Goya Awards 2020

The Goya Awards (los Premios Goya) are Spain's main national annual film awards.

Spain's 2020 Goya Awards: See the Songs & Scores Nominated

Songs performed by Swedish pop star Zara Larsson and otherworldly flamenco, fado and jazz singer Sílvia Pérez Cruz, and the score for Pedro Almodóvar’s Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory) are among the music categories’ nominees for Spain’s 2020 Goya Awards, set to take place on Jan. 25 in Málaga.

Pain and Glory is the leading contender overall for the Spanish film awards – often referred to as Spain’s Oscars – with 16 nominations, including best picture and best director.

Here are the nominees in the best original music and best original song categories:

Best Original Song

“Intemperie,” Javier Ruibal

Andalusian guitarist and singer Javier Ruibal, known for his personal flamenco fusion, wrote the title song for Intemperie (Out in the Open), directed by Benito Zembrano, which is nominated for best picture. Sílvia Pérez Cruz sings on the spare, tension-building track.

“Invisible,” Caroline Pernell, Jussifer and Justin Tranter

Swedish pop star Zara Larsson sings “Invisible,” from the Netflix animated feature Klaus, directed by Sergio Pablos. Composers Caroline Pernell, Jussifer and Justin Tranter are nominated for the song.

“Allí en la Arena”, Tony M. Mir

Tony M. Mir composed “Allí en la Arena” in the Spanish copla style, with marching fanfare and castanet clicking. The song is featured in the coming-of-age movie La Inocencia (Innocence), directed by Lucía Alemany.

“Nana de las Dos Lunas,” Sergio de la Puente

Pianist Sergio de la Puente’s “Nana de los Dos Lunas” is a lullaby with a mournful edge, featured in the movie La Noche de las Dos Lunas (The Night of the Two Moons), directed by Miguel Ferrari.

Best Original Music

Arturo Cardelús, Buñuel en el Laberinto de las Tortugas (Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles)

The soundtrack to the animated film Buñuel en el Laberinto de las Tortugas, about the legendary director Luis Buñuel, features a 23-musician chamber orchestra and a full choir from London’s Royal Academy of Music, directed by the music’s composer, Arturo Cardelús.

Alberto Iglesias, Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory)

Multiple Oscar-nominee (The Constant Gardener, The Kite Runner, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and habitual Almodóvar collaborator Alberto Iglesias wrote the score for the 2020 Goyas’ most-nominated film.

Pascal Gaigne, La Trinchera Infinita (The Endless Trench)

Pascal Gaigne, who won a 2018 Goya for the movie Handia, worked again with the directors of that movie, Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi (plus the third of a directing trio, Jose Mari Goenaga) to compose the music for their 2020 Goya-nominated film La Trinchera Infinita.

Alejandro Amenábar, Mientras Dure la Guerra, (“While at War”)

Alejandro Amenábar, the director of Spanish Civil War drama Mientras Dure la Guerra, composed the film’s nominated score.

Photography by
FRANK RAMOS
UNITED PHOTO PRESS / 30 YEARS

Read More

ster·e·o·type /ˈsterēəˌtīp/ noun plural noun: stereotypes

ster·e·o·type /ˈsterēəˌtīp/ noun plural noun: stereotypes
1.a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Stereotypes

Vários propriet. 

•

Seguir tudo

ster·e·o·type

/ˈsterēəˌtīp/

noun

plural noun: stereotypes

1.a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Humans, at their very biological core, create and use the concept of stereotypes to process and identify. Psychologists argue that the concept has advantages enabling us to respond rapidly to situations because we may have had a similar experience before.

I am of the camp that stereotypes, as propagated, broadcasted, and campaigned on by the President of the United States, are divisive, deadly, and disastrous to our democracy. 

This project was born out of frustration with our President who routinely attacks cultures, races, sexes, and occupations without recourse. 

Maybe Trump’s words do not fully illustrate the damaging nature of the stereotypes being tossed frivolously around by the leader of the free world. Maybe stereotypes when visualized, will have more of an impact to create discussions around how we should choose leaders that move us forward as a society rather than one that divides us and rewinds our social progress. For example, most will recall when Trump called Mexicans rapists, claiming they all come here illegally carrying drugs and guns. Here it is in his own words from the BBC. It's one thing to hear it and read it, but does it change your mind and inspire you to vote for better when you see it? I hope so. 

My power as a communicator is in creating images that tell stories. My responsibility as a father and citizen of the United States is to try to make the world I leave for my children better than the one I enjoyed. I created a project that I hope will inspire people to see the dangers and power of stereotypes. Obviously, I can hear the arguments that these images do more harm than good and that they perpetuate the very stereotypes portrayed. As I look at them, I contemplate even publishing them. I am torn. Do I need to provide fuel for the fire knowing some people might steal these images and use them to inspire hate? On the other hand, they contain a powerful message; they are powerful pieces of art that should be contemplated.

