Péquignot et Girodet : une amitié artistique, Musée Magnin, Dijon

Péquignot et Girodet : une amitié artistique

Musée Magnin, Dijon 

27 septembre - 31 décembre 2005 

Jean-Pierre Péquignot (Baume-les-Dames, 1765 – Naples, 1807) effectue ses premières études d’art à Besançon, mais c’est probablement à Joseph Vernet qu’il doit son goût pour la peinture de paysage. Parti étudier à Rome, l’artiste y retrouve Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson (Montargis 1767 – Paris 1824) qu’il fréquenta à Rome et surtout à Naples, de janvier 1793 à avril 1794. et à qui il transmit sa passion pour la peinture de paysage.

Les propos enflammés et connus de Girodet sur le paysage montrent qu’il en fut intensément marqué, notamment ce passage extrait d’une lettre envoyée de Naples à Madame Trioson le 1er mars 1793 : « C’était aux environs de Rome que je devais, cette année, me livrer à l’étude du paysage, genre de peinture universel, et auquel tous les autres sont subordonnés, parce qu’ils y sont renfermés. »

Et cet autre passage, d’un long poème intitulé Le Peintre, extrait de ses Œuvres posthumes, publiées en 1829 : 

Vois-tu ces monts lointains dont l’azur peint la cime,

Jeune artiste ? C’est là que des sites montagneux

T’offrent, tout composés, de sublimes tableaux.

C’est Vietri, c’est la Cave et Salerne et Nocère,

Beaux lieux, amours du ciel, délices de la terre,

Où les vieux chantres grecs, dans les siècles anciens,

Eussent voulu placer leurs Champs-Elyséens…

Mais, pour oser les peindre, il faut être un Virgile,

Un Guaspre, un Péquignot, un Saint-Pierre, un Delille

Le propos de cette petite exposition est d’essayer de comprendre :

- pourquoi « l’aspiration » d'Anne-Louis Girodet au paysage ne l’a pas incité à produire davantage dans ce genre pictural ;

- et pourquoi le dithyrambe que ce grand artiste fait de Jean-Pierre Péquignot n’a en rien changé la très modeste notoriété de ce dernier.

Une première section permet de confronter pour la première fois des dessins et petits tableaux de paysages de Girodet et de Péquignot. Elle sera particulièrement intéressante puisque plusieurs attributions sont aujourd’hui controversées et l’un des buts de ce dossier sera de les éclaircir. L’étroite amitié que les deux peintres ont entretenu durant au moins une année à Naples, faite de sorties communes assorties de séances de dessins in situ et d’échanges d’idées, peuvent expliquer les emprunts stylistiques de Girodet, peintre d’histoire confirmé, à Péquignot, peintre de paysage dont le caractère non-conformiste plaisait à un Girodet critique à l’égard des principes académiques. En particulier, l’extrême minutie du rendu de la végétation des premiers plans des paysages de Péquignot gêne aussi bien la doxa académique, fondée sur l’étude de la nature, que le sens de l’économie et la valeur morale que le néo-classicisme accorde au dessin.

A la faveur d’œuvres redécouvertes au cours des dernières années, la deuxième section permet d’explorer pour la première fois un corpus significatif d’œuvres peintes d’un artiste marginal, resté très méconnu depuis le discrédit qui suivit sa mort. Outre le raffinement de la facture, le style de Jean-Pierre Péquignot s’affirme dans l’insertion de figures ou scènes antiquisantes dans d’élégiaques « scénographies » qui inscrivent l’œuvre dans la tradition du paysage classique français (et italien) du XVIIème siècle. L’ensemble présenté sera l’occasion d’apprécier l’originalité d’un artiste, dont les œuvres, par la subtile progression des passages entre les plans et l’atmosphère idyllique créée par des lointains vaporeux, se distingue des compositions moins oniriques et plus compactes de ses compatriotes italianisant contemporains Bidault, Dunouy, Bertin ou Simon Denis.

Commissaire : Rémi Cariel, conservateur au musée Magnin

Musée Magnin, Dijon

4, rue des Bons-Enfants, 21000 Dijon

www.musee-magnin.fr

Nokia today announced that it has started deliveries of the Nokia N70, a compact, easy-to-use 3G smartphone. Incorporating a complete smartphone feature set, as well as a 2 megapixel camera, flash and front camera for video calling, the Nokia N70 comes fully equipped with a digital music player and stereo audio.

"We are proud to announce the second device to hit the market from the Nokia Nseries high performance multimedia range," said Joe Coles, Director of imaging product marketing at Nokia. "The Nokia N70 is a great example of Nokia Nseries, combining the latest technologies and elegant design with a comprehensive set of multimedia features. Easy and intuitive mobile photography, automatic storing of those great quality shots, listening to music, reading and writing email, browsing favorite websites - the Nokia N70 is a true multimedia computer."

