Friday, December 02, 2022

December: As the Clocks Change and the Night Draws In



Happy December! Love this new video and discussion of  the role of light in Fra Filippo Lippi's Annunciation in the collection of the National Gallery in London. Anna Murray and Harriet O’Neill find hope in the darkness.
 
"Our selection of paintings for December’s ‘Picture of the month’ vote was inspired by our interest in how artists have used and depicted light, particularly as a narrative device. With the clocks changing and the nights drawing in, we become more alert to the physical and symbolic qualities of light. It is a universal symbol of hope, associated with the beginning of a new day, the turning of seasons, and renewal. In many faiths, light plays ceremonial and symbolic roles.

In the Christian art tradition, light alludes to the promise and presence of Christ. ‘The Annunciation’ radiates a sense of peace, and the connection to light might seem obscure at first. Set in a loggia (a room with open sides) which extends out into a lush green garden, we observe two figures, one seated and the other kneeling. As we look more closely, we notice we are witness to a divine act. Fra Filippo Lippi shows us the very moment when the Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary, telling her she is to conceive a son, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost.

Painted in egg tempera in the early 1450s, the striking application of gold leaf is used to symbolise divine light and render the invisible, visible. Lippi uses luminous planes of shining gold and rays of light to animate the story unfolding in front of us. He plays with the interaction between light and surface to draw our attention to delightful narrative details.

When you are next in the Gallery, you may be struck by the halos – shining discs of gold – illuminating the profiles of Mary and Angel Gabriel, identifying them as divine. Swathes of golden cloth and the trim of Mary’s robe surround her in a pool of glorious light and transform her simple chair into a throne. The gold on Gabriel’s feathers glisten, bestowing him with majesty.

If you are online, you can zoom in to discover dots and dustings of gold that spiral and radiate around the small dove representing the Holy Spirit. They also encircle and extend from the hand of God, and in the beams of divine light from Mary’s womb. These moving and connecting rays are celestial, they are everywhere and nowhere, carrying the word and action of God.

We can imagine the panel, probably one of a pair, gleaming in the study of Piero de’ Medici, a member of the ruling family of Florence at the time of its commission. Possibly located above a door, ‘The Annunciation’ would have been surrounded by 12 ceramic roundels depicting the signs of the Zodiac. The Feast of the Annunciation, falling on 25 March, was the first day, or New Year’s Day, of the Florentine calendar year; a day often associated with renewal and looking forward."



Fra Filippo Lippi, The Annunciation, about 1450-3

 

The National Gallery in London houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10.00 am - 6.00 pm and on Fridays between 10.00 am - 9.00 pm. 

Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN 

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk 

Thursday, December 01, 2022

Georgia Runoff Grassroots Event with Barack Obama




TUNE IN: Barack Obama is in Georgia to get out the vote for Reverend Warnock and send him back to the U.S. Senate.



Wednesday, November 30, 2022

You Are Invited: Open Studio and Holiday Party in Gregg Chadwick's Studio at the Hangar, Santa Monica Airport

 

Gregg Chadwick

Poolside

20" x 16" oil on linen 2022


As 2022 ends, I am excited to invite you to my studio 

at the Santa Monica Airport for an evening of art and camaraderie.


Art At The Airport Open Studios & Holiday Art Sale

December 10th from 4-7 PM


Location:

Studio #15, 18th Street Arts Center, 3026 Airport Avenue

Santa Monica, CA 90405


Featuring over 20 professional artists opening their studio doors and offering a rare glimpse into their practices, and the opportunity to buy work directly from the artists themselves. Come and enjoy food, drinks, a performance by pianist Paul Cornish and the Santa Monica Folklorico Ballet, purchase handmade, artisanal goods by Market Exchange vendor collective and participate in a winter ornament workshop conducted by artist Marcus Kuiland-Nazario.


Free to all, please register in advance. Feel free to invite friends and family. 

All ages are welcome!

Free Parking

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holiday-open-studios-tickets-454587231647


Art At The Airport is made possible by Art of Recovery,

 an initiative of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs, 

https://www.santamonica.gov/programs/art-of-recovery


To learn about upcoming Art At The Airport events, visit: 

https://www.artattheairport.org/




Gregg Chadwick
A Walk with Obama
30" x 22" gouache on paper 2022





Gregg Chadwick
New York Stories
40" x 30" oil on linen 


The holiday season always makes me think of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. I have spent many memorable moments here over the years. Catching a train or grabbing an espresso, Grand Central never lets me down. If I am at the Oyster Bar, the Campbell, or Shake Shack, I never fail to offer a toast to Jackie O who helped save this incredible building from the wrecking ball. My painting , “New York Stories” was inspired by my many visits to Grand Central and all the stories echoing in the stone hallways.




