Ina Mar “Art and The Earth” Blog

Have you heard of Aleksey Igudesman and Richard Hyung-ki Joo? They were pupils of the Yehudi Menuhin School, now they are presenting a genious show, the “Little Nightmare Music”, marrying lots of humour with lots of musical talent. They have already performed all around the world, so if you’ve never heard of them, just watch these youtube videos. In the first one, the pianist is using wood blocks to play the difficult Rachmaninov chords; in the second, the violonist is playing with a milk forther! The third video shows some interesting piano teaching techniques and how-to’s for music teachers…

Here’s their web site for more hilarious videos and information:

http://www.igudesmanandjoo.com

I published this human rights calendar today, I thought it could be a nice gift idea for activists, for human rights advocates or for all those who care about what’s happening around us and would like to make a difference.
It contains 12 inspirational designs/slogans related to every month’s human rights’ alert.

• January 8: World Literacy Day
  Slogan: “I dream of a world where all children go to school”
• February 6: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Cutting
  Slogan: “Human Rites? No! Human Rights! Stop female genital mutilation (FGM)”
• March 8: International Women’s Day
  Slogan: “I stand for women’s rights”
• April 22: International Earth Day
  Slogan: “Live Green, Think Green, Dream Green, Love Green”
• May 3: World Press Freedom Day
  Slogan: “We must dare to invent the future” (Thomas Sankara)
• June 4: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
  Slogan: “No more child soldiers”
• July 11: World Population Day
  Slogan: “No woman should die giving birth”
• August 6: Remembering victims of Hiroshima Day
  Slogan: “Don’t forget Hiroshima”
• September 21: International Day of Peace
  Slogan: “Make peace, restore peace, preserve peace, love peace”
• October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
  Slogan: “Fair trade. Help Africa acquire economic self-sufficiency. Food aid dependency is not a solution”
• November 20: Universal Children’s Day
  Slogan: “Help children, protect children, educate children, love children”
• December 3: International Day of Disabled Persons
  Slogan: “Disabled woman, 100% woman”

In fact you can choose between three different sizes:

• Oversized Human Rights Wall Calendar (Measures 17″ x 22″ when hung on wall)
• Vertical Human Rights Wall Calendar (Measures 11″ x 17″ when hung on wall, image measures 11″ x 11″)
• Big Human Rights Wall Calendar (Measures 17″ x 11″ when hung on wall)

The designs included in the calendar are also sold separately in my shop, on a variety of products (clothing, home decoration etc…).

Thanks for your feedback and comments. If you buy the calendar, please send us a note!

Green slogan “Relax in nature, enjoy nature, explore nature, appreciate nature”.

This design is part of a series of ecological and human rights designs I started creating in September 2007:

Another children book… My cousin Orestis and his wife Marianna wrote this wonderful, original book: “Ruler of the world” (Greek title: “O arhontas tou kosmou”, ISBN 978-960-527-419-1, Armos Publishing). It was published December 2007 and it’s written in Greek – but it will hopefully be translated soon…

It’s about a cute little white cat who thinks he’s the ruler of the world. He climbs on a pile of books and pretends he is the boss. One day he decides to go out and discover the world – or rather let the world discover him! He climbs on a trash can and calls all animals to listen to him, because he’s an erudite – he knows the secret of life! I am not going to reveal all details of this book. This adventure teaches the cat (and us!) how important it is to be humble, if we don’t wish to be left alone in life.

The whole book is written in rhymes. It’s a very nice gift idea for young Greek readers and also for adults. Click on the thumbnail to buy the book:

My favourite children book is a Greek one: “The colour fairy tale” by Alexis Kyritsopoulos (”To paramythi me ta hromata”, first edition 1976, ISBN: 960-04-0046-6). I’ve read this dozens of times and I can never have enough of it! It always cheers me up when I’m feeling depressed.

The story goes like this: The rainbow is depressed because nobody is noticing it, so it decides to leave the city. As soon as the rainbow goes away, all colours disappear from life and everything becomes black, white and grey: flowers are black and white, people are black and white, the sun and the moon are black and white… People realize their mistake. Some children decide to travel through the world to find the rainbow and bring it back to the city. Well I’m not revealing the end of the story!

This story is about appreciating what you have. Many small everyday details in life are invisible to your eyes because you are too used to them – but as soon as you lose them, you begin appreciating them. The rainbow, the sun, the moon, the air, the stars, your beloved people’s smile, the smell of fresh coffee in the kitchen, a glass of cold water, your health… Don’t take all this for granted. Appreciate it every day and consider yourself lucky that you are able to enjoy it. If you lose somebody you love, somebody who is bringing colour into your life, regain the kind heart of a child and go look for them; don’t be afraid to say you are sorry and make efforts to bring them back into your life.

The illustrations are a mixture of children drawings and collage, very colourful and cheerful.

Click here to buy the book

My latest “I hate art” quote:
I hate art because it is not understood. Lost in an abyss of feelings and ideas, sunk in pure melancholy and solitude, in an act of desperation to express themselves, artists create works that make people …HAPPY!

