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American Politics..and art (no not related - I'm doing a kitchen sink post again)
Interesting tid-bit that I noticed when I voted - Andrew Cuomo was on the Democrat, Independent, and Working Families ticket for Gov. So just in case the voter doesn't want to vote Democrat...(I voted under the Independent Party, Democratic and the Working Families...thought about the Green too. Just to spice things up. There's no way on earth I'll vote Republican or Tea Party or Conservative - not until they stop spewing hate in all of their speechs, that stops...maybe. I actually did vote Republican in Kansas once or twice - but that was back in the good old days when the party hadn't lost its collective mind and started sounding like Rush Limbaugh, who hates everyone but himself. I hail from Kansas - Rush was all the rage before I left and still is, the bastard is worse than a cockroach.)
The map found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/2010-race-maps/house/
Interesting pattern emerging, albeit typical.
Very happy it's over. Was getting tired of the political phone calls. And the ads. Now we just have another year - before the insane circus starts up again. I'd move to Canada or the UK, but from reading my flist, I'm guessing not much better over there.
This is hilarious - 51% of the people who voted for Carl Palladino didn't think he was trustworthy or honest at all, but they voted for him anyway. (In other words - they voted for Palladino because they couldn't stand Cuomo who won. Can't say I blame them. I voted for Cuomo because I can't stand Palladino who is a racist homophobic insane nazi - the politically incorrect and then there's politically offensive. (I wish I was exaggerating, I'm not. His statements the last few weeks make Mel Gibson look like a saint by comparison.) ) Am sort of curious to know if anyone voted for Kristin Davis - Elliot Spitzer's Madam (Escort Service provider).
Also curious to know if these elections change the balance of power in the House and Senate. In which case - nothing will get done for the next two years. Which reminds me of the NY State Government, except the balance of power was in one party's hands...and apparently still is, based on this election. Which means...who knows. With any luck this Cumo will be more like Pataki and his Dad, and less like Patterson and Spitzer. But we shall see.
Sigh. I hate politics. Don't know what politics is like on the other side of the big ponds (Atlantic and Pacific Oceans), but here? It's basically organized chaos. So's government for that matter, particularly state government. Can't decide what's worse working for a huge privately funded organization or a huge state funded organization. Both are bureaucratic as hell, and both are run in a chaotic and insane fashion. Small companies aren't much better, sorry to say. Actually - any organization that is run by people has its issues, not sure why this is news to me, it shouldn't be.
Why do I keep thinking I'm going to find a smooth running, perfect organization - when people are anything but perfect? Also, power? People don't deal with it at all well. Give some bloke a little power and it all goes to his/her head in a jippy. Or is that a new york minute? (New York Minutes aren't as quick as you think in actuality. It's a myth, along with the one about the city that never sleeps.)
Bored. Oh well going back to work tomorrow. So there's that. A bit stressed over it. Have two things that I have to get out tomorrow or else. Very stressful time right now.
Struggling with watercoloring. I'm almost done with the lady holding the balloons - it's a watercolor inspired by an Audrey Hepburn photo, not that you could tell - she doesn't look anything like Audrey and I sort of screwed up the background. But the lady and the balloons - turned out well. I may or may not post it. The Facebook crowd loves the paintings - they actually work better for Facebook.
It's a good platform for posting of photos and art, really bad for writing though, well unless you are into writing abstracts or blurbs, then it's a great platform for writing.
Regarding art? It really is subjective. A lot of people seem to expect a drawing or painting of something to look like a photograph of it. Uh, no. Although you can do that. I can do that. It's not that hard. Anyone can do it - just preimpose it onto cloth, stencil, and paint - voila. Doesn't require any artistic talent whatsoever. You can however take a photo and make the photo art - by playing with it. My brother did that a lot - playing with photography. And sisinlaw is an amazing photographer. (I have artists in my family. Three that are professionals. Kidbro and Sisinlaw are professional artists.) What's hard to expressing how you feel about that photograph or object in your drawing or painting of it. Showing your interpretation - it is also admittedly risky. Because when you show it to someone else, they'll view it through their lense and get all uppity and huffy if what they see skews or does not fit their world-view. I see this a lot in reviews of the Spike and Buffy graphic novels/comic books.
Folks? Neither Jeanty nor Urru are drawing the female body necessarily wrong. They are expressing a viewpoint. You may hate that viewpoint...but it is just a view. Doesn't make the art bad.
Actually the art is quite good - if it instilled that reaction in you. The point of art is to elicit an emotional reaction, to make the viewer think, feel, and interact. Otherwise the art is just well, there. Paint on a wall. I may nitpick at Jeanty's drawings, but he is a good artist. Not always consistent, but art isn't consistent. People aren't. It's not like...taking photographs, although if you think about it - you can't take the exact same photo twice. Try it. You'll notice small differences.
What I like about Urru over Jeanty - is that he draws women and men of various shapes and sizes and I can tell them apart. I can't always tell Jeanty's characters apart, he tends to draw all his women as five-2, small busted, and short limbed. In short in Jeanty's world every woman is five foot or five foot 6, with small breasts, and thin. I don't think so. (They all look like Kate Moss and/or Sarah Michelle Gellar physically from S5). While Urru draws fat woman, thin women, short, and tall women.