Gregg Chadwick Interview by Laura Siebold in 



 
"The Other Art Fair edition at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica couldn’t have been a better place to give contemporary artist Gregg Chadwick a platform to exhibit his oil on linen paintings, especially as he creates his art in an old airplane hangar, as well.

Gregg takes inspiration from important cultural and political figures and turns them into paintings, capturing moments and moods of contemporary America. Gregg’s series are very distinct in character – ranging from strong portraits of human beings, animals in the natural world, over medical portraitures to paintings that are inspired by meditation. A common element of Gregg’s paintings is his use of “internal illumination” to hold the viewer’s attention, his layered “Pentimenti” painting technique, and his tendency to create a glimpse of a path into the unknown future, told by his paintings multifaceted stories. Often, the artist draws ideas from poetry, novels, and music, then incorporating those elements into his paintings. Being renowned for his expressive art, Chadwick has exhibited in various galleries and shows across the U.S. and internationally; his paintings are part of many permanent collections. Gregg Chadwick is based in Los Angeles, California."

- Laura Siebold in Art Squat (Occupy Art) Magazine


to read the entire interview. 




 


 

Monday, November 28, 2022

William Blake's Day

Saturday, November 26, 2022

RIP Irene Cara - OUT HERE ON MY OWN (from FAME)


Very Sad News - Irene Cara, Oscar-winning singer of title tracks to 'Flashdance,' 'Fame' dies at 63, rep says

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Love

With Democrats Things Get Better (10/21/22)

 

 "This is my signature political presentation. It is a data filled look at American politics since the Cold War ended and a new age of globalization began. What we discover is that when Democrats have been in power, things have gotten better. With Republicans, not so much." 
- Simon Rosenberg

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Goodnight Twitter

Bruce Springsteen's new album of soul classics celebrates the songs that made him a musician


Bruce Springsteen joined Tom Power to talk about his new album of soul covers, titled Only the Strong Survive, and how soul music shaped him as performer and songwriter.

Thank You Speaker Pelosi

What happens to the 40 songs Bruce Springsteen didn't use on his new album?


Bruce Springsteen has released a very different collection of songs on his new album,  Only The Strong Survive.  It's a beautiful musical love letter to artists and songwriters who have influenced and inspired him over the years.  He is also about to embark on a HUGE tour around the States and Europe in 2023, how on earth does he decide what to sing and what not to sing?  I was lucky enough to sit down and chat to him at length about his incredible stamina and creativity that thankfully for us fans, doesn't seem to be diminishing.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Bruce Springsteen: Turn Back the Hands of Time | The Tonight Show

Birthday Greetings to Georgia O’Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe, Starlight Night, Lake George, 1922 


 

Michelle Obama talks parenting, partnership and turning your rage into change


From NPR:
"Former first Lady Michelle Obama knows not everyone is motivated by her famous quote from her 2016 DNC speech. In fact, she knows some voters have been downright frustrated with her call to "go high." 

In her new book, "The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times," Obama acknowledges a generational rift in views over the pace of societal change and political action, in addition to opening up about other deeply personal details on how she's coped with changes – both in public, and in private.

Generational shifts are a theme throughout the former first lady's latest book, which strikes a different tone from her 2018 book, "Becoming." In her first memoir, Obama peeled back the layers of her and her family's personal story, giving the world an intimate view. While "The Light We Carry" includes plenty of personal details, it serves as more of a guidebook in which Obama uses her own lived experiences to answer questions many people ask about life, including how to have a strong partnership and how to let your children become confident in their own abilities.

Whether it's the pandemic, racial injustice, or economic uncertainty, Obama said the past few years have been a collective struggle for many, and she's received lots of questions from people searching for ways to keep their hope alive. Obama spoke with NPR about her marriage and what advice she might give those trying to figure out a partnership today, how her relationship with her daughters has evolved as they've become adults and what "when they go low, we go high" looks like in action." 

Bruce Springsteen joins Questlove Supreme to talk about covering classic Soul and R&B songs for his new album Only The Strong Survive


Bruce Springsteen joins Questlove Supreme to talk about covering classic Soul and R&B songs for his new album, Only The Strong Survive. The Boss also discusses his approach to creativity, album-making, and putting on one of the best live shows in all of music. 