With its intuitive slide and shoot design, the 2 megapixel rear camera of the Nokia N70 can be quickly and conveniently activated, while a dedicated shutter key allows for greater stability and ease of use for picture taking. Incorporating an integrated flash, 20x digital zoom capability and a range of capture scene settings, the Nokia N70 allows for spontaneous capture of great quality photos and video regardless of time and place. Additionally, while retaining full image quality, the photos or video clips can also be instantly shared with others via email or Bluetooth wireless technology.

With the new Nokia XpressTransfer storing solution, all photos and video clips on the Nokia N70 can either be manually or automatically copied to compatible PCs. Furthermore, the standard Nokia N70 sales package also includes new Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition 3.0 software, offering users an efficient way for viewing, finding, fixing and sharing images and video clips on their compatible PC. For a multimedia diary experience, the in-box Nokia Lifeblog software automatically organizes photos, videos, text messages and multimedia messages into a chronology for easy browsing, searching and sharing.

The smartphone features of the Nokia N70 include extensive email attachment support, Internet browser, video streaming and 3G features, such as two-way video calling and video sharing. An embedded email configuration tool helps users to quickly set up their preferred mobile email settings. Once set up, the user will get notification of new email and can then log on to retrieve it. The Nokia N70 also supports Symantec Mobile Security, an integrated antivirus and firewall solution.

Equipped with a digital music player and FM radio with support for Visual Radio, the Nokia N70 also doubles as a great pocketable music device. Moreover, the music experience can be taken to the next level with the separately available Nokia Music Pack, with which users can transfer music quickly from compatible PCs, listen to music through standard stereo headphones or even plug the Nokia N70 to a compatible home stereo system for stereo playback or recording.

The Nokia N70 is among the first Nokia devices to include the Catalogs Client mobile shopping application, making it easy for users to quickly discover, trial, download and purchase new applications, services and content designed for the Nokia N70. The operator-brandable interface enables seamless access to mobile content catalogs from operators or third-party sources.

http://www.nokia.com/

Previous posts on Nokia Nseries products Carl Zeiss and Nokia cooperation New Nokia Nseries Multimedia Mobile Phone Range Announcement

Nokia N70 Multimedia Mobile Phone Features

Compact Samsung Digimax i5

Samsung Releases the Inner Zoom Type Slim Digital i-5 Camera

Samsung Techwinhas announced that it is releasing a new-concept slim digital camera. The 5 mega-pixel, 3x optical zoom digital camera i-5 is the brainchild of the ¡®Slim, Stylish & Smart¡ concept.

With the ambition of capturing the slim-type digital camera market, Samsung Techwin spent about 5 million dollars over a period of 8 months on research and development for the i-5, which is the first Samsung product to incorporate inner zoom technology, which give the camera its slim (17.3mm) design.

Unlike the competing products, the body is made of stainless steel, which has exceptional durability against scratches and shocks.

The product is available in fashionable silver, red, black and gray colors.

The SF (safety flash) function, Samsung Techwin¡'s unique technology, has also been upgraded substantially to minimize camera shake and obtain much more natural colors when taking indoor pictures without using flash. This technology is expected to attract attention from younger consumers, since turning the flash off can protect young people¡'s eyesight, and also produces more natural pictures in places like the inside of cafes.

Responding to consumer need for larger and clearer displays, the i-5 incorporates a 230,000-pixel, large 2.5-inch TFT LCD, which provides viewing of much larger and clearer images as well as achieving higher contrast and more vividness of color.

The video (MPEG-4, VGA, 30fps) function, the inherent strength of Samsung Digimax products, is now available with 3x optical zoom during shooting. This product is a good alternative to conventional camcorders as it can shoot videos of up to 2 hours and 10 minutes with only 256MB of memory.

Technological know-how accumulated over a long period has made it possible to improve resolution, exposure and AWB (auto white balance) accuracy, and increase the initial start-up and shot-to-shot speeds. Also, the product can be charged using a 24-pin mobile phone charger approved by the Korean TTA (Telecommunications Technology Association), providing the convenience and portability suitable for a slim camera.

A Samsung Techwin spokesperson told the press that the product includes a number of advanced multimedia functions, unlike other slim-type products that only put emphasis on portability and design. The ¡®Slim, Stylish & Smart¡ concept puts into the consumer's hand not only a slim and stylish design, but also a variety of useful functions, giving them true satisfaction.

