Posted on April 28, 2008 in Art & Artists by No Comments »

Samoan Tribal Tattoo attract attention without a doubt for some reasons like the complexity of the drawing and the painful process of having a tattoo done. What is as well remarkable is the visual impact of these tattoos, especially when they cover half of a person’s body. Samoan tattoo artists used special combs to apply the design. They would dip the comb in ink and then tap the pointed teeth of the comb along the skin, puncturing the surface and inserting the ink. Samoan tattooing began to enjoy a renaissance in the 1960s, perhaps linked with a revitalized national pride in Western Samoa after independence (1962). While all forms of Samoan tattoo are linked with a general pride and commitment to Samoan culture, there are some important differences in the Tribal Dragon Tattoo.

Samoan Tribal Sun Tattoo, both traditional and contemporary, allows the wearer to artistically explore and announce his or her Samoan heritage, and acts as a strongly voiced and permanent display of cultural pride, especially by those living in the Samoan diaspora. Samoan tattoo artist, more commonly known among his people as a tafuga , Paulo Suluape, has died according to the New Zealand Herald . He was found in his New Zealand home in Thursday morning, and it has been determined the death occured around midnight on Wednesday as a result of fatal wounds to the back of his head. Samoan tattoo design is traditional. Comparison of a detailed drawing of a traditional Samoan pe’a in one of the old books about Samoa?Kramer’s The Samoan Islands ?shows little difference from the designs I saw being applied in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Tattoo art was very important in the Polynesian culture. Because they had no written language, tattoos were used to depict social status, family history and spirituality. Tattooing was done in secret but was revived again in 1984. Now in modern Tahiti the deep traditional meanings are used only by a few, and sacred symbols kept by royal families or shamans. Tattoos, or pe’a , demonstrate the strong ties many Samoans feel for their culture. Samoans have practiced the art of tattooing both men and women for over 2,000 years.

Traditionally the method of rewarding the artist (for example, with woven fine mats in traditional Samoa) has been significant. These days the exchange of money is obviously the standard, but thought still needs to be given to the interaction between the person being tattooed and the tattoo artist. Traditionally the combs were carved from a boar’s tusk.

Samoan women were tattooed as well, but female tattooing was limited to a series of delicate flower-like geometrical patterns on the hands and the lower part of the body. Samoa’s unique Tribal Tattoo is presented at these world conventions in a roped-off area, with security guards who brief spectators on the rules before they are allowed entry. People who do not follow the rules are kicked out of the area. Samoans are constantly being assessed by their chiefs for contributions of food, mats, and tapa for various ceremonies—funerals, weddings, house buildings, tattooings, and church inaugurations.

Samoans also have ancient traditions and ceremonies such as the matai ceremony and the art of Samoan tattoo which Leilani has described. But we have also adopted more recent traditions such as English cricket.

Women?s Tribal Tattoo are done on the thighs, legs, or hands, and are usually of a smaller design. While men?s tattoos are typically comprised of larger, solid sections of ink, the women?s patterns are of a much more delicate, intricate design. Women were also Tribal butterfly Tattootattooed on their thighs and knees, but with delicate, repeated individual motifs. Samoan boys were tattooed at the age of 16-18 years, in a group puberty ceremony that served to reinforce societal authority.

Posted on April 24, 2008 in Art & Artists by No Comments »

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese theater art. The word Kabuki is derived from the Japanese word kabuki which means avant-garde or bizarre theater. Kabukimono were youngsters who were rebellious and used to dress strangely. Because the kanji characters sing and dance, kabuki also means the art of singing and dancing.

This work has been tampered with over a period of time. The kabuki which we witness now isn’t the same what it used to be before. The founder of this art was Okuni, who was a young lady who served a Shinto shrine named Lzumo Taisha. She gained attention by adapting a completely new dance form at the theaters at the dry river beds of Kyoto in the year 1603. Basically it started with only female artist who even did the role of men. The stories were based on the common people with a comedic twist. After the initial success Okuni was invited to show her performance at the royal court. Out of envy other troupes began adopting the same style of dancing and kabuki became a common style. The women involved in kabuki began entering prostitution so they were banned from performing further and men took over their place. The attention shifted from dance to performance. But the performance by the men also became salacious and they too started prostitution as a side profession and worked for both men and women customers. This affected the audiences which attended these performance they became ill-mannered and a fight used to break out over a young and handsome actor. This led to the imposing of ban on young male actors too.

Kabuki - Theater Art

Kabuki then became a field of art for matured men. These men put in more effort to bring up the reputation of kabuki. The men who performed the role of women were known as Oyama or Onnagata. Basically there were two types of role named Aragoto or rough style and Wagoto or Sakata tojuro. Yaro kabuki or men’s kabuki was the stylized version and Kyogen comic theater was a very influential factor as it was very popular then.

The kabuki artists wore detailed makeup. Aragoto character or the reckless warrior character has a pompous role with bright clothing and loud makeup. The style too is loud and exaggerated and involves more action. On the contrary Wagoto is a more cultured role with decent dialogue delivery and gestures. More about Theater Art.

