Feel The Beat

Takeshi Kitano 北野 武 is an award winner film director, a well known actor especially as the Beat Takeshi character, a comedian and a presenter in Japanese T.V., an author a screenwriter and a poet who wrote more than thirty books, and the Head Professor of Film and Media Studies Department of Tokyo University of Arts. He does almost everything in his films from editing to art directing, from writing the screenplay to directing the film and starring in it. He won more than fifty awards including a Golden Lion winning, nominations and a Golden Palm nomination. Alongside his mostly known capabilities which are more than enough even for the most capable man, he is also a painter who opened an exhibition in Paris recently called "kid of painting". Even if his father was a painter, he does not like to talk a lot about his own paintings. He does not sell them; instead gives away.

These are some of the paintings that Kitano used in his masterpiece Hana-bi (1997). In the film, they were made by a fellow ex-cop of Beat Takeshi as a part of the rehabilitation process as the cop cannot walk anymore.

Untitled, 1996

Untitled, 1996

Hana-Bi, 1996

Death, 1996

BEWARE! This is the exact scene in which paintings of Kitano are used. It can spoil everything if the film is not seen by you; it will be a pity as it is a master of masters' masterpiece.

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: Dante Gabriel Rosetti

Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Self-portrait, 1847

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood consisted of a group of Englishmen who were both poets and painters. They formed this brotherhood in mid 19th century and its forerunners were William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. These dudes thought that after Raphael and Michalengelo the process of painting started to mechanize, they criticized that and wanted to go back to details, intense colours, and complex compositions of Quattrocento Italian and Flemish art. According to the Wikipedia, their movement was claimed as the first avant garde movement in art but I don't know about that. They even printed a journal at that time which constantly presents their ideas about their art, their views on art and so on.

Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Lady Lilith, 1868

Enough with others; Rosetti was the shining element among these. First of all, he was a solid poet that have a certain attitutude. While reading, he makes you clearly visualize and audiolize the moment and happenings in a limited amount of time with a slow motion mode. His paintings were nothing less but the thing wanted to be emphasized in his paintings that, they have the same woman over and over even if he paints different people. Let's have a look.

Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Portrait of Marie Spartali Stillman, 1869

A Photograph of real Marie Spartali Stillman, 1868.
Photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron. 

Dude come on now, she is not even close! That poor guy had painted the same woman under different names and historical characters numerous times. He just changed his hair or skin color sometimes. Some say the women is her sister and others believe it was an unrequited love. All in all, he seemed to have a crush on this woman and she seems just beautiful.

Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Jane Morris The Blue Silk Dress, 1868

Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Pia de' Tolomei, 1868-1880

Dante Gabriel Rosetti, The Roseleaf (Portrait of Jane Morris), 1870

Shall I bite that apple too?

 
Today was my birthday, just like the fella over there, 24 February. He tried to do something and he did. He changed things, made living different. His life was hard, family wasn't rich, people didn't like him. He wanted to be a shiver of sand in this whole wide sea of infinity, and he made it. Chances were not on his side but he changed the flow of his existence for the sake of his will. He succeeded. Now he is old. He has cancer all over his body. Everybody in his company waits for his death in order to move on. He will die soon and became a bright star in the skies or just soil, maybe some vitamin in an apple in near future. Does it worth it? You fought the wars against the wheel of fortune and you beat it. Nobody liked you, you can get nothing to your coffin, your filthy decaying corpse will not hear your legacy staying in this mean world. Nobody will remember you in maybe two or three hundred years. Does it worth it? I wish I could ask it to him.

LIMBO

LIMBO is another cute-bitter game for sentimental video game players and it is probably created by independent and sentimental video game creators. It is a platform game in which as a little boy you simply go on and try to survive in a harsh dark chaotic world. It has one of the best artistic work ever seen in terms of atmosphere and sound effects. The artwork in the visuals are extraordinary, maybe other than the visuals and movements of the main character. Choosing black and white simply and rightfully suits the situation of the lonely little boy, as he is alone in this unexplainable, industrial and misty world. Some examples from both sketches and game visuals:

Free Textures People!- Two

www.texturewarehouse.com is another high resolution free texture site for designers which has 775 Files in 19 Categories. It is not as rich as cgtextures in terms of content but texturewarehouse does not ask for a membership. There is only the option of downloading the original file so you have to resize it after your download. There is also an option of search, which is nice in a way (e.g. Search: Ciguli- No Results). Also site does not have a quota limit per I.P. number too, so you can exploit the content in any way you want.

Recent Developments in Turkish Underground Rap Album Covers

Until recently, underground rappers in Turkey was not creating album covers as they were not releasing the albums in the market because of the costs and lack of producers. They simply put the albums on the net, and they thought a cover is not needed. However things improved with the changes that I-Tunes and other similar systems made. Nowadays more and more listeners just download the albums rather that than buying it. With this change, Turkish Underground Rappers also started to make their album covers or worked with graphic designers and a lot of different and interesting result came up. Here are some infiluential and, of course, illustrative covers from two-tousand-and-eight.