SAMSUNG - PRESS RELEASE - 26.09.2005

Legendary spies, technical tricks & secret technologies

From 1st October to 27th November, the new special exhibition "Mata Hari, James Bond & Co – The World of Espionage Technology" will present tools, strategies and mechanisms for espionage from the 1960s until today. Visitors will learn about current and historic secret technologies in reality and fiction. From a poison amulet to the pistol inside a drill to a USB stick inside a fountain pen – the exhibition reflects the rapid changes in agent technology, its miniaturisation and technical perfection. In the areas "Observing and Eavesdropping", "Camouflaging and Deluding", "Tracing and Breaking In", "Communicating and Hiding" as well as "Destroying and Killing", visitors will gain an insight into the classic fields of activity of secret services. Popular worlds of imagination, influenced by legendary figures such as James Bond and Mata Hari, will be addressed. The initiators of the exhibition also establish a relationship with the dark sides of real life as an agent, e.g. dealing with dependence, interrogation, torture and death. An espionage camp for children and a series of evening lectures with special tours, lectures about the technology of Bond films and the sexual exploitation of women by the Stasi will accompany the exhibition. On 1st October, HNF cordially invites you to the museum night, which begins at 8 p.m. Let yourself be seduced by oriental temple dances á la Mata Hari, peer over the shoulder of safe and lock breakers and see a BMW from a James Bond film in action.

First Walter-Zapp-Prize awarded in Riga

The new prize, set to the 100th birthday of Walter Zapp, is to honour technical achievement and scientific research in the spirit of this great 20th century Latvian born inventor - father of, among many things, the MINOX 8x11mm "spy" camera. The prize, jointly awarded by the Latvian Academy of Science and the National Patent Office will be awarded every two years to Latvian researchers for their innovation and discoveries. Walter Zapp himself was honoured in 2001 by the Academy with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa.

The first winners are Roberts Kalnins and Benjamins Joffe for their work on EMAGO. EMAGO is a specialized electromagnetic process that has been adapted to production and industrial applications. The two, born in Latvia and currently living in the US, were handed the prize in the shape of medallion by a distinguished group including Juris Ekmanis (Director of the Accademy of Science of the Republic of Latvia), Zigrids Aumeisters (President of the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia), Solvita Abotina (Minister of Justice in the Republic of Latvia) and Mr. Arnd Abraham representing MINOX GmbH (Germany).

Protection for digital photos

A MINOX laboratory (at Siegen, Germany) copies pixel by pixel onto traditional chemical film

The long term storage (archiving) of digital images is under discussion as nobody really knows just how long the current media will last. So to be sure that valuable digital images may still be seen by future generations, Carsten Chadt of the MINOX laboratory LAB811 at Siegen has added another service to his portfolio. His answer to archiving digital photos is to copy them on either traditional chemical 35mm negative or positive slide film – the proven answer to prevent data loss.

Carsten Chadt explains: “Well maintained traditional film material is known to last for at least a century or two and reproduction is easy." Loss of data can be caused by many different means. The storage medium ages, they may get damaged or deleted by accident or another unknown and that is today’s standards may not be read by future hardware and software. Therefore, it should be common practice to regularly copy to the latest standards, but in practice this is becoming more and more complex as the number and size of the files grow. The answer is that pixel by pixel and basic colour by basic colour the information of digital photos will be transferred by cathode rays to conventional film material by a newly developed machine. This provides the ability to produce classic photos on demand on photo paper. Also, to the best of our knowledge today, every future scanner will be able to read films or transparencies as they are optical memories. Chadt is fully convinced by the quality of his service and says: “There are currently machines on the market which copy the digital photo from the monitor – but not this one! With our method the picture is systematically reproduced in colour and resolution to the analogue image.” The capability of the machine known as the CCG film recorder is eleven million pixels. Customers can supply their data via CD, DVD or storage card to have them professionally copied. It’s for sure that many photographers will use this service to safeguard special digital photos as memories for the future.

Photo (c) Minox / LAB 811 - All rights reserved - http://www.lab811.com/

Jules Olitski, Knoedler & Company, New York - Matter Embraced, Paintings 1950s and Now

Jules Olitski—Matter Embraced
Paintings 1950s and Now
Knoedler & Company, New York
September 14 - November 5, 2005

Knoedler & Company announces its representation of Jules Olitski with the exhibition Jules Olitski—Matter Embraced: Paintings 1950s and Now. This exhibition pairs Jules Olitski's earliest series, the "matter" paintings, with his current works from the ongoing Embraced series — as Carl Belz writes in a new essay — "catapulting us from 1958 to 2005 and challenging us to see Olitski whole through the prisms of two seemingly disparate bodies of work."

Inspired by Jean Dubuffet and the School of Paris, Jules Olitski produced his "matter" paintings, mixing paint with spackle to create thick, coarse impastos, with vaguely representational figures atop smooth, controlled monochrome grounds. These paintings caught the attention of Clement Greenberg, who in 1958 invited Jules Olitski into the stable of French & Company, along with Barnett Newman, Adolph Gottlieb, Morris Louis, David Smith, and Kenneth Noland. Knoedler will be including five works that have not been seen in New York since their exhibition at French & Company in 1959.

Counterposed to the "matter" paintings, Jules Olitski's recent work from the Embraced series revisits and departs from the heavy impasto and subtle tonal shifts of the earlier pictures. Boisterous, daring and unrestrained, the Embraced paintings are an investigation and a celebration of color and texture, with large circular forms floating upon runny multicolored fields. Their vibrant swirls and unconventional color combinations attest that Olitski, after six decades of painting, continues to explore the unexpected, the beautiful, and the new.