As an artist, I wanted to portray the world as Trump sees it. Let's illustrate this with an article from the Washington Post about Trump's bigotry towards Muslims - Trump, by his actions, words, and hate, sees all Muslims as terrorists. Does he picture them the way I, as an artist, interpreted this hate? Maybe, but one could argue that the power of my image expresses his bigotry towards thereligious group. 

Does Trump see all priests as child molesters? I can’t tell, but I can recall his stance or rather lack of, which to me in this most horrific abuse was allowed to go unchallenged. Because of its political sensitivity, I believe this situation requires a reminder. Would it not be a better world if the president took a stance that protected children and admonished the Church's lack of action? Elected officials both democrats and republicans fail to call out powerful groups for fear of losing valuable votes. No politicians have held the Catholic Church accountable, maybe the visualization of such abuse will cause people to think differently.

Some of the stereotypes portrayed in this collection are my artistic interpretation of how Trump might see the world without having his own words to align. For example, I imagine his approach to gender stereotypes aligns with the historical and liberal implication that all girls are princesses, and all boys are little athletes. Does Trump feel women should be barefoot and pregnant? I don’t know, but I can interpret from his long history of sexism, that this stereotype might very well apply. 

Now let's talk police brutality. Have we forgotten how our fearless leader feels? Here are his own words as a reminder. Have we forgotten this or we just ignoring it? Many have not. This image is so extremely powerful. For me, this is my interpretation of how horrific Trump's own words affected me and how it should also affect you. There is so much hate and sensitivity in this subject matter, and rather than address it with compassion, our leader chooses to insight more violence and uses brutality as a tactic. Does Trump see the murdering of innocent African American youth as a sport? I don’t know, but again, as an artist, I am expressing how I think he feels and my disgust towards it. 

One must also ask the question of whether Trump's broad strokes of stereotyping has reopened the door to make it a common practice in politics. Has he inspired Asian candidate Andrew Yang to use the stereotype on himself as being “good at math,” as a communication tool to be more relatable? Certainly, one could argue Trump has made it easier and more acceptable for stereotypes to be used on the campaign trail.

Maybe we all have forgotten when Trump mocked Indians using a stereotypical impression of a call center tech support worker. No occupation, culture or class seems to be respected. The examples from his own mouth are endless, and yet so frequent we have not only become desensitised, but have we as a society entered a new era where stereotypes are acceptable? 

And of course, some could also see Trump himself as a political stereotype. Has he created a divide in political perception that republican politicians are all money-hungry, corrupt, and self-indulgent? Or comically, is he responsible for perpetuating the myth of the Trophy Wife? 

Art should provoke, inspire, enlighten, and challenge. This project was difficult to undertake but essential to produce. My hope is that it encourages you to think, read, and, most of all, vote for change. 

Special thanks to many creative collaborators on this project that saw the vision and power of the images and volunteered their time to help our team create an important body of work. Creatively I was inspired by Irving Penn’s use of the corner set to create a fixed world point of view for each stereotype. I was also inspired by seeing Eugenio Recuenco’s 365° project where he used a window in a set as a source of light. I chose to make this window long and narrow like a jail cell to imply that stereotypes themselves incarcerate.

Retouching by Jana Heidenreich

CGI Post by Mike Campau

Props: Brittany Brenner @britttbren and Liz Ream @lizreamstylist

Wardrobe: Loren Robles @there.he.roams

Hair and Make Up: Natalie Bohlin @nataliebohlin and Breanne McNally @breannemcnally and Marybeth Bagonghasa @muah_artist

Set Design: Art Haynes @therealarthaynes

Read More

Star-struck by Stellar

The world has never seen a point and shoot camera quite like this before.

Iconic Sweden-based manufacturer Hasselblad, whose world famous cameras were taken to the moon by US astronauts back in the Sixties, and whose top quality products are prized by many of the world's greatest professional photographers, is all set for another major launch.

Stellar - a unique compact camera aimed at people who only want the best - has been exclusively fashioned at Hasselblad's design centre in Italy and is set to wow amateur
enthusiasts and consumers who love to take outstanding photographs and shoot quality video without having to worry about F-Stops and focal lengths.

With its own unique expression of style and matchless quality - Stellar is set for take-off around the globe at top stores like Harrods in the UK, Lane Crawford's in Hong Kong and China and Willoughby's Camera in Fifth Avenue, New York, later this summer.

So what's so special about this new camera?

Dr. Larry Hansen, Hasselblad's Chairman and CEO explains: "The world has never seen a compact camera like this before. The Hasselblad brand has always been about highest quality and distinctive style and we've created Stellar as a work of art capture device that you can simply point and shoot to acquire stunning pictures. It is available in six exotic wooden handle options - including walnut, padouk and zebra - with every hand-grip meticulously carved from a raw block of wood and fashioned by our experts. And our sleek and sophisticated carbon fibre hand-grip alternative is crafted using the same compression moulding technique embraced by the aerospace industry."