I am preparing a series of “I hate art” quotes…

Here is my first wheat variation on Rodin’s Eternal Idol:

I had the idea in 2002, started creating it, left it for some years, then finished it 2005. Rather neutral tones with some colour touches: brown, gold, black, some white and light purple, creme, light yellow, a couple of green touches and a little bit of color work up in the top right corner. The wheat texture is more concentrated on the woman’s breasts, the man’s face and the woman’s belly, to put the accent on the moment of the kiss and on erotism. His chest and her torso are well defined with shadows. The man’s body is mixed with dead leaves and wrapped paper textures, to give it a “rigid” aspect. On the top right corner, I put an intense light, to symbolize strong feelings that make all thoughts “vanish” during the erotic act.

My “Eternal Idol” variations play with the notion of eternal versus the notion of seasonal. They address the conflicting relationship between the notion of sculpture as permanent and tangible and the seasonal lanscape as a symbol of perpetual change. The “eternal” idol is thus transformed into a living, changing object while the “seasonal” landscape is petrified into an unchangeable eternity. Wheat fields in summer, rapeseed fields in spring, dead leaves in autumn, icy lakes in winter – those elements transform Rodin’s Eternal Idol into a chameleon, an Idol in Eternal Change.

As commissioned by a client, I am now trying to create a horizontal wheat variation. I came up with the following four variations, but I am having difficulties choosing only one (as “official” version…). In order of creation:

This one has more yellow tones, more intense colours than the vertical version. It’s 12×16in / 30×40cm.

This one is intense yellow and warm brown, with more contrast and more defined edges. 12×16in / 30×40cm.

I think this one is my favorite. The tones are more neutral, there is a wraped paper work in the woman’s genitalia part, some blue-green touches, warm tones. It is almost square (40×45cm / 16×18in) and the man’s chest is complete.

This one is pretty similar to no3, same dimensions, with a bit of colour work up in the top right corner.

I appreciate any comments and feedback!

Still working on that horizontal wheat variation, commissioned by a new client… I have created four different variations, some in yellow tones, some in neutral tones, using combinations of wheat and dead leave textures. I will be posting them as soon as they are ready!

Here are some pictures of the Biosphere Rhön, I took them in May 2006 during a visit to the Unsleben Castle:

Bel Phos – “The Biosphere Reserve Rhön”, Germany, May 2006

Bel Phos – “Wheatgrass and rapeseed field”, Rhone Biosphere Reserve, Germany

And some of my Rodin “Eternal Idol” variations on the Biosphere Reserve Rhön, “Variation Rapeseed” and “Variation Wheat 2″:

These two works represent the Spring. Green wheatgrass and rape seed in early spring at the Biosphere Reserve Rhön is encrusted into “The Eternal Idol”. A biosphere reserve is a natural monument, enduring seasonal changes. A sculpture is a human artistic achievement, eternal as indicated by its name. By mixing them, I attempt to endow the Rhön Reserve with an aspect of stability and eternity and to give the Rodin sculpture chameleon qualities. The result is a harmonic relation, where Human Nature embraces Mother Nature and vice versa.

What are biosphere reserves?

Biosphere reserves are sites recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme which innovate and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development. They are of course under national sovereign jurisdiction, yet share their experience and ideas nationally, regionally and internationally within the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. There are 529 sites worldwide in 105 countries.

Biosphere reserves are much like laboratories where new and optimal practices to manage nature and human activities are tested and demonstrated. They outpace traditional confined conservation zones, combining core protected areas with zones where sustainable development is fostered by local dwellers and enterprises. Their governance systems are often highly innovative. In some cases, new legislation can be introduced. Biosphere reserves have three inter-connected functions:
* Conservation: landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation
* Development: economic and human and culturally adapted
* Logistic support: research, monitoring, environmental education and training

They generate knowledge and experience which can be used in the wider land and seascape. They are tools to help countries implement the results of the WSSD and in particular the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Ecosystem Approach. They are “learning sites” for the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development.

© UNESCO (Text found in official Unesco site on January 3, 2008)

In Germany there are today 13 biosphere reserves:

1. Flusslandschaft Elbe
   [site is in German, More information on Unesco site]
2. Vessertal-Thüringen Forest
   [More information on Unesco site]
3. Berchtesgaden Alps
   [More information on Unesco site]
4. Wadden Sea and Hallig Islands of Schleswig-Holstein
   [site is in German, More information on Unesco site]
5. Schorfheide-Chorin
   [site is in German, More information on Unesco site]
6. Spreewald
   [More information on Unesco site]
7. Rügen
   [site in German, More information on Unesco site]
8. Rhön
   [More information on Unesco site]
9. Waddensea of Lower Saxony
   [More information on Unesco site]
10. Waddensea of Hamburg
    [More information on Unesco site]
    
11. Oberlausitzer Heide- und Teichlandschaft
    [site is in German, More information on Unesco site]
    
12. Schaalsee
    [site is in German, More information on Unesco site]
13. Vosges du Nord / Pfälzerwald, transboundary reserve France/Germany
    [More information on Unesco site or on official French site]

Buy this green calendar with photos of the Rhone Biosphere Reserve:

I just wanted to say Happy New Year to all readers of my blog. I hope the new year is a good one for you! I am looking forward to seeing what 2008 brings…