The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue with an essay by eminent art historian Carl Belz, Director Emeritus of the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University.

KNOEDLER & COMPANY
19 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021
www.knoedlergallery.com

PQI mTrix Portable Multimedia Player

At IFA Exhibition (Messe Berlin Exhibition Center, Germany, 2nd - 7th September, 2005), Power Quotient International Co., Ltd (PQI) has displayed its range of portable multimedia players namely the mPacks. The topic of this exhibition is Future Digital Lifestyle, focusing on portability, convenience and entertainment. The mPack P600, mPack P400 and the mTrix has been featured, together with the mPack P800 which is already selling in the market. As of 9th August 2005 PQI's portable multimedia players product line are officially Dolby approved by the Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.

The mTrix, is currently the smallest portable multimedia players - MPEG4 player. It weighs only 115g but carries a 2” LTPS TFT-LCD full color screen for a high-resolution video playback and sound quality. Built-in with a 32MB NAND Flash memory, this device is conceived out of PQI’s years of expertise in Integrated Technology (Memory & Multimedia technology). This technology enables expandable memory capacity such as MMC/SD/ Intelligent Stick to be integrated into mTrix to produce a big storage and transfer of music, pictures, photos and videos. Besides the MMC/SD/ Intelligent Stick slots, the mTrix has the usual USB 2.0/1.1 port available in its device.

The mTrix supports ASF and Motion JPEG video files, and plays MP3/WMA/WAV audio files with 3D sound enhancement of bass and treble. It also has various equalizers such as normal, pop, rock and jazz. It also has a Photo Viewer that supports JPEG files for a slide show for your photographs. The maximum playing time of the mTrix is 4 hours for video and 6 hours for audio (LCD switched off) on a SD card, and 3.5 hours of video and 5.5 hours for audio (LCD switched off) on an I-Stick.

Ranging between the estimated retail price position of 130 - 150 euros (with import duty, without local taxes, without MMC/SD/ Intelligent Stick), the mTrix is comes with accessories such as CD software, USB driver, AC/DC adapter, USB cable, earphone, pouch and battery pack. This device is also equipped with Rechargeable and Detachable Battery (device also rechargeable through USB connections), Calendar and Clock functions.

About Power Quotient International

Other Posts on PQI Portable Multimedia Players

PQI mPack P800 Portable Multimedia Player

PQI mPack P600 Portable Multimedia Player PQI mPack P400 Portable Multimedia Player

About Power Quotient International

Founded in 1997, PQI designs, manufactures and markets computer memory modules, flash memory storage devices, peripherals and multimedia products. Addressing the need for reliable and versatile storage with faster access times and lower power consumption than conventional drives, PQI products are recognized as category leaders. Two of the company’s patented products—Intelligent Stick™, the smallest USB flash drive available [september, 2005], and DiskOnModule™, a cost-effective and secure solution for the embedded system market—have helped to reshape the flash storage industry.

For more PQI news and product details you can visit Power Quotient International at http://www.pqi.com.tw/. You can also visit PQI Europe at http://www.pqieurope.com/

Posts about PQI Products: PQI mPack P400 Portable Multimedia Player

PQI mPack P600 Portable Multimedia Player PQI mPack P800 Portable Multimedia Player

PQI mTrix Portable Multimedia Player

PQI mPack P600 Portable Multimedia Player

At IFA Exhibition (Messe Berlin Exhibition Center, Germany, 2nd - 7th September, 2005), Power Quotient International Co., Ltd (PQI) has displayed its range of portable multimedia players namely the mPacks. The topic of this exhibition is Future Digital Lifestyle, focusing on portability, convenience and entertainment. The mPack P600, mPack P400 and the mTrix has been featured, together with the mPack P800 which is already selling in the market. As of 9th August 2005 PQI's portable multimedia player product line are officially Dolby approved by the Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.

The mPack P600 is a power pocket multimedia player with wide screen embedded with a 4W build-in Stereo Speaker. It also comes with a earphone of 70mW for the purest of 3D sound quality in videos, music and movies. This ‘Clam Shell’ shape design protects the in-built 4” Wide Screen LCD, 16.7M colors, 480 x 272 (WQVGA) as well as minimizes power consumption while listening to music. This device has a playtime of 4 hours video (640 x 480, 24fps, AVI files) and 7 hours of audio time. You can share movies, photos, and music directly to a TV through the mPackP600.Besides supporting general Composite TV output, this device also supports full 480i/480P/720P/1080i screen (HDTV via a YprPb component), with a maximum playback resolution of over 800 x 576. As for sound quality, it is as good as its predecessor the P800 as the mPack P600 is fully designed to support 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround (SPDIF 5.1 Channel Surround Optical output). The mPack P600 can also be enhanced with an optional GPS & Navigation function.

