Tuesday, 29 October 2013

Head of Destiny CD Cover

For a band. The roboporpoise of death!


Wednesday, 23 October 2013

Piranesi Updated Part IV

Piranesi  began his magnificent views (Verdute) of Rome series in 1748, and kept at it until his death. The prints were collected by his son, Francesco, who followed in his father's footsteps and became a skilled artist in his own right.

The Prisons (Carceri) series was begun in 1745, of which I have written before and will write again, as it is a source of endless inspiration. Having visited Rome, I have no doubt now that the series itself was sparked by the cyclopean Roman ruins he was spending so much time with. Just as The Prisons series has, in turn, inspired so many others.

I tried to follow in Piranesi's footsteps in Rome, and update his view. Many of the locations from which he drew are no longer accessible to the public, are underground (within the Via dei Fori Imperiali, for example), in thin air (some thirty feet worth of sediment and debris have been removed from the Roman Forum since his day), or are now blocked by trees. I was also far from scientific or rigorous in my approach. Nevertheless, it was a thrill to put his work in context.

The Temple of Antonius and Faustina has become a macabre hybrid of Roman Imperial and Renaissance architecture. Antonius was one of the wise emperors. He fought not a single war during his reign and didn't get within 500 miles of a legion. He and his wife founded charities to help orphaned children. Faustina spent her life assisting the poor. Not stuff that gets the press, as Nero and Caligula do so readily with depravity and hedonism.


The gentlemen below with their mule are walking along (or rather above) the old Clivus Capitolinus road, which ran up the Tarpeian Rock to the Capitolium and the Temple of Jupiter, Best and Greatest. The Temple of Jupiter existed up until the 15th century in reportedly good repair until this priceless monument was demolished to make way for a Renaissance era Walmart.


There are a pair of these so-called Horse Tamers, representing Castor and Pollux, which stand on Quirinal Hill in the Piazza San Pietro. Copied from Greek originals, they now flank an Egyptian obelisk.


The Theatre of Marcellus is the only remaining Imperial or Republican theatre in Rome, it was turned into a fortress and later private residences.

 

Trajan's Column now sports a saint atop, instead of it's namesake. The multistory Trajan's Forum, which surrounded it, allowed the upper sections to be viewed more easily in ancient times. Now, you need binoculars.


The Temple of Saturn once sat atop the Roman treasury. It was destroyed by fire multiple times and rebuilt.


Trajan's Column can be viewed from two angles, both including a church in the background. Piranesi rendered both.


The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is built atop Roman ruins, some six meters below ground now, which can be explored through a series of tunnels. Some murals and mosaics are still visible.


Max was drowned at Milvian bridge after his army was defeated by Constantine. His Basilica was then completed by his opponent, but mostly destroyed later by earthquakes. Only one wing of this colossal building remains standing.


The image below is not a Piranesi, but it's a nevertheless fascinating rendering of what the northern end of the Roman Forum might have looked like at its height. On the upper left, you can see the Temple of Jupiter. The Tabularium runs along to the upper right. Below is the Temple of Concord (of which little remains today, it having been razed in the 15th century and turned into a lime-kiln), and in front of that is the Arch of Severus. The arch is still with us thanks to it being incorporated into a church.


Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Piranesi: then and now part III

Veduta di Campo Vaccino (View of the Cow Pasture) was probably drawn from a window of the Palace of the Senators which was built on top of the Tabularium's remains. You can see the very top of the remaining pillars of the Temple of Vespasian in the lower right, which have been almost completely buried. The Colosseum can be seen in the background on the upper left, above the Temple of Antonius and Faustina.



The view of the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine is from the Palace of Elagabalus.


The Basilica of Maxentius was completed by Constantine. Most of the structure was brought down by an earthquake in the 10th century.


The image of the Roman Forum below isn't Piranesi, but it's a decent match up and shows the reverse facing of the Campo Vaccino. Between twenty and thirty feet of earth has been removed. Sediment, debris, and silt washed into the low lying forum over the centuries from the surrounding hills.


 The Arch of Septimius Severus was built in 203 AD by his sons. Beyond it are the Gemonian Steps that lead up Capitoline Hill.