Granted he does put the female fighters and warriors in skimpy outfits, gives them bigger busts, and long limbs and they are about five foot eleven to six foot and look like either Heidi Klum or Charisma Carpenter. This doesn't bother me that much, possibly because I'm six foot with a big bust, incredibly long limbs - which by the way are overrated - particularly when you have to sit down on the floor to plug in your DVD player to your TV (the floor is a long way down when you have long legs - I'm almost six foot and my legs are about 85% of my height. I'm high and short waisted, so yes, I look like Urru's women, although a hell of a lot heavier and nowhere near as fit and trim and I wouldn't be caught dead in those outfits. ) See? My own experience and worldview makes me look at people whining about Urru's art and think WTF??? Are these people insane??? LOL! (People online who have met me in person, when I'm sitting down, haven't seen me stand up yet...jaws drop open when I stand and they always exclaim, my god, you're tall and whoa...it's all in the legs.) So, for me,
Jeanty's take on the female form is offensive - because it looks like he's making all the women look like little girls - to me. Small and delicate, petite. (But there's a reason for that. And I totally get that reason - its the same reason Whedon deliberately chose smaller women to play powerful ones.
It goes against the stereotype. The little girl who is considered weak and has to be protected, is actually the strongest person in the room. He's subverting a stereotype that exists in countless horror films from slasher pics onwards. While Urru and Lynch aren't subverting anything at all,
they are depicting the gals in the costumes you'd see in this genre, typically. What they are doing that's interesting is they are drawing other women, the non-fighters, normally, big/small/etc. Demonstrating they can do that. )
Art it's a weird thing. How people react to it. Always fascinating.
The map found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/2010-race-maps/house/
Interesting pattern emerging, albeit typical.
Very happy it's over. Was getting tired of the political phone calls. And the ads. Now we just have another year - before the insane circus starts up again. I'd move to Canada or the UK, but from reading my flist, I'm guessing not much better over there.
This is hilarious - 51% of the people who voted for Carl Palladino didn't think he was trustworthy or honest at all, but they voted for him anyway. (In other words - they voted for Palladino because they couldn't stand Cuomo who won. Can't say I blame them. I voted for Cuomo because I can't stand Palladino who is a racist homophobic insane nazi - the politically incorrect and then there's politically offensive. (I wish I was exaggerating, I'm not. His statements the last few weeks make Mel Gibson look like a saint by comparison.) ) Am sort of curious to know if anyone voted for Kristin Davis - Elliot Spitzer's Madam (Escort Service provider).
Also curious to know if these elections change the balance of power in the House and Senate. In which case - nothing will get done for the next two years. Which reminds me of the NY State Government, except the balance of power was in one party's hands...and apparently still is, based on this election. Which means...who knows. With any luck this Cumo will be more like Pataki and his Dad, and less like Patterson and Spitzer. But we shall see.
Sigh. I hate politics. Don't know what politics is like on the other side of the big ponds (Atlantic and Pacific Oceans), but here? It's basically organized chaos. So's government for that matter, particularly state government. Can't decide what's worse working for a huge privately funded organization or a huge state funded organization. Both are bureaucratic as hell, and both are run in a chaotic and insane fashion. Small companies aren't much better, sorry to say. Actually - any organization that is run by people has its issues, not sure why this is news to me, it shouldn't be.
Why do I keep thinking I'm going to find a smooth running, perfect organization - when people are anything but perfect? Also, power? People don't deal with it at all well. Give some bloke a little power and it all goes to his/her head in a jippy. Or is that a new york minute? (New York Minutes aren't as quick as you think in actuality. It's a myth, along with the one about the city that never sleeps.)
Bored. Oh well going back to work tomorrow. So there's that. A bit stressed over it. Have two things that I have to get out tomorrow or else. Very stressful time right now.
Struggling with watercoloring. I'm almost done with the lady holding the balloons - it's a watercolor inspired by an Audrey Hepburn photo, not that you could tell - she doesn't look anything like Audrey and I sort of screwed up the background. But the lady and the balloons - turned out well. I may or may not post it. The Facebook crowd loves the paintings - they actually work better for Facebook.
It's a good platform for posting of photos and art, really bad for writing though, well unless you are into writing abstracts or blurbs, then it's a great platform for writing.
Regarding art? It really is subjective. A lot of people seem to expect a drawing or painting of something to look like a photograph of it. Uh, no. Although you can do that. I can do that. It's not that hard. Anyone can do it - just preimpose it onto cloth, stencil, and paint - voila. Doesn't require any artistic talent whatsoever. You can however take a photo and make the photo art - by playing with it. My brother did that a lot - playing with photography. And sisinlaw is an amazing photographer. (I have artists in my family. Three that are professionals. Kidbro and Sisinlaw are professional artists.) What's hard to expressing how you feel about that photograph or object in your drawing or painting of it. Showing your interpretation - it is also admittedly risky. Because when you show it to someone else, they'll view it through their lense and get all uppity and huffy if what they see skews or does not fit their world-view. I see this a lot in reviews of the Spike and Buffy graphic novels/comic books.