Being offered with a 20GB or 30GB hard disk, the mPack P600 supports multiple video, audio and image files. For video files the mPack P600 supports MPEG1/2/4, AVI (XviD), MPG/DAT/VOB/MOD without converting, and ASF/WMV-with the support of converting software. As for audio files, it plays MP3 CBR/VBR, WMA, OGG, AC3, WAV, and MA4 files. As for images, the mPack P600 supports JPEG/GIF/BMP/PNG & various DSC RAW image file formats. Additionally this devices supports text files such as Plain Text Viewer.Through its USB OTG (On-The-Go) features, the mPack P600 enables you to direct access to other appliances for example a camcorder or digital camera without the help of a PC (compatibility list will be uploaded to our website in advanced). In addition to that, it has USB 2.0/1.1 interface which you can connect directly to your PC. These features are necessary for the downloading or uploading of data for the mPack P600.

The retail price position of mPack P600 is estimated between 430 - 480 euros (with import duty, without local taxes and without GPS functions). Additionally, this device is equipped with a User Friendly Graphic User Interface, Detachable and Rechargeable Battery (device also rechargeable through USB connections), Calendar, IrDA Remote Control, Clock, Address Book and Games.

For more PQI news and product details you can also visit PQI Europe at http://www.pqieurope.com/ and PQI Taiwan at http://www.pqi.com.tw/

Other PQI Multimedia Players

PQI mTrix Portable Multimedia Player

PQI mPack P400 Portable Multimedia Player

PQI mPack P800 Portable Multimedia Player

PQI mPack P400 Portable Multimedia Player

At IFA Exhibition (Messe Berlin Exhibition Center, Germany, 2nd - 7th September, 2005), Power Quotient International Co., Ltd (PQI) has displayed its range of portable multimedia players (PMPs) namely the mPacks. The topic of this exhibition is Future Digital Lifestyle, focusing on portability, convenience and entertainment. The mPack P600, mPack P400 and the mTrix has been featured, together with the mPack P800 which is already selling in the market. As of 9th August 2005 PQI's PMP product line are officially Dolby approved by the Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.

Endowed with a 40GB 2.5” hard disk, the mPack P400 comes in a luxurious black cover design that boasts of 6 hours playing time for movie and 10 hours of playing time for music. The mPack P400 plays various file formats such as MPEG1/2/4, AVI (XviD), MPG/DAT/VOB/MOD, ASF/WMV(with the support of converting software) for video, MP3 CBR/VBR, WMA, OGG, AC3, WAV, MA4 for audio, JPEG/GIF/BMP/PNG and some DSC RAW image file format for images and a Plain Text Viewer for text viewing.It is also a PMP device with a High Quality 3.5” full-color and 320 x 240 resolution LCD screen. Besides supporting general Composite TV output, this device also supports full 480i/480P/720P/1080i screen (HDTV via a YprPb component), with a maximum playback resolution of over 800 x 576. Sound-wise, the mPack P400 supports 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround (SPDIF 5.1 Channel Surround Optical output) with various equalizer functions.Loaded with PMP’s highest range of battery capacity, which is 4400mA (device also rechargeable through USB connections), the mPack P400 comes with a CF Card slot and HDD it supports USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 1.1), SD/MMC/Memory Stick/SMC (Compatibility list will be uploaded to our website in advance). In this way, you can backup or save data for the P400. Additionally the mPack P400 comes with a Calendar, Clock, Address Book and Games.

The retail price of mPack P400 is estimated between 415 euros (with import duty, without local taxes). The P800 model of the mPack series is already available for purchase from PQI and its distributors. The rest of the series of the entertainment line are planned for debut at the fourth quarter of 2005.

About Power Quotient International

Posts on other PQI Portable Multimedia Players PQI mPack P800 Portable Multimedia Player PQI mPack P600 Portable Multimedia Player PQI mTrix Portable Multimedia Player

Francesca Fuchs, Texas Gallery, Houston - Mom

Francesca Fuchs: MOM
Texas Gallery, Houston
September 6 - October 1, 2005

Texas Gallery presents a new exhibition of paintings by Houston-based artist, Francesca Fuchs. The show entitled is the third solo exhibition at the gallery for the artist. Francesca Fuchs, a former Core Program member, is known for her formal approach in painting to figurative and decorative subjects. The tension between the recognizable elements in her work and the formal considerations of line and color is characteristic of all the previous work. However, this ambitious show of 6 paintings, all 8 x 10 feet, completely confounds image and abstraction. The selection of a highly personal image… a mother nursing her baby… becomes a point of departure from a charged subject into closely valued, delicately balanced compositions. There is recognition by the viewer, confronted by a surround of large canvases, of both achievements simultaneously.

