Hear the Sun Sing...

Have you ever wondered what the Sun would sound like if you could hear it?
Our Sun lies 93,000,000 miles away, surrounded by the vacuum of space.
Sound won't travel through space, of course. But with the right
instrument, scientists can "hear" pulsations from the Sun.
The entire Sun vibrates from a complex pattern of acoustical waves,
much like a bell. If your eyes were sharp enough, you could see a
bell's surface jiggle in complex patterns as the waves bounced around
within it.

Likewise, astronomers at Stanford University can record acoustical
pressure waves in the Sun by carefully tracking movements on the Sun's
surface. To do this, they use an instrument called a Michelson Doppler
Imager (MDI), mounted on the SOHO spacecraft, circling the Sun
1,000,000 miles from Earth.

The Sun's acoustical waves bounce from one side of the Sun to the
other in about two hours, causing the Sun's surface to oscillate, or
wiggle up and down. Because these sound waves travel underneath the
Sun's surface, they are influenced by conditions inside the Sun. So
scientists can use the oscillations to learn more about how the
structure of the Sun's interior shapes its surface.

The Sun's sound waves are normally at frequencies too low for the
human ear to hear. To be able to hear them, the scientists sped up the
waves 42,000 times -- and compressed 40 days of vibrations into a few
seconds. What you'll be hearing are just a few dozen of the 10 million
resonances echoing inside the Sun.
http://solar-center.stanford.edu/singing/

Monastery brewhouses...

The Trappist order originated in the Cistercian monastery of La Trappe, France. Various Cistercian congregations existed for many years, and by 1664 the Abbot of La Trappe felt that the Cistercians were becoming too liberal. He introduced strict new rules in the abbey and the Strict Observance was born. Since this time, many of the rules have been relaxed. However, a fundamental tenet, that monasteries should be self-supporting, is still maintained by these groups.

Monastery brewhouses, from different religious orders, existed all over Europe, since the Middle Ages. From the very beginning, beer was brewed in French cistercian monasteries following the Strict Observance. For example, the monastery of La Trappe in Soligny, already had its own brewery in 1685. Breweries were only later introduced in monasteries of other countries, following the extension of the trappist order from France to the rest of Europe.

The Trappists, like many other religious people, originally brewed beer as to feed the community, in a perspective of self-sufficiency. Nowadays, trappist breweries also brew beer to fund their works and for good causes. Many of the trappist monasteries and breweries were destroyed during the French Revolution and the World Wars. Among the monastic breweries, the Trappists were certainly the most active brewers: in the last 300 years, there were at least nine Trappist breweries in France, six in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Germany, one in Austria, one in Bosnia and possibly other countries.

Today, seven trappist breweries remain active, 6 in Belgium and 1 just over the Belgian border, in the Netherlands.

In the twentieth century, the growing popularity of Trappist beers led some brewers with no connection to the order to label their beers "Trappist". After unsuccessful trials, monks finally sued one such brewer in 1962 in Ghent, Belgium.

Pôle Muséal Lausanne

Allied Works was named one of eighteen international finalists to create the Pôle Muséal Lausanne, which encompasses transforming an historic train shed and industrial site into a new cultural district. The design was developed in collaboration with an international team of designers, including Latz+Partner for Landscape, Resnicow Schroeder Associates for Cultural Planning, and Nicolet Chartrand Knoll for Structural and Civil.

The forms and spaces of the new museum are both monumental and transparent. The building’s geologic form is fractured by activity, providing glimpses into and through the heart of the building. Ideal gallery proportions establish a rhythm of space and structure along the Arts Walk and rail lines. Between galleries, structure, circulation and light form fissures of transparency – filtering and diffusing light into the galleries, providing views to the landscape and city while connecting the building vertically.

Located at the critical intersection of landscape and infrastructure and adjacent Lausanne’s main train station, Allied Works’ proposal builds upon what exists to create a beacon and powerful new urban gateway, signifying the city’s social and cultural center and growth into an international city. The site becomes one interwoven precinct for the arts, engaging the principles of unity and celebrating the unique combination of cultural, public and landscaped space.

e Volo

for Kunst in Denmark

The Danish national gallery - Statens Museum for Kunst - is the only place in Denmark which features more than 700 years of Western art and cultural history under one roof. The museum houses a large collection of Danish and international paintings, sculptures, drawings, and installations.