Monday, 21 October 2013

In the footsteps of Piranesi: Part II

I've always found this building, Castel Sant'Angelo, fascinating, as it is unlike anything else from the Imperial Period. It was originally Hadrian's Mausoleum (according to some it originally had trees on top); the ashes of succeeding emperors were also placed here, up to Emperor Caracalla in 217AD. You can still visit the cavernous inner chamber, but it's quite bland now. On the other hand, the view of Rome from the top is fabulous.

The building squats just off the river Tiber, and the bridge Hadrian built to reach it, the Pons Aelius, still stands.

It was converted into a fortress in 410, incorporated into Rome's fortified walls, and stripped of statues and decorations. Later it became a castle under the popes, and was the refuge of Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome in 1527.


Sunday, 20 October 2013

In the footsteps of Piranesi: Part I

While in Rome I tried to take a series of photos of Roman ruins from the same vantage point as Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the great Venetian artist. Got reasonably close on a few occasions. I think he may have sat himself on a large rock in front of the Colosseum for this particular etching.

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Gentleman and Lady Drinking Wine


By Vermeer van Delft. It's much smaller than you'd think. Original shot below. For more on Vermeer's process, check out the movie Tim's Vermeer.


Following in the footsteps



A painter was copying a piece in the gallery. Fascinating to see how he went about it.

Monday, 16 September 2013

Animated map of European borders from 1000 A.D.

Great animated map of shifting borders over at LiveLeak.

Love this sort of stuff.

What I particularly like about this map is that it includes all of Europe and the Mediterranean, so you see what's happening in England and France in context with what's going on in Anatolia, for example, and North Africa. When we study history it often becomes necessarily narrowly focused on one region, a series of major events, but at the cost of context.



Smart Dunce

Friday, 13 September 2013

Clever logos with a subtle touch

These witty little puppies are worth a second look.




There's a slew more over at Shre Design. Check them out.

More marketing stunts: Working Star Trek teleporter


This is really fun.

I'd buy one.

Szlam.net reviews Rebel Angels (in Polish)


Szlam takes a look at Rebel Angels. Their verdict? Generally positive, although they prefer Rex Libris.

I like the suggestion of a HBO series.

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

World's biggest websites at time of launch

By Mashable, via The Wayback Machine.

It's gotten better!

Broken Frontier reviews Rebel Angels

Jason Wilkins gives my latest graphic novel, Rebel Angels, a gander. He has this to say:

"Smart, technically brilliant, and infused with a jagged, sharp-toothed cynicism that burbles under the surface of every vertiginous panel, Turner’s Rebel Angels should probably come with a disclaimer warning that it may cause seriously funny discussion about the nature of religion, faith, and social equality."

It's a great review, and puts a wind under my sails. He dug the underlying themes, but does note that it is 'sure to rub people the wrong way' as well.

Hmm. That may explain why people take a step away from me when I mention the project, presumably to avoid the lightning strike.

City of Dis
Check out the rest of the review here.

Be sure to check out the comic at Comixology. The first 70 page issue is available FREE.

Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Jodorowsky's Dune: "You can't make a masterpiece without madness."


So says Jodorowsky, the infectiously enthusiastic focus of the new documentary, Jodorowsky's Dune.

He and his vision were at the heart of a quixotic 1970's effort to produce Frank Herbert's labyrinthine novel. Supported by an elite team of 'spiritual warriors' that Jodorowsky assembled, they'd create an epic without ever reading the source material.

Details.

Jodorowsky has the kind of irrepressible passion and sense of wonder needed to sell a crazy project to Hollywood. Think Reading Rainbow but with everyone on LSD. This is a man who can present a series of static storyboards in such an enthralling way you feel like you've seen the film.

No wonder he was able to put together such a talented crew.

And what a team it was: he brought together leading artists such as Moebius, Dan O'Bannon (pre-Alien), H.R. Giger (also pre-Alien), and Chris Foss. He's got taste.

Jodorowsky
That being said, I am dubious about the choice of Dali to play the Padashah Emperor. But who knows? If anyone was going to get a great performance out of Dali, it was Jodorowsky. He has a knack for inspiring people. He got great work out of his dream team, from character designs (Moebius) to ships (Foss) and architecture (Giger).

