Helen Frankenthaler dies at 83…

When I became the Director of the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA in the 70s, one of the framed images in my office was of Helen Frankenthaler and her then husband Robert Motherwell standing in front of “The Barn,” an old painting studio at Day’s Lumberyard, which later became the Center’s property. It reflected summer, when a large number of NYC abstract expressionists headed to the end of Cape Cod to vacation and paint and drink cocktails together. Franz Klein, Myron Stout, Jack Tworkov, Hans Hoffman and others made the tip of the Cape an exciting place.

When the FAWC started, “The Barn” became studio space for our own artists, but it was clear that the space was haunted by memories of Frankenthaler who, after breaking up with Motherwell, moved her summer studio to Long Island. We always felt like she was part of our lives.

Frankenthaler was a leading abstract expressionist at a time when women were not taken seriously by critics and peers (Hans Hoffman once commented ‘who would believe this work was done by a woman?’), yet she became famous, highly thought of, commected sand a presence in major museums.

Aside from her paintings, Ms. Frankenthaler was known for her lithographs, woodcuts, etchings and screen prints which she started makinfgin the 60s… indeed, some critics have suggested that her woodcuts have made her most original contribution to printmaking.

Frankenthaler died at age 83 on Tuesday at her home in Darien, CT.

 

Related articles

• RIP Helen Frankenthaler…… (insideoutart.co.uk)
• Abstract painter Frankenthaler dies (independent.co.uk)
• Helen Frankenthaler, Awesome Painter, Dead at 83 [And Now She’s Dead] (gawker.com)
• Abstract painter Helen Frankenthaler dies at 83 (ctv.ca)
• helen frankenthaler 1928-2011 (designboom.com)
• How Helen Frankenthaler Blossomed Into a Great Artist (bigthink.com)

Virginia + GOP = Party Distrust

Things are Upside Down in Virginia

Since the announcement that Gingrich and Perry did not make the filing deadline of signatures to be on the VA primary ballot, and the upcoming legal controversy that VA does not allow write-ins, the relationship between state and registered voters takes away their choices for the future. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE PRIMARY!

You see,

Anyone who wants to vote must sign a form at the polling place pledging to support the eventual Republican nominee for president. Anyone who refuses to sign will be barred from voting in the primary.

– Richmond Times-Dispatch

So if you vote in the Virginia Republican Primary, you can write off any chance of changing your
mind after the fact… in other words, you give up your freedom to select the candidate of your final choice.

Let’s hear it for Virginia.

(Hey, thanks for pointing me toward this one, Josh.)

Related articles

• Virginia GOP To Require Primary Loyalty Oath (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Ken Cuccinelli’s statement on Virginia Primary Process (virginiavirtucon.wordpress.com)
• Virginia GOP to Require “Loyalty Oath” To Vote in the Primary (minx.cc)
• Newt the Unprepared (mhasegawa.wordpress.com)
• Gingrich Will Run An ‘Agressive Write-In Campaign’ In Virginia Primaries, Where Write-Ins Are Illegal (thinkprogress.org)
• Perry challenges Virginia ballot rules (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
• VA GOP Primary: what a mess! (vivianpaige.com)
• After Only 2 Qualify For Presidential Primary, Virginia GOP Chairman Says State Should Change Election Law (thedaleygator.wordpress.com)
• Unconstitutional: Va. GOP to require loyalty oath in presidential primary (actualgrit.wordpress.com)

Farewell to Motorhead…

From  Noise 11:

Mothers Of Invention’s Jim Sherwood Dies Aged 69

by Paul Cashmere on December 27, 2011

Jim ‘Motorhead’ Sherwood from Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention died on Christmas Day at the age of 69.

Sherwood was the sax player and vocals and vocal sounds effects for the Mothers and played on the Zappa albums ‘200 Motels’, ‘Burnt Weeny Sandwich’, ‘Weasals Ripped My Flesh’ and ‘We’re Only In It For The Money’.

He also appeared in Zappa’s films ‘200 Motels’, ‘Video From Hell’ and ‘Uncle Meat’.

After the demise of The Mothers Sherwood occasionally got together with other ex-Mothers and performed as The Grandmothers.

Sherwood and Frank Zappa were childhood friends. They met in 1956. Jim was in the same class at school with Frank’s brother Bobby Zappa. Jim and Frank first played together in 1964 in Zappa’s very first band The Blackouts.

He joined the Mothers of Invention initially as a roadie and contributed sound effects to the first album ‘Freak Out’ in 1966. In 1967 he became a full-time member of the band.

Jim’s nickname was Motorhead, named because he was always repairing old cars, trucks and motorbikes.

Note: Motorhead also played tambourine on several pieces.

“King Kong-Legend of Golden Arches-Sleeping in jar” at The Beat Culb(Breamen,Germany,6 October 1968) Don Preston–keyboards Ian Underwood–keyboards and woodwinds Bunk Gardner–woodwinds Motorhead Sherwood–baritone sax Roy Estrada–bass and vocals Jimmy Carl Black–drums and vocals Art Tripp–drums and percussion Frank Zappa

Related articles

• FRANK ZAPPA’S MOTHERS OF INVENTION Sax Player Passes (bravewords.com)
• Former Frank Zappa sideman Jim Sherwood dies at 69 (music-mix.ew.com)
• Jim Sherwood obituary (guardian.co.uk)
• Jim Sherwood, Original Mother of Invention, Dies at 69 (rollingstone.com)

What to do if you support Ron Paul and intend to go to Caucus:

The Ron Paul campaign has put out requirements for Caucus attendees…

1. Shave

2. Hide tattoos

3. Dress well

No word about what political thoughts you should have.

May be this is the time for the other candidates to come out for Tattooed folk. Or bearded guys in jeans.

Related articles

• Paul Campaign To Supporters: Shave, Put Away The Booze (huffingtonpost.com)

Oh Please Get This Iowa Crap Over With…

One day it’s Newt, the next it’s Ron Paul… then there’s a “surge” for Santorum, plus insufferable jabs at all of them from Bachmann. And, of course, Romney still polls in the 25% range and can’t seem to get major Conservatives behind him. Huntsman might as well be invisible and you wish Perry would be.

And without Herman Cain we no longer have the kind of comic entertainment which lets us ignore the rest of these clowns.

Add to all of this the need of all the news stations (and Fox) to keep all of this brouhaha on the air all the time without even making the least amount of difference. Not one candidate shows any sign of being able to serve all of America.

They all seem to have a view of the Constitution as a document defined by one or two articles… it’s easy to ignore the ones you don’t believe in. No matter how they comment on Obama (or in many cases each other), none of these folks would know a real Socialist if they tripped over one at a Karl Marx picnic on May Day.

And, hey, we still have New Hampshire, South Carolina and all the rest to look forward to.