Collections inside...

Room with a collection with Religious art – The Lydian Plain (Turkey) - Painting by Harald Jerichau 1851 – This masterwork was given to National Gallery by Brewer Carl Jacobsen in 1878.

The Crusader – Sketch for The Knight with the Falcon – a genuine Rembrandt – from 1659-61. 

Marvellous paintings in various categories of old famous and foreign masters from 1300-1800.

Broad collection with famous painters
The collection includes works by the Italian renaissance painters Tizian and Mantegna, the 17th century masters Rubens and Rembrandt, 19th century painters of the Danish Golden Age such as Eckersberg and Købke, and 20th century artists such as Henri Matisse, Edvard Munch, and Emil Nolde as well as the Danish artists Asger Jorn, Per Kirkeby and many more.


Collection with Danish painters – Scientific impressions.

Collection with Danish work of art – People and Nature.

Collection of masterpieces from the Danish Golden Age 1880-1900 – Paintings from famous Danish artists like C. W. Eckersberg – Michael Ancher - Christen Købke – P. S. Krøyer and many more. 

Grand entrance into the museum collections
The old museum building dates back to 1896 and was designed by the architect Wilhelm Dahlerup. The imposing building reflect several historical styles with a richly decorated facade and the impressive entrance, which makes for a solemn transition from the outside world into the museum collections.

Focus Gallery with modern art by Per Kirkeby – displaying nature and culture. 
The extension of the museum in 1998 has created significant exhibition space.

New modernist extension building
The 1998 extension has provided the museum with a significant - and much-needed - increase in the exhibition space available. The magnificent, modernist extension building is situated in parallel with Dahlerup's old museum building, opening the house up towards the surrounding parkland.
Location
The National Gallery is located beside the Botanical Gardens - Rosenborg Castle and near Nørreport Station.

Address
Statens Museum for Kunst
Sølvgade 48-50
1307 Copenhagen K

the Perfect Storm

Ήταν η καταιγίδα του αιώνα. Με κύματα πάνω από είκοσι μέτρα και άνεμο έντασης έντεκα μποφόρ. Οι μετεωρολόγοι την ονόμασαν απόλυτη καταιγίδα, γιατί απλώς δεν μπορούσε να γίνει χειρότερη. Ξέσπασε απροειδοποίητα τον Οκτώβριο του 1991 έξω από τις ακτές της Νέας Σκοτίας και στην καρδιά της βρέθηκε το αλιευτικό Αντρεα Γκέιλ: "Έρχεται, παιδιά, κι έρχεται φορτσάτη", ήταν τα τελευταία λόγια του καπετάνιου, προτού ο ασύρματος σιγήσει για πάντα...

...Και είδε το πόδι του Θεού στο πέλμα του αργαλειού,
και το είπε.
Και οι άλλοι ναύτες τον είπανε τρελλό...

Μια αληθινή ιστορία, όπου πρωταγωνιστεί ο σκληρός όσο και γοητευτικός κόσμος της αλιείας, αλλά και η ίδια η θάλασσα με το πιο σκοτεινό της πρόσωπο.

Η απόλυτη καταιγίδα

Η Απόλυτη καταιγίδα (1997), πρώτο βιβλίο του Αμερικανού δημοσιογράφου Σεμπάστιαν Γιούνγκερ, γνώρισε τεράστια εκδοτική επιτυχία στις ΗΠΑ, με πωλήσεις που ξεπερνούν τα τρία εκατομμύρια αντίτυπα, ενώ παρέμεινε επί 42 εβδομάδες στις λίστες με τα μπεστ-σέλερ των New York Times κι έχει ήδη μεταφραστεί σε 16 γλώσσες.

Με φόντο το ψαράδικο λιμάνι του Γκλόστερ στη Μασαχουσέτη, ο Σεμπάστιαν Γιούνγκερ αναπλάθει αριστοτεχνικά, με τρομακτική ζωντάνια, την αληθινή ιστορία των έξι ναυτικών του ΄Αντρεα Γκέιλ.
 