Visually, there isn't much middle eastern influence as I'd have expected, but it's wonderful stuff regardless.

The distinctive style of Chris Foss. Pirate ship leaking glowing blue Melange (spice).
H.R. Giger's design for the Harkonen Fortress
Of course, Jodorowsky decided to rewrite the ending of Dune. That's just the way he rolls. And why not? He didn't read the book anyway. He has an endearing penchant for new age themes and stories where the human spirit triumphs over all. Cosmic stuff. Good vibes. That sort of thing. Just with lots of sex and explosions along the way.

Many of the ideas he injected into Dune, like the miracle child's immaculate conception, would pop up in his later work. Reuse, recycle. Nothing wasted. Dune was the spring board that launched his future.

Ultimately the major studios rejected his ambitious film project, possibly because of Jodorowsky's eccentricity, it's wild scope, and even crazier cost.

Dune storyboard by Moebius
But Jodorowsky is not a man to be kept down. The weight of the universe couldn't do that, and undaunted, he channelled all that imagination and work into comics, producing the sci-fi acid trip The Incal with Moebius. It confirms Jodorowsky as one of the most wildly imaginative writers out there. Of course it doesn't always make sense. Who cares? It's more fun than a barrel of drunken flying monkeys on laughing gas. It'll blow your mind.

He has some outrageously funny quotes ("I was raping Frank Herbert") that only he could get away with and still seem endearing.

More about Moebius and Dune can be found here, including more storyboards.

Foss designed space craft. Chris Foss is awesome.
Character designs by Moebius. Who is also awesome.
Chris Foss designed temple for Dune
Giger's version of a great worm
By the end of the film you really wish he'd made his movie. But The Incal is a pretty amazing consolation prize, deserving of a film of its own, if it could be trimmed down and rejigged to make sense to a mainstream audience that wasn't stoned. It's filled with his groovy, positive spiritual concepts, the same sort of ones he brought to Dune.

He's all about the collective unconscious and dreams.

John Difool falls in The Incal
A trippy underwater vista in Incal
Jodorowsky gets even more cosmic with his next work: Metabarons, illustrated by Juan Giménez. It contains many elements from Incal, only weirder. Same goes for Technopriests. They're both beyond epic. The scope of his imagination is truly breathtaking. There can be no doubt that Jodorowsky is still in touch with his inner child, and a sense of unbridled enthusiasm and uninhibited creativity suffuses his work.

Scene from Metabarons. Or is it Technopriests?
The collapse of the Dune film left Dan O'bannon broke and sleeping on a friend's couch. That's where he wrote Aliens. It must have been some couch. He hired an artist he met while working on the Dune project to design the xenomorph: H.R. Giger.

The rest is cinema history.

Dan O'Bannon and H.R. Giger designing the future of sci-fi cinema
O'Bannon went on to write the whacky Lifeforce (1985) about hot naked space vampires, the B-17 sequence of the Heavy Metal movie (the only memorable bit), Blue Thunder (1983), Total Recall (1990), Alien vs. Predator (2004), and Invaders from Mars (1986). He also directed the cult classic Return of the Living Dead in 1985.

H.R. Giger worked on a number of films, but is best remembered for Alien and his atmospheric and disturbing paintings that tortuously merge human bodies with cybernetic parts. He's also known for referring to himself in the third person.

Giger's vision of the Space Jockey
Foss' art graced the covers of an entire generation of sci-fi novels. He worked on the 1980 Flash Gordon film, and illustrated The Joy of Sex, although there are no spaceships in it.

Spectacular Foss
The documentary finishes with some inspirational comments by Jodo, as he's known to his friends.

I left feeling uplifted.

Monday, 9 September 2013

Tim's (Wonderful) Vermeer

Tim Jenison and the producers, only really really tiny.
TIFF is in full swing here in Toronto. Saw Tim's Vermeer; it's excellent.

The film follows eccentric genius Tim Jenison in his quest to paint a Vermeer, inspired by David Hockney's book, Secret Knowledge.

And he does.
Detail of Girl with the Pearl Earring, one of my favourites.
Tim and his invention. Or re-invention.
If you are interested in painting, optical devices, or mysteries, see it.