We are just a couple weeks away from Hallowe’en and already we’ve seen a few celeb families (HERE, HERE and HERE) steppin’ out to pick their pumpkins for seasonal carving … but a gardener named David Finkle in Chelmsford, Essex, England is already hard at work carving his very special Hallowe’en pumpkins … here are a few examples of his work:

Yes, that is US President Barack Obama and Michael Jackson on top along with a couple of traditionally themed pumpkins on the bottom. When I carve pumpkins, I tend to keep it simple … you know, triangle eyes and nose, jagged teeth … so I’m always very impressed with work like this. Hallowe’en is one of the funnest times of the year … hopefully these jack-o-lanterns will inspire all y’all to have fun with the pumpkin carving this year. I would also like to urge all y’all to send in photos of your carved pumpkins so that I may feature them here on the blog!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Pop culture artist Dan Lacey has been inspired by US President Barack Obama to create a series of paintings that show our nation’s leader engaged in various fantastical acts which include saving Wall Street, saving impaired airplanes and riding unicorns … like this painting, for example:

When I first saw this painting of President Obama astride a mythical unicorn, I was reminded of the fun graphic that was created by THIS site (which features lots of NIN/Reznor inspired artwork) of Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor riding on a unicorn of his own:

There seems to a growing trend of incorporating unicorns in fun artwork like this … a trend that I endorse and support wholeheartedly. After the jump, check out a few more pieces of Lacey’s Obama artwork — trust me, it’s not to be missed …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Angelina Jolie isn’t the only celeb inspiring great works of art today, it turns out that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are also sources of inspiration for emerging artists. Timberbrit is a new opera devoted to the pop stars described as “a tragic tale that imagines Spears‘ last concert, in the final hours of her life” where in Justin Timberlake, her long lost love, sweeps in to help save the day … or something along those lines. I’m not a big opera fan but this really does sound right up my alley ;)

Opera has a long history of over-the-top spectacle and melodramatic plots. Composer Jacob Cooper decided to embrace that excess, creating a contemporary opera that imagines the tragic end of one particularly tempestuous pop diva. The work is called Timberbrit — as in Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. It’s a tragic tale that imagines Spears’ last concert, in the final hours of her life. Timberlake returns after a long absence to win back Spears’ love, but in the end she chooses the audience’s love above all else. Cooper began work on the opera by experimenting with a technique called time-stretching. Using digital audio software, he slowed down Spears’ songs — and suddenly the light pop tunes seemed hauntingly tragic. Phrases like “Hit me baby one more time” took on an entirely different and more weighted meaning. Cooper then collaborated with his performers to create new pieces of music inspired by those slowed-down hits, and writer Yuka Igarashi crafted fresh lyrics using the vernacular of Spears’ songs — tears, love, dreams, innocence. As a doctoral student at Yale, Cooper has looked at the psychological aspects of how traditional operas stretch time during death scenes — the way a dying character in Rigoletto or Boris Godunov, say, will pause to sing a 10-minute aria. Not realistic perhaps, but it packs a punch. Cooper has expanded on that distinctive musical tradition by creating an entire opera enveloped by a fatal slowness of action. The idea is that in Timberbrit, Spears’ prolonged destruction amplifies the tragedy of her downfall. The opera premiered in New York City as a semistaged production in 2008 and is currently being developed into a fully staged version. Meanwhile, the cast and crew of Timberbrit recently shot a music video of Cooper’s song “Worst Fantasy,” inspired by Spears’ “Toxic.” In keeping with the opera’s process, the videographers started with a slowed-down, stretched-out recording of the original, then manipulated it and built on it to create something new. The result: a distillation of Spears’ music videos and public meltdowns that forces viewers to take a second look at both pop-star lives and the way the public devours them.

Well, if Victoria and David Beckham can have their own musical, why can’t Britney and Justin have their own opera? To be honest, I’m still not sold on this particular project … I might have to see it for myself to make better judgment. Hopefully there’ll be more follow-up on this opera in the coming weeks and months. Would YOU pay to see a show like this?

[Source]

Daniel Edwards — the American sculptor who created controversial statues of Britney Spears giving birth on a bearskin rug titled Monument to Pro-Life, a topless bust of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the pink plastic babytoy sculpture of Octomom Nadya Suleman titled Octomom: String of Babies (but not the artist who created the Kate Moss in yoga pose statue called Spinx, that was Marc Quinn) — has set his artistic talents on Angelina Jolie and her love of breastfeeding. A new sculpture titled Landmark for Breastfeeding will go on display in the metropolitan Oklahoma City area next month before it goes on permanent display in London, England. Inspired by Angelina’s comments (and photos) on the wonders of breastfeeding in W magazine last year, Edwards decided to immortalize the sacred act between mother and child (well, in Ange’s case children) in his latest work of art. Here is a photo of the new sculpture and the accompanying press release:

For World Breastfeeding Week, Phantom-Financial announces the unveiling of a life-size park bench sculpture of Angelina Jolie nude with her twin babies by New York artist Daniel Edwards just minutes from Brad Pitt’s own birthplace in the Oklahoma City Metro area in September before its Fall exhibition in London. “Landmark for Breastfeeding,” inspired by last year’s cover of W magazine featuring Angelina Jolie suckling her baby, depicts a seated nude Jolie double-breastfeeding twins. The tranquil bronze statue demonstrates the “football-hold,” an accepted technique for breastfeeding two babies simultaneously. In recognition of the global effort to encourage breastfeeding, one twin is depicted as being of African descent. Future castings of the statue will represent other world cultures through variations of the babies’ patina coloring. “We believe the statue sends a beautiful message by promoting the acceptance of public breastfeeding. Mothers should be encouraged to nurture their babies anywhere,” said Sandy Wilson of Phantom-Financial. “Hopefully, my sculpture inspires an increase of wetnurses to assist women who have concerns about mastitis, or passing HIV to their infant,” said artist Daniel Edwards in his Connecticut studio where the Jolie statue currently resides. “La Leche League International and Loretta McCallister have been very helpful,” said project coordinator Cory Allen. “We are applying for approval to put ‘Landmark for Breastfeeding’ on permanent display in a Metro area park.” The Jolie monument will be unveiled September 11th at MAINSITE Contemporary Art in Norman. A cast of the sculpture is expected to be auctioned by Sotheby’s October 7th for The New York Academy of Art’s annual Take Home A Nude art auction, after being displayed at Holster Projects in London’s West End.

Can I just say that I LOVE that this piece of art will go on display in Norman, OK … home of my beloved alma mater the University of Oklahoma! I’m not sure how the Okies will receive this new piece of art but … I’m glad they’re being exposed. Edwards really seems to have a knack for melding pop culture with controversy to come up with interesting artwork. IMHO, none of his works have yet surpassed his masterpiece statue of Britney giving birth, Monument to Pro-Life, but I can appreciate that he continues to push the envelope. After the jump, check out a couple more photos of this new Angelina-inspired statue and check out a short video of Daniel Edwards talking about the creation of his latest piece of art …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Um … ok … so there’s a new art exhibit on display in a San Francisco, CA gallery called Modernism that is titled Hunted and Gathered (July 9 – August 29) which features “anonymous photos” from the private collection of curator Robert Flynn Johnson. Among the photographs on display in this exhibit is a photo of baseball great (who was briefly married to the iconic Marilyn Monroe) Joe DiMaggio in all his glory … or lack thereof. That’s right folks, you can make your way to the Modernism gallery and feast your eyes on a photo of Joltin’ Joe and his private biz … or you can just click below and see it for yourselves right here:

Oh, the creepy media are at it again, opening yet another pop superstar’s private life to public inspection. This time the person exposed is San Francisco’s greatest baseball player. No, not The Freak. And not Barry Bonds, nor Willie Mays. It’s Joe DiMaggio. But it turns out the exposure is in the name of art, not titillation and trashification. A full-frontal nude photograph of Joltin’ Joe hangs in the gallery Modernism (685 Market St., Suite 290, through Aug. 29). The exhibit is “Hunted and Gathered,” anonymous photos from the collection of Robert Flynn Johnson, curator emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The photo shows DiMaggio in a postgame shower, wearing a happy grin. It’s early in Joe’s career, circa 1940. From the neck down it is Michelangelo’s statue of David. Neck up, it’s Huck Finn with a goofy smile. Asked how he obtained the photo, Johnson joked, “I have friends in low places.” DiMag would be appalled. He was a private and guarded fellow with a carefully cultivated image of cool sophistication, a hermit prince. This photo is fascinating because it is Joe’s alter ego. “Celebrities have a mask,” Johnson said, “and when you pull out a camera, they put on the mask. Here you see Joe as a kid, with a slightly goofy grin. As he gets older he takes on a more severe, distinguished look. (The photo) is a kid, showing joy, and his guard’s down.” Added Johnson, “It’s a Rorschach test for people’s perceptions. Some will only see a Joe DiMaggio, see only frontal nudity. To others, you or I, this is an athlete in his prime, showing happiness, and it’s as simple as that. … I don’t find it titillating at all, it’s a marvelous photo.” A photo of DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe on the verge of a kiss sold for $2,250. The nude Joe is not for sale. “It’s too interesting a photo,” Johnson says.

Nor do I find this photo “titillating” … but, I must agree, it’s “too interesting a photo” not to want to share. If any of y’all are interested in checking out the full-size, uncensored NSFW image then check it out after the jump …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Entertainment Weekly brings us our first look at the new cover artwork for the trade paperback version of Stephenie Meyer’s book New Moon which ties in with the release of the movie version of the book The Twilight Saga: New Moon … behold:

Attention Team Jacob: Little, Brown has revealed their cover for the movie tie-in edition of New Moon, which features an exclusive image from the Twilight franchise’s second film. Taylor Lautner fans should certainly pick up more than a few copies (Those arms! That smoldering stare! Remember, he’s only 17!). As for Team Edward…well, at least the image proves that the moon is not, in fact, made of green cheese.