Monday, November 14, 2022

Bruce Springsteen: Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) | The Tonight Show


Wow! Now that was a Jersey soul reunion with original E Street Band pianist David Sancious on the keyboards. Great performance

On exhibit: "Van Gogh in America"


One hundred years ago the Detroit Institute of Arts became the first museum in the U.S. to buy a work by Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch Post-Impressionist who died in 1890. Now, the DIA honors the centenary of that landmark acquisition by presenting "Van Gogh in America," featuring 74 works from around the world, which explores America's introduction to the artist. Correspondent Rita Braver reports. #vangogh #vincentvangogh

Bruce Springsteen: Rock Legend Explains Why He's A Huge Taylor Swift Fan

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Bono on U2's punk roots, activism

Weyes Blood: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Weyes Blood - Grapevine (Official Video)

A Victory for Decency

By Gregg Chadwick


This crisp Sunday morning in Santa Monica, I am reflecting on the remarkable achievement by so many to keep the United States steered toward a bright future as evidenced by the inspiring results of the November 2022 midterm elections. Our democracy was tested and held firm. 

As Nick Corasanti reports in the New York Times:

“Every election denier who sought to become the top election official in a critical battleground state lost at the polls this year, as voters roundly rejected extreme partisans who promised to restrict voting and overhaul the electoral process.” Writer Billy Mernit wrote in a comment to a story that I linked on twitter, “It's still amazing to me that ‘Tell people who like to vote to vote for the people who want to take their votes away‘ was perceived to be a winning strategy.”

I painted the musician H.E.R. performing America the Beautiful at the Super Bowl in February 2021. America the Beautiful was written as an aspirational response to the bluster of The Star-Spangled Banner by feminist poet and Wellesley professor Katharine Lee Bates and published on the Fourth of July in 1895. In my painting H.E.R. (The Idea of America), I envision H.E.R.’s liquid guitar solo filling the stadium and sonically asking the question: Can the United States live up to its grand ideals?  This week, I think our country took a step forward in fulfilling its grand ideals. We have much work to do. Yet, we also have much to celebrate. 



Gregg Chadwick

H.E.R. (The Idea of America)

2021

Oil on linen

The singer, songwriter, and actress, originally born Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, now known by the acronym H.E.R, serves as the subject of my portrait. Through her creative persona H.E.R, she abdicates her original identity in exchange for one that is intended to be a voice for all women. This portrait offers a glimpse of the energetic moment she performed "America, the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LV. 

My oil on linen portraits of H.E.R. and Nikole Hannah-Jones were on exhibit at the 18th Street Arts Center during the exhibition Recovery Justice: Being Well which ran from March 8, 2021 – September 11, 2021. Link at: https://18thstreet.org/event/recovery-justice-being-well/ 



I agree with Elizabeth Warren who said on Meet the Press this morning that,” This victory belongs to Joe Biden. It belongs to Joe Biden and the Democrats who got out there and fought for working people. The things we did were important and popular."

I also was inspired by David Rothkopf’s Twitter thread which documents President Biden’s masterful handling of the country during his time in office. I have gathered Rothkopf’s tweets together into essay form below for easy reading:


“In '20, Joe Biden was second guessed by many (me included). He wasn't exciting. Too old school. Talked about healing. Talked about a clear agenda when the other side had little to offer but hate & good TV ratings. And he won decisively despite the skepticism of the "smart money."

For two years, he was derided for reaching out to the other side, for his compromises with the left or with the centrists in his own party, for not be exciting enough. He ignored the Beltway buzz. He did the dullest thing imaginable: he governed.

The American Rescue Plan lifted millions out of poverty and helped stimulate a job boom that now has produced 10 million jobs, a record, more than the last three GOP administrations added up. Record number of quality judges were appointed. Executive orders undid Trump's damage.

He made the bold decision to end America's longest war. He passed the largest piece of infrastructure legislation in half a century. He helped tame a pandemic. Critics, even within his own party said, "Don't do too much, don't spend too much, the bond markets won't like it."

But the jobs kept being created. When Putin challenged the decency and the West in Ukraine, Biden led and has been central to NATO and global support for Kyiv that has produced extraordinary results and made all safer. It was all part of restoring American standing worldwide.

He and a disciplined Democratic Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act that also was the biggest piece of environmental legislation in US history. He took steps to reduce healthcare costs for Americans even when zero Republicans supported it.

