obia, the 3rd

09th
September
2010

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Bench Press by Michael Zavros
I sincerely admire the perverse meticulousness of his paintings. Hyper-real does not even begin to scratch the surface. However, he cleverly works with superficial themes so effortlessly. To poke fun at yourself in such a way isn’t as masturbatory as one would imagine, no self-flagellation here, more self-effacing (which he has literally employed with some of his portraits) with a hint of that every present Post-Industrial irony. Well played, indeed.
Image via ondabed.

Bench Press by Michael Zavros

I sincerely admire the perverse meticulousness of his paintings. Hyper-real does not even begin to scratch the surface. However, he cleverly works with superficial themes so effortlessly. To poke fun at yourself in such a way isn’t as masturbatory as one would imagine, no self-flagellation here, more self-effacing (which he has literally employed with some of his portraits) with a hint of that every present Post-Industrial irony. Well played, indeed.

Image via ondabed.

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People are born without language, but with a genetic makeup that allows them to acquire and express any of the languages that exist in the world. And the language they end up speaking is determined by who they’re raised by. At about the age of two their mother tongue is set, so that even though a person can learn new languages the fact is that there’s a basic hardwired one. Even with people who are multilingual, if you ask what their mother tongue is, they can tell you. And if they can’t, if they say “I speak these languages equally well,” and you ask, “When you calculate numbers in your head what language do you use?” there will be one answer.

—via youmightfindyourself.

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Martin Amis on The Rachel Papers

On a lighter, off-tangent trajectory, I love The Rachel Papers—both the novel and the film (the film moreso for its overt cheekiness). I tend to bite my lip before I attempt to proclaim this simply because it’s a problematic story not usually liked for the off-handed, ridiculously self-centered pronouncements of its narrator. However, my defense strategy in promoting the story is eloquently expressed by Amis here and I am happy to see him at his most charmingly “green” instead of the more self-righteous persona he later donned in televised interviews and appearances. In any case, I hope the 70’s mop-top and velvety brown suit makes you chuckle, it certainly got a couple snorts out of me.

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Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, giving her best “Say, WHAT?!” expression.Gotta love it.
Image via yagazieemezi, fyeahafrica.

Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, giving her best “Say, WHAT?!” expression.
Gotta love it.

Image via yagazieemezi, fyeahafrica.

08th
September
2010

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Stuff Nigerians Like

Truth.

via tupsyturvy, aphrickanqueen, usaynappylikeitsabadthing, aintitgrand.

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I will not accept an inferior position in the art world. Nor have my art called African because I have not correctly and properly given expression to my reality. I have consistently fought against that kind of philosophy because it is bogus. European artists like Picasso, Braque and Vlaminck were influenced by African art. Everybody sees that and are not opposed to it. But when they see African artists who are influenced by their European training and techniques, they expect that African to stick to traditional forms even if he bends down to copying them. I do not copy traditional art. I like what I see in the works of people like Giacometti but I do not copy them. I knew Giacometti personally in England, you know. I knew he was influenced by African sculptures. But I would not be influenced by Giacometti, because he was influenced by my ancestors.

—Ben Enwonwu, 1989

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Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee in New York, 1960
via artandshit, kaycarter, aboardchelonioidea, so-treu, abagond, atypicalblackgirl, newbry.

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee in New York, 1960

via artandshit, kaycarter, aboardchelonioidea, so-treu, abagond, atypicalblackgirl, newbry.

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The easy possibility of writing letters must have brought wrack and ruin to the souls of the world. Writing letters is actually an intercourse with ghosts, and by no means just the ghost of the addressee but also with one’s own ghost, which secretly evolves inside the letter one is writing.

—Franz Kafka
via seifsalama.

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Alternative Kidz | Musa Nxumalo
via artandshit.

Alternative Kidz | Musa Nxumalo

via artandshit.

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Steve DavisStacey, Maple Lane1997
via theories-of.

Steve Davis
Stacey, Maple Lane
1997

via theories-of.

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Bacall.
via kagami, scarlettohara-deactivated201006.

Bacall.

via kagami, scarlettohara-deactivated201006.

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Ralston CrawfordToo Marvelous for Words (Nude)1958

via i12bent.

Ralston Crawford
Too Marvelous for Words (Nude)
1958

(via nuditynotprudity)

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Chloe Piene

via innernet, dyslexiar.

Chloe Piene

via innernet, dyslexiar.

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Black women make a mistake when we assume that closing ourselves off and wearing the mask of indifference makes us strong or keeps us well. Repressing our feelings leads to stress and that leads to a variety of illnesses. Allowing ourselves to feel only rage is equally debilitating. To love ourselves rightly, to love others, we have to claim all our emotions.

—bell hooks
Salvation: Black People and Love
via -aningenue.

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Completed!
Untitled15 x 20 in.Pen Ink on Board2010
I completed a piece! The last one to arrive at a finished state was back in June, I believe. I’m glad I came through intact with this one. Very pleased with the result. (Note: last stage)

Completed!

Untitled
15 x 20 in.
Pen Ink on Board
2010

I completed a piece! The last one to arrive at a finished state was back in June, I believe. I’m glad I came through intact with this one. Very pleased with the result.
(Note: last stage)