Fernando Botero: Of Women, Druglords and War Crimes

Last friday, I was casually flipping through the latest issue of British GQ for my monthly dosage of humour and sarcasm while I bumped into the larger-than-life yet realistic images of Colombian artist, Fernando Botero.

A little disclaimer here. His images are not for the faint-hearted or nonchalant, be it his exaggerated nudes or his searingly nightmarish images of the Abu Ghraib incident; each are very powerful.

The first image I saw, was of the artist painting a large nude which was somewhat comical yet sad, all in all something anyone can identify with; not necessarily the size, but the message, shall we say. Can't remember the name of the piece though. Another one was a very dramatic image of druglord Pablo Escobar's death.



There was more to come. Horrific and painful images of the prisoners who were inhumanely tortured and dehumanised mercilessly over and over again at Abu Gharaib during the recent war. I am no art critic or patron but I feel that if an artist's work effects you in some way or the other, be it positive or negative, his work is done. that is the gift to me.



In the words of the artist,

"The power of art is to make you remember something and I hope that will happen with my work," says Botero.
More than remembered, its clearly etched in my mind. Both the traumatic incident and Botero's images. Just like a modern day Guernica, perhaps.

Slate
Botero in Venice
Henryk Broder

Shiny, (un)happy People!!

When life is on a decline and there is no window of opportunity, where does one find stupid inspiration or will to just continue with a fake smile??
I am practically doing nothing with my life. Every passing day is a cold reminder of how everything I ever learnt or was interested in, is a waste. Not that reading a phenomenal book makes one a great writer or flipping thorugh Henri Cartier-Bresson's images will make me half as good a photographer as he was. Its just that, I am completely fatigued, not because of work and the daily grime but because I haven't done anything I dreamt of as a closet optimist in school. Am 25 now, will I still be as pathetic when I am 50?
Not that I am comparing or am envious, but I stumbled upon this website, by some French guy called Alexandre Cadieu. He is just in Art School and has a lot of potential.

Damn! How does that make me feel....er... stupid. Well, what else can I do but get my best pretend optimistic face on!!

The Wisdom of Kahlil Gibran

Today, I came across this verse by Kahlil Gibran and I fell in love with it instantly. Anyone who reads, likes to collect quotes or just needs a little bit of beauty will surely be inspired. Here's how it goes:

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair"

This man and his wisdom cannot be denied. Not that someone of his stature lacks more awareness, just that I wanted a simple reminder of how in the midst of everyday stress and chaos, it's the simple things that truly matter the most. Amen!

Other profound bits of his genius include:

"Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. But today we kneel only to truth..."

"Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children"

Image Source: Wikipedia

Sadness Follows!!!

I am really unhappy. In addition, now that I am blogging, I see my stupid friends never leave comments on my sweet little post (get it?). Work..as always, sucks!!! Just too much pressure on me. Haven't been out in ages. Nothing to look forward to (besides my trip home).

Sometimes I wonder why it's so easy for us to post our views/grief/joy online. It is after all, an open platform where everyone from Greenland to Hanoi can read it. We think noone can hear us or perhaps that the secret is still with us, when actually people have easy access to it. I feel its an inherent need in all of us to share our pain and happiness with just anyone. We express it via blogs, journals, psycho helplines, friends, family, etc.

Ho-Hum!

Ways To Save Our Planet!

Its a sad reality! Is it so hard for us the 'intelligent species' to do our bit and, if not stop wasting, then waste less! Fact is, with the overwhelming and ever-growing seriousness of this issue, this is not an option for us. With the damage that we have done and our only planet in peril, we have but no choice to act. I really don't belive a stupid blog can help stop the menace of Global Warming, but this is an issue that needs our urgent actions.

How am I going to save my planet today?
Waste less.
Throw garbage in appropriate bins.
Stop littering.
Use less energy.
Use CFLs only!
STOP TAKING MY PLANET FOR GRANTED!

I came across this article in TIME magazine some months back, I suddenly rememebered it and below is alink to the article. It is a must read for anyone and everyone alive! Its called, "51 Things We Can Do to Save the Environment." It has great ideas that are really simple to implement.If you think about it, these ideas are suggested by people like you and me. Its not hard at all. To paraphrase Nobel Winner Al Gore, this is an An incovenient and undeniable truth! Do your bit!

Image Source: Gift Wrap Gallery (Thanks!)

Autumn Is Here!

Yes, autumn came late.With global warming heating up and messing everything and everyone's temper, there finally is some respite from the terrible heat and discomfort.As I was leaving office, the vicinity as always was smoky, dusty, congested and polluted. However, the closer I got to reaching home, there was something special in the air. Nothing much, it was the subtle, almost absent fragrance of frangipani aka plumeria, which I never noticed during hot climate months. Just a simple reminder that autumn is here.

Autumn is my favourite time of the year! Period. If I could be a season, I would be autumn. No other time is as pleasant, anticipated, awaited, missed and short-lived as this wondrous season. The whole description reminds me of "Ruby Tuesday," the version covered by one of my all-time favourite bands, Rolling Stones. On the other hand, it also reminds me of a Biblical phrase, which though mostly used optimistically, has an absolutely different connotation here. "This too shall pass." The power of words, a phrase that is commonly used to encourage and cheer people takes a different turn entirely.

Eeks! I am rambling here. The main reason for why I wanted to write this post, was to remind me that whenever there's tension, pressure and stress, I will remember that one cool, autumn night and say to myself, "This too shall pass"!

Bye bye, evil Indian summer. Welcome, sweet autumn!

Is this your ideal wedding dress?

To all you bridezillas out there....This could lead you to fabulous ideas, come to think of it, these include templates of the grand dame of fantastic wedding dresses- Vera Wang's designs ...

If you think of it, the hunt for the ideal wedding dress unites women (a little too far-fetched sounding, but read on). There is a myriad of us amazing group (us girls), and if there is one thing that unites us, besides our beliefs or ideologies or principles, its our hunt for the ideal wedding dress. If you are still in doubt, you haven't seen brides to be, their mothers, friends and sometimes, abetted by their poor fiances scourge a wedding dress sale!! Definitely, not for the faint hearted!!

Speaking of which, don't you even dare call us materialistic or shallow. And this threat involves serious bodily harm. We are way ahead of stupid men who scratch you-know-where, at some of the most unbelievable times and places. So our fixation is sophisticated, classy and timeless and can be spoken about in front of a polite audience. How would a man ever understand the endless pain, sleepless nights and unbearable angst of slipping into that one dress from where we emerge our radiant and beautiful best. For them, its the same old suit and tie, perhaps some understated cufflinks, with a little cajoling.

Do play the Vera Wang wedding dress game and let me know which one you chose. For all you romantic princesses, take a peek at Oscar de La Renta's collections and let me know which one you picked. Isn't it fun being a girl?

Cheers!