Holy moly! Now that’s the kind of book cover that might inspire the young’ns to pick up a book and start reading. This coverphoto adeptly highlights the focus of New Moon and rightfully puts the character Jacob Black (portrayed by actor Taylor Lautner) front and center with Bella Swan (portrayed by actress Kristen Stewart). I like how Edward Cullen (portrayed by Robert Pattinson) is integrated into the moon (which is normally the symbol of the werewolf). I realize that you cannot always judge a book by its cover … but in this case I think the coverphoto adequately sums up the plot of New Moon. What do y’all think … do you like this book cover?

[Source]

So … we all prolly know by now that Chris Brown managed to work out a plea bargain in court yesterday that resulted in his conviction on felony assault against his ex-girlfriend Rihanna (who was also in court yesterday, apparently ready to tell her side of the story to the court). His punishment? 5 years probation and 180 days of “hard labor” cleaning up the streets of his home State of Virginia. I understand that this is a typical sentence for first time offenders of assault … which kinda sickens me. The court system is basically saying that you can assault a person of your choosing and only face probation and street cleaning as punishment. But I digress. Here are photos of both Chris Brown and Rihanna in court yesterday and a full rundown of the day’s events:

With Rihanna set to break her silence in her assault case, Chris Brown reached a plea agreement that spared him jail time, it was announced Monday. Brown, 20, will be sentenced to five years probation and 180 days of community labor to be served in Virginia. He will also complete a year of domestic violence classes, and pay fines. In exchange, he pleaded guilty to felony assault by means likely to cause great bodily injury. “Mr. Brown, I think it’s commendable that you took responsibility for your conduct,” said Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg. Brown also was ordered to stay at least 50 yards away from Rihanna – except at industry events, when it’s 10 yards – despite a request from Rihanna’s lawyer for a less-restrictive order. For now, Brown was also ordered not to have any contact with her, which includes by phone, email or text. “He’s very thankful to all the people who’ve been very supportive,” said Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos. “This is a kid who’s never been in trouble before, who wants to move past this and make sure that the message gets out that these kinds of things, of domestic violence, are not acceptable. And that he has accepted responsibility and continues to do so and embraces this as an opportunity for him to get his life back on track and his career back on track.” If he violates probation, Brown will face four years in prison. His formal sentencing is set for Aug. 5, when the court will drop a second charge of making criminal threats. Noting that Brown pleaded to a felony, Schnegg said, “I want Mr. Brown to be treated the same as any other defendant who would come into this court. That means something like Caltrans [trash pickup] or graffiti removal.” Brown had been charged with two felony counts – assault and making criminal threats – in the alleged fight that left Rihanna bruised and bloodied. The plea deal was reached shortly before Rihanna, 21, was to testify under subpoena in a preliminary hearing. Brown, wearing gray suit, off-white tie, and matching handkerchief in his front pocket, entered the courtroom shortly after 1:30 p.m. About 10 of his friends and family, including his mother, were seated in the audience.

After the judge addressed him, Brown left the courtroom and Rihanna, wearing a black dress and pearls, was brought in for the judge to explain the plea deal terms to the singer. The two were never in the courtroom at the same time. She stood before Judge Schnegg who told her that the court will consider reducing the stay-away order to the least-restrictive one after he’s sentenced. Rihanna’s only words in open court were: “Thank you, your honor,” before she was led out a special exit. According to a search warrant, Rihanna was assaulted during an argument that began when she read text messages from another woman on Brown’s phone as they driving in a Lamborghini in L.A. the morning before the pair were both scheduled to perform on the Grammy Awards. An enraged Brown allegedly tried to force her out of the car, hit her head against the passenger window, punched in her left eye and drove away while steering with one hand and continuing to punch her with the other, says the detective’s notes in the search warrant. As blood filled Rihanna’s mouth, Brown allegedly told her, “I’m going to beat the shit out of you when we get home. You wait and see!” Rihanna then pretended to call her assistant and left a fake message saying, “I am on my way home. Make sure the cops are there when I get there.” The police notes say that prompted Brown to reply: “You just did the stupidest thing ever. Now I’m really going to kill you.”

I guess I’m kinda disgusted that the ruling judge commended Chris Brown for “taking responsibility” for his actions. If he had truly taken responsibility, he would’ve turned himself into cops months ago, admitted his crimes and served a real punishment for assault. What really happened was that his hot shot lawyer managed to work out a deal where Brown only got a slap on the wrists for his felonious actions. I suppose at this point we are to hope that Brown has learned his lesson and will stay out of trubs for the rest of his life. Should he violate his probation in any way in the next 5 years, I believe he will be slapped with a more substantial punishment. In the end, I suppose we should be glad that all of this drama is over. My hope is that Rihanna can move forward from all of this in a healthy manner. Let’s not forget, she is the victim in all of this … whether she chooses to believe it or not.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]