificing freedom in its true sense and the idea of personal responsibility.

I think this book is really interesting as it explores the dangers of technology and what it can do to a whole world; indeed, Huxley is trying to convey the idea that technology does not have the power to save us successfully. This theme is what makes the novel controversial - yet a classic that we can relate to, especially in today's world, where technology is close enough to ruling our lives, what with high tech computers, music players and gaming consoles fast becoming a natural part of our lives. Additionally, Brave New World explores the idea of just how far science can go without being immoral. Would we really want to live in a world where eugenics rule and despite everyone being equal on the surface, deep underneath bubbles the idea of inequality and unfairness? Not for me, thanks! The novel presents the contradictory idea of a Utopia, a perfect world, yet the word "utopia" is derived from two Greek words meaning "good place" and "no place"; this suggests that the perfect world is impossible.

ishot: The Adventures of Tintin

@ Singapore Philatelic Museum... from 5 November 2011 - May 2012.

The Adventures of Tintin is a series of comic albums created by Belgian artist Remi Georges (1907–1983), who wrote under the pen name of Hergé.

Tintin is the famous young reporter in the comic series created by Belgian Georges Remi, also known as Hergé (22 May 1907 - 3 March 1983). Tintin and his dog companion, Snowy, enjoyed exciting adventures that took them to various places in the world such as Tibet, Congo, America, Russia and even the moon!

View the full range of Tintin postage stamps issued by Belgium, France and the Netherlands from the museum's Universal Postal Union Collection. Rarely seen original stamp artworks, colour trials, and other philatelic materials from the Museum Voor Communicatie, the Netherlands, and Musée de La Poste in France are on display for the first time in Singapore.

Enjoy the photos =)

Pencil sketches of the comics

Zoom in for a closer look

Rarely seen original stamp artworks, colour trials and other philatelic materials from the Museum Voor Communicatie in the Netherlands and L’Adresse Musée de La Poste in France.

Pop up books give a new dimension to the classic adventures of Tintin.

Figurines based on the comics.

You can browse Tintin comics for free here! (PS: Only 2 books available.)

The 24 official comic strip albums written by Hergé.

An interesting read that I found online; Click here to read the mini-Tintin FAQ, because the Tintinverse can be a weird and unwelcoming place for newcomers.

ishot: Dreams and Reality

My fav artworks from the exhibition - Dreams and Reality: Masterpieces of Painting, Drawing and Photography from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris - that was held at NSM last year. Enjoy!

The Birth of Venus
…is from a famous episode from classical mythology when Venus is born of sea-foam and carried ashore. This theme, very popular in the 19th century, provided some artists with the opportunity to introduce eroticism without offending public morality, under the pretext of representing a classical subject. For Cabanel, the mythological theme is indeed a pretext for the portrayal of a nude figure, which, though idealized, is nonetheless depicted in a lascivious pose.

The Knight of the Flowers
…depicts the moment when Parsifal, the chaste hero destined to find the Holy Grail, has just struck down the guardians of the castle of the magician Klingsor. He moves away into the enchanted garden, deaf to the calls of the flower maidens, femmes fatales scantily clad in narcissi, peonies, roses, irises, tulips, violets and hydrangeas.

Illustration for The Dream using pencil, pen, chinese ink and watercolor

The Seige of Paris
The figure of Paris - represented by Madame Meissonier, draped in a black veil and a lion skin, in front of a tattered French flag – rises above the ruins of a barricade. Above her, in a sky of billowing clouds of ash and unfolding tragedy, the spectre of famine hovers over a Paris destroyed by fire.

Photograph of a group of paperboys

Boats: Regatta at Argenteuil

The Boy with the Cat
...has not given up all its secrets. This male nude has no equivalent in Renoir's work. The identity of the model seen from the back cuddling the cat is unknown. His sly glance at the spectator remains mysterious. The scene does not seem to have any mythological reference.

Le chemin de la Machine
The illusion of three-dimensional space is particularly spectacular thanks to the road stretching into the distance, perpendicular to the surface of the painting. The row of trees gives rhythm to the composition, and accentuates the impression of depth, whilst an interplay of lines is achieved through the vertical trunks, echoed by the horizontal lines of the shadows. The slight rise in the road is used to create a vanishing point slightly off centre, and to obtain a plunging view over the sunlit background.