Folks? Neither Jeanty nor Urru are drawing the female body necessarily wrong. They are expressing a viewpoint. You may hate that viewpoint...but it is just a view. Doesn't make the art bad.
Actually the art is quite good - if it instilled that reaction in you. The point of art is to elicit an emotional reaction, to make the viewer think, feel, and interact. Otherwise the art is just well, there. Paint on a wall. I may nitpick at Jeanty's drawings, but he is a good artist. Not always consistent, but art isn't consistent. People aren't. It's not like...taking photographs, although if you think about it - you can't take the exact same photo twice. Try it. You'll notice small differences.
What I like about Urru over Jeanty - is that he draws women and men of various shapes and sizes and I can tell them apart. I can't always tell Jeanty's characters apart, he tends to draw all his women as five-2, small busted, and short limbed. In short in Jeanty's world every woman is five foot or five foot 6, with small breasts, and thin. I don't think so. (They all look like Kate Moss and/or Sarah Michelle Gellar physically from S5). While Urru draws fat woman, thin women, short, and tall women.
Granted he does put the female fighters and warriors in skimpy outfits, gives them bigger busts, and long limbs and they are about five foot eleven to six foot and look like either Heidi Klum or Charisma Carpenter. This doesn't bother me that much, possibly because I'm six foot with a big bust, incredibly long limbs - which by the way are overrated - particularly when you have to sit down on the floor to plug in your DVD player to your TV (the floor is a long way down when you have long legs - I'm almost six foot and my legs are about 85% of my height. I'm high and short waisted, so yes, I look like Urru's women, although a hell of a lot heavier and nowhere near as fit and trim and I wouldn't be caught dead in those outfits. ) See? My own experience and worldview makes me look at people whining about Urru's art and think WTF??? Are these people insane??? LOL! (People online who have met me in person, when I'm sitting down, haven't seen me stand up yet...jaws drop open when I stand and they always exclaim, my god, you're tall and whoa...it's all in the legs.) So, for me,
Jeanty's take on the female form is offensive - because it looks like he's making all the women look like little girls - to me. Small and delicate, petite. (But there's a reason for that. And I totally get that reason - its the same reason Whedon deliberately chose smaller women to play powerful ones.
It goes against the stereotype. The little girl who is considered weak and has to be protected, is actually the strongest person in the room. He's subverting a stereotype that exists in countless horror films from slasher pics onwards. While Urru and Lynch aren't subverting anything at all,
they are depicting the gals in the costumes you'd see in this genre, typically. What they are doing that's interesting is they are drawing other women, the non-fighters, normally, big/small/etc. Demonstrating they can do that. )
Art it's a weird thing. How people react to it. Always fascinating.
no subject
Urru's art OTOH hand captures the spirit of AtS very well. Not that I don't adore his work, full stop, but it works with the 'verse, not against it.
no subject
I don't think it was Jeanty's decision necessarily to draw the Buffyverse in this manner, so much as Whedon's. Because Whedon from what I've read - pushed for this specific style. Which reminds me a great deal of the bubblegum comics (American tween femal comics - Archie Comics, My Little Pony, Barbie, Muppet Babies, X-men Babies, etc) and female manga comics (My Friend Torotoro, Sailor Moon - Japanese version tween comics). Why he chose this style - I've no clue. Because it is rather jarring at times, to the point of being borderline offensive. Issue 34 is a perfect example of that. Or just plain confusing and ineffective - as seen with the Retreat arcs - battle sequences.
I'm guessing he chose it as a counter-point to the traditional noir style and superhero style, also as a commentary on Buffy as being a female teen girl series? So he's making everyone look "cutesy". But, while it can work with stories such as say the Muppet Babies or X-men Babies, or even "parodies" - here, it feels almost patronizing and condescending? (May be the wrong word.) At any rate - it's "cartoonish" or "cute" art, which makes it difficult to take it seriously. I keep thinking the writer and artistic team are parodying or satirizing themselves, the tv show, and well, the fans. The comics at times feel literally like "comics" emphasis on "comic" (comedic art form - used to lampoon or make fun of something - such as a "cartoon" ) as opposed to graphic novels or stories.
If these "comics" were being directed towards a tween audience, I'd say, yeah, take them seriously. But they obviously aren't based on the content alone. This is adult content being packaged in a "comic" or "cartoonish" manner - which indicates parody or satire (actually I'd say satire, rather mean satire).
While I tend to like satire, I don't think it works well here nor does what the writer is satirizing. If anything the satire is well, a bit patronizing and anything but feminist.
IDW's comics in contrast fit the verse and the world. I expect the women to be drawn like that in the noir action genre. It isn't as jarring. It doesn't take me out of the story. Granted, it's not as ambitious, perhaps, but by the same token -it's also not as...what's the right word? Patronizing?