στην Ανάσα της Θάλασσας...

"Οι μεγάλοι ζωγράφοι, από τον Απελλή της αρχαιότητας ώσμε τον Picasso είπανε κουταμάρες.
Τα σωστά πράματα για τα χρώματα τα 'πανε κάτι έμποροι που τους τριγύριζαν.
Οι καλύτεροι δάσκαλοι είναι οι ζωγράφοι δίχως προσωπικότητα.
Η θάλασσα ...
Ο Turner ζωγράφισε την ανάσα της.
Πώς φαντάζεσαι το πράσινο χρώμα ρώτησα ένα κορίτσι τυφλό.
Πήρε ένα φύλλο ελιάς και το δάγκωσε.
Στυφό μου 'πε. Στυφό ...
Το κόκκινο, ρώτησα δειλά.
Το κόκκινο μου αποκρίθηκε το βλέπω. Μονάχα το κόκκινο.
Ο βλάκας εγώ νόμιζα πως γνωρίζει μοναχά το μαύρο.
Δύσκολο χρώμα το μαύρο.
Ο Δημήτρης λατρεύει το μαύρο. Κι εγώ. ..."

Απόσπασμα από γράμμα του Ν. Καββαδία στη Νίκη Καραγάτση, ζωγράφο και σύζυγο του αγαπημένου του φίλου Δημήτρη Καραγάτση (Μίτια)  στις 5/6/1953

Στον Σ.Μ με ευχές για πολλά Α και Χρόνια Πολλά
Μ.

in the Turkish Literature

The time that can be called contemporary in Turkish literature falls in the period between the middle of the 20th century and the first years of the new millennium. Throughout this period many changes in literary discourse have occurred. Together with the fall of the Ottoman Empire and foundation of the Turkish Republic brought a different way to Turkish literature together with the effect of Westernization on Turkish writers. The literature of the new republic emerged largely from the pre-independence National Literature movement, with its roots simultaneously in the Turkish folk tradition and in the Western notion of progress. One important change to Turkish literature was enacted in 1928, when Mustafa Kemal initiated the creation and dissemination of a modified version of the Latin alphabet to replace the Arabic-based Ottoman script. Over time, this change—together with changes in Turkey's system of education— would lead to more widespread literacy in the country. In 1950s, Turkish authors started to write in the tone of their western contemporaries bringing a new sense of literature to the country.

All of the salient aspects of Turkish life, politics and culture have found their direct or indirect expression in poetry, fiction, and drama, as well as in critical and scholarly writing. The themes and concerns have included nationalism, social justice, search for modernity. Westernization, revival of folk culture, economic and technological progress, human dignity, mysticism, pluralistic society, human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic ideals, Ataturkism, Turanism, Marxist-Lenist ideology, revival of Islam, humanism in fact all aspect and components of contemporary culture found a voice in literature.

All stages of modern Turkish history (reforms under Atatürk, 1923-38; consolidation under Inonu, 1938-59; democracy under Menderes, 1950-60) have been marked by the thrust of literary modernization. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the most vital debate of Turkish literature has been between the proponents of art for art's sake and the advocates of commitment to realism and social causes. Mustafa Kemal in a conversation that took place in 1921, about two years before he proclaimed the Republic, exhorted the 19 years old Nazim Hikmet, already a famous poet, who would soon embrace the communist ideology and influence the course of modern Turkish literature, particularly poetry, more profoundly than anyone else. Since 1950, there has been a massive output, in all genres, depicting the plight of the lumpen proletariat. But surrealism, neosymbolism, theater of the absurd, stream of consciousness, hermeticism, black comedy and so on have also flourished.

Manet's painterly style

Music in the Tuileries is an early example of Manet's painterly style. Inspired by Hals and Velázquez, it is a harbinger of his life-long interest in the subject of leisure.

While the picture was regarded as unfinished by some, the suggested atmosphere imparts a sense of what the Tuileries gardens were like at the time; one may imagine the music and conversation.