In fact, with few exceptions, the Democrats passed a rich agenda, that also included the important Chips and Science Act that will help the country compete and create more and better jobs in the future, in the face of constant GOP obstruction.

Still, the savants and pundits said, the Democrats would be crushed in the 2022 elections. The GOP had momentum. Inflation would do Dems in--even though it was a global phenomenon and the GOP was closely linked to its causes from Putin to corporate profiteering.

There would be a Red Wave. Biden was too busy focusing on democracy and protecting the fundamental rights of women and voters when, the GOP talking heads and the bogus polls said what was front and center was inflation and only that and the Dems were doomed.

But Biden stayed laser focused. He said his first act in the new Congress would be to guarantee a woman's reproductive freedom. He made moving, heartfelt speeches about why it is essential to reject the lies, the election deniers, the coup plotters.

The result was the best result for a new president in a midterm election in sixty years, maybe longer. The Democrats held the Senate. It is still unclear how many seats they will lose in the House. But it won't be what was predicted.

In fact, it is still possible that the Ds could hold the House, still possible the Dem margin in the Senate could be better than it was. Election deniers running for top posts were rejected. Legislatures were flipped. The Republican leadership is turning on itself.

And Biden's first comments after the election were about the work to come, the governing ahead. Joe's too old. Joe's too boring. Joe's too quick to compromise. Joe's too stubborn. Joe's out of touch. Joe's...just off to the best start of any POTUS in more than half a century.

Left in his wake, defeated by his experience and his wisdom and his determination and his truly exceptional world class team, are the media favorites, the highly rated pundits, the best-selling columnists, the know-it-alls, the fancy insiders.

I could write the same thing about Speaker Pelosi or Sen Schumer, co-authors of this remarkable record. You could say it about so many members of the united, mobilized Democratic team that this time around weathered the GOP efforts at suppression, ignored their lies & showed up.

You could sat it about the Gen Z voters and the women and people of color who saw the threat and made the effort to fight for democracy. You could say it about all of you who have participated in the wholesale rejection of the greatest threat to our system we've seen since WWII.

Common sense is not exciting. But what we just saw was a victory for common sense. Decency doesn't drive clicks. But what you just saw was a victory for decency. Governing is tedious, incremental, arcane. But what you have seen for two years are the benefits of governing.

The conventional wisdom has been wrong about President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader of the United States Senate Senator Chuck Schumer, @WHCOS, the president's cabinet, @TheDemocrats and their team from day one. Maybe we will learn. Probably we won't. But we can be grateful that they will ignore all that.

We can be grateful that at a perilous moment in US history, they will focus on the work that needs to be done, on the threats we face at home and abroad, and on what matters. And if the past is any indication, they will continue to succeed...against the odds, on behalf of us all.”

- David Rothkopf 

(Host, Deep State Radio; latest book-"American Resistance"; columnist, Daily Beast, board of contributors, USA Today)



Note: David Rothkopf's team also put his tweets into essay form as I was creating my post. 

Wednesday, November 09, 2022

Day After: Insights Concerning the November 2022 Midterms


The midterms turned out exceptionally well for Democrats and in the process David, Simon, and Tara’s analysis from last week was vindicated!  The team reconvenes with Tom Bonier of TargetSmart to talk about the races that have already been called and the vote that is still left outstanding.  What are the key takeaways from last night?  Is this a victory for Democrats or just better than expectations?  Is GenZ the most important generation politically now?  Find out in this thoughtful discussion.


Students wait in line to vote and register at the UMMA Tuesday night. Jenna Hickey/Daily

Monday, November 07, 2022

A Quick Reminder - Vote!


A Quick Reminder - Vote!

Know Your Voting Rights:
🚨 If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line- you have the right to vote
🚨 If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one
🚨 If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot
Voter Hotline: 866-687-8683

🚨 Voter Hotlines: 🚨 English: 866-687-8683 Spanish: 888-839-8682 Arabic: 844-925-5287 Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 888-274-8683

247th Marine Corps Birthday Message


On November 10, 2022, U.S. Marines around the globe will celebrate 247 years of success on the battlefield and a legacy defined by honor, courage and commitment.
Thanks Dad for our adventures as a USMC family. 

Saturday, November 05, 2022

Fired Up! Ready to Vote!

 




President Joe Biden & President Barack Obama together again.