He adds: "With Stellar, we have an extremely easy camera to use but it comes with the exquisite image quality and high-end handling that all our customers expect from Hasselblad. Just point and shoot and Stellar's advanced technology, combined with the magnificence of ZEISS lenses, takes care of the rest. We've packed full HD 1080/60p video with manual controls in this model too and this camera comes with a fantastic 3.6 x optical zoom. Our larger than average point and shoot sensor enables the user to capture extra light and reproduce every scene in truly stunning detail. And with wide range ISO sensitivity it's now possible to shoot in almost any light."

The brand new Stellar camera has a price tag of 1,480 Euros (excluding tax), and offers SLR-like handling with a full range of controls for those photographers who want more technical involvement with their image capture.

Luca Alessandrini, Hasselblad's New Business Development Director says: "With Stellar you can be a complete photo-novice or you can choose to take control of the camera's features manually. And when you buy this camera it will be presented - complete with its naturally tanned Italian leather wrist strap - in a select and distinguished-looking 'jewellery' box."

Stellar is Hasselblad's second foray into the consumer photographic marketplace. Earlier this year the manufacturer of the world's most advanced medium format camera system launched Lunar - an acclaimed revolution in consumer camera design. Stellar is the follow-up camera in an ongoing programme of product launches targeting the lifestyle/luxury sector.

Adds Dr. Hansen: "It has always been my ambition to enable all fans of the iconic Hasselblad brand to have an opportunity to own one of our cameras. Now discerning enthusiasts of beautiful design, ergonomics and advanced camera technology have real choices."

Read More

55 paintings by Congo the chimpanzee to be exhibited and sold in London gallery

From 1956–1959, surrealist artist and zoologist Desmond Morris worked with Congo the chimpanzee to observe and record his interest in “creating art for art’s sake”. Congo made around 400 artworks during the period, and now 91-year-old Morris has decided to sell all but one of the paintings in his possession at a show at The Mayor Gallery in London.

Morris worked with a number of apes in his research but explains that none matched Congo’s apparent artistic instinct. “No other apes were controlling the mark making and varying the patterns as he was,” Morris says. “I originally picked Congo out as one of the more boisterous at the zoo and felt that his strong personality would respond well to to focused periods of working together.”

This work involved Morris offering his a pencil and card to draw on, which he did, and then paint and pastels, observing his inclination to draw circles and repeat motifs, such as a fan pattern. He also showed an ability to create basic compositions, showing understanding of symmetry and aesthetic balance. Morris saw this research as evidence of primates’ urge to make and play with visual patterns, especially shown by Congo’s enjoyment of the sessions.

A selection of paintings by Congo were exhibited at the ICA and picked up by renowned collectors including Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro.

Congo died in 1964, but Morris has since continued research into the subject, publishing The Artistic Ape in 2013, tracing “the evolution of human artistic endeavour over three million years”. His second book, The Naked Ape (1967), was translated into 29 languages and listed among the 100 best-selling books of all time.

Meanwhile in 2005, auction house Bonhams sold three of Congo’s paintings for £14,400. This new show will feature 55 of Congo’s paintings. Morris commented on his decision to sell all but one of his favourite paintings from the time, saying “I am holding onto the serious, scientific research notes that I made during my years working with Congo, but, at 91 years old, I now would rather that the paintings and drawings be made available to other collectors, to whom I hope they will bring as much pleasure as they have to me.”

Works on sale will range from £1,500 – £6,000. There will also be a limited edition catalogue on sale, showcasing Congo’s entire output, each signed by Morris.

Congo the chimpanzee: the birth of art is on show at The Mayor Gallery, London from 3 – 19 December 2019.

Read More

Pablo Picasso: Vollard Suite

As art world legend has it, Pablo Picasso’s most celebrated series of etchings, the “Vollard Suite,” began with a trade. In exchange for paintings by the Impressionist masters Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Picasso agreed to produce a series of 100 prints for his art dealer, Ambroise Vollard. Produced from 1930 to 1937, Picasso devoted this body of work to five main themes: 

The Battle of Love, The Sculptor’s Studio, Rembrandt, The Minotaur, and Portraits of Vollard. Though Vollard commissioned these prints, he died before the series was completed, which, along with World War II, delayed their release to the public until the 1950s.

A prolific and tireless innovator of art forms, Pablo Picasso impacted the course of 20th-century art with unparalleled magnitude. Inspired by African and Iberian art and developments in the world around him, Picasso contributed significantly to a number of artistic movements, notably Cubism, Surrealism, Neoclassicism, and Expressionism. 

Along with Georges Braque, Picasso is best known for pioneering Cubism in an attempt to reconcile three-dimensional space with the two-dimensional picture plane, once asking, “Are we to paint what’s on the face, what’s inside the face, or what’s behind it?” Responding to the Spanish Civil War, he painted his most famous work, Guernica (1937), whose violent images of anguished figures rendered in grisaille made it a definitive work of anti-war art. 

“Painting is not made to decorate apartments,” he said. “It’s an offensive and defensive weapon against the enemy.” Picasso’s sizable oeuvre includes over 20,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, theater sets, and costume designs.

See more

Vollard Suite (Suite Vollard)

Read More