Francesca Fuchs has written the following about the MOM paintings:

Just recently a neighbor asked me what I painted. When I replied: ‘Babies and Flowers’, I had to laugh…..because babies and flowers are on the level of cat paintings – clichés of a particularly feminine sentimental aesthetic. I use this sentimental subject matter seriously, for their emotional potency is cooled down with a super-sized scale and hard-edged mechanical execution. This friction between the paintings’ emotional content and their formal execution invites both nostalgia and critical reappraisal. 

In German a canvas is a “leinwand” – a screen. The baby paintings need to operate on this cinematic scale. Nursing is such a private, hidden-away, slightly taboo activity, but one experienced ubiquitously by breastfeeding mothers both in private and public spaces. With nothing else to do they look at their baby’s heads for hours studying the curve of the ear, the line of the hair. These paintings are sentimental, they are emotional. The hues are ever-so-subtle variations in flesh color; so smooth and soft that they are barely there, yet so large in scale that the image shifts and you find yourself looking at empty expanses of color. 

I always think of my paintings in terms of their installation – wanting to be read in relation to the other paintings and the environment they are in. Paintings are often custom-made in an attempt to control the viewer’s experience of them – their sense of intimacy or monumentality, their position in relation to the corners and floors. Ultimately I want a dialogue between all the elements in the space resulting in a kind of total art experience, but one where the emotional content is filtered through the brain.

TEXAS GALLERY

2012 Peden, Houston, TX 77019
www.texgal.com

Minox LX 8x11mm Camera Special Edition

In memory of Walter Zapp, inventor and pioneer, a special camera set

This year MINOX celebrates the 100th birthday of a unique inventor and founder of the company

A superb masterpiece of camera technology has been produced by MINOX GmbH in Wetzlar, Germany in memory of a true pioneer and famous designer who has made his mark in photographic history. To celebrate the 100th birthday of MINOX inventor Walter Zapp, on the 4 September 2005, MINOX presents a Special Edition of its 8x11mm top camera model in memory of the famous founder of the company. With his design of the first MINOX camera, which became world famous – especially as a spy camera - Zapp laid the foundation for this traditional Hessian company in 1936. Miniature cameras in the 8x11 film format are still being made by hand in Wetzlar, Germany today. A hand made camera is the central piece of this edition set, an LX miniature camera with a high-gloss chrome finish. Included in the set is a special medal minted from fine silver which marks two very special dates that are being celebrated at the optical specialists in Wetzlar, Germany this year. Along with the portrait of Walter Zapp and his anniversary dates, the coin also refers to the 60th anniversary of MINOX as a company.

Photo (c) Minox - All rights reserved - www.minox-web.de

100th birthday of Minox Founder

On Sunday 4 September 2005 MINOX commemorated the 100th birthday of the company founder Walter Zapp

For over 60 years Minox cameras have been manufactured by this traditional company based in Mittelhessen, Germany

In memory and in celebration of the MINOX inventor Walter Zapp: On Sunday 4 September 2005 the company management, employees and former friends, as well as the son of Mr Zapp and the managing committee of the 1st German MINOX Club met in Wetzlar, Germany to commemorate Walter Zapp´s 100th birthday and the 60th anniversary of MINOX GmbH.

Sadly, two years ago the company´s founder died at his home in Switzerland, but Lotar Zapp, his son, gave a lively account of his memories and said what a special person his father was. Hubert Heckmann, president of the 1st German MINOX Club, Zapp-biographer and book-author reviewed the different stages of Zapp´s life which was marked not only by hard and difficult times but also by chances and new perspectives. Its for sure that Zapp knew how to take advantage of the new opportunities that came his way with his unique pioneering spirit.

Finally, MINOX director Thorsten Kortemeier, presented a silver commemorative coin showing a portrait of Walter Zapp. This coin has been released together with a hand-built chromium plated LX 8x11 camera as a special Minox birthday edition.

Photo (c) Minox - All rights reserved - www.minox-web.de

Nikon Coolpix S4 Digital Camera

Photos © 2005 Nikon Corp.

The Nikon Coolpix S4 features a 10x Zoom-Nikkor lens to give an outstanding 38-380mm performance (35mm equivalent). This impressive zoom allows the user to capture everything from close-ups to architecture and landscapes, the camera is also swivel mounted so pictures can be taken from different angles.

The swivel capability means you can shoot from the waist or overhead, and is great for composing high quality self-portraits. The Nikon Coolpix S4 has 6.0 effective megapixels to produce quality shots that remain impressive even when enlarged.

A large, bright 2.5-inch LCD makes it easy to compose pictures and simple to play back the results on the spot. The S4 is designed to be highly portable, with a slim 37mm depth and a light weight of 205g.

The Nikon Coolpix S4 makes it possible to improve images in-camera with a range of unique Nikon functions. Available in Playback Mode, the ingenious D-Lighting function enables the user to ‘rescue’ shots taken with insufficient flash or excessive backlight.