Posted on March 20, 2008 in Art & Artists by No Comments »

I was utterly astounded as I walked into the store of Antique Art Chicago. I was given a PowerPoint on different types of Sculpture Artifacts to present to my class, so my mother suggested to me to go to an authentic store to study for my assignment . When I went to the library I didn’t find what I was looking for, so when I went to this Antique Art Chicago store, I brought a camera to take pictures of all of the Antique Bookcases. I really got some good shots. One photograph was a statue of a man holding a golden apple; I assume it was considered a Sculpture Artifacts. That must be a unique feature in Greek mythology. As I looked around the tiny but crowded room, colors were flying all around me, and when I would rotate left, something on the right would distract me. I didn’t know where to turn or where to start looking, since everything was purely gorgeous and I appreciated all of the paintings I saw. Soon there after the only things I saw was the blinding flashes of my camera. I hoarded all of the pictures I took on the laptop computer, and from there I put it on my PowerPoint. My class loved my assignment when it was presented to the class , and even better, my teacher gave me an A+ for effort, creativeness, Antique Chairs, and appearance . That was the most fun assignment I have ever worked on for class !
One morning I was strolling down the streets, just walking aimlessly and taking in all the fresh air and the sights of that beautiful day. While I was not very distance from my own home, a sign attracted my attention from across the street. It was red and large , and if that was not what attracted my interest , the actual name of the shop sure did. It was called, “All Amazing and Astounding Antique Art Chicago.” The only thing that I could think of then was ‘good use of alliteration!’ Wow. I had no option but to cross the road and stroll in; at least look around a bit. When I entered the shop I was really astonished. The Antique Bookcases there was a sight to take in , everything was beautiful and captivating. Thoughts swirling around my head were ‘my husband is going to be so mad at me; he is not going to like it.’ I mean, clearly , which husband would enjoy their wife spending literally thousands of dollars just to acquire Sculpture Artifacts and Antique Bookcases? That was precisely what I did, and in the end of our argument I convinced my husband that he too has things to gain out of my purchases. After all, doesn’t everybody need some place to eat and somewhere to sit? My motto has always been, “out with the old and in with the new.”
Every year in autumn there is an art demonstration. I am not really gifted in anything that has to do with art, but what I am gifted in is looking and shopping. I love going to those shows! In three days is the Antique Art Chicago show and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I even played hooky at school for that, and when the day came I made sure to dress warmly since it was a cool day outside, and I absolutely made sure to carry lots of money. So I was walking down the road that was blocked off for the event , and something sparkly attracted my eye. I walked over to the stand and there was an old woman there promoting Currency Artifacts. There was a beautiful stone there called cadmium, and when I saw the label for it something clicked in my memory. I remember learning regarding that stone in class , it was golden and it was a kind of metal used as ink for tattooing. I also made an impulse purchase of Antique Bookcases I bought it to show my illustrator the next day, since I seriously couldn’t keep my eyes of it and I knew that my teacher would give me extra credit for bringing it in. I could always use that!

Posted on February 25, 2008 in Art & Artists by No Comments »

Encouraging appreciation of new classical music in children mostly involves exposure and playing classical music as part of a lifestyle choice. Choosing selections that match your children’s ages, development, and current feelings can help make it more acceptable as well. Whether the family leans slowly towards contemporary classical music or more traditional composers, you’ll slowly find that they may start to like the strains and sounds as much as you do - well, almost.

Classical Music and Your Brain

Understanding how classical music affects the human brain shows how playing a few classical CDs can really boost a salesperson’s profit margin. According to Jeff Kellaris, a marketing professor at the University of Cincinnati, “Music can help shape customers’ time perception, lower sales resistance and increase willingness to spend.” The complex structure of classical music actually causes your brain to work harder while listening. Even if you are not consciously aware of the music playing in the background, your brain is very attuned to it.

As the music filters into your subconscious, your brain works to comprehend the complex music, but the question is, how does this affect shopping habits? First, since the brain is preoccupied, the sense of time is compromised. This means that a customer will spend more time in the sales environment, whether it is a retail store or a home for sale, without even realizing it. The longer a person lingers, the more likely he or she will buy.

Classical Music While You Shop on your MP3 Player

A brain that is distracted is less able to take critical-thinking decisions that keep you within your budget. If your brain cannot focus on making rational choices based on need, price, and budget restrictions, you will be more susceptible to marketing strategies that encourage you to buy. When you listen to classical music, your ability to make smart choices decreases and your spending increases easily.

Defending Against Beethoven

Defending yourself against the strategy of a store owner that has you listen to classical music in the background is as simple as being aware of the music that is playing above your head while you shop. Actively listen to classical music rather than enjoy the relaxing environment it creates can keep you alert and save you from spending more than you intended. Focus on the purchases you needed to make by having a list handy, and overcome the urge to browse.

Find classical music MP3 download websites here.