Α major early work is The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe). The Paris Salon rejected it for exhibition in 1863 but he exhibited it at the Salon des Refusés (Salon of the Rejected) later in the year. Emperor Napoleon III had initiated The Salon des Refusés after the Paris Salon rejected more than 4,000 paintings in 1863.

The painting's juxtaposition of fully-dressed men and a nude woman was controversial, as was its abbreviated, sketch-like handling, an innovation that distinguished Manet from Courbet. At the same time, Manet's composition reveals his study of the old masters, as the disposition of the main figures is derived from Marcantonio Raimondi's engraving of the Judgement of Paris (c. 1515) based on a drawing by Raphael.

Two additional works that are cited by scholars as important precedents for Le déjeuner sur l'herbe are Pastoral Concert (c. 1510, The Louvre) and The Tempest (Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice), both of which are attributed variously to Italian Renaissance masters Giorgione or Titian. The Tempest is an enigmatic painting that features a fully-dressed man and a nude woman in a rural setting. The man is standing to the left and gazing to the side, apparently at the woman, who is seated and is breastfeeding a baby; the relationship between the two figures is unclear.[4] In Pastoral Concert, two clothed men and a nude woman are seated on the grass, engaged in music making, while a second nude woman stands beside them.

The Hand of God

The Hand of God, modeled ca. 1896, this marble executed ca. 1907
Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917)
Marble
H. 29 in. (73.7 cm)
Gift of Edward D. Adams, 1908 (08.210)

Toward the end of his career, Rodin began to use giant hands in a series of original and idiosyncratic arrangements, with titles such as The Hand of God, The Hand of the Devil (1903), The Cathedral (1908), and The Secret (ca. 1910). The first of these represents divine creation expressed in terms of the sculptor's art: the rough stone is both primeval matter and the sculptor's medium; the smooth, white emerging forms held by the hand are the bodies of the first man and woman, while the great, life-giving hand itself is a symbol of the original Creator, and, perhaps quite literally, of the sculptor as well. The Hand of God was another of Rodin's works that has had wide appeal, and there are numerous versions of it, both in marble and in bronze. This marble was commissioned from Rodin in 1906 by one of the Metropolitan Museum's trustees.

Related

Source: Auguste Rodin: The Hand of God (08.210) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

the Best of Alaska to the World

The Anchorage Museum brings the best of Alaska to the world and the best of the world to Alaska.

Through a combination of art, history and science the Anchorage Museum creates a rich, deep understanding of the human experience and offers something for everyone.

Temciyusqaq
“Skeptical One”Giinaquq (Like A Face):
Sugpiaq Masks of the Kodiak Archipelago
Concluded Jan. 4, 2009

In the winter of 1872 a young French anthropologist named Alphonse Pinart traveled the Kodiak archipelago by kayak, assembling one of the most extensive collections of Alutiiq ceremonial masks in the world. In May, masks from Pinart’s collection returned to Alaska for the first time in 136 years to tell the Alutiiq story and inspire Alaskans to explore the rich culture of Kodiak’s Native people. Giinaquq features 34 wood masks and a bird-shaped feast bowl collected from villages around the Kodiak archipelago. The exhibition, six years in planning, will highlight the cultural meaning of these historic carvings as well as their beauty.

Courtesy National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution Yuungnaqpiallerput (The Way We Genuinely Live)
Masterworks of Yup'ik Science and Survival
Concluded Oct. 26, 2008
The Way We Genuinely Live is a joint project of the Anchorage Museum and the Calista Elders Council, developed with the guidance of Yup'ik elders and educators and with major support from the National Science Foundation.

This exhibition presents more than 200 remarkable 19th and early 20th century tools, containers, weapons, watercraft and clothing in an exploration of the scientific principles and processes that allowed these people to survive in the sub-arctic tundra of the Bering Sea coast.

Sponsors of this exhibition include the National Science Foundation, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Northern Air Cargo, Alaska Airlines, BP, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Calista Corporation and the Anchorage Museum Association.


LOCATION
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
625 C Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501
(907) 929-9200 tel
(907) 929-9290 fax

WINTER HOURS
Mid-Sept through mid-May
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday
Closed Monday

SUMMER HOURS
Mid-May through mid-Sept
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day