In Portrait Mode, the Nikon Coolpix S4 offers the handy Face-priority AF function, which can detect the presence of a human face in the shot. Once detected, Face-priority automatically achieves sharp focus on the face, producing pleasing portraits no matter where the subject was positioned in the shot.

In-Camera Red-Eye Fix automatically detects the red-eye effect that can occur when taking portraits with flash, giving better quality portraits.

The Nikon Coolpix S4 is equipped with a useful Blur Warning function which alerts the user whenever a shot may have been compromised by camera shake, providing a chance to take another image before the opportunity passes. The Nikon Coolpix S4 can be powered with a pair of AA-size batteries which are widely available. There’s also a selection of four Movie Modes offering up to 15 frames per second performance.

A choice of 16 Scene Modes simplifies shooting in a wide range of common situations. Four of these Scene Modes come with the added advantage of Scene Assist, which helps the user to achieve better composition. There’s also the Voice Recording Mode, which can record up to 5 hours of sound when used with a 256MB SD card.

The Nikon Coolpix S4 is PictBridge compatible which allows the camera to be connected directly to compatible printers to produce photographs without the need for a computer. The camera offers USB connectivity, making it swift and easy to transfer data to computers and other peripherals. Furthermore, the COOLPIX S4 comes complete with Nikon’s versatile PictureProject software so images can be edited, organised and shared simply using a wide range of easy-to-use functions.

Note: Specifications, design, product name, standard accessories, and release schedule may differ by country or area.

Nikon Coolpix S4 Feature Highlights

- Equipped with a powerful 10x Zoom-Nikkor lens, the Coolpix S4 offers far more compositional freedom than other compact cameras. In fact, delivering outstanding 38-380mm performance (35mm equivalent), makes it easy for the photographer to capture a much broader range of subject matter — moving in for tightly composed portraits, zooming further out for stunning shots of architecture, or pulling right out to capture the full beauty of expansive scenery.

- Not only is the lens of the Coolpix S4 powerful, but it is also housed within a unique swiveling body that allows the lens to be directed independently of the LCD monitor. As a result, it provides new potential for taking pictures from a more imaginative range of angles.

- Compact dimensions and a lightweight design make the Nikon Coolpix S4 comfortable to hold in the hand and easy to carry. It’s also compatible with AA-size batteries.

- The Nikon Coolpix S4 is equipped with a large, easy-to-view LCD that makes it easy to compose shots with clarity and play back the results right away. And because it’s so large and bright, it makes navigation of the menu much simpler too.

- Equipped with a selection of unique Nikon functions, the Coolpix S4 even makes it easy to enhance recorded images in-camera. Available in Playback Mode, the D-Lighting function lets users improve images taken with insufficient flash or excessive backlight, creating a copy with automatically enhanced light and detail wherever necessary. The Nikon Coolpix S4 also features In-Camera Red-Eye Fix.

Nikon Coolpix S4 Other Features

- Highly portable dimensions of 111.5 x 68.5 x 37mm (4.4 x 2.7 x 1.4 in.) (W x H x D)

- Minimized weight of approximately 205g (7.2 oz.) (without battery and memory card)

- BSS (Best Shot Selector) identifies and saves the best exposure automatically from ten sequential shots

- AE-BSS selects the best relative exposure from a series of shots

- Macro mode lets the user compose as close as 4cm from the subject

- Approx. 13.5MB internal memory ensures that you get the shot even when you are without an SD memory card

- Time zone function makes it easy to set the camera’s clock to local time, regardless of where you are in the world

- 4x digital zoom takes you even closer

- Single AF and Continuous AF are selectable in Movie Mode

- Choice of White Balance: Auto with TTL control, 5-mode manual (Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy and Flash) and Preset

- Playback options: Single, 4- and 9-segment thumbnail, Slideshow

- Built-in flash: features settings for Auto, Red-eye Reduction by pre-flash (In-Camera Red-Eye Fix), Anytime flash, Flash cancel and Slow sync.

Nikon Digital Camera Coolpix S4 Specifications

- Type: Compact digital camera

- Effective pixels: 6.0 million

- CCD 1/2.5-inch type (6.4 million total pixels)

- Image modes: High (2816*), Normal (2816), Normal (2048), PC (1024), TV (640)

- Lens: 10x Zoom-Nikkor; 6.3-63mm (35mm [135] format equivalent to 38-380mm); f/3.5; 12 elements in 9 groups; Digital zoom: up to 4x (35mm [135] format equivalent to approx. 1520mm)

- Focus range: 30cm (12 in.) to infinity (∞), approx. 4cm (1.6 in.) to infinity (∞) in Macro mode

- LCD monitor: 2.5-inch type, 110,000-dot TFT LCD monitor with brightness adjustment

- Storage media: Internal memory: approx. 13.5MB, SD memory card

- Shooting modes: Auto, Scene Assist (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait), Scene (Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close up, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist, Voice Recording), BSS (Best Shot Selector), AE-BSS, Colour Options, Blur Warning, Date Imprint, Self-timer (10 sec.)