Tedmer, Ben de Varım, 2008

Exelans, 3 Başlı Ejderha, 2008

Emrah Çıldır, Sarhoş Palavraları ve Bekar Evinde Kör Sinekler, 2008

Mic-Kill Myers Mkm, Şimdi Git Zombi, 2008

Sybra Azazil, Zincirini Kopartan Köpek, 2008

Ema&Mirza, Her Gün Aynı, 2008

Nam Photography

”Nam” is a japansese graphic art originally established by garphic designer Takayuki Nakazawa and photographer Hiroshi Manaka. Currently over ten artist from various backgrounds are belonging to Nam. They are searching for possibilities in the world of visual arts, and exploring the art based on their theme ” A fantasy in Life ”. Gravity, or the lack of it, plays an interesting role in this series. Here are some examples from Takayuki Nakazawa's "When Gravity Fails" series.

Takayuki Nakazawa, Home Sweet Home

Takayuki Nakazawa, Fall Room

Takayuki Nakazawa, When Gravity Fails 4

Takayuki Nakazawa, Blanc

Things change

Ten-fifteen years ago, computer games were not like the way it is now. There was no improved graphics, no realistic sounds, there were low budgets etc. However, at that time, absence of these qualities did not bother the players a lot as the players were completing these lacks with their minds; maybe it is like reading a book and visualize the details. In time, even slightest improvements astonished players, however, now there is no chance for the players to use these lacks to interact with, as games come as a complete fully closed way because of developers' sinking into a race against perfection; and there are also other "emotional" concerns too. Even looking to the covers of the games, "emotional" concerns can be seen. Today's covers are like high budget hollywood production movie posters. A little comparison:

Grand Theft Auto, 1998
(Original Cover From Personal Collection)

Grand Theft Auto IV, 2008

As the name of the game tells a lot, first cover from 98 simply gives small hints of the experience players will have, while in the second cover almost everything is revealed about the game. You can ride a heli, a racing motorcyle, fast cars, use snipers and shoot gangstas, bang lolipop licking pornstars. Hell of a game isn't it, yes it is. You can come in a ship from another continent like Corleone did, and you can be rich, powerful, everything you want. Fucking American Dream. Yes, you can achieve, you can do it too.
Seriously, there is no need, just a no thank you.

Less Known Posters of Just Before Millenium Alternative Reality Films

Sci-fi alternative reality films really flourished suddenly just before the second millenium of the accepted calendar. Nowadays there are millions of them, there are even T.V. series, but back then, they changed the life of so many people and made them question their existence etc. or just confused them. There are lots of things to talk about these four beautiful films, but here I would like to share their mostly unknown or foreign posters, one for each film.

Dark City, 1998

Dark City was first to come in these four. It came out in late 1998 and maybe influenced other three. Here in the poster, the creepy guys, aliens that make experiment on human race can be seen in the poster. By far worst poster of all for me. I have no idea what is going on in it.

The Thirteenth Floor, 1999

13th floor came early 1999, last year before the new millenium. This film is the lest known of these four and has only one poster for all countries, has no alternative one, so it doesn't count. Our guy walks to the end of the designed program to understand what is there at the end of the program, seeks the truth... Good idea on the poster, no big faces, no one is tried to be higlighted; instead film and its idea is highlighted.

The Matrix, 1999

Everyone's favourite, one of the best of its kind ever. Lots of new technique, solid cast, beautiful movie. Also, this poster is film's most mysterious one along with the eggy one. -They are coming out of the mist to kick some ass. Again no big faces pumping out of the poster, nothing much relieved: who plays Trinity?

eXistenZ came out only days before the end of old millenium. It has plenty of gross stuff, some headache and the smallest atmosphere of the four. Just like 13th Floor, it is not a widely known film even if Jude Law plays the leading part. Best poster out of all for me even if it looks like a dark love story. Does not show lots of sci-fi stuff, use of red, with cable shows the connection between people. This poster is not related with the film at all, as the film does not only focuses on the relationship or connection between the people through the games; it is only one of its themes. Not for this film, but a solid one.

Taverna Music Tape Covers of 80's 90's: Zihni Cinan

It was typical of the era that, for the cover of the tape, a picture is taken in Taverna while singing or playing the instrument, was used by the recording companies. It was normal as the music and the type of entertainment called "Taverna" was newly developing and tapes had the purpose of living the atmosphere of this entertainment out of Tavernas, instead in homes, henna nights, picnics. However, in time, with earning money and reputation, recording compaines urged Taverna artists to produce more and more, also Taverna as a place became so famous that, it was not necessary to show the artists there; therefore, covers became nuthing but interesting studio portraits. Or at least, I think it happened that way. Here are some of the tape covers of Taverna artist Zihni Cinan from the 80's-90's era.

Zihni Cinan, "Şansım Döndü"

Zihni Cinan, "Gelin Arabası"

Zihni Cinan, "İsteksiz Gelin"

Zihni Cinan, "Şampiyon"

Zihni Cinan, "Gelin Arabası"

Zihni Cinan, "Benim Sevgim Yalan Değil"

Free Textures People!

www.cgtextures.com is a free texture site for designers and has all kinds of shit in it. There are bunch of formats like .psd .jpeg .pdf and resolution can get high up to 4k. You have to get a free membership and then you have a daily 15 mb. quota to download.

Hide your children, here comes the Witcher

One of the darkest games of video gaming history in terms of atmosphere and story, The witcher, an heir for the Diablo tradition, comes with a sequel this May: Witcher II: The Assassin of Kings. Here are some concept arts from this beautifully crafted black game.