The Port of Rouen, Saint-Sever

Starry Night
View of the Rhone in which Van Gogh marvelously transcribed the colors he perceived in the dark. Blues prevail: Prussian blue, ultramarine and cobalt. The city gas lights glimmer an intense orange and are reflected in the water. The stars sparkle like gemstones. The serene atmosphere reinforced by the presence of a couple of lovers at the bottom of the canvas.

The Young Girl and Death
…depicts a young girl in white, surprised in her bed by Death, in the guise of a black angel with huge wings. The medieval aspect of the room, the composition and attention to detail, the depiction of the young girl in profile, the angel’s gesture and even the curved shape of the picture, all give this work an archaic feel typical of Pre-Raphaelitism in Britain at the time.

ishot - Elephant Parade

Photos from Elephant Parade... in vintage photo booth strips style!

Cute right??!! I should print one to use as a bookmark, hahaha...

Strip 1

Strip 2

Strip 3

Andy Warhol: Pop Art's most important icon

Andy Warhol was one of the most influential artists of the second half of the 20th century and was renowned for using mass production of popular culture such as advertising, comic books and brand products as the basis of his art, creating some of the most recognizable images ever produced. His screenprinted images of Marilyn Monroe, soup cans, and sensational newspaper stories, quickly became synonymous with Pop Art and with which Warhol established his reputation as a Pop artist in the early 1960s.

Challenging the idealist visions and personal emotions conveyed by abstraction, Warhol embraced popular culture and commercial processes to produce work that appealed to the general public. His artistic risks and constant experimentation with subjects and media made him a pioneer in almost all forms of visual art.

Here are some of his artworks that I like =)

100 Cans (1962)

It is said that the gallery owner and interior designer Muriel Latow gave Warhol the idea of painting soup cans, when she suggested to him that he should paint objects that people see every day. Painted in 1962, 100 Cans is an early example of Warhol's repeated image of a mass produced consumer good. He began by projecting a source image on to canvas, then he traced the image repeatedly, creating a two dimensional graphic aesthetic. Warhol went on to produce several tributes to Campbell's soup cans, sometimes as a single portrait.

Campbell's Soup Cans (1962)

When Warhol first exhibited Campbell’s Soup Cans in 1962, each of the thirty-two canvases hung from the wall like a painting and rested on a shelf like groceries in a store. The number of canvases corresponds to the varieties of soup then sold by the Campbell Soup Company. Warhol assigned a different soup variety to each, checking them off on a product list supplied by Campbell. They are arranged in rows that reflect the chronological order in which they were introduced, beginning with "Tomato" in the upper left, which debuted in 1897.

Marilyn Monroe (1967)

After her sudden death in August 1962, Marilyn Monroe's life and career became a worldwide obsession. Warhol, being infatuated with fame and pop culture, obtained a black-and-white publicity photo of her, taken in 1953 for her film Niagara, and used the photo to create several series of images. Each Marilyn work was an experiment of dramatically shifting colours and shadow. With the help of his assistants, and the printing technique used, Warhol was able to recreate images such as this at a fast rate. Marilyn is an example of the successful evolution of Warhol's goal of erasing signs of the artist's hand from the production process.

Mao (1973)

Warhol combines paint and silkscreen in this image of Mao Zedong, a series that he created in direct reaction to President Richard Nixon's recent visit to China. The painting is very large, 448.3 cm by 346.7 cm, its scale evoking the dominating nature of Mao's rule over China. It also echoes the towering propagandistic representations that were being displayed throughout China during the Cultural Revolution. The graffiti-like splashes of colour, red rouge and blue eye shadow, literally 'de-faces' Mao's image - an act of rebellion against the Communist propaganda machine by using its own devices against itself.

Flower (1964)

In a series of paintings based on a photograph of hibiscus blossoms, Warhol drenched the flowers’ floppy shape with vibrant color and set them against a background of rich undergrowth, transforming them into psychedelic indoor deco.

Sunset (1972)

PS: Unable to find any background information for this artwork =(

PS: If you are keen to know more about Andy Warhol and his works, remember to check out Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal exhibition at the ArtScience Museum from 17th March 2012 to 12 August 2012. Visitors to the exhibition will journey through four different stages of Andy Warhol’s life, starting from his early artistic years in the 1940’s to his final works in the 1980’s. The exhibition will present an extensive range of important artworks from the various phases of his artistic career. Check out the official press release for more details.