- Movie: With sound: TV movie (640) at 15fps, Small size (320) at 15fps, Smaller size (160) at 15fps; Without sound: Time-lapse movie at 15fps

- Capture modes: 1) Single, 2) Continuous (approx. 1.3fps), 3) Multi-shot 16 (16 frames 1/16 in size)

- Number of frames (w/ Internal memory): High (2816*) approx. 4, Normal (2816) approx. 9

- Built-in flash: Range: 0.4-3.0m/ 1 ft. 4 in. – 10 ft.; Flash modes: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction (In-Camera Red-Eye Fix), Anytime Flash, Flash Cancel and Slow sync.

- Interface: USB

- Supported languages: German - English - Spanish - French - Italian - Dutch - Swedish - Japanese - Simplified Chinese - Traditional Chinese - Korean - Russian selectable in menu display

- Power requirements: Two AA-size batteries (Rechargeable Ni-MH Battery EN-MH1-B2 with Battery Charger MH-71, LR6 alkaline batteries, ZR6 oxy-nickel batteries and FR6/L91 lithium batteries), AC Adapter EH-62B

- Battery life (approx.): Approx. 290 shots with EN-MH1-B2 Rechargeable Batteries, approx. 450 shots with lithium batteries, approx 160 shots with LR6 (AA-size alkaline batteries) [Measured at 25°C (77°F); zoom adjusted with each shot, built-in flash fired with every other shot, image mode set to Normal]

- Dimensions (W x H x D): Approx. 111.5 x 68.5 x 37mm (4.4 x 2.7 x 1.4 in.)

- Weight: Approx. 205g (7.2 oz.) (without batteries and memory card)

- Supplied accessories (They may differ by country or area): Neck strap, USB Cable UC-E6, Audio Video Cable EG-CP14, Rechargeable Ni-MH Battery EN-MH1-B2, Battery Charger MH-71, Lens cap, PictureProject CD-ROM

- Optional accessories: AC Adapter EH-62B

Specifications and equipment are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. ©August, 2005 Nikon Corp.

David Levis Strauss, Photography and Politics

“We can learn with him. He knows how to resist, he’s a good guide across frontiers, he stays calm…. critic as coyote. Listen with him” –– John Berger

Between the Eyes: Essays on Photography and Politics, by David Levis Strauss, was originally published by Aperture in May 2003, received critical acclaim from art critics around the world. This book will be made available in paperback for the first time in September 2005. The soft cover edition, which features a stunning new cover design, will make this important book even more accessible to students and scholars of photography. Between the Eyes: Essays on Photography and Politics is comprised of eighteen of David Levi Strauss’s persuasive and poetic writings on photography and photographers, accompanied by numerous black-and-white illustrations. Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist John Berger provides an illuminating introduction. David Levi Strauss is a writer with a visual and intellectual sensibility that is both acute and encompassing. In Between the Eyes, Strauss’s thinking on photography is provocative, lively, and relevant. He tackles subjects ranging from photography and propaganda to the imagery of dreams; from Sebastião Salgado’s epic socialdocuments to the deeply personal photographic revelations of Francesca Woodman. The issue of photographic legitimacy is addressed in the essay “Photography and Belief;” and in “The Highest Degree of Illusion,” Strauss discusses the media frenzy surrounding the tragic events of September 11. With precision and compassion, Strauss is able to render complex ideas underlining the current debates concerning the relationship between aesthetics and politics so that they are accessible to a broad audience. David Levi Strauss is a regular contributor to Aperture, Artforum, and the Nation. His essays have appeared in numerous monographs on artists such as Miguel Rio Branco, Francesca Woodman, and Alfredo Jaar. He is currently teaching theory and criticism in the graduate program at the Center for Curatorial Studies and in the Master of Fine Arts Studio program at Bard College. He has also taught and lectured at New York University, Columbia University, San Francisco Art Institute, and Rice University, among other institutions. Strauss’s previous publications include Between Dog and Wolf: Essays On Art & Politics, and The Legacy of Landmines (collaboration with photographer Bobby Neel Adams). He has been awarded a Logan grant, three Artspace grants, and a Visiting Scholar Research Fellowship from the Center for Creative Photography. John Berger is a novelist, storyteller, poet, screenwriter, and essayist. He is the author of many works of fiction and nonfiction, including To The Wedding, About Looking, Ways of Seeing and, G., for which he was awarded the Booker Prize. His most recent publications include the novel King: A Street Story (1999) and two books of essays: The Shape of a Pocket (2002) and John Berger: Selected Essays, edited by Geoff Dyer (2001). Between the Eyes: Essays on Photography and Politics by David Levis Strauss Introduction by John Berger Aparture September 2005 Black-and-white illustrations 5 ½ X 8 ¼ inches 208 pages Paperback ISBN 1-931788-88-X $17.95