Friday, November 04, 2022

Thank You Fired Twitter Folks

Thursday, November 03, 2022

Bono performs "With Or Without You" on Colbert


 

#RijksmuseumUnlocked: We ❤️ Vermeer

Wednesday, November 02, 2022

President Biden Delivers Remarks on Preserving and Protecting Our Democracy


 President Joe Biden delivers remarks about preserving and protecting our democracy.

Press paws on your week with the Sea Otter Cam


Gregg Chadwick
40"x40"oil on linen 2021


More on Sea Otters at https://greggchadwick.blogspot.com/2021/11/rising-seas-and-oil-spills-thoughts.html

Future Senator John Fetterman in Conversation with Selena King in Erie, Pennsylvania


"Erie is PA’s bellwether county. And I’m just so grateful to everyone who came out to listen to me + Erie Dems Black Caucus Chair Selena King talk about inflation, women’s reproductive freedom, and the stakes of this election."- John Fetterman 

Remember - Vote. Vote like your democracy depends on it. Because it does.

The Beatles - I'm Only Sleeping - Video by Em Cooper


"I'm Only Sleeping"- Experimental recording methods and avant-garde composition combine to create this dreamlike song, evocative of The Beatles’ pioneering approach to the music of Revolver.
 
Artist and director Em Cooper explored the space between dreaming and wakefulness, working on an animation rostrum on sheets of celluloid. She painted every frame individually in oil paint, a process which took many months. 

Tuesday, November 01, 2022

Vote Blue in 2022

Michigan Friends - Vote With Confidence

 Michigan friends! Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow created a helpful video to make sure that you vote in this important election.

There’s one week left! Do you know what’s on your ballot? Know where your polling place is? Need to find a drop box for your absentee ballot? Watch this handy explainer so you are fully prepared to VOTE with confidence! Share with your friends! http://Michigan.gov/vote





Monday, October 31, 2022

Bruce Springsteen Interview and Performances on Howard Stern






U2’s Bono Talks with David Remnick


Bono joined David Remnick at the 2022 New Yorker Festival to talk about his new memoir, “Surrender.” “When I sang in U2, something got ahold of me,” Bono said. “And it made sense of me.” They discussed how the band almost ended because of the members’ religious faith, and how they navigated the Troubles as a bunch of young men from Dublin suddenly on the world stage. Bono shared a life lesson from Paul McCartney, and he opened up about the early death of his mother. “This wound in me just turned into this opening where I had to fill the hole with music,” Bono said. In the loss of a loved one, “there's sometimes a gift. The opening up of music came from my mother.”



Saturday, October 29, 2022

Japanese Pumpkin Monster for Halloween

Halloween is coming up soon, so this year  the Ota Memorial Museum of Art shows us the Edo period version of the Jack-O-Lantern. It is a pumpkin monster called "Sunamura no Onryo" drawn by Yoshikazu Utagawa. Sunamura is present-day Koto Ward in Tokyo. It was known for producing pumpkins. The limbs are made of leaves and vines. 




Friday, October 28, 2022

Georgia Grassroots Event with Barack Obama

Monday, October 24, 2022

Happy Diwali!

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Honoring a Life: RIP Peter Schjeldahl

In 2005, during the Q&A after a lecture at SFMOMA, I asked Peter Schjeldahl about the place of beauty in contemporary art. Peter leaned forward and spoke from the heart." This is an important, if not controversial, question that I write about often. In the 60s and 70s in academia it was the forbidden word. A group of art historians could look up at the blue sky and and declare it a beautiful day on their way to a conference on contemporary art. But once in the doors of the conference room, beauty ceased to exist." Peter concluded by stating, "Art does not have to address beauty- to reach for beauty. But it sure is great if it does."

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Anna May Wong will be the first Asian American Featured on U.S. Currency



36"x48"oil on linen
painting by Gregg Chadwick
Ailsa Chang Collection 


Monday, October 17, 2022

On Saatchi Art's Front Page




Honored that Saatchi Art has included my painting "A Walk With Obama" in their New This Week 10-17-2022 collection.

 Artworks curated by Rebecca Wilson - Chief Curator and VP, Art Advisory

A nice early birthday present which is upcoming on October 23rd. 

Link at - https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/New-This-Week-10-17-2022/153961/700687/view

Direct Link at - https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-A-Walk-With-Obama/25560/9700617/view



Gregg Chadwick
30"x22" Gouache on Paper 2022 


Thursday, October 13, 2022

Bruce Springsteen - Nightshift (Official Video)

January 6th Select Committee Hearing - October 13, 2022